Joyce Cato is the pen name of English author Jacquie Walton, who writes across multiple genres under various pseudonyms. As Joyce Cato, she specializes in cozy mysteries featuring amateur sleuths solving murders in traditional country-house settings. Her works include titles such as "An Unholy Shame," released in July 2016. Under her other pen names, she has crafted distinct series, including the DI Hillary Greene crime novels as Faith Martin and modern romances as Maxine Barry.
Walton began her writing career crafting contemporary romance under the name Maxine Barry, with titles like "Imposters in Paradise" later reissued as ebooks. Transitioning to crime fiction, she developed the popular DI Hillary Greene series, which follows a narrowboat-dwelling detective solving cases for Thames Valley HQ. Her 17th installment, "A Narrow Trajectory," was published in 2016. Walton's versatility extends to slightly spooky crime novels under the pseudonym Jessie Daniels, with "The 'Lavender Lady' Casefile" marking her debut in that genre. Her ability to shift seamlessly between genres showcases her adaptability and broad appeal.