Joanne Fluke (born c1943. in Swanville, Minnesota) is an American writer. According to the author's website, "While pursuing her writing career, Joanne has worked as a public school teacher, a psychologist, a musician, a private detective’s assistant, a corporate, legal, and pharmaceutical secretary, a short-order cook, a florist’s assistant, a caterer and party planner, a computer consultant on a now-defunct operating system, a production assistant on a TV quiz show, half of a screenwriting team with her husband, and a mother, wife, and homemaker." [1] She is married and lives with her husband, children and stepchildren in Southern California.[ Source: Wikipedia