ABOUT KELLYE
Kellye Garrett’s first novel, Hollywood Homicide, was released in August 2017 and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery & Thrillers of All Time. In addition to receiving starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, it won the Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Independent Publisher “IPPY” awards for best first novel. It was also nominated for the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel and Barry award for Best Paperback Original.
Hollywood Ending, the second book in her Detective by Day mystery series, was chosen a best mystery of 2018 by Suspense Magazine, Book Riot, and CrimeReads, which called it the most fun book of the year. In addition to being featured on the TODAY show’s Best Summer Reads of 2019, it was nominated for an Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original and a Lefty Award for Best Humorous Novel.
After the success of her series, she transitioned to writing standalone suspense. Up first was the award-winning Like A Sister about a Black woman in New York City looking into the mysterious overdose of her estranged reality star sister. In addition to being featured on the TODAY show, the suspense novel was a Book of the Month April 2022 selection, the Oxygen channel’s July Book Club pick, an Edgar award finalist for Best Novel, Lefty award winner for Best Mystery, and Anthony award winner for Best Hardcover.
Her latest is Missing White Woman, a twisty thriller about a woman who thinks she’s waking up to a romantic vacation—only to find a body in her rental home and her boyfriend gone. It won the 2024 Thriller Award for Best Mystery and was a Reader’s Digest Book Club pick, Apple Books Staff Pick, Amazon Editors’ Pick, and a $1,000 clue on Jeopardy!
Kellye previously spent 8 years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a living—probably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. A former magazine editor, Kellye holds a B.S. in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC’s famed film school.
In addition to writing, she is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color alongside Walter Mosley and Gigi Pandian. It received the 2023 Raven Award from MWA and Boucheron’s 2024 David Thompson Special Service Award.
Kellye Garrett writes twisty and fun novels about sarcastic Black women solving crimes in real-life locations. Her books have been featured on the Today Show, won numerous awards, and named to Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery & Thrillers of All Time. The latest is Missing White Woman, which was an Apple Books Staff Pick, Amazon Editors’ Pick, Reader’s Digest June 2024 Book Club selection, the CBS New York Club Calvi Spring Book Club pick, the first-ever ITW Thriller Award winner for Best Standalone Mystery, and a $1,000 clue on Jeopardy. She’s also the author of the award- winning suspense novel Like A Sister and the Detective by Day mysteries.
Prior to writing novels, Kellye spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. She is a former member of the Sisters in Crime Board of Directors and is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color alongside Gigi Pandian and Walter Mosley.
Kellye Garrett writes twisty and fun novels about sarcastic Black women solving crimes in real-life locations. Her books have been featured on the TODAY Show, won numerous awards, and been named to Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery & Thrillers of All Time. The latest is Missing White Woman, which was an Apple Books Staff Pick, Amazon Editors’ Pick, Reader’s Digest June 2024 Book Club selection, the CBS New York Club Calvi Spring Book Club pick, the first-ever ITW Thriller Award winner for Best Standalone Mystery, and a $1,000 clue on Jeopardy. She’s also the author of the award- winning suspense novel Like A Sister and the Detective by Day mysteries.
Prior to writing novels, Kellye spent eight years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for Cold Case. She is a former member of the Sisters in Crime Board of Directors and is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color alongside Gigi Pandian and Walter Mosley.
Kellye Garrett writes twisty and fun novels about sarcastic Black women who solve crime in real life locations. Her four books have been featured on the TODAY Show, won numerous awards, and been named to Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery & Thrillers of All Time.
In addition to writing, she’s also the a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color, received the 2023 Raven Award from MWA and Boucheron’s 2024 David Thompson Special Service Award.
