The American crime writer lives in the Ticino region of Switzerland, in the village of Tegna near Locarno, in a hundred year old house above the stark valley of Maggia.There in a quiet corner south of the Alps she enjoys painting, drawing, listening to classical music, making her furniture and enjoying the company of her cat Charlotte. She lives quietly avoiding literary luncheons and literary occasions but continues to have strong political opinions. She described herself as a social democrat, sympathises with Palestinians and dislikes Koreans (because she heard they ate dogs). She was born Mary Patricia Plangman, on the 19th January 1921 at Forth Worth in Texas, USA.