Faye Kellerman was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Sherman Oaks, California. She earned a BA in mathematics and a doctorate in dentistry at UCLA., and conducted research in oral biology. Kellerman's groundbreaking first novel, THE RITUAL BATH, was published in 1986 to wide critical and commercial acclaim. The winner of the Macavity Award for the Best First Novel from the Mystery Readers of American, THE RITUAL BATH introduced readers to Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus, termed by People Magazine and quot;Hands down, the most refreshing mystery couple around. and quot; The New York Times enthused, and quot;This couple's domestic affairs have the haimish warmth of reality, unlike the formulaic lives of so many other genre detectives. and quot;