Reviews       The Willa Jansson Series:   Havana Twist:     "With its page-turning plot, self-realized setting, and terrific characters, one could fairly call this the best Jansson adventure yet--and that's saying a great deal." Booklist (starred and boxed review), 4/15/98     "Matera uses the complexities of the Cuban revoution and modern skullduggery to build her tale . . . .  [T]he appealing Willa is fun to watch as she reacts with healthy doses of common sense, fear, humble confusion and wit to her various troubles." Publishers Weekly, 4/6/98     "Willa's cases and escapades always top the fun-to-read list, and Lia Matera's Havana Twist is a terrific addition to this personable series. ...  The beauty of Matera's writing is that the story, fun as it is, doesn't shortcut a shrewd social commentary on the current state of the Cuban Revolution and U.S. policy toward that country." Houston Chronicle, 6/7/98     "Here begins a marvelous adventure. ...  The array of characters is marvelously vivid.  Matera's portrait of present-day Cuba, with its hardships, shortages and corruption, is an education in itself. ...  And by the way, the plot and resolution of the mystery-- what did actually happen to the heroine's mother-- is intricate and convincing." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/31/98     "HAVANA TWIST truly lives up to its name.  The novel has so many plot twists and countless misdirections, most readers will not figure out what is going on even though all the clues are out in the open for all to see.  Lia Matera brilliantly makes the clues seem like trivial tidbits rather than vital information.  The examination of the socio-political situation in Cuba and the American policy towards that island country makes for authenticity and great reading" Harriet Klausner, online review Bookpage.com, Amazon.com     "Matera, a resident of Santa Cruz, has fun with her stories and writes well enough to pull it off.  Her voice is clear and light, and she knows when to jettison the gags and get on with the story.  As long as Willa is still the star of the show, the series will stand out in the often homogenous mystery landscape." San Francisco Chronicle, 4/30/98     "[T]he grim images of of homes without electricity, hospitals without drugs and shops with bare mannequins in the windows make Willa's rogue adventure a trip worth taking." NY Times Book Review, 5/17/98     "Ms. Matera has written a timely story in easy-to-read format.  In addition to the Willa Jansson stories, she is the author of another winning series--all well put together, thoughtful and warm views of what happens when a lawyer refuses to play the money game and listens to her own beliefs rather than the powers that be." Dallas Morning News, 5/29/98     "Havana Twist is an exciting and informative tale." St. Petersburg Times,  6/14/98       Star Witness:     "In this sixth legal thriller featuring the wry, no- nonsense attorney-sleuth Willa Jansson, Matera has researched UFOlogy with the same care and lack of judgmentalism she brought to the subject of shamanism in her previous book, Last Chants, and to pornography in Face Value. In fact, one needn't believe in aliens or flying saucers to admire Matera's gift for weaving her by- now incredible knowledge of the field (a bibliography lists 30 books and 46 videos) into a tight, alien- dunit mystery." San Francisco Chronicle, July 7, 1997     "'I had worked long and hard to be the least weird person of my acquaintance,' says Willa Jansson, the San Francisco lawyer whose efforts to distance herself from her hippie parents' flaky political causes always deliver a laugh in Lia Matera's snappy mysteries. Willa compromises all that hard-won respectability in Star Witness (Simon & Schuster, $22) when she takes on a vehicular manslaughter case in Santa Cruz for a client whose alibi is that he couldn't have squashed this guy's Buick with his Fiat because he was up in a spaceship being poked by aliens. . . . Intelligent and open-minded, just the way we like her, she considers the possibility that there might be something to her client's tale after all.  But in the end she settles for a deeper truth--'No alien being could be as frightening as someone truly crazy who truly loves you'--and leaves the rest of us to look up at the stars and wonder." New York Times Book Review, June 29, 1997     "Santa Cruz writer Lia Matera's latest mystery is a hoot.  It will drive the Pentagon non-UFO believers crazy and probably end up being the inspiration for an 'X-Files' episode. . . .  This fast-moving tale is peppered with eccentric characters, snappy dialogue and a creative plot.  Perfect fare for a trip to the beach." The San Francisco Examiner, July 1, 1997     "Matera has done her alien abduction homework, attested to by a lengthy bibliography, and, given the premise of the story, has managed to write a courtroom drama about the nature of circumstantial evidence and reasonable doubt that you simply have to keep reading, just to see how it comes out." The Washington Post, June 22, 1997     "Santa Cruz writer Lia Matera has proved more than once that she is the master when it comes to dabbling in Northern California flakiness for her mystery plots.  This time she focuses on alien abduction. . . .Matera cleverly walks the line here between milking the material for humor and taking it all too seriously. . . .  [Fans] can't fail to be entertained..." The San Jose Mercury News,  June 15, 1997     "Matera has done her homework and gives her client-- and readers--their money's worth in a case filled with crop circles, black helicopters and bright lights from the sky." Chicago Tribune,  June 15, 1997     "In the wackiest of a lively series (Last Chants, 1996), plucky San Franciso lawyer Willa Jansson defends a man who says he was in a spaceship when his car fell on top of a Buick, killing the driver. . . .  Matera is skilled at creating singularly offbeat characters and hurling then into multilayered plots that play out on the fringes of popular culture." Publisher's Weekly     "Lia Matera constructs her usual brilliant who- done-it while subtly weaving a lot of known UFO lore into the story line.  The impressive bibliography adds credence to the research and theories behind this tale.  The female protagonist is a woman to be admired as she is an independant female fighting to do what she believes is the right thing, even if it means placing herself at rist and being the recipient of ridicule and scorn.  Ms. Matera is one of the leaders in a genre teeming with much talent." Harriet Klausner, online review Bookpage.com, Amazon.com     "Say this for Willa Jansson: She doesn't shrink from the big cases. . . .  All right, the conclusion doesn't live up to Matera's bold, witty challenge to the most rational foundations of the mystery genre, but what could?  Willa's sixth still supports her remarkable claim to have 'helped make Santa Cruz a flakier place.'"  [No mean feat, as my fellow Santa Cruzans will attest!] Kirkus Reviews         Last Chants:     "In Last Chants, Lia Matera's sharp-witted sleuth leaps impulsively to the defense of Arthur Kenna, an eccentric mythologist suspected of having done away with his assistant, an Indian shaman who was programming a computer in the mystic arts. . . . Ms. Matera gives a fair hearing to her characters' unorthodox beliefs . . . and it's a treat to watch the normally level-headed Willa crawling around in the woods." New York Times Book Review   "Effectively blending the seemingly incongruous elements of high-tech computing and ancient mythology, Matera has produced a first-rate mystery, exhibiting her usual hallmarks of excellent plotting, solid characterizations, and brisk pacing." Booklist (starred & boxed)   "It's an intriguing plot, well developed with interesting characters in a picturesque location." The Washington Times   "Matera's skills make an accomplished, compelling mystery of material that could have been a lightweight, New Age yarn." Publisher's Weekly   "The real pleasure is Willa, who alternates between humor and annoyance at her predicament--and whose love-hate relationship with men strikes a chord with many female fans."  Entertainment Weekly   "Lia Matera is one of the most literate mystery writers working today.  Last Chants is a deeply realized journey of self-discovery as well as a cleverly turned mystery.  . . . a lovely book, written with a grace that is rarely found in the genre.  It's a joy to tag along with Willa on her voyage into self-awareness.  What comes next will be a wonder to us all."  Mostly Murder   "What a delicious smorgasbord this book is.  Lots of dishes, plenty of substance.  Matera mixes so much so well, you read quickly and feel nearly as breathless as Willa must.  Each character is unique, full of those idiosyncrasies that make characters so likable. . .[Willa's] witty and bright and never afraid to be critical of herself . . .  In addition to the wonderful characters, sharp dialog, and snappy plot is an underlying idea about the soul, and its power to keep technology in its place."  The Drood Review of Mystery   "Few writers possess Lia Matera's wry humor, especially when it comes to putting down lawyers, or her eye for Northern California fauna." San Jose Mercury News   "As in The Maltese Falcon, a constant stream of loony byplay keeps you from doping out whodunit-- unless you call on your own online shaman." Kirkus Reviews   "Readers will find Last Chants an unexpected gift that will stay with them for a long time after they finish reading it.  Talented Lia Matera places this tale on two planes of existence, the mortal and the supernatural, that somehow the readers accept quite easily.  This is a highly recommended read for those who prefer the unique in their reading experiences." Ed's Internet Book Reviews       Prior Convictions:     "Rapier-sharp dissection of personal relationships and radical ideologies.  Matera again demonstrates that she is one of today's best mystery writers."  Publisher's Weekly   "With sharp descriptions and crisp dialogue. . . Prior Convictions admirably delivers the complex situations and memorable characters of a 'real novel' while still managing to let the detective story have its day in court." The Wall Street Journal   "Willa Jansson is an unusually deep and complex character for crime fiction--tough- minded, sexual, vulnerable, lonely, morally alive . . .  Prior convictions is gutsy, grown-up crime-writing from one of the best practicioners around.  It's hard to imagine Matera won't soon have the huge audience she deserves." New York Newsday   "Matera's language is witty and sharp; her images by turn humorous and poignant.  The moral dilemmas with which her characters wrestle are real and wrenching.  And the mystery itself is shrewd.  Prior Convictions is a superb psychological thriller."  The Recorder   "Matera's wit, grace with language, irreverence toward the legal system, and wry dissection of being a child of the Sixties make this a standout . . .  If you want to catch an author on the verge of best- sellerdom, read this."  Kirkus Reviews   "Here is a mystery with a distinctive voice, sharp wit, discussion of social and moral issues, insight into personal ideals and compromises and characters that grab your emotions."  Washington Post   "Almost every paragraph is eminently quotable."  Cleveland Plain Dealer   "Lia Matera is a mystery writer with something to say and a fascinating way of saying it. . .. An intense story of personal relationships and an exciting mystery." Richmond Times-Dispatch   "What cinches the book is that Matera seems to really understand the moral and social issues that were on the deck in the late '60s and early '70s, and she's not interested in blowing them off.  She's smart enough to realize that many of these issues are still with us . . .  Good stuff." Austin Chronicle       Hidden Agenda:     "Willa Jansson is a refreshingly bright character.  Willa Jansson is a character you've known.  She's real."  Washington State Bar News   "I breezed through Hidden Agenda.  [Matera] writes a lot like Alice Kahn, a high compliment." Herb Caen, San Francisco Chronicle   "I'm in love with Willa!"   John Leonard, NPR's "Fresh Air"       A Radical Departure:     "Almost everything a good mystery needs . . . a complex plot, social commentary, loads of atmosphere and a cast of unusual characters . . .  The reader wants to hang out with Jansson and see more of her clear-eyed view of the world."  San Jose Mercury News   "Lia Matera is a skeptic. But Lia Matera is funny, too, and that's what sets her apart.  The result is like Matera herself, quick- witted and entertaining and deceptively cynical.  Matera's protagonists are bracingly real." San Francisco Examiner   "Funny, clear-eyed and strong." Robert B. Parker       Where Lawyers Fear to Tread:     "A right snappy storyteller." Gregory Mcdonald   "An exceptional debut . . . A delightful romp, and a satiric and satisfying look at the training grounds for the legal profession."  Wilson Library Bulletin           The Laura Di Palma Series:     Designer Crimes:   "[Matera's] skill and literary flair are everywhere on display.  Every word counts, and the pieces of the puzzle fit together with exhilarating precision."  ABA Journal   "Complex and satisfying for Ms. Matera's faithful readers, who have come to expect such brain-burners from her."  New York Times   "Lia Matera comes out slugging in . . . this slender, sizzling book. . . . Designer crimes- -now there's an idea that could power a series  on its own." Washington Post   "Di Palma is a smart, self-reliant first- person narrator.  She has a dark side, too . . . qualities that make her seem to be a real person."  Bookpage   "Matera once again demonstrates her mastery of characterization, plotting, and pacing."  Booklist   "Resonant with dark and cynical undertones, this novel also shines with a fresh plot premise, strong action scenes and entirely credible characters."  Minneapolis Star Tribune       Face Value:     Di Palma is one of the smartest, most open- minded sleuths in the lawyering trade. . . . [Matera] writes with intelligence and feeling about issues that still hurt and people who still care."  New York Times   "Absorbing . . .  Multiple murders and delightfully complex characters help carry a plot that moves from a striptease bar to the guru's mysterious island retreat . . . A fine, intelligent story."  USA Today   "Di Palma, a complex and very likable detective, is in top form in Face Value."  Newsday   "This latest Laura Di Palma adventure is no exception to the tight plotting, good characterizations, and page-turning suspense that have typified the earlier entries in the series and that make Matera one of the best contemporary mystery novelists . . .  Highly recommended . ..  Matera is too good to miss."  Booklist   "Reading a Lia Matera novel is a lot like drinking a superb brandy: velvety, mellow, a bit dizzying and with a bite that stays with you a long time. . . She leaps to the forefront of the remarkable vanguard of women . . . who have redefined the modern mystery."  The Cleveland Plain Dealer       A Hard Bargain:     "With plenty of action and mystery, this is sensitive, thought-provoking writing."    Winston-Salem Journal   "One of the more interesting new voices in detective fiction . . . a welcome respite from the mystery-by-formula crowd."  Kirkus Reviews       The Good Fight:     "Sharply written, brilliantly observed."  John Leonard, "Fresh Air"   "Extraordinary, thought-provoking."  Baltimore Sun   "Compelling . . . Matera writes with passion about debts to old lovers and old causes."  New York Daily News   "A satisfying blend of emotion, suspense, and mystery."  The Pittsburgh Press   "Matera has her own distinctive voice . . . Her off-beat plots, quirky style and hard-to- pin-down characters make for a novel both unique and entertaining."  San Diego Union   "By any standard, this is superior mystery fiction."  Mostly Murder   "More proof that some of the leanest, most tough-minded prose is coming from women.  . . .  With emotional zingers throughout and no easy answers."   Kirkus Reviews       The Smart Money:     "Di Palma certainly belongs in the same league as Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone and Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski when it comes to brains, determination, and guts."  Booklist