About Elizabeth Heider

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Elizabeth Heider writes literary crime fiction at the intersection of psychological thriller and political noir. Her novels draw on decades of work across military, government, academia, international organizations, and the private sector.

She is the author of May the Wolf Die, named a Best Book of 2024 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Best Thriller Books, and CriminOlly. Her forthcoming novel, Children of the Savage City (Penguin), will be published on 17 February 2026. Her books have been optioned for television.

Elizabeth holds a PhD in physics and most recently worked as a program manager for Microsoft’s AI4Science and as a scientist in the European Space Agency’s human spaceflight program. She’s authored original scientific research, a patent, analytical reports for the US government and military, and coauthored a journal article with astronaut Thomas Pesquet. She lived and worked in Naples, Italy, as a civilian analyst embedded with the US Navy’s mission in Africa, where she deployed aboard US and European naval ships. Originally from Utah, she now lives in The Hague. 

 "The author’s background spans physics, military analysis, and space research. She holds a B.S. in Physics from the University of Utah and a PhD from Tufts University. Her career includes work with the European Space Agency’s Human Spaceflight program and her current role as a program manager for Microsoft’s AI4Science program in the Netherlands."  

 "...after completing her degree at the University of Utah, she worked as a deployed civilian analyst with the U.S. Navy, including three years stationed in Naples. Her work took her to 15 African countries, saw her training troops in Senegal, Gabon, and Cameroon, and even lecturing at INTERPOL headquarters in France."