Stephen Coulter (21 August 1914 – 16 July 1986) was a British novelist, journalist, and, as James Mayo, the author of several spy and adventure thrillers.
His series character Charles Hood, a James Bond clone, is an art-loving British spy. Coulter was also friends with Bond creator Ian Fleming. Both men had served in Royal Navy Intelligence during World War II, became reporters, Reuters correspondents and both eventually wrote for the Sunday Times. Coulter helped Fleming with background details in the first Bond novel, Casino Royale.Hobson, Harold. Knightley, Phillip. Russell, Leonard. The Pearl of Days: An Intimate Memoir of the Sunday Times, 1822-1972 (1972), page 260.
Two of his novels have been filmed, Hammerhead in 1967 and Embassy in 1972.
Coulter died on 16 July 1986, at the age of 71.
Bibliography
Novels (as Stephen Coulter) The Loved Enemy Damned Shall be Desire: The Passionate Life of Guy De Maupassant published in the U.S. as "Damned Shall be Desire: The Loves of Guy De Maupassant " The Devil Inside: A Novel of Dostoevsky's Life Threshold Offshore! A Stranger Called the Blues Published in the U.S. as "Players in a Dark Game". U.K. paperback retitled "Death in the Sun". Embassy An Account to Render The Chateau The Soyuz Affair Blood-Tie
Novels (as James Mayo) The Quickness Of The Hand Rebound A Season of Nerves Asking For It
Charles Hood novels (as James Mayo) Hammerhead Let Sleeping Girls Lie Shamelady Once in a Lifetime published in the U.S. as "Sergeant Death" The Man Above Suspicion
Footnotes and references