Why independent bookstores rule

I may never be a bestseller according to the New York Times or Publishers Weekly, but here in my hometown, at Harvard Book Store, my new Dogs Don't Lie is the second-most-popular paperback this week. I am thrilled! And, in case you're curious, yes, you can order a signed copy from Harvard Books, or Brookline Booksmith, Partners & Crime (NYC), or Books on the Square (Providence, RI). They will happily ship 'em off to you! (You can order Dogs Don't Lie online, but most of these stores have Grey Zone in stock, too - call and ask!)

On my way to BEA!

I'm on my way to the huge Book Expo America today! I'll be signing (and giving away!) copies of Dogs Don't Lie and Grey Matters, donated by my publishers. I'm also looking forward to meeting one of my publishers - Severn House - the home of Dulcie and Mr Grey, since they'll be there. And, of course, I'm psyched to catch up with old friends, meet some people I've only read or chatted with online - and grab as much swag as I can carry! I'll report later, but if you're at BEA, come by the MWA (Mystery Writers of America) booth #4482 at 3:30 today and say "hi."

One of my favorite (feline) fans

The Book Blog of the Bristol Public Library is a great source for reviews and news. But I must confess, I love it most for Melon, librarian Jeanne's faithful feline. Here he is, "taken aback by a plot twist" in Grey Zone.

Booklist calls "Grey Zone" a "MUST READ"!

"The fast-paced story is propelled by Dulcie’s frenetic investigations and harried personal life, but unlike in many cozies—in which the mystery plot is lost amid the personal detail—here the many scenes from Dulcie’s life actually support the main story. ... a must read."

Full review:

Publication: BOOKLIST

Issue: 1ST MAY 2011


Simon, Clea. Grey Zone: A Dulcie Schwartz Mystery. Severn House. May 2011. c.216p. ISBN 9780727869920. $28.95.

Graduate student Dulcie Schwartz and her ghostly feline, Mr. Grey, return in a third academia-set cozy. Dulcie, stressed with midterms and a new thesis adviser, is also having dreams about the author of Ravages of Umbria (her thesis subject) that have her convinced that the author was in someway silenced in 1794. And then she not only witnesses a suicide but thinks one of her undergraduate students may be involved. The fast-paced story is propelled by Dulcie’s frenetic investigations and harried personal life, but unlike in many cozies—in which the mystery plot is lost amid the personal detail—here the many scenes from Dulcie’s life actually support the main story, whether they are Dulcie’s phone calls with her commune-dwelling mother, Dulcie’s kitten troubles, or her worries about long-time boyfriend and fellow grad-student, Chris. A must read for series fans, the novel should also be suggested to Lauren Willig and Jennifer Lee Carrell readers.

My agent likes it!

She loves that I'm developing/revealing more of Pru's character, she found the plot nicely complex (and at one point suspected a red herring - ha!). In short, Cats Can't Shoot – the followup to Dogs Don't Lie in the Pru Marlowe pet psychic series – is a go. Once I read it through one more time for myself, of course. Whee!