MEME: Crime Fiction Alphabet

Mysteries in Paradise hosts a weekly meme on mystery authors and books, highlighting a different letter each week. Beginning January 25, 2010, posts with the letter O, for author first or last name or book title are being collected here.

O is for Karen E Olson
Karen Olson is the author of two mystery series: the Annie Seymour mysteries, which includes

• Sacred Cows
• Secondhand Smoke
• Dead of the Day
• Shot Girl

and her new Tattoo Shop Mysteries, which includes:

• The Missing Ink
• Pretty in Ink (to be released March 2 in pb, but I've already read some good reviews)

I came late to the Annie Seymour mysteries, and have only read Sacred Cows (my review), but it was everything I thought the Stephanie Plum books were supposed to be, with humor, and love interests, and a messy lead character - literally and also in her life. I'm on the lookout for the next couple in the series.

I haven't read her new Tattoo Shop mysteries, but her fans are loving this new series set in Las Vegas. Both series feature women who, while not detectives, are drawn in murders to solve. Annie Seymour was a reporter and Brett Kavanaugh is a tattoo artist. I must put that on my wishlist, both books.

Karen is also a blogger, and is active online. She is very accessible, and often stops by to readers who review her books.