Elly Griffiths is the nom de plume of Domenica de Rosa, who was born in London and spent ten years in publishing before she turned to writing fiction. Her Ruth Galloway novels are inspired by the work of her husband, who gave up a job in finance to train as an archaeologist, and by her aunt, who lives on the Norfolk coast and who filled her niece's head with the myths and legends of that area. She and her husband have two children and live near Brighton.