Olen Steinhauer is an acclaimed American author, renowned for his historical and spy mystery/thriller novels. He has penned two successful series, the Ruthenia Quintet and the Milo Weaver series. The New York Times has praised his work, drawing comparisons to the legendary spy novelist John le Carré, highlighting Steinhauer's ability to vividly portray the complex world of espionage.
Steinhauer was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1970 and spent his formative years in Virginia. He pursued his higher education at a university in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, before moving to The University of Texas, Austin, where he graduated. His literary career was kick-started with a Fulbright grant in Romania, where he lived for a year to write a novel about the Romanian Revolution. This experience significantly influenced his early works. His first five books, known as the Yalta Boulevard Sequence, are a product of his time in Romania.
Steinhauer has been a prolific traveler, having visited numerous states across the U.S., including Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, and New York. His international sojourns include stays in Croatia, Italy, and the Czech Republic. Currently, he resides in Hungary with his wife and daughter. Over the years, he has contributed stories and poetry to various literary journals. His first novel, 'The Bridge of Sighs', a historical mystery set in Eastern Europe, was published in 2003 and was nominated for five awards. His subsequent works have also received significant critical acclaim, with 'Liberation Movements' being nominated for an Edgar Award for best novel of the year.