James L. Thane was born and raised in western Montana. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Montana and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Iowa. His principal area of specialization was the history of the American West. He has worked as a janitor, a dry cleaner, an auto parts salesman, a sawyer, an ambulance driver and a college professor.

Always an avid reader, Thane was introduced to the world of crime fiction at a tender age by his father and mother who were fans of Erle Stanley Gardner and Agatha Christie, respectively. He began his own writing career by contributing articles on intramural basketball games to his high school newspaper.

While working as an historian, Thane wrote one non-fiction book and a number of magazine and journal articles. He also wrote and produced two television series for PBS affiliate, WQPT.

In his off-duty hours, Jim enjoys reading, music, and movies. He also likes hiking, golf, and tennis, though he is, sadly, much better at hiking than he is at golf and tennis. He now divides his time between Scottsdale, Arizona and Lakeside, Montana.