Clea Simon's Blog, page 30

Lippman’s Baltimore

Laura Lippman’s THE LADY IN THE LAKE is more than a good read, it offers a truly timely commentary

I wrote about this for the Arts Fuse:

When President Trump wanted to take down Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D- MD) last week, he did so by deriding Baltimore, which is in Cummings’ majority-black district, as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.” In the days since then, the debate has moved onto the prejudice (or lack thereof) behind those tweets, using their veracity (or lack thereof) as evidence. The truth of course, is more complicated than any 140 (or 280) character volley can encapsulate.

To understand the complex tapestry of race and poverty in Baltimore – as in any American city – it helps to look at its roots. Luckily, a Baltimore writer has done just that, with an improbably well-timed release that, while fictional, may do a better job of illuminating the multifaceted Maryland metropolis’s story than either the angry outbursts or the reactions they provoke…. read more here

“An Incantation of Cats” cover reveal!

I just got this cover image for my upcoming (Jan. 14, 2020) An Incantation of Cats, the second “Witch Cats of Cambridge” book, and I am overjoyed! I’m so grateful to Polis Books for capturing the magic – and the felines – of my witch cat cozy series! What do you think?

Five Questions with Hilary Davidson

Looking for plot twists? New noir? Hilary Davidson is you’re gal. This Anthony Award winner switches between thrillers, short stories, and her new Shadows of New York series. A former journalist, she knows how to engage the reader – and she talks process and progress here with us today. Thanks, Hilary!

How does a book start for you?

It’s a crazy process that begins with me thinking about a character… and one day, lightning will strike. I know that sounds vague, but here’s what I mean: With my latest book, One Small Sacrifice,I knew that the main suspect, Alex Traynor, was a war photographer with PTSD and that his fiancée had vanished. But the Eureka!moment came when I read a news story about a woman who’d died in a fall from the roof of her building; she’d been up there with her boyfriend when her husband came home. It sounded like a classic love triangle and you thinkyou know what happened, but no one was ever charged with a crime. Something about that story haunted me. It inspired the backstory of the book, in which a friend of Alex’s died in a fall from his building. It’s not clear what happened that night, except that both Alex and his friend were high on ketamine. But he’s not just a troubled guy with a missing fiancée; he’s a man with a guilty conscience and holes in his memory. It makes the fact that he can’t remember the night his fiancée vanished even more ominous. 

Who in your latest book has surprised you most – and why?

That would be NYPD Detective Sheryn Sterling. When I started writing One Small Sacrifice,I knew Alex Traynor’s story well, but all I knew about Sheryn was that she had investigated the death of Alex’s friend a year earlier, and that she believed Alex got away with murder on a technicality. I was aware that she was obsessed with the case, but as I wrote the book, I became obsessed with hercharacter. She had her own family history with PTSD — her father served in the military — and it gave her both compassion for Alex and a chilling awareness of what he’s capable of. She went from being a supporting character to the lead character in the book, and now the ongoing character in a series. Sheryn is full of surprises!

When and/or where is your latest book set and is there a story behind that setting?

Contemporary New York City, with much of the book’s action being set around Hell’s Kitchen. I love that neighborhood for many reasons, but particularly because there have been repeated attempts to gentrify it, and none of those plans has ever fully succeeded. It’s a gritty place, and the fact that the shiny new Hudson Yards development — a playground for plutocrats — is on its doorstep only increases the tension there.

What are you working on now?

I just finished the developmental edit of the second book in the series, Don’t Look Down,which will be out in February 2020 from Thomas & Mercer. It’s not a spoiler to say Detective Sterling will be back. The new case centers on a young female entrepreneur who’s being blackmailed about her past; in chapter one, she tries to pay off her blackmailer and everything goes to hell very quickly. 

Which question didn’t I ask you that I should have?

When I’m not writing novels, I’m working on short stories. They remain my first love, because they allow me to explore an endless array of characters and narrative styles; they’re my playground. They’ve also given me the chance to work with some amazing people. Most recently, that’s included Lawrence Block, who edited At Home in the Dark; Holly West, who edited Murder-A-Go-Go’s; and Ed Aymar and Sarah M. Chen, who edited The Swamp Killers. 

Hilary Davidson has won two Anthony Awards as well as the Derringer, Spinetingler, and Crimespree awards. She is the author of the Lily Moore series — which includes The Damage Done, The Next One to Fall, and Evil in All Its Disguises — the standalone thriller Blood Always Tells, and a short-story collection called The Black Widow Club. Her latest novel, One Small Sacrifice, was just published by Thomas & Mercer, and received a starred review from Library Journal, which said, “Fans of Karin Slaughter, Tana French, and Lisa Gardner will devour this new police procedural, which boasts a strong female detective and an intriguing antagonist. Sheryn [Sterling] will draw in readers, and Davidson’s complex storytelling will keep them wanting more.” Visit her online at https://www.hilarydavidson.com

Reader Appreciation Weekend tix…

Tickets for the Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation Weekend (happening April 26-28, 2020) will NOT go on sale tonight, July 26, as originally publicized. Instead, they will go on sale on September 20, 11:59 p.m. CST, – and be forewarned: THEY WILL SELL OUT!

For the very latest, check out Barbara’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/67400... You can also post questions for Barbara and her organizing committee there. Barbara’s also going to post mini interviews with all of us participating authors, so please keep checking in!

“I expected the cat ears…”

I expected the cat ears, not the rock and rollers….” A look back at my first time at Boskone, for the Sisters in Crime New England blog.

Five Questions with Aimee Hix

Aimee Hix has been nominated for just about every prize there is (think Lefty, Agatha, Anthony, Shamus, etc.) and her protagonist, PI Willa Pennington is why. The tough-as-nails private investigator puts herself on the line in her first two outings. We’re eagerly awaiting more…

How does a book start for you?

Something, and it can be something that I’ve seen a dozen times, will catch my eye and instead of seeing it as it is, I see something more, something awful. It’s like finally remembering something that’s been on the tip of my tongue and it’s finally ready to ignite sparks; it starts tumbling in my head, setting everything ablaze like an errant firework. 

Who in your latest book has surprised you most – and why?

I think Detective Jan Boyd surprised me the most. She gave Willa freedoms that I wasn’t expecting. She challenged her in ways I wasn’t expecting. She seemed to zig when I had planned for her to zag. She ended up being more like my mentor, Matt Clemens, than I had originally planned even though he was, role-wise, the inspiration for her in the first place.

When and/or where is your latest book set and is there a story behind that setting?

My Willa Pennington PI series is set in contemporary Fairfax County, Virginia. It’s my “hometown” and such a richly diverse area financially and culturally that it’s rife for setting fictional mischief.

What are you working on now?

I actually have three books in progress right now. 

The third Willa Pennington book, which I have just received the rights back from Midnight Ink/Llewellyn as they won’t be publishing mysteries anymore.I’m starting a new series, cozier than my Willa books, based around the family secrets of a French-American woman.I have a very dark thriller about what happens when a woman reaches her breaking point and refuses to be a victim any longer.

Which question didn’t I ask you that I should have?

Is having three dogs the best thing ever? Yes, it is the best thing ever if you like loud, muddy, and drool and fur on everything. Luckily, I do. Or I don’t necessarily like those things but I’m willing to put up with them to snuggle with the sweetest dogs ever. #teamblackdog

Aimee spent twenty years working as a federal contractor, so she spent a lot of time contemplating murder. It made total sense that once she retired she would devote her whole life to it. Fictional murder, of course.

She is a native of Northern Virginia and so she truly understands the trials and tribulations of her main character, Willa Pennington, an apprentice PI starting her new career in the Starbucks-laden, decidedly non-gritty streets of Fairfax County.

Aimee lives in Virginia her family, three dogs, and all her killer thoughts. You can visit her at www.aimeehix.com.

Drinks with Reads!

Thrilled to take part in this regular Friday feature over at Mystery Playground. The setup is simple – it’s Friday! Wouldn’t you want to unwind with a drink with your favorite character? Whether you want one with a bit of – ahem – feline spirit or you prefer something a little more innocent, I think you’ll enjoy the beverage we dreamed up for Becca from A Spell of Murder over at Drinks with Reads.

The Feline Spirit cocktail. Recipe at the Mystery Playground.

Five Questions with Laura Purcell

As any reader of my Dulcie Schwartz mysteries must have figured out, I love a good Gothic – the weirder and scarier, the better! Well, I first heard of Laura Purcell from a publicist. Was I interested in reviewing her upcoming The Poison Thread, described as a Victorian Gothic? Well, no, I didn’t have the space and no editor had assigned it – but I’d try to work it into my summer preview. Then that went awry (turns out, the assignment wasn’t for a preview exactly) and it didn’t even end up making the version that I’ve shared with Lesa Holstine’s blog. But by then I had an actual advance copy of the book. And one night I picked it up and stayed up way too late. Yes, it’s that good – spooky and scary and just good fun! And so when the publicist reached out again, I said, “No, but….” So here’s an author I’ve never met, but I’m proud to introduce her to you here anyway!

 How does a book start for you?

It’s a strange process and a bit different each time. I tend to see an interesting object or hear an anecdote that I think would work well in a book. Then I try to develop it, and often end up linking it with other story ideas to make a fully formed plot. The next step is to flesh out potential characters and conflict. In the end, if I think the basic outline could work I discuss it with my agent to get her opinion before I start writing. 

Who in your latest book has surprised you most – and why?

The character of Dorothea surprised me as in my original conception of the story, she started off in a very minor role. I promoted her to ‘framing device’ but then she took on a real life of her own and ended up hijacking the finale.

When and/or where is your latest book set and is there a story behind that setting?

 THE POISON THREAD is set during the 1840s in a fictional city called Oakgate. I chose this period as my main character is a dressmaker, and this was about the time that the terrible working conditions for dressmakers began to become exposed in public. I also liked the fashion of the 1840s, which helped when I had to describe lots of clothing.

What are you working on now?

I’ve already written another book called BONE CHINA, which is releasing in the UK this September. It’s about a Georgian-era doctor who sets up a seaside colony to try and cure tuberculosis, but his experiments are thwarted by superstition and tales of fairies. I’m currently writing the next book, THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS, which features a silhouette artist and a child spirit-medium.

Which question didn’t I ask you that I should have?

I have a lot of stories about the research for THE POISON THREAD. I actually took classes to learn how to make a corded corset, went through a period of writing wearing a corset, and taught myself the pseudo-science of phrenology with a porcelain bust.

Laura Purcell is the author of The Silent Companions. She worked in local government, the financial industry and a bookshop before becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Colchester, the oldest recorded town in England, with her husband and pet guinea pigs. Fascinated by the darker side of royal history, Laura has also written two historical fiction novels about the Hanoverian dynasty. 

#KillYourDarlings

There’s a reason we writers say, “kill your darlings” and it has nothing to do with murder or even mystery. Instead, it refers to those words or phrases about which we are all a little too over fond.

I reviewed Howard Norman’s latest, The Ghost Clause, for the Boston Globe this week and was reminded why that’s such good advice. There’s so much about this novel that’s beautiful and well crafted. But the third time in five pages that I ran into the word “crepuscular…”? Ugh. Just no.

You can read the full review here.

“A dead writer haunts his former home, reliving the conflicts of his own past life as he observes the young couple who have moved into the rural Vermont farmhouse he once shared with his beloved wife. That’s the premise of National Book Award finalist Howard Norman’s latest novel, “ The Ghost Clause .” But if that sounds like a horror story, or at least a tragedy, this new book is anything but…”

#TuesdayTreat (win a book)

Book giveaway! Today I’m participating in Denise Swanson’s Tuesday Treat, offering a signed copy of her DIE ME A RIVER by Denise Swanson, author of the Scumble River cozies and – soon – a new paranormal series, too Leave a comment on my author Facebook page for a chance to win (U.S. only please!) 

The chips are down in Scumble River

School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd had hoped that her maternity leave would be at least a little relaxing, but when she and her husband, Wally, meet with the priest to discuss their newborn twins’ christening, an explosion at the nearby bowling alley rocks the rectory. And although the business was closed at the time of the blast, there’s a body inside.

As police chief, Wally is inevitably drawn into the investigation, which seems to indicate that foul play is afoot again in Scumble River, and Skye can’t help but do a bit of her own sleuthing. But the clues come fast and furious, ranging from an odd new stranger in town to animosity toward the gambling machines that had recently been installed at the bowling alley, and Skye finds herself wondering if this could be the puzzle that stumps her for good.

New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson has penned another hit for cozy fans with Die Me a River, the latest installment in her beloved Welcome Back to Scumble River mystery series. https://www.facebook.com/groups/428723763963797/