Edith Maxwell
Born (1952-11-02) November 2, 1952 (age 71)
Pasadena, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Irvine (BA)
Indiana University (PhD)
OccupationNovelist
Years active2012–present

Edith Maxwell (born November 2, 1952) is an Agatha Award-winning American mystery author also currently writing as Maddie Day.[1] She writes cozy, traditional, and historical mysteries set in the United States.

Biography

Maxwell was born in Pasadena and grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of Temple City with two older sisters and a younger brother. Her father taught high school and her mother was a Girl Scout leader and a real estate appraiser. Maxwell was an exchange student with AFS Intercultural Programs in Brazil for a year in 1970. She holds a BA (linguistics, 1974) from University of California, Irvine, and a PhD[2] (linguistics, 1981) from Indiana University.

Prior to writing fiction full time, she worked as an auto mechanic, taught conversational English in Japan and independent childbirth classes in Massachusetts, owned and operated a small certified-organic farm, wrote free-lance articles, and most recently produced software documentation for several hi-tech companies in the Boston area. Besides Brazil and Japan she has also lived in Mali and Burkina Faso.[3]

Authorial career

Maxwell’s first published fiction was in the Pasadena Star-News, where she won a children’s fiction contest in 1961.[4] Her first published short story as an adult was in 1996, and her first novel appeared in 2012. She is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and served as President of the New England chapter for two years. She is also a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and the Historical Novel Society. She has been a full-time mystery author since 2013. Maxwell has two dozen mystery novels and a novella in print with more in process.[citation needed]

Maxwell decided to write cozy mysteries because "I don’t want to read noir or nail-biter thrillers. Our world is scary and messy enough. When I’m finished reading a book, I don’t want to feel worse about society. That’s what I write, too."[5]

Bibliography

Local Foods Mysteries (as Edith Maxwell)

Country Store Mysteries (as Maddie Day)

Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries (as Maddie Day)

Quaker Midwife Mysteries (as Edith Maxwell)

Lauren Rousseau Mysteries (as Tace Baker)

Awards and recognition

References

  1. ^ a b c Baskin, Kara (26 April 2016). "Six authors who share a passion for murder". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. p. G7. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  2. ^ Date, Terry (10 April 2019). "Mystery with local history: Amesbury author to host double launch party with fellow writer". Newburyport Daily News. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  3. ^ Maxwell, Edith (2 March 2018). "Divination of Death by Edith Maxwell". Map Your Mystery. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  4. ^ Maxwell, Edith (31 March 2020). "Edith, Tace, Maddie, and 20 Mysteries". Wicked Authors. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b Briana-Gartner, Joanne (4 September 2020). "New Murder Mystery Set In West Falmouth". The Enterprise. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Edith Maxwell Books in Order". Books in Order. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Food Cozy Mysteries: The Books Serving Up Recipes With A Side Of Murder". WGBH.com. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Called to Justice". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  9. ^ Valeri, John (9 April 2019). "Q&A with Edith Maxwell, Author of Charity's Burden". Criminal Element. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  10. ^ "Charity's Burden". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  11. ^ "Amesbury author Edith Maxwell nominated for Agatha mystery award". Newburyport Daily News. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  12. ^ Topping, Grace (22 March 2017). "An Interview With Edith Maxwell". Writers Who Kill. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Announcing 2017's Agatha Award Nominees". Criminal Element. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  14. ^ Cogdill, Oline. "2020 Agatha Award Winners". Mystery Scene Magazine. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

External links

Agatha Award winners
Authority control databases
Categories