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C. P. Lesley, Novelist

A woman runs in silhouette in front of a group of old-fashioned town houses, the London skyline dimly visible behind them and a pair of ravens in the sky; cover of Kristen Perrin's How to Cheat Your Own Death

A woman runs in silhouette in front of a group of old-fashioned town houses, the London skyline dimly visible behind them and a pair of ravens in the sky; cover of Kristen Perrin's How to Cheat Your Own Death

Interview with Kristen Perrin

Interview with dual-timeline historical and contemporary mystery novelist Kristen Perrin, whose latest Castle Knoll mysteries has just come out with Kensington Books

cplesley

May 15 min read

A brown-haired woman in a bright blue 18th-century style dress, seen from the back, holds a basket of ripe fruit and stands in a meadow, facing a city on a hill; cover of Stephanie Dray's and Laura Kamoie's A Founding Mother

A brown-haired woman in a bright blue 18th-century style dress, seen from the back, holds a basket of ripe fruit and stands in a meadow, facing a city on a hill; cover of Stephanie Dray's and Laura Kamoie's A Founding Mother

Bookshelf, Spring 2026

Novels on my bookshelf in the spring of 2026, by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, Shana Galen, April Howells, Kristen Perrin, Caitlin Shetterly, and Marian Yee

cplesley

Apr 33 min read

A woman's face tilted back so she's looking at the sky slowly bleeds in blue ink into the jade green background; cover of The Fountain by Casey Scieszka

A woman's face tilted back so she's looking at the sky slowly bleeds in blue ink into the jade green background; cover of The Fountain by Casey Scieszka

Interview with Casey Scieszka

Interview with the author Casey Scieszka, whose magical realist novel The Fountain was published by Harper in March 2026

cplesley

Mar 204 min read

A woman in Elizabethan dress, including a large ruff and cut off above the nose; cover of Jennifer Ashley's Eloise and the Queen

A woman in Elizabethan dress, including a large ruff and cut off above the nose; cover of Jennifer Ashley's Eloise and the Queen

Bookshelf, Winter 2026

Novels, mostly historical fiction, on my Winter 2026 bookshelf, by Jennifer Ashley, Janie Chang, Sandra Freels, Kaoru Mori, Casey Scieszka, and Linda Wilgus

cplesley

Jan 24 min read

Drawing of a woman in a tight-fitting blue dress, wearing pearls and a tiara and looking over her sunglasses. At her feet are two Welsh Corgis. She carries a camera and a black purse with the letters ER, all set against a lighter blue backdrop; cover of S. J. Bennett's The Queen Who Came In from the Cold.

Drawing of a woman in a tight-fitting blue dress, wearing pearls and a tiara and looking over her sunglasses. At her feet are two Welsh Corgis. She carries a camera and a black purse with the letters ER, all set against a lighter blue backdrop; cover of S. J. Bennett's The Queen Who Came In from the Cold.

New Books Network Interview: S. J. Bennett

New Books Network interview with the author S. J. Bennett about her mystery series featuring Queen Elizabeth II

cplesley

Dec 12, 20252 min read

A swirling drawing of waves beneath a yellow sun, a red sky, and several seabirds; cover of Mirta Ojito's Deeper Than the Ocean

A swirling drawing of waves beneath a yellow sun, a red sky, and several seabirds; cover of Mirta Ojito's Deeper Than the Ocean

Interview with Mirta Ojito

Interview with Mirta Ojito, whose first novel, Deeper Than the Ocean, comes out in November 2025 from Union Square Publishing

cplesley

Oct 31, 20257 min read

A drawing of an idyllic scene with fields and mountains; an ivied building to one side and a pair of bikes at the front; cover of Ann Claire, A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants

A drawing of an idyllic scene with fields and mountains; an ivied building to one side and a pair of bikes at the front; cover of Ann Claire, A Cyclist's Guide to Crime and Croissants

Contemporary Mystery Series I Love

Contemporary mystery series I love, by Ann Claire, Krista Davis, Uzma Jalaluddin, Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare, and Claudia H. Long

cplesley

Oct 24, 20254 min read

A piano keyboard with burned matches in place of the ebony keys; cover of Sarah Landenwich's The Fire Concerto

A piano keyboard with burned matches in place of the ebony keys; cover of Sarah Landenwich's The Fire Concerto

New Books Network Interview: Sarah Landenwich

New Books Network interview with Sarah Landenwich, whose debut novel about three generations of female concert pianists has just come out with Union Square Publishing.

cplesley

Jul 18, 20252 min read

A filled bookshelf with three shelves sits against a beige/pink background. At the left of the top shelf and middle of the bottom one sit two dollhouses, lit from within. Cover of Elise Hooper's The Library of Lost Dollhouses

A filled bookshelf with three shelves sits against a beige/pink background. At the left of the top shelf and middle of the bottom one sit two dollhouses, lit from within. Cover of Elise Hooper's The Library of Lost Dollhouses

Interview with Elise Hooper

Interview with the historical novelist Elise Hooper, whose The Library of Lost Dollhouses, has just come out with William Morrow

cplesley

Apr 4, 20254 min read

Against a dimly perceived background of arches and buildings, a trim mannequin stands next to a stool holding a small pile of fabrics; cover of Kate Maruyama's novel Alterations

Against a dimly perceived background of arches and buildings, a trim mannequin stands next to a stool holding a small pile of fabrics; cover of Kate Maruyama's novel Alterations

Interview with Kate Maruyama

Interview with Kate Maruyama, whose latest historical/contemporary novel is just out with Running Wild Press

cplesley

Mar 14, 20256 min read

Interview with Joseph Finder

Interview with Joseph Finder

Interview with Joseph Finder

Interview with the contemporary thriller writer Joseph Finder, whose latest novel, The Oligarch's Daughter, came out in January 2025

cplesley

Jan 31, 20254 min read

A New Year of Interviews

A New Year of Interviews

A New Year of Interviews

A sneak peek at author interviews planned for January 2025, with Fiona Davis, Joseph Finder, Poppy Kuroki, and Kate Mosse

cplesley

Jan 3, 20254 min read

Watching Characters Grow

Watching Characters Grow

Watching Characters Grow

A discussion of what an author means by "watching characters grow" in a single novel or across a series

cplesley

Dec 13, 20244 min read

Bookshelf, Fall 2024

Bookshelf, Fall 2024

Bookshelf, Fall 2024

Fall 2024 Bookshelf: Suzanne Allain, Monica Chenault-Kilgore, Christina Dodd, Vanessa Kelly, Mimi Matthews, Alyson Richman, and Elif Shafak

cplesley

Sep 20, 20245 min read

Interview with Andrew Varga

Interview with Andrew Varga

Interview with Andrew Varga

Interview with Andrew Varga, whose latest Jump in Time novel (YA), set on the Eurasian steppe, has just come out from Imbrifex Books

cplesley

Aug 30, 20246 min read

Interview with Ellery Lloyd

Interview with Ellery Lloyd

Interview with Ellery Lloyd

Written interview with the husband-and-wife team who publish as Ellery Lloyd, about their latest suspense novel, just out from Harper

cplesley

Jun 28, 20245 min read

Interview with Audrey Burges

Interview with Audrey Burges

Interview with Audrey Burges

Interview with author Audrey Burges about her latest novel, A House Like an Accordion

cplesley

May 17, 20245 min read

Interview with Joyce Yarrow

Interview with Joyce Yarrow

Interview with Joyce Yarrow

Interview with Joyce Yarrow about her contemporary suspense series, Zahara and the Lost Books of Light and Stolen Lives

cplesley

Apr 12, 20245 min read

Food and Character

Food and Character

Food and Character

An exploration of food as an indicator of character in novels, citing Ruth Reichl and her work

cplesley

Feb 23, 20242 min read

Cats Mysterious and Contemplative

Cats Mysterious and Contemplative

Cats Mysterious and Contemplative

Survey of cats, mysterious and contemplative, in fiction—especially cozy mysteries

cplesley

Nov 10, 20237 min read

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