John Leake received a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in philosophy from Boston University. After receiving a graduate school fellowship in Vienna, Leake lived in the city for nine years, working as an editor and translator and currently as a freelance writer. He has narrated documentaries on Jack Unterweger for A&E "Biography" and the Discovery Channel. Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer is his first book.