Wendy Hornsby (b. 1947) is the Edgar Award–winning creator of the Maggie MacGowen series. A native of Southern California, she became interested in writing at a young age and first found professional success in fourth grade, when an essay about summer camp won a local contest. Her first novel, No Harm, was published in 1987, but it wasn’t until 1992 that Hornsby introduced her most famous character: Maggie MacGowen, documentarian and amateur sleuth.

Hornsby has written seven MacGowen novels, most recently The Paramour’s Daughter (2010), and the sprawling tales of murder and romance have won her widespread praise. For her closely observed depiction of the darker sides of Los Angeles, she is often compared to Raymond Chandler. Besides her novels, Hornsby has written dozens of short stories, some of which were collected in Nine Sons (2002). When she isn’t writing, she teaches ancient and medieval history at Long Beach City College.