Carolyn Hart (also known as Carolyn G. Hart) is a mystery and suspense writer. She is the author of 63 books, including the Death on Demand, Henrie O and Bailey Ruth series. In 2014, she was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. She was born in Oklahoma in 1936.

Biography

Hart was born Carolyn Gimpel and was raised in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, where she still lives. She attended Cleveland Elementary School, Taft Junior High School, and Classen High School. At the age of 11, Hart decided that she wanted to be a

newspaper reporter A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

. She worked on school papers beginning in grade school, continuing all the way through her college years. Hart is a

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

graduate of the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

(class of 1958), where she majored in journalism. Hart met her husband Philip while traveling in Europe during her junior year in college. After graduation, while her husband attended law school, Hart worked as a

for

The Norman Transcript ''The Norman Transcript'' is a daily newspaper published in Norman, Oklahoma, United States, covering Cleveland and McClain counties, in the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City. It is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. The newspaper is the ...

. She gave up journalism after the birth of her son, Philip Jr. In 1964, the year her daughter Sarah was born, Hart won a writing contest, sponsored by

Dodd, Mead Dodd, Mead and Company was one of the pioneer publishing houses of the United States, based in New York City. Under several names, the firm operated from 1839 until 1990. History Origins In 1839, Moses Woodruff Dodd (1813–1899) and John S. Ta ...

and Calling All Girls, calling for a mystery novel that would appeal to adolescent girls. She went on to write several more young adult mysteries between 1965 and 1972. From 1972 to 1987, she wrote nine stand-alone

suspense novel Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it affec ...

s and mysteries, with only modest success. Until the publication of mystery novels by

Marcia Muller Marcia Muller (born September 28, 1944) is an American author of fictional Mystery (fiction), mystery and Thriller (genre), thriller novels. Muller has written many novels featuring her ''Sharon McCone'' female private detective character. ''Va ...

Sara Paretsky Sara Paretsky (born June 8, 1947) is an American author of detective fiction, best known for her novels focused on the protagonist V. I. Warshawski. Life and career Paretsky was born in Ames, Iowa. Her father was a microbiologist and moved the ...

, and

Sue Grafton Sue Taylor Grafton (April 24, 1940 – December 28, 2017) was an American author of detective novels. She is best known as the author of the "alphabet series" (''"A" Is for Alibi'', etc.) featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone in the fic ...

, publishers had little interest in mysteries written by contemporary American female writers; the success of these authors, however, opened the door for Hart's ''Death on Demand'' (1987), which became the first in a long-running series of the same name. Hart's stand-alone

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

novel ''Letter from Home'' was nominated for the

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life, published during ...

by the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers at

Oklahoma State University–Tulsa Oklahoma State University–Tulsa, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States, is the newest institution of the Oklahoma State University System. It was previously the University Center at Tulsa until it became OSU-Tulsa on January 1, 1999. OSU-Tu ...

. She has twice appeared as one of the featured mystery authors at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

National Book Festival The National Book Festival is a literary festival in the United States organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, founded by Laura Bush and James H. Billington in 2001. Background In 1995 the First Lady of Texas Laura Bush (a former l ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Awards

Hart has won awards throughout her four-decade writing career. *

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

Grand Master 2014 *

Agatha Award The Agatha Awards, named for Agatha Christie, are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write in the traditional mystery subgenre: "books typified by the works of Agatha Christie . . . loosely defined as mysteries that contain no expli ...

– nine nominations and three wins *

Anthony Award The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America. Among the m ...

for Best Paperback Original – five nominations and two wins *

Macavity Award The Macavity Awards are a literary award for mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the " mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' ...

for Best Paperback Original – two wins *

Ridley Pearson Ridley Pearson (born March 13, 1953 in Glen Cove, New York) is an American author of suspense and thriller novels for adults, and adventure books for children. Some of his books have appeared on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Literary ...

Award for significant contribution to the mystery field *Guest of Honor at the

Malice Domestic The Agatha Awards, named for Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collection ...

annual conference in 1997 and recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 *Oklahoma Center for the Book award for fiction in 2001 and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 *Distinguished

Alumnus Alumni (singular: alumnus (masculine) or alumna (feminine)) are former students of a school, college, or university who have either attended or graduated in some fashion from the institution. The feminine plural alumnae is sometimes used for grou ...

of the

Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication is the journalism unit of the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The College is named for the former longtime publishers of ''The Oklahoman''. History In 1897, five years after the Univ ...

*Featured mystery author at the

on the Mall in Washington DC in 2003 and 2007 * Past president of

Sisters in Crime Sisters in Crime is an organization that has 4,500 members in 60+ regional chapters worldwide, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors. Members are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by their ...

Works

Death on Demand series

Hart's first commercially successful adult mystery series features Annie Laurance, proprietor of the Death on Demand bookstore, located in the fictional

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

island community of Broward's Rock. By using a mystery bookstore for her background, Hart has given her characters the opportunity to talk freely about other mystery authors and books. One of the ongoing themes of the series is a contest whereby the first customer who correctly identifies a series of five mysteries from the clues in a painting hanging in the shop wins his or her choice of a novel. #''Death on Demand'' (1987) also in Something Wicked #''Design for Murder'' (1988) #'' Something Wicked'' (1988) #''

Honeymoon with Murder Honeymoon with Murder () is a book written by Carolyn Hart and published by Bantam Books (now owned by Penguin Random House) on 1 December 1988 which later went on to win the Anthony Award The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writ ...

'' (1988) #''A Little Class on Murder'' (1989) #''Deadly Valentine'' (1990) #''The Christie Caper'' (1991) #''Southern Ghost'' (1992) #''Mint Julep Murder'' (1995) #''Yankee Doodle Dead'' (1998) #''White Elephant Dead'' (1999) #''Sugarplum Dead'' (2000) #''April Fool Dead'' (2002) #''Engaged to Die'' (2003) #''Murder Walks the Plank'' (2004) #''Death of the Party'' (2005) #''Dead Days of Summer'' (2006) #''Death Walked In'' (2008) #''Dare to Die'' (2009) #''Laughed 'Til He Died'' (2010) #''Dead by Midnight'' (2011) #''Death Comes Silently'' (2012) #''Dead, White and Blue'' (2013) #''Death at the Door'' (2014) #''Don't Go Home'' (2015) #''Walking on My Grave'' (2017)

Henrie O series

Hart's Henrie O mysteries feature 70-something retired newswoman, Henrie O'Dwyer Collins, as she travels the country and the world, solving crimes that seem to follow her as she travels. Henrie gets by on her grit, tenacity, and sensible shoes. #''Dead Man's Island'' (1993), turned into a 1996

TV movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

starring

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and producer best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom '' I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965-1970). Other notable roles include Roslyn Pierce opp ...

and

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...

#''Scandal in Fair Haven'' (1994) #''Death in Lovers' Lane'' (1997) #''Death in Paradise'' (1998) #''Death on the River Walk'' (1999) #''Resort to Murder'' (2001) #''Set Sail for Murder'' (2007)

Bailey Ruth Raeburn series

Hart's newest protagonist, the ghost of a woman killed at sea who returns to earth via the "Rescue Express" to help her fictional hometown of Adelaide, Oklahoma while trying not to violate the Precepts for Earthly Visitation and adjusting to her powers on earth. #''Ghost at Work'' (2008) #''Merry, Merry Ghost'' (2009) #''Ghost In Trouble'' (2010) #''Ghost Gone Wild'' (2013) #''Ghost Wanted'' (2014) #''Ghost to the Rescue'' (2015) #''Ghost Times Two'' (2016) #''Ghost on the Case'' (2017) #''Ghost Ups Her Game'' (2020) published by SEVERN House Great Britain and USA

Non-series books

Pre-teens

*''The Secret of the Cellars'' (1998, ebook 2013)

Teens

*''Dangerous Summer'' (1968, ebook 2013) *''No Easy Answers'' (1970, reprint 2013) *''Rendezvous in Veracruz'' (1972, reprint 2012) *''Danger, High Explosives!'' (1972, ebook 2013)

Adults

*''Flee from the Past'' (1975, reprint 1998, reprint 2012) *''A Settling of Accounts'' (1976, reprint 2013) also in Secrets and Other Stories of Suspense *''Escape from Paris'' (1982, reprint 2013) *''The Rich Die Young'' (1983, reprint 2001) *''Death by Surprise'' (1983, reprint 2013) *''Skulduggery'' (1984, reprint 2012) *''The Devereaux Legacy'' (1986, reprint 2013) *''Brave Hearts'' (1987, reprint 2013) *''Letter from Home'' (2003) *''What the Cat Saw'' (2012) *''Cry in the Night'' (2013) *''Castle Rock'' (1983, reprint 2014) *''Cliff's Edge'' (2014) *''High Stakes'' (November 2015) *''Peril Off Padre'' (2018) e-book only

Anthologies

Non-fiction books

*''The Sooner Story, 1890–1980 (1980, with Charles F. Long)''

References

External links

*
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture – Hart, Carolyn G.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Carolyn 1936 births Living people Writers from Oklahoma City University of Oklahoma alumni American mystery writers Anthony Award winners Macavity Award winners Agatha Award winners Women mystery writers American women novelists Classen School of Advanced Studies alumni 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers Novelists from Oklahoma