LINDA STRATMANN is the author of thirteen non-fiction books mainly about crime, notably The Secret Poisoner which chronicles the efforts of science and the law to tackle poison murder in the nineteenth century. Her work also includes Chloroform, the Quest for Oblivion, a history of the use and misuse of chloroform, and three biographies, in particular, her acclaimed The Marquess of Queensberry: Wilde's Nemesis. Linda also writes two fiction series. The Frances Doughty Mysteries are set in 1880s Bayswater, with a clever and determined lady detective, who has to battle both wily criminals and prejudices about suitable roles for women. These adventures explore aspects of Victorian life such as diet, education, medicine, women's rights, fear of premature burial and the fashion for cycling. The Mina Scarletti Mysteries, set in 1870s Brighton, feature a deceptively diminutive lady with a twisted spine, whose boldness and confidence enable her to overcome her apparent disadvantages. Mina writes horror and ghost stories and exposes the activities of fraudulent spirit mediums who prey on the vulnerable bereaved. Linda has been a member of the Crime Writers' Association since 2004 and Chair from 2019-2021. She lives in London with her husband. www.lindastratmann.com
