Williams, Matthew 1963-

PERSONAL:

Born 1963; married; wife's name Suzanne; children: Sam. Education: Studied at Michigan Technological University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Marquette, MI. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Journalist, civil engineer, and freelance writer. Mining Journal, Marquette, MI, reporter.

WRITINGS:

Superior Death (mystery novel), Avalon Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Author of the weekly column, "Tot Tales." Contributor to the Marquette Monthly.

SIDELIGHTS:

After living in Washington, DC, for nearly a decade while working as a civil engineer, Matthew Williams moved to Marquette, a small city in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, to pursue a writing career. Williams worked for a few years at the local daily, the Mining Journal, and wrote a weekly column, "Tot Tales," about raising his son as a stay-at-home dad. His first novel was published in 2006, the first of a three-book deal with Avalon Books. Superior Death revolves around the conflict of the personal and professional life of Vince Mitchell, a reporter for a northern Michigan newspaper. Mitchell investigates the mysterious death of a woman where his own mother was the only witness and his godfather, the local police chief, is managing the case personally. Aside from his mother being a suspect in a murder case, he fears that his wife may be having an affair on the sidelines of teacher-contract negotiations.

Robin Thomas, writing on the New Mystery Reader Web site, called Superior Death "a good launch for a mystery series that has great potential." In a Booklist review, Mary Frances Wilkens concluded that Mitchell's "journey of self-discovery serves as a fitting backdrop for this light but satisfying mystery."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 1, 2006, Mary Frances Wilkens, review of Superior Death, p. 41.

Library Journal, April 1, 2006, Jo Ann Vicarel, review of Superior Death, p. 68.

Mining Journal (Marquette, MI), Matthew Hanson, review of Superior Death.

ONLINE

Matthew Williams Home Page,http://webpages.charter.net/mshsswim/mysterymatt.htm (May 18, 2007), author biography.

New Mystery Reader,http://www.newmysteryreader.com/ (May 18, 2007), Robin Thomas, review of Superior Death.