Author Lois Duncan dies at 82

Lois Duncan, the author of such popular suspense novels for young adults as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Killing Mr. Griffin, died Wednesday. She was 82.

Born April 28, 1934, Duncan wrote in an essay for Contemporary Authors: "I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a writer. It's the only thing I ever wanted to be." Throughout elementary school, she submitted stories to magazines, Publisher's Weekly says, and at 13, she got her first story published, in Calling All Girls. While raising her family, she wrote for magazines and entered the manuscript for her first book, Debutante Hill, into a contest — she took first place, and won a book deal and $1,000.

In addition to writing for young adults, Duncan also taught journalism at the University of New Mexico and penned books for young readers, including Hotel for Dogs, which was turned into a feature film in 2009. Her 1992 book Who Killed My Daughter?: The True Story of a Mother's Search for her Daughter's Murderer was about her experience following the still-unsolved 1989 murder of her youngest daughter, Kaitlyn. Until the end of her life, Duncan searched for the killer; in 2013, she said her efforts were "centered upon helping other families of homicide victims." She is survived by her husband, four children, and several grandchildren.

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