Trivia

Kenrick was an advertising executive from Sydney, Australia, who later became a suspense/thriller author. He lived in Canada, the US, and Europe. He worked for many years in advertising before becoming a writer. He and his Welsh wife and their two children lived in Weston, Connecticut. His advertising background is clearly evident, and even parodied, in his novel "Two Lucky People," in which the protagonist, Harry, is an advertising agent. He suggests a wacky television ad which consternates his boss, but which also wins over their very wealthy client. After that, the boss treats Harry very nicely. Even readers ignorant of the cut-throat world of advertising have found this early scene in the novel to be hilarious.

Film rights for Kenrick's novel "The Seven Day Soldiers" were purchased, to be directed by Robert Aldrich and to star Steve McQueen, but the film was never made. [Publisher's information provided on dust jacket.].

Film rights for his novel "Glitterbug" were purchased by Tri-Star Pictures to be a vehicle for Bruce Willis, but the film was never made. [Publisher's information provided on dust jacket.].

Film rights for his novel "Stealing Lillian" were purchased, but the film was never made.

Kenrick's photographed face appears on many of his books' inner dust-jackets. For example, Kenrick shows no smile even by the time that his fame and career had arrived. It is fun to enjoy his portraits evolving from when he had long dark hair, a beard, and sunglasses, until when he had short gray hair. He appears to pose for the camera uncomfortably and with an almost-joking scowl.

Kenrick's fiction is often compared with the novels of Donald E. Westlake. Their fiction has key points in common - 1) they are brilliant and critically regarded authors of comedy-heist tales, though Westlake began selling novels years earlier; 2) Kenrick is usually the more farcical of these two very witty writers who excel in terms of dialogue, plotting, tension, description, and comic relief; 3) It is also noticeable that both authors' fiction becomes grimmer when the setting is the Far East or Africa (or any setting outside the comfort zone of the characters).

He became a free-lance writer in 1972.

He served in the Royal Australian Navy in 1953.

Worked as an advertising copywriter in London, England, Toronto, Ontario, New York, and San Francisco.

Son of Arthur Francis Cohen (an engineer) and Freda (a mind reader; maiden name: Kenrick); his wife Joan was a painter; their two children are Melanie and Tim.

In the mid-1970s, Kenrick and his family lived in Mallorca, Spain.