
Sample of authors
Cleeves, Ann
The British crime writer Ann Cleeves grew up in Herefordshire and North Devon, England. Her father was a teacher. After dropping out of Sussex University she worked as a childcare officer, an auxiliary coastguard and cook. She has supported women’s shelters and she has worked as a probation officer. She is also a filmmaker and she has organized book clubs in prisons. She is married to an o...

Photo: Jean-Claude Deutsch/Paris Match via Getty Images (1977)
Sample of authors
Ayraud, Pierre
Pierre Ayraud, who published his books under the pseudonym Thomas Narcejac, and Pierre Boileau are two of the best known names in French crime writing. Together, they wrote a large number of detective novels signed Boileau-Narcejac, and they were prominent figures on the late 20th century literary scene. Ayraud was also a great connoisseur of crime writing, and he wrote several famous...