Welcome

I’m Clea Simon, author of
- psychological suspense novels The Butterfly Trap, Bad Boy Beat and Hold Me Down
- rock ‘n’ roll noir World Enough
- Theda Krakow mysteries
- Dulcie Schwartz mysteries
- Pru Marlowe mysteries
- Witch Cats of Cambridge mysteries
- Blackie & Care mysteries
- A handful of nonfiction books
Please browse around and make yourself at home. I’d love to see you at one of my events, and I’m always happy to hear your feedback.
As featured in the Wall Street Journal and on NPR
Praise for The Butterfly Trap
Fear and control emerges in Simon’s tense, slow-burn
Darkly inventive, and full of grit and suspense
Mesmerizing tale of obsession and desperation
A cautionary and dark tale about love and art
Recent Blog POsts
What’s in a name?
"How do you come up with the names?" That's what my wonderful mother-in-law Sophie always wants to know. "Dulcie and Pru, and now Care? Tara? Where do they come from?" "I'm not sure," I've told her. And she shakes her head in wonder. "I make them up," I say. Although...
“Irresistible”- PW.
The early reviews are rolling in, and Publishers Weekly calls Fear on Four Paws an "irresistible outing." I'm thrilled! Here's the full review: Fear on Four Paws: A Pru Marlowe Pet Noir Clea Simon. Poisoned Pen, $15.95 trade paper (272p) ISBN 978-1-4642-1009-9 At the...
Writing without a net
Mystery authors tend to break down into two camps: plotters and "pantsers," i.e., those who write by the seat of their pants. I tend to be a pantser. I start with an idea, a scenario, or a basic problem, and write from there, letting the story unfold as I go. This is...