
About Lesa's Book Critiques
I have been a library manager/administrator for over 30 years, in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and, now, Indiana. Library Journal Mystery Reviewer of the Year 2018. 2022 Raven Award recipient from Mystery Writers of America. Recipient of the 2018 David Thompson Memorial Special Service Award from Bouchercon Board. Winner of the 2011 Arizona Library Association Outstanding Library Service Award. I am a mystery columnist for Library Journal, Mystery Readers Journal, and ReadertoReader.com. Author of the “Mystery Fiction” chapter in Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests (7th ed.) Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Spinetingler Awards for Best Reviewer. |

Recent Posts
Kate & Frida by Kim Fay
Kim Fay's novel, Love & Saffron, was published in 2022, one of my favorite novels that year. It was subtitled "A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love". I picked it up at the time because it was an epistolary novel, told in letters, and I'll always take a chance...
Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak
Lisa Rogak's nonfiction book, Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS, isn't my usual reading. I usually read for character development, even in nonfiction. But, this book is fascinating as it tells the story of four women who worked for the OSS...
Playing Dead, edited by Martin Edwards
Before I dive into Playing Dead: Short Stories by Members of the Detection Club, I want to mention the cover. This is perfect! The stories in this collection, edited by Martin Edwards, celebrate Simon Brett's eightieth birthday. As Brett is the author of the...