Stephanie Barron

Stephanie Barron is a distinguished American author, born in Binghamton, New York, in 1963. She is well-known for her mystery and thriller novels, which she writes under the pen name Stephanie Barron, as well as her works of historical mysteries, which she publishes under her real name, Francine Mathews. Barron was the youngest daughter in a family of five sisters and was raised in Washington D.C. She received her early education at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School and went on to study European History at Princeton University.

During her time at Princeton, Barron was actively involved in fencing for the club varsity team and writing for the university newspaper, The Daily Princetonian. These experiences led to her taking up part-time jobs as a journalist for The Miami Herald and The San Jose Mercury News. After completing her undergraduate studies, Barron pursued her Master's degree in history from Stanford University, where she was an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow in the Humanities.

Before turning to a full-time writing career, Barron worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an intelligence analyst for four years. During her tenure at the CIA, she contributed significantly to the investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Barron's experience at the CIA has greatly influenced her writing, particularly in her thriller novels. She has authored over fifteen books, including the acclaimed Jane Austen Mystery Series, which features the author of Pride and Prejudice as a detective in Regency England. Her most recent novel, That Churchill Woman, follows the life of Winston Churchill's American mother, Jennie Jerome. Barron currently resides in Denver, Colorado, where she continues to write and pursue her hobbies, including skiing, gardening, needlepoint, and art collecting.