Fiona Veitch Smith writes Golden Age mysteries and inter-war historical fiction. Her latest series, The Miss Clara Vale Mysteries, is about a lady forensic scientist who inherits a detective agency, set in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1929. The Miss Clara Vale Mysteries are published by Embla Books (Bonnier UK). The first, The Picture House Murders is out now, The Pantomime Murders will follow in November 2023 and The Pyramid Murders in May 2024.

Fiona made her mark in the historical fiction world with her Poppy Denby Investigates books (Lion Fiction), set in the Roaring Twenties, which immerse readers in the culture of the time, while weaving intricate mysteries packed with whodunits and red herrings. Book 1, The Jazz Files, was shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger, while subsequent books have been shortlisted for the Foreword Review Mystery Novel of the Year and the People’s Book Prize. Fiona has also written for the children’s picture book market, with 14 books published by SPCK.

When not writing, Fiona mentors other novelists and was up until recently the Communications Manager for the Crime Writers’ Association. This is a ‘second career’ following on from her years working as a journalist and lecturing in journalism at Newcastle University, and creative and dramatic writing at Northumbria University. She lives in Newcastle upon Tyne with her husband and teenage daughter. She is represented by Sara Keane of Keane Kataria Literary Agency.