Janet Cohen, Baroness Cohen of Pimlico (; born 4 July 1940), also known as Janet Neel, is a British lawyer and crime fiction writer. She is the daughter of George Edric Neel and Mary Isabel Budge. She was educated at

South Hampstead High School South Hampstead High School is a private day school in Hampstead, north-west London, England, which was founded by the Girls' Day School Trust (GDST). It is for girls aged 4–18 with selective entry at ages 4+, 7+, 11+ and 16+ (Sixth Form). ...

, Hampstead, London, England and graduated from

Newnham College, Cambridge Newnham College is a women's constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sidgwick and suffragist campaigner Millicen ...

, in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in law. She started to work as a practising solicitor in 1965. She married James Lionel Cohen on 18 December 1971. She was a governor of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

between 1994 and 1999. She was created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

as ''Baroness Cohen of Pimlico, ''of

Pimlico Pimlico () is a district in Central London, in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by Lon ...

in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...

'', on 3 May 2000 and sits as a Labour peer in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. She is an Honorary Fellow of

St Edmund's College, Cambridge St Edmund's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England. Founded in 1896, it is the second-oldest of the three Cambridge colleges oriented to mature students, which accept ...

. Cohen retired from the House of Lords on 19 December 2024. As "Janet Neel" and "Janet Cohen" she is the author of crime fiction novels.

Early life and education

Cohen was born Janet Neel on 4 July 1940 to George Edric Neel and Mary Isabel Neel (). She was educated at

in London, graduating in 1958, and attended

, gaining a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

(BA) degree in law in 1962.

Career

After working as an

articled clerk Articled clerk is a title used in Commonwealth countries for one who is studying to be an accountant or a lawyer. In doing so, they are put under the supervision of someone already in the profession, now usually for two years, but previously three ...

from 1963, Cohen qualified as a solicitor in 1965. She worked as a consultant from 1965 until 1969, when she joined the

Department of Trade and Industry Department of Trade and Industry may refer to: Current * Department of Trade and Industry (Isle of Man) * Department of Trade and Industry (Philippines) * Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (South Africa) Former * Department of Trade ...

as a civil servant. Cohen was a director of

Charterhouse Bank Charterhouse Bank was a British investment bank formed in 1920. The business would later become part of HSBC. History Charterhouse Bank was incorporated as an investment bank in December 1920. In 1925, Charterhouse Investment Trust was created, w ...

from 1982 to 2000, and a director and subsequently vice chairman of

Yorkshire Building Society Yorkshire Building Society is the third largest building society in the UK, with its headquarters in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is a member of the Building Societies Association. At December 2023, the Society had total assets of mo ...

from 1991 to 1999.

Personal life

Janet Neel married James Lionel Cohen in 1971. They have two sons and a daughter.

Bibliography

Francesca Wilson and John McLeish series

*''Death's Bright Angel'' (1988) *''Death on Site'' (1989)Deutsch: Wer zweimal fällt, ist endlich tot *'' Death of a Partner'' (1991), shortlisted for

Gold Dagger The CWA Gold Dagger is an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association of the United Kingdom since 1960 for the best crime novel of the year. From 1955 to 1959, the organization named their top honor as the Crossed Red Herring Award. ...

Award *'' Death Among the Dons'' (1993), shortlisted for

Award *''A Timely Death'' (1996) *''To Die For'' (1998) *''O Gentle Death'' (2000)

Other novels

*''The Highest Bidder'' (1992); writing as Janet Cohen *''Children of a Harsh Winter'' (1995); writing as Janet Cohen *''Ticket to Ride'' (2005)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen of Pimlico, Janet Neel Cohen, Baroness 1940 births Living people 20th-century British politicians 20th-century British women politicians 20th-century English lawyers 20th-century English women lawyers 20th-century English women writers 20th-century English writers 21st-century British politicians 21st-century British women politicians 21st-century English lawyers 21st-century English women lawyers 21st-century English women writers 21st-century English writers Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge BBC governors British women mystery writers English crime fiction writers English solicitors English women novelists Labour Party (UK) life peers Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II Life peers created by Elizabeth II Members of the Detection Club Peers retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 People educated at South Hampstead High School