Member Profile

Melanie's newest novel, The Fifth Beethoven (Crwth Press, 2020), celebrates the late, great Ludwig in his 250th birthday year. Bah-bah-bah-BOOM! The famous opening notes to his Fifth strike up the start of this young-adult mystery. Rounding out the score: a rockin' piano player, homelessness, renoviction protests, theft, a moral dilemma and even Ludwig's ghost. Until December 15, 2020, Crwth will donate 40% of Fifth Beethoven purchases, online or in-store, to Union Gospel Mission, which has been caring for and supporting Vancouver's homeless for almost a century.

Of The Fifth Beethoven, a Vancouver Heritage Foundation reviewer wrote, "“I loved the music theme. And I really liked the book’s example of the almighty big developer crushing the little people. That is so true in this city and is allowed to happen time and time again. Hopefully a book such as this will help make young people aware of this serious problem."

Scottish-born and mystery-minded, Melanie Jackson is also the author of young-adult mystery suspensers such as The Big Dip and Death Drop, as well as the Dinah Galloway Mystery Series (Orca Book Publishers). Melanie's suspenser Medusa's Scream was named a Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book, Middle Readers, of 2018.

Tick Tock Terror, clocked into publication in spring 2019. In its May issue, Booklist said of TTT, "Jackson’s gripping, first-person, plot-driven novel ask readers to consider self-confidence vs. over-active ego; right vs. wrong…A suspenseful addition to high-low collections."

A 2018 TD Canadian Children's Book Week author, Melanie teaches a mystery unit every year at a Vancouver secondary school. She also does individual presentations/readings for schools.

A former journalist, now a business/advertising writer/editor, Melanie lives in Vancouver with her family. In 2016 she received a University of Toronto Alumni Arbor Award.