Meet Kathy Manos Penn

Kathy Manos Penn is the author of the Dickens & Christie Cozy Mysteries and the new Prentiss & Parker Cozy Mysteries, where books, animals, and murder are never far apart. She lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with her husband and her four-legged office assistants.

When she dreamed of retiring from corporate America, she envisioned indulging in her favorite pastimes—reading, traveling, and writing columns for her local paper. Taking her bucket-list trip to England was a top priority.

A second career as an author was never part of the plan—until someone uttered the fateful words, “You should write a cozy mystery.”

Twelve Dickens & Christie mysteries later, Kathy has expanded her cozy world with the Prentiss & Parker series, taking familiar faces—and her love of books, animals, and intriguing mysteries—to the Cornish coast. Kathy adheres to the adage to write what you know, filling her mysteries with book lovers, witty conversation, loyal dogs, sassy cats, and the places she loves to visit.

Her two four-legged office assistants inspire the personalities of Dickens & Christie. Why is Dickens a fiend for belly rubs? Because Kathy’s real-life dog is. The same goes for Christie’s finicky eating habits and penchant for lolling on top of the desk or in the file drawer. She gets it from the calico cat who rules the roost.

How does Kathy describe her life? “I’m living a dream I never knew I had.”

Bells, Tails & Murder, the first Dickens & Christie Mystery, won a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award, and Kathy is a two-time Georgia Author of the Year nominee.