Born in North London, Derek Ansell was educated locally and attended St. Martin's School of Art in Charing Cross Road, Central London. He worked as a commercial artist for a few years before moving into sales in London, before re-locating to Preston, Lancashire where he spent six years. He moved back south to Newbury, Berkshire and is domiciled there today. Although he spent many years as a Sales Representative and Area Supervisor for an international office equipment manufacturer he began writing relatively late in life and published his first novel, The Whitechapel Murders in 1999.