German writer, producer, and director born on 6 December 1946 in Mannheim, Germany. He studied law and sociology at the universities of Mainz and Tübingen. He specialized in constitutional law and practiced law in Stuttgart for 17 years. He wrote his debut crime novel in 1980 and had written a total of 12 novels in addition to short stories, stage productions, and radio plays. He also created over 20 episodes from the longest-running German series Tatort (1970).