Reviewed by Chris
Longmuir
One of my choices of Cosy Crime for my own book Crime Fiction and the Indie Contribution,
was The Temporary Detective, by
Joanne Sydney Lessner, and once I started to read I was surprised to discover
this was an American book. I have read many American authors, and I like their
style, which is quite different from most British writing. But I had not
previously linked American authors to cosy crime. However, after further
investigation, I discovered this is a popular genre in the US.
I loved this book. I thought it an enjoyable light
read, probably ideal for the beach, or to read on a journey. It had all the
elements of a cosy – an amateur detective, a mystery to solve, a whodunit, no
graphic sex or violence, although it was hinted at in the book, and being a
more modern cosy it did not shy away from characters who were gay, or cross
dressers. The setting was New York, which it could be argued, was not a small
community. However, the action took place in the offices of a company which did
meet the criteria of a closed community. Above all, it had humour, as well as
likeable and realistic characters. This was the first book of a series, so I
will be watching out for the publication of the next one.
(excerpt from Crime
Fiction and the Indie Contribution)
Chris Longmuir
You can buy The Temporary Detective from:
and you can buy Crime Fiction and the Indie Contribution
from:
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