About Karen

I love to write and I love to read, so writing book reviews is the best job in the world for me! What got me into journalism? After studying Latin and history at St Andrews University, I returned to my home town of Dundee, where D C Thomson Media has been a proud presence for over 100 years.

I worked there in magazine journalism for over 30 years, honing my skills at My Weekly and The People’s Friend. I’ve now retired from the 9-5, but still write book reviews for My Weekly and for NFOP’s in-house magazine, along with all the reviews you’ll find here.

My tastes are eclectic – I love all genres from romance to detective, fantasy to thriller noir, young adult to literary fiction. Hilary Mantel, Neil Gaiman, Lisa Gardner, Milly Johnson – I’ve too many favourite authors to mention … just check out my reviews to discover more!

As well as reading, I love to write and have had several short stories of my own published in My Weekly, The People’s Friend and My Weekly Annual. I also write a long-running family series for My Weekly Special.

I live near Broughty Ferry in Dundee, just a short walk distance away from the River Tay, where I love to walk while I plot ideas for future stories.

When I’m not reading, you might find me hiking in the Angus Glens with my husband Jim, playing tennis (enthusiastically, if not well) or watching great box sets like Breaking Bad, Line of Duty, Gavin & Stacey and, occasionally, Say Yes To The Dress!