What independent booksellers are saying about Julia Spencer-Fleming
So many staff members are enthusiastic fans of Julia Spencer-Fleming's topnotch mystery series that selling them is a snap and a pleasure. [She] manages to craft mysteries that are modern without being grisly and cozy without being cute…the repressed passion between her two characters keeps the readers coming back for more.
—Linda Hillegass, Lee Booksellers, Lincoln NE
My reaction, the reaction of our staff (who are avid readers) and most importantly, of our customers is uniformly along the lines of "when is the next book coming out." The many awards her books have received merely confirms what we already know, that the characters are real and interesting and the plots are gripping. And the always incipient relationship between Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne is charming.
—Ed Kaufman, ‘M’ is for Mystery, San Mateo CA
[A] perfect example of why it's a great idea to send out advanced reading copies. My rep gave me a copy of In The Bleak Midwinter.…Great indeed…one of the best books I had read in a long time…immediately made a staff pick…one of those books that you can't put down no matter what. I love the rich details, colorful characters, smart dialogue and wicked suspense.
—Jean Butler, Fireside Book Shop, Chagrin Falls OH
[A] series that manages to combine the best elements of cozies, thrillers and sensitive character study to come up with books that are both unique and memorable. Out of the Deep I Cry is a top 10 pick at Aunt Agatha's for 2004.
—Robin Agnew, Aunt Agatha’s, Ann Arbor MI
The Millers Kill mysteries…can usually be found on our STAFF PICKS table. They are wonderful hand-sells…we have a group of customers anxiously awaiting the fourth of the series. Fun to read with interesting and sympathetic characters…
—Laura, Altamont Books, Altamont CA
Terrific, Introspective and exciting. Deft plotting, small town intrigue and romantic tensions abound. The thing I love about the Millers Kill mysteries is that I can put them in the hands of a regular customer and guarantee that they will love it or I will replace the book. After hundreds sold, I have never replaced one.
—Mary Alice, Mystery Lovers Bookshop, Oakmont PA
Great Mysteries -Topsellers in my store- Booksigning was tremendous- We had people drive up from Chicago for the event
—Glen Switalski, Creekside Books, Cedarburg WI
A contemporary mystery series…who has captured her readers and holds the reader to the very end. …this will be a long running divine series. -- John G Spera, Murder on the Beach, Delray Beach FL
Spencer-Fleming's Millers Kill series…always right at the top of our store recommendation list. Starring two of the most appealing characters ever…deeply engrossing novels shaped around intriguing mysteries. The small-town setting, the supporting cast, the dialogue - Julia gets it all right…intelligent, satisfying, and absolutely page-turning mysteries - I drop everything else when the new one comes in!
—Donna, White Birch Books, North Conway NH
Spencer-Fleming's characters literally jump off the page and into readers' hearts and minds. We have Book Club members clamoring for the next installment almost before they have finished the last… [I]n our fifteen years in the mystery book business we've never experienced a debut to equal In the Bleak Midwinter, and Spencer-Fleming draws a greater readership with each successive book.
—John and Toni, Foul Play Mystery Bookshop, Westerville OH
[H]ere at St. Andrew's Bookstore (we) love the Millers Kill series so much we have people all over the state of Mississippi (all denominations!) reading them and asking us when the next one is coming! My assistant manager was cooking in her kitchen one night, stirring with one hand and reading A Fountain Filled with Blood with the other.
—Phyllis, St. Andrew’s Bookstore, Jackson MS
Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne are one of the most difficult books to keep in stock at Once Upon A Crime. We refer our customers to this wonderfully crafted series at every opportunity, when they have read In the Bleak Midwinter, they come back for A Fountain Filled with Blood and Out of the Deep I Cry. We are proud to feature Julia Spencer-Fleming in our "Firsts" display.
— Pat, Once Upon A Crime, Minneapolis MN
We love Millers Kill! Julia's mysteries are compusively readable, totally satisfying mysteries. Smart and well-written, with two of the best lead characters you'll ever find, the Millers Kill series is a true gem!
—Karen, Books Etc., Falmouth ME
The Clare Fergusson novels are among the best new series of the past five years. I recommend them not only to fans of Sharyn McCrumb's Appalachian series, but also to fans of darker psychological thrillers (such as Minette Walters'), because they are so sharply observed, and so compassionate about the desperate things people do…characters that felt like old friends by the end of the first book, and each new book feels like catching up with people we've known for years.
—Clair Lamb, The Mystery Bookstore, Los Angeles CA
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