Blog
A dark thriller…
No, not a crime novel, but thrilling nonetheless! I absolutely loved Daniel Kehlmann's "Tyll." Here's my review, which ran in Sunday's Boston Globe. BOOK REVIEW In Daniel Kehlmann’s darkly brilliant ‘Tyll,’ a fool worth following By Clea Simon Globe...
Five Questions with L.J. Sellers
When a best-selling author like L.J. Sellers comes out with a new book with established series characters, readers know to expect a good time. But as her her 15th Jackson & Dallas thriller – The Black Pill – is about to be released, they should also know that...
Five Questions with Michael Stanley
I'd like to say I met the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip on safari. In truth, we were driving around Pittsburgh, looking for a wonderful (now defunct) author event sponsored by the (still there!) Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, PA. I had long...
That “American Dirt” essay
Before I post, let me explain. My editor had agreed to let me substitute another review for the one (on "AD") originally assigned. But then "AD" became news and I gather his bosses asked why the Globe hadn't covered it, and so I was asked to write about it. Yes, I had...
Read “Remembrance”
When I first (tried to) duck out of reviewing "American Dirt," I asked if I could try Rita Woods' debut instead. My editor and I had talked about the two books before settling on "AD," so it wasn't a leap, and I was so glad to be able to review this. It's a magical...
Five Questions with Shawn Cosby
I first heard of Shawn Cosby when he won an Anthony for his short story "The Grass Beneath My Feet," at last year's Bouchercon. I mean, the first line alone slayed me: "Anyone who tell you that they don’t mind going to jail is a goddamned liar." That led me to his...
“Gentle humor permeates this novel…”
"Clea Simon stays very true to cat psychology throughout these books despite their fantastic premise. In fact, a large part of the series’ charm comes from the cats and their idiosyncratic view of Becca’s doings. Humans are portrayed with no less affection: it’s...
Five Questions with Jeannnette de Beauvoir
Provincetown, on the very tip of Cape Cod, is a magical place. Part summer resort, part arts colony, this diverse and very LGBTQIA+ friendly village still shows its roots in the Portuguese- American fishing community too. And while I'm one of the thousands who fill...
How Clara came to be a calico…
Clara was supposed to be a tortoiseshell. Although, Clara – the heart, if not exactly the heroine – of my new cozy cat mystery An Incantation of Cats is now a calico, she was a tortie through at least two drafts of A Spell of Murder, the first book...
It’s “Incantation” Day!
An Incantation of Cats is out today! So thrilled – and I hope you will celebrate with me. "Simon expertly casts suspicion on one member of her tiny human cast after another ... for readers who want all cats, all the time." – Kirkus Reviews "Cat lovers, even if not...