Her work has been praised for its insight, originality - and for its scope. Her books have taken in subjects like sex education (The Ostrich Position), post-apartheid South Africa, (A Child Called Freedom), the struggle for masculine identity (Talking Tough), and the relationship between mind and body, (Crooked Angels), which was short-listed for a national prize. Her god-daughter's successful struggle with anorexia formed the basis of the bestselling work, To Die for.

Born in Wales, Carol spent much of her childhood in East Africa before returning to the UK to begin a career in journalism.

She has been a reporter for the BBC, and a contributor to the Observer, the Guardian, the Independent, the Times and Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and the Daily Mail.

Her short stories have appeared in London Magazine and New Welsh Review and a play, Feet First, was performed at the King's Head Theatre, Islington, London.

Carol has taught extensively, both at University and secondary school level. She has been a Hawthornden Fellow and a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund and is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists.