Writers Write
As part of our mission to promote the ongoing advancement, recognition and professional development of women crime writers, we are providing on this page some very brief bios and links to our Toronto Chapter members of Sisters in Crime who have self-identified as authors. They are listed alphabetically by their pen names.
We have also periodically published featured interviews in the Criminal Intent column of our bi-monthly member newsletter, Crime Scene.
Not a Sisters in Crime Member? Take a moment to join the parent organization and pay your Chapter fee online and we will add your name and links to the website.
Carolyn Arnold is an international best-selling and award-winning author of several mystery series. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Catherine Astolfo retired in 2002 after a very successful 34 years in education. Her short stories and poems have been published in a number of Canadian literary presses and anthologies, including The Whole She-Bang 2. She is the author of the Emily Taylor Mystery series.
- 2018 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story, "The Outlier", in 13 Claws compiled by Mesdames of Mayhem.
Born in Drumheller, Alta., the B.C.-based octogenarian is a retired veterinarian, a pilot and flight instructor, and the writer of more than a dozen detective novels. A lifelong fan of detective fiction, Barton started young with the novels of crime writing doyenne Agatha Christie. Later in life, acting on the time-honoured principle of “write what you know,” she decided to weave her professional expertise into her own mystery novels, and also to explore Anglicanism, church politics and certain theological themes. “I wanted to show people what the church is really like,” she says.
Karen’s sharp-bladed fiction cuts to the heart of the emotions driving her characters in desperate situations. Her short story, "The Hunter", was featured in our first anthology The Whole She-Bang.
A former journalist and TV news assignment editor, her short stories display the fast-paced gritty writing style developed while covering political speeches and murder trials. Her short stories have appeared an a variety of anthologies, including The Whole She-Bang 2.
Billed as Canada's "Queen of Comedy" by the Toronto Sun, she is the author of the award-winning Goddaughter mystery series. She has over 200 publications including 100 comedy credits, and 40 short stories. She writes a humour column for The Sage, Canada's magazine of satire and opinion, and for Sleuthsayers, the Criminal Blog.
- 2014 Arthur Ellis Award Winner for Best Crime Novella: The Goddaughter’s Revenge - 2014 Derringer Award Winner for Best Novelette: The Goddaughter’s Revenge - 2015 Hamilton Reads Award for significant contribution to literacy in Hamilton
Writer, editor, gardener, teacher, Crawford has been running a writing group in Toronto for over 15 years. Beyond Blood was her first mystery novel, featuring a female private investigator. It was followed by her short story collection, Beyond the Tipping Point.
Susan has found her niche in the world of short crime fiction, where she successfully rids the world of deserving victims. Her stories keep popping up in a surprising number of anthologies: The Whole She-Bang 2, The Whole She-Bang 3, the SinC Guppies' Fish Out of Water and the Malice Domestic anthologies for 2017 and 2018. Her short story, "A Death at the Parsonage", won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story and can be found in our mystery anthology, The Whole She-Bang 3.
- 2016 Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story: "Death at the Parsonage", The Whole She-Bang 3 mystery anthology
Originally from South Africa, Lisa de Nikolits has been a Canadian citizen since 2003. She has seven published novels, including Between the Cracks She Fell, The Nearly Girl and the recently released No Fury Like That. She has published several short stories including one in the recently published mystery anthology The Whole She Bang 3.
- 2011 IPPY Awards Gold Medal for Women's Issues Fiction: The Hungry Mirror - 2012 IPPY Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction: West of Wawa - 2014 IPPY Silver Medal Winner for Popular Fiction: A Glittering Chaos
Despite a life working in fields from consulting to counselling, Dickinson has been actively writing since she was a young child. After taking retirement, Dickinson published three books, two novels and a collection of short stories. Dickinson's next book, The White Ribbon Man, is a mystery and is due out later this year.
She lived and worked in London, England for five years as a freelance writer and broadcaster and worked as a writer and editor for some of Canada’s largest newspapers. Duncan is the award-winning author of the well-established Penny Brannigan mystery series set in North Wales, and a second series, Shakespeare in the Catskills.
- 2006 William F. Deeck- Malice Domestic Grant, (USA) best unpublished novel: The Cold Light of Mourning - 2008 St. Martin's Press/Malice Domestic Award, (USA) best unpublished, novel: The Cold Light of Mourning - 2013 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award: A Small Hill to Die On
Earle lives on a small farm where the horses come first. You can see that reflected in her Meg Sheppard mystery series, where they are an integrated part of the farm on which Meg lives.
Born in northern England, Alice Fitzpatrick was raised in Oakville, Ontario, where she began to write as soon as she could pick up a pen. Now living in Toronto, Fitzpatrick writes the Kate Galway mysteries (set on an island off the coast of Wales). Toward the Pebbled Shore was a finalist for the 2013 Malice Domestic Unpublished Novel Award, and This Thing of Darkness was a Top 10 Finalist for the 2015 Killer Nashville Claymore Award. Her short story, "Summer of the Black Madonna", appears in The Whole She-Bang 3.
A national best-selling, award-winning, critically acclaimed author of romantic fiction, Kate started telling stories with happy endings when she was a small child. Freiman has written 8 novels and several short stories, one of which can be found in the mystery anthology Villanous Vacations.
When her job working for Disease Control put her in the middle of a murder case, it changed her life. Instead of going into law enforcement or the forensic sciences she became a crime writer. Her debut novel, Windigo Fire, was a 2015 Finalist for the Unhanged Arthur Award before being picked up by a publisher.
Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including World Enough and Crime. As the founder of the Mesdames of Mayhem she has published in their two anthologies: Thirteen and 13 O'Clock. Callway's most recent publication is her collection of short stories, Glow Grass and Other Tales.
- 2005 Golden Horseshoe Award (Crime Writers of Canada) for Best Short Story: “Kill the Boss” - 2012 Bony Pete Award for best short story: “The Lizard”
A British-born Canadian author who loves to write mystery/crime fiction with strong female protagonists. Saving Grace, published in 2013, was the first book in the Sinclair Series. There are now two more: Unfinished Business, and Runed. In addition, Hewlett has created the speculative fiction Solstice Coven series, and written the standalone Ailey of Skye out this year.
In addition to being the Executive Director of ThrillerFest - the premiere conference for thriller enthusiasts - and member of the Rogue Women blog ("Writers of spies, lies, and suspense with global outreach. Secrets divulged."), Howe is also the author of two thriller books in the dark world of "K&R" (kidnap negotiation and ransom). The first, The Freedom Broker, won the 2018 Thriller Award. The second in the Thea Paris series is the recently released Skyjack.
- 2018 Thriller Award for The Freedom Broker
Marilyn began as a medieval historian, before moving into the commercial world as a business journalist, then communicator within and outside government. She debuted as a crime fiction writer with two short stories published in the following: Passport to Murder, the anthology for Bouchercon 2017; and, 13 Claws, the latest anthology by the Mesdames of Mayhem. She is presently at work on a police procedural set in Toronto.
Drawing on almost 40 years experience as an editor, reporter and feature writer, MacDonald-Archer has published short stories in the mystery anthologies Nefarious North, The Whole She-Bang 2, and The Whole She-Bang 3.
Lesley Mang
Lesley Mang is a former English teacher and editor, actively involved in the Sisters in Crime/mystery community. Published works include book-length non-fiction and mystery short stories, the latter of which have appeared in both The Whole She-Bang and The Whole She-Bang 2.
As a journalist, Rosemary McCracken has worked as a reporter, editor and editorial writer on newspapers across Canada for over 25 years. Author of the Pat Tierney mystery series, McCracken's short stories have appeared in mystery anthologies such as The Whole She-Bang, Nefarious North, Thirteen, and World Enough and Crime. Her short story, "The Sweetheart Scamster", was short-listed for the 2014 Derringer Award.
Dorothy McIntosh submitted The Witch of Babylon, the first of what would become the Babylon Trilogy novels, to Crime Writers of Canada. The book made the Debut Dagger short-list and won the Unhanged Arthur Award. This watershed moment launched her writing career.
The other two books in the trilogy are The Book of Stolen Tales and The Angel of Eden. A member of the Mesdames of Mayhem, McIntosh continues to write mystery short stories as well as her historical novels.
- 2008 Arthur Ellis Award (Unhanged Arthur) for Best Unpublished First Novel: The Witches of Babylon
Lynn McPherson grew up in various parts of Canada, from the Canadian Rockies to the big city of Toronto. She is a debut author who has channelled her lifelong love of adventure and history into her writing, where she is free to go anywhere, any time.
Having a particular love of New England, possibly stemming from a snowy winter’s night spent at a cozy inn, Lynn knew this is where her mystery series must take place. She is a member of Crime Writers Of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters In Crime. Her cozy mystery, The Girls’ Weekend Murder, is the first book
in The Izzy Walsh Mystery Series.
A prolific author of both non-fiction and fiction, including the Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan mystery series - classic whodunits set in contemporary Toronto. J. A. Menzies is the mystery pseudonym of writer and speaker N. J. Lindquist.
Murphy studied journalism at Carleton University and worked as a reporter on the now defunct Ottawa Journal and then as an editor for CBC Radio News. (It was in the sixties and Lynne was the first woman editor they ever hired.) It was there she learned to "write tight". Her first published short story, "The Troublemaker", was in our first mystery anthology, The Whole She-Bang. Since then Murphy has published stories in several mystery anthologies including all three from Mesdames of Mayhem.
Helen Nelson
Helen Nelson has been actively involved in the Sisters in Crime chapter for over a dozen years, and the larger mystery community even longer including co-chairing Bouchercon 2017. Her short stories have appeared in several mystery anthologies, including all three of ours: The Whole She-Bang , The Whole She-Bang 2, and The Whole She-Bang 3
Ken Ogilvie is a debut mystery author with Her Dark Path. Prior to taking up writing, Ken worked in a variety of roles in the environmental policy domain, including positions with three governments in Canada (Federal, Manitoba and Ontario) and as the Executive Director of Pollution Probe and has received two honourary doctorates from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, and Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia.
A genealogist and fiction writer, with non-fiction articles in Indyfest, The Attic, Ancestors, and Site Lines, Pattenden is currently working on a collection of detective stories set in Victorian Toronto, as well as a novel based on an 1891 murder involving a young relative.
An Amazon International bestselling author, Judy writes two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (The Hanged Man's Noose and the just-released A Hole in One); and The Marketville Mysteries (Skeletons in the Attic). Her short crime fiction also appears in several collections, including The Whole She-Bang 2 and The Whole She-Bang 3. On her website Judy regularly interviews and showcases the works of other authors, and blogs about the writing life.
Ed Piwowarczyk is a veteran journalist who has worked for the National Post, Toronto Sun and Sault Star. As well, he has edited Harlequin novels on a freelance basis, and is currently a freelance editor. His short stories have been published in several anthologies, including World Enough and Crime, 13 O’Clock, and The Whole She-Bang 3.
Born in South Africa, Poplak received a diploma in library science, then moved to Canada and into the field of information technology. She also became an editor, proofreader, and fact checker. Her debut book, Drop Dead: A Horrible History of Hanging in Canada, is a darkly humorous non-fiction about crime and punishment in Canada’s first century that also examines the relevance of capital punishment today.
Originally trained as a mining geologist, Prairie discovered the joys of teaching and technical writing. When Prairie finally stepped away from the petroleum industry, she fulfilled a life-long dream of writing mysteries and so Alex Graham, the intrepid mining geologist with a penchant for trouble, was born. Her debut novel, Thirst is set in Canada's Slocan Valley. Prairie is also the founder of Sisters in Crime - Canada West and now lives in Kingston, Ontario.
A freelance writer for more than 30 years, Prentice specialized in international trade and investment marketing, economic development and public policy development. In 2015, he was a finalist for the Crime Writers of Canada’s Unhanged Arthur award for best unpublished novel. His debut thriller, Why Was Rachel Murdered?, was released in 2018.
Andre Ramshaw
Currently a copy editor, Ramshaw was for many years a reporter, covering news, sports and features for newspapers in Canada, Britain, and Australia. As well, he has been an auxiliary police constable for the past ten years in Toronto and Hamilton, worked as a special constable in the U.K. and trained as a recruit constable with the Calgary Police Service. For many years he worked as a private investigator in his home province of B.C., conducting surveillance operations, interviewing witnesses and testifying in court. He continues to write non-fiction, contributing travel features and columns, and several short stories. His short story, "The Finest Quality", appears in our third mystery anthology, The Whole She-Bang 3.
June is a graduate of the London School of Journalism and pays the bills as a freelance consultant in corporate communications. She works continuously at flash-fiction contributions in the hope that someday her dark, frightening mind will be appreciated and her stories published.
A Toronto-based writer and teacher, Scott's Toronto Island mystery Devastation won the Crime Writers' of Canada Unhanged Arthur Award and was longlisted for Mslexia’s First Novel Award. Some of her non-fiction writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and on CBC radio. Her literary writing have been published in numerous Canadian literary magazines such as The New Quarterly, the Windsor Review, Other Voices, and the Prairie Journal.
- 2018 Arthur Ellis Award (Unhanged Arthur) for Best Unpublished First Novel: Devastation
Born in Kingston, Ontario, Shortell was raised on legends of John A. Macdonald, and of her Celtic ancestors. In a previous century she was a business journalist and author. Her debut mystery, Celtic Knot, was written in homage to the Irish storytelling tradition McGee embodied.
Steve is an award-winning comedy and mystery short story writer. His stories have been published in several magazines and anthologies including The Whole She-Bang and The Whole She-Bang 2. Shrott has written two mystery novels, Audition for Death and Dead Men Don't Get Married,and contributed to the "collaborative novel" Chasing the Codex written by 24 authors!
Skaff has been telling stories to the neighbourhood kids even before she could write. Initially writing science fiction with short stories published in small presses, she recently moved into mysteries. Her debut novel, Journey of One Thousand Steps, is a tense race against time as Naya tries to solve a disappearance close to home.
Soosar has written dozens of screenplays as well as crime and suspense short stories. Her first novel, Parent Teacher Association, is a psychological suspense set in an elementary school. Soosar is from Toronto and has a degree in anthropology from York University. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers of Canada, and Sisters in Crime, and lives with her family in Toronto. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (May 2016) and Flash Bang Mysteries (July 2017).
Twining is an author, writer, blogger and social media guru. She works as a Civil Engineering Designer during the day and slams her thoughts into her laptop during the early hours before the birds get up and late at night, writing fiction full of emotion and magic, and sometimes murder. Her stories have won awards in literary competition and appeared in several anthologies, magazines and newspapers. Two of her unpublished novels have received Judge’s Honorable Mention in the Muskoka Novel Marathon.
With a a BA from the University of Toronto and a Masters degree in Linguistics, she learned elementary Chinese, dissected the Zulu language, and discovered that she was not cut out to be a scholar. After writing poetry and short stories, the award-winning writer began the Dr. Rebecca Temple historical mystery series.
- 2004 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original: Find Me Again
As a teen, Wentz devoured shelves of mysteries. She admires sleuths with noir style and Sherlock Holmesian brilliance. In her fiction, Wentz plays with elements of thriller, horror, and urban fantasy. She was delighted to sell her short story, "Inside of a Dog," to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Wentz's supernatural thriller, Feeding Frenzy, received over 141,000 reads on Wattpad, and went on to win a Watty award. Since then, it has been professionally edited and indie published.
A former police reporter for CKOC Radio Hamilton and police stringer for the Toronto Star, she has written Relative Contact a feature film script based on her experiences. The Cat Holmes and Bunny Mysteries was first a children's TV pilot script and is now a children's book series.