Margaret Maron, North Carolina-Based Mystery Writer, Has Died

Margaret Maron, a celebrated North Carolina-based mystery writer, died last Tuesday. She was 82.

Maron's son John confirmed to the Associated Press that his mother succumbed to stroke-related complications at a hospice center in Raleigh.

Described by many as a "prolific" writer, Maron is best known for her two series of fiction books: the Sigrid Harald books and the Deborah Knott series. The latter won the four major mystery-writing awards, including the Edgar and Agatha.

Maron went on to receive the North Carolina Award, the state's highest civilian honor, in 2008, and was inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2016.

Born in Greensboro in 1938, Maron grew up on her family's farm outside of Raleigh. She met her future husband Joe while they both worked at the Pentagon. Together they moved to Italy, then to Brooklyn before settling down on her family farm in the early 1970s. It's there, near rural McGee's Crossroads, where Maron wrote all 30 of her books.

Her son John told The News & Observer that his mother wrote mysteries because she "enjoyed creating and solving puzzles," adding that she was a terrific Scrabble player who could do crosswords in ink.

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Maron even penned her own obituary. In it, she wrote that she wanted her epitaph to read, "She knew what she had," because she was well aware of how close she came to having it all: a great husband, family, friends and work."

Our hearts are with Maron's family, friends, and devoted fans.