Catriona McPherson was born in South Queensferry. After finishing school, she worked in a bank for a short time, before going to university. She studied for an MA in English Language and Linguistics at Edinburgh University, and then gained a job in the local studies department at Edinburgh City Libraries. She left this post after a couple of years, and went back to university to study for a PhD in semantics. During her final year she applied for an academic job, but left to begin a writing career.
These days, McPherson lives with her husband on a farm in the Galloway countryside, where she spends her time writing, gardening, swimming and running.
Hurt Mountain (2024) Angela Crook "Thrilling, tender, and highly original, Hurt Mountain combines an exploration of love and loss with a shiver of slow-burn menace. Angela Crook's first hit has knocked it out of the park."
The Greenleaf Murders (2022) (Historic Homes Mystery, book 1) R J Koreto "If you love houses and puzzles - which I do - you will be captivated by THE GREENLEAF MURDERS, the first in Richard Koreto's new series. Equally sure-footed in the gilded age of the mansion's heyday and the contemporary world of its decline, Koreto has woven a pretzel of a plot, introduced a charming new heroine, and whetted appetites for more grave deeds and grandeur."
Dead Men Don't Decorate (2022) (Old Town Antique, book 1) Cordy Abbott "Anyone with a lifelong bestie will recognise the sparks and snarks of Camille and Opal in Cordy Abbott's delightful series debut. But the real treasure in Dead Men Don't Decorate is how the antiques business (with a side of design) is stitched right into the twisty plot, fascinating and authentic. A winner!"
In the Dark We Forget (2022) Sandra SG Wong "In The Dark We Forget is a smart, subtle and utterly compelling exploration of amnesia, identity, family, and guilt. The plot twists and twists again as Cleo Li and we the readers find out together who she is and what might have happened in the blank where her memories should be. Thoroughly satisfying!"
Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies (2022) (Pies Before Guys Mystery, book 1) Misha Popp "Daisy Ellery puts a little vinegar in her pie crusts, and Misha Popp has added a drop to her cozy debut. Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies is as sassy as it's sweet and as fierce as it's fun. Add a clever plot and a budding romance and this series opener is a slice of heaven. Seconds, please!"
Like a Sister (2022) Kellye Garrett "With utterly convincing family relationships, a deft eye for the slippery nature of trust, and a red-hot take on right now, Like a Sister sees multi-award-winning cozy author Kellye Garrett laying down a very different beat to bring us a sure-fire hit. Magic!"
Devil's Chew Toy (2022) (Hayden & Friends, book 1) Rob Osler "Take a disarming protagonist, a delightful supporting cast, and a pacy romp of a plot, add boundless warmth, humor, baked goods, and puppy love and you've got Devil's Chew Toy. Rob Osler's debut cozy - or 'quozy' - brings a rainbow of characters into the cozy universe with a lot of snap and even more style. I loved it!"
Mango, Mambo, and Murder (2021) (Caribbean Kitchen Mystery, book 1) Raquel V Reyes "Reyes's debut is as bright as the Miami sun and as satisfying as a big pot of sancocho, with a kick like a shot of Cuban coffee."
Fogged Off (2021) (Cyd Redondo Mystery, book 3) Wendall Thomas "The sheer joyful ass kickery of this terrific herone is second to none."
Bitterroot Lake (2021) Alicia Beckman "With a rich sense of place and a deft handling of fractured relationships, the pull of the past, and the pain of new grief, Alicia Beckman weaves a satisfying tale of secrets and lies eating away under the surface of happy families and close-knit small towns. And a touch of magic too!"
All That Fall (2021) (Emma Lawson Mystery, book 1) Kris Calvin "A race-against-the-clock plot and a set of richly drawn characters."
Murder Most Sweet (2020) (Bookish Baker Mystery, book 1) Laura Jensen Walker "Fearlessly funny about the the life of breast-cancer survivor Teddie St. John, Laura Walker's series debut sets out a feast before us: a book-loving, movie-loving, dog-loving heroine; solid gal-pal back-up; a believably annoying mother next door; wry insights on the writing life; and a plot as neatly twisted as an accent scarf. Murder Most Sweet had me at page one and left me longing for book two."
Death at High Tide (2020) (Island Sisters Mystery, book 1) Hannah Dennison "Christie lives! A deliciously Golden-Age setting, a deftly handled cast of shady characters, a beguiling heroine and side-kick, and a beautifully nested plot full of puzzles - the Island Sisters series opens with a bang."
Murder Goes to Market (2020) (Marketplace , book 1) Daisy Bateman "This foodie cozy is not too sweet, and not too sharp, but juuuust right. The setting - a farm-to-fork marketplace and cottage by the sea in California - pulls us in on page one and the day-dream is complete when we meet Claudia Simcoe, who's a BFF waiting to happen. Of course, murder gets in the way but the plot is tight, the twists convincing, and the resolution nicely sprung. And did I say it's laugh-out-loud funny? Neatly up-ending some cozy conventions, Murder Goes to Market is a confident series debut, with just a whiff of what's on sale in book two."
A Match Made for Murder (2020) (Lane Winslow Mystery, book 7) Iona Whishaw "A treat. Richly conjured and deftly plotted?this series just keeps getting better."
Murder at the Mena House (2020) (Jane Wunderly Mystery, book 1) Erica Ruth Neubauer "What a refreshing surprise to be back on the Nile in this confident and accomplished debut. Neubauer pays proper homage to the Golden Age, but her crisp style and witty heroine ensure that Murder at the Mena House zips along in a thoroughly modern manner. I hope plucky Jane Wunderly has a long sleuthing future ahead; I, for one, am already looking forward to her next adventure."
The Dictionary of Crime (2019) Amanda Lees "I found myself rolling around in it for hours, like a ganster's moll on a bed full of money. Sheer delight!."
The Long Call (2019) (Two Rivers, book 1) Ann Cleeves "Who knew there could be a third detective as compelling as Vera and Jimmy? Matthew Venn is a triumph of Cleeves’ particular blend of compassion and toughness and I already love him."
The Book Club (2019) C J Cooper "An irresistible slow descent into darkness, with twist upon twist upon twist. C.J. Cooper's page-turner debut kept on surprising me right to the end. Brava!"
The Wrong Boy (2018) Cathy Ace "A close-knit community in a quaint Welsh village in an area of outstanding beauty. Sounds cozy. But Cathy Ace's stunning new standalone, THE WRONG BOY, is about as cozy as a cornered snake. Told in a rising chorus of authentic voices, the story is deft and disturbing, creepingly claustrophobic, and with a grip that tightens to a choke-hold before its shattering conclusion."
The Hour of Death (2018) (Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery, book 2) Jane Willan "Delightful...You won't see the last twist coming."
A Gentleman's Murder (2018) (Eric Peterkin, book 1) Christopher Huang "With a steady hand and a sharp eye, Christopher Huang brings a lost world gloriously back to life, skewers it, and uses it to spin an irresistible tale. A Gentleman's Murder offers a rare treat for modern fans of the Golden Age."
The Betel Nut Tree Mystery (2018) (Su Lin, book 2) Ovidia Yu "Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life, without ever getting in the way of a classic puzzle plot. And Chen Su Lin is the most beguiling narrator heroine I've met in a long while."
Path into Darkness (2017) (County Clare Mystery, book 3) Lisa Alber "Each strand in this terrific novel is absorbing enough to carry books on its own, yet Alber effortlessly weaves them into a breathtaking ensemble."
World Enough (2017) Clea Simon "Clea Simon writes with authority and affection about a lost world. Highly recommended."
Delivering the Truth (2016) (Quaker Midwife Mystery, book 1) Edith Maxwell "The historical setting is redolent and delicious, the townspeople engaging, and the plot a proper puzzle, but it's Rose Carroll--midwife, Quaker, sleuth--who captivates in this irresistible series debut."
The Semester of Our Discontent (2015) (Lila Maclean Academic Mystery, book 1) Cynthia Kuhn "A pitch-perfect portrayal of academic life with a beguiling cast of anxious newbies, tweedy old troublemakers and scholars as sharp as they're wise. Lila's Stonedale is a world I'm thrilled to have found. Roll on book two!"
