Thank you, Publishers Weekly

"Clever... pithy dialozuge and distinctive characterizations..." These are some of the early words from Publishers Weekly for my April pet noir, Parrots Prove Deadly.
Parrots Prove Deadly: A Pru Marlowe Pet Noir
Clea Simon. Poisoned Pen, $24.95 (278p) ISBN 978-1-4642-0104-2

A parrot proves a key murder witness in Simon’s clever third mystery featuring Pru Marlowe, a latter-day Doctor Dolittle, who practices in the Berkshire town of Beauville (after 2012’s Cats Can’t Shoot). When 84-year-old Polly Larkin, who lives in a room with her parrot, Randolph Jones, in a retirement complex, dies abruptly, Pru investigates. Pru determines that someone attempted to poison Randolph Jones, presumably to cover his or her tracks. Suspects include Polly’s two grown children; resident gerontologist Dr. Wachtell; Polly’s blind friend, Rose Danziger; and Rose’s aide, Genie. Pru meticulously pieces the clues together with psychic advice from a fuzzy crew of confidantes: her tabby, Wallis; Rose’s seeing-eye dog, Buster; Frank the ferret; and the neighbor’s bichon, Growler. Det. Jim Creighton, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, lends human assistance. Simon’s pithy dialogue and distinctive characterizations more than compensate for the predictable plot. (Apr.)
Reviewed on 02/22/2013 |