Desmond Robert Dunn



Desmond Robert Dunn (6 November 1929 – 5 May 2003) was an Australian author of crime fiction and western fiction.

Background
Dunn was born Robert Desmond Dunn in Mackay, Queensland, but was known as Desmond Robert Dunn or Des Dunn. He was educated at St Joseph's Nudgee College in Queensland.

Dunn wrote fiction paperback novellas published by Cleveland Publishing from 1955 until 1989. He wrote four crime titles as Des R. Dunn in the mid-1950s. Dunn is also believed to have written up to 80 of the 290-300 titles of the well-known Larry Kent detective series.

Dunn is best known for his western novellas published under several pseudonyms. Dunn's pseudonyms included: Shad Denver, Gunn Halliday, Adam Brady, Brett Iverson, Matt Cregan, Sheldon B. Cole, Walt Renwick and Morgan Culp. He is known to have written over 500 titles using these pseudonyms. The great majority of Dunn's titles were 40,000 words long. Over a 34 year writing career it is estimated that he wrote between 24 and 30 million words; most of which was published.

Dunn married and divorced twice and had three children. Dunn died in Brisbane, Queensland aged 73.