Percy James Brebner

Born in Islington in 1864, Percy James Brebner was an English writer whose fiction ranged across adventure, detective, and historical romance. Reliable reference sources describe him as a novelist of adventure and detective fiction, and several bibliographic records also connect him with the pseudonym Christian Lys.

Before writing full time, he was educated at King's College School and worked in the Share & Loan Department of the Stock Exchange. That background gave way to a long run of popular fiction, including novels such as Princess Maritza, The Brown Mask, Vayenne, and the Christopher Quarles detective stories.

Brebner died in London in 1922. Though he is not as widely remembered as some of his contemporaries, his books still attract readers who enjoy energetic Edwardian storytelling, old-style intrigue, and classic mystery plots.