Rachael Holyhead was born in the industrial heart of Sheffield. She grew up in South Yorkshire, at the edge of the Peak District.
She attended Carter Lodge Comprehensive School and read History at the University of Liverpool.
A lifelong Sheffield United supporter, she also loves snooker and is an all-round armchair sports fan.
Still passionate about history, she has eclectic reading tastes, enjoying everything from the Brontës and Wilkie Collins to more modern writers of mystery, horror and crime.
As a child, Rachael began writing stories and letters for her Uncle, who was stationed overseas with the army.
She considers Liverpool her second home and loves the city’s music, culture and maritime heritage. Her roots remain in Sheffield, where she lives with her sons and her pet cat, Luther.