Why do you write the genre that you write?
I’ve always loved mysteries. My first book, written when I was 11, was a murder mystery called The Hair of the Dog.

How did you come up with your pseudonym?
My grandmother’s name was Ellen Griffiths. I didn’t know her very well – she died when I was 5 – but I know she loved books and I hope that she would have liked her name being on the cover. I don’t know how we got from Ellen to Elly. I think it just looked tidier. . .

Tell us how you got into writing?
I’ve always wanted to write. Even before I went to school, I used to put together little picture books. At secondary school, I wrote stories about Starsky and Hutch. Once I killed Starsky (my favourite!) and I remember that my friends cried reading it. I thought: maybe I can do this. . .

What jobs have you held, before, during and/or after you’ve became a writer?
After university, I worked in a library for a while, then got a job in publishing, first in publicity then editorial. I’ve also worked in Marks and Spencer’s and as a groom.

Where do you write?
Morning is my best time. My cat, Gus, is my conscience. Every morning at eight, he goes up to my writing shed in the garden and waits for me. . .

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Brazil nuts

What is next for you?
Ruth no 14, The Locked Room, is out in the UK in February and the US in June.
I’m now writing a stand-alone (but one that features Harbinder Kaur from The Postscript Murders). It’s called Bleeding Heart Yard and is set in London.

What are you reading now?
I was lucky enough to get an early copy of The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. It’s terrific.

Where can we find you?
In my writing shed, just outside Brighton, on the south coast of England

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Chocolate

Pizza or burgers
Pizza

Broccoli or squash
Broccoli

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Dinner

Mountain or beach
Beach

Introvert or Extrovert
Extrovert

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Coffee, crossword and cat

My bio:
Elly Griffiths wrote four novels under her own name (Domenica de Rosa) before turning to crime with The Crossing Places, the first novel featuring forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway. The Crossing Places won the Mary Higgins Clark award and four novels in the series have been shortlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year. The Night Hawks (Ruth #13, published in February 2021) was number two in the Sunday Times Top Ten Bestsellers list. Elly also writes the Brighton Mysteries, set in the theatrical world of the 1950 and 60s. In 2016 Elly was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library for her body of work. Her first standalone mystery, The Stranger Diaries, won the 2020 Edgar award for Best Crime Novel. The second, The Postscript Murders, was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. Elly also writes A Girl Called Justice, a mystery series for children.