Jeanne Cooney

Jeanne Cooney, a native of Minnesota’s northern Red River Valley, presently lives and works in the Twin Cities but is eager to return to the northland when she retires from the U.S. Department of Justice. Jeanne holds a bachelor’s degree as well as a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota, where she studied public affairs and writing.When not at work, Jeanne enjoys reading and writing cozy mysteries. Her favorite authors are Janet Evanovich (the Stephanie Plum series), Sarah Strohmeyer (the Bubbles series), and Lois Greiman (the Chrissy McMullen series). She also enjoys baking and has won a number of ribbons for her cookies and bars at the Minnesota State Fair. But mostly, Jeanne loves time with family and friends, particularly her children and granddaughter. These times are especially treasured when spent at her lake cabin in central Minnesota.When asked about her experience as a newly published author, Jeanne said, “A few years back, I started writing a quirky family cookbook. It turned into my first novel, Hot Dish Heaven: A Murder Mystery with Recipes. And now that, in turn, is becoming a series. Granted, it’s not the great American novel. People won’t learn the meaning of life by reading it. But they might laugh away an afternoon or discover a simple comfort-food recipe for supper. And that’s not so bad now, is it?”(from her website)