Kate Anslinger, Mystery & Women's Fiction Author

The author of the McKenna Mystery novels, a series that follows Detective Grace McKenna on her spree of secretly solving crimes with the help of her gift to see clues in the eyes of criminals. In addition to her life as a novelist, Kate is a journalist, freelance writer and a veteran of the United States Air Force. Her debut novel Saving Jason, touches upon the struggles of PTSD, a topic that is near and dear to her heart. Kate lives in a sleepy beach town outside of Boston with her husband, two daughters and Newfoundland pup.

Meet Grace McKenna

A missing teacher from the eighties, a ghostly gothic teen, and a sullen young boy from decades before. These are some of the many images that Detective Grace McKenna sees when she looks into a criminal’s eyes. Follow Grace as she untangles secrets in the small town of Bridgeton, Massachusetts, alongside a quirky cast of characters in the plot-twisting series.

The Town Series

A relatable masterpiece of family drama and suspense.

Book One

The Things We Carry

Two couples.

Two daughters.

Two sons.

One tragedy.

Too many secrets.

Lauren Rivers has it all. Two beautiful daughters, a doting husband, and a home that belongs on the cover of a magazine. She also has roots that run deep in the esteemed beach town of Flagport, Massachusetts.

When Evie Sullivan moves across the street, the two become fast friends. Evie is nothing like Lauren’s other friends. She’s quiet, contemplative, and holds steady to her modest upbringing. These are the differences that Lauren loves about her new best friend. But that all changes when Lauren’s teenage daughter, Lily, is in a car accident. As she races to the hospital to see the daughter she’s always put on a pedestal, Lauren runs into Evie’s family. What she finds out next with threaten their friendship forever. Fears set in, secrets come to the surface, and one of the women must come to terms with her past.

Saving Jason

Jason Barnes is a walking contradiction, a fun-loving free spirit with a severe case of PTSD. When an accident leaves him in a coma, his pregnant girlfriend must team up with his ex-wife to solve the mystery of Jason's past. What they discover and the friendship they forge will have a profound effect on both of their futures.

Underwater Secrets

A mysterious photo of a handsome stranger.

A forgotten china set tucked away in the corner of the attic.

Claire Fitzgerald is already struggling to live up to the perfect people around her when she's faced with her mother's death. While sifting through the pieces of her mother's past, she discovers a need to reconcile her memories of a woman she idolized with the truth of who she really was.Alternating between generations and intertwining the stories of Claire and her mother, Underwater Secrets teaches that sometimes the key to loving ourselves involves learning to love the people around us, quirks and all.