Our Members

Judith Mathesin writing as Judith Ayn is a retired attorney currently residing in Southern California with her two rescue cats, the models for Fred and Ethel. She created the fictional world of Cheater’s Lake, Washington, and has published Dead Lawyers, Murder at the No-Kill Animal Shelter and the newest book in the series, Dead Merchandise. She credits six years of living in the Pacific Northwest for inspiring her series and Dead Lawyers for serving as therapy for decades in the legal profession. Ayn is a long-time SinC member and former VP of the LA Chapter, as well as a proud member of Cat Writers Association and MWA.

Cynthia Blair – Cynthia is the author of three mystery series, written as Cynthia Baxter. Her first two, The Reigning Cats and Dogs Mysteries and The Murder Packs a Suitcase series, were published by Bantam. Her third, the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe mysteries, were published by Kensington. In addition to mysteries, she has had 40 other novels published under her own name.

Alice K. Boatwright is the author of the Ellie Kent mysteries and other fiction. Her debut mystery, Under the English Heaven, won the 2016 Mystery and Mayhem Grand Prize, and the sequel What Child Is This? has become a popular Christmas read. The third book, In The Life Ever After, was published in January 2024. Alice is a past president of the SinC Puget Sound chapter and current vice president, as well as serving as convenor for the UK Crime Writers Association’s North America Chapter. She lives near Seattle.

Merrily Boone achieved one of her life goals in October by self-publishing her debut novel Finders Weepers—a young adult paranormal mystery. Merrily is now working on a cozy mystery set on the Washington Coast she hopes will be released this year. She is a retired teacher who taught in seven school districts in Washington and in Japan. Her English BA is from the UW and her MEd is from Seattle University in Gifted Education.

Debra Borchert’s debut novel, Her Own Legacy, is the first in a series that follows headstrong and independent women and the four hundred loyal families who protect a Loire Valley château and vineyard, and its legacy of producing the finest wines in France during the French Revolution.

Her work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Writer, among others. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and independently.

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she incorporates her knowledge of textiles and clothing design in writing historical French fiction. She brings her passions for France, wine, and cooking to all her work. The proud owner of ten crockpots, she is renowned for her annual Soup Parties at which she serves soups from different cultures.

Jeffrey D. Briggs – Jeffrey’s Seattle Waterfront Mystery series explores the dark mysteries that remain hidden just below the surface in these taut contemporary thrillers featuring Martha Whitaker.

Leslie Budewitz combines her passion for good food, great mysteries, and the Northwest, Budewitz writes two cozy series, the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries set in fictional Jewel Bay, Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes stand-alone suspense. In the seventh Spice Shop Mystery, Between a Wok and a Dead Place, spice shop owner Pepper Reece investigates when a body is found in a long-abandoned hotel in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District at the Lunar New Year. Watch for the eighth Spice Shop mystery, To Err is Cumin, and a collection of historical short stories set in Montana, both coming in 2024.

Harriet Cannon is a writer with Southern roots and wanderlust. In her first career as a psychotherapist, she served as a consultant to the Boeing company, International Schools, and worked for the US State Department in Chile. Harriet is co-author of Mixed Blessings: A Guide to Multicultural and Multiethnic Relationships. Exiled South, published in January 2022, is her debut novel.

Curt Colbert – Battling personal demons as he investigates the murders of members of his old platoon from Vietnam, Seattle P.I. Matt Rossiter is shaken to the core when he finally identifies and confronts the killer. Writing as Waverly Curtis (with Waverly Fitzgerald) in a mystery series featuring a talking Chihuahua named Pepe and his PI partner Geri Sullivan.

Martha Crites – A taut and intelligent whodunit, Crites’ first book, Grave Disturbance, thrives on its grim Northwestern atmosphere and dark contemporary themes. Her second book, Danger to Others, continues the series, which features psychiatric evaluator Grace Vaccaro.

Annette Drake is a multi-genre author whose work is character-driven and celebrates the law of unintended consequences. She has published seven novels via her small press, Baskethound Books. Annette loves bakeries, hounds of all sizes, and libraries. She makes her home in Washington State. She does not camp. 

Roxanne Dunn’s Murder Richly Deserved, which will be published in 2024, is her third novel, following Murder Unrehearsed and Murder Undetected. She is working on her fourth, Murder of a Quiet Man. Roxanne has written the galley column for Pacific Yachting magazine, published a one-act play, and studied writing in Paris and Seattle. She is a retired physical therapist, a foodie, a fanatic about good chocolate, and a private pilot. She lived aboard an old wood motor yacht for seventeen years, and in her dreams she’s a famous author, a pianist of renown, an acceptable watercolor artist, and a globe-trotting yogini.

Kathleen J. Easley is a true denizen of the Pacific Northwest.  She loves deep blue water, tall green trees, and The Seattle Seahawks. She can often be found with her husband on their boat cruising the San Juan Islands. She is the author of the Brenna Wickham Haunted Mystery series, Siblings and Secrets and Families and Felons, contemporary murder mysteries with a paranormal twist and a hint of romantic suspense.

Gerald Elias leads a double life as a critically acclaimed author and world-class musician. His award-winning Daniel Jacobus mystery series takes place in the dark corners of the classical music world. In 2020 he penned The Beethoven Sequence, a chilling political thriller. Elias’s short stories and essays have appeared in prestigious journals ranging from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine to The Strad.

A former violinist with the Boston Symphony and associate concertmaster of the Utah Symphony, Elias divides his time between the shores of Puget Sound in Seattle, and his cottage in the Berkshire hills of Massachusetts, where he maintains a vibrant concert career while continuing to expand his literary horizons.

Waverly Fitzgerald – in memoriam – Also wrote as Waverly Curtis (with Curt Colbert) in a humorous mystery series featuring a talking Chihuahua named Pepe and his PI partner Geri Sullivan.

Tessa Floreano is a content strategist by day, historical fiction writer by night. Slain Over Spumoni, her debut romantic mystery novella, is part of The Wild Rose Press’s One Scoop or Two lighthearted beach read series.

Janice Gorow – It’s murder to be single! And having a mother who owns a dating agency can be just as daunting, especially if said mother is dogged about keeping you hooked to the one guy you least want to see. Welcome to the life of sassy Kat Kallio, an unattached mid-lifer, who, living in an up-scale ski town, chooses peace over war by agreeing to host Mom’s “Right One” singles bash. Unfortunately, the party takes a nosedive when Kat’s ex-guy turns up smashed, and it continues to plummet into deep mucky-muck when Kat meets up with the dead body of Mom’s smarmy accountant.

Leslie J. Hall is the author of the Kaitlyn Willis Road Signs mysteries, a humorous, PG-rated, amateur sleuth series. She loves to speak, and teach, and share her passion for writing with others. When not writing mysteries, Leslie can be found volunteering for writer-related events, leading Write Night (a weekly facilitated writing critique group), teaching beginning writing in adult ed, correcting others’ grammar, thinking about writing, laughing a lot, and hanging out at the beach whenever possible.

A native of Seattle, Glen Erik Hamilton’s novels have won the Anthony, Macavity, and Strand Magazine Critics’ awards, and been nominated for the Edgar, Barry, and Nero awards.  His series featuring reformed thief Van Shaw has been called “outstanding” (Publishers Weekly), “perfect mix of serious crime and caper movie” (Criminal Element), and “a must-read series” (Mystery Scene Magazine). The latest, Island of Thieves, was named one of USA Today’s “5 Books Not to Miss.” After living for many years in Southern California, he and his family have recently returned to the Emerald City and its beautiful overcast skies.

Robert Herold – The supernatural always had the allure of forbidden fruit, ever since Robert Herold’s mother refused to allow him, as a boy, to watch creature features on late night TV. She caved in. (Well, not literally.) Following the siren’s call, he wrote The Eidola Project, based on a germ of an idea he had as a teenager.

After thirty-five years in business management, Mark Jacobs spends his time now working on his debut mystery novel. He has published articles and columns in the Los Angeles Times, Frontiers and Whole Person Calendar and has a past in public speaking and bookstore ownership. When not writing, reading or researching curious local crimes for future plots, Mark scours the PNW for strong coffee and flaky croissants, spends lots of time in Paris and perfects chocolate chip cookies. He lives in Seattle with husband Roger and pooch Sophie and is a member of Sisters in Crime Puget Sound as well as SinC’s Guppy Chapter.

Kate B Jackson (writing as K.B. Jackson) is an Agatha Award nominated author of mystery novels for grownups and mystery/adventure novels for kids. An alumnus of the University of Washington, she lives in the PNW with her hilarious husband. They have four mostly-grown children. A part-time genetic genealogist, she loves to craft stories with elements of history and family dynamics. Her books are about secrets (Chattertowne Mysteries), Sasquatch (Sasquatch Hunters), and sisters (Cruising Sisters Mysteries).

Joanne Jaytanie writes writes romantic suspense, paranormal, mystery-thriller, supernatural suspense, and contemporary romance. Her latest book is latest book is Reaching Hope (Dog Talk, Book 1).

Jenna Kinghorn is a recovering technical writer who fled Silicon Valley for early retirement. Now living in the Pacific Northwest, she has channeled a lifetime of reading mysteries and years of  scuba diving into her first mystery,  for which she is seeking representation. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found hiking with her dog, kayaking with her husband, or traveling the world.

Catherine Linka loves to put her characters in danger. Her three published YA novels include What I Want You to See, a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2021 for 14+. Catherine received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and spent eight years as a book buyer for an indie bookstore. She speaks at workshops and writing conferences on character desire and the story core. She is a recent arrival to the Pacific Northwest.

Charles Philipp Martin, author of two Inspector Lok novels, has been an orchestral bass player, jazz musician, broadcaster, and newspaper columnist in Hong Kong. His short stories have appeared in the anthologies Hong Kong Noir and The Killing Rain. Born in New York, he now lives in Seattle with his wife Catherine.

Jeanne Matthews – Author of the international mystery series featuring cultural anthropologist and amateur sleuth Dinah Pelerin, and the Garnick and Paschal historical mysteries.

Susan McCormick is an award-winning writer and doctor who lives in Seattle. She served in the U.S. Army for nine years before moving to the Pacific Northwest and civilian medical practice. She writes The Fog Ladies cozy mystery series, set in an elegant apartment building in San Francisco, with spunky senior sleuths and an overtired young doctor-in-training who team up to solve life problems and murder.

Erica Miner is an award-winning author, screenwriter, lecturer and journalist. A former Metropolitan Opera violinist, she brings her experience at the Met to the mystery/thriller genre with her series of opera mystery thrillers set in some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses: Murder in the Pit, Death by Opera, Staged for Murder, Aria for Murder and Prelude to Murder.

Linda Norlander is the author of A Cabin by the Lake mystery series set in Northern Minnesota. Books in the series include Death of an Editor, Death of a Starling and Death of a Snow Ghost. Norlander has published award winning short stories, op-ed pieces and short humor featured in regional and national publications. Before taking up the pen to write murder mysteries, she worked in public health and end-of-life care. Norlander resides in Tacoma, Washington, with her spouse.

Elizabeth Pantley is the author of the Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic book series. She says it’s the most fun she’s ever had at work. Fans of the series say her joy is evident through the stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, the beautiful inspiration for the enchanted Destiny Falls world.

Candace Robb – Writing about the mean streets of medieval York in two series—Owen Archer and Kate Clifford.

Cindy Sample is a former corporate CEO who decided plotting murder was more entertaining than plodding through paperwork. Her national bestselling Laurel McKay humorous mystery series is primarily set in the California Gold Country, unless Cindy feels like traveling. Then the characters tag along with her on trips to Hawaii, the Caribbean and Las Vegas. Her new Spindrift Cove mystery series, set on the Olympic Peninsula, features Sierra Sullivan, a former cruise ship director. Cindy is a five-time finalist for the Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery and a two-time finalist for the Silver Falchion Award for Best Traditional Mystery. 

Hannah D Sharpe is a domestic suspense author. She enjoys creating morally ambiguous female characters. Her stories incorporate mental health awareness and struggles that women face today. Hannah is a member of WFWA and SinC. She also has a (not so) secret love for writing romcoms. Hannah has a master’s in nursing, with a background in emergency medicine, nursing education, and health insurance with a focus on underserved communities. Hannah lives in Northwest Washington State with her husband, three children (ages 10, 7, and 5), and a moody orange tabby cat. When not working, writing, and juggling the family’s extracurricular activities, you can find Hannah delving into the next home project while getting lost in an audiobook. You can follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahdsharpe. Between Lies and Revenge is her first novel.

Charlotte Stuart’s award winning humorous mystery series feature strong female protagonists. In the Discount Detective Mysteries, a single mother of two takes a job with a suburban mall detective agency. In the Macavity & Me Mysteries, the protagonist—a single woman living aboard a sailboat—shares the spotlight with her cat Macavity. Both have two different colored eyes.

Marty Wingate – The USA Today best-selling author shares her love of Britain in four mystery series: The London Ladies Murder Club, The First Edition Library mysteries, The Potting Shed books and the Birds of a Feather mysteries. She is also the author of two historical novels, Glamour Girls (2021) and The Orphans of Mersea House (2022). The first two London Ladies Murder Club mysteries, A Body on the Doorstep and A Body at the Séance, were released in January 2024.

Joyce Yarrow was born in the SE Bronx, escaped to Manhattan as a teenager and now lives in Seattle with her husband and son. Along the way to becoming a full-time author, Joyce has worked as a screenwriter, singer-songwriter, multimedia performance artist and most recently, a member of the world music vocal ensemble, Abráce.