Daughter and sister of, respectively, US mystery writers Helen Reilly and Mary McMullen. She worked as a copywriter and columnist before becoming a full-time self employed writer.
I collected loads of this Keyhole Crime series when I was young. They are numbered and take up a lot of shelf room, albeit they now live on a shelf in the attic. Many times over the years I have been tempted to just give the whole lot away but I'm glad I kept them, especially as I see they have become a bit of a collectors item. One day I will treck up to the attic and look at the summaries on the backs, as that is the only way I will remember what each one was about, and log them on Goodreads. Most of them are so old that no summary is offered on Amazon etc.
Ursula Curtiss 1923-1984, her mother was mystery writer Helen Reilly, and her sister was mystery writer Mary McMullen.
Ursula Curtiss' love of passive voice and the dullest, least suspenseful investigation into the death of an old woman with no strong motive until much, much, much later made finishing this book a chore. Chucking this is a lending library, where maybe it will find its way into the hands of someone who likes mediocre writing.