The "Ironsides" Cromwell stories written as Victor Gunn
With the decline of the story paper, Edwy Searles Brooks attempted to break into the hardback novel market. He negotiated with Harraps to publish a series of detective novels featuring the Scotland Yard detective Inspector "Grouser" Beeke. Beeke, together with his assistant, Sergeant Eustace Cavendish, made only two appearances before Brooks fell out with Harraps and transferred the characters to Detective Weekly. His relationship with Collins, however, was far more satisfactory and, building on the success of the Norman Conquest novels, he made an agreement with Collins to introduce a new character, Chief Inspector Bill "Ironsides" Cromwell with his assistant, Sergeant Johnny Lister. In fact, these were the Beeke and Cavendish characters (and some of the stories) given a new name for the new publisher. Given the success of the Cromwell and Lister characters in the following years, it is ironic to consider that but for Brooks' differences with Harraps, they would not have existed as such.