Mary Wesley, CBE (born Mary Aline Mynors Farmar), was a notable English novelist. Over her prolific career, she became one of Britain's most successful authors, selling over three million copies of her books. She penned ten bestsellers in the last twenty years of her life.

She reportedly worked with MI5 during World War II. Wesley's literary journey began with children's books, such as Speaking Terms and The Sixth Seal (both 1969), and Haphazard House (1983), before she transitioned to adult fiction.

Remarkably, her first adult novel was published when she was 71, marking her as a late bloomer in the literary world. The release of Jumping the Queue in 1983 signaled the commencement of an intensely creative period. From 1982 to 1991, she wrote and delivered seven novels, showcasing her focus and dedication well into her seventies.