Lily Gardner grew up in Minneapolis longing to be blonde and live in California surfing and writing poetry. Over the years her tastes changed: California became Oregon and poetry became mysteries. She learned to embrace her brunette self. Lily loves all things noir, fermentation, Motown, opera, and short-legged dogs.

She currently lives in Portland with her husband, two corgis, several thousand books and one electronic reader. A Bitch Called Hope, a noir mystery set on the rainy streets of Portland, is Lily’s first novel. She is currently working on her second Cooper noir: Betting Blind.