Meet Millicent Eidson
Award-winning author, Dr. Millicent “Millie” Eidson, who has loved books since she was a child, wanted to write stories for as long as she can remember.
Growing up in sunny, historic Tucson, Arizona, she had a lot of encouragement. “My father was a librarian, and my mother was a teacher,” Millie explained. “When I was seven years old, my grandfather presented me with the complete works of William Shakespeare. I read them all, and Shakespeare quickly became my favorite author.”
The avid reader now has several favorites, including bestselling novelist Tess Gerritsen. “She’s my role model,” Millie said.
Millie’s first journey into writing was with an underground satirical high school newspaper. Today, she pens highly praised mysteries using her scientific background and literary expertise to transport readers to the world of a passionate disease detective working to save lives.
Her readers are fascinated. “Millicent weaves her creative magic through the pages of the Maya Maguire microbial mystery series. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for scientific enigmas, she invites readers into a world where tiny living organisms hold secrets more treacherous than any criminal.”
The adventurous writer’s journey doesn’t begin and end with her computer keyboard. Her life story reads like a thrilling novel itself.
Taking on the profession of tracking down deadly microbes in high deserts and forests, Millie worked to defeat the tiny villains. Her career as a public health veterinarian and epidemiologist began at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “My days were filled with pathogens and outbreaks, but my nights belonged to whispered tales of microbes dancing in my imagination,” she said. “The high desert of New Mexico and the forests of upstate New York
were the settings where I chased down leads on bubonic plague, rabies, and West Nile virus.”
Millicent’s career provided the foundation for her unique and fascinating mystery series. Her passion for storytelling blossomed into the MayaVerse (https://drmayamaguire.com/), named after fictional CDC veterinarian Maya Maguire. “Maya was adopted from China by Irish American parents and raised in the Southwest. She has always been obsessed with proving herself. If she can’t discover the source of the largest anthrax outbreak in US history, thousands may perish.”
Millie knows her protagonist well. In addition to an endless desire for knowledge and her innate, burning curiosity, “Maya struggles with anxiety at times, something I understand. I love writing a character who is super-ambitious and functional in a complex world, regardless of challenges she may need to overcome.”
The first book in her series, ANTHRACIS: A Microbial Mystery takes us to the front lines with scientists betting their lives on the investigation outcome. It received a glowing review from the Midwest Book Review: “This highly anticipated book is set to captivate readers from start to finish. With abundant
elements often elusive in similar titles, this literary masterpiece promises to keep readers engaged and entertained with every turn of the page. Millicent Eidson’s unparalleled talent shines through in this remarkable work, ensuring a thrilling reading experience.”
The MayaVerse series continues with more imaginative and exciting novels involving deadly mysteries and fascinating locations, including the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, African jungles, China, New Zealand, and Europe. In 2022, Millicent released BORRELIA: A Microbial Mystery, followed by CORONA: A Microbial Mystery in 2023.
Millicent launched DENGUE: A Microbial Mystery in 2024. “Maya and an older, kick-ass mentor confront the tropical disease on the mainland, then in Hawaii. Even in paradise, people can’t escape blood-thirsty mosquitoes spurred on by a warming climate.”
EBOLA: A Microbial Mystery takes Maya and her colleagues to Africa’s jungles. The book earned rave reader reviews. With Maya’s career path uncertain and lives at stake, every dangerous clue propels the team deeper into a labyrinth of viruses hiding out in animals—and the final twist will leave you breathless. In FASCIOLA, scheduled to debut in 2026, Maya tracks down the fluke parasite on World Health Organization fieldwork in Norway, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, and Bolivia, confronting formidable challenges on multiple levels.
The writing community recognizes the high quality of Millicent’s work. In the literary magazine “Synkroniciti,” she was awarded Best Play for “Monuments” the tale of a confrontation near a Santa Fe, New Mexico historical landmark.
“El Chinche,” her short fiction about the kissing bug, was recognized by the Arizona Mystery Writers with an Honorable Mention before Millicent included it in MICROBIAL MYSTERIES: A Story Collection.”
Most recently, one of Millicent’s short stories, “300 Million Volts,” about Tucson and its ICBM missiles during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, was chosen for the More Trouble In Tucson anthology, a publication by the Tucson Sisters in Crime chapter.”
Millie actively participates in the writing community. “I’m a major fan of writer critique groups, including a current one with three other Sisters in Crime indie series authors.”
Newly elected to the Sisters in Crime Grand Canyon Writers Board of Directors, she also leads the chapter’s groundbreaking Mysteries and More Marketing Network.
Previously, she served as Secretary for the Burlington (Vermont) Writers Workshop and has led numerous writer discussions and classes through BWW and other organizations.
As Millie explained, “My life is a tapestry of science, suspense, and storytelling.”
She enjoys life in a scenic area of New England. She also has strong ties to the mysterious beauty of the Southwest. “I cherish family trips to Arizona, where cacti whisper secrets and ancient rocks hold forgotten stories. Fate brought me to the green hills of Vermont, where I live with my husband Tom Henderson, daughter Lian Henderson, and ‘spokescat’ Bosco. Lian, adopted from China, embodies resilience and wonder—the essence of Maya Maguire.”
Readers of her work will find themselves transported to a special world of science and imagination.
In addition to her novels and short story collection, the prolific author has published over a hundred scientific papers, articles, and book chapters—and still made time to study French, Spanish, painting, and photography.
When asked what suggestions she’d share with aspiring and new authors today, her answer was clear. “Be aggressively curious. Learn new things that are challenging, regardless of your age.”
Millicent’s crime threats may be microscopic, but her impact on readers is immeasurable. She invites you to dive into her world, where “You’ll find that the tiniest organisms can pose epic and intriguing detective puzzles.”
