Ken Lang

Ken Lang is a retired 25-year law enforcement veteran from Maryland and is becoming a premiere true crime and novel writer, drawing on his expertise as a violent crimes detective.

Ken initially served two years with the Havre de Grace Police Department before becoming employed with one of the twenty largest police agencies in the United States. While serving in Baltimore County he would spend 19 years as a detective in the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Section where Sex Crimes, Robberies, and Homicides investigations have become his forte. A decorated officer, Ken is the recipient of several awards including the William J. Simms Memorial Award, 1997 Officer of the Year by the Optimist Club, five unit citations, Community Policing Award, and fourteen letters of appreciation for outstanding service as recognized by distinguished members of government and civilians alike. 

In addition to his investigative assignments, Ken also served as a craniofacial forensic artist, providing Maryland police agencies with composite sketches, post-mortem drawings, age-enhancement renderings, and skull reconstructions for a variety of investigations.

In March 2010, Ken’s writing talents were discovered by some prominent people in the literary world. While volunteering at a story telling conference, Ken met Delaware author and ghostwriter, John Riddle, founder of I Love to Write Day, and the two conversed about ways in which Ken could create income in writing online content for law enforcement websites. But when John, who has taught alongside of best-selling authors James Patterson, Stephen King, and the late Tom Clancy, discovered Ken's vast experience in investigating crimes of violence, he encouraged the detective to seriously consider writing true crime books based on those experiences. 

In spite of the busy work schedule and newly found love for writing, Ken completed his degree by the following October, earning his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia Southern University.

By March 2011, Ken acted on the advice and released Walking Among the Dead, a true crime novel surrounding a number of cases he handled when working as a homicide detective with the Baltimore County Police. His debut soon found favor among true crime and crime novel fans alike. The response was so overwhelming Ken would release Standing in Death’s Shadow in the spring of 2012 and then Death Comes Uninvited, the final book of the series, by that fall.

Ken’s writing has captivated the attention of a number of prominent figures in the writing industry, including New York Times bestselling author Julia Spencer-Fleming, who says, “Ken Lang is the real deal, a cop with chops!”

In 2011, following the release of his debut book, Ken was named one of 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading by www.TheAuthorsShow.com, the leading online radio show for upcoming authors.

Two years later, his writing would be recognized again, this time for his contributions to his professional field of law enforcement. In 2013 Ken was named DETC Famous Alumni by Columbia Southern University for those writing contributions. This award came on the heels of Ken’s accomplishment in completing his Masters in Criminal Justice Administration.

In the days following these achievements, Ken’s academic and professional accomplishments in his law enforcement profession continued to be noticed. Following his receipt of his Master degree he was invited to serve on the Consulting Committee of the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases, an organization dedicated to reviewing cold homicide cases in an effort to help agencies solve them.

The AISOCC describes, “The Consulting Committee is made up of the absolute best investigators, professionals and educators within the criminal justice field. All members bring their unique skill set to their review of the cold case. From former and current FBI criminal profilers to former cold case detectives and everything in between, AISOCC has the best.” Ken serves on the consulting committee with some of the most distinguished and recognized professionals in law enforcement today, including: Lt. Joseph P. Kenda, BA, Henry Lee, PhD, John A. Liebert, MD, PCW, Mark E. Safarik, MS, VSM, and Werner Spitz, MD.  

In June 2014, Ken activated his retirement from the Baltimore County Police to begin working in his new career course professor and director of the newly formed criminal justice program at the University of Valley Forge. He is currently pursuing his PhD in criminal justice with Walden University and has an interest in researching restorative justice concepts.

Ken currently resides in Chester Spring, PA with his wife, Michele, and children.