Author Profile

I was born in England, although my mother's family comes from Wales. I got an early introduction to the country when I was taken by my aunt to spend summers in a little village very like Llanfair. I grew up in Bath, England and went to school and college in England, Austria and Germany. After completing my degree I went to work with the BBC in London, finding my niche in the drama department. Working on so many fine plays inspired me to write my own. Dandelion Hours was my first published, or in this case, broadcast, work. It was followed by several other radio and TV plays before the urge for sunshine drove me to work in Australia.

Taking up an offer from Australian broadcasting, I went to work in Sydney, where I met my future husband, a fellow Englishman. He was on his way to San Francisco, where we settled in 1966 and have lived ever since.

Finding nothing like the BBC existed in my part of the States, I had to turn to other directions for my creative outlets. I started writing children's picture books. The first book won several awards and established me in a new career. Children's books, young adult books, adult historical romances and sagas followed until I decided it was finally time for me to write what I enjoyed reading most... and that was mysteries. The kind of mystery that gives the reader a great sense of time and place as well as a rattling good story.

Too many books had been written about San Francisco and it was only when I was recounting tales of my childhood summers spent with relatives in North Wales that I realized I had a great setting for a mystery series. The battling ministers, the postman who read the mail, the overwhelming landlady all existed in a village very like Llanfair.

For this new venture my agent and editor suggested that I use another name, as it is so different from my other writing. I chose my Welsh grandfather's name, Rhys Bowen. I hope he'll look down favorably on my tales of his native land.

Now that there are seve was born in England, although my mother's family comes from Wales. I got an early introduction to the country when I was taken by my aunt to spend summers in a little village very like Llanfair. I grew up in Bath, England and went to school and college in England, Austria and Germany. After completing my degree I went to work with the BBC in London, finding my niche in the drama department. Working on so many fine plays inspired me to write my own. Dandelion Hours was my first published, or in this case, broadcast, work. It was followed by several other radio and TV plays before the urge for sunshine drove me to work in Australia.

Taking up an offer from Australian broadcasting, I went to work in Sydney, where I met my future husband, a fellow Englishman. He was on his way to San Francisco, where we settled in 1966 and have lived ever since.

Finding nothing like the BBC existed in my part of the States, I had to turn to other directions for my creative outlets. I started writing children's picture books. The first book won several awards and established me in a new career. Children's books, young adult books, adult historical romances and sagas followed until I decided it was finally time for me to write what I enjoyed reading most... and that was mysteries. The kind of mystery that gives the reader a great sense of time and place as well as a rattling good story.

Too many books had been written about San Francisco and it was only when I was recounting tales of my childhood summers spent with relatives in North Wales that I realized I had a great setting for a mystery series. The battling ministers, the postman who read the mail, the overwhelming landlady all existed in a village very like Llanfair.

For this new venture my agent and editor suggested that I use another name, as it is so different from my other writing. I chose my Welsh grandfather's name, Rhys Bowen. I hope he'll look down favorably on my tales of his native land.

Now that there are several Constable Evans mysteries out, I decided to try a new venture. I wanted to create a protagonist who was very different from mild-mannered Evan Evans.

Well -- Molly Murphy couldn't be more different. She's brash, loud, and not afraid of much. Murphy's Law is the winner of the 2002 Agatha Award, a Mary Higgins Clark award finalist, and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice and Herodotus winner. For the Love of Mike, the third book in the series, won the Anthony Award for Best Historical Mystery at Bouchercon in 2004.

I've tried my hand at a couple of short stories too. My short story, "The Seal of the Confessional," which appears in the anthology Unholy Orders, was a finalist for the Agatha and Anthony awards. "Doppelganger," from the anthology Blood on their Hands, won the 2004 Anthony Award for best short story.

When I'm not writing, I love traveling, hiking, tennis, singing and sketching. But not as much as playing with my three little grandchildren.

What's next? Who can say. Stay tuned.