MEET Elle
Elle Jauffret is the Agatha Award-nominated and PenCraft Award-winning author of the Suddenly French Mystery series, blending legal intrigue, small-town charm, and culinary flair. A former criminal attorney for the California Attorney General’s Office, she weaves her legal expertise into character-driven, traditional, yet procedural mysteries set against the picturesque backdrop of coastal San Diego.
A French-born American, Elle holds law degrees from Université Côte d'Azur (France) and George Washington University (USA). She’s an active member of Sisters in Crime (where she serves as a board member for the San Diego chapter), Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers. Her debut novel, Threads of Deception, earned praise from bestselling authors: New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry called it "a powerful, complex, and compelling mystery," while USA Today bestseller Hank Phillippi Ryan hailed Elle as "a smart and fresh new voice."
Elle regularly speaks at conferences like WonderCon, Comic-Con, and the San Diego Writers Festival. Passionate about literacy, she chaired the Pediatric Literacy Program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She lives in coastal San Diego County, the sun-drenched setting for her Suddenly French Mystery series.
If you want to know more about Elle, check her posts/follow her on Instagram (@ellejauffret) or feel free to contact her.
AWARDS / DISTINCTIONS
- 2025 Agatha Award finalist for Best First Novel
- 2025 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award (Spring) Winner, Fiction: Mystery/Sleuth
- 2025 San Diego Public Library Short Story Contest finalist
- 2024 Claymore Award finalist (Best Juvenile/Y.A.)
- 2023 New York International Women Festival award winner (short script)
- Pitch War 2015 mentee under the mentoring of Roselle Kaes/Lim (Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune; Vanessa's Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop) to work on The Girl of Salt and Feathers (historical culinary mystery).
- SDSU Writers' Conference Choice Award 2016 for The Girl of Salt and Feathers (historical culinary mystery).