Otto Penzler

Otto Penzler is a historical romance, thriller, horror, and mystery author and also the proprietor of New York’s “The Mysterious Bookshop.” The author is deemed the foremost authority on suspense, mystery, and crime fiction. Penzler was born in Hamburg Germany in 1942 to Otto Penzler a chemist and his wife Jeanette a secretary. He was always fascinated with mystery and detective novels and he has turned this passion into a multi-faceted and lucrative career over the years. Frederick Allen of New York Magazine called him a one-man, self-made locked room industry whose work in mystery has made him a colossus in the genre. Otto is the founder of two publishing houses that emphasized mystery and suspense works. His “The Mysterious Bookshop” in the Big Apple is deemed one of the most respected and oldest mystery bookstores in the United States. Apart from his bookstore business and writing, he is also a prolific editor and has been responsible for several anthologies over the years. He had won two Edgar Awards for “The Lineup” in 2010 and the “Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection.” He is also the winner of the 1994 Ellery Queen Award from the Mystery Writers of America.