Susanna Calkins, Author of the Lucy Campion mysteries

Susanna Calkins

Photo by Lisa Bagadia

Educator, historian, faculty developer by day... writer by night...

I've always been intrigued by history--particularly in the everyday life of regular people in different periods. Even when I was working on my PhD in history from Purdue University, the ephemera from the archives--tantalizing true accounts of the fantastic and the strange--began to inspir my historical mysteries.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, I live outside Chicago now with my husband and two sons and I work at Northwestern University. Represented by David Hale Smith of Inkwell Management, my first novel, A Murder at Rosamund's Gate (Minotaur/ St.Martin's Press, 2013) was shortlisted for the Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Novel (Macavity) Award.

My second novel, From the Charred Remains (Minotaur/St. Martin's Press, 2014), was a finalist for the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award (Lefty).

My third novel, The Masque of a Murderer (Minotaur/St. Martin's, 2015) was awarded the Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Novel (Macavity). It was also nominated for the Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award; an Agatha (Best Historical); as well as the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award (Lefty).

The fourth in the series, A Death Along the River Fleet was released in 2016 and was nominated for the Bruce Alexander Historical Mystery Award (Lefty) and the Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Novel (Macavity).

Stay tuned for my new historical mysteries, set in a Prohibition-Era Chicago speakeasy, which will be out from Minotaur in 2019!

I'm excited to say that my first short story, "The Trial of Madame Pelletier" in Mystery Most Historical has been nominated for an Anthony Award!!! READ IT HERE!