Steven James is the national bestselling author of a dozen novels, including the critically acclaimed thrillers Every Crooked Path, Checkmate, The King, Opening Moves, and The Queen. He has won three Christy Awards for best suspense and was a finalist for an International Thriller Award. His thriller The Bishop was named Suspense Magazine's book of the year. Publishers Weekly calls him " a master storyteller at the peak of his game." He has a master's degree in storytelling and has taught writing and creative communication around the world.