Val Mc Dermid è nata il 4 giugno del 1955 a Kirkcaldy un paese affacciato sul Mare del Nord distante una cinquantina di Km da Edimburgo ed è una scrittrice di romanzi gialli molto nota per il suo personaggio: il "Dottor Tony Hill".

 Ha studiato al St. Hilda's College di Oxford per poi divenire giornalista, drammaturgo e novellista.

 Val è una lesbica che ha avuto il figlio Cameron per inseminazione artificiale.

 Attualmente vive tra Manchester e Northumberland con il figlio e con i suoi tre amati gatti.

 Buona bridgista, molto calma e nota per la sua grande sensibilità al tavolo è arrivata seconda nel 2009 alla gara televisiva per beneficenza "Celebrity Grand Slam".

Val McDermid (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of suspense novels starring her most famous creation, Dr. Tony Hill.

McDermid comes from Kirkcaldy, Fife and was educated at St Hilda's College, Oxford, where she was the first student from a state school in Scotland (Kirkcaldy High School), and became President of the Junior Common Room. 

After graduation she became a journalist, and worked briefly as a dramatist. However, her first success as a novelist, Report for Murder: The First Lindsay Gordon Mystery, did not appear until 1987.

McDermid is a lesbian. She and her former girlfriend share custody of their son Cameron (conceived to McDermid's ex via donor insemination). She is a Raith Rovers supporter.

She divides her time between South Manchester and Northumberland and has a son and three cats. 

Val is a bridge player who is very quiet at the table, but who you sense is plotting great things.