Holly West sits down at the Corner to talk about True Crime!

Originally from a small town in Northern California, Holly West moved to the big city to attend Loyola Marymount University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Screenwriting. After shoving a few unproduced scripts in the proverbial desk drawer, she succumbed to her baser instincts and turned to writing crime fiction.

She’s the author of the Mistress of Fortune series, set in late 17th century London and featuring amateur sleuth Isabel Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II who secretly makes her living as a fortuneteller. The first in the series, Mistress of Fortune, was published by Harlequin’s Carina Press in February 2014 and was nominated for the Left Coast Crime Rosebud Award for Best First Novel in 2015.

Holly’s short stories appear online and in numerous anthologies, including The Big Book of Jack the Ripper, Unloaded, and Killing Malmon. Her short fiction has been honored with Anthony Award nominations three times, including her latest published story, “The Best Laid Plans,” which appears in Florida Happens, the 2018 Bouchercon anthology (September 2018).

Her latest novella, The Money Block, came out in March.

Holly’s also the editor of Murder-A-Go-Go’s, a crime fiction anthology inspired by the music of The Go-Go’s. 

Holly lives in Northern California with her husband, Mick, and dogs, Stella and Brando. She’s a member of the Mystery Writers of America, for which she edits the Southern California chapter’s newsletter. She’s also a member of Sisters in Crime and was formerly on the Local Organizing Committee of Bouchercon 2020 Sacramento, where she served as registrar and webmaster.

Matt Coyle is the author of the Anthoney, Shamus, and Lefty Award-winning Rick Cahill crime series.