Miriam Grace Monfredo

Author Miriam Grace Monfredo, a historian and former librarian, lives in the Finger Lakes region of western New York State, the scene of her critically acclaimed historical mysteries.

Monfredo’s first book, Seneca Falls Inheritance, Agatha nominated for Best First Mystery Novel 1992, is set against the backdrop of the first Women’s Rights Convention held in 1848. Eight more novels focus on the history of America and the evolution of civil rights. 

The Civil War Cain Trilogy is set in Washington D.C. and Virginia, during the Union’s 1862 Peninsula Campaign, the largest campaign of the war.

Monfredo’s Brothers of Cain was awarded the 2001 Herodotus as the year’s Best Historical Mystery.  She is the recipient of the 2000 Career Achievement Award for Historical Mystery Writing by Romantic Times. Her second book, North Star Conspiracy, was chosen for the statewide 2002 “Alaska Reads A Book” program, and the Alaska Association of School Librarians for the 2002-03 “Battle of the Books” motivational reading program.

The Voice of Youth Advocacy selected her fifth book, The Stalking Horse, as one of 1998’s best adult mysteries for young adults. She was the recipient of the 1996 Writing In Rochester Award presented by western New York’s literary locus,Writers & Books.  

As a speaker on the history of nineteenth-century American women, Monfredo has lectured in twenty-two states and England.  Her short fiction has appeared in magazines and anthologies, including two Best of the Year collections, and she is also the co-editor of two historical mystery anthologies.  Monfredo’s books are published in France and Germany.  She has served on the National Advisory Board of the Friends of the United States Park Service Seneca Falls Memorial Site.

Her home is in a small hamlet on the Erie Canal, where she lives with one cat, two dogs, and hosts a lively gang of wild mallard ducks.

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My Best Selling Books

We are happy to announce that all of Miriam Grace Monfredo’s books are now Revised Editions with Study Guides and are available as eBooks and paperbacks.

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Reviews of Miriam Monfredo’s Mysteries

Step into the world of Miriam Monfredo’s mesmerizing mysteries through the eyes of her readers.

“ This is a very cleverly written and historically accurate mystery story. This is the first book in the Glynis Tryon mystery series, and it was a real surprise to me. I got much more than I bargained for with this book. The book is very well-written, and the mystery is extremely clever. As well, the historical accuracy is quite remarkable. The book is set in Seneca Falls New York in 1848, just at the time of the famous Women’s Rights Convention. Glynis is the town librarian, and very happily single when she finds a dead woman in the water near her library. This woman is a stranger to Seneca Falls, and Glynis, with the help of her friend Cullen Stuart (who happens to be the town policeman)and the quite wonderful Jacques Sundown (who is Cullen’s deputy)set out to find out who has committed this crime and most importantly why it was done. I like the way that real historical people are woven into the story, and I like Glynis. Her independence and her intelligence carry the plot along. I look forward to reading more in this series. ”

S. Schwartz, alberta canada

“ Miriam Grace Monfredo is one of the best historical mystery writers today, and her skills are well displayed in this book, the second in the Glynis Tryon series set in the upstate New York town of Seneca Falls in the middle of the 19th century. Glynis is the town librarian, with a strong belief in women’s suffrage (along with her friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton). Until this story unfolds, however, she has been less supportive of the abolitionist cause which was strongly supported around Seneca Falls through participation in the Underground Railroad. Through the events linked to this murder mystery, however, Glynis is forced to rethink her position and ends up travelling as far as Richmond to fight against the Fugitive Slave Act. One of the best things about Monfredo’s stories is that she shares with you an entire town, in all its complexity and liveliness. Every character in the book is lovingly and lavishly drawn, and several plots unfold simultaneously which gives the stories a feeling of authenticity that is hard to beat. You will want to rush out and buy the next story (Blackwater Spirits) immediately, to see how Glynis’s friendship with the new Seneca/French constable, Jacques, turns out! ”

drdebs, CA United States

“ This one took a little longer to get into than the first two, but it turned out to be the best of the series so far. Monfredo has mastered the art of foreshadowing without giving away the whole story, and is skilled at throwing in a red herring or two, as well. Her treatment of the tensions between Native Americans serves to illuminate the complexity of Glynis’ and Jacques’ friendship, and imparts some interesting historical context as well. This is a book that’s worth reading again and again. ”

A Customer