Clea Simon
An eclectic round-up of the favorite books of the year from our critics.
The all-too-human propensity for not only telling yourself what you want to hear but taking what you see at face value is what drives the action.
Clea Simon’s latest mystery, “Bad Boy Beat,” features the memorable heroine Em Kelton, a tough Boston journalist who can mix with the hard-boiled reporters and hard-living cops on her beat — none of whom want to realize that she happens to be a brilliant detective.
Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, television, film, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.
Age certainly wasn’t an issue in terms of energy. Elvis Costello played for a solid two hours with barely a break, running through four decades of music with a heavy emphasis on the old favorites.
Author Claire Kohda is particularly deft at illustrating how unacknowledged desire will out, undermining our best intentions.
Even as an entry in such an idiosyncratic (and appealing) series, this case is one of the most personal our protagonist – a thoughtful, compassionate man – has faced.
For all the sensual lushness of Melissa Broder’s writing, that hard center remains, one where appetite invites awareness, bringing with it pain as well as satiety.
On many levels, Hold Me Down is terrific. Its power lies in the vitality of Clea Simon’s prose and her insider savvy.
Arts Feature: Recommended Books, 2021
An eclectic round-up of the favorite books of the year from our critics, including some disappointments.
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