Leslie Purnell Davies (20 October 1914 – 6 January 1988) was a British novelist whose works typically combine elements of horror, science fiction and mystery.
He also wrote many short stories under several pseudonyms, including: L. Purnell Davies, Leo Berne, Richard Bridgeman, Morgan Evans, Ian Jefferson, Lawrence Phillips, Thomas Philips, G. K. Thomas, Leslie Vardre, and Rowland Welch.
[1] Davies' books often deal with the manipulation of human consciousness, and in some ways are comparable to the works of Philip K. Dick.
His protagonists frequently suffer from amnesia or other loss of identity, and their quest to find out who they really are drives the plot.
Davies worked as a pharmacist, postmaster, optometrist, and gift shop owner, and served in the Royal Army Medical Corps in France, Italy and North Africa.