News
“Her prose is on fire.” – James Lee Burke
Friends, I am stunned. One of my heroes, the great James Lee Burke, has praised my writing, saying (I kid you not): "Her prose is on fire." JAMES LEE BURKE!!!! The occasion wasn't one I'd expected either. I had reviewed his wonderful new Dave Robicheau mystery, Clete,...
“Looking forward to the next one…”
Gumshoe's reviewer had a strong reaction to Bad Boy Beat. "The plot is tightly written with several twists and turns to keep it interesting," says critic Gayle Surrette. And while she sometimes despairs over Em Kelton's more self-destructive habits, she finds my...
Join me in the Salon!
Tomorrow (Tuesday) I'm going to be chatting with Madame Perry on her great podcast. Tune in at 8 pm EST with all your questions (or catch up with the archived version once we're done). Jennifer Perry asks such great questions. SO looking forward to this!
A Mighty Blaze!
Wow! I just got to chat with the great (and NYT-bestselling) novelist Caroline Leavitt on A MIGHTY BLAZE! We talked about strong female characters, writing fiction, and what makes a telling detail.... It's too late for you to ask us your questions. But you can catch...
“One heck of a journey…” BOLO Books on Bad Boy Beat
"Put yourself into Clea Simon’s hands and prepare yourself for one heck of a journey..." That's just some of the praise BOLO Books showers on Bad Boy Beat. "[R]eaders will quickly find that the twists and turns of the plot more than satisfy—with a particularly stellar...
New book alert!
Remember Hold Me Down? Named a “must read” by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, this dark rock ‘n’ roll novel of suspense was briefly orphaned when publisher Polis Books went out of business. But now Bloodhound Books has picked it up and will re-publish...
HOLD ME DOWN will be back in print!
As some of you know, dear Polis Books has called it quits. That left us Polis authors out in the cold... but I'm thrilled to announce that Bloodhound Books has picked up HOLD ME DOWN! This UK publisher will re-publish my dark rock 'n' roll standalone in e-book and...
“Darker and grittier…” Bristol Library weighs in
Bristol Public Library librarian and book blogger Jeanne Powers loves BAD BOY BEAT! Her in-depth review concludes:B "Good mystery, strong characterization, some fast-paced action and a few twists and turns make for a most enjoyable read." Read the full review here.
KRL loves BBB!
"If you want a swift mystery with plenty of clues, you’ll enjoy this," writes Kings River Life critic Claire A, Murray. "Bad Boy Beat brought me back into the heart of Boston—night club life, numbered alleys, and an incredible lack of parking spaces..." Read the...
Zoom on in!
Long before Bad Boy Beat was even a dream, I wrote a fun little mystery about cats – specifically about a young woman who meets a possible cat hoarder – a "crazy cat lady" – and who, when that poor older woman is killed must figure out not only who killed her but what...