Harriet Tyce
Harriet Tyce | |
|---|---|
 Harriet Tyce (Royal Society of Medicine, 2025) | |
| Born | November 1972 (age 53) |
| Language | English |
| Education | Edinburgh Academy |
| Alma mater | Corpus Christi College, Oxford University of East Anglia |
| Genre | Psychological thriller |
| Notable works | Blood Orange (2019), Witch Trial (2026) |
| Spouse | Nathaniel Tyce |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | |
www | |
Harriet Tyce (born November 1972) is a British novelist, the author of Blood Orange (2019), The Lies You Told (2020), It Ends at Midnight (2022), A Lesson in Cruelty (2024) and Witch Trial (2026).
Tyce practised as a criminal barrister for nearly ten years, before changing her career path to writing crime fiction. Her first novel became a Richard and Judy choice and became popular during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.
In 2026, she appeared as a contestant on the fourth series of The Traitors.
Early life and education
[edit]Harriet Tyce was born in November 1972 and grew up in Edinburgh, the eldest of two children of Lord Nimmo Smith, a judge; and Jennifer, an academic and classicist.[1][2] She attended an all girls' school in Edinburgh, where she became friends with Sarah Hughes.[3] She got straight As in her O-Level exams.[4] Subsequently she moved to the Edinburgh Academy for sixth form, which was mixed-sex.[2]
Tyce studied English literature at Oxford University, and then completed a law conversion course at City University.[5][6]
Career
[edit]For around ten years Tyce practised as a criminal barrister.[5] In 2005, after attempting to work part-time and not long after her son was born, she left the Bar.[2] Later she completed a master's in creative writing and crime fiction at the University of East Anglia, passing with distinction.[5]
After several rejections she acquired an agent and a book deal with Wildfire, an imprint of Headline.[2] They published Blood Orange (2019), her first novel.[5][7] It became a Richard and Judy choice.[6] According to Amazon, the book became popular during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.[7] Quibi and World Productions, the producers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, chose Blood Orange for development into a TV series.[2]
After abandoning a second novel, she released The Lies You Told in 2020.[8] Her book It Ends at Midnight was released in 2022.[9] She wrote the introductory chapter to Holding Tight, Letting Go (2022).[10] A Lesson in Cruelty was released in 2024.[11][12]
In 2026, she appeared as a contestant on the fourth series of The Traitors.[13] Her appearance on the series caused a surge in book sales.[14]
Personal life
[edit]Tyce lives with her husband Nathaniel, who works in finance.[15] They have two children.[2]
Bibliography
[edit]- Blood Orange. Wildfire. 2019. ISBN 978-1-4722-5274-6.
- The Lies You Told. Wildfire. 2020. ISBN 978-1-4722-5279-1.
- It Ends at Midnight. Wildfire. 2022. ISBN 978-1-4722-8009-1.
- A Lesson in Cruelty. Wildfire. 2024. ISBN 978-1-4722-8014-5.
- Witch Trial. Headline Publishing Group. 2026. ISBN 978-1-0354-1191-7.
References
[edit]- ^ Tyce, Harriet (2019). Blood Orange. Wildfire. ISBN 978-1-4722-5277-7.
- ^ a b c d e f Swarbrick, Susan. "Blood Orange author Harriet Tyce on her Edinburgh roots and why she swapped law for books". Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Journalist Sarah Hughes, whose wit and passion inspired everything she wrote". London News Time. 10 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Tyce, Harriet (19 May 2024). "'I was 49 when I had my last drink': Harriet Tyce". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Meet the Author: Harriet Tyce | Suffolk Libraries". www.suffolklibraries.co.uk. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Creative Writing with Harriet Tyce | The Novelry". www.thenovelry.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ a b O’Connell, John. "Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce review – smart #MeToo noir". the Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ Mesure, Susie (23 October 2020). "Harriet Tyce on The Lies You Told: 'For years I've either had to be someone's mum or wife'". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ Forshaw, Barry (18 April 2022). "The best new crime books — a peril-packed round-up". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ Anderson, Hephzibhah (27 March 2022). "Holding Tight, Letting Go by Sarah Hughes review – lessons from a life well lived". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ Owen, James; Dugdale, John (26 April 2024). "New thrillers for April: try the latest James Bond spin-off". The Times. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ Hill, Linda (9 April 2024). "A Lesson In Cruelty | Harriet Tyce". My Weekly. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ^ "The Traitors Series 4 Contestants - Meet the players joining Claudia Winkleman in the castle". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ^ Brown, Lauren; Call, Alex (7 January 2026). "The Traitors star and author Harriet Tyce's book sales increase 96% since series launch". The Bookseller. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "From Net Worth To Traitors Success, All You Need To Know About Harriet Tyce". Grazia. 15 January 2026.