Cath Staincliffe is a successful British author, known for her crime fiction novels. She was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, and later moved to Manchester, where she currently resides with her family. Staincliffe's love for literature and writing began at a young age, with aspirations to work with insects, become a trapeze artist, and eventually deciding to pursue acting. However, her career took a different turn when she earned her Drama and Theatre Arts degree from Birmingham University, leading her to become a writer instead.
Staincliffe is perhaps best known for her Sal Kilkenny series, which features a single-parent sleuth working the streets of Manchester. Her debut novel, "Looking For Trouble," was serialised on BBC Radio 4. In addition to her Sal Kilkenny series, Staincliffe has also written stand-alone novels that explore various themes outside of crime, such as adoption and growing up in the 1960s. One of her notable stand-alone novels, "Letters To My Daughter's Killer," was selected for the Specsavers Crime Thriller Book Club in 2014.
Staincliffe's writing extends beyond novels to television and radio. She created ITV's hit series "Blue Murder," which starred Caroline Quentin as DCI Janine Lewis. She has also written for the ITV police drama series "Blue Murder" and won the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Best Radio Drama Award in 2019. Staincliffe's versatility as a writer is further showcased in her work as the creator of the probate detective series "Legacy" for BBC Radio 4 and as a guest writer on the Stone police drama.
Staincliffe's writing is informed by her personal experiences and interests. Her novel "The Girl in the Green Dress" was inspired by her experience as the parent of a transgender child and explores the impact of transphobic hate crime on ordinary families. "Running Out of Road," her most recent stand-alone novel, was shortlisted for the CrimeFest eDunnit Award for the best novel of 2021 and tells the story of an 11-year-old girl abducted by her estranged father.
In addition to her writing, Staincliffe is a founding member of the Murder Squad group of crime writers from the North of England. She enjoys reading, hill-walking, gardening, and dancing, and can be found on Twitter when she should be busy writing. Staincliffe's work has been recognised with several award nominations and wins, including the British Crime Writers Association best first novel award, the Dagger in the Library, and the Short Story Dagger, which she won in 2012.