KELLY BRAKENHOFF writes the Cassandra Sato Mystery series including full length novels DEATH BY DISSERTATION, a 2020 RONE Award Mystery Finalist, DEAD WEEK, "a diverting whodunit," (Publishers Weekly), and DEAD OF WINTER BREAK, a holiday themed whodunit. DEAD END and SCAVENGER HAUNT are the series' short stories.

Kelly is an American Sign Language Interpreter whose motivation for learning ASL began in high school when she wanted to converse with her deaf friends. NEVER MIND, FARTS MAKE NOISE, and MY DAWG KOA, her children's picture books and printable workbooks featuring Duke the Deaf Dog and illustrated by her sister, Theresa Murray, are popular with children, parents, and educators for promoting inclusive conversations about children with differences.