Curtis used his plots to highlight society's unfairness and the lack of opportunity that often led people to break the law in times of poverty. The lexicographer Eric Partridge frequently cited Curtis as a source of new slang words in his
A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English.
His debut novel
The Gilt Kid was published in 1936 by Penguin Books.
In 1937 he published two novels,
You’re in the Racket Too and
There Ain't No Justice.
You’re in the Racket Too is notable for being one of the earliest examples in print of the expression ”Gordon Bennett!”
1937 also saw the publication of his only non-fiction work, ''A Guide to British Liberties'', featuring left-wing political observations.
In 1938 he published his fourth novel,
They Drive By Night followed in 1939 by his penultimate novel,
What Immortal Hand.
After a 17 year absence he published his final published work in 1956, the novel
Look Long Upon a Monkey.
In 2007, London Books republished his 1936 novel,
The Gilt Kid to coincide with the 30th anniversary of his death. It featured an interview with his daughter, Nicolette Edwards. In 2008 a reissue of
They Drive By Night followed as part of their London Classics series.