Who is Karrie Ingleford?

Karrie Ingleford...yet another of my best characters...wife of the brilliant Mark Ingleford. You saw her name so many times in my introductory post to Mark, so it's only right that she get her own post. Because, she really is such the lovable character.

(Very close to how I imagined Karrie, though with light-brown hair instead of blonde...)

Karina Jane Angelson (pronounced "An-jel-sun") was born on August 25th, 1920 to Robert and Martha Angelson. She was "born and bred" in Boston her entire life. She grew up loving the busy-ness of city life, enjoying being a city girl. She was an only child for ten years, until her brother, Bob, was born.

Karrie wasn't nearly as brilliant in school as Mark was. However, she did possess a certain talent. At age eight, while on summer vacation, Karrie found her way to the newspaper office of the "Boston Star". She was discovered hiding in a corner of the office, watching all the goings-on, by the newspaper photographer, Rick Flaherty. Inspired to creat her own newspaper, Karrie soon grew tired of having to draw all the pictures in her own newspaper. She went to Rick Flaherty and begged him to let her take one photograph with his camera. Soon enough, she discovered she had a talent for photography, and Rick Flaherty taugh her all he knew. When Karrie was sixteen years old, Rick Flaherty died, leaving her his own camera, which she treasured and used constantly.

After graduating from high school at the age of eighteen, Karrie was determined to find some line of work. She literally begged for a position as a photographer for the "Boston Star" until one day, the chief editor broke down and let her fill in for another photographer who had gotten injured. ("Pearls in Her Hair: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #1) She was instructed to take the photographs of a famous actress. The actress, however, was shot during her performance on stage. Because of her enormous curiosity and her ability to react quickly, Karrie was able to take a photograph of the murderer's get-away car and submitted the film to the police. Impressed with her, Detective Chief Reynolds offered her a position on the police force as crime photographer to his replacement, Mark Ingleford. It was on her first big case that Karrie was able to get to know Mark Ingleford so well, as well as meet her best friend, Hayley Carter (Holbrook). When Mark was accused of bribery and false testimony, Karrie took on the job of proving that he was right, even when it put herself in danger. It was all because of her that Mark was ever proved innocent of any crime. Mark proposed soon afterward, and when they were married, Karrie resigned from her position on the police force.

It was on Karrie's twenty-first birthday that her father went missing. ("Death Because of Amber: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #2) Worried beyond distraction, she accompanied Mark when he took on the task of finding her father. While in England searching, Karrie was confronted with some of her worst fears when she and Mark were separated. Stuck in the bleak countryside of England, following a lead from a Jane Austen novel, Karrie was led to an empty, old, and lonely mansion. Faced with the fear from the case, Karrie was only more pressured and worried when she discovered she was pregnant. It was at the darkest moment that Karrie discovered just how much strength she could have with God's wisdom and guidance.

In the spring of 1942, Karrie had her first child, a baby boy named Nicholas. ("In Blackest Night: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #3) She was happy to be a mother and was content to stay at home while Mark followed a lead on his case. But that changed when she started to get horrifying telephone calls from a strange man, who threatened to hurt Mark. Determined not to give into the stranger's demands as well as to help Mark, Karrie escaped from her home that was being watched. With the help of her best friend, Hayley, Karrie followed her own leads to find Mark, only to get wrapped up in a mystery surrounding some paintings. Her own discoveries helped not only Mark's investigation, but also a mystery centered around the hospital and her cousin Reggie.

In the spring of 1943, Karrie caught a bad case of the influenza, and only irritated it more by staying out in the cold, helping Mark with a case. When she finally recovered, her doctor ordered her to go on a vacation free of any worries. ("Switched: A Mark & Karrie Mystery Book #4) Unfortunately, Karrie couldn't seem to stop worrying, especially when her new friend, Leighton, was accused of murder. She got caught up in the mystery, facing not only a car bomb, but also a betrayal which led her to getting severly injured and landing her up in the hospital yet again.


Karrie is a young, happy-go-lucky sort of girl, who loves to laugh and loves to make others laugh. She has a rather dramatic side to her, as well as a serious, mature nature. She gets Mark to lighten up in ways that no one else can, and even though she can drive him beyond distraction, she also makes life more fun. She has a sweet, kind way about her, wanting to help beyond her abilities. She is passionate and enthusiastic about helping her husband in cases. On the other hand, she is also quick to accuse, quick to think wrong AND well of people, quick-tempered, apt to speak before she thinks, and can be rather fool-hardy at times. She is also observant, noticing the little details, she has a motherly nature, and a stubborn way that makes her not want to give up easily. She loves to play pranks, especially on her husband, and is a bit of a romantic.

Random facts about Karrie:
She doesn't care for her full name, Karina, insisting she be called Karrie at all times.
Loves to dance.
Loves to go to the movies.
Is passionate about photography.
Talks about fairies at the oddest times.
Loves a bit of excitement.
Is an ardent Jane Austen fan.
Loves the fact that her husband has British roots.
Is pretty in, but not in a way that she sticks out.
Her best friend is Hayley Carter Holbrook.