“I get up just before six and come downstairs, put food out for the cats, and open the cat flap. Then I work out for 35 or 40 minutes - I have a very large bathroom with an elliptical cross-trainer and a bicycle.”

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.