Reviews of Yellow Vengeance

“[A] genre-defying mystery…”

“This exploration of the ordinary means that the apogee, when it comes, really matters; it happens inside Calli Barnow and not just to her.  Even so, Yellow Vengeance is a bouncing fluffball of a book, its depths unexpected, its plot proceeding in spite of a protagonist who prefers to keep her head in the sand. This is an unusual tactic for a writer, and it pays off: under Liz Bugg’s pen, the stakes are real.”

by Amy Andersen, Scene Magazine, Ed. 701, Sept 26 – Oct 9, 2013

 

“Calli Barnow is a keeper.”

by Jenni Morton, The StarPhoenix August 24, 2013

 

“But what takes Yellow Vengeance to the next level is the emotional depths Bugg is willing to go to this time. She opts for a risky turn in the narrative that comes as a shock and makes you want to snap up the next instalment. ”

by Susan G. Cole, NOW Magazine, June 27, 2013

 

Reviews of Oranges and Lemons

“Readers will sympathize with Calli as she must change her ways to go undercover, face changes in her own personal life, and face demons from her past.

“The book definitely belongs in a public library’s mystery collection.”

GLBT Round Table of the American Library Association, June 4, 2013

 

“Bugg’s real genius though, is in her supporting characters – an actor as well as a writer, she writes with a keen ear for dialogue and verbal tics that, when she’s at the top of her form, let her summon rich, living characters in a handful of lines without resorting to stock images or stereotypes.”

OUTVisions, May 29, 2013

 

“Oranges and Lemons” is a well-paced story made even better by a memorable protagonist. With courage, personality and verve, Calli takes the reader on an adventure of double identity, marriage and commitment, and a scary, almost deadly overnight journey near the novel’s end – with several curveballs thrown in along the way.”

Broken Pencil Magazine, Issue 57, Nov. 2012

 

“The book never pulls a punch, never feeds the reader fat and easy breadcrumbs, but rather respects the audience’s intelligence … Vivid characters and hairpin plot turns make this mystery a gutsy pleasure…”

by Natalie Zina Walschots, This Magazine, Sept./Oct. 2012

 

“…as I got more into the story I just didn’t want to put it down…”

by Jenny Franklin, reader review, Goodreads ***** May 17, 2012

 

“Bugg does a great job with her red herrings, spreading suspicion around. She is also building an interesting circle of friends for Barnow…”

by Jenni Mortin, The StarPhoenix, May 26, 2012

 

“Oranges and Lemons is a solid, old school mystery that features a craftily flawed PI, a fabulous best friend and sometimes partner, a crusty by-the-book cop friend, and a cast of quirky and lieable supporting characters. … The city of Toronto comes alive in Oranges and Lemons, and even becomes a central character. … the evil twists and turns that follow the big bad reveal are taut and beautifully paced, and each page presents the height of exhilaration and depth of bottomless despair.”

by Salem West, The Rainbow Reader 5/6 on Rainbow Scale, June 27, 2012

 

“Oranges and Lemons surprises with its intrigue and with the quality of the character descriptions. …  From the blood-bath scenes to the more scandalous and steamy ones, the novel has us holding our breath until the very last page.”

by Florence Gagnon, Lez Spread the Word, July 5, 2012

 

“This is Liz Bugg’s second novel featuring the immensely likeable Toronto PI Calli Barnow. … Bugg gives her storytelling a smooth sense of pace.”

by Jack Batten, The Toronto Star, July 28, 2012

 

“Apart from being well written, and full of interesting personal growth…it also focuses on a moment in lesbian relationships that we don’t often read about. It’s after the falling in love and new romance, and long before the happy permanent couple…”

from Good Lesbian Books, July 30, 2012

 

“I contend that Liz Bugg has the makings to be Canada’s answer to our beloved Ms. Hart. … She writes a very entertaining yet entirely plausible story. I can see books featuring Calli, the love of her life Jess, and her erstwhile gay sidekick  Dewey becomming a long running series of novels similar to what Hart has enjoyed with Jane Lawless and crew.”

from Shelley’s LGBT Book Review Blog, August 29, 2012.

 

 

Reviews of Red Rover

“The story moves quickly and Calli is an endearing heroine. . . . An interesting mystery with wonderful characters, Liz Bugg’s first novel is a terrific start…”

by Merry Hakin, Scene (London) November 4 – 17, 2010

 

“Red Rover is a slick debut … it introduces PI Calli Barnow, a very solid addition to Canada’s growing group of lady detectives. …This is a series to watch.”

by Margaret Cannon, The Globe and Mail (Toronto), December 11, 2010

 

“Red Rover . . . is a page-turning thriller that follows private eye Calli Barnow through some of Toronto’s most well-known streets in search of the killer of a prominent businessman’s daughter.”

by Erin Knight, Open Book Ontario, December 23, 2010

 

“Familial homophobia is rampant and a problem that affects many. This novel shows that. No one has fangs or horns but the hurt is there. . . Liz Bugg has a deft hand for showing the baggage we carry.”

by Caroline Filler, The Venus Magazine, February, 2011

 

“Grab a cup of your favorite java, settle into you easy chair and enter Toronto’s gay scene. You won’t come out until you finish Red Rover. . . .And the outcome? I’d never ruin a good book. This novel is fast paced, well written and took me through two worlds foreign to me: Toronto and its gay neighborhoods.”

by Carol McClain, Pentalk Community Website, March 28, 2011

 

“Barnow is a wonderful new detective and welcome addition to the world of adventure/detective fiction. . . .Barnow is one character that I want to read more about!! My only complaint was that I had to get off the ride too soon!!”

by AdventureSeeker, Amazon.ca, April 3, 2011

 

“It’s nice to have a book that features queerness, not just in the individual, but in the community.”

by Danika the Lesbrarian, Lesbrary Reviews, April 11, 2011