Jim Toner discovered his passion for mystery writing after reading the Hardy Boys books, inspiring him to one day create mysteries of his own. He later took courses at the Institute of Children’s Literature, where he began developing the novel Under the Blood during a novel writing course. He also wrote The Purity Ring Murders and Summer Danger, both featuring Gil Leduc and Jan Barrio, as well as Intercepted, a young adult novel centered on Dave Linblad.