Novels Now

Shades of Grey by Clea Simon
Severn House, 2009
Crime Fiction; 216 pgs

Having read and enjoyed author Clea Simon’s Theda Krakow series, I looked forward to trying her new series featuring Dulcie Schwartz, a doctoral student specializing in gothic literature at Harvard University. Besides, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet a ghost cat, could I?

In order to help pay the bills, Dulcie has sublet her roommate’s room in their apartment to another college student, a rather obnoxious man who likes the ladies. Dulcie isn’t too fond of him, but she would never have wished him dead, which is exactly how she finds him one evening after a long day at work. He’s been stabbed to death with her own knife. A cat that looks an awful lot like her former companion, Mr. Grey, tried to warn her not to enter the apartment, but Dulcie dismisses the voice in her head, and goes in anyway.

Besides finding herself a suspect in her roommate’s murder, things aren’t going so well at Dulcie’s workplace either. Someone has been hacking into the computer system at the insurance company and suspicion seems to have fallen on Dulcie, whose temp position began not long before the trouble started. Dulcie cannot afford to lose her job, at least not before the school year starts and her grant kicks in.

As to that grant, she may lose that if she cannot come up with a thesis topic. She’s drawing a blank and with the drama unfolding around her, is it any wonder? Could someone be trying to frame her for both crimes? Dulcie is not sure who to trust, even amongst her friends.

I took an instant liking to Dulcie. She lives and breathes gothic literature. And is it any wonder with a name like Dulcinea straight out of the gothic novel, Don Quixote? She is bookish and good-hearted. Some may find Dulcie’s penchant for day dreaming to be distracting, but I found it endearing (not to mention a little all to familiar). Dulcie was not the only character who won me over in Shades of Grey, and I look forward to discovering more about them in future books.

The author was very subtle in her handling of the supernatural element of the novel. While Mr. Grey is clearly a spirit, his few appearances in the novel are understated, and, as a result, come across as quite natural and believable. It suited the novel well.

There are several bookish references for the book lover within the pages of Shades of Grey. My favorite location in the novel was the Widener library. I would have loved to venture down into the lower floors of the library along with Dulcie, losing myself in the pages of an original copy of a gothic novel.

Shades of Grey was a pleasure to read. There’s plenty of mystery, a bit of thrill and even some romance. There was something about the tone–the atmosphere–that I found especially appealing. Perhaps a hint of that gothic flare coming out in Simon’s tale? It looks like I have a new series to add to my must read list.

Rating: (Very Good)

You can learn more about Clea Simon and her books on the author’s website and on her blog, Cats & Crime & Rock & Roll.

Disclosure: Copy of book provided by author.