Biography

Karen was born in Sheffield but grew up in Leeds.  She obtained an English degree from Hull University and she studied for post graduate teaching certificate at Durham University.  After a few years roaming between various jobs in Harrogate, Ripon and Scarborough she finally settled in Teesside, where she was invited to stay and improve the gene pool.   It needed improving.  Catching the Eagle is the true tale of her hubby's notorious criminal ancestor: Jamie Charlton.  

Since then, she has combined a teaching job at a secondary school with her writing and raising her own pair of 'little villains.'

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Karen has  always enjoyed a good mystery.  In fact, many years ago she wrote ‘Murder Mystery Weekends’ for Raven Hall Hotel and won a Yorkshire Tourist Board award for them.  

Last year, the first seeds of a plot for a 'whodunit' began to germinate in her head.  Before she knew it, she had a Regency mystery to solve and The Missing Heiress was born. 

Set in Northumberland 1809, The Missing Heiress is a spin-off novel from her first book and features two of the minor characters: Detective Stephen Lavender and his good-natured sidekick, Constable Woods.  Their first case in the series takes them back to Northumberland to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a beautiful heiress.   

Photos courtesy of Iain Wolstencroft

Apart from her interest in genealogy, Karen enjoys reading, the theatre and a weekly trip to the village pub quiz. 

She has had poetry and theatre reviews published by the local newspapers and has written articles for magazines about the infamous robbery at Kirkley Hall - the subject of her debut novel Catching the Eagle.

Publication date: 6th December 2012