Catherine Aird is the pen name of Kinn Hamilton McIntosh, an English author who is well-known for her crime fiction novels. She was born in Yorkshire, England and attended Waverley School and Greenhead High School. Aird has written over twenty crime fiction novels and numerous short stories, with her works often blending elements of police procedurals and cozy mysteries. Her writing style has been compared to that of Caroline Graham, Martha Grimes, and Margaret Yorke.
Aird's debut novel, "The Religious Body," was published in 1966. Many of her novels feature Detective Inspector C. D. Sloan and Detective Constable W. E. Crosby, who work in the CID department of the fictional Berebury, West Calleshire, England. This popular series is also known as the Sloan and Crosby series or the Calleshire Chronicles.
In addition to her successful writing career, Aird has also held leadership positions in the literary world. She served as Chair of the Crime Writers' Association for the 1990-1991 term and has been recognized for her contributions to the Girl Guides with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) honor. Aird is also an active member of her village community in East Kent, England, where she enjoys village life and has written and edited a series of village histories. She has also contributed to works about other writers and the art of writing.