Mary Desch penned her debut psychological thriller, TANGLED DARKNESS, after practicing psychiatry for years in Minnesota, Arizona, and Portland, Oregon. As a former general and addiction psychiatrist, she worked with people’s motivations, conflicts, trauma recovery, and addictive disorders. Naturally drawn to psychological suspense, Mary’s medical work primed her to create relatable fictional characters and situations of psychological and physical danger. Her childhood attraction to the Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine grew into a college love for detective fiction and a lifelong passion for mystery thrillers. Crafting a psychological thriller was a natural fit. TANGLED DARKNESS was named to the 2023 Chanticleer Clue Awards shortlist. When not investigating another facet of writing, Mary enjoys hiking and long dog walks with her wife and their rascal mini schnauzer, Portland food carts, golf, and the WNBA.