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Susan Holmes

Goodreads Author

Website

http://dogmysteries.com/

Twitter

dogmysteries

Genre

Mystery, Fiction, Suspense

Influences

Mary Higgins Clark, Karen Robards, Sharon Sala,
Tony Hillerman

Member Since

March 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/mysterywriter

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Susan Holmes penned her first story at the age of four. Despite the brevity (three pages of crayoned text) and the title (“Three Bears Visit New York City”) her father gave it the same careful consideration he gave to C. F. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower series. When he finished the story he announced, “You are going to be a writer.”

To be a writer, of course, one must also be a reader. In the pre-digital world that meant a trip to the local library (a very long walk across town, requiring an escort/bodyguard in the form of her older brother) where a new world awaited. By the fifth grade she’d progressed to Shakespeare, an experience that came in handy when she was stationed in England at the start of her military career. For the next twenty Susan Holmes penned her first story at the age of four. Despite the brevity (three pages of crayoned text) and the title (“Three Bears Visit New York City”) her father gave it the same careful consideration he gave to C. F. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower series. When he finished the story he announced, “You are going to be a writer.”

To be a writer, of course, one must also be a reader. In the pre-digital world that meant a trip to the local library (a very long walk across town, requiring an escort/bodyguard in the form of her older brother) where a new world awaited. By the fifth grade she’d progressed to Shakespeare, an experience that came in handy when she was stationed in England at the start of her military career. For the next twenty years, she wrote stories about the lands and the people she met around the world.

She spent much of her military years writing and editing all sorts of materials, tailoring the voice and content to the target audience. She produced the books Quality Approach and the Process Improvement Guide as part of the Air Force’s Total Quality initiatives. That proved great training when she moved into academic publishing and then into poetry and fiction. Today, she lives in northwest Arkansas where she works as a writer, editor, and college professor.

Her third book, Deadly Ties is the first in the Waterside Kennels mystery series. The series is set in northwest Arkansas using both real and fictional settings. In pursuit of authentic material for the series, she joined Search and Rescue exercises, ventured deep into caves, and followed the trail of Ozark legends. Technical details came from experts in the fields of bioarcheology, forensic anthropology, and even fire sciences. She worked closely with dog trainers, kennel owners, and veterinarians to create an environment that dog lovers are sure to recognize and appreciate.

Susan is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Dog Writers Association of America. Find her blog at http://dogmysteries.com.

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Susan Holmes’s books

Average rating: 4.23 · 105 ratings · 23 reviews · 2 distinct works

	Deadly Ties 4.23 avg rating — 105 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	[The Wrath of Shiva: An Anita Ray Mystery: Volume 2 (The Anita Ray Mystery Series)] [Author: Oleksiw, Susan] [September, 2014] 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

330 posts
Susan Holmes's Blog

Illusion & Murder

As a reader, one of the things I most enjoy is the “hook” that captures my imagination and pulls me into a book. In the case of Ruth Knafo Setton’s Zigzag Girl, I was hooked by contrasting landscapes, compelling characters, and the lure of magic. The novel is a magical performance in itself, weaving a …

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Susan is Currently Reading

Susan is currently reading

Hill Folks: A History of Arkansas Ozarkers and Their Image

by Brooks Blevins

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Mar 01, 2014 02:22PM

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Susan Holmes wrote a new blog post Illusion & Murder As a reader, one of the things I most enjoy is the “hook” that captures my imagination and pulls me into a book. In the case of Ruth Knafo Setton’s Zi Read more of this blog post »
Mar 28, 2026 02:23AM · like

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Cozy Mysteries : Cozy Audiobooks?	19	189	Feb 28, 2015 04:39PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Romantic Suspense (90's - I think) - Heroine is a dog trainer who goes on an undercover mission with a government agent of some sort. [s]	23	72	Sep 11, 2016 04:26PM

Susan’s Quotes

“This is what you must be like. Grow wherever life puts you down.”
― Ben Okri, The Famished Road

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Susan’s Groups

Cozy Mysteries — 24634 members — last activity 42 minutes ago
For those who love a good cozy mystery while curled up on the couch with a cup of coffee/tea/cocoa and maybe a dog/cat next to them. Please be kind ...more

Goodreads Authors/Readers — 56513 members — last activity 7 hours, 57 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more

Making Connections — 14856 members — last activity Apr 27, 2026 03:13PM
Read, Review, and Make Connections

Cozy Mystery Corner — 5184 members — last activity 3 hours, 44 min ago
Cozy Mystery Lovers! If you enjoy lighthearted cozy mysteries, please join us to read the featured monthly books, play some games, and participate in ...more

The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — 32369 members — last activity 3 hours, 6 min ago
“It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the ...more

UK Amazon Kindle Forum — 6679 members — last activity 1 hour, 27 min ago
Where every hour is happy hour.

Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers — 26477 members — last activity 3 hours, 49 min ago
Welcome! Join us for our monthly group reads. We read Crime stories, Mysteries, & Thrillers. ...more

Books, Blogs, Authors and More — 3714 members — last activity Apr 10, 2026 07:49AM
Need a place to advertise your blog? You can do that here. Need a place to advertise your book? You can do that here. Need a place to discuss books? Y ...more

Write About Dogs! — 141 members — last activity Apr 02, 2026 09:12PM
This is a group for people who write about dogs and people who read about them. Training books, memoirs, fiction, and any other woofy, waggy, shaggy, ...more

The Life of a Book Addict — 12132 members — last activity Apr 16, 2026 07:01AM
We now read at "On the Same Page." ...more

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