Elena Taylor

Elena Taylor

Elena Taylor

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A FOREWORD INDIES GOLD BEST MYSTERY 2024 WINNER
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The Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries

Elizabeth “Bet” Rivers returns to her tiny hometown of Collier, Washington, to take on an interim role as sheriff while her father recovers from cancer. When he dies from a fall on a familiar hike, she finds herself faced with a decision, does she fight for the seat she imagined would be hers twenty years from now or let it go, knowing she might never be able to come home. A Jane Doe floating in the local lake launches her first homicide investigation, and she soon becomes embroiled with enforcing the law in her rural community. Thus starts All We Buried, the first book in the series. A Cold, Cold World picks up a few months later when Collier is buried under several feet of snow at the same time a teenager ends up dead on top of a mountain ridge. Book three launches in the summer of 2026, as springtime sends the intrepid sheriff on another twisty investigation.

Winner: Foreword INDIE, Best Mystery of 2024
Finalist: Next Generation INDIE Book Award, Best Mystery of 2024
Finalist: Foreword INDIE Best Mystery of 2020
Library Journal Starred Review

The Eddie Shoes Mysteries

Eddie Shoes is a private eye living a quiet life in Bellingham, Washington, until her mother, Chava, arrives on her doorstep. Fresh from getting kicked out of Vegas for counting cards, Chava determines Eddie needs her help, especially when homicide appears on the menu. Fast and funny, the Eddie Shoes mysteries channel Sue Grafton’s alphabet series combined with the family dynamics of the Rockford Files. Set in Bellingham, Spokane, and Leavenworth, Washington, the series provides readers an insider’s view to some of the loveliest small towns in the Pacific Northwest. Join Eddie and Chava as they navigate a cast of killers, would-be lovers, and learn to make friends with a giant dog.

Finalist: RONE Award, Best Mystery
Finalist: Next Generation INDIE Book Award, Best Mystery
Finalist: RONE Award, Best Mystery

Blood

A solitary rancher assists in the search for a missing neighbor. Savvy, unflappable, and on horseback, June heads out into the wilderness to protect her community and see that justice is served.
Amazon #1 best selling mystery short

Elena Hartwell

Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under the name Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo.

With the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers much more serious and atmospheric novels. Located in her beloved Washington State, Elena uses her connection to the environment to produce tense and suspenseful investigations for a lone sheriff in an isolated community.

Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit www.allegoryediting.com.

(Photo credit: Mark Perlstein)

Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. They live with their horses, dogs, and cats. Elena holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego, a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.

Meet the Real Horses of A Cold, Cold World

Cyd

APHA Name Rock Back an Crooz

Cyd was born in 1994 in Northern California to owner Lance Branum. She was well traveled at an early age as she was leased for show in Florida as a two-year-old before moving to Oregon. Kris Lindsey met Lance in 2001, and he gifted Cyd to Kris later that year. Cyd and Kris moved together to Colorado, Illinois, Washington, and lastly to Cyd’s final home in Prineville, Oregon, in 2020. A great companion and trail horse, she foaled four babies in her lifetime: SN Northern Xposure, Lana, Marley, and Shaq. She was a kind and patient teacher to Kris as well as to other horses. She enjoyed her last three years with pals Enzo and Maxine on lush pastures at home in Prineville. Cyd was cared for and loved by Kris until Cyd’s death in late 2023, just shy of her thirtieth birthday.

Sire

Owned by Donna Barnes

Sire was born in the spring of 1987. His registered name was Native Sun, but Donna chose to call him Sire. Not the term that refers to the paternal steed in animal husbandry. Rather, the term that conveyed his regal appearance. Sire came to Donna as a two-year-old and had very little handling by his previous owner. She had never had a horse of her own before but was determined to train him herself, and so they learned together. By the time he was 8 years old, he was the horse that everyone wanted to ride. He took Donna’s daughter, Laura, through 7 years of Pony Club, taking her over jumps and across fields. Sire was the favorite among the kids at summer riding camp, both for his beauty and his willingness as a mount. Although he had papers identifying him as a purebred Egyptian Arabian, many people confused him with a quarter horse, but to watch Sire race around the arena with that unmistakable arching tail, there was no denying that he had the look of royalty. (1987-2019)

A Story About

Mystery

Sheriff Bet Rivers starts out her career with a difficult case, a Jane Doe floating in the local lake. That was tough enough, but A Cold, Cold World pits Sheriff Bet Rivers against cold-hearted criminals and a monster storm. Everything is against her as she faces her biggest challenges yet.

Suspense

Atmospheric and dark, the Sheriff Bet Rivers series includes a strong, independent female sheriff, a stalwart septuagenarian, and a loyal canine. Spend time in Collier, Washington, where the quiet small-town vibe sometimes covers the very worst of humanity, alongside an environment that can swallow a person whole, leaving not even ripples behind.

Procedure

One of my favorite aspects of writing fiction is research. I love to learn about police procedures and the psychology of the criminal mind. While I use a lot of research for Chance Parker, homicide detective, in my Eddie Shoes books, it was both a challenge and a thrill to create a sheriff as the protagonist for All We Buried and A Cold, Cold World. I'm lucky to have experts in the field to call upon to fact-check my work. I'm grateful to all the experts who have helped me throughout my career.

Contact The Author

For media and press inquiries:

Marissa DeCuir
President & Partner
(615) 576-0709