Philip Kerr was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and studied at the University of Birmingham. Following university he worked as a copywriter at a number of advertising agencies, during which time he wrote no advertising slogans of any note.

He spent most of his time in advertising researching an idea he had for a novel. His first book in the Bernie Gunther series, March Violets, was published in 1989. He has written for the Sunday Times, Evening Standard and the New Statesman.

In addition to at least eleven books for adults including the Bernie Gunther series, he is also the author of the Children of the Lamp series which he writes under the name P.B. Kerr. Philip Kerr died in March 2018.