Linda E P Welford, known as Linda Calvey, was born on April 8, 1948, in Ilford, Essex, UK. She grew up in a working-class family. As a teenager, she worked as a receptionist at a paint factory and lived in a typical suburban environment. In the early 1970s, she attended a party organized by her cousin. At that event, she met career criminal Mickey Calvey, who was out on temporary home leave from an eight-year prison sentence. The two quickly became romantically involved, and she married him at the age of 22. Due to Mickey’s incarceration, he had to be escorted by armed guards to attend their wedding.

In late 1990, Linda Calvey arranged for Daniel Reece, a criminal associate, to kill her lover Ronnie Cook, for which she paid him £10,000. However, Reece hesitated and was unable to go through with the plan. Instead, Linda took the gun herself and shot Cook at point-blank range while he knelt in front of her. She fired two shots, the second causing severe injuries to his head and breaking his neck. A neighbor reported hearing her shout "kneel" just before the gunfire.

After the murder, Reece confirmed that Linda had pulled the trigger. She had collected Cook from prison earlier that day, knowing the murder would happen shortly thereafter. Footprints belonging to Linda were found near the crime scene, suggesting her presence at the time of the shooting.

During her trial, Linda denied killing Cook, claiming he meant everything to her. Despite her defense, the jury found her guilty of murder. Following her conviction, Linda was sentenced to life in prison, receiving 18 and a half years before being paroled. Throughout her incarceration, she maintained her innocence, presenting various accounts of events that led to the murder, including blaming a mysterious hitman. However, her versions of the story changed over time, and her claims were not believed by authorities or the public.

Linda's background and connections to crime extended beyond her involvement in the murder. She had previously been convicted of armed robbery and was known for her role in various criminal activities, earning a significant amount of money through robberies. 

In 2008, after serving nearly 18 years of her life sentence, she was released from prison. Her release drew criticism and controversy, especially given the cold, calculated nature of the murder she was convicted of. Since her release, Linda Calvey has rebranded herself as an author. She has published several crime novels inspired by her experiences, including The Black Widow (2019), The Locksmith (2021), and The Game (2022).