"Another great installment" and ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN!

Memes and Fiction calls my Kittens Can Kill "another great installment in the Pru Marlowe series. I've read all five now, and find each one more enthralling than the last" and gives it four stars. Today also marks the countdown on this book giveaway. Only three more days! Enter here.

Win a copy of CODE GREY!

Win a copy of my new Dulcie Schwartz feline mystery from Goodreads! Contest is open for one month before the official Aug. 1 U.S. release date!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Code Grey

by Clea Simon

Giveaway ends July 26, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Is Pru "a superbly strong heroine"? This librarian thinks so!

In Kings River Life, Cynthia Chow writes, "Despite Pru’s prickliness, her brittle nature, and a less-than-pristine past, she is ultimately likable and admirable as she guards over animals that seem far nobler than humans. As she says, nature isn’t pretty but humans only make it worse. The title comes, prophetically enough, from an animal control officer’s ferret that provides the clue Pru interprets incorrectly. This novel delves deeply into noir territory with family drama and the secrets of an unforgiving small town, and it features a superbly strong heroine learning to lower her defenses and open herself up to a life filled with possibilities."Thanks so much, Cynthia! Read more here.

"This unusual and intelligent series continues to surprise"! THANK YOU, BOOKLIST!!

"This unusual and intelligent series continues to surprise, with additional backstory on some of the characters adding layers of interest. Readers will not want Dulcie to finish her dissertation anytime soon."

Wow, I am over the moon!

Full text:

Author: CLEA SIMON

Title: CODE GREY

Publication: BOOKLIST

Issue: 1ST JULY 2015


Code Grey. Simon, Clea (Author), Aug 2015. 224 p. Severn, hardcover, $28.95. (9780727885067). Severn, paperback, (9781847516107). Severn, e-book, (9781780106618).

Working on her dissertation, Dulcie Schwartz is one of the few people remaining at Harvard over spring break. Her scholarly pursuits are interrupted when she comes to the defense of a former Harvard student, Jeremy, now homeless, who is found at a construction sight, holding a long-missing, valuable book. Police like Jeremy for the rash of recent campus break-ins, but Dulcie doesn’t buy it. With the help of her friend, rare-books librarian Mr. Griddlehaus, she begins to research the history of the missing book, which was part of a collection donated to the library decades ago, when Griddlehaus, Jeremy, and the head of facilities were all students. Cats play a role, of course, in sorting out the mystery, and Dulcie’s abilities to communicate with felines comes in very handy. This unusual and intelligent series continues to surprise, with additional backstory on some of the characters adding layers of interest. Readers will not want Dulcie to finish her dissertation anytime soon.

Take Your Cat to Work Day

Today is Take Your Cat To Work Day! A great idea, but not for everybody - or every kitty. As comments point out, most cats are very territory-based: they are most comfortable in a place they know and will be unhappy going someplace new, even with their best human. (Why we get a cat sitter as opposed to boarding Musetta when we travel.) But not every cat is alike. Of course, this is a no-brainer for me! I'm a writer and I work at home. Or, you could say, my workplace and Musetta's overlap (i.e., I work in her realm. For her, of course)

And coming soon... Dulcie's back!

Dulcie Schwartz returns this summer!

"Brilliantly written, fast paced, funny cozy mystery."

And this Book Bug reviewof Kittens Can Kill calls it, a "[b]rilliantly written, fast paced, funny cozy mystery" with "ery colourful characters, interesting relationships between them," concluding, "I will definitely have some catching up to do (this was the first one for me in the series. The fact that I loved it can prove it does well as a standalone as well." Read more here.

"One of the most interesting characters to come along in quite a while"

Pru Marlowe, that is, and the "highly intriguing" mystery is my Kittens Can Kill. Want to read the entire review from Vic's Media Room? Click here.

KITTENS CAN KILL "more than just a mystery"

Trust a librarian to give a thoughtful review! Reviewing my Kittens Can Kill, the Bookblog of the Bristol Public Library says, in part: "As with most of the best books, Simon gives the reader more than just a mystery. It’s an exploration of the relationships between people and animals, both domestic and wild, and how one can impact the other in unexpected ways and sometimes unhappy ways. Food for thought!" Want to read more, click here.

Not quite free books, but ...

Do you know about http://www.thefussylibrarian.com? If not, you should. The librarian send out an email daily letting readers know about discounted ebooks. They're not always new, but many of them will be new to you. And tomorrow – June 16 – one of my books will be featured. So if you sign up today, you'll get the email tomorrow... It's free, of course.

I chat with John Raab of Suspense Magazine!

This was fun! Listen to us talk mysteries, cats, murder, and more on Suspense Magazine BlogTalkRadio.

Want to win some free books?

It's not too late to win my Kittens Can Kill! All this month, I'm being hosted on a blog tour by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours. They've set up interviews, reviews, guest posts, and more – and most of them link to chances to win free books. Come see my full itinerary and enter to win.

Is KITTENS the best Pru yet? Richmond Times-Dispatch thinks so!

"With a clever plot that keeps the reader guessing — and a deeper look into Pru’s inner life and demons — “Kittens Can Kill” shines as the best installment yet in Simon’s entertaining and thoughtful series." That's how the Richmond Times-Dispatch review puts it. Would you like to read more?

Crimebake filling up fast!

I know it's hard to think about autumn when spring has only just finally arrived. But CrimeBake, New England's own mystery conference, has been announced for Nov. 6-8, and registration is filling up fast! The great Elizabeth George is the guest of honor – and yours truly will be on a panel on Saturday (along with Donna Andrews, Leslie Meier, Roberta Isleib, and Paul Doiron, wow!). Won't you join us?

It's been too long ...

Did you know about Kittens Can Kill?