John Rickards is a crime writer who signed with Penguin Books at the age of just 24. Before becoming a novelist, Rickards worked for a freelance journalist in the shipping industry on a succession of magazines and news publications, often in an editorial role. He graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Environmental Engineering, although he has never worked in the field.

He lives in Eastbourne on the UK's south coast with his partner, and his baby boy.