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MBR Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 11 November 2003 Home | MBW Index

Table of Contents

Donovan's Bookshelf Klausner's Bookshelf Laurel's Bookshelf

Shelley's Bookshelf Shirley's Bookshelf Vicki's Bookshelf

Donovan's Bookshelf
Night Country
Stewart O'Nan
Farrar Straus Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
0374222150 $22.00 1-888-330-8477

At midnight on Halloween in New England, five teens are killed in a car wreck. A year later the three who died come back, summoned by memories of their friends, on a last mission. This multi-faceted ghost story is satisfyingly spooky and has a haunting plot fueled by powerful characterization. Highly recommended.

Founding Fish
John McPhee
Farrar, Straus, Giroux
19 Union Square W., NY, NY 10003
0374104441 $25.00 1-888-330-8477

This blends personal, natural and American history and will prove hard to easily categorize, but provides a fine account of a shad fisherman's obsession, fish research, and insights. This is more than a fishing book: McPhee fishes with and visits the labs of ichthyologists and learns about shad in-depth in his pursuit of the game. A revealing, intriguing coverage.

Home Water & Moisture Problems
Gary Branson
Firefly Books Ltd.
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1552978362 $24.95 1-800-387-5085

The single most common problem of homeowners is water, whether it be mold or a damp basement or a leaky roof. This shares a professional contractor's insights on water, tells how to prevent many water problems, and how to fix existing problems. From ventilation systems to vapor barriers and basement sealers, this covers all the possible tricks to keeping a home watertight.

The Good Back Book
Renita Fehrsen-Du Toit
Firefly Books Ltd.
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1552978273 $29.95 1-800-387-5085

Any who have suffered from back pain and that is much of the population will find this a simple and fine book which covers the basics of spinal health, from improving posture to strengthening the back with exercises and preventing pain with improved alignment. Common back problems receive clear coverage as to causes and prevention using this illustrated manual as a guide.

Firefly Books Ltd.
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1-800-387-5085 www.amazon.com

Three important new guides are highly recommended picks for public to school library holdings. Tim Fitzharris' GUIDE TO NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY (1552978184, $35.00) appears in its revised edition to cover proven techniques for making award-winning photos. From buying and using the best professional equipment suitable for nature shots to insider tips on field procedures and fullproof methods for composition and filtering, this also includes a review of top locations for photographing nature. Add gorgeous color photos and you have a real winner. David Silcox's GROUP OF SEVEN AND TOM THOMSON (155297605X, $85.00) celebrates eleven artists who broke with tradition and established a new way of painting Canada. The members called themselves the Group of Seven, but there were eventually ten members and one Tom Thomson, who died before it was established, remained a major influence on the group. Collections with a special interest in Canadian art and artists will find this of special interest. Maggy Howarth's COMPLETE PEBBLE MOSAIC HANDBOOK (1552977846, $39.95) provides a review of pebble mosaics which can be used in gardens, patios and public places. Artists, landscapers, and any with a special interest in the design qualities of these mosaics will find this a beautiful collection which not only provides step-by-step insights, but includes a survey of traditional works by contemporary pebble mosaic artists.

A House on the Water
Robert W. Knight
The Taunton Press
63 South Main St, Newtown, CT 06470
1561586072 $34.95 1-800-477-8727

This catalog of twenty-four homes built right on the water provide eye-catching displays of signature homes which highlight the relationship of house to water, from seaside to lakeside and riverside. The focus on home design and construction surveys both artistic and practical details of tailoring a beautiful home which can withstand the demands of a waterside location. A gorgeous, inspirational survey of very different approaches and techniques.

The Taunton Press
63 South Main St., Newtown, CT 06470
1-800-477-8727 www.amazon.com

These outstanding quilting, sewing and workshop books expands Taunton's exceptional range of manuals and will appeal to a wide audience. Andra Betzina's FAST FIT (1561586498, $17.95) provides the author's quick tips on easy pattern alterations for every figure. Here the host of TV's Sew Perfect provides an accessible, easy key to understanding fitting patterns, isolating different pattern problems and walking readers through the process of making changes. An easy, wonderful guide. Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy's PASSIONATE PATCHWORK (1561686501) provides the pattern worker's original quilt designs. The author is known for his amazing color palettes and innovative designs, and here provides a new approach to patchwork which uses 20 main designs to demonstrate deceptively simple piecing. Three new woodshop handbooks provide solutions and insights to any who would produce professional, polished results. Paul Anthony's SMART WORKSHOP SOLUTIONS (1561585785, $19.95) tells how the right fixtures an accessories can transform a workshop. From assessments of clamp racks and wood storage solutions to router tables and tablesaws, this covers the basics to obtaining and building accessories which lend to the woodworker's achievements. Peter Korn's WOODWORKING BASICS (156158620X, $19.95) provides a review of basic woodworking craftsmanship, from learning master skills and techniques to safe use of machinery and hand tools. This also offers two useful projects a small bench and a side table with a drawer and door to reinforce and illustrate the proper use of equipment. Michael Dresdner's WOOD FINISHING FIXES (1561585912, $19.95) covers everything the beginner needs to know about wood finishing for different projects, from exterior doors and stains to questions about using brushes, avoiding drips and runs with spray finishes, and getting uniform color results from different finishing mediums. All are very basic guides offering solid reference applications.

Assessing Competitive Intelligence Software
France Bouthillier and Kathleen Shearer
Information Today
143 Old Marlton Pike, Medford, NJ 08055-8750
1573871737 $39.50 1-800-300-9868

Librarians and any involved in commercial software products for competitive intelligence will find this collection of reviews and surveys to be an exceptional guide presenting a systematic method businesses and collections can use to evaluate CI software independently. This could have been reviewed in our business books section but also holds applicability to librarians and others involved in the information technology industry, providing an important background on competitive intelligence applications and methodology.

The Two Percent Solution
Matthew Miller
Public Affairs Books
250 W 57th St., #1321, NY, NY 10107
www.publicaffairsbooks.com
1586481584 $26.00 1-877-782-1234

Can universal health insurance, increased employment, reduction in poverty and political independence be achieved for just two cents on the national dollar? Matthew Miller challenges the country to change how we think about public responsibilities before the Boomer generation attacks the retirement system in The Two Percent Solution. Individual chapters provide an articulate and intelligent re-assessment which persuasively challenges traditional political and social mores.

Live! From Marilyn's Kitchen
Marilyn Harris
Pelican Publishers
PO Box 3110, Gretna, LA 70054
1589801652 $24.95 1-800-843-1724

This collection of diverse dishes features over two hundred of the TV cook's special dishes, from a simple Ham and Asparagus Gougere to Fruited Chicken Salad with Lime-Macadamia Dressing. The variety of dishes and unusual blends of flavors assure this cookbook stands out from the crowd, whether a reader be a prior fan of Marilyn's TV show or a newcomer to her style.

A Yucatan Kitchen
Loretta Scott Miller
Pelican Publishing
PO Box 3110, Gretna, LA 70054
1589801326 $17.95 1-800-843-1724

This introduction to regional Mexican dishes of the Yucatan provides an easy basic beginner's guide which describes what ingredients are common to Mayan foods, techniques for preparation, and classic dishes. Many of the dishes have been adapted from regional cookbooks to make them easy for the home American chef to prepare, while introductory notes on local cuisines and specialties provide insights into the origins of dishes. There are some real surprises here such as Pork Simmered in Cola but anticipate a book which is filled with delightful surprises and fun.

Turn of the Century Farm Tools and Implements
Peter Henderson & Co.
Dover Publications
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
0486421147 $11.95 1-800-223-3130

In 1898 Henderson and Company created an illustrated trade catalog advertising tools, fertilizers and gardening equipment: this reprints a very rare volume which will intrigue social historians and any with an interest in early American history. Many an antiques collector will also find this useful, including over six hundred black and white illustrations of farm tools.

Dover Publications
31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, NY 11501
1-800-223-3130 www.amazon.com

James Tanner's IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER (0486428370, $12.95) deserves ongoing recommendation as an excellent natural history of the woodpecker. From differences between the Ivory-Billed and other woodpeckers to population densities, daily routines and feeding habits, this was written for the author's doctoral thesis in 1942 but remains a strong example of solid field research for modern ornithologists. E.C. Krupp's ECHOES OF THE ANCIENT SKIES (0486428826, $19.95) provides treatise on the world of archaeoastronomy - the student of ancient peoples' observations of the skies. This republishes a 1994 title and draws some important connections between how the sky works and how people have relied upon astrology over the decades. Kasimir Malevich's NON-OBJECTIVE WORLD: MANIFESTO OF SUPREMATISM (0486429741, $11.95) surveys a 1992 exhibition of Russian works of art in general and the Suprematist works of Malevich in particular, who was to become a pioneer of geometric abstract art. Chapters consider and define the artist's Suprematist theory of painting, including its unusual aspects and depictions of reality. John Grafton's CIVIL WAR (0486423069, $14.95) provides a concise history and picture sourcebook of the war, using over a hundred rare illustrations from periodicals of the time to capture the drama of the war as it was reported in pictorial presses of the times. The black and white reprints are accompanied by a lively survey. Ernest and Aldren Watson's WATSON DRAWING BOOK (0486426068, $12.95) provides a fine art instruction book by a father/son team who explore the basics of drawing. From the initial attempt to gaining perspective, understanding form and measurement, and recreating both figures and outdoor landscapes, this is filled with step-by-step instructions all ages will appreciate. All are packaged in affordable, eye-catching paperback.

Klausner's Bookshelf
Prophet Seed
S. Roy L. Hawkins
Trafford
ISBN: 1553691229 $27.95

Avalon was settled by miners but war cut off the planet from the rest of the empire. In the year 8729 AD the empire has returned to Avalon only to find the inhabitants have devolved into hunting and gathering tribes. The empire plans to leave as their prime belief is not to teach advanced technology to primitives. The empire's first imperial ranger hopes to retire and make his home on this beautiful paradise. From the planet Sparta he buys a slave warrior Beda-Loo and upon her arrival, he frees her in the hopes that she will want to make a life with him here. Beda-Loo quickly realizes that Jake is an honorable warrior and decides to stay with him as his mate. The tribes accept them as true Avalonians. However, their peaceful way of life is threatened by a rival tribe led by a renegade who cold bloodedly killed the leader. He intends to take control of all the tribes but Jake and Beda-Loo plan to stop him. They also intend to keep secret the truth about Avalon that if known will destroy this unique planet. The hero of this book is an honorable, moralistic warrior with a kind heart who sees what must be done and does it. His wife is his equal in every sense of the word and when she learns the secret of Avalon she too wants to protect it from outsiders who will want to exploit the natives. S. Roy L. Hawkins is a gifted storyteller whose innovative ideas inside a strong plot captivate readers who can only dream of traveling to Avalon.

When Darkness Falls
Susan Krinard, Tanith Lee, and Evelyn Vaughn
Silhouette
ISBN: 0373218222 $6.50

"Kiss of the Wolf" by Susan Krinard. Dr. Dana St. Cyr left California to return to her hometown, Big Marsh, Louisiana in the bayou backwaters to learn what happened to her identically looking cousin who vanished. Remy Arcenaux tells her to leave before she suffers the same fate as her relative, but Dana refuses though he frightens her, but not because she believes he will harm her. She fears her attraction to Remy, who rumors insist howls at night with murder in his heart. "Shadow Kissing: by Tanith Lee. While Addie Preece travels abroad, artist Vivian Gray flat-sits her nineteenth century converted house apartment. In the garden Vivian sees a beautiful male statue that she needs to sketch. Not long afterward, the lonely Vivian meets Cinnamon Boyle-Martin and her partner Connor Sinclair, antique scavengers who want to buy some of Addie's stuff. However, Connor could have posed for the statue that has attracted Vivian. "The Devil She Knew" by Evelyn Vaughn. Marcy Bridges opens up her walk-in closet only to find flames that are not burning down her apartment, but instead seem to be laughing at her. Her thoughts are the inferno looks like they are inside a portal to Hell making her wonder how her first spell could go so wrong. She calls the building maintenance man Tomas Martinez for help even as she wonders if he may be the more dangerous devil to her. These three supernatural romantic novellas are fun tales that make for a fine Halloween treat though a longer format would have enhanced lead character relationships that occur too fast.

Jerusalem's Rain
D.S. Lliteras
Hampton Roads
ISBN 1571743405 $19.95

When Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross at Golgotha, the skies turned stormy and driving rain poured down on Palestine. Peter is drowning in self-contempt for denying his Rabbi three times before the rooster crowed. Philip, who like Peter did not witness the crucifixion, gets into a fight and is seriously injured. With the help of Andrew and Thaddeus, who were also afraid to show up at Golgotha because of the Roman soldiers, Peter is taken to Aaron's home where the families await the return of their men and will care for Peter.. The men are lost and afraid, starting to doubt Christ's teachings, while the women are firm believers who will risk death to spread their Rabbi's word. Peter's wife is leaving him and taking their son with her. Peter gets drunk at a cock fight awakening in a back alley where Christ appears to him and talks to him. He learns from Aaron and John that Thaddeus, Mary Magdalene, and Peter's mother also saw him rise. Peter now believes and intends to spread the word. This fictionalized account of Peter's torment during the three days following Christ's crucifixion is believable. The disciple's angst as well as self-doubt now that the one they followed is gone is understandable as well. Amazingly the women remain steadfast and don't believe that his death will stop the message from being spread around the world. Their love for Christ is rooted in his treatment of them as equal to men. D.S. Lliteras has written a compelling and memorable tale that turn the aftermath of the first end days fascinating reading.

Sierra Ransom
Alice Duncan
Free Page Publishing
ISBN: 1589610326 $17.95

In 1852 Muddy Flats, California retired outlaw Sam Ransom Glover eludes the law to find work in a lumber camp. He applies for a job at Zenobia Gray's Stew Kitchen. Zee has doubts about Sam Ransom, but tells him her prerequisite involving working with a Chinaman Lee Yung, reading the bible every evening, and trust. He agrees to her conditions so she hires him. Almost immediately afterward, Caleb Barlow feels something is not right with his wife Sue Ellen, who is in severe pain with her about to give birth. He asks Zee to help. She does her best, but her best friend besides Lee dies as little Mary enters the world. Zee raises little Mary. As time passes, Sam and Zee fall in love. However, both have a past that each fear will return one day. Neither feels worthy of the other, making a permanent loving relationship almost impossible unless love can overcome the obstacles of the demons that haunt Sam and Zee. This pre-Civil War California historical romance is an exciting tale of redemption through love saving two lost forgotten souls. The story line is filled with the ambience of life in a lumber camp just after the Gold Rush. The lead couple is a delightful pair as each one expects the worse to occur but hope for a miracle to happen as they know they found their soul mate, but believe it is too late for their souls to interact.

The Briar And The Rose
Laura Mills-Alcott
Five Star
ISBN: 1594140898 $26.95

In 1827 Devan feels consumed with grief and guilt because he failed to save his beloved Katherine from the fire. Drink fails to help so unable to cope, Devan flees London for his Irish home. When he arrives in Ireland, Devan sees a ghost as he observes an urchin uncannily resembling Katherine. Devan brings Raven into his home though her tale is peculiar as she suffers from amnesia. In exchange for room and board, Devan asks Raven to tell him if she recalls any of her lost memories. As he watches his guest act, he wonders if he might be the victim of a clever con or the recipient of a second chance at love. Raven dreams of a life, but it is not her nineteenth century existence. Instead she relives the seventeenth century life of Mairead, the secret lover of aristocrat Seamus. Mairead believed he betrayed their love, so she cursed him, but once she learned the truth failed to free their souls before they died. How their tragedy connects to Raven and Devan requires reading the novel. The Briar And The Rose is a strong historical paranormal romance that brilliantly uses nineteenth century tidbits (and to a lesser degree from the 1600s) to anchor the otherworldly elements into a warm tale that readers of both sub-genres will relish. Devan and Raven make a delightful couple and through her dreams the audience will see what happened to the secret love between Mairead and Seamus without slowing down the plot. Laura Mills-Alcott provides fans with a memorable story that will make its audience demand more haunting love stories like this one.

End of State
Neesa Hart
Tyndale
ISBN 0842385231 $30.99

Secretary of State Bradley Benton is watching a basketball game in his Washington D.C. apartment when some of the players disappear. The only things left behind are their jewelry and clothing. When a call summons him to the White House he learns that the disappearances are nationwide. President Fitzhugh believes a foreign power is behind the vanishings and he is prepared to go to war as soon as he finds out who the enemy is. The Reverand Marcus Dumont of the New Covenant Ministry knows what the disappearances mean and immediately calls upon the Lord to be saved. Marietta Arnold, the associate director of FEMA is asleep when one third of the world's population disappears. She works until she is exhausted using the nation's waterways to get food and water to the people who need it since the highways, railroads, and airplanes are in disarray. It is when her son Randal returns from college fired up by God's word does she admit the Rapture occurred. While some politicians like the president and a few members of his cabinet look out for themselves. Randal, Marcus, Mariette and Benton join forces to fight the forces of darkness that are spreading across the land and vow to bring the word of God to the unbelievers no matter the dangers to themselves. END OF STATE is a fabulous addition to the Left Behind series. Unlike other works in the series, it concentrates on what happens in the United States on a national and local level right after the Rapture and while Nicolae Carpathia is consolidating his base of power. Readers are treated to a different perspective on the president who is not as pure as he seems in other Left Behind novels. Neesa Hart tells an enthralling story while melding her four protagonists into a new Tribulation Force.

The Lies of Saints
Sigmund Brouwer
Tyndale
ISBN: 084236594X $12.99

In Charleston, Nick Barnett grew up as an outsider in a wealthy family. His father died in Viet Nam while his mother gave birth to him long after nine months had passed since her husband left for Southeast Asia. When he was ten his mother deserted him. Years later he learned who his biological father was and inherited a fortune. His friend, private investigator Kellie Mixson lies in a hospital recovering from a nasty car accident. A Chicago client subcontracted sleuthing work to her, but wants to end the deal since she is out of commission. However, Kellie says her partner Nick will find out what happened twenty-five years ago to Victoria Sebastian, who vanished along with her infant daughter. Nick, who just became Kellie's partner, finds a link to the "suicide" of first year Citadel student Anson Affron who killed himself several years ago. THE LIES OF SAINTS is a strong investigative thriller that conspiracy buffs will fully appreciate. The story line employs three subplots that ultimately tie together through Nick's investigation into incidents that are a couple of decades old. His precocious two young wards enable the reader to see deep inside the core essence of Nick as much as his historical asides into his past does. The involvement of the kids keep the plot moving unlike Nick's muses that disrupt the flow. Of interest is the reason why Anson took his life as he refused to bow down to anyone showing the courage of his convictions in the Savior. Sigmund Brouwer provides a powerful tale that will send readers looking for previous appearances by Nick and company.

Fatal Harvest
Catherine Palmer
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842375481 $12.99

Though the Ivy League schools want Artesia High School, Texas student Matthew Strong to enroll, the computer guru is obsessed with finding a way to end world hunger. In his quest to turn Malthus on his head, Matt scrutinizes the files of Agrimax, one of the major international food suppliers where he finds abominable goings on at the expense of starving people. When a friend is killed, Matt flees to France desperately hoping to find an ally in the International Federation for Environmental and Economic Development (I-FEED). Matt's widower father rancher Cole had been distant from his son, but loves him deeply. He panics when Matt vanishes and turns to the only person he believes might have an inkling of where the lad is and what trouble he is in, his computer teacher Jill Pruitt. They hope to save Matt's life from those who want him silenced. Meanwhile, the teen meets Madam Losieau. Will she be the ticket for him to provide his data to the Chair of I-FEED located in the Sudan or is she a double agent ready to feed him to his enemies? FATAL HARVEST will remind readers (at least older ones) of Rachel Carson's environmental wake up call SILENT SPRING. The novel emphasizes making aware the plight of the world's hungry and exposing the avariciousnese of the mega agricultural conglomerates. The story line is extremely exciting in a David vs. Goliath manner with the sling shot and stones being a computer. Though the Madam Losieau link seems stretched, fans will appreciate this global bringing to light the international problem of world hunger packaged inside an action-packed thriller.

Five People You Meet in Heaven
Mitch Albom
Hyperion
ISBN: 0786868716 $19.95

Eddie had worked for years at maintenance at Ruby Pier Amusement Park insuring the rides were safe for patrons. Though he did his job meticulously and everyone kind of knew Eddie, adults never took him seriously. Children seem to like him but even Eddie when he became an octogenarian reflecting back on his life felt he achieved zero. Eddie recently died trying to save a little girl. Eddie regains consciousness in heaven. Five people, one at a time, shows him the positive impact of his life on others. Though in terms of major impact, his deeds may seem small, Eddie begins to understand the essence of God's gift of life to mankind. Humanity consists of a vast series of interconnecting networks that mesh the lives of everyone. No matter how minute, that iota of caring impacts people even those outside your sphere and Eddie clearly cared. This is a strong modern day parable that reminds readers that everyone counts even Eleanor Rigby. Using a seemingly nonentity to bring his message across, Mitch Albom paints a simply stupendous story that no person is left behind as we live as an interconnected and overlapping links on this planet. Everybody has plenty to offer and should be encouraged to do so.

The Third Magic
Molly Cochran
Forge
ISBN: 031286440X $24.95

Merlin and Hal Woczniak keep young Arthur Blessing safe as he moves closer to regaining his Pendragon powers though the lad is a media sensation. Hal, better known as Galahad, happens to also loves Arthur's aunt Emily. The rest of the old team of Knights of the Round Table belongs to a motorcycle gang. When Arthur drinks from a spring containing the Holy Grail, he gains the ability to heal people. However, the spring is part of the home of Gwen Ranier, his beloved Guinevere, who must die if Arthur is to succeed. With other problems and the obstacles posed by enemies and lunatics in his way, Arthur's return as the once and future king seems less likely with every passing moment. The third entry in this modern Arthurian saga is a strong tale that ties up much from the previous novels (see THE FOREVER KING and THE BROKEN SWORD). However, new fans would be better off perusing the former novels to obtain the full flavor of this charming tale. The cast remains strong making Arthur and his cohorts believable in the twenty-first century and turning a fast-paced and action-packed story line into a great time.

The Unnatural
Alan Nayes
Forge
ISBN: 0765306131 $27.95

In Los Angeles, the woman barely survived the assault that apparently relates to sewage based on the gook on her when she suddenly screams in horror and dies in the emergency room. As a counselor for battered women, psychiatrist Dr. Julie Charmaine wants to know what was so terrorizing that the woman relived it in her dreams and dropped dead on the replay. While Julie wonders what happened, Vicki Zambisi, who has had several operations to repair her deformed skull, breaks into a boarded-up hotel to retrieve a memento that might disclose the secret illegal experiments conducted by the highly regarded mad cryogenic research scientist Dr. Wesley Kovacs. She is fortunate to elude the sewage slasher. Vicki meets Julie who has a device that creates visual images of what people are dreaming about that she would like to use on her. Vicki has doubts, but soon other women undergo the horrible assaults in the old abandoned hotel. Could Dr. Kovacs be the killer or is it something sinister beyond what the two women and a LAPD detective can imagine? This is an exciting slasher medical thriller that is fun to read sort of like a Roger Corman movie. The story line combines the serial killer with a science fiction cautionary tale about the boundaries of medicine. Julie is a delightful, brilliant and energetic heroine while much of the rest of the cast either are victims or enable the audience to understand the protagonist better. Alan Nayes provides readers with an enjoyable tale that hooks the reader from the first page and keeps their interest until all the questions are answered.

Gateways
F. Paul Wilson
Forge
ISBN 0765306905 $25.95

Repairman Jack is trying to find a way to be a citizen again ever since he found out Gia was pregnant with his child. Since the government does not know he exists, they cannot be legally be married. Jack ponders a way to live up to his reputation as the "fix-it" man, his brother calls. He tells Jack that their father was in a car accident in the Everglades and is in Novaton Community Hospital. When Jack flies down to Novaton he does not realize he is going to be in another battle for his life. Hidden in the Everglades are two sinkholes that at the equinoxes give off an otherworldly light. The light mutates humans and animals and all other living creatures. Semelie, the leader of the inhabitants with the power to control the twisted life of the sinkholes, is responsible for the accident of Jack's father. Still she cannot get at Jack because a neighbor woman with much power is able to hold the forces of darkness at bay for the moment. When she is overcome, Jack and two surprising allies fight back knowing it could mean their deaths. Fate has something very big in store for Repairman Jack and the author slowly, novel by novel, reveals parts of the plan in which the Ally (Jack's side) battles the Otherness. Readers learn more about Jack's relationship with his father and why the Other has let him live. This is a very enthralling and mesmerizing tale because it is very possible that the dark side will win and the protagonist knows it.

Plant Them Deep
Aimee & David Thurlo
Forge
ISBN:0765304783 $24.95

She raised her two children to adulthood on the Navaho Reservation in New Mexico and is very proud of them both. Her son Clifford is a traditionalist who is a medicine man, a leader for those who don't believe in Anglo medicine. Her daughter is a special investigator working for the Navaho police, a woman who is considered a modernist who follows the Anglo way. Instead of relaxing Rose Destea has become a political activist on the reservation, protesting against gambling and the nuclear plant and holding the strip miners accountable for the damage they do to the land. Many of the plants that are used in their herbal medicines and healing ceremonies are becoming difficult, if not impossible to find. Someone is stealing the Plant People and the tribal council asks Rose to investigate what plants are in short supply. A patient who happens to be Rose's best friend needs a plant for a medicine ceremony that is impossible to find and she is willing herself to die. When a friend who joins Rose in her search in hunting the plant is killed, the staunch traditionalist vows to find the plant thief and killer and find the plant that will save her friend. The Ella Clan mysteries are hard-hitting police procedural that always seem to concentrate on action more than characterizations. PLANT THEM DEEP is very different but just as good. It is a gentle cozy that concentrates as much on the people as on the action. This stand alone book is an anthropologist's delight as it looks very deeply into a culture so that even trained sociologists would enjoy reading this novel. The Thurlos are great storytellers who allow readers to see just how deep their talent runs.

Quicksilver
Neal Stephenson
Morrow
ISBN: 0380977427 $27.95

Princess Caroline commands Enoch Root to go to Boston to persuade computational systems developer Daniel Waterhouse to come to Europe. The royal wants Daniel to mediate a geometrically growing mathematical squabble. Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz claim the invention of calculus. The two geniuses are locked in a feud that could destroy the enlightened foundations of empirical data as the basis to support scientific claims. Daniel, a friend of both scientists, sails to Europe as he muses over the scientific revolution that took root in the previous century. Urchin Jack Shaftoe treks across Europe doing odd jobs like pretending to be a Musketeer until he meets Eliza in Austria. She is an English woman who escaped a Turkish harem that was her home as a teen. She wants vengeance on the merchant that sold her into slavery and feels Jack can help her achieve her objective. Ultimately she works her way up from the former muddy street rascal to English and French royalty. QUICKSILVER is a delightful complex telling of the birth and impact of the scientific revolution. The story line recreates some of the greats like Newton, Leibniz, and Hooke as they interact with key fictional figures. The novel contains three "books" that focus on the Age of Reason so that the audience feels they are traveling with Daniel, Jack, and Eliza. Neal Stephenson makes the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century seem vividly alive at a critical junction in when reason and technology changed the world as few eras did before or since.

Offer of Proof
Robert Heilbrun
Morrow
ISBN: 0060538120 $24.95

New York legal-aid public defender Arch Gold is assigned the Damon Tucker murder trial. Damon is a poor kid from Harlem accused of killing businesswoman Charlotte King during a mugging incident. Besides the obvious class warfare angle, the media frenzy focuses on the first New York death penalty case since the early 1960s when the state tested the impact of electricity on Wood. Arch believes that his client is innocent and thanks to Damon's persistence, he checks into the background of the victim to see if anyone had a motive. Arch quickly learns that Charlotte had an affair with her employer, James L. Yates of Yates Associates. Feeling he has found the real culprit, Arch tries illegally breaking and entering before turning to former clients in a desperate attempt to free Damon and place Yates on trial. OFFER OF PROOF is sure to be considered by legal thriller fans as one of the top five sub-genre novels of the year. The story line is action packed and loaded with a strong often eccentric cast of characters. Arch is a great protagonist willing to cross the legal line to insure justice occurs. This book offers anecdotal proof that Robert Heilbrun is on his way to the sub-genre supreme court of authors.

Bell, Book & Scandal
Jill Churchill
Morrow
ISBN 0060097973 $23.95

When aspiring novelist Jane Jeffry gets a brochure in the mail about a writing conference coming to her town, her best friend and neighbor Shelley Novacks persuades her to go. Shelley also decides to attend. She and Jane register for the plush free suite that is available to the Novacks at all times. Jane is so motivated that she finally completes the mystery she has been working on for years. On the opening day of the conference, Jane meets one of her favorite writers who turns out to be a very sweet and friendly person. At the opening ceremony the speaker editor Sophie Smith falls ill and is rushed to the hospital where she has her stomach pumped. A little while later, Zac Zebra, writer turned reviewer, is found unconscious in the hotel parking lot. In between agent and editor conferences and seminars, and costume parties, Jane tries to figure out the link between the two incidents and who is responsible. It is always fun to read a new Jane Jeffry mystery and BELL, BOOK AND SCANDAL is strong evidence of why. The author captures the ambiance of a writers' convention to perfection, using it as the back drop for an enjoyable mystery. Fans of cozies and amateur sleuth who-done-its in which nobody is killed and no blood is shed will find this work charming and entertaining. The story line is lighthearted filled with humor and does not take itself too seriously.

The Passions of Chelsea Kane
Barbara Delinsky
Morrow
ISBN 0066214572 $18.95

Chelsea Kane always realizes that she was adopted but her family didn't want her to know anything about her biological parents. They destroyed all the records. When her mother dies, her lawyer gives to Chelsea an envelope postmarked Norwich Notch, New Hampshire. Before she makes the decision to go to the town of her birth, she makes love with her best friend and business partner Carl Harper. She becomes pregnant but before she can tell Carl, he informs her he is marrying the woman who is carrying his twins. Needing a place to escape to and wanting to find out about her biological roots, Chelsea moves to the small conservative village of her birth, buys into a business and meets Judd Streeter who is Chelsea's foreman on the quarry site. While the two fight their growing feelings for one another, someone in town attempts to scare her into leaving, going so far as to trying to run her over and burning down her home. It has been over eleven years since THE PASSIONS OF CHELSEA KANE was published but classics such as this stand the test of time and remain a strong read when reprinted. The relationship between the heroine and her love is so dynamic and explosive, sparks fly off the pages. The townsfolk are an interesting group who give color and atmosphere to the plot and demonstrate that even in a small hamlet, there remains a huge gap between the classes.

The Book of Air
Marjorie B. Kellogg
Daw
ISBN 0756400805 $6.99

The dragons of Earth, Water, Fire and Air created the globe and when they were through, they went to sleep beneath the orb expecting to arise at the world's end. Air was the first to wake up and realize the destiny of her siblings but when she told Fire he imprisoned her so she would not tell her siblings about the quest and its aftermath. Fire went on to become mankind's enemy. In the year 2213 the Earth was in its death throes, he set himself up as a God with his bondmate Paia as his high priestess. When Water woke up she bonded with a twentieth century young man from a war torn African country. Earth bonded with Erde, a medieval maiden who has more courage then a dozen knights. Earth and Water forced Fire to retreat from the field of battle after Paia turned against him. Gerasch, who has lived through several life times and is not quite human, must find and free his dragon Air for only with the dragons and their bondmates working together can Earth be saved. This is the latest and final installment in "The Dragon Quartet" series and it is a powerful work of sword and sorcery. All loose ends are tied up and all questions are finally answered so readers are left totally satisfied and gratified with this magnificent tale and the entire four-book saga that is so reminiscent of the Dragon Riders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey.

The Devil's Armor
John Marco
Daw
ISBN 0756401550 $24.95

The diamond queen Jazana Carr defeats King Lorn of Norvor when his loyal nobles accept payment for betraying him. The monarch and his physically impaired infant daughter escapes. They join travelers heading to the magical fortress of Grimhold in Jador. He hopes to find sanctuary there but also prays that the mystical Akari will ease the pain in his heart and Poppy's physical ailments. The kingdom of Liiria's greatest champion Lukien feels guilt over the betrayal of the dead king Akeela. Lukien, linked to the Akari essence Amaraz that he wears around his neck in an amulet guards Grimhold and Jado with his life since the Akari made him invulnerable and immortal. Also at Grimhold is Baron Thorin Glass of the once powerful Liirian Empire. Following the Jador massacre, he stayed on hoping to find peace from his inner demons. He knows that his former lover Queen Jazanna will invade Liira in revenge for leaving her brokenhearted. He feels helpless until he finds a suit of black armor in an weapons stronghold containing the angry essence of the Akiri Kahldris . Once he dons the garb, he leaves the stronghold intending to make the kingdoms in the north in his image unless Lukien can stop him. The key element to THE DEVIL'S ARMOR is that the entire ensemble except perhaps Kahldris (the jury is still deliberating about him) is not pure malevolent beings. Though the prime players cause good people to die especially in battle, they also perform acts of kindness. John Marco uses his cast like a chess grandmaster moving his players about the board with dexterity so that the audience receives an action-packed thriller that is essentially character driven and brings to minds the work of the sword and sorcery novels of Terry Brooks.

Exile's Valor
Mercedes Lackey
Daw
ISBN 0756402069 $24.95

Once he was a loyal soldier in the Karsian army. Through an unusual set of circumstances he was chosen to be the Companion of Kantor, a magical being that looks like a hors but is so much more. Alberich had to prove to the Heralds of Valdemar that he was worthy of joining them. He accomplishes that during the Tedral War. Now with Tedral defeated and Karse involved with its internal problems, Valdemar is temporarily at peace. King Sendar has been dead for six months and his daughter Queen Selenay rules the country. The council is urging her to marry and begat an heir but none of their choices motivates her to get married. Alone and lonely, with only her companion to confide in, she falls for Prince Karath of Rethwellian when he comes to pay a condolence call. None of the Heralds trust him; Alberich has reason to believe he is a traitor but all he and his allies can do is wait until the prince consort makes a move. They must also protest the queen without her knowing that they suspect her husband is planning something dreadful once their child is born. Anytime a Valdemar book is published it is a cause for celebration and EXILE'S VALOR, the sequel to Exile's Honor, is no exception. The novel focuses on the first year of the queen's reign and how her master Herald Alberich, who is also her spy master watches over her and makes sure she is always protected even when she is unaware of the danger. Mercedes Lackey makes Valdemar seem so real that readers will believe it actually exists.

Men Writing Science Fiction As Women
Mike Resnick, editor
Daw
ISBN: 0756401658 $6.99

Popular male writers provide engaging new tales in this anthology and successfully do so from a female perspective. The concept is intriguing, but obviously gimmicky too. The tales are well written entries that cross (no pun intended the gamut of sub-genre lines. Each one provides a first person account starring a female protagonist (in some cases antagonist might be a more apropos term). However, the fun in this nineteen tale anthology is not the gender switching, but in observing how males see females. Mike Resnick summarizes the tales best in his introduction to this collection when he quotes from his novel Outpost: "What's the most dangerous race you ever came across? Women! I mean an alien race. So do I." Readers will have a fine time seeing favorite writers switch from pants to skirts in an entertaining compilation.

The Pleasure of Her Kiss
Linda Needham
Avon
ISBN: 0060514116 $5.99

In 1848 Earl Jared Westbrooke decides to take a breather form his work at the Home Office to go home to see his wife Alexandria. The day after her father died, he married her eighteen months ago in Alexandria and left her five minutes after exchanging vows. He expects to make love with her for the first time because he needs an heir. Once he is through with her, he will go on his next mission, making inquiries on the coast involving smuggling of guns into famine-ravaged Ireland. When he reaches his home, he finds paying guests staying at his lodge. His wife apparently is hosting a fishing tournament and making a lot of money from her customers. He wonders what she is doing with the money. When she fails to recognize him, he goes underground to learn if she is helping the smugglers take weapons to the Irish. Though the audience will have some problems with Jared's neglectful behavior, fans will gain much pleasure form this delightful Victorian romance. The lead protagonists are an interesting couple as he hides the truth of his identity while she keeps secret her activities. With a fine story line, THE PLEASURE OF HER KISS is a warm historical novel that readers will enjoy.

To Tempt a Bride
Edith Layton
Avon
ISBN: 0060502185 $5.99

The malaria fever he first caught in India returns so Eric Ford leaves a London dance he was attending to walk home. Camille Croft, who has loved him since childhood, informs her brother Miles and Eric's brother-in-law that before he left he looked very ill. They chase after Eric because they are concerned and want to insure he gets home all right. Near his home, a man offers Nell for a night to Eric. Needing to lie down, he takes out his wallet, but the man hits Eric and steals his money just as Camille and her brother arrive. As Eric recovers, Nell stays with Camille. Eric knows he is too old and too ill for Camille, but he begins to fall in love with her. Nell's cousin attorney Dana Bartlett courts Camille in front of a jealous Eric. When he feels fully recovered, Eric decides to tell Camille he loves her. They agree to marry. At the party where they plan to announce the upcoming nuptials, Nell poisons Eric. She abducts Camille and takes her to Lord Dearborne, a nasty individual seeking revenge against Eric and others for exiling him years ago. RITA award winner Edith Layton known for her "C," Regencies provides her fans with a fine romance focusing on a warm male protagonist falling in love with a caring woman whom he always treated like his little sister. The support characters add depth to understanding how Camille and Eric feel about life and each other. Though the final abduction of the heroine adds unneeded suspense, readers will be glad to have read a wonderful tale.

Kill the Competition
Stephanie Bond
Avon
ISBN: 0060539836 $6.99

Having just moved from Cincinnati to Atlanta, financial expert Belinda Hennessey adjusts to her new town. She knows that her new town is more expensive than her previous one and that the rush hour traffic into the city is unbearable especially from the north side. Thus she has joined those drives using the HOV carpool lane into and out of the city. Belinda works on an assessment whether her new firm Archer Furniture should acquire the mom and pop Payton Manufacturing. Her boss "Maniac Margo" wants the report done yesterday (weekend or not). Belinda concludes that the potential new addition cooked the books, but Margo tells her to be quiet. Reluctantly Belinda agrees being the new kid on the block and wary to make waves. Not long afterward, someone murders Margo with the evidence pointing towards Belinda due to the fiscal cover-up or a member of the car pool who have had run-ins with the now dead queen of nasty. KILL THE COMPETITION is a delightful relationship drama wit a strong police procedural plot to anchor the tale. Though the romance between Belinda and police officer Wade Alexander is warm and fun to observe and the murder investigation cleverly intertwined into the prime plot, the tale belongs to the four female car poolers. Their outlook on Atlanta, work, and men forge a strong bond between them and make for a witty novel that readers will cherish especially if you ever been stuck in Spaghetti Junction (Atlanta's most notorious parking lot during the rush hour).

Pain Free Arthritis: A 7-Step Program for Feeling Better Again
Dr. Harris H. McIlwain and Debra Fulghum
Bruce Holt
ISBN: 0805073256 $15.00

The writers point out at the very beginning that seventy million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis with the number expected to balloon as the baby boomers become senior citizens. As such this reference book should be of interest to many readers as Dr. Harris H. McIlwain and Debra Fulghum Bruce provide an easy to follow summary of the various treatments available today. The authors furbish information that runs the gamut from exercise, diet, drugs and alternative therapies such as chiropractic and acupuncture. They include a detailed step by step approach to overcome or at least deal with the pain of arthritis so that the sufferer can maximize a positive lifestyle. Those seven steps are immediately provided in the introduction with detail in later chapters. The book enables the reader to understand the options and choose what is best of them. Thus PAIN-FREE ARTHRITUS: A 7-STEP PROGRAM FOR FEELING BETTER AGAIN is solid reading for those inflicted with this crippler and their families, but must reading for those who currently spell relief: none.

Destiny
L.C. Martin
Publish America
ISBN: 1413702740 $19.95

Nikki Saunders looks forward to her Key West vacation after working very hard at her job and struggling to end her relationship with a married man. She and her pal Leila drive through the Keys to their destination where they meet two Philadelphians. Nikki cannot stand the pushy guy pursuing her, but Leila and Len Santoro hit it off. Philadelphia realtor Jason McKenzie regrets not being able to go with his pals to Key West, but has to complete a deal involving a local mobster first. Len tells Jason about Nikki, and he calls her up, shyly asking to meet her. She reluctantly agrees that she might see him when she is in New York on business. Nikki and Jason meet and immediately are attracted to one another. However, the real estate deal for the mob failed to materialize. Not only is Jason in trouble, but anyone close to him is in peril including the woman he now loves. This romantic suspense will thrill readers because Juanita McClellan takes the time to enable the audience to understand, appreciate, and care about her key cast members. This includes important secondary characters. The lead protagonists will delight sub-genre fans as they struggle with other relationships (not just romantic ones). The story line shifts into gear once Jason and Nikki come together and never slows down until the climax.

The Twilight Before Christmas
Christine Feehan
Pocket
ISBN: 074347628X $6.99

After seeing the world, Kate Drake returns to her hometown of Sea Haven, which makes resident Matthew Granite elated as he has loved her forever. However, one thing that has not changed is Matthew's inability to speak a phrase in her presence as whenever he sees her he is tongue twisted. Though a former Army Ranger who faced danger with confidence, he has never been able to tell Kate that he loves her. He prays for a Yuletide miracle On the other hand Kate shares the same feelings as Matt. Though she can actually say an entire sentence in his presence, she believes an adventurer like he is will never stay with a couch potato. She hopes for a Christmas miracle. An earthquake releases a malevolent essence from its underground interment. This evil threatens the town with a debilitating fog and nightmares making day and night frightening beyond reason. Kate and her sisters must use the magic they possess to battle this wickedness if the people of Sea Haven are to survive. Matt shows his love for Kate by joining her in the fray. Christine Feehan shows why she is one of the best at creating suspenseful paranormal romances with this powerful supernatural romantic thriller. The couple lead couple provides quite a contrast between their uncertainties about love vs. their bravery in war. The rest of the Drakes are as charming, weaving a spell on readers that will echo at a best seller rate back to Ms. Feehan with one reiterative word: sequel.

Hard Lovin' Man
Lorraine Heath
Pocket
ISBN: 0743457447 $6.99

In Hopeful, Texas Chief of Police Jack Morgan stops an underage patron with a fake ID at the Sit 'N' Bull bar. He calls up Madison's stepsister, who is her guardian, high school teacher Kelley Spencer to take her sibling home. When she arrives at the station, Jack and Kelley recognize each other as she was his teacher in his senior year when they were very attracted to one another. Jack thinks back to that senior year when he was accused of impregnating an underage Stephanie. Kelly gave him no chance to prove his innocence and no choice but to marry the teen. He did, but his new wife ultimately fled leaving him with a son whom he raises by himself. Now Jack is hopeful that he has a second chance to complete what he wanted to do back in high school. He wants to court his former teacher, the woman he loves, who turned him around from a bad boy going nowhere to a law abiding citizen. Fans of second chance at love will enjoy this contemporary romance starring two solid lead characters and a strong support cast especially his son and her stepsister. However, readers will also need to accept the history of a budding relationship between a teacher and a student though the former was 22 and the latter 19 at the time. Still, Lorraine Heath furbishes her fans with a warm tale of love.

Shotgun Bride
Linda Lael Miller
Pocket
ISBN: 0743422740 $7.99

In the 1880s their aging dad informs his three sons that the first one married with a child inherits the family ranch. It appears that the oldest brother Rafe and his relatively new wife Emmeline will win the competition as she is pregnant (see HIGH COUNTRY BRIDE). Middle brother Kade advertised for a bride and six women answered. However, his interest lies in Sister Mandy who he believes is not a nun, but someone on the run. Mandy has mixed feelings about Kade, who she met a few years ago. She is happy he does not recognize her so he cannot expose her, but also sad because she so much wanted him to remember her. Though even more attracted to him then she was as a young teen, she fears that if her family finds her, Kade would become an expendable pawn especially to her odious stepfather. The second McKettrick western romance is an exciting action-packed tale starring two delightful lead protagonists. Readers will appreciate Sister Mandy from the moment she trounces the socially conscious Kade) in a horse race. Though some confusion between the relationship between Mandy's stepfather and stepbrother exists and the resolution is too easy, this is an exciting Americana historical romance. The coda of SHOTGUN BRIDE is a wonderful setup for the youngest brother's story that will keep the audience breathless in anticipation.

The Seductive One
Susan Mallery
Pocket
ISBN: 0743443969 $6.49

Brenna Marcelli knows the depths of her desperation when she visits Nicholas Giovanni, CEO of family rival Wild Sea Vineyards to borrow one million dollars to start her own wine label. Her beloved family patriarch and that of Nicholas have fought for decades. Still Brenna feels a need to go around her grandfather as she believes he will hand over the family winemaking company to a newly discovered stepbrother. The vines are in Brenna's heart, but so is Nic, who broke hers when she was a teen. Nic lends the money to Brenna, but sees this as a different type of investment as he now feels he has the mechanism to avenge what he has heard the Marcelli's did to the Giovanni clan years ago. However, Nic feels Brenna's enthusiasm and acumen as if he was working every vine. Soon he falls in love with her, but may have destroyed his chance for happiness when his scheme begins to show fruit. Brenna knows that d�j� vu means breaking your heart twice over the same rascal. The third Marcelli contemporary romance is a fine one as readers follow the exploits of the only sister whose heart is entangled by the vines. The story line is fun to follow as Brenna battles with her grandfather and Nic. Both these stubborn men soon realize how strong a person she is. Readers will appreciate the latest entanglement of the heart as the Marcelli siblings remain strong characters that are fun to observe and the audience will want to toast at their upcoming nuptials.

Fatal Dead Lines
John Luciew
Pocket
ISBN: 0743471415 $6.99

Sixty-one years old Harrisburg Herald obit columnist Lenny Bascomb thinks back to his last meaningful assignment reporting the Three Mile Island incident over two decades ago. Though he reflects on his glory days, he knows that now he is a shell of what he was. While working on the obituary of a young girl, Lenny goes into a fugue trance. During this state, he types the hidden truth from the public person though he never met her or her family. The deceased killed herself because she could not cope with her sexual predator father. Though he hands in the glowing obit, Lenny gains revenge for the victim. Everyone praises political powerhouse Herb Butcher for his behind the scenes, emperor making when he suddenly dies from a heart attack. However, Lenny goes into another trance. He soon realizes that the idol who got Governor Lowell elected and turned him into a possible contender for president, stole millions for personal use from the campaign funds of the Keystone State's chief executive. Lenny and reporter Jacqueline Towers start to expose Herb as an embezzler and begin to shred Lowell's ambitions too. FATAL DEAD LINES is an offbeat paranormal investigative journalist political thriller that will remind readers of the Hopper film Witch Hunt. The story line grabs the audience as the tired Lenny suddenly regains his energy with his first satisfying efforts in over twenty years. Besides my bias of having lived in Harrisburg during the late March '79 near meltdown this reviewer found John Luciew's tale fun and gripping in a refreshing way. No obit for Lenny who deserves future truth finder tales.

Fantasy Life
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Pocket
ISBN 0793456319 $6.99

Lyssa Buckingham divorced her husband when his mental illness threatened to harm their ten-year-old daughter Emma. The young girl couldn't understand why she wasn't allowed to see her father. One day she decided to bicycle over to her former home and go swimming. When she gets in the water her father tries to drown her and using powers she never knew she possessed she sets him on fire and kills him. Once Lyssa learns what happened she knows she must return to Anchor Bay, Oregon to the house where she was born. She needs her mother and grandmother, who she turned away from, to teach Emma to control her powers. However returning home will provide no haven and ultimately wil, prove dangerous for her and the other Buckinghams. The fantasy creatures they have protected for over a century are planning to destroy everything the family holds dear. This novel will appeal to fans of fantasy, romance, horror and those readers who like a work that is refreshingly unique. The four Buckingham women are powerful, not because of their powers, but because of their determination to keep faith with the sentient beings who are under their protection. Lyssa learns that a person can't run away from one's destiny and the Buckingham women realize they are stronger together than apart. Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a talented storyteller who provides her audience with a great tale.

The Pirate Next Door
Jennifer Ashley
Leisure
ISBN: 0843952776 $5.99

In 1810 London, Lady Alexandra Alastair wonders about life's ironies. Next door in Mayfair lives Grayson Finley and his twelve year old daughter. Grayson vanished years ago, apparently became a pirate, and now returns to England as a Viscount. Adding to her confusion about the handsome hunk is observing some rough seafaring individuals threatening to hang him if he revealed anything to the Admiralty. In fact after the thugs leave, she rescues him as they did in deed hang him high. Alexandra's reward is a kiss. As Alexandra becomes better acquainted with her new neighbor, she falls in love. She wants to keep both Finleys safe. When Grayson returns her ardent feelings, his enemy James Ardmore has a new pawn to use to destroy him. Though this regency may seen strange at first with the hero being a pirate turned aristocrat, fans of the sub-genre will highly value the tale. Alexandra is an intrepid character not afraid to go tot to toe with the deadly Ardmore when it comes to protecting hers. Grayson is more of an enigma that fans will want to solve. Though the villain seems out of his element, THE PIRATE NEXT DOOR is an action-packed pleasant "high seas" London adventure novel.

Yankee Earl
Shirl Henke
Leisure
ISBN: 0843952415 $5.99

The Honorable Miss Rachel Fairchild is horrified to learn that a colonial nobody is the new Earl of Falconridge. She wonders how this Jason Beaumont from America will know the proper deportment of an English aristocrat when he was living in some barbaric land. To make matters worse for the athletic Rachel, her father expects her to marry this "American nobody". From the moment they meet with Rachel lying in mud staring up at Jason, sparks fly, not all positive. In fact more are negative as Rachel makes it clear how she classifies this intruder. Jason sees Rachel as a hellcat probably not worth the trouble, but taming this shrew sounds so sweet. As they fall in love encouraged by their families, neither he nor Rachel ever expected that she would tame him.. YANKEE EARL is an exciting historical romance that the audience will enjoy due to the intelligent acerbic exchanges (perhaps barbs might be more accurate) between the two lead protagonists. Though similar tales have been told, Shirl Henke's entry stands out due to the strong cast from the lead dueling duo to the meddling matchmakers from each respective family to the shocked Ton not sure how to react to the behavior of Jason and Rachel. This battle of the sexes is fun to observes as this is one time a tie is a win for both participants and the reader.

The Laird of Stonehaven
Connie Mason
Leisure
ISBN: 0843952326 $6.99

In 1432, Graeme Campbell, THE LAIRD OF STONEHAVEN, returns from fighting alongside Joan, the Maid of Orleans, to his Scottish home. He plans to marry Blair MacArthur, rumored to be a fairy woman and the current focus of the MacArthur Prophesy. His cousin tells him he is mad to marry the witch, but Graeme knows he must honor the last wish of the lass' dying father that he marry her. He also does not believe in witchcraft or prophesies as he feels Blair is simply a healer. Blair knows of the Prophesy as well, which states that the fairy woman will face trials from the elements and cannot fall in love with the wrong man. An arranged marriage seems an ideal way to save herself especially since the groom loved Joan so she agrees to wed Graeme with no plan to ever love him. As they become acquainted the impossible occurs and they fall in love especially when Graeme realizes the danger to Blair mirrors what occurred to Joan. Connie Mason shows her flexibly with this powerful medieval romantic fantasy. The story line contains the typical elements found in a historical, but also freshens up the plot with paranormal components that hook the audience. The parallels to Joan of Arc is cleverly interwoven so that the hero is haunted with a d�j� vu feel that makes his prime project to keep his beloved Blair the "witch" safe. Ms. Mason has a winner that should widen her audience appeal.

The Red Hat Club
Haywood Smith
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312316933 $24.95

In the late 1960s the five women met while attending Atlanta area high schools. , Georgia, Teeny, Linda, Diane and SuSu became friends as they discovered their sexual power over males. Over the years they remained friends though society battered at each one of them using the vicious tools of husbands and kids to try to destroy them. Now middle-aged with the beginnings of a bulge and aches, the quintet still meets once a month in purple garb with red hats to celebrate that they are the last generation of southern Mademoiselles sharing Buckhead gossip. They are still a fine tune team sharing their desires, hatreds, and boredom. Marriage has not been what they expected with cheating husbands or tedious relationships if that much. Each turns to the other four for solace and perhaps a bit of vengeance on the worst of their five male companions. Life in Atlanta in spite the trials and tribulations of age and family remains good as long as the five women have THE RED HAT CLUB to look forward to every month. Though nothing new to the vast sea of southern women literature, THE RED HAT CLUB is an engaging tale that welcomes readers as if they were sharing wine with the heroines. The story line feels like a relationship cozy that combines gentle breezes on top of steel magnolias. The characters are distinct and delightful charming the audience with their interactions and intelligent colloquies on life, especially on men and teens, two species none of them admit to understanding. Fans of women's fiction will appreciate Haywood Smith's fine homage to the southern female.

I'll Be Watching You
Tina Wainscott
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312984235 $6.99

In Cypress, Florida, snuggled in the Everglades, Elva Lyons shuts her bar Southern Comfort to go home. Inside her home, someone she knows comes out of the closet and kills her. Apparently, Elva had bought a box of junk at a church sale that contained a journal describing a murder. The official report is an accident due to her falling while using her skiff. Elva's granddaughter Kim fled Cypress ten years ago after accusing her stepfather, a favorite son of the town, of murdering her mother. When she learns her beloved granny is dead, she feels guilty for not going home often and hurt as she missed the funeral. Kim has inherited the bar and house of her granny and heads to Cypress knowing everyone hates her, but one person would like her removed anyway possible including the use of homicide. Fans who have watched the career of Tina Wainscott soar over the years will enjoy her latest romantic suspense that never slows down until the climax. The story line is action packed and keep readers guessing as to who killed Elva though the villain seems a bit of a stretch once revealed. The cast is a delight that brings a small isolated Everglades community to life, alligators and all so that the audience receives the usual entertaining thriller from one of the best writers today at keeping the tension high.

The Blessing Stone
Barbara Wood
St. Martin's
ISBN: 031227534X $25.95

Three million years ago, a meteorite journeyed through the atmosphere of the third orb around the sun. The remnants of the meteorite crash on the planet leaving as its survivor a blue crystal. 100,000 years ago in Africa, The Tall One finds the crystal that somehow saves the life of her ailing Old Mother. Over the millenniums, the gem is passed from one generation to another, ultimately crossing the Mediterranean to Europe, eventually to the Middle East, and finally the Atlantic during the California Gold Rush to America. A hundred plus years later in an upstate New York hamlet the jewel resurfaces on the handle of a hippy's roach clip. THE BLESSING STONE is actually an anthology consisting of eight solid tales that are tied together by the blue stone. The stories are well written though a few are obvious as to what will happen. The three BC "books" are incredible while the Roman and Dark Ages tales are terrific. Though the remaining trio is well done, they feel too "modern" (even with one in the sixteenth century) to focus on the mystical jewel until that 1969 farm with a half of million strong. Still Barbara Wood provides an engaging history of the world.

Deadly Promise
Brenda Joyce
St. Martin's
ISBN 0312989873 $6.99

After saying yes to Calder Hart's proposal of marriage, wealth society heiress Francesca Cahill disappears. When she returns, she meets up with Calder at a society function where he announces their engagement. Also at the party is New York City Police Commissioner Rick Bragg, the man Francesca loves and her fianc� hates. Even though Rick is married to the beautiful Leigh Anna, he feels betrayed that Francesca is going to marry his detested half-brother. The object of both their affections is more concerned with her new case than matters of the heart. A beautiful young girl has disappeared while walking from her home to the store and her parents are frantic with worry. As Francesca, with the help of Rick and Calder, investigates the child's disappearance, they discover that more young girls have gone missing and they fear a white slavery ring is operating in the area. Francesca is determined to find the children and discover who is behind their disappearances even if it means putting her own life in danger. Francesca is not the typical society debutant in 1902 New York City as she is a strong-willed, feisty crusader who believes in the causes she fights for and is determined to be more then as ornament, hence her job as a sleuth. The Francesca Cahill novels are always brimming with passion and history. DEADLY PROMISE is a delightful romantic mystery that will have readers so enthralled they will want to finish this work in one sitting.

The Distant Echo
Val McDermid
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312301995 $24.95

In 1978 St. Andrews, Scotland, four intoxicated students stumble home at four in the morning while snow heavily falls. However, they sober up rather quickly when they stumble over the raped and murdered body of Rosie Duff. Though everyone especially the victim's siblings believe that the drunken male quartet killed her, no proof exists and thus no one is charged with the homicide. Twenty-five years later, forensic science has advanced to the point that the Scottish police reconsider this cold case. Instead of rejoicing that perhaps Rosie's killer is identified, the reopening of the investigation sets off someone seeking revenge against the four former students, who remain haunted by that deadly discovery. Two of them, Sigmund Malkewicz and Davy Kerr, suddenly die in what look like accidents, but their deaths sends a shiver up the spines of the surviving pair. Alex Gilbey and Tom Mackie become determined to learn the truth about the murder a quarter of a century ago and the two killings of their friends because they fear they are next. On the other hand, Assistant Chief Constable James Lawson wants them to stay out while he tries to solve the murder as homage to his former superior, Detective Investigator Barney Maclennan, who died during the 1978 investigation. Part one takes place in 1978 is brilliantly designed so that the audience wonders who killed Rosie. Part Two occurs in 2003 is well written with an intriguing and plausible ending. The contrasting police procedural story lines enable the audience to see how far forensics has come in a relative short period while entertaining the audience with a strong two in one novel that ties nicely together.

The Heartbreaker
Rexanne Becnel
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312983123 $6.99

As reported by the London Tattler, Viscount James Linford has returned home from spending two years abroad in India, his second trip overseas. Not long afterward, the paper announces that James is engaged to Lady Catherine Winfield. However as also accounted he has two children out of wedlock living with him. His betrothal ends and he hides in the country to escape the turmoil more than the scandal. His oldest child ten year old Clarissa is a foul mouthed hooligan. Neighbor Phoebe Churchill catches Clarissa stealing from her. She takes the child to task and soon they become friendly. As James is amazed with the way Phoebe "handles" Clarissa, he falls in love with his neighbor. He wants her as his wife and mother to his three children (the third he has not brought home yet), help her raise her niece deserted by her mother, and perhaps have more children with her. This is a refreshing Regency romance that will shake sub-genre fans not ready for a preadolescent with a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush. James is an intriguing protagonist as he faces up to his responsibilities though that costs him his fianc�e and a sure seat on the Council of Foreign Affairs. Phoebe is a practical individual trying to do the right thing as she nurtures life's abandoned ones. However, the tale belongs to Clarissa who sets the tone with her thieving and flow of profanity that will either send readers running away or feeling empathy towards this potentially lost soul.

Rendezvous Eighteenth
Jake Lamar
St. Martin's
ISBN 0312289200 $24.95

In a family of overachievers, he was considered the only African-American in his generation not living up to his potential. For instance, his cousin Cash grew up to become an internationally renowned surgeon whose income was in the seven figure range. When Ricky Jenks was jilted at the altar because his bride ran away with Cash, he left America for a job playing piano in a quaint Parisian Bistro. After living there for nine years, his cousin Cash begs him to find his wife who walked out on him. Cash believes she's in Paris but when Selena meets Ricky, her face is black and blue from the beating her husband gave her. Rickey confronts his cousin who shows him the knife wound Serena gave him after he found out she was once a high priced call girl pimped by her twin brother. Besides the marital fiasco, Rickey becomes entangled with unsavory people including the bodyguards of Serena's brother and Cash. Then there is a policeman asking why his keys were on the body of a murdered prostitute in his building. RENDEZVOUS EIGHTEENTH is a refreshingly different and totally enthralling thriller. Readers will finish the book in one sitting because they need to know what motivates the various antagonists. In the middle of all this drama, Ricky barely copes with his pregnant girlfriend, who he loves. She refuses to marry him because he isn't a Muslim. Inside the action, Jake Lamar gives his audience the experience of the African-American expatriate life style in 1990's Paris with a brilliant visual display that forms a panorama in the reader's mind.

The Savvy Sistahs
Brenda Jackson
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312315120 $13.95

In Orlando the three thirtyish ladies met one year ago at a meeting of the Savvy Sistahs Who Mean Business. They became friends and regularly meet to share their business successes. They also share failure when it comes to men. Pregnant Amber Stuart caught her husband in bed with another woman and went crazy leading to a miscarriage and a divorce. She now owns Amber's Books & Gifts. Just before her wedding Brandy Bennett found a video of her future spouse in bed with her best friend. Using the video as a weapon she gained an immediate divorce with her settlement consisting of the St. Laurent Hotel. Carla Osborne runs Osborne Computer Network while raising her two year old by herself. Cord Jeffrey chokes on a cookie in Amber's store, sending her in a panic even after he recovers. Brandy hires former FBI Agent Grey Masters when someone begins to stalk her. Carla fights off a hostile takeover of her business led by Jesse Deveraux, the only man she ever loved literally and emotionally. The three relationship failures have found love, but will any one of them realize what they have if they go for it? Brenda Jackson displays she is a savvy sistah when it comes to successfully providing an enjoyable contemporary romance starring three delightful single women. THE SAVVY SISTAHS contains three prime intermingling story lines as each of the female trio stars in their own respective tale, but overlap just enough so that the audience feels like participants in a cleverly designed plot. Ms. Jackson provides a wonderful novel that gifts fans of strong female protagonists with an integrated charming triad.

The Poisoner
Gail Bell
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312320132 $14.95

When Gail Bell was ten years old, her father received a package from the estate of his recently deceased stepfather. The bundle contained items from her dad's estranged biological father including a medicine case. Inside the case were vials that apparently were filled with poison. When Gail went to open one of the bottles, her father ripped it and the case away. He buried the case and its contents. Years later, Gail investigated that case and why her father reacted so abruptly. In 1927, Gail's grandfather Dr. William MacBeth was accused of killing two of his sons using poison. No trial ever occurred as the caring healer evaded justice. Gail investigated the crimes, the motives of her grandfather, and the use of poison as a killing device. THE POISONER is a shocking biographical tale that seems like it should be a fictional account of amonster in angel clothing, but instead is a true story that will surprise the audience with the findings (read the account). Ms. Bell engages the reader from the start, as she makes no alibis or rationalizations that excuse her grandfather's so-called abominable behavior. Readers of true crime will be fascinated with the powerful tale with a shocking twist that reads like fiction for only a novel could prove as strange as the ultimate findings uncovered by Ms. Bell.

Shadow of Death
William G. Tapply
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312303777 $24.95

Political kingmaker Jimmy D'Ambrosio knows that spousal trouble when one runs for elected office means trouble for the candidate. Jimmy D worries about Albert, husband of the US Senater from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts candidate Ellen Stoddard. Jimmy D asks old friend Boston based attorney, Brady Coyne to hire the most discreet private investigator to determine why Albert is acting strange. Brady employs private eye Gordon Cahill, who learns what is bothering Albert, but dies in a car accident that looks more like deliberate murder before he can meet with Brady. Knowing that Gordon concentrated on Albert's Southwick, New Hampshire cabin, Brady travels there, but stirs the pot enough that someone else is also killed. Cops in two states are interested in Brady, his unidentified client, and solving two homicides. SHADOW OF DEATH is a strong Coyne entry, perhaps the best in the last decade. The story line moves at a rapid pace as Brady is caught between client confidentiality and the homicides. The support characters propel the tale forward while Brady seems refreshed as if he rolled back the clock twenty years. Fans of the hero or the New England who-done-it scene will enjoy William G. Tapply's latest story runs on all cylinders.

The Wrong Stuff
Sharon Fiffer
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312314140 $24.95

Antiques dealer Jane Wheel uses her home as her warehouse so personal things tend to vanish amidst the forest of items. Her son knows first hand the frustration of simply putting something down and not finding it for seemingly centuries afterward. Jane vows to do better, but she also works in Bruce Oh's private investigative firm, which means even less time to catalogue and clean up the house. As Jane struggles at home, Bruce's wife antique dealer Claire admires a battered chest but the owners, believing it's trash, simply want to save money and effort to cart it off so they give it to her. Claire feels she has obtained an extremely rare Westman Sunflower Chest. She sells her treasure to dealer Horace Cutler, another dealer and takes the item to get it restored. However, when Horace receives his goods he goes wild calling Claire a cheat as he insists the chest is a fake. Not long afterward someone kills Horace and the police suspect Claire committed the homicide. Bruce and Jane set out to prove his spouse is innocent while traveling the cutthroat antiques' world seeking clues. The who-done-it is fine, but takes a back seat to the strong cast. Jane is a delightful heroine struggling between clutter and oxygen with amusing asides at the beginning of each chapter that will amuse readers especially the pack rats who throw away nothing. Just ask her son about that. Jane's friend Tim Lowry adds humor and further insight to the apprentice sleuth. Sharon Fiffer provides a jocular private investigative yarn that the cozy crowd will believe is the right stuff.

Barbados Heat
Don Bruns
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312304927 $24.95

Florida Congressman Robert Shapply used to champion the rights of rappers. Now along with his wife he plans to push a ban on the violence, drugs, rape and other evils that permeate throughout the lyrics of many rap tunes. The couple plan to host hearings on violence and porn that the entertainment world nonchalantly offers our children. However, before he can begin his crusade as only a convert could, someone kills Robert just outside his DC townhouse. The police arrest Robert's stepson Nick Brand. His childhood best friend music reporter Mick Sever, who is still angry with his buddy over an incident from a few years ago, offers to investigate when the accused persuades him that he innocent. As the inquiries take him through the nightmarish violence of rap music, the weird Shapply extended family, and ultimately Barbados, thugs try to stop Mick and a killer stalks him. The who-done-it is a solid puzzler that is filled with numerous viable suspects with motives. The hero at times seems too egotistical as to his greatness, but what do you expect from a reviewer as it is easier to criticize than create. Still fans will appreciate his dogged determination to uncover the truth even if it is hard to accept a music critic as an amateur sleuth. The support cast consists of escapess from weird city, but in some strange manner enhance the story line. Fans of a different rap will enjoy BARBADOS HEAT, a solid detective tale.

Irish Coffee
Ralph McInerny
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312309015 $23.95

In South Bend, Indiana, literature professor Roger Knight and his brother retired private detective Phil are big fans of Notre Dame sports. The siblings especially enjoy talking sports past and present with the university's assistant sports information director Fred Neville, a fellow bachelor. However, that pastime ends when Fred suddenly dies from poisoned coffee. Fred's death shakes the Knight siblings, but not as much as the appearance at the mass of two women claiming to be his fianc�es. Naomi McTear wears an engagement ring and sat in the family pew while departmental secretary Mary Shuster dresses in widow black. Adding to the confusion of the Knights is that they thought Fred was falling in love with point guard Griselda Novak. As they assist South Bend police Lieutenant Stewart on the investigation, Roger and Phil wonder whether a good Catholic could have committed suicide or did one of his women slam dunk him? Though the mystery is decaf, the insight into the university especially its sports program and history is a delight and will recruit more fans. Using the women's basketball team as a prime backdrop adds depth especially since they won the national title three years ago. The Knight brothers retain their charm and Griselda is an intriguing student athlete. Though this is the seventh game at Notre Dame, Ralph McInerny provides a fresh tale that showcases the university with a lighter than usual case as the mechanism.

Last Boat to Camden Town
Paul Charles
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312318723 $22.95

Dr. Edmund Berry of St. Pancras All Saints Hospital seems to be living the idyllic English life as he enjoys his work and loves his spouse and child. In turn his family cherishes and adores Edmund. So why would Edmund, who seems to have no enemies and is faithful to his family, kill himself by jumping into the North London's Cumberland Basin? Camden Town Detective Inspector Christy Kennedy investigates the apparent suicide of Dr. Berry. He quickly learns that Berry misdiagnosed the symptoms of patient Susanne Collins, which probably led to the schoolteacher's death. Was the doctor so despondent over his blunder that he took his own life? Could someone who has cared deeply for Susanne have murdered Stephen in a revenge killing? This English police procedural feels more like a gentle urban cozy than a deep investigative tale. The story line is amiable as the inspector conducts his inquiries. Ironically, readers will find obvious clues that Christy at first missed and will know what is going on before the cop does. This technique adds to the overall pleasure of the novel, best served with tea filled with plenty of sugar. Readers will enjoy this tale due to the protagonist, a fine unassuming police detective steadily doing his job.

The Bright Silver Star
David Handler
St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312307144 $24.95

Near Dorset, Connecticut, movie star Tito Molina drives through the protective railing overlooking a cliff side to his death. Though it appears to have been an accident, State trooper Desiree Mitry investigates the incident with the press corps devouring everyone and everything in its quest for sensationalism. The media is bad enough, but Tito's fans also flock to the site impeding the investigation to determine whether this was an accident, suicide, or homicide as enough evidence surfaces to cause doubt. For relief from the pressure cooker Desiree turns to her squeeze, expatriate New York film critic Mitch Berger. Between the media and the police, Gold Coast residents find their nighttime sexsecrets revealed. It seems much of the populace spends more time out of home and in someone else's bed than the military does (Rumsfeld would want to make this the goal). All this bed hopping just makes the case more complex as many folks had a reason to kill the actor. Desiree is horrified to learn that Mitch also had a run in, though not sexual, with the deceased after trashing a film starring Tito. Then a second death in a motel bed occurs. Though more like Peyton Place than a police procedural. fans of the series will enjoy the return of M & M. The story line is filled with characters hopping from one bed to another, providing motives and opportunities for wanting Tito dead as the film star is one of the more frequent boudoir travelers. The interference of the press and the Tito's fans offer insight into a celebrity investigation, but that still takes second place to sex in the suburbs.

Truth or Death
Jayne Anne Krentz
Putnam
ISBN 0399150730 $24.95

After escaping from a mental institution and proving her sanity to the in-laws who committed her, Zoe is happy that she and private detective Ethan Thax discovered who really killed her husband. Both Zoe and Ethan decide to give their marriage of convenience a chance to become something deeper as they settle into domestic tranquility in Whispering Springs, Arizona. Zoe's peace of mind suffers a severe setback when she senses some disturbed psychic energy, the kind that she felt in the mental institution. While Zoe worries that she might be going crazy, her friend Arcadia who also lives in Whispering Springs finds herself in danger from the husband who once tried to kill her. She has something he wants and Grant will use any means to retrieve it. He muddles the works by making it look like Ethan is the target and if they don't discover the truth soon Arcadia will find herself in deadly danger. TRUTH OR DARE is Jayne Ann Krentz at her very best. Her quirky characters include a Feng Shui psychic interior decorator, a body guard that looks like a skeleton and two cute children who play matchmaker for their mother. They make this work of romantic suspense a delightful reading experience. There are three different couples and several sub-plots that lead into the main storyline that adds a sense of family to what is essentially an action oriented tale. Ms Krentz's talent continues to grow and change in amazing ways that will please fans of this talented author.

The Private Life of the Cat Who
Lillian Jackson Braun
Putnam
ISBN: 039915132X $10.95

In each and everyone one of "The Cat Who" mystery books, Siamese felines Koko and Yum Yum play an intricate role. Their human James, Mackintosh Qwilleran, columnist to the Moose County something, shares some thoughts about these felines who enriched his life. Koko came to live with Qwill when his owner died and thanks to the feisty feline with sixty whiskers instead of the normal forty-eight, the murderer was apprehended. Koko didn't like being left alone all day and started eating Qwill's wool clothing. He had to stop Koko from spitting up the resulting hairballs so he found her a pet of her own, the cat Yum Yum who bonded instantly with the man and his feline. Further anecdotes about Koko and Yum-Yum reveal the personality traits of the Siamese cats and, how they all became a family, and some very interesting adventure they experienced. Fans of "The Cat Who" series will want to read this adorable anthology that will make a delightful unique holiday present for feline lovers.

Trojan Odyssey
Clive Cussler
Putnam
ISBN 0399150803 $27.95

It's been two years since Dirk Pitt discovered that he had two grown fraternal twin children Dirk and Summer who he loves dearly. They, like their father, love the ocean and work for NUMA where they investigate toxic contamination that is destroying the fragile sea life in the Caribbean ecosystem. While taking samples underwater, they discover a man made palace that sunk to the bottom of the sea millennia ago. While NUMA scientists analyze the find, the twins head to an island off of Guadeloupe to see if a sailing expedition lies beneath the waters and if so is it from the same era that was found in the Caribbean. Their father is saving a floating hotel from a force five hurricane before going to Nicaragua where the toxic contamination seems to be originating from. He finds a company owned by a mysterious four hundred pound man is working with the Chinese to construct underground tunnels that will connect one ocean to another. When he learns what the tunnels will be used for, he and the U.S. government try to stop them without creating an international incident. Clive Cussler always writes an exciting action thriller that appeals to readers of both genders. Pitt is a modern day James Bond who hooks the readers into hoping that his heroic acts won't get him killed. The hero realizes with a family to care for he can't take so many chances and is prepared to change his lifestyle. In the last part of the book, the protagonist feels he will cross paths with his enemy once more implying hopefully that there will be more Dirk Pitt novels in the future.

A Stain Upon The Robe
Terry Devane
Putnam
ISBN: 0399151087 $24.95

In Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Judge Barbara Pitt presides over the headline news criminal case in which Father Cornelius Xavier Dooley is accused of sexually assaulting twenty-three boys. However, as Her Honor is in the media spot light, she asks her former law school lover criminal defense attorney Sheldon Gold to subtly investigate. To insure political correctness by balancing the female non-Catholic judge, Legal Research Services sends a male Catholic clerk Charles Vareika to assist Barbara. She confesses to Shel, his legal secretary, and his associate that she slept with the clerk who has since vanished. She fears for her reputation, but also the impact on the trial. Shel and his team, including a private sleuth, make inquiries by interviewing associates of the missing person, trial fanatics, and the Catholic priest on trial. As they dig deeper, Barbara seems more unsavory by the moment and Dooley appears quite deranged, but Charles remains missing. Though the key cast members, especially the Judge and the priest, speak stilted English that feels artificial rather than normal free flow conversation, fans will appreciate the honesty, perseverance, and temerity displayed throughout by Shel and his team. The story line moves forward at quite a clip as the trial plays an intriguing backdrop and enhancer to the missing person's investigation. The insight into the mean streets of Beantown and the close look at the Suffolk County legal system add depth to this action-packed novel. Fans of legal thrillers in which an exciting investigation supersedes the court room drama will enjoy A STAIN UPON THE ROBE.

The Hanged Man's Song
John Sandford
Putnam
ISBN: 0399151397 $25.95

Anyone who knows computers knows that Bobby is the Michael Jordan of hacking. No fire wall can keep him out if he chooses to enter that site. However, someone decides to keep Bobby out by smashing in his head. His friends are horrified by the violence, but also fear what the killer will do with the information found on Bobby's stolen laptop. Kidd understands the ramifications of the missing computer that may contain files pertaining to his own illegal activities. Besides his personal safety, Kidd also feels a need to avenge the death of his friend. Bobby's secrets begin to surface providing a trail that takes Kidd around the country, but ultimately to DC where the political elite is in jeopardy of exposure. Though the earlier Kidd entries show the speed in which technology becomes obsolete, THE HANGED MAN'S SONG is an exciting thriller starring an intriguing lead character whose moral code is a bit different than most people. The story line is fast-paced as Kidd accompanied by his cat burgling girlfriend follows the clues. John Sandford, better known for those delicious Prey novels has written a strong tale starring a charming offbeat individual with a quest for justice, Kidd style.

Blow Fly
Patricia Cornwell
Putnam
ISBN: 0399150897 $26.95

Six years ago Benton Wesley was tortured and murdered. Since then life has become exceedingly difficult for Kay Scarpetta. Serial Killer Jean Baptiste Chardonne, the unwanted son of a crime cartel family, tried to make Kay one of his victims. When he was caught, he tried to turn the situation around and Kay was forced to go before a grand jury to defend her reputation and honor. Her one time lover Jay Talley, Jean-Baptist's fraternal twin, used her to find out if Benton told her anything about the Chardonne crime cartel. Unable to live in her precious Virginia home, Kay moved to Del Rey Beach, Florida working as a free lance consultant. Talley and his lover are fugitives living in the bayou near Baton Rouge where ten women in fourteen months have disappeared. Jean-Baptiste is days away from state execution and wants to see Scarpetta. Marino's son is a lawyer for the Chardonne family and is a threat to all of Kay's friends. All those people are being played by one of the world's most intelligent puppet masters. BLOW FLY brings the various players from the last three books together allowing the audience to see what is happening to each of them. Patricia Cornwell has written a brilliant crime thriller starring a vulnerable Scarpetta, a person who has endured heartache, legal troubles, a violent attack and near death by a violent sociopath. She is nowhere near healed and when she discovers the secret those closest to her have been keeping, she will feel betrayed and anger. Ms. Cornwell is at the top of her game with her latest novel. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats absorbing one shock after another.

Night Fires
Karen Harbaugh
Dell
ISBN: 0553584219 $5.99

When Simone de la Fer reaches her family's Chateau in Normandy in 1793 she discovered that her family was slaughtered by the citizens who hated the aristocrats. Being a vampire she killed them all and then confesses to her priest who gave her an unusual penance. She is to rescue as many people from the Reign of Terror as possible and only kill in self-defense. Her prowess soon earns her the hatred of the board of the committee of public safety who put a price on the head of La Flamme as she is known. Simone's path crosses that of Michael Corday, a British spy dispatched to Paris to assassinate the person who has killed several British agents and wants to bring the revolution to England. Simone hopes to redeem herself and regain her humanity and sees this opportunity by succeeding in their respective missions. Danger stalks them from Normandy to Paris and it is only due to Simone's powers that they have a chance of carrying out what looks to be mission impossible. NIGHT FIRES is a very special vampire romance starring a protagonist who believes she can be redeemed through good works, and a hero who accepts her for what she is and falls in love with her. Readers who crave something different and unique will want to read this historical supernatural romance that is filled with intrigue and action.

Kiss Them Goodbye
Stella Cameron
Mira
ISBN: 1551667452 $23.95

Not long after his brother Guy died, New Orleans restaurateur David Patin dies in a fire at his establishment Chez Charlotte. Besides grieving their loss, his wife and daughter Vivian are shocked to learn how in debt they are. They move to Guy's former estate Rosebank, which they inherited planning to convert the property into an exclusive resort. Their lawyer Louis Martin drives out to give them some good news that Guy left with his inheritance. However, someone kills the attorney just before local Sheriff Spike Devol arrives for dinner. Bullying Detective Bonine leads the investigation in which he suspects the Patin women killed Louis since Vivian inadvertently destroyed the crime scene. As Bonine pressures the two women, Vivian and Spike fall in love, but first he must uncover the identity of a killer and resolves to discover what Guy left them to keep them solvent. Fans of police procedural romances will enjoy this delightful thriller. The story line is loaded with action as the audience will appreciate the lead couple and their efforts to do the right thing. Except for the police detective the secondary cast adds depth to the plot. KISS THEM GOODBYE is a strong Bayou suspense tale, a novel that lives up to Stella Cameron's reputation as a great author.

The Hot Ladies Murder Club
Ann Major
Mira
ISBN: 155166741X $6.50

In the Corpus Christie area, personal injury attorney Joe Campbell takes a deposition from realtor Hannah Smith. Though he goes after her with a vengeance for his clients the O'Connors, who insist mold was in the house, he finds himself dreaming of making love her too. Hannah attacks back calling him names and accusing his client of causing the mold problem. When he threatens to dig into her background, Hannah panics. Hannah fears that her former husband Sir Dominic Phillips will find her and their daughter Georgia. She fled his abuse taking their child with her. However, Dominic already knows where Hannah lives and works; he vows that no one walks out on him. As Hannah and Joe become acquainted with one another via the lawsuit, they begin to see a deeper caring individual radically different then their first impression. They fall in love, but both has demons to overcome, hers being life threatening. THE HOT LADIES MURDER CLUB is an exciting romantic suspense tale though the final twist feels off kilter. The story line is fast paced as Joe and Hannah combat one another before falling in love. The club formed by the four ladies is reminiscent of a gender bending view of the court room scene of How to Murder Your Wife. Anne Major lives up to her surname as a key sub-genre writer with this exhilarating story.

The Kill Fee
Laura Van Wormer
Mira
ISBN: 1551667444 $23.95

In Castleford, Connecticut, octogenarian Percy Harrington gives a letter he received to his great niece Sally Harrington to check into. Apparently, somehow Percy owns some property in Hillstone Falls, New York and the Western Connecticut Land Trust Company wants to buy that land. Sally's West Coast lover, former Hollywood cop Paul Fitzwilliam has transferred to the New Haven force to attend a nearby law school at night. Her boss at DBS News Alexandra Waring is angry and upset as the brass wants Sally to take over for the ailing pregnant Jessica Wright on the latter's talk show. Alexandra offers Sally less money, but a raise if she is willing to work the am news as co-anchor with Emmett Phelps. Sally excitedly accepts, as news is what she prefers to do. Sally learns that her uncle's five acres are in the middle of a major industrial project that has Mafia backing. The mob comes after her to insure she remains silent and her uncle sells. The fifth Harrington tale is an engaging thriller that is incredibly realistic especially the ending, but will put off idealistic fans of the series. Sally remains a strong intrepid heroine that has made her a favorite. Still, the story line starts a bit slow as the support players are brought into focus, but once Sally crosses the state line, the action never slows down until the final checkmate occurs.

Thicker Than Water
Maggie Shayne
Mira
ISBN: 1551667371 $6.99

Seventeen year old runaway Julie believes that her mentor, cult prophet Mordecai Young is insane and dangerous. She worries that he will choose martyrdom for him and his followers in their upcoming confrontation with the law. Julie fears for his infant daughter and the mother of the child Lizzie. The assault occurs, but Julie rescues the child. Lizzie and Mordecai apparently died in the fiery inferno. Sixteen years later, Julie is a successful Syracuse news broadcaster though raising Dawn on her own. Harry Blackwood, brother to a state senator, has blackmailed Julie threatening Dawn with information he obtained on their days in the cult. Julie confronts Harry, but finds him dead. Julie knows that the killer has the damaging information that Harry used on her. Though she feels he is an uncouth boar, Julie turns to her co-anchor Sean MacKenzie who observed her pull a crime scene stunt and a break and entering so he helps her while they fall in love. Though there has been a bundle of news romance tales especially in the movies, readers will appreciate THICKER THAN WATER. The story line is fast-paced as the seemingly prim and proper Julie tampers with a crime scene and breaks the law in an attempt to protect Dawn. Sean is an intriguing hero who cannot believe what Julie has been doing since the discovery of a dead Harry. Though the final twist or two seem odd, fans of exhilarating romantic suspense thrillers will want to read Maggie Shayne's fine tale.

Some Bitter Taste
Magdalen Nabb
Soho
ISBN: 1569473390 $12.00

Once he handles a couple of other more pressing police matters, Florence Marshall Salvatore Guarnaccia will deal with Signora Sara Hirsch's complaint that someone had entered her apartment. So he goes ahead and deals with an illegal abused, underage Albanian prostitute and a minor robbery at the Villa L'Uliveto. When he arrives at Sara's abode, he regrets his assumption that the breaking and entering was a minor matter for he finds her dead. Feeling guilty, he makes inquiries into the deceased. He learns she was impoverished, but expects to make fortune when a Monet that the Nazis stole from her family was soon to be returned to her. Allegedly a half-brother possesses the art treasure. However, before he can track down the missing masterpiece, Guarnaccia learns that someone also killed Sir Christopher, whose villa robbery made Salvatore arrive too late to help Sara. As he keeps digging, he finds a link between the two deaths, but so far unable to determine who wanted both dead. The Guarnaccia police procedurals are some of the sub-genre's best. Readers get a taste of Italian law enforcement through the methodical Guarnaccia, a tremendous lead protagonist. SOME BTTER TASTE is a strong entry as the cleverly deigned who-done-it is more personnel than usual for the quiet hero. Anyone who reads this novel or any of Magdalen Nabb's works will go away with a sweet taste desiring more novels by a superb mystery author.

The Marshal and the Madwoman
Magdalen Nabb
Soho
ISBN: 1569473404 $12.00

Marshal Guarnacci of the Pitti Palace Carabinieri Station was with his wife when he first met the crazy woman, Clementina, while she brawled with some guy apparently over feeding pigeons. Everyone in the working class neighborhood knows the former mental patient and many take turns feeding her. Not long after meeting Clementina, the Marshal receives a call from bar owner Gianfranco Cini informing him that he and others broke into the room of the Crazy Woman to find Clementina dead in what looked like an amateur killer poorly trying to make it seem like suicide. Upon seeing the crime scene the Marshal knows a homicide occurred, but Clementina had nothing to offer anyone as she depended on others to survive. Guarnacci makes inquiries but seems to be going nowhere as he is constantly reminded by the Prosecutor. Still in his methodical manner, the Marshal begins finding connections to and from the victim not as visible at first glance while working a myriad of sidebars for the locals. The Marshal Guarnacci tales are strong Italian police procedurals that focus on the secondary characters much more than the investigation. Through the actions and reactions of the support cast, the audience obtains a deep understanding of the Marshal. This case is a powerhouse as the audience observes the intriguing social relationships of this working class neighborhood that enables the reader to appreciate the lead protagonist. Though a bit different as the action takes a secondary role to the players, Magdalen Nabb provides sub-genre fans with an engrossing novel.

Just Perfect
Judith A. Lansdowne
Zebra
ISBN: 0821774220 $5.99

In 1804 Marquess Mallory following detailed instructions still managed to get lost on Little Lynd Moor though his retinue made it safely to their destination. Lady Hannah Thorne notices a light on the moor and rescues Mallory from feral dogs. Hannah and her escort take Mallory to the home of his cousin and the man's wife. They believe that Mallory is the right man for Hannah, as he will not fear her ferocious brother the Duke of Berinwick. To the shock of Hannah and Mallory, they are attracted to one another. Neither expected love to enter their respective lives, but that seems to be the case. However, Hannah realizes someone wants her beloved dead and she plans to prevent that from happening by exposing the blackguard, not realizing the danger to her. Though the lead couple is a bit too perfect, readers will like them and appreciate this exhilarating Regency romantic suspense. The story line is action-packed and feels somewhat like an investigative tale as the Duke tries to learn who killed a woman on his property and he and his sister try to learn whether Mallory's cousin wants the Marquess dead too. The secondary characters add depth to a fine novel.

Until September
Brenda K. Jernigan
Zebra
ISBN: 0821775359 $5.99

Claire Holladay learns she is dying from consumption, but though she has been diagnosed as having a short time left, she vows to live it too the fullest. She formally dumps her fianc� who for practical purposes dumped her anyway. A journalist for Harper's Publishing, Claire sells her publisher on her going out west and sending back articles. Her loving family supports her decision and arranges for Uncle Ben, owner of a Colorado Territory stage line, to meet his beloved niece. Ben assigns his best man Billy West to meet Claire and escort her to him. Claire hides her condition from everyone except her family, as she wants to live life not feel pity. Billy and Claire fall in love, but though she wants to live life to the fullest, cruel irony is that she has only UNTIL SEPTEMBER. Fans who relish a deep historical tale will appreciate the depth that Brenda K. Jernigan gives to her poignant tale. The romantic subplot is handled with dexterity, as neither of the fully developed lead characters wants such an emotion at this time in their lives. Don't assume the climax because whether the diagnosis proves correct will require reading the novel as the audience will not know until the end. This in part is why Ms. Jernigan consistently remains one of the best authors around.

Winter Fire
Jo Beverley
Signet
ISBN: 0451210654 $6.99

In 1763 Surrey, Genova Smith accompanies the two elderly Trayce sisters as they journey to see their great nephew. On the way, they meet a Mrs. Dash, whose wagon is in the ditch. Mrs. Dash asks them to take her infant to her husband at the nearby Lion and Unicorn Inn, which the three female travelers do. When they arrive at the inn, they find no Mr. Dash, but a gentleman asks the innkeeper if Mrs. Dash is here. Genova talks to the man, who deserts her with a kiss as he gives chase after Mrs. Dash better known as Molly Crew, a liar who claims he impregnated her. Before he leaves, the Marquess of Ashert learns that his two great aunts are at the inn. He goes to see them surprised they are here, but more shocked to see Genova with them. As Ashert and Genova become acquainted, they fall in love, but she thinks he sired the infant she is watching while he thinks she works for the mendacious Molly. This Georgian romance is a fun tale that sub-genre readers will appreciate due to the strong cast. The lead couple is a fine pair that the audience will enjoy. However, it is the support characters who make the tale really work whether they are charming or feuding relatives, or a slick nasty soul willing to pull any trick to gain her desires. Historical fans will take delight with this wonderful novel.

Kissing the Countess
Susan King
Signet
ISBN: 045121062X $6.99

In 1859, Evan Mackenzie arrives at his Scottish earldom without any fanfare. He loves the area, but has not been back in a decade since his mom walked out on his father. Now inheriting the Kildonan keep, he hopes to retract some of the practices that hurt the estates, but first he must pay off debts accrued by his father. He plans to use his engineering salary to do so. While climbing down a mountainside a storm hits. Evan falls and passerby Catriona MacConn saves his life. However, her father finds them in a compromised position though nothing happened and they were just trying to stay warm during the freezing night. He offers to marry her, but she is wary especially when she learns he is the new earl. After she becomes his countess, they become better acquainted, and fall in love. However, she has a secret quest and he struggles with guilt from a tragic bridge disaster that he worked on so their marriage remains on shaky ground and could implode at any moment KISSING THE COUNTESS is an engaging historical romance starring two charming lead protagonists who on the surface seem wrong for each other, but deep inside make a perfect match. The story line engages the audience from the moment Catriona drags Evan to a flimsy shelter. The lead couple is a delight and her brother is a solid support player, but her henpecked father and her henpecking aunt are a bit irritating with their holier than thou pronouncements. Still Susan King shows why she is highly regarded by sub-genre fans with this strong tale.

The Secret Gift
Jaclyn Reding
Signet
ISBN: 0451209567 $6.99

Isabella Hutchinson takes a leave of absence from her job in Manhattan's oldest antiquarian bookstore Belvedere Books to bury her beloved mother Matilde. In Ipswich by the Sea, Massachusetts, Isabella reads a letter from her mother that leads her to a hidden box containing a family secret. Inside are a crystal and a B&W photo of a man with the phrase Worth Village, Scotland. Unable to resist, Isabella travels to the remote village in search of her roots, but she becomes lost. A person in the road holding a gun yells at her to go back, which she does, finally finding her B&B. Though friendly towards her, the townsfolk deny knowledge of Isabella, but she manages to locate a birth record with a different last name. Isabella meets that crazy guy (who had the gun) again. He turns out to be wealthy Graeme Mackenzie, new owner of Worth Castle. He does not trust her as he hides since every single woman in the country wants to marry him due to his loot, title, and looks. Still Graeme and Isabella fall in love. Readers will take immense pleasure from the delightful THE SECRET GIFT. The mystery of Matilde hooks the audience as much as it grips Isabella as readers will want know what is going on past and present in Worth. Graeme is an intriguing protagonist who finds fame and fortune is not worth the price of his freedom. Fans of a contemporary village romance with a touch of intrigue will find this novel is just the gift for them.

Murder of a Barbie and Ken
Denise Swanson
Signet
ISBN: 0451210727 $5.99

After she graduated high school Skye Denison couldn't wait to get away from her small Illinois hometown of Scumble River. The only reason she moved back was because her fianc� dumped her, she lost her job and her credit cards were maxed to the limit. The townsfolk have given her a second chance and she has made a place for herself as the school district psychologist and part-time homicide solver. She is seriously involved with Simon Reid, the town coroner and funeral director who has finally realized that if he wants Skye in his life, he has to come to terms with her investigations. His resolve is severely tested when Skye goes over to Barbie's house to back up the merchandise she ordered at a neighborhood party and finds her hostess and her husband Ken murdered. Naturally she wants to find out who the killer is and many people, including the sheriff ask her to look for clues. Her mind is not totally on the case because Simon's estranged mother comes to town and maneuvers herself into Skye's home and life. Fans of small town cozies are going to have a good time reading MURDER OF A BARBIE AND KEN. Between dealing with her boyfriend's mother, tracking down a killer, taking care of her students and trying to find some private time to spend with Simon, the beleaguered heroine does not have time to breathe. Denise Swanson has written a clever, well thought out mystery that is almost impossible to solve, but it is the heroine that makes the novel.

Long Time Coming
Edie Claire
Warner
ISBN: 0446612774 $5.99

After being away from her hometown of Wharton, Kentucky for eighteen years except for short visits to her parents, veterinarian Dr. Joy Hudson moves back. The only people who could make her return are her parents. Her septuagenarian mother suffers from glaucoma and cannot care for her dying octogenarian spouse by herself. Surprisingly everyone Joy buys the house in which her deceased best friend Jenny Carver once lived. Joy still blames Jenny's boyfriend Jeffrey Bradford for the car accident that took her friend's life as she believes he drove under the influence. Still when they meet when she hit his dog Bear they both feel an attraction. As Joy and Jeffrey fall in love, her blaming him stands in their way. If Joy can move past her anger, perhaps she and Jeffrey can help her father meet his prime goal of holding a grandchild and also allow Jenny to rest in peace. This contemporary romance engages the audience in several ways. Readers will wonder if the lead female character's love for Jeffrey can overcome her animosity towards him as she blames him for Jenny's death. The audience will also speculate whether the ghost of Jenny is pushing together the two people who meant so much to her when she lived. Fans will cherish this charming tale.

When She's Bad
Leanne Banks
Warner
ISBN: 0446611735 $5.99

In Houston, Delilah Montague cannot get any sleep because her next door neighbor makes a racket at night. She owns the exclusive Spa Demay that she inherited from her recently deceased elderly companion Howard "Cash" Bradford. Working extremely hard to prove herself, Delilah knows that most of her employees, Cash's daughter, and her patrons believe she earned this business by being bed prone as Cash's candy. She knows the truth though she vowed not to reveal to anyone. If Delilah thought her world was complicated enough, she soon finds Cash left her with one more problem. Apparently Viagra worked a miracle and Cash sired a baby that has just been dumped on Delilah. She obtains the help of her neighbor ethical attorney Benjamin Huntington III in dealing with the infant. As they become acquainted they fall in love, but his family rejects her as unsuitable for the brother of a future state politician. Ben does not care, but Delilah does. Readers will enjoy this contemporary romance that focuses on the maxim not to judge a book by its cover (figuratively as this cover seems apropos). The story line is well written with ironically readers, Ben, and the support cast drawing conclusions about Delilah that fail to hold up under closer scrutiny. Though she and Ben seem to have no personal issues except as they relate to one another, fans will take WHEN SHE'S BAD to the bank as a fine read.

The Wedding
Nicholas Sparks
Warner
ISBN: 0446532452 $23.95

As his daughter Anna announces her plans to marry, North Carolina attorney Wilson Lewis wonders when the romance left his relationship with his wife. He observed the loving relationship of his in-laws even after five decades together and wispily wants that too, however, with the woman he loves, his wife. Wilson blames himself that his beloved Jane no longer loves him. He neglected her as work was more important than family. He plans to rectify his error if Jane allows him by showing his love for her for the rest of his life. Wilson knows exactly where to start his midlife transition by going to the living model of a loving husband, his father-in-law, Noah Calhoun. The widow Noah resides in Creekside Extended Care Facility, a home for the elderly. He nurtures a swan whom he believes hosts the spirit of his beloved deceased wife Allie. Mentoring his son-in-law, Noah helps Wilson makes a major effort to regain what he now knows is most important in his life. This sequel to the delightful NOTEBOOK (story of Noah and Alice) is a strong second chance at love tale that displays the spark lacking in recent works by the author. Though Jane's motives for planning to leave her spouse is not quite clear from her perspective, Wilson is a great protagonist whose understanding of what he wrought is brilliantly described as is his metamorphosis into a loving person. Though seeing Noah as a senior citizen and Allie dead is a shock, readers will appreciate THE WEDDING as Nicholas Sparks is at his romantic best with this charming story.

How to Meet Cute Boys
Deanna Kizis
Warner
ISBN: 0446530727 $21.95

At the Los Angeles based Filly magazine, twenty seven years old Benjamina Franklin works as the advice columnist on dating. Ironically, her own love life has flushed down the toilet since she finally accepted advice from her live-in lover Jack to just go, which Ben did. Embarrassingly she needs a date to escort her to her younger sister's wedding, but has no prospects. At a party attended by real VIPs, some PIPs (phony important people) and a horde of wannabes, Ben meets Max, owner of the Super Very Good T-shirt company. They hit if off immediately, but Ben panics when she learns that she is robbing the cradle as Max is not yet legal drinking age being only twenty-one. Encouraged by her boss at Filly, Ben hunts Max, but as she catches her prey, he escapes, suffering from commitment phobia. Ben reassesses her needs as she realizes she was cradle snatching. HOW TO MEET CUTE BOYS is a cute (in spite of profanities), humorous chick lit tale starring a precocious lead protagonist. The tale contains Ben's amusing advice column intermingled throughout the story line. That technique leads to plenty of laughter, but also disrupts the prime plot. Fans who enjoy asides (the columns) will find Deanna Kizis' novel extra fun although the ending seems out of character for Ben.

Dead Ringer
Annie Solomon
Warner
ISBN: 0446612294 $5.99

FBI Agent Finn Carver has been undercover trying to find the whereabouts of a big nuclear device on the market. He crashes a party at the estate of the recently deceased Arthur Beaman., His girlfriend Angelina Mercer throws it showing she is not in mourning. Over Finn's objections, his superiors want to recruit Angelina to help them get close to Victor Borian, the reported owner of weapons grade plutonium on his remote Montana ranch. Angelina says no until Finn hits her with the one thing she desires in life, information on her unknown mom. Finn shows her a picture of her deceased mom who was married to Victor, the reason he has recruited her. Her Aunt Marian still works for him. As she and "Sharkman" as she calls Finn work together they fall in love, but even if they both desired romance, they must survive Victor and his thugs, and an even deadlier surprising foe. This is an exhilarating romantic suspense starring two delightful lead protagonists. Though the tale starts slow, the story line is fast-paced once Angelina makes her Montana move. The lead couple is a delightful pair, as both know love interferes with the mission. Her aunt is quite a character and Victor is a strong villain so that the audience obtains a strong intrigue enhanced by love.

The Great Husband Hunt
Laurie Graham
Warner
ISBN: 0446691321 $14.00

Jewish fine mustard heiress Poppy Minkel tells her twentieth century autobiography starting when her father dies while sailing on the Titanic. She grieves her loss, but continues her myopic observations of the world's great events over the next five decades. During that time she married a womanizer she met in a department store. She gave birth to their child. However, his philandering led to her divorcing him, an unheard of event back in the early twentieth century. Later she does another social shocker when she lives out of wedlock with an ultra-extended member of the British royals. When she becomes pregnant, she marries for the second time into a happier situation. By the 1970s, Poppy is an aging widow who reflects back on her life influenced by her stepbrother (with an assist by Satchel Paige) that "you have to look ahead and not behind." Though amusing in an acerbic way, this autobiographical fiction uses an individual to present the "People's Century". The story line is clever, but it is difficult to accept Poppy's caustic personality through six plus decades. Title aside (not a romance by any stretch) this is a solid often funny look back at the twentieth century, but those who really want something in depth should try the People's Century videos.

Trust Me
Melanie Craft
Warner
ISBN: 0446612855 $5.99

Max Giordano accuses veterinarian Carly Martin of fleecing an old man, his grandfather Henry. His accusations shock her, but not as much as when he informs her that Henry lies in a coma after a near death fall. Max states that Henry named her as trustee to his 23 animals and the mansion if she converts it into a clinic as they once discussed. Carly tells Max he was never there for Henry whom he never met and she often visited. Carly thinks back in time to when she met Henry. He asked for a house call to check out his ailing raccoon. They became friends and she comes over once a week to check the animals and to chat. Max begins to wonder if he misjudged Carly. She seems nice and innocent and he is so attracted to her yet new evidence surfaces that prove that someone tried to murder Henry. Carly is the obvious suspect as she has motive (inheritance) and opportunity (her vehicle at the scene). Though the heroine is too perfect and the lead male becomes irritating at times with his "J'accuse" mentality, readers will like both of them. The story line is fun to follow as Max cannot believe that Carly has no hidden agenda when it comes to Henry. Melanie Craft lives up to her surname as she provides a solid relationship tale with a touch of suspense at the end that sub-genre readers will enjoy especially those who value the canine caper crowd.

The Da Vinci Code
Dan Brown
Doubleday
ISBN: 0385504209 $24.95

Harvard University symbologist Robert Langdon is in Paris when he is awakened in the middle of the night by the police to come to the Louvre. Someone killed museum chief curator Jacques Saunier in the most secure section, Grand Gallery near the Mona Lisa. The culprit left behind enigmatic messages including bringing Langdon into the investigation. The police syspect Langdon killed the curator, but cannot prove it. Meanwhile he joins with French cryptologist Sophie Neveuto in an effort to solve the puzzle of the message that both believe will lead to the identity of the killer. They begin to decode clues that when combined forms a map depicting the locale of the Holy Grail and proof of the existence of Jesus. However, several secret societies will use anything including murder to insure that the Grail remains hidden. The sequel to the exciting tale ANGELS AND DEMONS, THE DA VINCI CODE is a fast-paced tale that will provide much pleasure to readers who enjoy religious thrillers. The police procedural takes a back seat to the engaging Langdon-Neveuto deciphering of the codes as the two characters are a delightful lead pair. Though the story line occasionally detours into religious history sermons, fans will appreciate this fine action-packed novel.

Train
Pete Dexter
Doubleday
ISBN: 0385505914 $24.95

In 1953, eighteen year old black caddy Lionel "Train" Walk works at the exclusive Brookline course in Los Angeles. The membership is quite homogenous and consists of racists, elitists and sexists who like the staff and the other caddies treat Train. with contempt bordering on the wrong side of abuse except police sergeant Miller Packard. Train realizes from the first hole that Packard is the "Mile Away Man" because he has a fair game, but Miller has no concentration for the sport. However, Miller pays better attention than anyone realizes as he concludes that his caddy has real skills for the sport. Train is fired from Brookline, but scores a job as a groundskeeper at dilapidated Paradise Developments. He helps renovate the course, but loses his position due to a tragic accident. Packard wants to help the lad so he turns Train into a golf hustler. As they travel the country together, they win thousands on the youngster's skills, but soon Train will learn once again the violent underbelly of the leisure game he plays. Perhaps no author can display the darkest side of life as easily as award winning Pete Dexter can. TRAIN is a fast-paced eighteen holes starring strong characters trying to do the right thing, but the message is even charity can turn abusive. The story line is a warning that a caring method with a seemingly constructive output does not necessarily mean a positive outcome

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