Jonathan Agnew (Aggers) was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1960. Before entering the world of broadcasting, he had a successful first-class career as a fast bowler for Leicestershire and won three test caps for England. Since then, he has worked as a cricket journalist and has spent twenty years as a commentator for Radio Four's Test Match Special. He lives in Leicestershire with his family.

Anne Berry was born in London in 1956, then spent much of her infancy in Aden, before moving on to Hong Kong at the age of six, where she was educated. She worked for a short period as a journalist for the South China Morning Post, before returning to Britain. After completing a three-year acting course, she embarked on a career in theatre, playing everything from pantomime to Shakespeare. She now lives in Surrey with her husband and four children. ˜The Hungry Ghosts™ is her first novel.

Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing both fiction and non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written various non-fiction titles, acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities, and is also Books Editor of Woman & Home magazine. What Woman Want is her first novel.

Leonard Cohen is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. His first book of poetry, ˜Let Us Compare Mythologies™, was published in 1956 and his first novel, the semi-autobiographical ˜The Favourite Game™, in 1963. Cohen has recorded numerous albums and published several books of poetry and an experimental novel, ˜Beautiful Losers™ (1966). Cohen lives in Montreal, Canada.

D.J. Connell was born in New Zealand and has lived and worked in various countries, first as a writer for a newspaper, then for a non-profit organisation. D.J. Connell is a British national, currently living in London.

Zoran Drvenkar was born in Croatia in 1967 and moved to Germany when he was three years old. He is the author of many prize-winning books for children and young adults. He lives in an old mill outside Berlin.

Warren FitzGerald was born in 1973. Since graduating from Warwick University he has been a professional singer and worked with children and adults with disabilities. He has undertaken several voluntary projects overseas including building a health centre in Kibungo, Rwanda (the setting for The Go-Away Bird). He lives in London.

Meg Gardiner is originally from Southern California, where she practiced law and taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author of five Evan Delaney novels as well as the first Jo Beckett thriller, The Dirty Secrets Club, described by Jeffery Deaver as

John Harding was born near Ely. He is the author of the bestselling What We Did On Our Holiday, made into an ITV drama starring Shane Ritchie and Roger Lloyd Pack. He is a book reviewer for the Daily Mail and lives in London.

Ellen Horan has worked as a studio artist and as a photo editor for magazines and books in New York City. She currently lives in downtown Manhattan, the setting of her first novel, 31 Bond Street.