Susanna Kearsley (born January 17, 1966) is a New York Times best-selling Canadian novelist of historical fiction and mystery, as well as thrillers under the pen name Emma Cole. In 2014, she received Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best Paranormal Romance for The Firebird.
Kearsley studied politics and international development at university, and has worked as a museum curator. She lives near Toronto, Canada.
Her novel Mariana won the Catherine Cookson Literary Prize. Every Secret Thing was shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel. Several titles have also been Top Picks at RT Book Reviews. The Huffington Post called The Firebird a "stunning read."
Her 2015 release, A Desperate Fortune, debuted at #8 on the New York Times Bestsellers list in audio format. Other titles to make the New York Times best sellers list include The Rose Garden, The Winter Sea peaking at #5, The Shadowy Horses at #14.