Janet Quin-Harkin

Janet Quin-Harkin (born 24 September 1941, Bath, Somerset^[1]) is an author best known for her mystery novels for adults written under the name Rhys Bowen.

Janet Quin-Harkin
Born	(1941-09-24) 24 September 1941 (age 83) Bath, Somerset
Pen name	Rhys Bowen
Occupation	novelist, dance teacher
Nationality	British
Education	London University
Genre	historical mystery novels
Website
rhysbowen.com

Career

Before she began writing novels, Quin-Harkin worked in the drama department of the British Broadcasting Corporation in London and, later, for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney, Australia.^[2] She also worked as a drama teacher and a dance teacher.^[3]

In 1981, she wrote one of the first six books with which Bantam launched the Sweet Dreams series.^[4]

In the 1990s Quin-Harkin began writing mystery novels for adults under the name Rhys Bowen. She has written three series under this name: one featuring British aristocrat Lady Georgiana ("Georgie") in 1930s England; one featuring Irish immigrant Molly Murphy working as a private detective in early 1900s New York City; and one featuring a Welsh police constable named Evan Evans.^[2]

She is also author of the Boyfriend Club series for young adults featuring four freshmen girls in Alta Mesa High School (Arizona): Roni, Ginger, Justine, and Karen.

Personal life

Quin-Harkin graduated from the University of London in 1963.^[5] She moved to the United States when she married John Quin-Harkin.^[3]

She is the parent of four children. She now divides her time between Marin County, California, and Arizona.^[2]

Works as Janet Quin-Harkin

• Peter Penny's Dance (Dial Press, 1976), picture book illustrated by Anita Lobel
• Benjamin's Balloon (Parents Magazine, 1978), p.b. ill. Robert Censoni
• Septimus Bean and his Amazing Machine (Parents, 1979), p.b. illus. Art Cumings
• Magic Growing Powder (Parents, 1980), p.b. ill. Art Cumings
• Ten-boy summer (Bantam Books, 1982), Sweet Dreams Romance
• Helpful Hattie (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983), 58 pp., ill. Susanna Natti
• Wanted—date for Saturday night (1985)
• My Best Enemy (Bantam, 1987), Sweet Dreams Romance
• The boy next door (Bantam, 1995), Love Stories 4
• Who do you love? (Bantam, 1996), Love Stories 13
• Torn apart (Bantam, 1999), Love Stories 18
• Love potion (Avon Flare, 1999), Enchanted Hearts 4, LCCN 98-94951

Works as Rhys Bowen

Constable Evan Evans series Evans Above (1997) Evan Help Us (1998) Evanly Choirs (1999) Evan and Elle (2000) Evan Can Wait (2001) Evans to Betsy (2002) Evan Only Knows (2003) Evan's Gate (2004) Evan Blessed (2005) Evanly Bodies (2006) Lady Georgiana "Georgie" series Her Royal Spyness (2007) A Royal Pain (2008) Royal Flush (2009) Royal Blood (2010) Naughty in Nice (2011) The Twelve Clues of Christmas (2012) Heirs and Graces (2013) Queen of Hearts (2014) Malice at the Palace (2015) Crowned and Dangerous (2016) On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service (2017) Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding (2018) Love and Death Among the Cheetahs (2019)[6] The Last Mrs. Summers (2020)[7] God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen (2021) Peril in Paris (2022) The Proof of The Pudding (November 2023)[8] Lady Georgiana short stories Masked Ball at Broxley Manor (2012)

Molly Murphy series Murphy's Law (2001) Death of Riley (2002) For the Love of Mike (2003) In Like Flynn (2005) Oh Danny Boy (2006) In Dublin's Fair City (2007) Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (2008) In a Gilded Cage (2009) The Last Illusion (2010) Bless the Bride (2011) Hush Now, Don't You Cry (2012) The Family Way (2013) City of Darkness and Light (2014) The Edge of Dreams (2015) Away in a Manger (2015) Time of Fog and Fire (2016) The Ghost of Christmas Past (2017) Wild Irish Rose, co-author Clare Broyles (2022)[9] All That is Hidden, co-author Clare Broyles (2023) In Sunshine or in Shadow, co-author Clare Broyles (March 2024)[9] Molly Murphy short stories The Amersham Rubies (2011) The Face in the Mirror (2013) Through the Window (2014)

Stand-alone novels

• Above the Bay of Angels (2020)

World War I novels

• The Victory Garden (2019)

World War II novels

• In Farleigh Field (2017)
• The Tuscan Child (2018)
• The Venice Sketchbook (2021)
• Where the Sky Begins (2022)
• The Paris Assignment (August 2023)
• The Rose Arbor (2024)

Anthologies and collections

Anthology or Collection	Contents	Publication Date
An Apple for a Creature[10]	Low School	Aug 2012

Honors

• 2000 "The Seal of the Confessional" – finalist, Agatha and Anthony Awards
• 2001 Murphy's Law – Agatha Award for Best Novel
• 2002 Death of Riley – finalist, Agatha Award for Best Novel
• 2004 "Doppelganger" – finalist, Anthony Award for best short story
• 2007 "Oh Danny Boy" – Macavity Award Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Novel
• 2008 "Please Watch Your Step" – Macavity Award for best short story
• 2009 "A Royal Pain – Macavity Award Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Novel
• 2011 Naughty in Nice – Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel
• 2017 In Farleigh Field – Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel, Left Coast Crime Lefty Award (Bruce Alexander Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery), Macavity Award Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Novel

References

1. Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay, ed., Great Women Mystery Writers, 2nd ed. Greenwood Press, 2007, p. 27.
2. "Rhys Bowen: Still a place for faith in mystery writer's body of work". The Visitor. Catholic News Service. 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
3. DeBruyne., Ammon, Bette (1993). Rip-roaring reads for reluctant teen readers. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 126. ISBN 156308094X. OCLC 44963622.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. Quin-Harkin, Janet (6 September 2014). "Why 1980s teen lit is still relevant today". The Guardian. London. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
5. See the Rhys-Bowen-Website, retrieved 1 December 2022.
6. "Rhys Bowen: New York Times Bestselling Author". Rhys Bowen. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
7. "The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen: 9780451492876 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
8. "The Royal Spyness Series".
9. "The Molly Murphy Series".
10. "An Apple for the Creature". goodreads.com. Retrieved 12 April 2021.

External links

• Children's literature portal
• Novels portal

• Official website
• Interview by Claire E. White, The Internet Writing Journal (writerswrite.com/journal), 2001
• Janet Quin-Harkin at Library of Congress, with 91 library catalogue records
• Rhys Bowen (pseudonym) at LC Authorities, with 39 records, and Bowen at WorldCat