Susan Elizabeth George is an American writer of mystery novels, renowned for her compelling storytelling and complex characters. She was born on February 26, 1949, in Warren, Ohio, and later moved to the San Francisco Bay Area at the age of eighteen months. She pursued English studies and obtained a teaching certificate. While teaching English in the public school system, she also completed an advanced degree in psychology.

George is best known for her series of novels featuring Inspector Thomas Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers, set in Great Britain. Her debut novel, A Great Deliverance, was published in 1988, marking the beginning of the Inspector Lynley series. As of January 2022, the series includes 21 books. The first 11 novels were adapted into the television series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries by the BBC.