Leigh Russell is one of the UK's most prolific and successful crime writers. She studied English and American Literature at the University of Kent before pursuing a career in teaching. Her debut novel, Cut Short, introduced DI Geraldine Steel in 2009 and launched what has become one of the most enduring series in British crime fiction. There are now twenty-five Geraldine Steel novels. Her books have been translated into many languages, and received consistent praise for their plotting, pacing and vivid sense of place. Leigh is a member of the Crime Writers' Association. She lives in England and continues to write full time.