Monday 21 July 2014

The Temporary Detective by Joanne Sydney Lessner

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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