Ethel Lina White (1876–1944) was born in Abergavenny, Wales. She grew up in a well-educated family and began her professional life in the Ministry of Pensions in London before turning to full-time writing in the 1920s.
White gained popularity as a mystery and suspense writer during the 1930s and early 1940s. She was known for her psychological depth, atmospheric settings, and attention to female protagonists who often defied social expectations. Her most famous novels include The Wheel Spins (1936), Some Must Watch (1933, later adapted as The Spiral Staircase), and The Elephant Never Forgets (1937).
Though her literary fame has since been overshadowed by adaptations of her work, White was a leading figure in the development of British suspense fiction, particularly as it centered around ordinary women thrust into extraordinary circumstances.
