Alison O'Leary

Alison was born in London and spent her teenage years in Hertfordshire reading novels, watching daytime television, and avoiding school. Alison’s early ambitions of being a forensic scientist collided with reality when a careers teacher suggested that she might like to work in a shop.

Later studying law, Alison decided to teach rather than go into practice and has spent many years teaching criminal law and criminology.

The Cat Noir series was inspired by the real Aubrey, a large tabby rescue cat that lived with Alison for fifteen years. He was given his name by Alison’s husband, who was reading John Aubrey’s Brief Lives at the time. As Aubrey said later, he was just grateful not to have been called Brief.

One day Alison’s husband turned to her and said, ‘do you know, that cat always looks purposeful. As if he’s just off to his club, or he’s got a bit of admin to catch up with.’

Or maybe a crime to help solve…

In my spare time I enjoy reading crime novels, doing crosswords, and drinking wine. Not necessarily in that order.