Judith Cook was born in Manchester. She became a journalist for the Guardian followed by becoming a freelance writer. Apart from crime fiction, she wrote several non-fiction books, plays and books about the theatre. She has been a part-time lecturer at Exeter University. She is the creator of:
1. 'Simon Forman', a doctor in Elizabethan times.
2. 'John Latymer', an ex-Chief Inspector.