Oh, hi, I didn’t see you there. I’m Kate Emery, an author and journalist based in Perth, Western Australia.

If you’re here then perhaps you want to hear about my books.

A Murder is Going Down is my brand new YA cosy crime murder mystery about a teenager, Heidi, who is already having a bad time (thanks largely to a terrible ex-BFF and a terrible ex-boyfriend who are now a terrible couple) when she gets caught up investigating her brother’s sudden death. It was published in Australia November 2025 by Allen & Unwin and will be published in the US by Knopf in 2026.

My Family and Other Suspects, is a young adult cosy murder mystery set in Dunsborough, Western Australia… with jokes. It’s about a family holiday that goes horribly wrong when someone gets murdered - and everyone is a suspect. Teenage murder mystery fan Ruth decides she’s the one to investigate. What could go wrong? My Family and Other Suspects (Allen & Unwin, 2024) won the 2025 ABIA for 13+ readers, the YA category at the Indie Book Awards and the WA Premier’s Book Book of the Year 2025. It was also shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award and was named a Children’s Book Council of Australia notable book. It has been published in the US by Knopf as The Dysfunctional Family’s Guide to Murder.

My debut young adult novel, The Not So Chosen One (Text Publishing, 2022) is about a teenage girl with all the usual worries, like what to wear to a party, unplanned pregnancy and getting accepted into a school for students with magical talent. The Not So Chosen One was shortlisted for the Text Prize, shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards and was named a Children’s Book Council of Australia notable book.

If you want to say hi, enquire about school or library talks and workshops or just ask if my hair usually looks as good as it does in this photo (no, never) you can contact me here or follow me there on Instagram