Photo by Virginia Harold

Photo by Virginia Harold

 

The daughter of a journalist, Elsa was born in Rome and spent much of her childhood abroad, attending international schools in Moscow and Prague. She is drawn to stories about travelers throughout history, and likes to put her own characters in places that are unfamiliar to them. Her first three mysteries follow the exploits of a crime-solving librarian in 18th-century China. Her fourth novel, The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne (August 2020), introduces Cecily Kay, an 18th-century plant enthusiast whose fascination with botany leads her into a world of collectors, apothecaries, artists, and charlatans.