P. B. Kerr (pseudonym for the late Philip Kerr) was an acclaimed Scottish author who studied law and philosophy at the University of Birmingham before channeling his rich personal history—ranging from working as an advertising copywriter at the prestigious Saatchi & Saatchi agency to writing stories designed to lure his own children away from playing video games—into writing globally successful, suspenseful thrillers and captivating children’s fantasy. He launched his writing career in 1989 and became widely famous under his own name for gritty adult historical mysteries, while using his initials P. B. Kerr to craft magical worlds that brought deep mythology and high stakes to young adult fiction.