D.F. Bailey is a successful and acclaimed author, best known for his mystery, thriller, and crime novels. He first gained recognition with his psychological thriller, "Fire Eyes," which was a finalist for the W.H. Smith First Novel Award. Bailey's novels have been well-received, with some being translated into German and optioned for film. His writing has also earned him several awards, including the Whistler Independent Book Award and the Book of the Month award from ManyBooks.
Bailey's career as a novelist took off with the publication of "The Will Finch" mystery series, starting with "Bone Maker" in 2015. The series, which is told from the point of view of a San Francisco crime reporter, was a huge success and led to the creation of the "Second Life" series. Each novel in the "Second Life" series is a standalone title that explores the lives of characters introduced in the first series. In 2018, Bailey wrote "Five Knives," a prequel to the series.
In addition to his successful mystery and thriller novels, Bailey has also written psychological thrillers and standalone novels. His novel "The Good Lie" is set in his adopted hometown of Victoria, and "Exit from America" was released as an e-book in 2013. Bailey's family moved around North America during his childhood, and he eventually settled on Vancouver Island in the city of Victoria. He worked at the University of Victoria for twenty-two years, teaching creative writing, journalism, and coordinating the Professional Writing Cooperative Education Program. In 2010, he left the university to focus on his writing full-time.