Oh, hi, I didn’t see you there. I’m Kate Emery, a Perth-based author of (mostly) murder mysteries. If you’re here then perhaps you want to hear about my books.

Murder is Cheaper Than Therapy (Allen & Unwin, April 2027) is my debut adult murder mystery - with jokes. The story is this: Hetty’s terrible private detective father has just died (good) and she’s inherited his house (better). Unfortunately she’s also inherited problems stemming from his last, unfinished, case (less than ideal). Then there’s the matter of the dead body in her backyard. Hey, at least she’s met someone (who’s maybe probably not a murderer).

A Murder is Going Down (Allen & Unwin, 2025) is a YA cosy crime murder mystery about Heidi, who’s already having a bad time (thanks to an awful ex-BFF and an awful ex-boyfriend who are now an awful couple) when she gets caught up investigating her brother’s sudden death. A Murder Is Going Down won the 2026 WA Premier’s Book Award for young adult readers and was named a CBCA notable book.

My Family and Other Suspects (Allen & Unwin, 2024) is a YA cosy murder mystery set in Dunsborough, Western Australia. It’s about a family holiday that takes a turn when someone gets murdered and teenage murder mystery fan Ruth decides she’s the one to investigate. What could go wrong? My Family and Other Suspects 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 shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award and named a CBCA notable book. It was 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, how to deal with an 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, ask about school or library talks and workshops or if my cat is for sale (alas, no) you can contact me here or follow me there on Instagram.