Susan Kandel
An American art critic turned mystery novelist, born 1961 in Los Angeles, who spent seven years as an art critic for the Los Angeles Times before writing the five-book "Cece Caruso" mystery series, independently reviewed by Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly.
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- Location
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Country
- United States
- Born
- October 31, 1961, Los Angeles, California
- Education
- History, Williams College (1983); M.A. art history, NYU Institute of Fine Arts
- Career
- Art critic, Los Angeles Times (~7 years); editor, art/text magazine; taught art history/theory at UCLA, Art Center College of Design and UC Santa Barbara
- Fiction
- Author of the five-book "Cece Caruso" mystery series (2004-2007), published by William Morrow
Overview
Susan Kandel, born October 31, 1961, in Los Angeles, worked for about seven years as an art critic for the Los Angeles Times and edited art/text magazine, while also teaching art history and theory at UCLA, the Art Center College of Design and UC Santa Barbara. She holds a history degree from Williams College (1983) and an M.A. in art history from NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts (Encyclopedia.com).
Fiction career
Kandel later turned to fiction, writing the five-book “Cece Caruso” mystery series (2004-2007) for William Morrow, featuring a vintage-clothing-obsessed biographer of mystery writers as its detective. The debut, “I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason,” and its sequel, “Not a Girl Detective,” both received independent critical notice from Kirkus Reviews, and the debut was also reviewed by Publishers Weekly (Kirkus Reviews; Publishers Weekly).
Note: this profile is about the art critic and novelist. It is not related to a different Susan Kandel, a New Jersey nursery-school educator who died in 2016.
Timeline
- 1983
- Graduates from Williams College with a degree in history.
- 2004
- Publishes "I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason," the debut novel in her Cece Caruso mystery series.
- 2005
- Publishes "Not a Girl Detective," the second Cece Caruso novel.
Sources
5 sources (3 tier 1, 1 tier 2, 1 tier 3), each opened and read against the claim it supports. Every source is independent of the subject; no first-party material is cited. See the source policy.
Independent critical reviews of her published fiction (Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly) and a syndicated biographical reference entry, all opened and read directly, corroborate her career and bibliography independently of her own or her publisher's materials. Checked against, and distinguished from, an unrelated same-named New Jersey educator who died in 2016.
- I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason Supports: Independent critical review of her debut novel.
- Not a Girl Detective Supports: Independent critical review of the second Cece Caruso novel.
- I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason (review) Supports: Independent trade review summarizing the debut novel's plot and reception.
- Kandel, Susan 1961- Supports: Birth date and place, education, career timeline and bibliography.
- 1983: Susan Kandel, Author Supports: Corroborating detail on her education and career narrative, in her own words.
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