Barry Maitland studied architecture at Cambridge. He practiced and taught in the UK before moving to Australia where he was Professor of Architecture at the University of Newcastle. He has since retired to pursue his writing. Maitland's first mystery, The Marx Sisters, was a nominee for the John Creasey award for Best First Novel, and The Malcontenta won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. Bright Air, Maitland's first crime novel set in Australia, was published in 2008.