Elsart is a highly regarded author, known for her historical mystery novels. She is best known for her Li Du series. Hart was born in Rome, Italy, but her earliest memories are of Moscow, where her family resided until 1991. Since then, she has lived in various places around the world, including the Czech Republic, the U.S., and China. Hart earned her B.A. from Swarthmore College and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.
Hart's first book is set in Lijiang, a city previously known as Dayan. She was inspired to write her debut novel after reading numerous books by Agatha Christie and learning about the ancient history of the Tea Horse Road of Tibet-China. While writing the book, titled Jade Dragon Mountain, Hart had ambitious plans. The novel is set in southwest China during the year 1708 and tells a twisting tale of a historical murder mystery featuring a compelling detective in the role of Li Du. Hart has introduced Li Du as a nomadic scholar and librarian.
Hart has written three mystery novels set in eighteenth-century China, with her most recent novel, City of Ink, being one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2018. Hart was born to a journalist and spent most of her childhood abroad, attending international schools in Moscow and Prague. She is drawn to stories about travelers throughout history and likes to put her own characters in places that are unfamiliar to them.