Don’t let the smile fool you; Holly West has a dark side. Originally from a small town in Northern California, Holly moved to the big city to attend Loyola Marymount University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Screenwriting. After shoving a few unproduced scripts in the proverbial desk drawer, she succumbed to her baser instincts and turned to writing crime fiction. She’s the author of the Mistress of Fortune series, set in late 17th century London and featuring amateur sleuth Isabel Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II who secretly makes her living as a fortuneteller. The first in the series, Mistress of Fortune, was published by Harlequin’s Carina Press in February 2014 and was nominated for the Left Coast Crime Rosebud Award for Best First Novel in 2015. Holly’s short stories appear online and in numerous anthologies, including The Big Book of Jack the Ripper, Unloaded, and Killing Malmon. Her short fiction has twice been honored with Anthony Award nominations and her latest published story, “The Best Laid Plans,” appears in Florida Happens, the 2018 Bouchercon anthology (September 2018). Holly’s also the editor of the forthcoming Murder-A-Go-Go’s, a crime fiction anthology inspired by the music of The Go-Go’s. Net proceeds from the collection will benefit Planned Parenthood of America. Murder-A-Go-Go’s will be published by Down and Out Books in March 2019. Holly lives in Northern California with her husband, Mick, and dogs, Stella and Brando. She’s a member of the Mystery Writers of America, for which she edits the Southern California chapter’s newsletter. She’s also a member of Sisters in Crime and the International Thriller Writers. Holly’s also on the Local Organizing Committee of Bouchercon 2020 Sacramento, where she serves as webmaster.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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