Lynda La Plante was born in Liverpool. She trained for the stage at RADA, and work with the National Theatre and RSC led to a career as a television actress. She turned to writing - and made her breakthrough with the phenomenally successful TV series Widows. She has written eight subsequent bestselling novels, The Legacy, The Talisman, Bella Mafia, Entwined, Cold Shoulder, Cold Blood, Cold Heart and Sleeping Cruelty and her original script for the much acclaimed Prime Suspect won a BAFTA award, British Broadcasting award, Royal Television Society Writers award and the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Writers award. Lynda La Plante also received the Contribution to the Media award by Women in Film, a BAFTA award and Emmy for the drama serial Prime Suspect 3, and most recently she has been made an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute.