Luisa Smith

Luisa Smith is the Buying Director at Book Passage, a position she has held for over 25 years. She is also the Editor in Chief of Penzler Publishers, which includes the literary mystery imprint Mysterious Press and the psychological suspense imprint Scarlet, as well as American Mystery Classics and Crime Ink.125 Luisa grew up surrounded by books; her father is Martin Cruz Smith, a bestselling author, and her mother was an English teacher. This upbringing instilled in her a lifelong love of books, particularly the mystery genre.12

In addition to her roles at Book Passage and Penzler Publishers, Luisa Smith has been involved in various events and discussions with authors, showcasing her deep engagement with the literary community.125 She is based in Los Altos and has an educational background from the University of California, Los Angeles.34