Jed Mercurio (Staffordshire, England, 1966) studied medicine and enlisted in the Royal Air Force while in college. After training as a pilot he resigned from his position to dedicate himself to medicine. While he was a resident doctor he wrote a ground-breaking medical drama for the BBC entitled Cardiac Arrest. Mercury lives on the outskirts of London. His first novel, Bodies, was adapted with enormous success for a BBC series. His second novel, Ascent, was published in 2007. His third novel, An American Adulterer, marked his international recognition.