Kate Charles

Last updated

Kate Charles (born 1950) is an American crime writer who lives in the United Kingdom [1] and is a British citizen. [2]

Contents

Kate Charles was born Carol Fosher in Cincinnati, the daughter of Elmer and Kathryn Fosher. [3] Her family moved to Bloomington, Illinois, [3] when she was 10. She graduated from Bloomington High School and went on to Illinois State University where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in library science in 1972. [3] She then went on to earn an MA from Indiana University Bloomington. [3] She married Rory Chase and lives in Ludlow, Shropshire, United Kingdom. [3] She is a past Chair of the Crime Writers' Association [4] and the Barbara Pym Society. [3] In 1996 she underwent open-heart surgery. She was elected to membership in the Detection Club in 2010. In 2012 she was awarded the George N. Dove Award by the Popular Culture Association for 'Outstanding Contribution to the Serious Study of Mystery and Crime Fiction', [5] in recognition of her work as co-organiser of the annual St Hilda's (Oxford) Crime and Mystery Conference since 1994. [6]

Charles's novels are mostly set against the background of the Church of England. [3] Her 2005 novel, Evil Intent, was the first of her books to introduce a female Anglican priest as a central character; [2] other series characters include solicitor David Middleton-Brown and artist Lucy Kingsley. Her novels evince a fascination with church politics. [7]

Novels

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agatha Christie</span> English mystery and detective writer (1890–1976)

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime"—a moniker which is now trademarked by her estate—or the "Queen of Mystery". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detective fiction</span> Subgenre of crime and mystery fiction

Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as speculative fiction and other genre fiction in the mid-nineteenth century and has remained extremely popular, particularly in novels. Some of the most famous heroes of detective fiction include C. Auguste Dupin, Sherlock Holmes, Kogoro Akechi, and Hercule Poirot. Juvenile stories featuring The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and The Boxcar Children have also remained in print for several decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historical mystery</span> Literary subgenre

The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves the solving of a mystery or crime. Though works combining these genres have existed since at least the early 20th century, many credit Ellis Peters's Cadfael Chronicles (1977–1994) for popularizing what would become known as the historical mystery. The increasing popularity and prevalence of this type of fiction in subsequent decades has spawned a distinct subgenre recognized by the publishing industry and libraries. Publishers Weekly noted in 2010 of the genre, "The past decade has seen an explosion in both quantity and quality. Never before have so many historical mysteries been published, by so many gifted writers, and covering such a wide range of times and places." Editor Keith Kahla concurs, "From a small group of writers with a very specialized audience, the historical mystery has become a critically acclaimed, award-winning genre with a toehold on the New York Times bestseller list."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. D. James</span> English crime writer

Phyllis Dorothy James White, Baroness James of Holland Park,, known professionally as P. D. James, was an English novelist and life peer. Her rise to fame came with her series of detective novels featuring the police commander and poet, Adam Dalgliesh.

Paul Charles Dominic Doherty is an English author, educator, lecturer and historian. He is also the Headmaster of Trinity Catholic High School in London, England. Doherty is a prolific writer, has produced dozens of historical novels and a number of nonfiction history books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Rendell</span> English writer (1930–2015)

Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Perry</span> English author (1938–2023)

Anne Perry was a British writer. She was the author of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt and William Monk series of historical detective fiction.

<i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> 1962 science fantasy novel by Madeleine LEngle

A Wrinkle in Time is a young adult science fantasy novel written by American author Madeleine L'Engle. First published in 1962, the book won the Newbery Medal, the Sequoyah Book Award, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, and was runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. The main characters – Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry, and Calvin O'Keefe – embark on a journey through space and time, from galaxy to galaxy, as they endeavor to rescue the Murrys' father and fight The Black Thing that has intruded into several worlds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Paretsky</span> American author of detective fiction

Sara Paretsky is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski.

Margaret Ellis Millar was an American-Canadian mystery and suspense writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minette Walters</span> English writer

Minette Caroline Mary Walters DL is an English writer.

Barbara Louise Mertz was an American author who wrote under her own name as well as under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels. In 1952, she received a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. She was best known for her mystery and suspense novels, including the Amelia Peabody book series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Dalgliesh</span> Fictional character in mystery novels by P. D. James

Adam Dalgliesh is a fictional character who is the protagonist of fourteen mystery novels by P. D. James; the first being James's 1962 novel Cover Her Face. He also appears in the two novels featuring James's other detective, Cordelia Gray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marjorie Bowen</span> British writer (1885–1952)

Margaret Gabrielle Vere Long, who used the pseudonyms Marjorie Bowen, George R. Preedy, Joseph Shearing, Robert Paye, John Winch, and Margaret Campbell or Mrs. Vere Campbell, was a British author who wrote historical romances and supernatural horror stories, as well as works of popular history and biography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. A. Jance</span> American writer

Judith Ann Jance is an American author of mystery novels. She writes three series of novels, centering on retired Seattle Police Department Detective J. P. Beaumont, Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady, and former Los Angeles news anchor turned mystery solver Ali Reynolds. The Beaumont and Brady series intersect in the novel Partner in Crime, which is both the 16th Beaumount mystery and the 10th Brady mystery. They intersect again in Fire and Ice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathryn Casey</span> American novelist

Kathryn Casey is an American writer of mystery novels and non-fiction books. She is best known for writing She Wanted It All, which recounts the case of Celeste Beard, who married an Austin multimillionaire only to convince her lesbian lover, Tracey Tarlton, to kill him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donna Andrews (author)</span> American writer

Donna Andrews is an American mystery fiction writer of two award-winning amateur sleuth series.

Kate Ellis is a British author of crime fiction, best known for a series of detective novels, which blends history with mystery, featuring policeman Wesley Peterson.

Alanna Knight MBE, born Gladys Allan Cleet, was a British writer, based in Edinburgh. She wrote over sixty novels, including romances, mysteries, crime, historical, and time travel stories, as well as plays, biographies, and histories. She sometimes also published under the pen name Margaret Hope.

References

  1. Edward Gorman; Martin Harry Greenberg; Larry Segriff; Jonl Breen (1995). The Fine Art of Murder: The Mystery Reader's Indispensable Companion. Galahad Books. p. 174. ISBN   978-0-88365-910-6.
  2. 1 2 Linda Martz; Anita Higgie (2007). Questions of Identity in Detective Fiction. Cambridge Scholars Pub. p. 89. ISBN   978-1-4438-0907-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Steinbacher, Michele (7 March 2007). "Author's 'Sins' revealed today". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. p. A3. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  4. Seven. Wheaton College. 1996. p. 12.
  5. "Kate Charles". The Crime Writers' Association. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  6. "The Bunburyist: 2012 Dove Awardees: Roberts and Charles
  7. The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction. Robinson. 1 January 2002. ISBN   978-1-84119-287-1.
  8. Stasio, Marilyn (8 November 1992). "Crime". The New York Times. New York, New York. p. 65, S7. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  9. "Books. Quickly. Mystery. "Evil Angels Among Them", by Kate Charles". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. 2 February 1997. p. 3F. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  10. "Books. Mystery. "Evil Intent," by Kate Charles". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. 18 December 2005. p. 3D. Retrieved 22 November 2019.