Clea Simon

Life and death. Music and murder. This is more than just stage fright... Gal, a talented musician, has returned to Boston to play a memorial for her late friend. But when she sees a particular face in the crowd, she freezes on stage. The next day, she learns that the man she saw has been beaten to death behind the venue - and her friend's widower Walter is being charged in connection with his murder. When Walter refuses to defend himself, Gal wonders if he is guilty. As memories of the past begin to flood back, she starts her own investigation. To uncover the truth, she must re-examine her own life, her perception of the past, and an industry with a dark underbelly.But what she discovers may prove hard to swallow... Hold Me Down is a gripping and dark tale of music, love and murder.

It's kitten season in Cambridge, and the results can be murder.Becca is coming home from her job at Charm and Cherish when she sees a kitten dodging cars on Mass Ave. She follows, only to see the kitten run down an alley. Becca follows when suddenly a bright light illuminates what turns out to be a dead-end. Before her, a strangely familiar body is on the ground--her ex boyfriend, Jeff. And right beside Jeff, the kitten is staring back at her. Becca scoops up the kitten and shoves her into her bag, before turning to face the police.The police received a call about a man and a woman arguing viciously, including threats of violence. Since the body is that of Becca's ex, she comes under suspicion. But more motives than jealousy soon emerge: Jeff was working on stealth software designed to record and transmit personal data - a new form of spyware that would be of interest to everyone from the police and security agencies to cybercriminals. Even as the police investigation appears to have moved on, Becca realizes she is under surveillance. And when Jeff's former friends and colleagues approach her, Becca finds the police aren't the only ones watching her. When a particularly secretive tech guru clumsily approaches, apparently trying to romance her, she enlists the aid of a contact from the local hacker group. Through him, she comes to realize that Jeff may have installed an early version of his software on her computer - and that it contains enough information for a knowledgeable IT geek to reproduce the finished result.Meanwhile, Becca is sheltering the little tortie - and her three magical cats are horrified. The tortie isn't of their lineage or their family. And yet she seems to have some powers of her own, which may help Becca discern friend from foe, solve Jeff's murder, and clear her name - with the help of her mystical feline friends.

A riveting work of dark suspense from acclaimed author Clea Simon Gal, a middle-aged musician, is back in Boston to play a memorial for her late drummer/best friend, when she finds herself freezing on stage at the sight of a face in the crowd. The next day, she learns that the man she saw has been killed - beaten to death behind the venue - and her friend's widower is being charged in connection with his death. When the friend refuses to defend himself, Gal wonders why and, as the memories of begin to flood back, she starts her own informal investigation. As she does so, she must reexamine her own wild life, her perception of the past, and an industry that monetizes dysfunction in a dark tale of love, music, and murder.

When a panicked stranger shows up at Charm and Cherish, Becca Colwin feels compelled to help. But when that stranger then disappears, leaving behind her heirloom violin the aspiring witch detective is drawn further into a web of deceit and intrigue complicated by a history that only Becca’s three magical cats truly understand.

A riveting work of dark suspense from acclaimed author Clea Simon Gal, a middle-aged musician, is back in Boston to play a memorial for her late drummer/best friend, when she finds herself freezing on stage at the sight of a face in the crowd. The next day, she learns that the man she saw has been killed – beaten to death behind the venue – and her friend’s widower is being charged in connection with his death. When the friend refuses to defend himself, Gal wonders why and, as the memories of begin to flood back, she starts her own informal investigation. As she does so, she must reexamine her own wild life, her perception of the past, and an industry that monetizes dysfunction in a dark tale of love, music, and murder.

The new novel in Clea Simon’s spellbinding Witch Cats of Cambridge series! When two new clients seek Becca’s professional services, the fledgling witch detective is overjoyed. Finally, she can use her skills to help her magical community. But as the young witch finds the new cases intertwining, things grow more complicated. Becca’s three cats – the ones with the real power – can smell something is wrong with these clients. But not even Clara, the calico, knows what to do when a man ends up dead and a powerful and poisonous root appears – and disappears – in the case. To make matters worse, Clara and her littermates are feuding – and she can’t tell them about an unsettling interaction she’s had with one of the client’s sisters. Is it possible that some humans may have the same powers as the magical felines? What does that mean for Clara’s beloved Becca – and for the potent poison that has already taken one person’s life? In this second Witch Cats of Cambridge mystery, Clara and her sisters must learn to work together if they are to save the person they all love.

The reappearance of an old enemy from the past spells trouble for young private investigator, Care, and her feline companion, Blackie.Care's reputation as a private investigator is growing and clients are beating a path to her door. An elderly woman seeks her help in finding out what happened to her brother. Blackie senses he's met this woman before, some time before he became a cat. But who is she - and what is their connection?At the same time, a dockworker asks Care to find a colleague who's gone missing. But how come a poor labourer has the funds to pay for Care's services? As Blackie and Care delve further, it becomes clear that neither client has been telling the whole truth. Then a body is discovered at the waterfront, and the investigation takes a disturbing new twist .

"Clea Simon writes with authority and affection about a lost world. Highly recommended" Catriona McPhersonThis intriguing, hardhitting, intricately-plotted mystery set in Boston's clubland marks an exciting new departure for cozy author Clea Simon. The Boston club scene may be home to a cast of outsiders and misfits, but it's where Tara Winton belongs; the world she's been part of for the past twenty years. Now, one of the old gang is dead, having fallen down the basement stairs at his home.With her journalist's instincts, Tara senses there's something not quite right about Frank's supposedly accidental death. When she asks questions, she begins to uncover some disturbing truths about the club scene in its heyday. Beneath the heady, sexually charged atmosphere lurked something darker. Twenty years ago, there was another death. Could there be a connection? Is there a killer still at large . and could Tara herself be at risk?

There's trouble brewing in the woods of Beauville, and the only witness isn't talking. When Pru Marlowe is called to a forest clearing to help with an illegally trapped bear, she finds a colleague passed out drunk, his pet ferret locked in his truck. When one of her old running buddies turns up dead as well and then the town's pampered pets begin to disappear, Pru can't tell if her heavy-drinking colleague is involved - or how much the ferret, a wise little creature called Frank, knows. Frank's not communicating - even to her - and for once the bad-girl animal psychic is at a loss. The offer of a job - and maybe something more - from a hunky warden only complicates Pru's life as she goes on her rounds between her small Berkshires hometown and the woods that lie beyond. And although her crotchety tabby, Wallis, would have her make some changes in what has become a familiar routine, Pru knows her special skills set her apart as the only one who can shed light on these crimes - and save the animals at risk. But as the mysteries pile up, Pru is forced to admit that even a city-hardened animal communicator can't understand everything that's going on, and that a small town may be as dangerous as the darkest woods when a predator is on the prowl.

There's trouble brewing in the woods of Beauville, and the only witness isn't talking. When Pru Marlowe is called to a forest clearing to help with an illegally trapped bear, she finds a colleague passed out drunk, his pet ferret locked in his truck. When one of her old running buddies turns up dead as well and then the town's pampered pets begin to disappear, Pru can't tell if her heavy-drinking colleague is involved - or how much the ferret, a wise little creature called Frank, knows. Frank's not communicating - even to her - and for once the bad-girl animal psychic is at a loss. The offer of a job - and maybe something more - from a hunky warden only complicates Pru's life as she goes on her rounds between her small Berkshires hometown and the woods that lie beyond. And although her crotchety tabby, Wallis, would have her make some changes in what has become a familiar routine, Pru knows her special skills set her apart as the only one who can shed light on these crimes - and save the animals at risk. But as the mysteries pile up, Pru is forced to admit that even a city-hardened animal communicator can't understand everything that's going on, and that a small town may be as dangerous as the darkest woods when a predator is on the prowl.

The Boston rock music scene is where Tara Winton belongs; the world she's been part of for 20 years. But when one of the old gang dies in mysterious circumstances, Tara sets out to uncover the disturbing truth beneath the surface of the club scene in its heyday.

Three figures, shadowy against the light. That's all I remember from my past life, as I am dragged, dripping and half-drowned, from the flood. My saviour, a strange, pink-haired girl, is little help. She can barely care for herself, let alone the boy she loves. And although she has sworn to avenge the murder of her mentor, she must first escape the clutches of drug dealers, murderers and thieves. I would repay her kindness if I could. But we are alone in this blighted city - and I am a cat.The past is an enigma to Blackie, the voice of Clea Simon's dark new mystery. Combining elements of feline fantasy and cozy whodunit, The Ninth Life introduces this unusual hero and his companion, Care: two small creatures in a nightmarish urban landscape, fighting for their lives, and for the lives and memories of those they love.

Three figures, shadowy against the light. That's all I remember from my past life, as I am dragged, dripping and half-drowned, from the flood. My saviour, a strange, pink-haired girl, is little help. She can barely care for herself, let alone the boy she loves. And although she has sworn to avenge the murder of her mentor, she must first escape the clutches of drug dealers, murderers and thieves. I would repay her kindness if I could. But we are alone in this blighted city - and I am a cat.The past is an enigma to Blackie, the voice of Clea Simon's dark new mystery. Combining elements of feline fantasy and cozy whodunit, The Ninth Life introduces this unusual hero and his companion, Care: two small creatures in a nightmarish urban landscape, fighting for their lives, and for the lives and memories of those they love.

The dead don't keep pets. So when animal behaviorist expert Pru Marlowe gets a call about a kitten, she doesn't expect to find the cuddly creature playing beside the cooling body of prominent Beauville lawyer David Canaday. Heart attack? His three adult daughters angrily blame drug interactions, feline allergies--and each other. And begin to feud over their father, his considerable estate, and that cute ball of fluff. While the cause of death is pending, each sister has an axe to grind--with arguments that escalate when David's partner reads out the will. Pru's special sensitivity to animals, which caused her to flee the cacophony of Manhattan for the quiet Berkshires, adds further problems. The local vet is overwhelmed as the animal hospital's money runs out. There's a needy Sheltie and some invasive squirrels, too. But the dead man's kitten, his former partner, and his troublesome family keep drawing "wild-girl" animal psychic Pru back in. Despite the wry observations of her trusty tabby Wallis, now the wrongfully accused kitten's guardian, and the grudging compliance of her cop lover, this may be one time when Pru can't solve the mystery or save the kitten she wants to believe is innocent. A single witness knows the truth about that bright spring morning. How far can Pru investigate without risking her own hidden tale?

Praise for previous Pru Marlowe Pet Noirs..."Pru Marlowe can hear what animals are thinking? The wonderfully talented Clea Simon makes it a delight to believe it. Clever, original and completely captivating!" -Agatha award winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan of Parrots Prove DeadlyWhile walking Spot, a service dog in training, Pru Marlowe is led to the mangled body of a young woman. Before she knows it, Pru's investigating the apparent wild cat attack-but there haven't been pumas in the area for years. Wallis, Pru's tabby, is sure there's a killer cat at large, but Spot suggests that the violent death was something more than an animal attack. With panther panic growing, Pru may have to put aside her own issues-and her own ideas of domesticity-to solve a savage mystery.Clea Simon is the author of the Theda Krakow and Dulcie Schwartz mysteries, as well as several nonfiction books. A former journalist, Simon lives in Massachusetts with her husband and their cat.www.cleasimon.com

Praise for Parrots Prove Deadly..."Pru Marlowe can hear what animals are thinking?...Clea Simon makes it a delight to believe it. Clever, original and completely captivating!" -Hank Phillippi Ryan Anthony, Agatha and Macavity winning authorWhen Pru Marlowe is called in to retrain a foul-mouthed African gray after its owner's death, the animal psychic can't help hearing the bird's words as a replay of a murder scene. But the doctor on call scoffs at the idea, and the heirs just want their late mother's pet to quit cursing. The only other possible witnesses are evasive, leaving Pru stuck with what may be a feather-brained theory. Even her crotchety tabby Wallis doesn't buy it, but Pru agrees to "interrogate" the big bird, and is soon dealing with drugs, jealousy, and a potential rabies outbreak.... Clea Simon lives in Massachusetts with her husband Jon and their cat Musetta.www.CleaSimon.com