Georgette Heyer was a prolific English novelist known for her works in the Regency romance and detective fiction genres. Her writing career began in 1921 when she turned a story conceived for her ailing younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925, Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer. The couple spent several years living in Tanganyika Territory and Macedonia before returning to England in 1929. Despite her success, Heyer was known for her intense privacy, refusing to grant interviews and believing that publicity was unnecessary for good sales.

Heyer essentially established the historical romance genre and its subgenre Regency romance, often drawing inspiration from Jane Austen. To ensure accuracy, she collected reference works and kept detailed notes on all aspects of Regency life. Her meticulous nature was also evident in her historical novels, such as when she recreated William the Conqueror's crossing into England for her novel The Conqueror.

Beginning in 1932, Heyer released one romance novel and one thriller each year. Her husband often provided basic outlines for the plots of her thrillers, while Heyer focused on developing character relationships and dialogue. Although many critics described Heyer's detective novels as unoriginal, others praised them for their wit and comedy, as well as for their well-woven plots.

Her career was sometimes clouded by problems with tax inspectors and alleged plagiarists. Despite these challenges, Heyer continued writing until her death in July 1974, with 48 of her novels still in print at that time. Her last book, My Lord John, was published posthumously.