Susie Steiner, an acclaimed English author of bestselling detective novels, died July 2, the Guardian reports. She was 51.
The cause of death was a brain tumor diagnosed three years ago, according to a post to her Twitter account on Sunday. She was best known for her series of novels featuring the detective Manon Bradshaw, including Missing, Presumed and Persons Unknown. Her most recent novel is 2020’s Remain Silent.
Kirkus’ starred review of Persons Unknown concluded that the novel “strikes all the right notes—layered mystery, incisive cultural context, and a delightful protagonist who deserves a place alongside other beloved literary detectives.”
Steiner began her career as a reporter, working for the Guardian for 11 years before leaving to pursue writing fiction full-time. Her first book, Homecoming, was published in the U.K. in 2013.
She was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma in 2019, and in 2020wrote in the Guardian about her experience treating the tumor during Covid lockdown. “One thing you can do a lot of when you’re a patient is reading,” she observed. “It has been my lifeline, both in hospital and in the months during radiation therapy and chemotherapy when a lot of time was spent in bed.”
Steiner’s U.K. publisher, Suzie Dooré, paid tribute to her in a statement: “Susie was an extraordinary person and a wonderful writer. Personally, I am proud to have also counted her as a friend, and will always remember and cherish her quick wit and brutal honesty, both attributes she was able to pass on to her series character Manon Bradshaw.”
Mark Athitakis is a journalist in Phoenix who writes about books for Kirkus, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere.
