Kate Ellis was born and raised in Liverpool, and she went to Manchester to study acting. She worked in teaching, marketing, and accounting before winning the North West Playwrights competition and becoming a published playwright. She has always been attracted by crime and mystery stories, as well as medieval history and archaeology, which she likes to weave into her books. She lives with her husband, two sons, and an overweight cat named Vivaldi in North Cheshire, England.