R. Franklin James grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, graduated from UC Berkeley, and flourished in a career of public policy and political advocacy. In 2013, the first book in her five- star Hollis Morgan Mystery Series, The Fallen Angels Book Club, was published by Camel Press it was followed by Sticks & Stones, The Return of the Fallen Angels Book Club, The Trade List, The Bell Tolls and The Identity Thief. In 2022 the six book series was acquired by Lifetime/A&E and successfully adapted into two TV movies released in the US and globally. In 2019 her book, The Appraiser was published in 2019. The Inheritance, the first book in her Johanna Hudson series was released in April 2021, followed by Look Twice in 2022. James resides in northern California with her husband.