Hugh Pentecost was a penname of mystery author Judson Philips. Born in Massachusetts, Philips came of age during the golden age of pulp magazines, and spent the 1930s writing suspense fiction and sports stories for a number of famous pulps. His first book was Hold 'Em Girls! The Intelligent Women's Guide to Men and Football (1936). In 1939, his crime story Cancelled in Red won the Red Badge prize, launching his career as a novelist. Philips went on to write nearly one hundred books over the next five decades.
Under the Hugh Pentecost name in particular he was able to write tons of mysteries. His books had strong characterization, language, and played with the reader. He also came up with many amateur sleuth series characters. One of his most famous characters is Pierre Chambrun. He manages a luxury hotel in New York and is often called upon to solve murders involving the rich and famous.