Haim Gan Tov is the son of Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Israel from Lithuania in 1947. He was born and raised in Hadera, which he left for Jerusalem after completing his military service as an intelligence officer.

Following his studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Gan Tov served in intelligence and detective roles in the Israel Police force, with his most notable position being commander of Jerusalem's Central Intelligence Unit. He spent the next 27 years as a private investigator and owner of a private investigation firm.

The Daughter We Left Behind is his third book.