Michael Ridpath was born in Devon and grew up in rural Yorkshire. After studying history at university, he worked in the City for twelve years as a bond trader and then in venture capital.

Michael’s first novel, Free To Trade, was written during evenings and weekends over a four-year period. On the basis of “write what you know”, it was a novel about a bond trader, written mostly for his own pleasure. Working in the City, he had come across some pretty dodgy characters. There were good guys, there were bad guys, and there were plenty of shades of grey in the middle; the shades of grey interested him.

To his great surprise – and delight – Heinemann published the book. It was eventually translated into over 30 languages and reached No 2 in the UK bestseller list. So Michael gave up working in the City to become a full-time writer.

Michael went on to write seven more international thrillers set in the worlds of business and finance, before turning his hand to something slightly different. The result, Where The Shadows Lie, the first in a series featuring an Icelandic detective named Magnus, was published in 2010. He has written six more novels in the series set in Iceland since then, and a couple of novellas.

He has also written a number of stand-alone historical thrillers, mostly set in the twentieth century. Traitor’s Gate and Shadows Of War are spy novels set in pre-war Europe. These were followed by Amnesia (1930s and 40s), Launch Code (1980s Cold War) and The Diplomat’s Wife (also pre-war espionage).

In 2026 he began The Foreign Correspondent Mystery series set in the capitals of Europe in the 1930s, the first book of which is Operation Berlin.

Michael is a former vice-chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and a former treasurer of the Royal Literary Fund. He is a member of the Detection Club.

He is married to Barbara, an American, and splits his time between London and Duxbury, Massachusetts.

‘Ridpath provides a rush of blood to the head and stings your page-turning fingertips.’ – Independent

‘An enthralling read.’ -- Mick Herron

‘Well researched and beautifully executed, pacy but poignant - I loved it.’ -- Mari Hannah

'Atmospheric, sinuous and elegant, this demonstrates Ridpath’s special talent.’ — Daily Mail

‘International thriller writing at its best, fine characters, page-turning suspense and a great, fresh location.’ -- Peter James

‘A clever blend of murder mystery, myth and up-to-the-minute mayhem…’ --The Times

‘Terrific! Great plot and splendid pacing…’ -- Simon Brett

‘A nerve-jangling edge-of-your-seat thriller.’ -- Robert Goddard

‘A clever concept, expertly handled and beautifully, vividly written.’ -- Steve Mosby

‘Ridpath has a winner here.’-- New York Times Book Review

‘A master-class in how it’s done. I read it in one gulp.’ -- Observer