Sandra Nikolai is a renowned Canadian author, celebrated for her mystery and thriller books. She is best known for her Megan Scott/Michael Elliott series and the Amber McNeil Mystery series. Raised in Montreal, Quebec, Nikolai studied at McGill University and currently resides in Ottawa. Her passion for writing was sparked by the Nancy Drew mystery series, which she avidly read as a child.
Nikolai's career did not begin in writing, but her experiences, such as being held up by armed robbers while working in a bank, provided her with unique insights into the world of crime. She has since published several short crime stories and won awards, including an Honorable Mention in the Canadian Writer's Journal for a short fiction competition. The Megan Scott/Michael Elliott series is based on the premise that evil often hides in familiar places and has earned international praise for its tightly knit plots and challenging whodunits.
In addition to the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott series, Nikolai also writes the Amber McNeil Mystery series. This series features a psychic consultant who works with the Montreal Police Service on cold case files. Nikolai's debut novel, False Impressions, was nominated for the Best Mystery/Suspense in the eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards 2013. She has also been nominated as a favorite author of the year at the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Ottawa Awards presented by Faces Magazine.