Tara Laskowski

Tara Laskowski is an American crime fiction author and the longtime editor of SmokeLong Quarterly, a short fiction literary magazine. She is known for her psychological suspense novels featuring unreliable narrators and carefully crafted plot twists. Her work blends the literary thriller and classic mystery traditions. Laskowski won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel in 2020 for One Night Gone and the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel in 2023 for The Weekend Retreat, a claustrophobic thriller set among a wealthy family gathering at a weekend house. She has also published a short story collection. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area and has been a prominent figure in the crime fiction community, including through her work promoting short mystery fiction.