What the Critics are saying about BOBBY LEE CLAREMONT AND THE CRIMINAL ELEMENT
A STARRED Review from Booklist!
Cocky but disarmingly naïve, Bobby Lee dabbles in petty theft and plans to engage in a life of crime, but finds himself straying toward kindness, justice, and compassion. And just when everything goes wrong, an unlikely guardian angel sets them right again. Readers will see Jim Crow laws in action here, along with a bit of perspective offered in Bobby Lee’s colorful narration and an appended author’s note, which also comments on other period elements such as the Great Migration and Prohibition. Chock full of wellimagined dialogue, the writing has a wonderfully cinematic quality. Mobley swiftly establishes vivid characters and settings, then lets the action unfold while surprising readers with plot twists along the way. A lively, well-researched historical novel. — Carolyn Phelan, for Booklist
And kind words from School Library Journal:
Bobby Lee finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery where the major suspect is the beautiful and talented wife of the deceased, Mrs. Nanette O’Halloran. The historical backdrop of the story helps readers understand the complex realities of the racial and financial inequities of the 1920s. Readers will find Bobby Lee to be an optimistic and idealistic hero they can relate to and root for. VERDICT An action-packed story that will inform as much as it entertains. A strong choice for historical fiction shelves.–Christina Paolozzi, Bonaire Elementary School, GA for School Library Journal