R.J. Ellory is a British author, born in 1965, who is best known for his thriller novels. His love for literature was inspired by authors such as Michael Moorcock, J.R.R. Tolkien, Stephen King, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Ellory's full name is Roger Jon Ellory, but he uses a shortened version as his pen name.
At the age of six, Ellory's mother passed away, leaving him an orphan. He attended various schools before finishing at Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire. Ellory began writing his first novel on November 4, 1987, and completed twenty-two novels by July 1993. Despite receiving numerous rejection letters, he didn't let that discourage him. After taking an eight-year break, he resumed writing in September 2001, realizing it was the only thing he truly wanted to do.
Between August 2001 and January 2002, Ellory wrote three books, with 'Candlemoth' being his second. Orion published it in 2003, and it was translated into several languages. The book also secured a nomination for the Crime Writers' Association Steel Dagger for Best Thriller 2003. His third book, 'A Quiet Vendetta', was released in August 2005, and he published 'City of Lies' in 2006, securing another nomination for the CWA Steel Dagger for Best Thriller of that year.
'A Quiet Belief In Angels', published in August 2006, was selected for the British TV equivalent of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, the Richard and Judy Book Club. It won the Inaugural Prix Roman Noir Nouvel Observateur and was voted Best Thriller of 2009 in The Strand Magazine. The book was also optioned for film, and Ellory has recently completed the screenplay for Oscar-winning French director, Olivier Dahan.
Ellory has written eighteen novels, all published in the UK by Orion and available in twenty-six additional languages. He has won numerous awards, including the Livre De Poche Award, The Strand Magazine Novel of The Year, The Mystery Booksellers of America Award, and the USA National Indie Excellence Award for Best Mystery. Ellory is also a founding member of The Whiskey Poets, a country-blues band, and they have released three albums. He is currently working on two TV series adaptations and writing for the screen with two original feature films in production.