Dorien Grey

Dorien Grey was the pen name of American editor and novelist Roger Margason. His Name Is John begins the Elliott Smith paranormal mystery series, introducing a Chicago property renovator who awakens after an accident aware of an unseen companion called John. The search for John’s identity turns the supernatural premise into an investigation, linking Elliott’s practical habits with a mystery rooted in the city’s past. The novel first appeared in 2008 through Zumaya Publications and was later issued by Histria Fiction. Grey also created the Dick Hardesty mystery sequence, while the Elliott Smith books continued with Aaron’s Wait, Caesar’s Fall, and Dante’s Circle. Before concentrating on fiction, Margason worked in book and magazine publishing in Los Angeles, including editorial roles connected with gay paperback and periodical publishing. That background helps explain the combination of genre structure, urban setting, and character-centered storytelling that carries across Grey’s two principal mystery series.