Joanne Fluke is a successful American author, best known for her cozy mystery series featuring protagonist Hannah Swensen. In addition to this popular series, Fluke has also written standalone novels, including historical romances under the pen name Kathryn Kirkwood.
Fluke was born in Swanville, Minnesota, a small and quiet town, in January 1943. Growing up in a family of bakers, she developed a keen interest in cooking at a young age. By the time she was four, she could often be found stirring the contents of the mixing bowl while her mother and grandmother prepared cookies and cakes. This early experience with baking would later become a significant part of her Hannah Swensen series, as the main character also shares a passion for cooking and baking.
Fluke has led a varied and interesting life, having held numerous jobs before becoming a successful author. Some of these roles include working as a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective's assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short order cook, a florist's assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker. She now resides in Southern California with her husband, children, grandchildren, several dogs, an elderly tabby, and some noisy rats in the attic. Fluke is currently working on her next Hannah Swensen mystery, "Coconut Layer Cake Murder."