McCAFFERTY, Barbara Taylor 1946-

(Taylor McCafferty and Tierney McClellan, pseudonyms)

PERSONAL: Born September 15, 1946, in Louisville, KY; daughter of Charles Allen (a foundry foreman) and Marjorie (a homemaker; maiden name, Meador) Taylor; married Richard Clark Taylor, October 15, 1966 (divorced, 1979); married John McCafferty (an owner of an advertising agency), November 15, 1982; children: (first marriage) Geoffrey Richard, Christopher Allen, Rachael Emily. Education: University of Louisville, B.A. (magna cum laude), 1980.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—Estero, FL 33928. Agent—Richard Parks, Richard Parks Agency, 138 East 16th St., Suite 5B, New York, NY 10003. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Writer. Schneider, DeMuth Advertising, Louisville, KY, art director, 1980-88.

MEMBER: Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime.

WRITINGS:

with sister, beverly taylor herald

Double Murder, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Double Exposure, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Double Cross, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Double Dealer, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Double Date, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2001.

under pseudonym tierney mcclellan

Heir Condition, Signet (New York, NY), 1994.

Closing Statement, Signet (New York, NY), 1995.

A Killing in Real Estate, Signet (New York, NY), 1996.

Two Story Frame, Signet (New York, NY), 1997.

under pseudonym taylor mccafferty; "haskell blevins" mysteries

Pet Peeves, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1990.

Ruffled Feathers, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1992.

Bed Bugs, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1993.

Thin Skins, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Funny Money, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Contributor of short stories to periodicals, including Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Redbook.

SIDELIGHTS: Barbara Taylor McCafferty and her twin sister, Beverly Taylor Herald, wrote a mystery series featuring the identical twin sisters Nan and Bert Tatum of Louisville, Kentucky. The pair, named for the Bobbsey Twins (although the Bobbseys were brother and sister), find themselves involved in criminal investigations when, as often happens, they are confused for one another.

In Double Murder, Bert is asked on a date by a stranger she assumes has mistaken her for her sister, Nan. But Nan does not know the man either. When he turns up dead, the sisters begin receiving threatening phone calls and must solve the dead man's murder before his killer strikes again. A critic for Publishers Weekly dubbed the novel a "quirky story of revenge and longheld secrets."

Double Exposure is told in alternating chapters by the two sisters and deals with a pair of identical twin brothers, one of whom may have committed suicide after the murder of his fiancee. Calling the novel a "fluffy little cozy" and "a nice little twinset," GraceAnne A. DeCandido in Booklist believed that the twins share "a remarkable bond and sympathy" and "the exploration of that relationship is the most engaging part of the book." A critic for Publishers Weekly termed the novel "easy, breezy fun" and found that the "story bounces along even if it's twice as cute as it needs to be."

Double Cross finds the twins investigating the murder of Bert's employer, a female attorney specializing in divorce settlements. "The prose," wrote a critic for Publishers Weekly, "is airy and entertaining." Rex. E. Klett in Library Journal noted that "the use of twins as alternating narrators, the humorous differences in their attitudes, and the police detective boyfriend they seem to have in common should keep reader interest high." According to DeCandido of Booklist, "The novel makes a good, fast read, complete with appealing touches of local Louisville color."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, September 1, 1997, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of Double Exposure, p. 66; July 19, 1998, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of Double Cross.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 1996; August 15, 1997.

Library Journal, August, 1998, Rex E. Klett, review of Double Cross, p. 138.

Publishers Weekly, August 5, 1996, review of Double Murder, p. 434; August 4, 1997, review of Double Exposure, p. 69; July 27, 1998, review of Double Cross, p. 56.