Janet Dawson

Janet Dawson (born October 31, 1949) is an American writer of mysteries. Thirteen of her novels comprise the Jeri Howard series, featuring a private eye of the same name, and three make up the California Zephyr series featuring private eye Jill McLeod. Dawson's work has included many short stories and a mystery novel, What You Wish For, that is not part of either series. Dawson's Kindred Crimes was named a "best first private-eye novel" by St. Martin's Press and the Private Eye Writer's Association in 1990, and in 2004, her short story, "Voice Mail", won a Macavity Award.

Lauren Miller, writing for the Historical Novel Society, praises Dawson for the "extensive research into train life" that informs Death Rides the Zephyr. This detail includes "every aspect of being a Zephyrette [train stewardess], from dealing with rude customers to the ticket colors used when scheduling luncheon and the dinner hour." However, Miller says, "The well-detailed nature of the piece does affect the pacing, which at times feels slow...".