A University of Minnesota alumna has carved out a successful niche in the cozy mystery genre with her Home Renovator Mystery series, earning consistent five-star ratings and drawing comparisons to beloved Hallmark productions.
M.E. Bakos has built a devoted readership through her mysteries set in the fictional town of Crocus Heights, Minnesota, where a house flipper turned amateur detective solves crimes while renovating homes. The series, which includes Fatal Flip, Deadly Flip, Lethal Flip, and Killer Flip, has garnered five-star ratings from Readers’ Favorite for each installment.
The fifth book in the series, Mortal Flip, was released in August 2024, continuing the adventures that blend home improvement with mystery-solving in small-town Minnesota. Beyond her mystery series, Bakos recently ventured into holiday romance with The Perfect Match, A Reindeer Falls Holiday Romance, which debuted in December 2024. The Midwest Review praised the work, comparing it favorably to a Hallmark story.
Drawing from her Minnesota roots and personal interests in home improvement, Bakos creates authentic settings that resonate with readers who enjoy both cozy mysteries and stories about community life. When not crafting mysteries, she channels her creativity into planning home improvements at her Minnesota residence, where she lives with her husband Joe and their dog Chipper.
The accomplished mystery author brings additional credibility to her work through her background as a regular fiction contributor to national women’s magazines and her published short stories in Twin Cities Sisters in Crime anthologies. This experience in various forms of fiction writing has helped shape her distinctive voice in the cozy mystery genre.
Currently working on a new mystery series, Bakos continues to expand her literary offerings while maintaining the small-town charm and engaging storylines that have become her trademark. Her ability to blend relatable characters with intriguing plots has established her as a notable voice in contemporary cozy mysteries.
The success of both her mystery series and her foray into holiday romance demonstrates the versatility of this Minnesota-based author and her ability to connect with readers across different genres while maintaining the warmth and accessibility that defines her writing style.
