Leslie Karst is a renowned American author, best known for her cozy murder mysteries. Karst was taught from a young age by her parents, who were a potter and law professor, the value of careful analysis. This upbringing provided a strong foundation for her future writing career. Karst's childhood was spent in several towns and locales, including Santa Monica, California, Oxford, England, Mexico, South America, and Columbus, Ohio. She later moved to Santa Cruz, where she attended UCSC and studied Romance Languages and English literature.
After her time at UCSC, Karst went on to attend Stanford Law School and spent two decades working as an appellate and research lawyer for a prominent Santa Cruz law firm. It was during this period that Karst discovered her passion for cooking and food, which led her to go back to school. She attended the Cabrillo College and graduated with a culinary arts degree. Karst now enjoys calling herself a retired attorney and spends much of her time engaged in activities she loves, including cycling, gardening, singing alto for her community choir, cooking, and, most importantly, writing. She is married to Robin and together with their Russell Jack mix, Ziggy, they spend their time in Hawaii, Hilo, and Santa Cruz.
Karst's writing is informed by her background as an ex-lawyer, her degrees in English literature and culinary arts, and her passion for food and cooking. She is the author of the Sally Solari Mysteries, a culinary series set in Santa Cruz, California. The series includes "Dying for a Taste," "A Measure of Murder," "Death al Fresco," and "Murder from Scratch." Karst and her wife share their time between Santa Cruz and Hilo, Hawai‘i.