Born in New York City of German-Jewish immigrant parents, Richard Steinitz studied at the State University of NY at Buffalo, and has been living in Israel since 1968. When not writing novels, he reads them in great quantities, and works for a multi-national educational publisher. He and his wife Naomi are the parents of two grown children.

Though his own parents escaped the Holocaust, it has had an enduring effect on his life, and his writing.

Researching the background for his books is his favorite activity, after reading mysteries! Kaplan's Quest is his second novel.