During her teenage years she was involved in demonstrations against the Poll Tax, nuclear weapons and the first Gulf War.Her first three novels feature Lily Pascale, an English literature lecturer who solves murder mysteries.Each of the succeeding novels is independent of the others. Her literary agent is Simon Trewin at United Agents.
Education
She is the daughter of Francesca Ashurst, and attended a variety of schools, including a state junior school in Barking, and a boarding school for eighteen months. During her teenage years she was involved in demonstrations against the Poll Tax, nuclear weapons and the first Gulf War.
She studied for her A levels at Chelmsford College and achieved a First in a degree in Cultural Studies at the University of East London from 1992-1995.
Career
Her first three novels feature Lily Pascale, an English literature lecturer who solves murder mysteries. Each of the succeeding novels is independent of the others. Her literary agent is Simon Trewin at United Agents.In 2008 she was a member of the Edinburgh International Film Festival jury, along with Director Iain Softley and presided over by actor Danny Huston. She has taught Creative Writing at the University of Kent since 2004, and has previously taught at Dartmouth Community College, South East Essex College and the University of East London. She reviews books for the Literary Review, the Independent on Sunday, and Scotland on Sunday.
Her new book, Our Tragic Universe, was published in May 2010 in the UK, and in September 2010 in the USA. It was originally to be titled Death of the Author.
She is currently studying for an MSc in Ethnobotany, and working on her ninth novel, The Seed Collectors.