Magdalen Nabb

Magdalen Nabb (; 16 January 1947 – 18 August 2007) was a British author, best known for the Marshal Guarnaccia detective novels.

Early life and education Magdalen Nuttal was born in Church, Lancashire, on 16 January 1947, and was raised in Ramsbottom.

Nuttal attended the Convent Grammar School in Bury, Greater Manchester, then attended an art college in Manchester, where she studied arts and pottery.

Career Nabb began her career teaching art at a primary school in Holcombe, Greater Manchester. Nabb subsequently published 12 additional crime detective novels, all of which are set in Florence, which she describes as a "very secret city". She lived near enough to the Carabinieri station at Pitti to stroll there regularly and have a chat with the marshal, who kept her up to date on crime in the city. Her final novel, Vita Nuova in the Marshal Guarnaccia series, was posthumously published in 2008.

In addition to her novels intended for adults, Nabb wrote 12 Josie Smith books for children, all of which are set in Ramsbottom in the school Nabb attended. In 1991, Jose Smith and Eileen, the second book in the series, won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize.

Books for children Standalone books Illustrated by Julek Heller.

Josie Smith series The Josie Smith books are illustrated by Pirkko Vainio and published by Margaret K. McElderry Books in New York.