Roger Jon Ellory was born in Birmingham, England, June 20th 1965. He was orphaned at age seven when his mother, Carole - an actress and dancer - died of pneumonia. Between August 2001 and January 2002 Ellory wrote three books, the second of which was called Candlemoth which was published by Orion in 2003. Candlemoth was translated into German, Dutch and Italian, and has now also been purchased for translation in numerous other languages. The book was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Steel Dagger for Best Thriller in2003. Roger's third book, A Quiet Vendetta, was released in August 2005 and went on to win the Quebec Laureat 2010 and the Villeneuve Prix Des Lecteurs 2010 in its… French translation. In 2006 Ellory published City of Lies which again was nominated for the CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of that year. His fifth book - A Quiet Belief In Angels - was published in August 2006 and was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. The book has since been translated into twenty-five languages. A Quiet Belief In Angels went on to be shortlisted for the Barry Award for Best British Crime Fiction, the 813 Trophy, the Quebec Booksellers' Prize, The Europeen Du Point Crime Fiction Prize, and was winner of the Inaugural Prix Roman Noir Nouvel Observateur, The Strand Magazine Best Thriller of the Year, the Livre De Poche Award 2010, and the US Indie Excellence Award for Best Mystery. Ellory's subsequent book, A Simple Act of Violence, received a Barry Award nomination for Best British Crime Fiction of 2008. A Simple Act of Violence went on to win the Theakston's Crime Novel of the Year Award. In late 2009 R. J. released The Anniversary Man and then Saints of New York in early 2010. He has now completed Bad Signs for a June 2011 release.