JANIS THORNTON
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​JANIS THORNTON is the Indiana-based, award-winning author of three vintage Indiana true crime books — No Place Like Murder, its successor, No Place Like Murder 2, both highlighting murders in the Hoosier Heartland between 1869 and 1960; and Too Good a Girl about the 1965 unsolved murder of Janis’ high school classmate.

Her historical nonfiction, The 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes in Indiana, was shortlisted by the Indiana Humanities as one of the best books of 2023-24 by Indiana authors.

Janis is also the author of two cozy mysteries in the “Elmwood Confidential” series, 
Dust Bunnies & Dead Bodies and Dead Air & Double Dare; and a stand-alone mystery, Love, Lies and Azure Eyes. Other works include pictorial-histories for the communities of Tipton County, Elwood, and Frankfort, all of Indiana, and she is a contributor to Undeniably Indiana, a bicentennial project from Indiana University Press, and Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul 2.

She is a member of The Authors Guild, Indiana Writers Center, the Women Fiction Writers Association, the National Sisters in Crime mystery writers organization, as well as its Indianapolis-based chapter, Speed City Sisters in Crime.

Janis loves to hear from readers and invites them to contact her via Facebook (
@
janisthorntonauthor), Bluesky (@janisthornton.bsky.social), and her website,
www.janis-thornton.com.
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​In the news

KENDALL & CASEY PODCAST: True Crime Tuesday Segment • Tuesday, February 18, 2025
THREE LOCAL WRITERS NAMED TO 2024 INDIANA AUTHORS AWARDS SHORTLISTS: Hamilton County Reporter • August 10, 2024
LARRY IN FISHERS TALKING WITH AUTHORS PODCAST: At the Hamilton East Public Library Author Fair • April 20, 2024
BOOK REVIEW BY JANIS: “All Good People Here” by author/true crime poscaster Ashley Flowers • February 2023
BOOKRIOT.COM: True Crime Vs. Murder Mysteries – Two Sides of the Same Coin, or Mutually Exclusive? • By Elisa Shoenberger • Jan. 5, 2023

1965 PALM SUNDAY TORNADOES PROGRAM – Marion County Public Library, July 2022
CLINTON COUNTY NEWS: Author Revives 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes in Indiana at Skanta Theatre • June 2, 2022
LA GRANGE STANDARD: Local Memories of Palm Sunday Tornadoes Included in New Book • May 30, 2022
WLFI-TV, Lafayette: Indiana Author to Give Talk and Book Signing • May 22, 2022
STURGIS JOURNAL: Author on New Book on 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes to Hold Public Promotion at Museum 
ABC57 ELKHART: New Book Sheds Light on Palm Sunday Tornadoes • May 13, 2022  
GOSHEN NEWS: Indiana Author Releases Book Chronicling Palm Sunday Tornadoes • May 2, 2022

HAMILTON COUNTY REPORTER: Tipton Author’s Book about Palm Sunday Tornadoes Coming in May • April 24, 2022
​KOKOMO TRIBUNE: Local Author Pens People’s History of Palm Sunday Tornadoes • April 20, 2022
LEBANON REPORTER: Tipton Author Releases Book about 1965 Palm Sunday Tornadoes • April 18, 2022
FRANKLIN DAILY JOURNAL: Indiana Authors Collect Stories Around the State • December 3, 2020
HOOSIER HISTORY LIVE! Radio Interview w/Nelson Price • November 21, 2020
KILLER CRAFTS & CRAFTY KILLER, Guest Blog, November 20, 2020
ZOOM Q&A by JAMIE ANDERSON of the FRANKFORT LIBRARY • November 14, 2020

RADIO INTERVIEW w/WFYI’s MATT PELSOR: ‘True Crime in Indiana’ • November 10, 2020
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NEW CASTLE COURIER-TIMES’ HER MAGAZINE, Guest Article • November 7, 2020
HOOSIER STORYTELLERS: Interview by Mike Clossin & Jamie Anderson • October 2020
JANE FRIEDMAN: ‘
Writing True Crime: Q&A with Janis Thornton’ • September 30, 2020

ANDERSON HERALD TRIBUNE STORY • September 28, 2020
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ANGOLA HERALD REPUBLICAN  STORY • September 13, 2020
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THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE MURDER FOR A WRITER WITH CURIOSITY • August 4, 2020

MURDER WE WROTE, SPEED CITY SISTERS IN CRIME AUG. 5, 2018 BLOG POST:
          “150 Pack Tipton Public Library for Launch of Thornton's True Crime Book, ‘Too Good a Girl’”

MIDWEST WRITERS WORKSHOP INTERVIEW • May 14, 2015
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