Having studied the mystery genre, from its ancient beginnings to the films of Alfred Hitchcock, Aberdeen-born and Toronto-raised Melanie Jackson gives creative writing workshops and reviews mysteries. She has worked in journalism and the arts, the latter providing her with a background for a mystery series featuring precocious Dinah Galloway--"budding diva, enthusiastic gourmand and amateur detective."

The irrepressible junior diva has a maritime adventure in The Mask on the Cruise Ship (2004). During her lounge gig on an Alaska-bound ship, she encounters a rare First Nations mask, an aspiring thief with gooseberry-coloured eyes and two old people with romantic intentions. Once more Dinah is up to her whipped cream mocha mustache in trouble. Jackson says if she had the nerve the person she'd be is the adventuresome, red-headed Dinah.

In 2009, with The Big Dip (Orca $9.95) Jackson began a series of suspense stories that all feature thrilling forms of amusement. The other titles in this series are: Fast Slide (Orca 2010), High Wire (Orca 2012), Eye Sore (Orca 2015), and Death Drop (Orca 2016).

Author's City: Vancouver
Place Of Birth: Scotland

BOOKS:

The Spy in the Alley (Orca, 2002)
The Man in the Moonstone (Orca, 2003)
The Mask on the Cruise Ship (Orca, 2004)
The Summer of the Spotted Owl (Orca, 2005)
Shadows on the Train (Orca, 2007)
The World of Stories, "Napoleon is Winking" (short story) (Gumboot Books, 2008)
Queen of Disguises (Orca, 2009)
The Midnight-Blue Marble (Gumboot, 2009)
The Big Dip (Orca, 2009)
Fast Slide (Orca, 2010) $9.95
High Wire (Orca, 2012) $9.95 978-1-4598-0236-0
Eye Sore (Orca, 2015) $9.95 9781459807716
Death Drop (Orca, 2016) $9.95 9781459811928
Medusa's Scream (Orca, 2017) $9.95 978-1-4598-1441-7
Tick Tock Terror (Orca, 2019) $9.95 978-1-4598-1955-9
The Fifth Beethoven (Crwth Press, 2020) $10.95 978-1-989724-05-7

AWARDS:

The Man in the Moonstone, BC Chocolate Lily Book Award nominee, 2004-05

[BCBW 2021] "Kidlit"