Barbara Owens (1934 – 2008) was an American writer of psychological suspense and mystery short stories. Born in Carrollton, Illinois, she later resided in San Jose, California, where she died.
Owens achieved notable recognition when she won the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award for Best Short Story in 1979 for “The Cloud Beneath the Eaves,” which originally appeared in the January 1978 issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine【...】. Another of her stories, “The New Man,” served as the basis for the inaugural episode of the television anthology series Tales from the Darkside【...】.
Her work is primarily associated with the short‑story format; she did not publish a full‑length novel. Owens’ contributions are recognized within the American mystery‑writing community, and she is listed among Edgar Award winners and American women mystery writers.
References
- Wikipedia entry on Barbara Owens, which cites Laird R. Blackwell’s Frederic Dannay, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and the Art of the Detective Short Story (2019) as a source for her biography and awards.