The Mystery Ink Authors
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The writers behind the stories in Mystery Ink.
Retired newspaperman Jake Doherty turned to crime writing with his first novel, The Rankin Files, also published by Ginger Press. Doherty, who writes from his home near Owen Sound, Ont., often draws on his extensive journalism background, which includes stints as publisher of The Hamilton Spectator, The Owen Sound Sun Times and The Kingston Whig-Standard.
Rick Gadziola divides his time between playing poker, writing, and working as a private investigator, all of which gives him great insight into the mind of his wheeling-dealing protagonist Jake Morgan and his Las Vegas mystery series. Rick and his wife Susan spend most of the year in Toronto and enjoy what quiet time they can at their cabin retreat in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
Kingston writer Therese Greenwood grew up on Wolfe Island, the largest of the Thousand Islands, where her family has lived since 1812. The region forms the backdrop for much of her historical crime fiction. She is a founder of the annual Wolfe Island Scene of the Crime Festival and has twice been short-listed for the Arthur Ellis Award, Canada's top award for mystery writers.
Scott Mackay is the award-winning author of nine novels and nearly 50 short stories. His short fiction has won the Arthur Ellis and Okanagan Awards. His first Barry Gilbert mystery, Cold Comfort, was nominated for the Arthur Ellis Award for best novel, and his science fiction novel, The Meek, was a finalist for the prestigious U.S. John Campbell Memorial Award. His novels have been published in six languages.
Mary Jane Maffini has won two Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Awards for her short story writing. Her short fiction has appeared in such magazines as Chatelaine, Storyteller, On-Spec, and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. She is also the author of the Camilla MacPhee series of novels, set in Ottawa.
H. Mel Malton is the author of the Polly Deacon mystery series and the Alan Nearing Mysteries for young readers, both published by Napoleon/Rendezvous Press. She has also published two collections of poetry.
With more than 700,000 copies of his novels in print in North America, Sweden and Norway, award-winning Rick Mofina is one of Canada's most successful crime fiction authors. A Perfect Grave, the third book in his new internationally acclaimed series featuring crime reporter Jason Wade, will be released in September. His short story, Lightning Rider, won the 2006 Arthur Ellis Award.
Dennis Richard Murphy is a television and filmmaker based in Toronto where he serves as Professor, Broadcasting and Film, at Centennial College. He writes award-winning mystery short stories and has recently completed a novel based on a fictional murder at the site of an archeological dig exploring the Franklin Expedition. His short story, Fuzzy Wuzzy, won the 2007 Arthur Ellis Award.
Sue Pike finds Ontario's vast wilderness ideal for disposing of unwanted bodies. She lives in Ottawa and is the editor of Locked Up, tales of mystery and mischance along the Rideau Canal Waterway, published in 2007.
James Powell is an award-winning writer and critical favourite who has published over 120 short stories of a mysterious and humorous sort since 1967, appearing in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Playboy, The Best Detective Stories of the Year and The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror anthology series. His stories of Acting Sergeant Maynard Bullock of the RCMP are widely published and greatly admired for their graceful, clever wordplay.
A frequent contributor to both Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazines, Peter Sellers is also the editor of 13 crime fiction anthologies. His stories have appeared in the Osprey Summer Mystery Series since its inception..
Leslie Watts has illustrated 12 books for children, three of which she wrote herself, and was a scriptwriter for all three seasons of the CTV drama series, The Eleventh Hour. In 2005, her story Crocodile Tears won the Arthur Ellis Award for best short story, and in 2006 her picture book, The Baabaasheep Quartet won the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award. She also paints pictures of fruits and vegetables from her home in Stratford, Ont.
Growing up, Sarah Withrow spent many summer days enjoying a panoramic view of Rice Lake from a well-appointed porch in Harwood, Ont. She is the award-winning author of four novels for young adults, her latest being What Gloria Wants, published by Groundwood Books. Her novel, Bat Summer, was nominated for a Governor General's Award.
Eric Wright is one of the most popular crime writers in Canada, known for his short stories as well as two series of books, one featuring Charlie Salter of the Toronto Police and the other private detective Lucy Trimble. Eric has won more Arthur Ellis awards than anyone else: Twice for Best Novel and twice for Best Short Story. In the 1950s, soon after emigrating to Canada from his native England, Eric found work as a fishing guide in the north. That experience has formed the landscape for some of his finest work.
