Karen C. Whalen
Karen C. Whalen

is the award-winning author of three cozy mystery series. The Dinner Club Mysteries features Jane Marsh, an empty nester who hosts a gourmet dinner club. The Tow Truck Mysteries stars Delaney Morran, a super feminine shoe-a-holic who drives a tow truck. Both are about strong friendships and family ties set in Colorado. The Sea Oats Beach series is a cozy mystery – beach read set in Coastal Carolina. Her books are similar to those written by authors Jessica Beck, Joanne Fluke, Leslie Meier, Cindy Bell, and Laura Childs. 

The first in the Dinner Club series, Everything Bundt the Truth, tied for FIRST PLACE in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest. The third in the Tow Truck series, Eyes on the Road, was a SECOND PLACE winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Awards in the Cozy Mystery category. The first in the Sea Oats Beach Mysteries, Murder at Sea Oats Beach, won the 2024 Firebird Book Awards in the Summer Beach Read category. 

She worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver and had been a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. She loves to host dinner clubs, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, walk on the beach, and read cozy murder mysteries.

Blog

Review of...Saving Nevada: One Woman, One Wild Horse, and a Hundred Days to

Based on a true story, Lori Hayes’ Saving Nevada is a powerful, heart-pounding journey that introduces readers to Haley Wilson, a woman embarking on the 100-day challenge of training a wild Mustang named Nevada. With the ultimate goal of preparing the mare for a public performance and then auction, the stakes couldn't be higher: failure means the mare’s return to the lonely holding pen, while success promises a chance at a forever home. But this particular Mustang is a formidable, dominant...

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Review of...Dog-Tired Christmas by Lori Hayes In Lori Hayes' heart-warming,

In Lori Hayes' heart-warming, small-town romance, Dog-Tired Christmas, readers are invited to trade sun-drenched Coastal Carolina for the wintery peaks of Snow Valley three hundred miles away as antique store owner Brittany Adams embarks on a mission to forgo her own responsibilities and help out a family member. Called to duty when her cousin Ashley breaks her shoulder, Brittany must now manage Snow Valley's highly anticipated Christmas Home Tour. Her biggest challenge? Convincing Chris Hart...

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Review of...Death's Honesty by Brian Anderson (Lyle Dahms Mystery series)

Brian Anderson plunges readers back into the shadowy world of crime noir with the return of private investigator Lyle Dahms. This murder mystery weaves a complex web of deceit, its roots buried deep in the past and intertwined with the hidden secrets of Lyle's own street cop father. As Lyle unravels the truth, the clues lead him, and the reader, on a journey with unexpected twists. With a sympathetic protagonist, compelling supporting characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing, Anderson...

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Events

This spring art festival is scheduled for two days, Friday and Saturday, May 22-23, 2026 at the Brunswick Community College Arts Lawn. Come out to this charming historical port town, which is not just a beautiful destination but a vibrant cultural scene of local artists and writers.