Kate Flora

Kate Flora is a successful author, best known for her Thea Kozak Mystery series and her gritty Joe Burgess police procedurals. Flora grew up on a chicken farm in Maine, where her weekly trips to the library sparked her love for books and her dream of creating her own enchanting worlds. After law school, Flora worked in the Maine attorney general’s office, representing the Human Rights Commission and protecting battered children. These experiences taught her about the human capacity for committing terrible acts, which later informed her crime writing.

Flora’s career as a writer began in earnest after she quit her law practice to stay at home with her young sons. Despite facing ten years of rejection in the unpublished writer’s corner, Flora persevered and eventually sold her Thea Kozak series. Since then, she has published eighteen books, including true crime novels, suspense thrillers, and memoirs. Her true crime book, Finding Amy, was a finalist for the Edgar Award and the Maine Literary Award, and was later optioned for a movie. Flora’s short stories have also been widely anthologized and have won numerous awards.

In addition to her writing, Flora is an active member of the mystery community. She is a founding member of the New England Crime Bake and the Maine Crime Wave, and served as international president of Sisters in Crime. She also co-founded Level Best Books, where she worked as an editor and publisher for seven years. Currently, Flora teaches writing and does manuscript critiques for Grub Street in Boston. Despite her busy schedule, Flora still finds time to conduct research for her novels, which has led her on adventures such as riding an ATV through the Canadian woods and hiding in a tick-infested field to be found by search and rescue dogs.

Flora’s work has been recognized with numerous nominations and awards, including finalist nods for the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer Awards. Her books include eight Thea Kozak mysteries, five Joe Burgess police procedurals, true crime novels, and a memoir. She is also a contributor to several anthologies, including The Obama Inheritance and The Faking of the President. Flora currently resides on the coast of Maine, where she continues to write and teach writing.