author
Barbara Abel
A standout voice in Belgian psychological crime fiction, she writes tense, intimate thrillers that dig into family bonds, jealousy, and the darker corners of ordinary lives.
1 Audiobook
Down the Scale or Up...
by Barbara Abel
About the author
Born in Brussels in 1969, Barbara Abel is a Belgian novelist and screenwriter known for psychological suspense and crime fiction. Before focusing on writing, she studied Romance philology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, trained in drama, and worked as an actress.
Her novels often explore how everyday relationships can tip into obsession, fear, or violence. She gained major recognition with L'Instinct maternel, and several of her books have gone on to reach wider audiences through film and television adaptations, including the story behind Mothers' Instinct.
She has also worked in television, including as a screenwriter, and has built a reputation for sharp, unsettling stories rooted in recognizable emotions and domestic life. That mix of psychological insight and page-turning tension has made her one of the best-known contemporary crime writers from Belgium.