Kwei Quartey Follow

Kwei Quartey is a Ghanaian-American crime fiction author and retired physician from Pasadena, California. Born in Ghana to academic parents, he grew up surrounded by books and started writing crime novellas as a child, inspired by Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Initially pursuing medicine at the University of Ghana and later Howard University, Quartey balanced a medical career with early morning writing sessions. His debut novel, Wife of the Gods (2009), launched the acclaimed Inspector Darko Dawson series. After two decades in medicine, he transitioned to full-time writing in 2018.

Quartey’s new series, featuring private investigator Emma Djan, began with The Missing American, which was nominated for the Edgar and won the Shamus Award. His newest novel, The Whitewashed Tombs (2024), has already earned starred reviews and praise for its cultural depth and LGBTQ+ representation.

Beyond writing, Quartey enjoys horseback riding and caring for animals in his spare time.