Tracy Clark (she/her)

Tracy Clark is the award-winning author of the Cass Raines Chicago mystery series and the Detective Harriet Foster series. A multi-nominated Anthony, Lefty, Edgar, Macavity, and Shamus Awards finalist, her current novel "Edge," was released in December. Clark is also the 2020 and 2022 winner of the G.P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award and the 2024 Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel. She is a member of Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and sits on the board of the Midwest Mystery Conference.

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Awards: Tracy Clark, author of the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series and the Det. Harriet Foster series, is a multi-nominated Anthony, International Thriller Writers, Shamus, Edgar, Macavity, and Lefty Award finalist. She is the winner of the 2020 and 2022 G.P Putnam's Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award, the 2022 Sara Paretsky Award, the 2024 Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel and the 2024 and 2025 Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original.

Communities: African American

Dead in Chicago

You don’t have to be from the Windy City to love these mysteries set in Chicago. In this session, authors Tracy Clark, Naomi Hirahara and Lori Rader-Day will discuss the reason they staged their stories on the edge of Lake Michigan.

Koffler Room 204 (Seats 300, Wheelchair accessible)  
Sat, Mar 14, 1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
Mystery / Thrillers
Signing area: Sales & Signing Koffler/Commons (following presentation)

Panelists: Tracy Clark, Naomi Hirahara, Lori Rader-Day
Moderator: Delia Pitts

Justice for the Dead

In this session, three of mystery's leading lights -- Craig Johnson, William Kent Krueger and Tracy Clark -- will discuss just how far their characters are willing to go to find justice for the dead.

Student Union North Ballroom (Seats 670)  
Sat, Mar 14, 4:00 pm - 4:55 pm
Mystery / Thrillers
Signing area: Sales & Signing South Ballroom (following presentation)  

Panelists: Tracy Clark, Craig Johnson, William Kent Krueger
Moderator: Beth Viner
Sponsor: Session made possible courtesy of TMC Health

No Stones Unturned

Craig Johnson, Tracy Clark and Joshua Moehling come to the festival with three of modern mystery’s most sharply defined protagonists. Where did they come from originally? How have they evolved over time? Let’s ask!

UA Mall Tent (Seats 250)  
Sun, Mar 15, 11:30 am - 12:25 pm
Mystery / Thrillers
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Central Mall (following presentation)  

Panelists: Tracy Clark, Craig Johnson, Joshua Moehling
Moderator: Colette Bancroft

Books:

Edge

Mystery / Thrillers
Amazon Publishing
December 2025
ISBN 9781662517358
Paperback
Buy now

From acclaimed author Tracy Clark comes a page-turning mystery featuring hard-boiled Chicago detective Harriet Foster, who’s on the hunt for a serial killer with a deadly affinity for redheads. When a young red-haired woman is found brutally murdered in downtown Chicago, one detail stands out: the red lipstick encircling her wrists and ankles. Detective Harriet Foster is on the case, even though she’s still grieving the sudden death of her partner. As a Black woman in a male-dominated department, Foster anticipates a rocky road ahead acclimating to a new team—and building trust with her new partner isn’t coming easily. After another victim turns up with the same lipstick markings, Foster suspects she’s looking for a serial killer. Through a tip from a psychiatrist, Foster learns about Bodie Morgan: a troubled man with a twisted past and a penchant for pretty young redheads with the bluest eyes. As Foster wades into Morgan’s sinister history, the killer continues their gruesome assault on Chicago’s streets. In her desperate race to catch the murderer before they strike again, Foster will have to confront the darkest of secrets—including her own. More/less