Oakland, CA - Award-winning author Kathryn Reiss, an assistant professor of English at Mills College, has published her 13th novel, a tale of suspense for teens entitled Blackthorn Winter: A Murder Mystery (Harcourt Children’s Books, January 2006).

The following is a brief summary of Blackthorn Winter by Harper’s Children’s Books:

“The last place fifteen-year-old Juliana wants to be is halfway around the world in Blackthorn, England. But Juliana’s mother drags her along from California to the idyllic seaside artists’ colony while weathering a trial separation from her husband. Soon after they arrive in the tiny village, the artists’ colony is set on its heels by the murder of one of its own. Juliana feels compelled to solve the crime, but she is shocked and frightened when it seems that clues in the matter are hitting a little too close to home. Can she figure out who the murderer is before anyone else—herself included—gets hurt?”

Among Reiss’ many novels of suspense for middle grade and young adult readers are:

Time Windows (1991), selected by the American Library Association as a "Best Book for Young Adults" and recipient of the Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA) "Popular Paperback for Young Adults;" Dreadful Sorry (1993), also a YALSA “Popular Paperback for Young Adults,” a featured selection of the Junior Library Guild and named "Pick of the Crop" in The School Library Journal; Pale Phoenix (1994) and Paperquake (1998), both nominated for the Mystery Writers of America's prestigious "Edgar Allan Poe" award; and Paint By Magic (2002), an International School Librarians Association honor book. 

Reiss was a Writer-in-Residence for the Princeton Arts Council and a recipient of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Grant for Writers. She also has been a featured speaker for Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, The Northern California Library Association, The International Reading Association, The American Library Association, and the National Council of Teachers of English.

Reiss earned BA degrees in English and German from Duke University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently ranked among the top 75 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills is also recognized as one of the country’s 20 most diverse colleges. The Princeton Review selected Mills as one of 11 colleges for first-time inclusion in its Best 361 Colleges - 2005. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.

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