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37 ratings | 23 reviews | avg rating:4.54

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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

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Susan Holmes's Blog

New From Blaire Morgan

If you enjoy fiction that blends romantic suspense with high-stakes adventure, the Kyndall Family Suspense Series might be just what you’re looking for. Shadows of Betrayal, the second in the series, is now available! Each book in the series is a stand-alone, by the way, so you can read them in whatever order you like. …

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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 New From Blaire Morgan If you enjoy fiction that blends romantic suspense with high-stakes adventure, the Kyndall Family Suspense Series might be just what you’re looking fo Read more of this blog post »
Jun 10, 2026 02:34AM · 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 — 24974 members — last activity 3 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 — 57227 members — last activity 2 hours, 32 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 — 14924 members — last activity Jul 27, 2026 08:47PM
Read, Review, and Make Connections

Cozy Mystery Corner — 5241 members — last activity 1 hour, 59 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 — 32680 members — last activity 1 hour, 5 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 — 6705 members — last activity 1 hour, 40 min ago
Where every hour is happy hour.

Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers — 26945 members — last activity 40 minutes ago
Welcome! Join us for our monthly group reads. We read Crime stories, Mysteries, & Thrillers. ...more

Books, Blogs, Authors and More — 3737 members — last activity Jul 25, 2026 12:50PM
Need a place to advertise your blog, promote your books, or discuss books? You can do that here. Need a place to just relax and chat? You can do that ...more

Write About Dogs! — 142 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 — 12125 members — last activity Jul 23, 2026 02:33AM
We now read at "On the Same Page." ...more

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