Christopher Valen is an American author, best known for his series of detective novels featuring the Colombian-born St. Paul Homicide Detective John Santana. Valen's love for mysteries has been lifelong, leading him to believe that he is living his dream by earning a living from his passion. He is a graduate of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Citizen Academy, which has provided him with many contacts and resources in the law enforcement community.
Valen's John Santana series includes nine police procedurals, starting with "White Tombs" and followed by "The Black Minute," "Bad Weeds Never Die," "Bone Shadows," "Death's Way," "The Darkness Hunter," "Speak For The Dead," "The Price Of Life," and "No Way To Die." In addition to these, he has written a fictional historical murder mystery, "City of Stones," with fellow author Dan Cohen, and a literary novel titled "All The Fields." Valen's work has been well-received by critics, with Booklist calling Santana "an appealing series lead, strong and intelligent," Midwest Book Review praising Santana as a "wonderful addition to the sub-genre," and Library Journal noting Valen's "highly moral Santana character is golden."
Beyond his writing career, Valen also teaches as a college professor and enjoys traveling. He lives in Arizona and Minnesota with his Colombian-born wife, Martha. To learn more about Christopher Valen and his work, one can visit his website.