Lauren Henderson aka Rebecca Chance: R.I.P.

Well, this really is sad news. Lauren Henderson aka Rebecca Chance passed away this week. She was way too young. I first met Lauren at a long past Bouchercon. She certainly was the life of that party--and every party after. Thank you, Judy Bobalik, for the introduction. Lauren was funny, witty, and sharp! She was also extremely talented and prolific. She will be missed.

Lauren Milne Henderson (born 1966), was also known by her pen name Rebecca Chance. She was an English freelance journalist and novelist. Her books include thrillers, bonkbusters, chick lit, mysteries,Tart Noir, romantic comedies, and young adult. Between 1996 and 2011 Henderson published 17 books under her own name. She began writing as Rebecca Chance in 2009, and later wrote novels exclusively as Rebecca Chance.

My memories of Lauren include all the above, but especially her founding of Tart Noir, the website, with Sparkle Hayter and Katy Munger. She later edited Tart Noir, the anthology, with Stella Duffy. Lauren, though, will be remembered for founding the style -Tart Noir. 

Lauren has been described in the press as both the Dorothy Parker and the Betty Boop of the British crime novel. Well said. 

As Lauren Henderson: 

Dead White Female 

Too Many Blondes 

Black Rubber Dress 

Freeze My Margarita

The Strawberry Tattoo

Chained!

Pretty Boy 

The Scarlett Wakefield Young Adult mystery series: 

Kiss Me Kill Me 

Kisses and Lies 

Kiss in the Dark 

Kiss of Death 

The 2-book Violet Routledge Young Adult mystery series 

Flirting in Italian 

Kissing in Italian 

Under the name Rebecca Chance, Lauren wrote 27 thrillers. 

This bio on GoodReads gives you some real insights into Lauren's vivacious personality. Such a fun wild woman and excellent writer! 

Rebecca Chance was born in Hampstead to international art dealer parents, and grew up in the exclusive millionaire’s row surroundings of London’s St John’s Wood. Tiring of her cushioned, privileged existence, she ran away to Tuscany to live a wild bohemian life on a wine-making estate, where she lived in a 14th century villa in a Chianti vineyard, partying with artists, learning Italian, and picking grapes. But big city life was calling her, and after staying in Rome and Porto Ercole, she moved to Manhattan, lured by the glamorous single-girl existence and nonstop nightlife. She spent a decade living the Sex and The City dream in SoHo, equally at home in an uptown penthouse on Fifth Avenue overlooking the Metropolitan Museum, or downtown dancing on the bar of the Coyote Ugly for kicks. Eventually, a handsome American husband in tow, she moved back to London to settle down (as much as she can) and finally fictionalize some of her most exciting and glamorous experiences into her bestselling blockbuster novels.
Rebecca’s interests include trapeze, pole-dancing, watching "America’s Next Top Model", and cocktail-drinking.