Picture a British storyteller who traded hospital wards for high-seas mysteries—meet Dawn Brookes! With a 39-year nursing career and a passion for cruise adventures, Brookes crafts cozy crime novels that blend medical know-how, vivid shipboard settings, and a touch of romance. Her Rachel Prince Mystery series has hooked readers worldwide, proving clean crime can be thrilling.
From her award-winning novels to heartfelt memoirs, Brookes’s storytelling reflects her vibrant life, love for animals, and knack for engaging characters. Let’s dive into the world of this Derby-based author whose pen sails as smoothly as the ships she writes about!
The Making of Dawn Brookes
Born into a working-class family in Nottingham and raised in Leicester, Dawn Brookes grew up with a mother who instilled honesty and resilience despite financial struggles. Her 39-year nursing career began in Leicester, spanning roles as a hospital nurse, midwife, district nurse, and community matron. Before turning to fiction, she penned articles for professional journals and co-edited a nurse textbook, sharpening her writing skills. Her love for cruises, which she jokingly calls ‘research,’ sparked her pivot to cozy mysteries, with her MA in Creative Writing (earned with distinction) fueling her literary ambitions.
Brookes’s childhood dog, Prince, inspired the surname of her sleuth Rachel Prince, a nod to the loyal companion who rested his head on her knee while she read. This blend of personal touches and professional expertise shapes her unique voice in crime fiction.
Dawn Brookes’s Unforgettable Stories
Brookes’s Rachel Prince Mystery series, launched in 2018 with A Cruise to Murder, follows police constable Rachel Prince solving crimes aboard cruise ships. Set on the fictional Coral Queen, the debut novel weaves a Mediterranean murder mystery with a heartbroken heroine and an elderly ally, Lady Marjorie. Its well-researched cruise ship details and medical authenticity, drawn from Brookes’s nursing background, earned rave reviews for its Agatha Christie-esque charm.
The series, now spanning 14 books, includes Deadly Cruise, a transatlantic tale of a crew member’s mysterious death, and A Christmas Cruise Murder, a Canary Island caper with festive twists. Brookes also pens the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mysteries and the Carlos Jacobi PI series, featuring a dog-loving detective. Her memoirs, like Hurry Up Nurse: Memoirs of Nurse Training in the 1970s, offer nostalgic glimpses into her NHS days, topping Kindle charts in the USA.
Known for ‘clean’ crime—free of graphic violence or explicit content—Brookes’s style combines suspense, humor, and heart. Her cruise settings, from Norwegian fjords to Caribbean waters, transport readers, while her animal-loving characters, especially dogs, add warmth. With half a million downloads across formats, her work resonates globally, with Japanese translations of her first two novels slated for 2026.
Why Dawn Brookes Matters
Dawn Brookes has carved a niche in cozy crime, blending her nursing expertise and cruise passion into stories that feel both authentic and escapist. Her Rachel Prince series offers readers a safe yet thrilling dive into murder mysteries, appealing to fans of classic whodunits. Her memoirs preserve the legacy of NHS nursing, while her children’s books, like Suki Seal and the Plastic Ring, inspire young readers to care for nature.
As founder of the Oakwood Literature Festival in Derby, Brookes champions local authors and readers, fostering a vibrant literary community. Her awards, including a Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for crime fiction, underscore her impact, proving that indie authors can shine on a global stage.
About Dawn Brookes
- Key Works: Rachel Prince Mystery series, Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe Mysteries, Hurry Up Nurse memoirs
- Awards: Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for crime fiction
- Fun Fact: Her sleuth’s surname honors her childhood dog, Prince
- Hobbies: Cruising, gardening, and walking her rescue Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Ready to board the Coral Queen? Snag A Cruise to Murder and sail into Dawn Brookes’s cozy crime world—murder, mystery, and a touch of sea breeze await!