Quirina, Fiona

[A pseudonym]

PERSONAL: Female.

ADDRESSES: Home—New York, NY. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Penguin Group, c/o Berkley Prime Crime Publicity, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Writer.

WRITINGS:

Sex, a Mystery, Berkley Prime Crime (New York, NY), 2005.

Also author of four mysteries and three medical thrillers under her real name (unknown).

SIDELIGHTS: Fiona Quirina is a pseudonym for a mystery and thriller writer whose real name is unknown. In her book Sex, a Mystery, Quirina presents a mystery involving Harvard M.B.A. graduate Lydia Quess, who loses her job with a giant food company after revealing that the company's overseas baby formula causes malnutrition. Lydia goes to work for a sex therapist as a sexual surrogate to pay the bills, including the rent for the apartment she shares as a friend with a priest named Father Paddy. Lydia's clients are successful and wealthy, and when one of them is found dead in her bed, suspicion focuses on Lydia. Her life and the lives of her clients are now opened to investigation. Knowing that she may end up being charged with a murder she did not commit, Lydia sets out on her own to investigate the crime, starting with her dead client's life.

A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that the author's "stylish debut combines a solid mystery, a refreshingly different heroine, a splendid supporting cast and enough sparkle to keep the pages turning." Library Journal reviewer Rex E. Klett noted the mystery's "fascinating, clever plot," while a contributor to MBR Bookwatch, called the book a "tremendous chick lit amateur sleuth romp that deftly handles a variety of social and personal issues with humor and intelligence." The reviewer went on to note that the book would be enjoyed by "fans of lighthearted with a serious undertone chic mysteries." Jenifer Hunt, writing on the Romantic Times Web site, commented that Quirina "has a real talent for creating characters that are both entertaining and relatable."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, March 1, 2005, Rex E. Klett, review of Sex, a Mystery, p. 71.

MBR Bookwatch, April, 2005, review of Sex, a Mystery.

Publishers Weekly, February 7, 2005, review of Sex, a Mystery, p. 46.

ONLINE

AllReaders.com, http://www.allreaders.com/ (September 17, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of Sex, a Mystery.

Fiona Quirina Home Page, http://www.lydiaquess.com (September 17, 2005).

Romantic Times Online, http://www.romantictimes.com/ (September 17, 2005), Jenifer Hunt, review of Sex, a Mystery.