Born in Great Falls, Montana, on July 25th 1899, "Al Cody" was a pseudonym of Archie Lynn Joscelyn. Joscelyn went on to become an enormously prolific and popular writer, especially in the western field, but also authoring a number of novels in the detective and romance genres along the way. In addition to the books he wrote under his own name and that of Cody, Archie Joscelyn also used the names A A Archer, Tex Holt, Evelyn McKenna and Lynn Westland.

The author grew up on a cattle ranch, which explains the authoritative style and easy familiarity with which he wrote his westerns. He began a freelance career in 1918 as a writer, and shortly thereafter began placing short western fiction in a variety of magazines. Some commentators estimate that he authored some 200 stories during this period. Whilst at university in Helena from 1921 to 1924, he also worked part-time as a journalist for the Montana Record-Herald and the Independent Record.

A tireless writer, he published his first novel, The Golden Bowl, in 1931. More than 200 novels followed, including the Powder Burns and Montana Abbott series. He also served a term as president of the Montana Institute of the Arts. A lifelong resident of Montana, and was living in Missoula at the time of his death, on February 28th 1986.