Naomi Hirahara, born and raised in Southern California, is the Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai mystery series, which features a Japanese American gardener and atomic-bomb survivor who solves crimes (SUMMER OF THE BIG BACHI, GASA-GASA GIRL, SNAKESKIN SHAMISEN, BLOOD HINA and STRAWBERRY YELLOW).
MURDER ON BAMBOO LANE, her new mystery series with a female twentysomething LAPD bicycle cop, was released with Berkley Prime Crime in spring 2014. Her next in the series, A GRAVE ON GRAND AVENUE, will be released in April 2015.
She also has penned a middle-grade novel, 1001 CRANES, which was chosen as an Honor Book for the Youth Literature of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature in 2009.
A former editor of the largest Japanese American newspaper in the U.S., she also has released a number of nonfiction works. A number of her short stories have been included in various anthologies.
Ghosts of Waikiki (2024) Jennifer K Morita "I'm the ideal reader of Jennifer K. Morita's debut mystery! I can relate to the plight of her Asian American amateur sleuth, Maya Wong, who is pushed out of her profession because of the contraction of the newspaper industry. Her return to her hometown of Honolulu leads to a new gig as a ghostwriter for a Hawai'i-based titan - only to soon find herself in the center of a murder investigation. I laughed and clapped at the carefully chosen references to contemporary O'ahu touchstones of eateries and locations. Ghosts of Waikiki captures the vibrancy of the islands in a way rarely seen in genre fiction."
Not the Killing Kind (2024) Maria Kelson "Kelson exudes precision in crafting her debut thriller . . . While expertly describing a little known setting, Kelson opens up the story to have international ramifications, bridging local with the world."
Redemption (2023) (Eva 'Lightning Dance' Duran, book 1) Deborah J Ledford "Deborah J. Ledford has artfully woven the voices of multiple characters connected to the Taos Pueblo to create a pattern of stories that illuminate the challenges as well as the enduring power of Native American women. The rhythm of daily life is evident in Ledford's lovely, intimate prose. I eagerly await the new adventures of Eva Duran, who will, no doubt, unearth more mysteries in the buried layers of New Mexico."
Killing Me (2023) (Amber Jamison, book 1) Michelle Gagnon "You'll be biting your nails until the very last page! Killing Eve meets Dead to Me - this thriller is a perfect combination of horror, laughter, and sisterhood. Michelle Gagnon has served us a tour de force and I want more."
Time's Undoing (2023) Cheryl A Head "In Time's Undoing, Cheryl Head establishes herself as a literary star. The clarity of her storytelling unravels the hard truths of racism against Black people in this nation, and how the fight against such injustices is a constant, intentional choice. A must-read novel that is sure to be embraced by a wide audience."
The Adventure of the Castle Thief (2023) Art Taylor "Art Taylor is our present-day Edgar Allan Poe. His carefully crafted tales dig into the darkness of human desires and loneliness. This short story collection is beautifully arranged, first lulling us into delight and then surging into a madness only seen behind closed bedroom doors. A definite must-read!"
City Under One Roof (2023) (Detective Cara Kennedy, book 1) Iris Yamashita "Electric and fast-paced, this debut thriller is a testament to Yamashita's skills as a storyteller. There's no escape from the isolated Alaska setting for either the murder investigator or the reader. I fell down the rabbit hole and couldn't come out until I read the final page."
Mother Daughter Traitor Spy (2022) Susan Elia MacNeal "Lovers of Los Angeles history will be captivated by this little-known story of local spies infiltrating Southern California-based Nazi cliques around World War II. . . . A fascinating spy novel."
Complicit (2022) Winnie M Li "Winnie M Li gives us an insider view of the intoxicating and corrupt world of the movie industry that often places women in a no-win situation. Her lead character, Sarah Lai, faces both sexism and racism in following her ambition to become a producer. How much of her integrity is she willing to sacrifice? Moving through New York City, the Cannes Film Festival and Hollywood, COMPLICIT is a page turner for our times."
Under Lock & Skeleton Key (2022) (Secret Staircase Mystery, book 1) Gigi Pandian "Pandian is this generation's queen of the locked-room mystery! A whimsical confection."
Love & Saffron (2022) Kim Fay "Love & Saffron is an elixir for our times. It speaks to the power of food to communicate friendship and stoke a curiosity about worlds unlike our own. After you read this book, you'll want to drop a letter in the mail to someone you love."
Monkey Around (2021) Jadie Jang "This hilarious take on the Bay Area and the Asian American community in the 21st Century filled me with pure joy."
Arsenic and Adobo (2021) (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, book 1) Mia P Manansala "Finally! Filipinos, the second largest Asian American population in the US, get to be center stage with the release of this delightful cozy mystery full of aunties and other strong women--ninangs, titas and a lola! You will be rooting for Lila Macapagal to save the family restaurant and keep herself out of jail while interacting with her interfering yet well-meaning relatives. The first in a lip-smacking series!"
In Things Unseen (2020) Gar Anthony Haywood "In this spellbinding tale, Gar Anthony Haywood uses all of his thriller writing skills to investigate the biggest mystery of all: is God real? And can miracles touch an unbelieving modern world?"
Sansei and Sensibility (2020) Karen Tei Yamashita "Through vignettes, recipes, and correspondence, master writer Karen Tei Yamashita takes us through the rabbit hole of Japanese Americain particular, her hometown of Gardena, California, where an ethnic community culturally transformed a middle-class bedroom town. Part Ozu meditation of everyday life, part modern folk tale with colorful characters like a truth-telling dental hygienist, Sansei and Sensibility offers a unique and necessary perspective of what it means to be the aging grandchild of Asian immigrants, wondering what you will leave behind for the next generation. As in all of her books, Yamashita deconstructs form and genre to create a work that both delights and challenges."
An Old Man's Game (2019) (Amos Parisman Mystery, book 1) Andy Weinberger "Andy Weinberger has created an absolutely charming private investigator that readers will follow from book to book. L.A.'s Fairfax District--get ready for your close-up!"
A Murder By Any Name (2018) (Elizabethan Spy Mystery, book 1) Suzanne M Wolfe "Bewitching! Suzanne Wolfe opens the door to Elizabethan life through her masterful creation of the sympathetic spy, Nicholas Holt. An exciting start to a promising new historical mystery series."
The Spy on the Tennessee Walker (2015) (Maggie Fiori, book 3) Linda Lee Peterson "This spot will soon be filled with high praise from an acclaimed and Edgar Award-winning writer of two mystery series."