Welcome!
If you’re here, you must be a mystery fan, which means you have something in common with several U.S. presidents and, of course, me. Problem solvers at heart, we can’t resist the challenge of a tricky plot.
“Escapism for the control freak,” (Craig Fehrman*) is another way of describing my favorite genre—and me again, I’m afraid. Real life seldom turns out how I think it should, so I've resorted to writing mysteries that do. Eleven so far...
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Both Lauren Beck crime novels won Honorable Mention in genre fiction from Writer's Digest. FOR BETTER OR WORSE was a Finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award in Mysteries, and two Gin Barnes cozies attained #1 and #2 spots on Amazon's lists for Mystery and Female Sleuths.
You'll find that both series characters take crime very seriously but never themselves.
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The anxiety of speaking to hundreds of students may be over, but the astonishment of receiving this amazing award will last a lifetime. Hear my advice to the kids HERE. Listener's alert: I AM nervous!

UPCOMING: The audiobook of FINAL ARRANGEMENTS, and the third Lauren Beck crime novel STRANGER DANGER.
2022 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
HALL OF FAME
"I could kick myself for not noticing this series until it reached the eighth installment...I enjoyed every page and greedily want to read all her words." Top 1% Amazon Reviewer DJ Sakata re For Better or Worse
Thanks for stopping by,
Donna
*Craig Fehrman wrote a book about presidents and their books.