Martha Kay Renfroe () was an American writer of

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' *Mystery, a seahorse that SpongeBob SquarePants adopts in the episode " My Pre ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

. Renfroe, who published her works under the pseudonym M.K. Wren, was best known for her mystery series featuring the character Conan Flagg.

Early life

Renfroe was born in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Career

Using the ''nom de plume'' M. K. Wren, her works included the ''Conan Flagg Mystery'' series, the ''Phoenix Legacy'', a

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...

trilogy, and '' A Gift Upon the Shore'' (1990), a post-apocalyptic novel. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' in its review of ''A Gift Upon the Shore'' described Wren's descriptions of "the subsistence-level daily life – the triumphs, the losses and the desperation" – as "compelling depictions." A ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' review called Wren’s writing of the same book as "clear and concise for the most part, though bordering on the mystic when it comes to her descriptions of the woods, and especially the ocean in its many moods." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' included it in its overview of recently released crime/suspense novels in its "Criminal At Large" column, describing Wren's ''A Multitude of Sins'' as "an artificial and pretentious formula mystery about an heiress who is a pianistic genius." The ''Conan Flagg'' mysteries were translated into German and released by München Goldmann publisher in the late 1970s in Germany.

Personal life

Renfroe was a longtime resident of

Lincoln City, Oregon Lincoln City is a city in Lincoln County on the Oregon Coast of the United States, between Tillamook to the north and Newport to the south. It is named after the county, which was named in honor of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The pop ...

. She was also an artist whose artwork showed in galleries and at juried and invitational shows.

Bibliography

''A Conan Flagg Mystery'' (1973–1994)

''Phoenix Legacy'' (1981)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wren, M. K. 20th-century American novelists American mystery writers American science fiction writers American women novelists Pseudonymous women writers Novelists from Oregon Novelists from Texas 1938 births 2016 deaths American women science fiction and fantasy writers American women mystery writers 20th-century American women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers 21st-century American women