“In judging other people's work, particularly short stories, I have noticed how novice writers tell the readers everything about their characters in the first paragraphs, disclose their motives, reveal their recent activities and their future intentions.”

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.