After many years writing for the UK women's magazine market, Shirley, a huge fan of crime/mystery novels, wrote INTO THE SHADOWS in 2007. The novel featured forensic psychologist Jill Kennedy and colleague/ex-lover DCI Max Trentham and was set around Shirley's home in the beautiful Lancashire Pennines.

The success of INTO THE SHADOWS had readers eager for more cases for Jill and Max so the series was born. The second in the series is A DARKER SIDE (2008) and was followed by WHERE PETALS FALL, THE BROKEN CIRCLE and SHADES OF EVIL.