Ellen Byron (born 1956 in New York) is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer.
As a novelist, she has written the Cajun Country Mystery series and Vintage Cookbook Mystery series, as well as the Catering Hall Mystery series under the pseudonym Maria DiRico. She has won two Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Best Humorous Mystery Lefty Awards. Bayou Book Thief, her first Vintage Cookbook Mystery, was nominated for an Anthony Award.
As a screenwriter, she has written for Wings, Just Shoot Me!, and The Fairly OddParents.
Byron was born in the borough of Queens, New York City.
She attended Tulane University. Her experiences in Louisiana inspired her Cajun Country Mystery series.
Byron has written over 200 articles for national publications. She relocated from New York to Los Angeles to pursue a television career that spanned twenty-five years. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog.