An Continental author wrote The Lay of the Land. This author has more scope of profession than the writer of Alleys of Peril.
Richard Ford (born February 16, 1944) is an American novelist and short story writer. 
Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906  June 11, 1936) was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. 
The Lay of the Land is a 2006 novel by American author Richard Ford. 
"Alleys of Peril" is a Sailor Steve Costigan short story by Robert E. Howard. 
