I've written more than twenty-five books about people trying to figure out what comes next. Over the years, my work has moved between crime, suspense, and the quieter struggles of ordinary lives. More and more, I've found myself drawn to the question at the heart of every character: what makes them who they are?

Today, I write crime novels, short stories, and character-driven fiction. My paintings, often inspired by the same sense of solitude and place that runs through my stories, sometimes become the covers for my books.

I was born outside Providence, Rhode Island. I live in North Carolina now, which still surprises me some mornings.