Reviews
Books to look forward to in 2020!
New year, new books! I like to say that books don't get stale. That means there's no reason not to read an older book (an old favorite like Hilary Mantel's A Place of Greater Safety or one I didn't get to, such as Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous ). But...
Favorite reads of 2019
This past year was the first in ages when I didn't have a new book out. I haven't stopped writing. Far from it!* But it did give me a bit of a breather in which to read – and now to talk about other's books. Therefore, in the spirit of the season, I'm giving my very...
Five Questions with Sharon Daynard
Sharon Daynard is a staple of our New England crime fiction community. I first came to know her through her short stories, which have been shortlisted for the Al Blanchard and Derringer awards. When I heard that Sharon had a novel coming out, of course I needed to...
Five Questions with Tom Piazza
I was aware of Tom Piazza before Why New Orleans Matters. His writing was long a go-to for insights into the music I loved. But this book, about the city we both love (and where he had moved years before Katrina), really made clear his genius. Since then, he's given...
Happy Chanukah!
Chanukah starts at dusk tonight, kicking off eight nights of festivities. As a perpetual procrastinator, I'm so glad it's late this year – bridging Christmas and the beginning of Kwanzaa too. So happy holiday season everyone, whatever you celebrate!
Looking for a good book?
Sisters in Crime New England solicited reading suggestions from all of us. Here's the list. Enjoy! If you're looking for a signed copy of any of mine, both Harvard Book Store and Porter Square Books have copies. Call to make sure you get a signed one – they both ship!...
Jezebel gets (cat) cozy!
For Cats Week, Jezebel tackles the concept of the cat mystery – and interviews yours truly. .. “You’re always going to go home and tell your cat what happened.” Simon theorizes that maybe we're following in the footsteps of an iconic detective duo, Sherlock Holmes and...
Five Questions with Art Taylor
I first encountered Art Taylor through his work. His story, "English 398: Fiction Workshop," was one of hundreds I and my colleagues read while judging the short fiction entries for last year's Edgar Awards, and while there were many (so many) wonderful entries, Art's...
“Extremely satisfying…”
Bookblog of the Bristol Library Reviews by the Reference Department of the Bristol Public Library, Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee. Monday, December 9, 2019 An Incantation of Cats: A Witch Cats of Cambridge Mystery by Clea Simon Reviewed by Jeanne Becca Colwin is slowly...
Five Questions with Judy Copek
You can't be part of the New England crime fiction community and not know Judy Copek and her husband Hans. One of the co-founders of our annual CrimeBake conference, Judy is an organizer, reader, and supporter of us all, and her own novels showcase both her world...