Thomas Francis Morgan Walsh was a renowned author of mystery and suspense stories, with a remarkable portfolio of crime novels that rivaled the works of his contemporary, Cornell Woolrich, yet he remains unjustly neglected and largely forgotten.
Born in New York City on September 19, 1908, Walsh was the son of Thomas Walsh and Margaret Hefferine. He began writing for his high school paper and continued to hone his craft while attending Columbia University, before leaving mid-term in his sophomore year to pursue a career in journalism in Baltimore.
Walsh's journalistic endeavors included working as a police beat reporter for the Baltimore Sun and as a writer for the U.S. Army Historical Branch. However, by 1933, he had retired from journalism and turned his attention to writing short stories.
Under the editorial guidance of Joseph Shaw, the legendary chief of Black Mask Magazine, Walsh began writing and selling crime and suspense stories to various publications, including Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, The Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, Dime Detective, Good Housekeeping, Woman's Home Companion, and other periodicals.
As a self-employed writer, Walsh published over fifty short stories and eleven novels, many of which featured hard-shelled, tender-hearted Irish-American cops working alone in the streets of New York City, depicting the city's vibrant population.
Walsh's literary achievements included winning the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Mystery for his novel "Nightmare in Manhattan," which was adapted into the movie "Union Station" starring William Holden, Barry Fitzgerald, and Nancy Olsen. He went on to write eleven more crime novels, including "Dark Window," "Dangerous Passenger," "The Action of the Tiger," "The Eye of the Needle," and "Night Watch," which was adapted into the 1954 movie "Pushover" starring Fred MacMurray and Kim Novak.
Tragically, Walsh passed away on October 21, 1984, at the age of 76, in Danbury, Connecticut, leaving behind a legacy that, although neglected, remains a testament to his remarkable talent as a writer of mystery and suspense.
