Penny Warner has published over 80 books, fiction and non-fiction, for both children and adults. Her 3X award-winning middle-grade mystery series, THE CODE BUSTERS CLUB (Lerner Books), featured four diverse kids who solve mysteries by cracking codes. Currently there are ten books in the series, with two more coming out in August, 2025. The books are also available in Japanese and Korean, and offer a total of 23 code-busting mysteries. She does school events for elementary students where she talks about how she writers her mysteries, and offers some code-busting fun, along with Top Secret code packets.
Her latest adult mystery, MURDER AT BLACKWOOD INN (Crooked Lane Books), is set in Pelican Point (aka Bodega Bay), and features a mystery ghostwriter who moves in with her two eccentric aunts to help with their new Bed and Breakfast Inn. You’ll find cats, ghosts?, and a hot handyman…of course, murder ensues… (Due out Sept. 2025)
She has also written Anthony Award-nominee, THE OFFICIAL NANCY DREW HANDBOOK, and is the author of three other adult mystery series, including DEAD BODY LANGUAGE (optioned by Academy Award Winner, Marlee Matlin), HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, and DEATH OF A CHOCOLATE CHEATER. She and her husband Tom create fund-raising murder mystery events for libraries across the country.
Penny has a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and a Master’s degree in Special Education, and taught child development at the local college for over 30 years. She lives in Danville, California and has two grown children and four adorable grandchildren. Penny and Tom don’t go anywhere without their Maltese/Shitzu rescue, Buster. He loves the RV and his bike chariot!
She can be reached at pennywarnerink@yahoo.com.