Born in Manhattan in 1946, Jane Stanton Hitchcock used her upper-crust background as material for her bestselling and funny mystery and thriller novels.
Sadly, Hitchcock passed away on June 23, 2025 at the age of 78.
Hitchcock's mother Joan Crowley was a renowned 1940s radio star while her adoptive father became rich in automobile importation.
Hitchcock penned three films and two plays before turning to writing novels in 1992 with the publishing of her first book, Trick of the Eye.
Her works have been lauded for their satirical portrayal of upper class characters with readers being compelled by her witty dialogue and keen observations of the world in which she was raised.
She rose to prominence as a New York Times-bestselling author and Edgar Award nominee. Her final book, Bluff, won the Dashiell Hammett Prize for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing in 2019.
Join us in celebrating the memory of Jane Stanton Hitchcock with one of her biting and thrilling novels below.
Trick of the Eye: A Novel
In this sophisticated mystery, artist Faith Cromwell has been hired to paint the ballroom of a famed Long Island home by a patron who has a macabre obsession with his daughter's murder decades before.
As Faith learns more shocking details about the murder and the house's hidden secrets, she finds herself at the center of an elaborate and dangerous scheme.
The Witches' Hammer
A well-known surgeon is found viciously murdered in his fancy Manhattan estate. The only item missing from the home is a recent gift he had received from a patient, a priceless grimoire of black magic.
The doctor's daughter, Beatrice, sets out on a journey to recover the book. The search leads her into an ever-expanding web of evils and secrets, where powerful forces are at work to keep the tome hidden and out of her reach.
Social Crimes
Once a queen bee among New York's social elite, Jo Slater is dethroned when her husband of 20 years leaves her for a beautiful young French countess.
Now, Jo will stop at nothing to get revenge and re-assume her position among the richest and best-connected socialites, including, of course, a little murder.
This is a thrill ride of money, obsession, passion, and betrayal.
One Dangerous Lady: A Novel (Jo Slater Book 2)
Socialite Jo Slater is back—this time at an extravagant wedding in Barbados. When her friend goes missing, Jo suspects foul play and believes the disappearance is the doing of her friend's shady wife.
Back in New York, the wife rises up Manhattan's social ranks, increasing Jo's suspicions. But when someone from the past steps in and threatens Jo, the Manhattanites learn she is not to be messed with.
Mortal Friends: A Novel
In Mortal Friends, Jane Stanton Hitchcock brings her talents to the inner circle of Washington, DC. Reven is the owner of an antique shop in DC and an observer of the social elite from the periphery of the world of the powerful.
When a string of violent crimes strikes the city, Reven gets roped in by her best friend, Violet, and a police detective, who acts as an inside informant, gathering clues revealed at high-status social events.
Bluff
Once a dazzling socialite, Maud Warner is a passionate poker player who has been swindled out of her mother's inheritance. One day, she walks into a restaurant, shoots a man, and leaves.
Now Maud is in a deadly game of bluffs and high stakes, as she navigates a series of twisting thrills on her quest for revenge and justice. She could come out on top, as long as she can maintain the biggest bluff she's ever attempted.
Featured photo: Wikipedia
