Lou Allin sings two national anthems, having born in Toronto but raised in Ohio. She recently relocated to Sooke, British Columbia. After obtaining a Ph.D. in English Renaissance literature and discovering that she retained Canadian citizenship, Lou headed north, ending up at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario, where she taught literature, writing and public speaking for twenty-three years. Northern Winters Are Murder, her first Belle Palmer mystery, was released in the fall of 2000. It was followed by Blackflies Are Murder, which was shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award in the category of Best Novel. Bush Poodles Are Murder, Murder, Eh, and Memories are Murder concluded the series. While discovering the delights of the outdoors in her new home on Vancouver Island, Lou has created a new west coast mystery series, the first of which, And on the Surface Die, was released in the fall of 2008. It features young RCMP corporal Holly Martin, whose adventures continue in She Felt No Pain.