Karen Kijewski

Karen Kijewski (pronounced key-EFF-ski) (born 1943) is an American writer of mystery novels, known for her Kat Colorado series.

Biography
Kijewski was born in Berkeley, California, the daughter of University of California, Berkeley professor Clarence Glacken, and received B.A. and M.A. degrees from UC-Berkeley. She was a high school English teacher in Massachusetts for almost a decade before dedicating herself to writing. A resident of Sacramento, California, she made a living tending a bar while establishing herself as a novelist.

Kijewski is married and has two daughters.

Awards
Kijewski's first novel, Katwalk, received a mixed reception from reviewers; however it also won the 1990 Anthony Award and the Shamus Award the same year, both for "Best First Novel".