Kirsten Holst was born in in Lemvig as the daughter of a chief constable, was married from 1958 to 1978 to fellow writer Knud Holst, and was the mother of the author Hanne-Vibeke Holst.
She made her debut in 1976 with the detective novel De unge, de rige og de smukke, in which readers are introduced to her recurring main characters: the discerning and sharp-witted policeman Høyer and his partner Therkelsen. Her numerous detective stories stand out not only for their exciting and well-thought-out plots, but also for their detailed portrait of provincial Denmark with both its good and bad aspects. She has also written several books for children and teenagers, such as Min ven Thomas, 1987, and Rejsen til Bethlehem, 1996, as well as a number of television and radio plays.
As well as writing books, she worked as a journalist with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the magazine Familie-Journalen, and the newspaper Berlingske Tidende. In 1981, she received the Poe Prize and in 1982 the children’s book award from the Ministry of Culture.
Additions by the editorial team 2011:
The above biography was first published in 1998. Since then, Kirsten Holst wrote the novels Var det mord?, 1999, Nikki og bankrøverne, 2001, Ludmilla på sporet, 2002, and Sin brors vogter, 2006.