Mattea Orr is an American author of historical mystery fiction. She writes feminist reimaginings of classic literary detectives. She is best known for her debut novel, The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson. Bloomsbury and Head of Zeus published the book in 2026.
Mattea Orr describes herself as a recovering academic and full-time writer. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature from Binghamton University. She lives in upstate New York with her partner and their three children.
Before her debut novel, Orr published several short stories. Her work appeared in the anthology Transcendent from Transmundane Press. She also contributed to Agents of the Abyss from Padwolf Publishing. Her stories additionally appeared in Toil & Trouble Literary Magazine and Witch House Magazine.
In 2026, Orr published The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson. The novel reimagines Sherlock Holmes's mother and household. It centres on Katherine Hudson, a widowed former telegrapher. She loses her career opportunities due to her gender.
To support her family, Hudson takes a position as a lady's maid. She works for the eccentric, recently widowed Violet Holmes. Lady Holmes is mother to a precocious seven-year-old named Sherlock. The two women quickly develop a prickly, complicated relationship.
Hudson soon becomes drawn into unexpected investigative work. A village boy goes missing, and time is running short. Someone forges the signature of Hudson's deceased husband. A body is then discovered on the Holmes estate.
Suspicion quickly falls upon Hudson herself. She must clear her name while protecting her family. She also works to uncover a secret from her own past. Throughout, she resists her growing feelings for Lady Holmes.
Reviewers praised the novel's prose and central relationship. Author Jackie McMahon called Hudson and Holmes "a delightful pair of unlikely sleuths." She noted their "investigative antics and sapphic tension." Author Elizabeth Everett described the novel as "beautifully written and deeply engaging."
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson launched a new mystery series. Publishers compared it to The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes. It was also likened to Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull. Orr is now writing its sequel.
The sequel, titled A Most Remarkable Forgery, is due in 2027.
Mattea Orr continues to write full time from her home in New York.
Photo credit: www.matteaorr.com
Mattea Orr describes herself as a recovering academic and full-time writer. She holds a Master's degree in English Literature from Binghamton University. She lives in upstate New York with her partner and their three children.
Before her debut novel, Orr published several short stories. Her work appeared in the anthology Transcendent from Transmundane Press. She also contributed to Agents of the Abyss from Padwolf Publishing. Her stories additionally appeared in Toil & Trouble Literary Magazine and Witch House Magazine.
In 2026, Orr published The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson. The novel reimagines Sherlock Holmes's mother and household. It centres on Katherine Hudson, a widowed former telegrapher. She loses her career opportunities due to her gender.
To support her family, Hudson takes a position as a lady's maid. She works for the eccentric, recently widowed Violet Holmes. Lady Holmes is mother to a precocious seven-year-old named Sherlock. The two women quickly develop a prickly, complicated relationship.
Hudson soon becomes drawn into unexpected investigative work. A village boy goes missing, and time is running short. Someone forges the signature of Hudson's deceased husband. A body is then discovered on the Holmes estate.
Suspicion quickly falls upon Hudson herself. She must clear her name while protecting her family. She also works to uncover a secret from her own past. Throughout, she resists her growing feelings for Lady Holmes.
Reviewers praised the novel's prose and central relationship. Author Jackie McMahon called Hudson and Holmes "a delightful pair of unlikely sleuths." She noted their "investigative antics and sapphic tension." Author Elizabeth Everett described the novel as "beautifully written and deeply engaging."
The Last Telegram of Mrs Hudson launched a new mystery series. Publishers compared it to The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes. It was also likened to Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull. Orr is now writing its sequel.
The sequel, titled A Most Remarkable Forgery, is due in 2027.
Mattea Orr continues to write full time from her home in New York.
Photo credit: www.matteaorr.com
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