“I don't make any notes, but I do know where to find things. Suppose I need to know where Wexford first talked about his love of the countryside or where he quotes Larkin or what was the beginning of his hatred of racism or where he first encountered domestic violence; I would be able to find it straight away.”

British crime writer and novelist, active from the 1960s through the 2010s, she is best known for her psychological thrillers and detective novels, often exploring human morality and societal dysfunction. Her work spans the Inspector Wexford series and standalone novels like *The Wife in Black*, blending sharp social observation with gripping storytelling.