Philip Ballantyne Kerr (22 February 1956 – 23 March 2018) was a British author, best known for his Bernie Gunther series of historical detective thrillers. Kerr was educated at a grammar school in Northampton and studied law at the University of Birmingham from 1974 to 1980, achieving a master's degree. He worked as an advertising copywriter for Saatchi and Saatchi before becoming a full-time writer in 1989. Additionally, he wrote for publications such as the Sunday Times, the Evening Standard, and the New Statesman. Besides adult fiction, he also authored children's books, particularly the Children of the Lamp series.