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Kaveny's Bookshelf
Sleepless in Eau Claire
I spent a number of sleepless nights laying in bed with my eyes wide shut in the dark trying to
write
this months Kaveny's Bookshelf lamenting that the fact that as usual my reach had greatly
exceeded
my grasp in terms of my expectations for this months feature. Mostly I worried about all the
wonderful authors of fine works who I have whom I have promised attention, but still have not
got
around to it.
But then I snapped to attention because of something I read in the best book I
have ever read about being a writer by Mario Puzo:
The Godfather Papers & Other Confessions
Mario Puzo
G. P. Putnam's Sons
I don't have a copy in my hand nor do I have the 120 dollars in my hand that it would take to buy
a
copy on Amazon so I will have to go on a thirty three old memory of the book.
For those of you who want to find more about the American author Mario Puzo 1920-1999, I
suggest this Website http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/mpuzo.htm. Some of you may find it strange that a
draw inspiration from a single work of criticism by a very prolific author whom I have only
superficially read. So do I.
Never the less the phrase from The Godfather Papers always seems to bring me back to my senses
and the paraphrase for it goes something like this.
"Writers' block is about as interesting to a non writer as ditch digger's block is to a non ditch
digger"
Puzio said a lot of other fascinating things in the book which have stayed with me all my creative
life
which actually started not much after I read The Godfather Papers in 1974.
For example, I remember a section in The Godfather Papers in which Puzio tells about how after
making a ton of money on "The Godfather" in the early seventies he rented Puzio purchased a
luxury
condo in Vegas where he could be complete his great work of literature away from the demands
of a
demeaning family, and removed from the necessity of fighting for a single bathroom with teenage
family members, and wife who clearly did not understand the needs of a creative genius, etc, etc,
etc.
The plan of course was that Puzio would eat a heathy diet give up all of his vice and between
times
the spa and tennis court he would write his great American Novel. Well to make a long story
short
without the blaring noise and domestic dissonance, and jockeying for a few minutes of bathroom
time to concentrate on the crapper, while others were beating on the door, Mario Puzio could not
write a single word. So he had to give up Vegas and return to domestic bliss.
So this months I am going to post a few short reviews of books that are available through the
remainder market and on Amazon which has come to be my favorite bookseller. For those of you
don't know this segment of the book the book trade which exists because of a tax reform in 1980's
which made it impossible for publishers to live off their blacklists and forced them to sell recently
published books in new condition in wholes sale lots at greatly reduced prices. These saving are
then
passed on to the patient customer who is to wait a while for some wonderful bargains I will be
including the dimensions in the buying information since I will be focusing on a few art books in
this
feature
John Rawlings: 30 Years in Vogue
John Rawlings, Photographer
Kohle Yohannan, text
Arena Editions;
ISBN:1892041383 $60.00
With over 200 Vogue and Glamour covers to his creed and 30,000 photos in his three-decade
archive, John Rawlings' work virtually defines American fashion and style in the mid-20th century.
Rawlings was in the elite circle of Irving Penn, Horst P. Horst, George Hoyningen-Huene, and
George Platt Lynes, all top Vogue photographers, yet until recently never received the kind of
attention lauded on his colleagues. Kohle Yohannan presents glamour portraits from Rawlings'
recently rediscovered archive, as well as never-before- published nudes that testify to the
self-assured quality of the artist's work a virtual definition of mid-century style. Photographs of
stage, screen, and society stars of the 1940s and 1950s including Marlene Dietrich, Salvador Dali,
Veronica Lake, Lena Horne, and Montgomery Clift are also featured. The thirty or so pages of
nude
figures studies make this book as much an object of high art as commercial. I have added a copy
of
this book to my private collection and looking into its beautiful oversized pages is like taking a
time
traveling vacation into the middle of the 20th Century. It is worth every cent of its $60.00 retail
price but can be found on Amazon for less than 1/4 of that price. The book is worth the full
purchase price for the beautiful dustjacket alone.
Cistercian Abbeys: History and Architecture
Jean-Franco Leroux, et al
Konemann
ISBN 3895088943 $39.95
This beautiful book takes the reader back Nine centuries ago, at a time when Benedictines from
the
Order of Cluny glorified God in splendid divine offices and magnificent churches, an unknown
monk
called Robert de Molesme suggested that they revert to the strict rule of Beno t de Nurcie: in
prayer,
seclusion and living by manual labor. The "New Monastery" in C teaux thus became a model for a
cohort of "Cistercians," choir monks and lay brothers from some 700 abbeys across Europe, not
to
mention the nunneries linked to them. Once stripped of all ornament, the architecture of the
Cistercian abbeys imposed a new aesthetic standard both on Romanesque art, which was
perfected
by the master craftsmen of the Order, and on early Gothic art, which they helped to develop
throughout Europe. The authors focus on this episode in the history of the Cistercians in relation
to
their architectural legacy. This book, with its pages and pages of full color photographs, offers
insight into the contemporary heritage of the Cistercian Order. On the Medieval Studies circuit in
England my wife and I have had the privilege of meeting a number of members of this order who
know seem willing to tell there story to the world. This book is a bargain at its cover price and
outstanding value it can be had on Amazon for less than $12.00.
Uniforms of the Civil War: An Illustrated Guide for Historians, Collectors, and Reenactors
L. Robin Smith, Ron Field
288 pages
DIANE Publishing Co
ISBN: 0756765986 $40.00
This book was one of the best bargains I found on the Internet again at Amazon for a mere 12.00.
Some folks have trouble with the idea of reenactors. They think it glorifies war and worse than
that
it tramples the grass, but, perhaps worst of people seem to really enjoy doing it a friend of mine's
brother is an American Civil War Reenactor and their speciality is the Baltinore draft riots. Before
I
got hooked on the Habit of visiting England my wife tells me that there is practically a cottage
industry in reenacting the English Civil War which took place about 220 years before ours and on
some per capita basis was just as bloody as ours and last twice as long. The Nicknames for the
soldiers on each side were and still are Cavilers (who supported the King) and Round heads (who
supported Parliament. Well the Round Heads under the hated Oliver Cromwell sort of won, but
they
had ugly uniforms and very poor personnel hygiene As I result you have to fight as a Round Head
for many years before you can dress up like a Cavilers and fight for king and country.
I highly recommend the "the Blue and Gray" succinctly evokes the North and South, the uniforms
because the authors and creators of this book are aware that the uniforms of actual Civil War
soldiers were anything but "uniform," in color or any other regard, and depended largely on the
supplies the quartermasters had at hand. this volume fully explores the clothing and gear used in
the
Civil War in hundreds of photos, drawings, and color illustrations. It is a rich source for battle
re-enactors and costumers, with details of clothing construction, coloration, and supplier. The
book
also adds depth to the understanding of Civil War soldiers' experiences, and many of the photos
are
portraits of men who never came home.
That's it for this month; maybe I can get some sleep tonight.
Phil Kaveny
Reviewer
Klausner's Bookshelf
Soon
Jerry Jenkins
Tyndale
ISBN 0842384065 $24.95 347 pp.
World War III, brought about by opposing-religious factions, left the global population vastly
depleted. Mankind pulled back from the brink of the abyss when a tsunami caused by the
detonation
of two nuclear warheads destroyed much of Asia, Hawaii, and Southern California. Religion was
internationally banned and people were forbidden to practice or preach their faith upon the penalty
of death. The United Seven States of America creates the National Peace Organization to weed
out
religious terrorists leading to three decades of Pax. NPO Agent Paul Stepola wants all people who
practice religion killed and volunteers for the Zealot Underground task force when it becomes
apparent that there is a large outbreak of Christian activity surfacing. Paul sees things that he
believes are the work of terrorists but which the Christians believe are God's miracles. An incident
occurs that makes a believer out of him. Now he is the highest placed mole in NPO diligently
working to help his fellow believers while appearing to obey the orders of NPO, but one mistake
will
get him killed. Jerry Jenkins delivers a stirring and exciting novel about a world afraid of war yet
surprisingly the consequences are not what one would expect. Instead the secular survivors in
power
ban religion of any kind while the true believers, expecting the Rapture to be coming soon, fight
to
be heard despite the threat of death. The hero goes from one extreme to another but it is
believable
and readers will take him into their hearts because he honestly believes and is willing to act on that
belief. SOON is a must read for anyone who follows the Left Behind series or for those readers
who
love futuristic thrillers.
First Light
Bodie & Brock Thoene
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842375066 $24.99 391 pp.
In the first century, Jews flock to Yerushalyim to celebrate the Passover at a time when Roman
legions dominate the landscape. The Jews question their faith and their God as the invaders
slaughter
innocents with the help of the local religious priests. Even though they feel abandoned by God and
are beginning to believe that evil will inherit the earth, still they come until the latest genocide
leaves
many dead. In this unholy period of doubt, disaster, and foreign rule, blind teen beggar Peniel still
believes in his God and that the Messiah is coming. No one welcomes Peniel; even his parents
shun
him because they blame him for the death of his brother. Most people feel Peniel or his parents
sinned leading to his sightlessness. Still being a pariah does not stop Peniel from his search for the
light of the Messiah with Yeshua the healer his prime candidate. This is an entertaining but serious
look at the first century during a time when the Jewish people are religiously in disarray. More
people feel God abandoned his Chosen ones than those like the hero who expect the Messiah to
arrive any moment. Though cramming too much in one novel, as there are other stars of subplots
that do not tie together except through their dealings with the messianic healer Yeshua, readers
will
enjoy this engaging insightful first century tale.
Hidden In Time
Michael Phillips
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842355014 $12.99 492 pp.
Many people would rest on their laurels after making two incredible discoveries that substantiate
much of the Old Testament, but not archeologist Adam Livingstone. Though acclaimed as the top
in
his field after locating Noah's Ark and pinpointing the Garden of Eden (see RIFT IN TIME),
Adam
has changed from an apathetic agnostic into a true believer. He feels he needs to prove that God's
words are real. So he and his team are in Aksum, Ethiopia seeking proof that the Ark of the
Covenant exists in the St. Mary's of Zion Cathedral's Sanctuary, but the endeavor fails. The
powerful
Council of Twelve believes e opposite. They are concerned about Adam's recent discoveries and
watch his every move in Ethiopia for obviously the Ark was allegedly kept there. Though within
the
twelve there is a major rift, the prime commandment remains stopping Adam from further proving
that God exists. They plan to do more than just take pictures of the Ark. This exciting sequel is
loaded with action and strong characters. It also contains a powerfully interwoven message that
God
wants his children to come home. The story line is fast-paced never missing a beat as the
countdown
to the end times start. Adam and his crew are a delightful group who begins to realize that he is a
modern day prophet though the villains (except one) seem a bit inane in their petty posturing
when
an eternal "kingdom" seems at stake. Still the Left Behind crowd and fans of apocalyptic tales will
want to read this novel, its predecessor, and other works by Michael Phillips.
Witching Moon
Rebecca York
Berkley
ISBN: 0425192784 $5.99 352 pp.
Near Wayland in South Georgia is the Olakimpa swamp home to the privately owned Nature's
Refuge. When Chief Ranger Ken White is murdered owner Austen Barnette hires US Parks
Ranger
Adam Marshall, who has a powerful reputation for catching criminals, as the replacement. Adam
changes into his wolf persona to run the park at night, but notices a fire. When he investigates, he
finds himself almost hypnotized. He manages to return to human form, but not before someone
tries
to kill him. The next morning he sees a woman wandering the park, but learns that Sara Watson is
researching the local flora as part of an agreement between Barnette and Granville
Pharmaceuticals.
As Adam and Sara fall in love, they must combine their efforts to stop a deadly coven even as her
witch powers enhance his werewolf abilities. This werewolf sequel stars another Marshall that will
excite readers as much as the previous Moon books did. The story line is fast-paced from the
moment Adam goes wolf until the end (refuse to give it away even at the threat of a canine bite).
Sara is a great character struggling to contain and hide her inner essence and powers behind a
scientific fa‡ade. Rebecca York bewitches her moonlight fans once again with a strong
supernatural
romance that makes werewolves, witches, and covens (oh my) alive.
No Clue At the Inn
Kate Kingsbury
Berkley
ISBN 0425191885 $13.00 320 pp.
It has been two years since Cecily Sinclair married her general manager Hugh Baxter, sold the
Pennyfoot Hotel to her cousin, and moved to London. Baxter has his own business working as a
financial advisor and Cecily is a woman of leisure still madly in love with her husband. The
Pennyfoot Hotel has become the Pennyfoot Country Club but Cecily still misses the place. She is
ecstatic when she and her husband are asked to temporarily manage the club, which they agree to
do. The previous manager died under mysterious circumstances on a deserted farmhouse and no
one
knows why he was there. While Baxter oversees the hotel, Cecily begins investigating his death
while getting reacquainted with her former employers who are now staying there as her guest.
Just
when she thinks she figures out how the former manager died, a serving maid and one of the
guests
are killed. Cecily thinks all three deaths are linked and sets out to prove it heedless to the danger
she
put herself in by doing so. It has been much too long since a Pennyfoot Hotel mystery has been
published but NO CLUE AT THE INN is well worth the wait. The reunion between Cecily and
her
former employers and friends is quite touching and her relationship with her husband is beautiful
to
behold especially when they are bickering in a loving manner. Kate Kingsbury has written a very
special cozy that fans will treasure.
Sunshine
Robin McKinley
Berkley
ISBN 0425191788 $23.95, 400 pp.
Less than a decade ago, the human and vampire population went to war with the result that
millions
of humans died and the geo-political structure of the world changed. Rae "Sunshine" Seddon
loves
living a mundane life baking delicious confections for her family's cafe in New Arcadia. She
pretends
that vampires only in exist in the pages of a book until she goes out one night to her
grandmother's
deserted cabin. When she wakes up, she is surrounded by a group of vampires. They take her to a
deserted mansion where a vampire is manacled to the wall. The vampires chain her to a wall close
to
Con and offer her up to him as a meal. He refuses to take her blood and Sunshine draws upon the
powers she inherited from her father to escape before the vampires come back. Sunshine has
suppressed memories of working spells and transmuting for years. Suddenly she is thrust into an
unheard of alliance with a vampire to defeat his species that had taken them prisoner. The
protagonist experiences one trauma after another as she comes to terms with her attraction to and
trust of a vampire while learning to use the powers she has forgotten she possessed. Robin
McKinley
is an excellent world builder and innovative storyteller who insures her readers believe that
vampires
actually exist and control large parts of the world's geography and financial wealth. Fans of
Laurell
K. Hamilton and Tanya Huff will not want to miss the very special SUNSHINE.
Goddess of the Sea
P. C. Cast
Berkley
ISBN: 0425192792 $5.99, 368pp.
Ironic as it seems Air Force Staff Sergeant Christine "CC" Canady hates to fly. So her current
assignment taking her from Tinker AFB, Oklahoma on a ninety-day tour in Riyadh is not one she
looks forward too. However, her fears prove accurate this time as the plane crashes into the
water.
Instead of drowning, Undine a mermaid saves her life. When they kiss, they switch places.
Undine's
brother Sarpedon tries to rape her, but CC escapes. She meets another merman Dylan who is kind
to
her. Soon Undine's mother Gaia helps CC by allowing her to become human, but every three days
she must return to the sea until she finds true love. Sir Andras saves Undine from the sea and
takes
her to Calder Monastery on Calder Island where Abbot William looks suspiciously upon her
amnesia
claim and her insistence she is a princess. Andras tries to court her, but turns nasty and dangerous
as
Sarpedon takes control of his body. CC soon realizes that she loves Dylan and he reciprocates the
feeling, but fears what Sarpedon will do to her beloved. GODDESS OF THE SEA is a solid
retelling
of Undine's tale that readers of adult fairy tale romances will appreciate. The story line is loaded
with
action on land and at sea. CC as a human soldier or as a mermaid is a strong character; the
audience
will cherish her, as she serves as the center of this enjoyable adult version of Ariel the
mermaid.
Grave Instinct
Robert W. Walker
Berkley
ISBN 0425191702 $23.95, 390 pp.
Rather than harm his wife and child, Dr. Grant Kenyon and his alter ego "Phillip" moved out of
his
home in New Jersey and trolled I-95 for females. Once Grant snatched the innocent young
woman,
Phillip would take over and surgically cut the brain out and eat it. He believes that eating fresh
human brains will increase his awareness and achieve cosmic consciousness. Grant is modeling his
behavior after Daryl Thomas Chockil "The New Jersey Ghoul" who dug up the bodies of dead
children in 1990 and ate a part of their brain. He was incarcerated in a hospital for the mentally
insane but has gotten out a month before the skull-digger started killing his victims. The FBI
immediately focus their attention on Daryl but medical examiner Dr. Jessica Coran thinks the real
killer is setting up The New Jersey Ghoul to take the fall. She persuades her superiors to look for
someone who keeps logging on to Daniel's website and after a ton of digging, they find a likely
suspect but Jessica almost gets herself killed when she tries to take him in. Robert W. Walker can
always be counted on to create an exciting crime thriller with a villain that readers love to hate.
Told
from the point of view of the killer, the audience learns that the character suffers from multiple
personality disorder but he is so evil, he illicits no sympathy. The novel is also told from the
protagonist's point of view and readers sympathize with her feelings of impotence and frustration
as
she tries to convince her superiors to go after the right person, not the easiest one to blame.
A Little Mischief
Amelia Grey
Berkley
ISBN: 0425192776 $5.99 304 pp.
In her first year among the ton, Isabella Winslowe was a wallflower who watched her vivacious
spinster Aunt Pithany stand tall and decided to emulate her beloved relative. In her second season,
she becomes a popular figure declining several offers of marriage. However, Isabella noticed other
wallflowers and decided to provide encouragement thorough a reading team to help them improve
their dynamics. The male members of the Ton dub the group the Wallflower Society. Lord Daniel
Colebrook has just returned to London after spending a couple years mourning the deaths of his
father and older brother and to learn estate management. When Isabella accompanied by his sister
Gretchen informs him that his sibling murdered wastrel Boswell Throckmorten, he feels she is
pulling a hoax on him especially when the body is missing. Later when he and Isabella find the
Throckmorten corpse he knows someone killed the odious man. Working closely to learn who
killed
the nasty Throckmorten in order to keep his sister out of trouble, they fall in love. Still Isabella
wonders whether he will take away her independence if she marries him like he desires. Readers
will
appreciate this charming Regency romance with a touch of suspense. The lead characters are
typical
in many ways of the sub-genre, but their preliminary battles and later partnering are fun to follow.
Fans will enjoy this charmer though many would have preferred for a separate tale for a second
romance that comes out of nowhere.
The Dare
Elda Minger
Berkley
ISBN: 0425192768 $6.99, 320 pp.
San Francisco dancer Alyssa Preston arrives in Wilmette, Illinois for her best friend's wedding.
However, the bride Mindy Bickham asks Alyssa to do her a favor. Following her former fiance
cheating on her just before the wedding, Mindy needs to know if her betrothed Tom stays faithful
when strippers will be at the bachelor party hosted by his pal the best man Cooper Sinclair.
Reluctantly Alyssa agrees and manages to join the striptease artists when one of the foursome
went
home ill. Alyssa puts on quite a show until Cooper stops her. Later Cooper and Alyssa make love,
but she is gone by morning. At the reception, he figures out that the bride's maid Alyssa is the
"Bambi" from last night who has made him forget about work for the first in eons. Alyssa flees to
San Francisco and Cooper follows as he realizes that he loves his "Bambi". Any novel that has its
two lead characters playing truth or dare is bound to be a lot of fun and that is the case with this
book. The story line engages the audience though readers will agree with Alyssa that if Mindy has
doubts about his faithfulness she should not marry him. Contemporary romance readers will find
THE DARE is a pleasant story that entertains (no conscious implied reference to Joplin's The
Entertainer) the audience from the moment Alyssa strips.
Letter From Home
Carolyn Hart
Berkley
ISBN 0425191796 $22.95, 272 pp.
In a small Oklahoma town during the summer of 1949 Gretchen Gilman left her innocence behind
and saw the world as it actually was. She keeps busy working in her grandmother's cafe in the
early
mornings before rushing to work as a reporter for the local paper the Gazette. After the police left
Faye Tatum's place following somebody called in a complaint, Gretchen and her friend Barb,
Faye's
daughter, find Faye dead, the victim of strangulation. Faye's husband Clyde is nowhere to be
found
and popular opinion says that he killed her in a jealous rage after he found out she went to the
local
bar to dance while he was being prepared to be shipped out. Many people believe Faye deserved
what she got because she was an artist who stepped out on her husband. Gretchen's grandmother
is
hiding Clyde who intends to find out who killed his wife. Tragedy begets death and for years
after,
Gretchen tries to put the events of that summer behind her until a letter from someone in her past
stirs up all the ugly memories. This story is told from Gretchen's perspective years after the fact
and
readers feel her pain as she remembers being ostracized by those she thought were friends because
she wrote about Faye in the newspaper in a favorable light. This is more than just a murder
mystery.
It is a slice of small town America during the World War II years. Carolyn Hart has written a very
rich and colorful atmospheric novel, one that captures the essence of a bygone era.
A Crossworder's Gift
Nero Blanc
Berkley
ISBN 0425193152 $22.95 208 pp.
When Digger Bonnet died on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, the secret of his treasure stash
died
with him. Bell and Rosco spend a week down there. The puzzle constructor and the private
detective, with a little help from a parrot, try to decipher the clues to Digger's treasure puzzle.
"Holly, Jolly Roger" is a humorous brainteaser. In "The Mystery of Wordworth House", a ghost
tries to right an old wrong using Rosco and Belle to translate his message to his two
granddaughters. This is a cute ghost story. When a gambler dies, he leaves a goodly amount of his
estate to an animal sheter. To find the valuables, Belle Graham is asked to create and solve a
crossword puzzle that should lead to the money. "A CROSSWORDER'S GIFT" is a delightful
holiday mystery. A puzzle constructor's convention is taking place at the hotel near the Grand
Canyon with Belle as the guest of honor. When one of the conventioneers is found dead, Rosco
and
his wife start sleuthing. "The Eraser's Edge" is one mystery that is almost impossible to solve. In
"Cross Stitch" a sewing circle gets stranded during a blizzard and the five women bond with each
other. After completing a crossword, the truth about a late heiress surfaces, but to find out what it
is, the reader must decipher the crossword puzzle. Nero Blanc's holiday anthology makes the
perfect
gift for mystery and puzzle lovers.
Murder On Monday
Ann Purser
Berkley
ISBN: 0425192970 $5.99, 288 pp.
Lois Meade loves her family though her teenage daughter is driving her crazy. She also
supplements
the income brought in by her electrician husband by cleaning homes in the nearby village of Long
Farnden. She especially takes pride in keeping her mouth shut, as she knows plenty about her
clients.
One of Lois' customers Gloria Hathaway sits on the parish council. During a session, Gloria went
to
make tea, but soon is found strangled to death. PC Keith Simpson needs help to solve the
homicides
as Gloria made many enemies so that the motives are abundant. He asks Gloria to do some
sleuthing
when she cleans the homes of the residents of Long Farnden. Though it goes against her nature
not
to gossip, Gloria agrees to snoop. Soon she finds a blackmailer's dream, though she would never
use
the information for personal gain, as she uncovers the dark secrets of some of the village's leading
citizens. This shock her as she had no idea what was going in this quiet village. MURDER ON
MONDAY is the ideal village mystery due a strong blending of a police procedural with an
amateur
sleuth cozy that fans of both sub-genres will appreciate. The story line feels authentic mostly
because
Gloria feels more like a real person than a character and the secondary cast provides the village,
family, and mystery depth. Ann Purser will gain plenty of fans for this tale and readers will look
forward to her future "day of the week" novels.
Distant Echoes
Judie Aitken
Berkley
ISBN: 0425192113 $5.99
The Brookstone Foundation provides a $2.5 million grant to movie director Jesse Spotted Horse
to
film a documentary on the "Stolen Children, Stolen Culture: The Story of the off-Reservation
Schools". To fulfill a promise he made to Grandma Boo to find what happened to her relative
Tokalu Sapa at the DuBois Indian School, Jesse obtains permission to film at the now closed
school,
whose museum is part of the Dubois Academy. Jesse meets the museum curator Kathleen
Prescott
whose family goes back several generations to when the founder ran the school. She believes her
ancestors were caring individuals trying to help while he feels that they destroyed families and
individuals. When they begin filming, suddenly smoke breaks out. When it clears the two
combatants
find they somehow are back in 1886 where both will learn the truth about the salad days of the
DuBois Indian School even as they fall in love with one another. This engaging time travel
romance
is at its best during the squabbles over what happened as handed down by generation to
generation
by the lead protagonists' respective families. As Jesse and Kathleen observe the truth, their
misconceptions seem foolish, adding to a historiographic feel to the plot. Though the time travel
device remains shaky, the use provides the audience with a deep look at a questionable practice
from
a bygone era.
Widow In Scarlet
Nicole Byrd
Berkley
ISBN: 0425192091 $5.99 362 pp.
In 1816 London, Lucy Contrain has just finished mourning the death of her husband when she
turns
to the debt he left behind. She owes a great deal of money with no funds to make remittance in
the
month it comes due. Viscount Nicholas Ramsey visits Lucy with quite a tale. The renowned
womanizer insists that her late spouse was involved in the stealing of the Royal Ruby of Mandalay
and the murder of his agent carrying the precious gem. Nicholas asks Lucy to assist him in his
efforts
to recover the jewel he brought back from India and in exchange he will help her with her massive
IOUs. Needing the monetary influx, Lucy agrees to Nicholas' terms. However, he would never
have
tendered them if he knew the danger that he places the woman he loves in from dangerous foes
willing to kill. WIDOW IN SCARLET is an enjoyable Regency romantic suspense that adheres to
sub-genre boundaries yet entertains the audience. The story line is fun to follow though not deep
in
plot as the emphasis is placed on the lead couple, neither of whom wanting the consideration of
love
to enter their agreement. Nicole Byrd provides her audience with a fine tale of intrigue in which
love
rules.
I Burn For You
Susan Sizemore
Pocket
ISBN 0743467426 $6.99 345 pp.
He comes to her in her dreams though she didn't understand what it meant. She comes to him in
his
dreams and he knew that he was seeing his bondmate, the one who is fated to become his eternal
bride. Alexander Reynard and Domini Lancer are in the same open air market in Los Angeles, but
he
can't claim her yet for he fears what he might do to her. The drugs he uses that allow him to walk
in
the sunlight and be immune to vampiric allergies are not working anymore; he refuses to initiate
the
bond until he is sure he won't become feral. Alexander takes a job as an operative for the Lancer
security firm where Domini works. They are both assigned to work on the same team protecting
Holly Ashe, pop singer, and Domini's closest friend. As they spend time around each other, the
feelings brought about by the bond continue to grow. While both wrestles to control their desire,
a
hidden enemy is waiting to kill Domini and the man who raised her. Susan Sizemore's world in
which werewolves and vampires exist side by side with humanity is a fascinating one, a place
many
readers will want to visit. The two protagonists generate enough heart to scorch the pages of I
BURN FOR YOU (a very appropriate title). The suspense sub-plot is used to generate conflict
and
adds another fascinating dimension to this steamy erotic novel. The structure of vampire society
and
those who hunt them is also believable and it is hoped that the author will return there with future
tales.
Out of the Mist
JoAnn Ross
Pocket
ISBN: 0743464737 $6.99, 384 pp.
Lily "no talent" Stewart no longer looks forward to the upcoming Highland Games at her family's
Great Smoky Mountain resort as she has in the past. She is concerned because Oscar winning
documentary filmmaker Ian MacDougall MacKenzie is thinking of filming the event. His work is
critically acclaimed, but extremely cynical, negative, and dark. A rain soaked Ian arrives at
"Stewart's Folly" after walking a mile in a storm when his car rental failed. He and hotel hostess
Lily
are attracted from the first moment they see each other; shaking hands they emit enough
electricity
to light a city. Lily worries about the film that she believes will accentuate the negative. The truth
is
Ian is here to take back a seven-century-old broach his grandfather insists was stolen by the
Stewarts
decades ago. Although Ian and Lily act wary towards one another, they fall in love, but neither
wants that at this time. OUT OF THE MIST is a fine contemporary romance that highlights the
Scottish-American culture. The entire clan is fun to observe, but especially delightful is the lead
couple and a geriatric duo. Fans of JoAnn Ross will enjoy this tale and take pleasure with the
thought that two sisters remain for their tales to be told.
Wedding the Highlander
Janet Chapman
Pocket
ISBN: 0743453085 $6.99
In Pine Creek, Maine, Michael MacBain owns and manages a Christmas tree farm. Living with
him
is his eight-year-old son Robbie and the former farm owner geriatric widow John Bigelow whose
wife of almost six decades recently died. In Los Angeles, Cedars Sinai Medical Center trauma Dr.
Elizabeth Hart suddenly performs two miracle healing acts and begins hearing the voices of
patients
in her head, pleading for help. Unable to cope, she responds to an Internet ad about renting a
house.
Robbie, who feels his dad needs a wife, placed the ad in the paper. On the drive to the remote
area,
Robbie's "pet" owl causes her car to crash. After hearing a series of jokes about being pint sized
among these giants, Elizabeth and Michael fall in love. However, even though she loves the dude,
she has to wonder about the sanity of a man who claims he was born eight centuries ago but was
transferred to her time by a wizard. The latest twenty-first century medieval Highlander romance
is
an exciting tale starring two delightful protagonists and a strong support cast including previous
lead
characters. The story line is fun to follow as Michael and Elizabeth must cope with the
matchmaking
of his son and pregnant sister-in-law. Though in some ways the prime relationship is similar to
those
in previous novels in the series, Janet Chapman writes a refreshingly entertaining novel.
Killing Cousins
Alex Minter
Pocket
ISBN 0743463323 $9.95 240 pp.
When the two Texas women C.J. Wallingford and Maude Stowe get on the hotel elevator, a
pleasant looking man joins them. The two ladies, who are wearing a lot of heavy gold jewelry and
earning a lot of money, think nothing of the extra passenger even after he whips out a stiletto and
cuts their threats. After he robs them he dumps their bodies on the floor where the hotel laundry is
done. The husbands of the dead women hire private investigator Franklin Novak to find out who
killed their wives since they don't believe the NYPD will find the killer. The owners of the hotel
where the two women were staying, Stuart and Simon Apple, are very cooperative with the
private
detective, giving his son Felix and is friend Soraya, who are apprenticing to become sleuths, a free
suite and tickets to the Knicks' game. As two other Apple properties are also hit, it looks like one
of
the Apples is trying to squeeze the other two out. The case becomes very personal to the group
when someone they know is killed. Once again Felix and Soraya demonstrate a rare wisdom and
inner strength as they try to track down a killer despite the fact that she is grieving the death of a
loved one. Felix, who cares about her, knows intuitively when to give her space or when to offer a
shoulder to lean on when the pain becomes too great. KILLING COUSINS is a very urban-noir
chick-lit mystery that will appeal to mystery fans who like the unique and unusual.
Midnight Flight
V.C. Andrews
Pocket
ISBN: 0743428617 $7.99
Though from three dramatically different environments, the three girls share in common walking
on
the wildside (see BROKEN WINGS). In Nashville, Robin Lyn Taylor lives in trouble. In Albany,
New York Teal Sommers breaks the law just to get her away from wealthy parents so they can
remember she still breaths. In Atlanta Phoebe meets a boy Ashley who will shred her reputation if
she acts as cool as she always does. The three female losers are sent to the Foreman's School for
Girls in an isolated part of the Southwest. Dr. Foreman makes sure her three new students
understand the rules starting with no radio or television and wearing diapers to enforce the
beginning of a new life. These three difficult tough teens attend a school in which demerits lead to
punishment under the abusive rehabilitative therapy employed by Dr. Freeman and associates. Will
one or more learn humility leading to the healing of their BROKEN WINGS or will they fail to
adapt and learn their life lessons? Though in many ways MIDNIGHT FLIGHT is the typical
fast-paced V.C. Andrews drama involving abuse, fans of the author will appreciate this
emotionally
laden sequel. The story line is action-paced, but those not familiar with the author need to realize
that Dr. Foreman is a no nonsense martinet who reacts harshly to broken rules. The cast is
powerful
as the three girls, the head mistress and a Native American teacher provide a deep, passionate
character study.
The Sassy One
Susan Mallory
Pocket
ISBN: 0743443950 $6.49
In Santa Barbara, research student widow Francesca Marcelli fakes being pregnant as part of an
experiment to see if people would help her deliver packages. Males ignore her and females nod in
empathy, but no one stops to assist her. When she reaches the empty offices of Malcolm and
White
Data Tech, she meets the CEO of Security International, Sam Reese. He takes her into his office,
feeds her, and offers to hold the packages for now. She admits that she is a social psychology
grad
student wearing a fake device to emulate pregnancy. Sam takes Francesca to dinner as they are
attracted to one another. However, neither wants a long-term relationship though both their
families
encourage the widowed Francesca and the divorced Sam to marry. Even love may prove too
weak
to keep this couple together. Though his ex returning seems only to raise unnecessary tension,
fans
will enjoy the second Marcelli sister tale. The story line is fun as the estrogen as in the first tale
(see
THE SPARKLING ONE) is at a fever pitch as it was with the first novel. The lead couple is a
fine
pair, who claims there not in love, but we, the families and Susan Mallory know better.
Star Strict Dead
Sheila York
Pocket
ISBN 074347046X $6.99 368 pp.
World War II is over, the men are home and life returns to normal or what passes for normalcy in
Hollywood. Screenwriter Lauren Atwell is driving home when she stops to see if she can help a
person in a car that seem to have some trouble. She looks in the vehicle, but the next thing she
knows she awakens in the hospital. The doctor and the police tell her that she was found in an
alley.
Lauren knows she was drugged not drunk as the police believe but she has no proof so she lets
the
matter drop. A few days after the incident a man comes to her with pictures of her and an
unknown
man in lewd positions. The blackmailer wants money, which Lauren is not prepared to fork over
until she finds out her married friend is also being blackmailed as is her estranged husband's
girlfriend. Determined to put an end to the blackmailing, Lauren hires PI Peter Winslow to find
out
who is running the ring. Every time they think they get close, a dead body turns up. They realize
that
someone is not hesitant about murdering anyone who gets in the way. The heroine of STAR
STRUCK DEAD is a spunky independent woman who doesn't need a man to define her identity,
an
oddity in the late 1940's. Actual stars that lived in that era make cameo appearances adding
authenticity to the setting. The plot is fast-paced with plenty of action and a lot of sizzle between
the
heroine and the private invesigator. Sheila York has started a good amateur sleuth series and this
reviewer will be interested to see the protagonist in future novels.
Smallville: Shadows
Diana G. Gallagher
Aspect
ISBN: 0446613606 $5.99 261 pp.
In Smallville, LexCorps owns the former Minuteman II Silo and the accompanying land,
converting
it into a fertilizer plant. As Clark Kent races home past the plant, he notices farmer Howard
Stoner,
who suddenly chokes to death. Clark's father Jonathan believes strongly that the Luthors, Lex and
his father Lionel, are polluting the environment and killed Howard. He plans to sue though it may
cost the family farm. Clark disagrees as he thinks highly of Lex. Clark investigates while his
innocence and na‹ve manner hooks another female into liking him. This time shy Sharon Farley,
recently moved to the area with her scientist turned novelist father, finds Clark cute. The evidence
proves more and more that his father is right in his assertion, but Clark continues to dig even as
other local residents die or are harmed. Soon he and Lana end up in a precarious situation in
which
only Superboy can save them from the experiment going on inside the silo. Fans of the TV series
or
the comic book will enjoy this delightful slice of life in Kansas as seen through the teen years of
the
Man of Steel. Clark struggles with girls even as he as Superboy must save the day. The support
cast,
especially the Kents and Lana, add to the feel that Smallville is a real town on the Great Plains.
Through brief flashbacks of Clark thinking back to an event or person, newcomers to see some of
Clark's history though this technique slows down a story line faster than a speeding bullet. This
novel adds to the mythos of a great hero.
Burndive
Karin Lowachee
Aspect
ISBN 0446613185 $6.99 432 pp.
The son of two very rich and powerful parents, Ryan Azarcon is idolized and envied by the people
on Austro station. They don't realize that he is still recovering from the trauma of seeing the
wholesale slaughter of the Hong Kong embassy by terrorists. Ryan is not politically savvy and
buys
into the propaganda of the twenty-year war between the Earth hub and the alien Strits. His father
is
the captain of the starship Macedon, patrolling deep space against alien incursions and space
pirates.
Although he has only met his father three times, Cairo comes to bring his son on board his ship to
keep him safe after a failed assassination attempt and over the objections of Ryan and his mother.
While on board, he sees his father try to broker a peace between the Strits and the Earth hub and
the
young man learns that truth is in the eye of the beholder. It is awesome, believable and moving to
see the protagonist turn from a sullen teen into a mature man over the course of this tale. Told in
the
first person narrative from Ryan's perspective, readers find themselves hoping that the protagonist
can overcome all the traumas he has suffered and emerge a mentally healthy person. Readers who
like innovative fast-paced and action packed space opera that foster character development will
love
Burndive.
Out of the Dark
Sharon Sala
Mira
ISBN: 1551667401 $6.99 384 pp.
In 1977 St. Louis Sam and Maggie Cochrane live the American dream, loving each other and
their
little girl. However, Maggie seeks something extra beyond being a loving wife and mother so she
attends classes at the community college. There she meets Soloman and his cult of followers The
People of Joy. She runs away with six year old Jade to join Soloman's followers. Two years later
she
is dead from an overdose and Jade is sold to pediophiles. Over the next two decades a lonely Sam
becomes a successful businessman, but finds no sign of his family until friends on vacation see a
portrait of Maggie. They inform Sam who asks his friend former cop Luke Kelly to investigate.
Luke learns Maggie is dead, but tracks down Jade in New Orleans. He brings Jade and her
companion Raphael to meet Sam. As Raphael is dying from AIDS due to his days as a child
prostitute, Jade and Luke fall in love while Sam tries to become a father to his beloved adult
daughter. However, someone learns of Jade's return and is worried that his career may end if the
scandal of his using her as a child hooker surfaces. OUT OF THE DARK is an exhilarating
romantic
suspense tale that emphasizes the family drama over the intrigue. The story line is at a superb level
of quality when Sam and Jade meets and when Luke tries to reach out to his beloved. When a
hired
killer enters the plot, the character study takes an unnecessary back seat. Still fans of the human
drama will appreciate Jade's Mount Everest climb OUT OF THE DARK.
Pulse Points
Mary Lynn Baxter
Mira
ISBN: 1551667312 $6.50 384 pp.
In Tyler, Texas Widow Kasey Ellis is stunned when someone kills her mentor and business
partner
Shirley Parker in the garage with Kasey witnessing the murder. However, she is unable to identify
the killer as he lurked in the shadows. Kasey is shocked when she learns how close to bankruptcy
the public relations firm is. Her only chance of saving the company resides in bad boy turned
senate
candidate Tanner Hart, who decides to hire her company. The problem is that eighteen years ago
Kasey and Tanner shared a heated night of passion leading to her raising their son with another
man
as the father and her husband. If that news surfaces the scandal will cost Tanner his bid for the
senate and Kasey will lose her business and lifestyle. This is an exciting romantic suspense starring
a
strong cast though the reasons for the murder seem a bit weak. The story line is loaded with
action
and intense drama. The frustrated police cannot get Kasey to describe someone she failed to see
beyond the shadows. Tanner is an interesting protagonist who behaves more like Jimmy Stewart's
Mr. Smith though why he would hire a firm in trouble seems strange. Still fans will enjoy this
fast-paced thriller.
Undressed Stef
Ann Holm
Mira
ISBN: 1551667304 $6.50
After four years on the Majestic, Colorado police force with no opportunities to prove her worth,
Lanie Prescott accepts a job with the Ludlow Police Department. However, the night before she
is
to leave, a civil rights case filed by her predecessor holds up her reassignment. A stunned Lanie
meets her replacement Paul Cabrera; the former Miami cop burned out from working domestic
dispute cases. After putting her foot in her mouth she goes to her car only to see someone stealing
her stereo. She gives chase in heels and breaks her foot. Majestic Police Chief Herb Deutsch may
be
a chauvinist when it comes to police work, but provides filing tasks that enable Lanie to bring in
some income. As Paul begins to see her, Lanie falls in love with him and though she appreciates
his
show of support and belief that she can perform the duties of a real cop, she plans to go elsewhere
to prove he is right. Fans of police procedurals that provide insight into how a small town
department operates will enjoy this tale that includes a romantic subplot. Though the action is
somewhat limited, broken ankle chase and all, the story line provides a deep look at Lanie and
Paul,
but also enables the audience to see how Chief Deutsch feels especially about a female cop on his
team. The love story between the two officers adds warmth to this life of a cop tale.
The Snow Bride
Debbie Macomber
Mira
ISBN: 1551667363 $14.95 240 pp.
Los Angeles executive assistant Jenna Campbell steals a page from her mother when she decides
to
quit her job and meet Dalton Gray, a man she "met" over the Internet. Her mom, married five
times,
tries to persuade her usually practical daughter not to fly to Beesky, Alaska, but alas Jenna feels
the
time for romance has almost past her by. Jenna flies to Fairbanks, but Dalton fails to meet her.
The
local cafe owner persuades Reid Jamison to drop her off in Beesky on his way home to Snowbird.
When he learns that she is there to see the odious Dalton, he kidnaps her, taking her to his
one-woman town. As the weather turns ugly, she remains stranded with her disrespectful host, but
soon they fall in love as she dreams of becoming THE SNOW BRIDE. This is a lighthearted fun
contemporary Alaskan romance that fans will appreciate due to the warmth of the cast compared
to
the cold outdoors. The story line is fun to follow as the heroine goes from no men in her life to
two
suitors and a third male wanting in too. Debbie Macomber brings the vastness of the great state to
life with this wonderful tale.
Mesmerized
Candace Camp
Mira
ISBN: 1551667290 $6.99 416 pp.
In 1876 Olivia Moreland works at exposing hoaxes that prey on the grieving who desperately
want
to communicate with loved ones from the great beyond. During a seance, she gets up to debunk
the
latest fraud, but Lord Stephen St. Leger stops her, thinking she is the fake. Once the air is cleared,
both are tossed out as skeptics. Before Olivia leaves for home, she gives him her business card
stating she is an Investigator of Psychic Phenomena. Stephen indiscreetly labels her as a member
of
the "mad" Morelands. Not long afterward, Stephen hires Olivia to unmask a so called psychic
taking
advantage of his mother still mourning the loss of her oldest son. His sister-in-law is too selfish to
help and mostly hinders Stephen and Olivia's efforts. As Olivia tries to prove fraud, Stephen and
she
fall in love with one another though she believes he still loves his deceased sibling's wife. This
engaging Victorian romance will please readers who appreciate a spunky young woman, a hunk of
a
hero, a touch of the supernatural (perhaps) and a pinch of suspense. The duo shares in common a
healthy skepticism and a growing attraction. The entertaining story line leads to fans
MESMERIZED by Candace Camp's fun historical.
Shattered
Olga Bicos
Mira
ISBN: 1551667320 $6.50, 384 pp.
Divorced and a former rising architectural superstar, Holly Fairfield knows how fast one can fall
from grace. To save her collapsed career she has relocated from Seattle to San Francisco where
her
brother, fresh from being fired from corporate America, joins her. Holly feels she has gotten her
break when surprisingly Daniel East hires her to renovate the family's landmark restaurant The
Cutty
House. Daniel's uncle, aunt and cousin are stunned when they are introduced to Holly. She later
learns that she is the doppelganger of Ryan's deceased fiancee Nina who died a decade ago in an
automobile accident with everyone blaming him for her death. As Holly and Ryan fall in love, she
believes he still loves Nina, not yet understanding the dysfunctional interrelationships between his
family members. Though the coincidence of a near perfect look alike seems stretched even if
everyone has been told they look like so and so, fans will appreciate this thrilling romantic
suspense.
The story line is interesting as the truth of what happened to Nina begins to surface. A secondary
romance augments the prime plot and hopefully will turn fruitful in a sequel, as the seeds of a
delightful tale have been planted. Readers will enjoy Olga Bicos' fine tale of destructive family
secrets.
A Savage Beauty
Merline Lovelace
Mira
ISBN: 155166707X $6.50 400pp.
In 1807, Colonel Pike led a military expedition starting in St. Louis and exploring the Louisiana
Territory. The team split in half with one group led Lieutenant James Wilkinson, son of a General,
leading four soldiers and two Indian guides southward along the Arkansas River. The Wilkinson
party faces hardships with no chance of turning back as the winter and raiding Indians have
caused
havoc on them. Rifle Sergeant Daniel Morgan hunts for food while the others rest, but finds an
old
trapper and his son. Henri Chartier welcomes him into camp and shows him some Viking runes
only
to have a mountain cat kill him. Daniel buries Henri and goes to take the lad with him only to be
shocked that he is a she and now a widow. As Daniel protects the half-breed "Little Louise" from
his
men and pays the bride price to her uncle, he falls in love with her. However, he is married and
soon
they will learn her connection through Henri to French royalty removes her even further. This is
an
excellent historical romance that shows how great Merline Lovelace is. Her latest tale is a
delightful
story that brings vividly to life the early nineteenth century American frontier. The lead couple is a
fine duo while the support cast provides the depth that makes this a strong story worth reading by
sub-genre fans.
Spirit of Covington
Joan Medlicott
Atria
ISBN: 0743470362 $25.00
The fire destroys the converted farmhouse that the three sixty something ladies Grace, Amelia,
and
Hannah, and one adult daughter Laura call home. The elderly trio lost personal items that cannot
be
replaced, but the threesome are troopers and makes plans for a new house with more bathrooms.
Meanwhile Amelia and Grace move in with Bob in his condominium, while Hannah and her
daughter
Laura moves to another family-owned home. The fire brings back bad memories for Amelia who
relives the death of her young daughter and the accident that killed her husband and left her
scarred.
The building begins, but though hopes for the future are raised, other events shake the tight
friendships. Laura plans to marry but also leans towards an abortion that upsets her mother.
Amelia
returns to photography. Bob asks Grace to marry him. Who will move into the new home when
its
finished becomes questionable. The fourth Covington tale is gentle Southern breeze of a story that
requires a mint julep, a porch, and a warm fall day. The story line brings out the personalities of
the
prime four females and several support players, but clearly lacks any extensive action. Fans of a
cozy
character study will want to visit Covington for this novel and its previous three books.
The Good House
Tananarive Due
Atria
ISBN: 0743449002 $25.00 480 pp.
Two years ago Angela Toussaint and husband Tariq Hill went to her family home in Sacajawea,
Washington to save their marriage. Angela hoped that some of that mystical healing that her
grandmother provided to the locals, who dubbed the place the GOOD HOUSE, would turn the
trick, but tragedy occurred with her beloved Corey lies laying on the kitchen floor bleeding from a
gunshot wound. Her sandwich relatives died in this house and her mother committed suicide here
years ago. Two years later, divorced and somewhat recovered but still shaky, Angela returns to
the
house that she inherited because someone wants to buy it. Angela soon realizes that her beloved
Corey found her deceased granny's magic tools to include the misuse of her gift by enacting
revenge
on a racist incident. Others have also died. Tariq, who suffered from the guilt of knowing his son
died using his gun, has turned into a malevolent being under the house's influence. Angela
prepares
for a final confrontation that has only her former boyfriend Myles Fisher standing by her side
against
Tariq and the GOOD HOUSE. Fans of the classic haunted house story will fully enjoy this rich
tale
that uses the typical elements strengthened by moral responsibility of a member of a family. The
story line is powerfully written as it grips the reader inside a potent supernatural plot enhanced by
occurrences like racism and ethics to the community. Angela, the core of the horror, is a
believable
character. She keeps the terrific tale together as she changes from disbeliever to skeptic to born
again challenger of the evil that resides within the GOOD HOUSE that turned bad.
Confidence Game
Michelle M. Welch
Bantam
ISBN 0553586270 $5.99 424 pp.
In the country of Dabion, the Justices who make the laws and the Public Force militia rule the
people. Certain colored jewelry and ornamentation are banned and anyone who has or uses magic
is
sentenced to death. Dabion has conquered its neighbors except for Sor'raia where magic is the
norm
and it's borders are closed. Elizith Kor is the most successful spy in the Secret Force due in part to
her Sor'raian blood which allows her to enter and read people's mind. After a very difficult
assignment Elizith wants to leave the espionage game but she knows too many secrets to be free
of
her masters. She rents a flat in Tod Redtanner's home and he becomes someone she trusts and
cares
about. Their relationship puts both of them in danger from an unknown enemy who wants nothing
more than to see Elizith die a slow and painful death. Over the course of CONFIDENCE GAME,
the protagonist slowly reveals her history to Tod. This technique leads to readers feeling sorry for
someone who felt nothing until she reaches a breaking point and suddenly feels everything.
Michelle
M. Welch's debut novel is a fine fantasy starring heroic characters endearing to the audience
because
they are scarred and don't even realize it. It is hoped that there will be a sequel to this book that
explores the magical world of Sor'raia of which the author has given the audience only tantalizing
glimpses.
Spin State
Chris Moriarty
Bantam
ISBN: 0553382136 $11.95 496 pp.
Every time Major Catherine Li does a faster than light space leap she loses memory. So far she
has
been able to hide her loss, but knows that soon she will have to trust someone to provide her with
a
special memory chip. Catherine is not human, but is an illegal clone working as a Home Sapiens
UN
Peacekeeper. Her latest assignment takes her to the planet Metz where Catherine and a team of
experts are to penetrate to an illegal cloning lab. When they reach their destination with poor
information from their mission leader, Li finds a dead clone of herself. She realizes that she must
find
the killer in case she is the intended target though she might leave herself open to exposure as an
illegal being. SPIN STATE is an exciting science fiction tale that hooks the reader from the
moment
Li realizes that she and the team are being handicapped on the Metz assignment. The story line
moves forward at a rapid pace, not slowing down until the final moment. The focus of the story is
on Li, a great lead character sort of a cross between a cloned Logan (Logan's Run) and Blade
Runner. Fans of action-packed futuristic thrillers with a human rights message will appreciate light
jumping with Chris Moriarty.
Pushing 30
Whitney Gaskell
Bantam
ISBN: 0553382241 $11.95 400pp.
A legal associate in the DC area, Ellie Winters does all the right things especially if it enables her
to
avoid a confrontation. Now turning thirty, Ellie adheres by the rules, a classic example of
integrity,
even if no one but she is aware of her actions. However, she detests her job finding it boring even
when the rare experience is positive. Her boyfriend Eric Leahy is dependable, but even more
tedious
than her job. Since she cannot afford to quit her job, she decides to quit her boyfriend. When she
starts to inform Eric it is over, he asks her to move in with him. That is typical of life for Ellie, but
she still tells him that it is over between them. After turning her hair pink by accident, Ellie goes
out
to repair the damage and meets TV anchor Ted Langston and his trusty dog Oscar. She finds him
exciting and nice, but he is twice her age. When they meet again at a party, Ted tries to persuade
Ellie to defy the rules of seeing an older man and take a chance on him. Though it is out of
character
for her Ellie feels the attraction is worth the risk. PUSHING 30 is an enjoyable chick-lit tale
starring
a delightful lead female character. The story line focuses on squeaky clean Ellie's struggle with her
own sense of morality when her heart tells her steppin' out with the man she loves is the right
thing
regardless of his age. Fans will appreciate this amusing look at the "suffering" of an about to be
thirty person.
Sense of Evil
Kay Hooper
Bantam
ISBN: 055380300X $23.95, 352 pp.
In Hastings, South Carolina, Police chief Rafe Sullivan knows the third blond victim means a
serial
killer is on he loose. What he cannot fathom is how the culprit persuades these intelligent young
women to enter the woods with him. There is no hint of a struggle in any of the three homicides
which makes sense to the local cop. To help Rafe, the FBI's Special Crimes Unit sends Agent
Isabel
Adams to work the case. Upon meeting Isabel, Rafe has cardiac arrest when he sees her, the
profile
of the victims. Though her police skills are top rate, Rafe knows the Feds have numerous elite
cops
to do this job. As they work together to end this evil killer, Rafe learns why Isabel with her special
talent was sent to assist him. Though similar, especially the killer, to a recent tidal wave of serial
killer novels, SENSE OF EVIL is a well-written entertaining police procedural with touches of
romance and the paranormal. The story line is loaded with suspense that is somewhat relieved by
the
glib and flippant Isabel. Rafe is a concerned cop worried about the killer striking again and frantic
over the safety of Isabel who he loves. SENSE OF EVIL is a fine entry amidst the sub-genre
flood
of novels.
The Defender
Bill Mesce Jr.
Bantam
ISBN 0553802399 $23.95 277 pp.
In November of 1944, the third Battalion's 103rd Infantry Regiment was ordered to take out and
hold a German-held hill (#399) in the Huertgen Forest. Twice they tried and failed but on the third
attempt were able to take the hill. When Captain Joyce ordered the men under his command to
hold
the hill, lieutenant Dominic Sisko said Major Porter ordered a retreat. When Dom and the men
came
down off the hill, Major Porter was nowhere to be found. Captain Joyce had Dom placed under
arrest. In December of 1944 in Belgium, Captain Courie is eager to prosecute the lieutenant on
various charges. When word reaches Lieutenant Sisko's friend in Scotland about his troubles,
Lieutenant Colonel Harry Voss rushes to Belgium to defend the young man he helped raise. As
the
hearing moves forward, Harry struggles to find evidence that would give Lieutenant Sisko a
chance
of being acquitted. Fans of military legal thrillers will find THE DEFENDER a fascinating,
shocking,
and disturbing tale of what can happen to soldiers operating in the battlefield. The brilliant hero,
who
defends him, portrays the defendant of this enthralling courtroom as a victim. Voss gives hope to
Sisko (and the readers) that somehow the accused will be found not guilty of disobeying a direct
order. Bill Mesce Jr. has an excellent sense of place and time, as if he worked Judge Advocate
General issues during WWII and is reporting on what he saw.
Slow Burn
Jamie Denton
Harlequin Temptation
ISBN: 0373691424 $4.25 217 pp.
Maggie LaRue suffers amnesia, not able to recall her name or why or how she ended up trapped
by
a fire in an abandoned paint warehouse. In fact her first memory is the arms of the hunk that
rescued
her. Her second thought was how she feels so safe in his arms and for that matter whenever she is
near her hero paramedic Cale Perry. Cale provides Maggie a place to live while she recovers her
memory. He finds having her around is not easy on his libido as he wants her and believes she
feels
the same way too. However, both worry what will happen when she remembers her life before
Cale
to include possibly a husband and a family. Though readers will question Cale's altruism in
providing
a refuge for Maggie, fans will enjoy this hot entry as the couple burns up the pages even when
they
just talk. The story line delivers a heated tale, but it is the growing relationship between the lead
duo
as the pair struggles with desire and love and fear when they learn the truth about Maggie. Book
one
of Jamie Denton's "Some Like It Hot" trilogy is a strong opening gamut.
Fringe Benefit
Nancy Warren
Harlequin Temptation
ISBN: 0373691432 $4.25, 219 pp.
Jane Stanford is tired of being a victim of sexual harassment. On her last job, she reacted to
co-worker Phil Johnson's clumsy, disconcerting sexual advances by blackening his eye, but she
was
found at fault and fired. So this time when she starts her new job, she fakes a marriage so no male
will unprofessionally bother her. However, Jane wants to reconsider her sham husband upon
meeting
her new boss, sexy Spencer Tate. She wants him in her bed and he feels the same way about her.
However, Spence knows what happened to Jane on her last job and besides refuses to hit on a
married woman even if cold showers fail to cool his ardor. Though why Phil apparently was not
disciplined for sexual harassing Jane seems strange in light of both having to explain his black eye,
fans will enjoy this romance. The story line is intelligently developed in such a manner that the
reader
feels the sexual tension of the lead couple as much as the wariness to go forth and do wonderful
things together. Nancy Warren is at the top of her game with this delightful tale of the boardroom
vs. the bedroom.
The Most Eligible Doctor
Karen Rose Smith
Harlequin Silhouette
ISBN: 037319692X $3.99
In Sawyer Springs, Wisconsin, Brianne Barrington has had many major changes in her life. Her
adopted parents died in a car accident recently and she graduated from nursing school. She shares
a
home with a friend from work Lily Garrison and daughter Megan. Six months ago, Brianne
obtained
her first professional nursing position at the Beachwood Family Practice. Brianne starts off on the
wrong foot with the new doctor Jed Sawyer when she arrives late on her first day assisting him
with
patients. However, her professionalism and her ability with kids make him realize she is good and
he
says so. As they work together, she thaws his frozen heart iced over in Los Angeles where he left
behind a former wife and a buried daughter, but will love complete the de-icing in time for a
permanent relationship? THE MOST ELIGIBLE DOCTOR is a fun contemporary romance that
stars a delightful female protagonist whose recent life changes place her mental health off the
stress
charts yet she still finds joy in life. Brianne serves as an example to Jed who had lived a "good
life"
in LA within the celebrity fishbowl, but has not recovered from lows blows until now, but is it in
time for him to realize that his heart is no longer numb? Karen Rose Smith provides a solid tale
with
a charming support cast enhancing a deep look at a lead couple who deserve happiness after
receiving left hooks from life.
Playing for Keeps
Karen Templeton
Harlequin Silhouette
ISBN: 0373218346 $6.50
In Albuquerque, thirty-two years old single mom of three preadolescent children Joanna Swan has
had it with her childish ex-husband. He fails to pay his share of child support, doesn't always show
up for the kids and when he does he is late, and now has impregnated his latest girlfriend. At the
mall, Joanna's efforts to sell homemade dolls for collectors fail until her mother drags her into the
toy store. Owner Dale McConnaughy, former Atlanta Braves superstar, offers her $300 a doll.
Meanwhile her mom buys an outdoor play set for her grandchildren. As Dale and Joanna start
seeing
each other, they begin to fall in love. However, she feels his carefree attitude is too much like her
ex
while he mistrusts women after a terrible childhood and the betrayal of his ex. Still with neither
wanting anything permanent love forces both to reconsider if he can only trust her with his heart.
Fans of contemporary romance between two wounded protagonists will want to read Karen
Templeton's fine PLAYING FOR KEEPS. The story line will delight sub-genre fans, as the lead
duo
is a nice pair who deserve happiness and can achieve this in the arms of the other. The problems
suffered by one of the children add depth and serious parenting issues to the mix, but also takes
away from the prime theme though it's intended to provide a dilemma to the romance. Still this is
a
solid tale that will provide pleasure of pleasure to the audience.
Suspicion
Janice McDonald
Harlequin SuperRomance
ISBN: 0373711573 $5.25 297 pp.
Celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary, Dr. Sam and Diana Lynsky went sailing on their
yacht, but Diana vanished while allegedly taking a nap. Three months have passed with no trace of
Diana and everyone suspects Sam committed a homicide. Journalist Scott Campbell seeks the
truth
as to what happened to Diana. He makes inquiries into family relationships though one of the twin
daughters of the couple despises what he is doing to her loved ones and her childhood memories
off
the California coast. Still Ava wonders about the tragedy while fearing the dirt Scott will dig up
about her family. On the other hand she finds herself more and more dreaming of the investigative
journalist becoming part of her family. Scott feels the same way, but has his own fears. This is an
exciting romantic suspense starring two delightful lead protagonists who hide truths behind
facades
until love unmasks both of them. The story line is fast-paced, but becomes at times difficult to
follow
due to a myriad of subplots impacting various key players such as an accident to Ava's father yet
that is critical and ties back to the theme. If readers remain focused, they will complete an
entertaining tale.
Enchanting Baby
Darlene Graham
Harlequin SuperRomance
ISBN: 0373711522 $5.25 299 pp.
After her husband died, TV star Ashleigh Logan turns to artificial insemination using her deceased
spouse's sperm to become pregnant with his child. Because Ashleigh is a name, the media goes
wild
over her final salute to her husband. However, besides the infringement on her life, a stalker also
surfaces frightening Ashleigh. The Creep frightens Ashleigh, but not for her own safety.
Concerned
over her unborn, Ashleigh flees the limelight to hide in the New Mexico mountains north of Taos
at
the remote The Birth Place to keep her and her unborn safe. Not long afterward Greg Glazier
finds
Ashleigh, but wonders why she came to this remote locale perhaps because she knows her
deceased
husband is not the father. Still now that he is here he struggles to tell her that he is father of her
baby. However, though attracted to him, she knows he is hiding something from her, leading
Ashleigh to wonder if he might be her stalker. Though at first glance the sperm bank mix-up and
celebrity stalker themes might seem trite, Darlene Graham develops a solid romance with touches
of
suspense and spiritualism. The story line works because the audience wants Ashleigh and Greg to
fall in love and raise their child together.
Wild Cat and the Marine
Jade Taylor
Harlequin SuperRomance
ISBN: 0373711565 $5.25 298 pp.
In Engerville, North Dakota, Jackson and Catherine Darnell were sweethearts that everyone just
knew would stay together. However, Jackson hated farm life more than he loved his "Wild Cat"
and
he leaves town the first chance he gets. Several years later, Jackson returns home to temporarily
help
his ailing father work the family farm. When he sees Cat, he wants to rekindle what he killed, but
also fears getting to close to her and her precocious daughter Joey because he is sure he will blow
town a second time. Though she still loves him, Cat avoids Jackson for she fears how he will react
if
he learns that he left behind two females when he broke her heart years ago. Though the motif of
a
man not knowing he sired a child has been used quite frequently by the genre, WILD CAT AND
THE MARINE avoids being trite and jaded due to Cat. Readers will rarely find as deep a
character
from her nurturing to her loving to her fears that make her seem so real. In comparison, Jackson
comes across weak, unable to commit even with love in the offering. Though Joey is too cute,
Jade
Taylor provides a delightful second chance relationship drama.
Brief Encounters
Suzanne Foster
Harlequin Blaze
ISBN: 0373791054 $4.50 248 pp.
Swan McKenna has worked hard at making a success of her company Brief Encounters, whose
prime product is sexy men's underwear. Now that she is about to see the fruit of her labor
looming
on the horizon with her Los Angeles show, she is accused of stealing five million dollars. Special
Agent Rob Gaines is assigned to watch over Swan. She, in turn, sees the hunk as an opportunity
by
having him model her new line. To convince a prim and proper Fed is hard enough, especially one
who is supposed to catch you in the act of committing a crime. However, to fall in love with a
white-underwear hero is too much to ask of Swan or is it. Suzanne Foster mixes heat with humor
in
a tale filled with plenty of heart (and of course underwear). The story line is fun to follow due to
two
delightful amusing lead characters regardless of the underwear they wear. The moral of this tale is
that mom was right in telling us to wear clean underwear. However, on the other hand (avoid the
obvious pun), her reasoning of in case of an accident is inane as it should have been in case of
getting lucky.
After Hours
Vicki Lewis Thompson
Harlequin Blaze
ISBN: 0373791062 $4.50 249 pp.
Attorney Eileen Connolly wants one night of wild sex before she marries her boyfriend, a nice but
conventional person. She knows that she will never taste blood-curdling heart pumping sex with
her
fiance though she respects and cares for him. Eileen decides she needs one night of passion that a
reader can find in Harlequin Romance novels imprinted with Blaze ironically like this novel is.
That
one last night will have to last a lifetime, but which stranger can she trust and find ardent desire?
The
telephone repair guy Shane Nichols arrives at Eileen's office to fix the phones. Eileen sees this
hunk
as the answer to her sexual sweet tooth. However, after a night in the sack with a seven-layer
victory layer cake, can a plain donut be enough to satisfy Eileen's passion for more of Shane's
cream
filled bell? Though Eileen asking for Shane to fulfill her fantasy is unsafe sex, once recognized by
fans they step past that questionable pick-up and will enjoy the heat of the tale. The story line is as
hot as a novel gets as the two protagonists spend a blazing evening together that burns the
respective brands on one another. Readers (and their fortunate significant others) who appreciate
torrid love scenes that make the equator seem frozen will take great delight at any hour with
AFTER
HOURS.
Staying Single
Millie Criswell
Harlequin Flipside
ISBN: 0373441754 $4.50 219 pp.
At St. Mary's Catholic Church, Matt waits for his fiancee Francie Morelli to walk down the aisle.
However, Francie stops short, realizes she cannot do it and for the third time jilted a groom. She
flees to Niagara Falls where her gay roommate Leo set up her if she needed an escape. Matt's
stepbrother arrives having flown in from the Philippines as Francie flees. When photojournalist
Mark
Fielding learns what happened, he feels for Matt and vows vengeance. While Matt and their
parents
are in Hawaii, Mark begins the plan of seducing Francie, proposing marriage, and jilting her. He
arrives at Ted Baxter Promotions where Francie works as a public relations specialist to hire the
firm
to promote his first book. As he and Francie begin dating, her honesty and her remorse for hurting
her three fiances shock him. Soon Mark loves Francie and she reciprocates, but he knows he must
first tell her the truth, that is after he breaks the news to Matt. The opening of a new imprint has
to
be a duel edged sword, as the writer must feel honored yet fearful of flipping the audience out
before
the line gains credibility. However, Flipside obviously knew what it was doing when it chose
Millie
Criswell to launch a lighthearted look at romance, relationships, and love. STAYING SINGLE
stars
a delightful protagonist, who keeps saying yes due to pressures from a boy friend and her mother
the
Terminator to marry. Though Mark seems too intelligent to implement the plan he concocted
(most
sensible people would dream of doing it), fans will enjoy this cheerful contemporary tale.
One True Love
Stephanie Doyle
Harlequin Flipside
ISBN: 0373441762 $4.50 218 pp.
In Haddonfield, New Jersey financial controller Corinne Weatherby puts on a show as she angrily
tells her boyfriend Brendan that she will no longer see the womanizer. Her award winning
theatrical
family would give Corinne an Oscar for her performance. However, they do not see her act;
instead
inadvertently in the file room overhearing the recital is CPA Matthew "Ole" Relic. He silently
applauds Corinne because he loves her. Corinne goes to the Bahamas by herself, but Matthew
soon
follows. After almost dying from a bullet wound during a hold-up of a convenience store he
patronized, Matthew vows to live life to the fullest and Corinne is it to him. They soon agree to
have
a holiday affair, but when they return to New Jersey she will go back to her true love Brendan.
However, Corinne soon realizes that the kind Matthew is who see wants not the shallow Brendan.
However, Matthew believes Brendan won so he plans to move elsewhere because he cannot stay
where he will see the philanderer with his beloved. Though Corinne's theatrics makes her seem
immature and unsympathetic at first, readers like Matthew, see beyond the performer and find she
is
a caring person. Still the constant on stage shrill takes it toll from an overall delightful romance
made so by the lead male character who struggles with living life to the fullest as he is by nature
an
unassuming individual. Wardrobe aside, between insubstantial Brendan and the deep nurturing
Matthew here is no contest for any woman who wants the real thing to warm her not a statuette
of
some "uncle".
Cowboy Lessons
Pamela Britton
Harlequin American
ISBN: 037316985X $4.75 248 pp.
Amanda Johnson detests computer millionaire Scott Beringer who legally bought her father's
spread
the Lazy Y Ranch by paying delinquent back taxes. She wants him to leave while he needs to
prove
he can be an athletic geek if he can learn to become a cowboy. Scott knows that he is being inane
letting his past hurt him, but four days a week in the gym tones muscles, but does not provide any
prowess. Scott cuts a deal with Amanda. She provides him with cowboy lessons and he will sell
her
father's ranch back to her. Amanda reluctantly agrees, not knowing that the dude will tie her heart
in
knots as he brands her with his love Fans of contemporary ranch romances will enjoy the amusing
lighthearted romp COWBOY LESSONS. The story line is similar to many sub-genre tales, but
what
makes it fun to read is the cast. The lead couple is a delightful pair struggling between an
attraction
and a dispute. Her father's feelings are inductively loud and clear when he sells a horse to the
greenhorn that he calls "Buttercup" whose real name is Rocket. It is this subtle way of displaying
the
emotions of the characters that makes Pamela Britton's tale a fine reading experience.
My Big Fake Green-Card Wedding
Mollie Molay
Harlequin American
ISBN: 0373169876 $4.95, 249 pp.
Though she knows she is no Mercouri, Greek Melina Kostos does not want to be married
especially
to those losers chosen by her overly protective family males. Worse her father decides the time
has
past and he will provide his twenty-nine years old daughter with a husband. Though she wishes
she
were not the oldest known virgin in Greece, she would prefer to remain an old maid than bow to
some loser. When visiting American businessman Adam Blake offers a marriage of convenience
mostly based on her conditions with one stipulation, Melina accepts. The only thing Adam wants
from her is her help in raising his beloved little girl. However, living with the two Blakes soon
changes Melina's mind as she has finally fallen in love. She dreams of her spouse making love to
her
and raising siblings along with their daughter. She plans to pull a Mercouri and seduce her
husband.
MY BIG FAKE GREEN-CARD WEDDING is a delightful humorous romantic romp that
borders
on the inane, but never crosses the line as Mollie Molay keeps order in her plot. The characters
are a
solid group whether they are Old World Greek or several generation American. Still in the end the
tale belongs to a charming duo whose agreement of no touch is driving both batty to the
amusement
of the reader.
The Street Where She Lives
Jill Shalvis
Harlequin
ISBN: 0373835787 $5.99, 296 pp.
In the Amazon, globetrotting photojournalist Ben Asher helps bring down murdering con artist
Asada although the prisoner vows vengeance. However, he returns to reality when his twelve
years
old daughter Emmie calls pleading with him to come to South Village, California as her mother
Rachel Wallers was severely injured in a car accident. He would have said no, but he learns that
Asada escaped. He flies to California to keep the two females he loves safe. Rachel wants out of
the
hospital after a month there because she needs the security that her first real home provides her.
As a
child she wandered the country as her father saved corporations from certain death. When Ben
enters her hospital room, Rachel asks him to leave, but he refuses. This is the first time they have
seen each other in thirteen years since she threw him out of her life. Ben takes Rachel home. As
Asada's thugs close in on the trio, Ben and Rachel know they love one another and Emmie, but
she
needs roots and he needs the world. Fans of complex relationship dramas with some minor related
action will enjoy the return to South Village. The story line is at its most interesting when the lead
protagonists skirmish over the safety of shelter that supports Dr. Maslow's hierarchy of needs as
Rachel needs permanent shelter among her most significant first level requirements while
self-actualization with minor shelter pulls Ben. Though the Asada subplot is more of a device to
get
the prime pair together, fans will of deep character studies will appreciate this tale.
Liner Notes
Emily Franklin
Downtown
ISBN: 0743469836 $12.00, 320 pp.
To start her new job working in art restoration for a Boston museum, thirty-year-old Laney plans
to
drive across the country with the music tapes she created by herself. Laney looks back at how she
envisioned this trek with a boyfriend or her close girlfriends, but she has no one to accompany
her.
However, that solo drive ends when her mother, who was very ill but recovered, flies out to join
her
so that they can reconnect on the cross-country drive. At the beginning of the trip, Laney resents
her
mother's intrusion. However, as they begin to use her tapes and reflect back as to when Laney
made
them, they share memories that only a mother and a daughter can have. Up front, this author
hooked
me when her bio stated she works for the NPR Car Talk show, whose hosts provide one of the
funniest helpful shows that is a hit on the radio (a new carburetor every 40 years?). Back to
LINER
NOTES: The story line is intriguing as Laney reflects back on her life based on the event that
triggered a specific tape that she created. She is the center that holds together this road show
novel
as she searches into her past seeking the answer to why relationships seem to end while her mom
just wants to reconnect. The tale of the tapes is fascinating, but at times the numerous tracks can
interfere with an intriguing plot, gimmick and all.
Unraveled
C.J. Barry
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525623 $5.99 368 pp.
Going through her father's possessions following his death, Tru Van Dye finds an odd artifact.
She
researches the out of place item and concludes that she may have found the key to a treasure of
ancient relics. More important to her, though she has always lived in a contained community, she
feels strongly that she must complete her dad's work. This is her opportunity plus Tru has to
secure
her own Charter soon or she'll be asked to leave the scientific colony of Majj. A realistic, she
knows
she needs to hire someone who does this sort of thing for a living. Rayce Coburne is no longer
interested in treasure hunting. He is now devoting his time towards spaceport renovation but
worries
over a lack of capital to open on time. When Tru offers him a treasure-hunting expedition, Rayce
reluctantly accepts though he prefers to reject this cold Majj scientist. Even worse, he is attracted
to
one of those icebergs so he decides on a ploy to get Tru to detest him. He will kiss her once
everyday, but instead of sending her packing in warp speed he starts a supernova that lights up
both
their hearts. Book two in C. J. Barry's outer space thriller is a delightful placing of Romancing the
Stone but on a strange world (not that the Amazon Rain Forest is different than Atlanta). The
story
line is loaded with action and plenty of sizzling romance as the protagonists deny their feelings for
one another. The key to this fine tale is that this non-earth orb seems like a genuine place
obviously
visited by chronicler C.J. Barry, a writer who is destined to be a superstar.
No More Lies
Susan Squires
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525666 $6.99 384 pp.
Dr. Holland "Holly" Banks has a successful psychiatric practice as the chief of Century Psychiatric
Hospital and the President of the Schizophrenia Research Foundation. However, as the world
seems
to be falling apart, her own environs appears in worse shape as she hears voices in her head that
drives her crazy because she is either losing her mind or is possessed. Jeff McQueen seeks Holly
help
because he hears voices inside his head and worries that he is losing his mind. He becomes her
patient and shockingly they give each other relief from the voices as together they somehow can
silence the noise especially when they touch. Almost as surprising the duo also can hear each
other's
every thought. Holly soon learns that she shares this gift with hundreds of people who are the
voices
in her head. However, Holly is unaware that her father is working with a senator to genetically
manipulate this group to insure a future world of no lies controlled by this Congressman and his
associates. As they fall in love and find comfort in each other's arms, Holland and Jeff try to stop
the
senator from destroying the world, as they know it. Though psychic control seems old with
collectives like the Borg and the Damned and Corn children, Susan Squires provides a powerful
refreshing tale. The lead couple is a delight, as few protagonists need each as much as this duo
does.
The metamorphosis from enemies to co-dependents to love is beautifully told. Though the senator
seems too weak as a villain to pull off his dastardly plot, fans will believe Ms. Squires pulled off
her
clever plot.
Single White Vampire
Lynsay Sands
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525526 $6.99, 384 pp.
Luc started by writing historical books that have been well received by universities, in which
academia applauded his eye for detail as if he were there; which he was. Recently, he has written
three "fictional" accounts of romances that are actually biographies of family members. Last year
Luc's long time editor passed away replaced by his assistant Kate Leever. She wants Luc to go on
tour, but he ignores her, feeling she will not use him to make her career. However, Kate arrives at
his home to push her position in person, believing a tour would push sales to stratospheric levels.
However, his traveling phobia has more to do with a certain vampiric condition that makes him
need
to hide somewhat from the public, though Kate pushes him to attend the RT convention. Soon
Luc
wants to come out of the vampire closet because he has the craving to write one more happy
ending
love story starring himself and his editor. SINGLE WHITE VAMPIRE is an amusing satirical tale
that pokes fun at the romance book industry. The story line leaves no book uncovered as it barrels
though icons in a humorous manner. The lead couple is a charming duet who finds love in the
obvious locale, the annual RT convention. Romance readers and industry insiders will apreciate
this
tale that ironically spoofs the genre that has brought acclaim to author Lynsay Sands.
The Pirate and the Puritan
Cheryl Howe
Love Spell
ISBN: 0843952741 $5.99 352 pp.
In 1721 Felicity Kendell lives a pious prim life overcoming a youthful indiscretion. She dresses in
black and always turns to the Lord for guidance as any good Puritan should. However, her sense
of
adventure remains strong so she sails to Barbados to visit her father Benjamin, whom she had not
seen in a few years. Instead of a warm reunion, her father defiles the Lord asking why Felicity is
not
in Boston. Soon she meets his partners who have no Yankee ethics with the worst being the
exasperating but gorgeous Lord Christian Andrews representing all the passion she has given up.
She sneaks on Drew's ship to prove he is cruel, but instead finds a kind hearted individual bringing
out the passion she buried. Fans of early eighteenth high seas adventure romances will want to
join
the vast crew for the ride. The story line is fast-paced going at knots that usually means lack of
characterizations, but Cheryl Howe also insures readers understand the motives of her lead
protagonists. The myriad of secondary cast members is a solid supporting group though the
extremes make some of the villains into abusive cartoon figures. Still fans will enjoy THE
PIRATE
AND THE PURITAN, just wear your life preserver and seat belt as this novel is moving.
The Year's Best Science Fiction
Gardner Dozois, editor
St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312308604 $19.95 672 pp.
The twentieth edition of what annually is one of the best anthologies is a strong collection of short
stories that showcases the top tales of the year. The contributions come mostly from United
States,
Great Britain, and Australia and run the gamut of the genre. As usual Gardner Dozois provides a
superb introduction that gives the perspective and condition of the genre. This time though much
of
the critical world claim the genre is dead, no earth-shattering innovation occurred, and magazines
have suffered losses, Mr. Dozois shows that SF remains a viable powerful entity. Each tale is well
written as expected from an anthology packaged by the award winning Mr. Dozois who leaves no
stone (magazine or book?) unturned in his quest to provide THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE
FICTION at least the shorts.
Nowhere to Run
Mary Jane Clark
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312288778 $24.95, 338pp.
KEY News Executive Producer Linus Nazareth orders his staff to "make bioterrorism sexy" to
Americans so that they will care and follow the newscasts. Annabelle Murphy who is trying to
earn a
reputation outside the mentoring shadow of her friend, star reporter Constance, produces the
track.
However, Annabelle almost collapses in shock when the station's medical correspondent Dr. John
Lee displays a vial he insists contains deadly weapons-grade anthrax on morning TV. The Feds
investigate while everyone panics, but Dr. Lee's alleged anthrax turns out to be sugar, as he
wanted
to make a firecracker point that got out of hand. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief especially
Annabelle who expected to join the growing unemployed. Lee crossed the line of good taste.
Soon
the exhaling changes when another member of the news team, a wannabe author of an expose,
soon
dies from Anthrax poisoning. Two more die. Annabelle investigates what is going on unaware
that
she is a carrier as a murderer hides behind bioterrorism to commit homicides. Though the
newsroom
is populated by stereotypes, this clever tale turns these office villains into potential suspects due to
their archetypal behavior. The crew is often mean and one is clearly flawed in a noticeable way
and
has few, if any, decent traits. That on top of a fast-paced story line and a delightful heroine makes
Mary Jane Clark's novel a winner for the amateur sleuth and the low grade (no cities destroyed)
bioterror crowd. Readers will appreciate this strong who-done-it and wonder if the FBI should
hire
Annabelle to solve the '01 mailings that killed people with no arrests.
The Fiend in Human
John MacLachlan Gray
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312282842 $24.95, 342 pp.
In 1852 London, Falcon reporter Edmund Whitty dubs William Ryan, the prostitute killer,
Chokee
Bill. Most of the fallen females are pleased to learn the police caught Chokee Bill because it
makes it
safe to offer their bodies to the West End wealthy aristocrats. Needing money as usual, Whitty
accepts a deal to partner with crime storywriter and seller Henry Owler who, on his own, failed to
gain an interview with Chokee Bill. Edmund meets Ryan and soon wonders if the police arrested
the
wrong man. If he is right, Edmund realizes that the real murderer might be observing him, Owler,
and his new partner's daughter especially as the journalist tours London in search of clues. If true,
this diabolical serial killer will never allow anyone to point the finger. Though quite similar to
other
serial killer tales especially those involving the Ripper, readers will enjoy this terse Victorian
investigative novel. The story line provides insight into the era and includes a taste of London and
a
deep look at the social classes and a myopic justice system. With their flaws, obvious intelligence
and moral consciences, Whitty and Owler are fine lead sleuths. They are reminiscent of Holmes
and
Watson so that readers of nineteenth century mysteries will appreciate this solid, novel.
Bone Dry
Ben Rehder
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312291329 $23.95 339 pp.
Blanco County, Texas Game Warden John Martin knows that the opening day of deer hunting
season is always a disaster, but this time the hunters come up with a new one. Apparently a
six-foot
blonde Amazon has wrecked the deer blinds of the locals using an assortment of tricks and
devices
and which even includes peeing on them. This female ghost even shot up Rodney Bauer's pick-up
using the man's 12-gauge that she easily took from the paralyzed man in shock by her beauty. As
John works on his relationship with Nurse Becky, environmentalist Inga Mueller has become an
avenging angel. She is dedicated to protecting endangered species from the ravages of the
hunters.
However, though her victims drive John crazy, he considers her a minor amusing nuisance
especially
when compared to the rash of corpses that suddenly surface. Readers who appreciate a strong yet
humorous regional police procedural, game warden style, will want to peruse BONE DRY. This
is a
great tale that leaves the audience laughing at the antics of the secondary cast along side a
bemused
John that is until the murders start. However, the key to this terrific who-done-it is the mystery is
first rate and the characters are fully developed so that the audience receives a fabulous plot that
will
send newcomers seeking more works from Ben Rehder.
The Sisterhood of Shopaholics
Leslie Esdale, Monica Jackson, Reon Laudat, and Niqui Stanhope
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312321880 $13.95 352 pp.
"Shameless" by Leslie Esdale. Della struggles with a shopping addiction so she needs intervention
help. She goes to a mall where she meets Byron. They are attracted to one another, but he just
purchased panties for another woman. "Please Baby Please" by Monica Jackson. During her
shopping abstinence schoolteacher Neecy went from a ten to a sixteen. Upset, she watches Joseph
repossess her car for non-payment. Her credit is over extended so when Joseph offers her a
summer
job she reluctantly accepts not knowing that he desires her. ""It Takes Two" by Reon Laudat.
Though not a runner Ramona agrees to race in a 10k-breast cancer awareness event while she
struggles not to shop. Her former lover Kadeem wants to coach her in the race and in life if she
would give him a second chance. "Promises" by Niqui Stanhope. Nana believes her CEO
granddaughter Gillian is engaged, but the latter has no male. At a sale, Gillian and a councilman's
wife fight. Mall owner widower Mark accuses Gillian of causing $1555 in damage until he sees
the
video. He knows he did her wrong and atones for his actions by taking her to Nana's party and
plans
to introduce her to his twins. The four novellas stand-alone yet interact, as characters appear in
the
other tales and share Hotatlanta and shopping addictions. THE SISTERHOOD OF THE
SHOPAHOLICS is a well-written anthology that uses humor and romance to bring forth a real
addiction issue that most people laugh at because it seems light compared to other habits.
Changing the Rules
Niqui Stanhope
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312986238 $6.50 352 pp.
In San Diego La Beau Monde magazine editor, Marcel Templeton rushes to meet her best friend
Tracy for lunch. She uses the shoulder to get around someone waiting for a light to change. He
turns
right legally and crashes into her car. No one is hurt and the damage minor. Ian Michaels asks
Macel
out, but she refuses. Unable to resist, Ian follows Marcel to the Versailles Restaurant. She joins
Tracy while he sits hidden by a plant at the next table with his seven-year-old niece Dani who he is
raising. Ian overhears Tracy and Marcel drawing up a list of rules a man must possess to date the
latter. Rule 1 and 11/2 involve his "equipment". Rule 2 is he must not be a player. Rule 3 is he
must
have a job, a car, and money. Finally he must not be mean or live with his mom. Using the rules,
Ian
eventually persuades Marcel to take a chance on him. Eventually, they make love, but she learns
that
he is the CEO of a multimedia company trying to buy her independent publication. Marcel thinks
Ian
used sex to seal the deal, but he knows that was coincidence and he loves her. This chick lit tale is
a
bit inane but fun especially when the two ladies draw up a requirement list. Ian's niece adds some
somber notes as she struggles with her feeling of being unwanted in spite of his efforts to prove
otherwise, but that subplot seems off-kilter for this tale. The romance is appealing, as fans will
like
the antics of the lead duo particularly Marcel.
The Impostor
Celeste Bradley
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312984863 $6.50 384 pp.
In 1813 Liar's Club agent Dalton Montgomery pretends to be a dandy as he poses as popular
satirical cartoonist Sir Thorogood. Dalton wants to expose the real artist whose works scorn the
country's aristocracy especially the leaders, drawing caricatures that make them look inane. Clara
Simpson takes exception with Dalton masquerading as the popular Sir Thorogood since she
knows
that she is the genuine article. Clara decides to "expose" the impostor by trapping him into
displaying his talent. She follows him everywhere and he believes she's a lovesick fruitcake. As
Dalton doubts the assignment as being overkill, he begins to fall in love with his shadow.
However,
he remains unaware that if he unmasks Sir Thorogood he will jeopardize his talented beloved.
THE
IMPOSTOR is a fun action packed romantic suspense with agent vs. amateur counter agent as the
prime plot. The battle to expose one another takes the audience on a wild ride as each one trumps
the other though Dalton is ignorant that it is Clara he is chasing (in love too). Celeste Bradley
pens a
charming Regency tale that will prove to fans that this author is the real thing.
The Last Nazi
Stanley Pottinger
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312276761 $24.95
Though he is a foster son, sixteen years old Adalwolf behaves like a chip off the old block,
emulating
the worst traits of his mentor research scientist Dr. Josef Mengele. He calms down the young
victims undergoing inhuman experiments. When the Nazis lose, everyone assumes that Adalwolf
died in the final days. Almost six decades later, agents of the Justice Department's Office of
Special
Investigations accompany a SWAT team trying to capture the evil but brilliant Adalwolf. Among
the
squad of "Nazi Hunters is attorney Melissa Gale, who has hunted the butcher for several years
while
having trying to have a baby with her journalist husband. However, she is soon going to learn how
diabolical her foe is as he has developed a virus that will wipe out the entire global Jewish
population with Melissa as his carrier. This is a taut thriller that may turn out to be the year's best
with its brilliantly developed story line that cleverly spins into an incredible moral dilemma. From
the
beginning to the end Adalwolf proves to be one of the more infamous villains in a long time. His
final solution is frightening yet seems plausible because the creation of designer viruses is a
potential
by-product of the genome mapping. Fans who read THE LAST NAZI will not make this the last
Stanley Pottinger novel they ever read as he raises the thriller bar to unbelievable heights.
Femme Fatale
Carole Nelson
Douglas Forge
ISBN: 0765306824 $25.95, 544 pp.
In 1889 New York based journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochrane better known as Nellie Bly sends a
wire
to England to American expatriate and pal Irene Adler Norton. Nellie insists that someone wants
to
kill Irene's mother. Though having some doubts, Irene worked the Ripper case with Nellie who
has
some credibility with her. So she and her companion, Nell Huxleigh, head back to her hometown
in
the states. In New York City, Irene quickly realizes that someone is killing people who know
anything about her childhood. She herself contains only vague memories, but wonders what she
has
forgotten that has led to a series of murders. Soon her rival Sherlock Holmes, who she has
out-sleuthed, enters the game in an effort to end a string of homicides tied back to Irene. The
latest
Irene Adler tale, the woman who outwitted Holmes in Doyle's A Scandal in Bohemia, is a
tremendous late Victorian mystery. The story line has an old world feel to it yet flows fast with
plenty of insights into the late nineteenth century New York era and as a bonus, has loads of
action.
For fans of the series, Carole Nelson Douglas provides some tidbits about the former diva so that
the audience has increased knowledge of her past. Historical mystery readers will appreciate
FEMME FATALE and want to obtain the previous six Adler novels as this is a strong series.
Night Falls Like Silk
Kathleen Eagle
Morrow
ISBN: 006621470X $24.95
In the Chicago area, Thomas Brown Wolf has become a famous somewhat reclusive comic strip
writer-artist with popular characters like Dark Dog and Victory. Thomas overcame a stressful life
with the help of cop Jesse Brownwolf and his wife and teacher Angela. However, Thomas is
angry
with his surrogate father who arrested his brother Stoney on drug charges. Angela asks Thomas
to
mentor young Aaron, nephew of a friend wealthy widow art dealer Cassandra Findley. Reluctantly
Thomas agrees, but hates being attracted to Cassandra, who he previously met during a bidding
war
between them at an auction. As Angela and Thomas fall in love, someone begins stealing her art
while mimicking his comic, placing her in danger from an unknown assailant who seems to want
to
keep the two of them apart. Though the twist that causes the tension is difficult to accept (0nce
revealed), readers will enjoy this taut romantic suspense due to the obvious flaws of the lead duo.
Angela is an interesting protagonist, having married an older man who has since died leaving her
rich. Thomas displays impatience and anger until Angela begins to calm him down. Aaron is
especially a solid secondary player whose artwork is as dark as they come though he is quite
young.
The plot implies that his mother's flirty inanity might cause the youth's somber outlook. The
audience will gain pleasure with the intriguing relationships between the key players that make for
a
fine read.
Hocus Croakus
Mary Daheim
Morrow
ISBN: 0380978687 $23.95 320 pp.
Judith McMonigle Flynn and her beloved spouse Joe temporarily move out of their Hillside
Manor
bed and breakfast while the inn is renovated due to fire damage. Taking their feuding moms with
them, the couple joins Judith's cousin and amateur sleuth partner Renie and her husband at the
Stillasnowamish Resort Casino where Renie attends a conference. However where Judith goes
homicide seems to also accompany her. This time she discovers the multiple stabbed corpse of
magician assistant Salome. Casino manager Pancho Green asks his friend former cop Joe to
investigate the homicide, but as usual Judith sticks her nose into the case. Meanwhile Renie
desperately tries to stay out of it this time, but Judith knows whom to turn to when she needs help
in
uncovering the identity of a murderer. The latest Judith tale is a strong amateur sleuth novel that
has
a shocker (for this series at least) ending. The story line is often amusing as the support cast from
the recurring characters as well as the contractors working the B&B and a second inn exasperate
the
heroine. The who-done-it is cleverly designed so that readers along with Joe and Judith struggle
to
uncover the identity of the killer. HOCUS CROAKUS is an entertaining fun bed and breakfast
mystery that will please most of Mary Daheim's fans and bring new readers to stay at the Hillside
Manor.
A Faint Cold Fear
Karin Slaughter
Morrow
ISBN: 0688174582 $25.95 352 pp.
Heartsdale, Georgia medical examiner Sara Linton travels to the Grant Institute of Technology
where a student Andy Rosen apparently jumped off a bridge. Sara's eight month pregnant sister
Tessa, known for her eating habits of late, happened to have been in the car with Sara when she
received the call. The two women go to the death scene where Sarah joins her boyfriend Police
Chief Jeffrey Tolliver who has begun investigating. Tessa enters the nearby woods to do the other
bodily function that she seems to need to do every few seconds only to be viciously attacked.
Two
more suicides occur and Tessa remains hospitalized. Meanwhile Jeffrey wonders if former police
detective turned college security guard Lena Adams knows more than she is telling. Although
Lena
has her own problems stemming from an abduction and rape she still investigates sex and drug
trafficking at the Grant Institute of Technology. Following the third death, Sara reconsiders
whether
homicide not suicide has occurred. Jeffrey tries to keep both women safe while seeking a killer.
Though the story line contains too many moments of self-deprecating doubts due to previous
ghosts,
fans will enjoy this terse medical examiner thriller. The key cast members constantly display their
soul so that the audience receives a two edged blade. The motives of the characters are
understandable but so intense that it sometimes slows down the prime plot and spins off several
cluttering subplots. Still A FAINT COLD FEAR is a solid crime tale that showcases Karen
Slaughter's ability to live up to a surname that seems apropos for a mystery author.
Inheritance
Simon Brown
Daw
ISBN: 0756401623 $6.99 432 pp.
Queen Usharna Rosetheme is dying, but is not worried about the succession, as her oldest son
Beryama will inherit the throne. Instead she is concerned with how the Twenty Houses will
support
her son and his three half-siblings. Especially concerning her is her youngest, Lynan, son of a
deceased war hero commoner. When the queen dies the keys that were the prime source of her
power and her victory in the deadly Slaver War is distributed one each to her four children.
However, unity fails when Areava and the twenty houses decide to eliminate Lynan, holder of one
of
the magical keys. Only the loyalty of his father's faithful Captains from the Slaver War Kumul
Alarn
and Agar Parmer save his life following the betrayal. What worried Usharna in life has come true
after her death as her children are divided and her country is split with Lynan vowing vengeance
and
using his key to claim what was stolen from him. The opening gamut of the "Keys of Power" is an
incredible epic fantasy that is must reading for sub-genre fans. The story line is action-packed yet
insures readers follow the exploits of fully developed characters. The adventures never slow down
even as Simon Brown introduces the cast in such a way that the key (no pun intended) players
seem
real and the magic genuine. The only problem with INHERITANCE is waiting for book two to be
published.
The Repentant
Brian M. Thomsen and Martin H. Greenberg
Daw
ISBN: 0756401631 $6.99 320 pp.
This entertaining thirteen-story collection focuses on classic monster types like werewolves trying
to
do the right thing in terms of humanity. The anthology is divided into four subjects ("Werewolves
and Witches", "The Dead", "The Undead", and "The Demonic") with three sections containing
three
stories and "The Undead" with four. The tales overall are well written and are clearly targeted
towards modern monsterolists. The authors are a virtual who's who, whom for the most part seem
to have a good time providing a contribution. No story is weak, but a bite from "The Undead"
section is truly worth the time. THE REPENTANT is a fine short story anthology that the
monster
generalist fan will appreciate.
As Seen on TV
Sarah Mlynowski
Red Dress
ISBN: 0373250363 $12.95 336 pp.
Her boyfriend Steve Stein owns and runs Manna Restaurant in Manhattan while Sunny Langstein
works in Fort Lauderdale as an Assistant Manager at Panda. When Steve invites Sunny to move
in
with him, she accepts. Knowing she needs to find work, Sunny lies her way into interviews until
she
shockingly lands a contestant role on the TV reality show Party Girls. Her fifteen minutes of TV
fame changes Sunny into an American idol and her relationship with Steve looks like it will be
voted
off the island. Meanwhile TV idol Matt Rowler makes a bid for Sunny's affection. Soon Steve
who
loved and liked his Florida Sunshine forces the issue of where they are going, as he detests the
glitter
TV Sunny. Will Sunny give up her chance as a survivor to host the show next year and reject the
manna from heaven Steve offers because he treats her like a cherished person not a dimwitted
boob
tube icon? AS SEEN ON TV converges chick lit with reality television into an amusing
contemporary romantic romp with a surprising message of adhering to one's value. The story line
is
handled in a light manner as Sunny gets so embroiled in glamour and bull that she loses sight as to
what is important to her. Fans of chick lit will enjoy this parody of the reality TV fare.
Losing It
Lindsay Faith Rech
Red Dress
ISBN: 0373250371 $12.95 288 pp.
Thirty-two years old Diana Christopher hates how she looks as a size sixteen and detests her job
as
the fat waitress butt of jokes. She would loathe her sex life, but that has been non-existent for
fifteen
years since she lost her cherry in the back of Barry's pick-up truck. Now she has good news as she
has a tumor that will allow her to join daddy who died over two decades ago in a car crash.
However, depressing her further is that the doctor informs her that her life escape route proved
benign. Diana decides to reinvent her life by losing weight through diet and exercise, find a new
job,
and have sex. She begins to go to bars and even has sex and loses weight by ignoring her favorite
foods. When she meets her neighbor's nephew she realizes it is her Barry from her teen days and
they rather quickly they fall in love. However, heartbreak occurs due to excessive heat with a
broken
air conditioner, but though they are sad by their loss they are glad to find one another. Though
chick
lit in some ways, LOSING IT is a serious look at a lonely person willing to give up on what she
perceives is an abysmal life not worth living. Readers will empathize with Diana who feels several
pixels below the food chain of those enjoying life not just surviving. Though morbid at times,
Lindsay Faith Rech provides a strong character study.
Monstrous Regiment
Terry Pratchett
HarperCollins
ISBN 006001315X $24.95 368 pp.
Over the last three decades, the Duchy of Borogravia has declared war on all of its neighbors.
Now
more countries have formed the alliance whose goal is to destroy the duchy. The prince of
Zlobenia
is the heir to the Borogravian throne and hopes to prove the ruling family has died out so he can
incorporate it into his country. Polly is not interested in issues of state but intends to find her
brother
and bring him home. She disguises herself as a male and signs up to join the army. Her unit
consists
of other females masquerading as men, a vampire, a troll, an Igor as well as a heroic sergeant.
When
they capture some enemy soldiers, instead of taking them as POW's, they end up releasing them,
not
realizing one of the soldiers is the prince of Zlobenia. Their actions bring them to the attention of
the
Alliance who is inspired by the courage of the MONSTROUS REGIMENT and hesitates to
invade
their country. That hesitation gives Polly and the other members of the unit a chance to snatch
victory from the jaws of the Alliance and a chance for Borogravia to retain its independence. It's
always a pleasure visiting Discworld where the magical and mundane exist side by side.
MONSTROUS REGIMENT is one of the better novels in this long running series because the
characters are zany and quirky yet somehow believable. Terry Pratchett seems to write a
light-hearted comical fantasy but in reality he is using humor to provide a very deep condemnation
of terrorists and nations that make war inevitable.
Paladin of Souls
Lois McMaster Bujold
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0380979020 $24.95 464 pp.
No longer suffering from the God-induced madness, but sill reeling from guilt and mourning the
loss
of much of her family, Dowager Royina of Chalion Lady Ista dy Baocia seeks to find atonement.
She feels a pilgrimage might provide some solace to her tortured soul so Lady Ista sets forth on a
journey. However, her search for inner peace ends when she becomes embroiled in a devious plot
that makes her ponder whether the five ruling Gods still manipulate her? Still Lady Ista cannot
ignore the threat from Chalion's neighbor Porifors. The Roknari and the evil ones from the Fifth
God
place Chalion and Ista's ruling daughter in jeopardy with only Arhys dy Lutez and his half brother
Illvin struggling to contain the assault. Ista joins the dy Lutez siblings though she may pay the
ultimate price with her entrance into the fray. The sequel to THE CURSE OF CHALION (one of
the all time great fantasy tales), PALADIN OF SOULS, is a fabulous stand-alone story. The story
line focuses on a major but not the prime character from the first book as Lady Ista tries to find
solace for the trouble she caused though logically she understands she was a puppet of the Gods.
As
in the first novel, Lois McMaster Bujold imbues the story line with deep depth that makes her
realm
see genuine though the non-stop action crowd will feel that slows the pace. Still sword and
sorcery
readers who relish a world that appears real will appreciate the heroine's quest and demand
returns
to this magical land from a writer who lives up to her middle name.
Barracuda 945
Patrick Robinson
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060086629 $25.95 437 pp.
British SAS commando Major Ray Kerman stationed in Israel joins Hamas and quickly becomes a
leader due to his bold successes in country. Abetted by the Iranians, Ray buys a Russian nuclear
submarine, the Barracuda 945. He plans to attack the West Coast of the United States with
missile
strikes against the Alaskan oil supplies and the California electrical grid. National Security
Advisor
Vice Admiral Arnold Morgan leads the US Navy's efforts to stop the Barracuda 945 at sea.
However, even with the help of the National Security Agency the US Navy struggles to locate the
deadly nuclear sub for several weeks until they locate the Barracuda 945 in the Panama Canal.
Confrontation between two brilliant leaders and their crew occur with much at stake. Though the
historical soliloquies can be overwhelming, they bring a sense of reality to a powerful
action-packed
sea adventure that will remind readers of Sink the Bismarck. The story line is going at the fastest
knots, but also insures the key two antagonists plus Morgan's friend, Assistant to the Director of
the
National Security Agency Lieutenant Commander James Ramshawe, are more than just 200 proof
testosterone. Instead readers feel their frustrations and excitement. Patrick Robinson's latest
Morgan
thriller is a solid tale that fans will enjoy the high-speed sea chase.
Shadows Over Baker Street
Michael Reeves and John Pelan, editors
Del Rey
ISBN: 0345455282 $23.95, 464 pp.
Every time this reviewer concludes that there is no way to place Holmes who's been around in so
many different clever settings in the past few decades a new approach occurs. SHADOWS OVER
BAKER STREET takes Holmes out of Doyle's Victorian England and relocates him in H.P.
Lovecraft's Victorian England. Seventeen tales are set in the last two decades of the nineteenth
century while three occur in the twentieth. The premise of changing the setting of the world's
greatest detective works, providing the Baker Street crowd with a strong invigorating anthology.
However, besides the obvious uniqueness of the background, the collection also takes a wider
look
at Holmes by including renowned authors from non-mystery genres along with the who-done-it
writers. Thus, twenty tales from horror, science fiction, fantasy, and of course mystery (what! No
romance or western) furbishes a strong unique anthology in which the worlds of Lovecraft and
Doyle converge into a tremendous short story book with no weak entry.
The Teeth of the Tiger
Tom Clancy
Putnam
ISBN: 039915079X $27.95
In Maryland, Hendley Associates successfully works the stock, bond, and international currency
markets. However, in reality the trader business serves as a front because the prime mission of the
firm is to root out and eliminate terrorists. United States President John Patrick Ryan is not
interested in the means, but only the results of the group. Only a small elect circle of people who
need to know understand that Hendley Associates otherwise known as "The Campus, is really a
black ops organization. The firm also understands hat there is a need for new blood if they want
to
avoid stagnation and complacency. However, it takes a special person to join this elite group.
Right
now they are looking closely at a trio of related men who happen to have close ties the President
since two are his nephews, FBI Agent Dominic Caruso and his brother Marine Captain Brian
Caruso
and the third is his son Jack Ryan, Jr. It remains to be seen if this threesome lives up to the gene
pool of the previous generation. Jack, Sr. seem like kindergarten? The torch moves on with an
ease
that will not surprise readers who expect innovative ideas from this great author. The story line is
typical Tom Clancy: exciting top rate action as the war against terrorism goes into hyperspeed.
Doubts will linger about close relatives to a sitting president being involved in anti-terrorist
activities. It is hard to picture the two sons of George Bush, Sr. running around as Feds or
combat
soldiers before joining an elite black ops cell or any child of a Congressman serving in Iraq or
Afghanistan. Still fans of action packed thrillers will know Mr. Clancy has created a fantastic
tale.
Smoke Screen
Kyle Mills
Putnam
ISBN: 0399150986 $24.95
CEO Paul Trainer of the tobacco giant Terra Holding Corporation, knows his gigantic business is
in
trouble due to a law suit they will probably lose in Montana. He decides he needs an idiotic
spokesperson so he turns to employee Trevor Barnett, whose job comes from an ancestor who
was
an industry giant and left him a trust fund that requires he work for the firm. Relying on the Peter
Principle, Paul promotes Trevor to positions way above his apparent level of competency. With
bankruptcy pending, Paul and his associates establish a diabolical strategy that they insist Trevor
must sell to the public. All tobacco-processing plants are closed, workers are placed on furloughs,
and there are recalls of products from the stores and vending machines. The plan is that there will
be
no more cigarettes until the industry is legally exempt from lawsuits and courts sanctions. As the
economy tanks, Anne Kimball of Smokeless Youth meets Trevor. She provides him with the
backbone he needs to push for a campaign where the people will decide whether smoking is a first
amendment right. As the couple falls in love the issue becomes even more explosive. SMOKE
SCREEN is a delightful Mr. Smith takes tobacco (rather than Washington) type of tale that hooks
the audience from the moment Paul plots to use Trevor. The Runyonesque story line is fun as the
no
smoking policy causes havoc for politicians and the economy in such a way that it seems as if
everyone inhaled. Fans of a charming amusing David with a female for a spinal column vs. Goliath
novel will want to read Kyle Mills whimsical story.
Grand Theft
Timothy Watts
Putnam
ISBN: 0399150994 $23.95 320pp
In Philadelphia, Teddy Clyde uses the job of a stockbroker as a front to hide his real career as a
car
thief. He even has a storefront and clients, but his prime nontaxable income is from vehicle
repossession that leaves him in the high six-digit income bracket. His moronic brother Davey tries
to
steal a Porche and it is only thanks to Teddy's quick response that his sibling is saved from doing
time. The brothers go to the Palisades Club owned by the mob's number two guy Anthony
Bonica,
but unbeknownst to Teddy he carries the body of the mob chief (who was killed by a pro) in his
trunk. Everyone wants Teddy from the mob to the US Assistant Attorney Donald Shaffer to other
alphabet groups. He hides with an undercover reporter that he begins to fall in love with making
his
life even more complicated than it is. GRAND THEFT is a fabulous crime thriller that fans will
read
in one sitting. The reason readers will want to see what happens next is due is to a strong prime
cast.
The audience will appreciate the charming rogue, and enjoy seeing the downfall of two villains,
including one in the Office of the DA, and a couple of deadly scoundrels whose morality can be
traced in one case directly to the concentration camps and the other through his mentor. Anyone
who reads this winning thriller will seek more works by Timmy Watts because this is a great
novel.
Tribeca Blues
Jim Fusilli
Putnam
ISBN 0399150889 $24.95 288 pp.
It's been five years since Raymond Weisz allegedly threw his infant son on the railroad tracks in
the
path of an oncoming train. His wife Marina was also killed when she jumped down to rescue her
son. Terry Orr is still determined to track down the man and kill him but in the meantime he and
his
fifteen-year-old daughter Bella go to New Orleans to attend the funeral of his friend Leo Mallard.
Leo wanted Terry to find his wife so she could face justice. Lenore caused their flourishing
restaurant to go into bankruptcy because she embezzled company funds. Terry has every intention
of
fulfilling Leo's last request but while he is in New Orleans he gets a fax stating Weisz's mother
died.
Believing that his family's killer will finally show at the funeral, Terry rushes back to New York
City.
As he talks to a person who had seen the subway killings of Terry's family members, the witness is
murdered. As Terry searches for Raymond, he begins to learn the truth to that deadly incident five
years ago and why Leo's reputation and happiness was destroyed. The protagonist of TRIBECA
BLUES, a man readers have come to care about, conducts two different investigations in his own
quixotic manner. Having a private investigator's license doesn't harden the man nor does the
tragedy
that haunts him or seeing the dark side of humanity. Instead it allows Terry to take action and feel
he
is part of making the world a better place. Jim Fusilli gives his audience an insider's look at the
Big
Apple he loves so much and come to understand why he loves the city that never sleeps.
Blacklist
Sara Paretsky
Putnam
ISBN: 0399150854 $24.95 432 pp.
The impact of 9/11 even in the heartland continues to have impact on residents. While her lover
writer is in the Afghanistan or is that the Ubekistan area, private investigator V.I. Warshawski
agrees to accept a strange case, at least from this particular client, longtime corporate customer
Darraugh Graham. His ninety-year-old mother insists that she has seen lights looking out from her
room in a nursing home from inside the nearby abandoned Larchmont Hall. V.I. goes to the
deserted
building anticipating running into either homeless or teens, but instead finds the corpse of
T-Square
magazine reporter, Marc Whitby. Apparently, he was investigating 1950s dancer Kylie Ballantine,
a
victim of Olin Taverner's witch-hunt. The county declares Marc killed himself, but his wife Harriet
hires her because she wonders if government officials murdered him. V.I. accepts the case though
the FBI and local law enforcement want her to step back because they are investigating a case
involving a possible terrorist that might have a bearing on the reporter's death. BLACKLIST is
Sara
Paretsky's best tale in several years as the author effortlessly brings out the caring side of her
sleuth
without diminishing the strength of V. I. All that is placed inside a political thriller wrapped
around a
fast-paced who-done-it. This well written exquisitely exciting hooks the reader while also
providing
a warning message that the witch hunts of Salem and McCarthy are not isolated aberrations. They
are a consistent part of history (same sh*t just after WW I) especially when people allow the flag
and "security" to warp freedoms. After a dozen or so books, Warshawsky hopefully has more
adventures like this one that is if she can avoid vanishing in front of a military tribunal.
Stone Cold
Robert B. Parker
Putnam
ISBN 0399150870 $24.95, 336 pp.
When his marriage to Jenn broke up, Jesse Stone left California and accepted a job as chief of
police
in Paradise, Massachusetts. Jenn followed soon after and although they see each other on
occasion,
they also date other people. Jesse tells every woman he's involved with that he's still in love with
Jenn and until she tells him it's over, he won't commit to anyone else. Usually Paradise is a quiet
little
town but now Jesse is working on two cases that are particularly ugly. Three young men rape a
teenage girl in her school and they threaten to show pictures of her during the sexual assault if she
reports it to the police. Jesse wants to find a way to charge the young men while keeping the girl's
name out of it. The second case is even more horrifying. A husband and wife team picks out a
victim
at random, stalks him, and they both simultaneously kill him with identical weapons. Jesse, who
knows he's their next target, sets up a trap using himself as bait but they evade it and ride off into
the
sunset. Comparisons between Spenser and Jesse are inevitable. Spenser is self assured and
confident
of Susan's love while Jesse is vulnerable and has no idea if he and Jenn will ever get together.
Spenser, as a PI, sometimes bends or breaks the rules while Jesse adheres to them. STONE
CUTS'
protagonist is more interesting because readers don't know what Robert B. Parker will do next
with
his character. Stark prose and plenty of action is what this novel is all about.
The Price of Murder
Bruce Alexander
Putnam
ISBN 0399150781 $24.95 272 pp.
A young child, no bigger than eight, is fished out of the Thames River in London of 1774. When
Sir
John Fielding of 4 Bow Street, the magistrates of London and Winchester hears of this, he sends
his
protegee Jeremy Proctor to investigate. A month ago Alice Plummer reported her daughter was
stolen and Sir John thinks that the child in the water was Margaret Plummer. When Jeremy arrives
on the docks, he learns that the child was naked and there is evidence of sexual intercourse. The
autopsy reveals that the child was indeed brutally molested and smothered to death. When Jeremy
tries to find the mother, a neighbor says that she disappeared with a large sum of money after
giving
her child to a man that said he would place her with wealthy parents who couldn't have a child.
When Jeremy and Alice's brother Deuteronomy, a famous jockey, manage to locate Alice in
Newmarket she is honestly horrified to find out what happened to her child. She manages to give
the
authorities the slip and take justice into her own hands but Sir John and Jeremy are determined to
find the man who actually killed the child and bring him to justice. Historical mysteries don't get
better than THE PRICE OF MURDER. The story is told in the first person narrative from
Jeremy's
perspective years after the events of this novel have taken place. His asides to the audience are
thoroughly entertaining and make the readers feel as if they are part of the tale. Depending on
how
one feels about animals, justice was not meted out totally by a human agent.
Capital Crimes
Stuart Woods
Putnam
ISBN: 0399150900 $25.95 304 pp.
The first person executed is South Carolina Republican Senator Frederick Wallace, an extreme
right
wing politician. The crime scene is clean and the kill is professional. The next victim is right wing
radio talk show host Van Vandervelt whose car explodes. The killer attains official serial status
when conservative TV commentator Tim Brennan is poisoned. The republicans, borrowing a page
from Senator Clinton, blame the murders on a vast left-wing conspiracy to destroy the United
States. Of course politics must be included so they tie the killers to President William Henry Lee
IV.
First Lady Katharine Rule Lee as the CIA director leads a thorough search for clues and any ties
besides extreme right wing beliefs of the victims. The usual left wing suspects fail to pass the test
as
clever killers. Leads are almost non-existent though Her Majesty's Military Intelligence believes
there is a link to a radical British group. Ed Rawls, in jail for treason, offers the identity of the
murderer in exchange for a full pardon and a million dollars. Pondering deals with the devil and
who
will be next, Katharine and FBI agent Robert Kinney must find a way to stop these left wing
terrorist
assassinations. Though quite exciting, readers will have to accept several premises such as the
First
Lady remaining as CIA director, etc. The story line is fast-paced, but requires loads of acceptance
that events play out the way they do in the plot. Still Stuart Woods provides an exhilarating
political
suspense thriller that if one belies reality will still find pleasurable.
Dragon's Lair
Sharon Kay Penman
Putnam
ISBN 0399150773 $23.95 336 pp.
On his way home from the crusades, Richard the Lion-Hearted was kidnapped and held for
ransom
by the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich for one hundred thousand silver marks. While King
Richard I
is languishing in an Austrian prison, his mother Eleanor of Aquitane is bankrupting the country
trying to gather up the ransom from every class and guild including the church. When word
reaches
her that the ransom collected by the Welsh Prince Davydd ab Owain was stolen, she dispatches
her
man Justin de Quincy to recover the ransom. When he arrives at Davydd's court, the prince tells
him
that the outlaw Llewelyn ab Iorwerth was responsible for the theft. He expects Justin to ask the
Earl
of Chester to bring troops into Wales to capture the outlaw and what is left of the ransom. It
doesn't
take Justin long to realize that Llewelyn, who is battling Davydd for crown, is a pawn in Davydd's
quest to stay in power. He discovers Flemish sailors who were supposedly hired by an English
lord
stole the ransom. Justin has to find the English Lord if he intends to gain control of the stolen
ransom though betrayal and murder follow in his footsteps. Nobody writes a better medieval
historical then Sharon Kay Penman and her latest historical mystery shows that meticulous
research.
Medieval England and Wales come alive as historical trivia is generously sprinkled throughout the
story line. The protagonist is truly THE QUEEN'S MAN as he diligently works for the crown
while
facing down ghosts from his own past. DRAGON'S LAIR opens up new worlds to its audience
one
that they will want to revisit when Ms. Penman produces the next book in this addicting
series.
Brotherhood of Betrayal
Randall Arthur
Multnomah
ISBN 1590522883 $11.99 408 pp.
When Missionary Pastor Clay McCain failed to show up at the Swedish Church, his wife and
members of the congregation thought he was late or in an accident. That changes when a woman
admits they conducted a three-year affair but broke it off when Clay fell in love with someone else
When Clay is spotted with a beautiful woman hanging all over him in a gas station, Rachel knows
the truth. Her beloved husband, whom she spent the last nine years in Sweden building up the
church, the father of her three children, deserted them without a backward glance. The church
leaders force Rachel to return to the States offering her no empathy in her time of trouble. They
treat her like a pariah, watching her behavior to see if she will be a bad influence. Rachel hits rock
bottom until a pastor tries to show her that she has a lot to live for including a new romance if she
can move past the betrayal by her husband. Randall Arthur is a very gifted storyteller who
condemns
church leaders adhering to a rigid theology instead of reaching out to help troubled constituents.
The
heroine has an inner strength that is brought out by the trials she faces and readers hope that she
will
love and trust someone again. Clay is not a sympathetic character who struggles as a narcissist to
understand that sometimes one has to live with the choices one makes. BROTHERHOOD OF
BETRAYAL is a fascinating character study written by someone who understands human
nature.
Masks of Murder
C.C. Canby
J. Press
ISBN 1930922043 $24.95 358 pp.
Zeke Mallard is a detective on the White Bear Lake Police Department (a Twin Cities' suburb).
Inside his garage, Zeke is bending, trying to get his groceries from his car when suddenly
someone
stabs him in the back and when he's incapacitated in the chest and leg. Andrew White planned to
shoot Zeke for messing around with his ex-girlfriend and sees the small-stature man go in and
leave
with a bloody knife and bloody cloth. He walks into the garage and finds Zeke dead. He hightails
it
out of there because he knows that the police will want to pin the crime on him. At the funeral,
Andrew's ex-girlfriend comes to the attention of Zeke's partner Detective Lanslow. The cop learns
that Andrew threatened Zeke for taking Rosario away from him. Andrew sees the man who killed
Zeke and informs Lanslow as the killer strikes again. Lanslow finds the body of a wino and
realizes
the same person that killed Zeke committed this homicide. He looks elsewhere for a suspect and
stumbles across information that will turn the case into a media circus because the circumstances
that made him kill are bizarre. Lanslow is shocked that his good friend and partner cheated on his
wife and had a secret life that he knew nothing about. All the characters, including the
protagonist,
the victim, Andrew and the killer are neither good nor evil which makes them more interesting,
especially when they interact with the secondary characters. C.C. Canby has written an exciting
police procedural in the tradition of Christine McGuire and Paul Bishop.
Dealing In Murder
Elaine Flynn
Avon
ISBN 006545798 $6.50 384 pp.
She is a high-end antiquities dealer working with the rich and famous until her husband tells her
he's
dumping her for Greta, the store's art restorer. He gives her two days to get out of the apartment,
which is in his family's name. The worst is yet to come when Molly and her husband are arrested
for
art fraud. They all make bail and the husband and her lover skip the country. He leaves behind an
exonerated, but financially broke Molly, unable to regain her place in the antiques world due to
the
scandal. A friend from Carmel offers her a job in his low-end antique store for a salary, free
apartment plus commission. When she buys a desk at a garage sale, she forgets to ask the seller
for
the key to the drawers. She returns only to find the woman bleeding to death. The chief of police
Kenneth Randall thinks Molly is a solid suspect especially when he pulls her rap sheet but Molly
soon discovers that there is an art scam going on in town and convinces him to use her as bait. He
needs Molly to work undercover with her specialized knowledge but he realizes he's putting her in
danger with a killer who has taken the lives of at least three victims. Elaine Flinn is a fresh,
innovative and charming new voice in the mystery genre that fans of cozies and amateur sleuth
tales
will value as a high-end author. The protagonist goes from a lethargic dependent to an
enthusiastic
person as she sheds past memories and lets Carmel and a certain police chief work their magic on
her and the audience.
Who Will Takes This Man?
Jacquie D'Alessandro
Avon
ISBN: 0060536705 $6.99 416 pp.
His father informs him that is health his failing and he needs to marry to insure he has an heir so
Viscount Philip Whitmore leaves his study of Egyptian relics to come home. Meredith
Chilton-Grizedale arranges the match of the year between Philip and Lady Sarah Markham.
However, Philip informs Sarah of the curse in which she just met the first two steps, one in which
a
peer's beloved died, and step three is death two days after the marriage. Sarah elopes with
someone
else while his and her fathers blame the matchmaker. To recoup her shattered reputation,
Meredith
must find a bride for the most unmarriageable person in the Ton, Philip. As she tries to find the
right
woman, he works on removing the curse. Soon Meredith and Philip fall in love, but he believes in
the curse so nothing can come of their feelings and besides which someone wants him dead.
Though
the curse seems at first nonsensical, the story line makes it feel real leading to a fun nineteenth
century romance. The story line engages the audience as the lead couple falls in love, but dare not
defy the curse. The intrigue of someone trying to kill Philip comes across as genuine vengeance
and
adds suspense to the tale, but also takes readers away from the prime delightful theme of will she
take this man or not?
Beachcomber
Josephine Cox
Avon
ISBN: 0060525460 $6.99 400 pp.
In 1952 someone nudges architect Tom Marcus' car over the edge of the road. His wife and two
children die in the crash. After recovering in the hospital Tom is not the same as he goes through
the
motion at work and comes home to a lonely London flat. Tom eventually quits his job and
relocates
far away from London, but stops to say goodbye at the cemetery. After he leaves someone tosses
Tom's bouquet away and replaces them with flowers. Kathy Wilson also leaves London when she
learns her beloved dad had an affair in Dorset that included a house that has been deeded to her.
Just
leaving behind her hateful mother and sister is a winner for Kathy. In her new home Kathy meets a
hurting Tom still mourning his loss. As they fall in love, Tom knows he cannot fully move on until
he uncovers the stranger that ran him off the road and killed his family members, as he owes
Kathy
his total loyalty. This is an engaging second chance at love with a bit of intrigue and a historical
feel
to the tale. The plot is at its best when two individuals with divergent reasons for not starting a
relationship are attracted to one another. When Tom turns amateur sleuth and tries to track down
the villain it feels as if the author tried for a shocking twist that takes away from a deep character
study that fans will enjoy.
Someone Like Him
Karen Kendall
Avon
ISBN: 0060007230 $5.99 384 pp.
After only one hour on the job at a Manhattan realtor, Kansas transplant Lavender "Vinnie" Hart
is
fired. She is concerned because she needs the money to bankroll her twelve-year-old brother
Adam's
attendance at the exclusive, but expensive Gotham Young Scientist Academy. Nicholas Wright
mourns the loss of his seventy-five old madcap Aunt Edna who recently committed suicide her
style
when she learned her health was failing. Nicholas inherits her dog Daffodil, but needs a dog sitter.
Though she has limited experience except for volunteer work and her comment on circus work is
outrageous; Nicholas hires Vinnie after she gets Daffodil out of a pond. As Vinnie and Nicholas
become acquainted through a matchmaking canine, they fall in love, but his soulless squeeze Dana
Dvorak has a plan to rid Nicholas of the dog and the Midwest intruder. Readers will enjoy this
amusing look at single life in Manhattan especially from the eyes of the transplanted Jayhawker.
The
story line contains a charming cast of characters except for dental drill Dana, who offers no
competition except her body to the wholesome friendliness of Vinnie. However, the big
scene-stealer is Daffodil whether she cons a biscuit or interrupts a kiss. Nicholas and Vinnie learn
never costar with canines and children as they are too smart. Readers will take pleasure form this
lighthearted romantic romp.
For the First Time
Kathryn Smith
Avon
ISBN: 0060527412 $5.99 384 pp.
In 1817, Lord Miles Christian hosts a party to honor war hero Devlin Ryland who saved many
lives
during the fight against Napoleon. Perhaps the only one unhappy with the gaga events is Miles'
sister
Amazonian Lady Blythe whose former fiance Lord Carnover and his wife will attend. After
helping
neighbors with building a roof, a disheveled Blythe returns home. At the stable she sees a
beautiful
horse. The owner is Devlin who informs her that his steed is Flynn before he introduces himself.
Devlin and Blythe are attracted to one another and cannot keep their eyes off on another at the
evening's soiree. As their attraction grows over the next few days, he struggles with his need for
Blythe and a disbelief that love exists. Worse he also concludes the object of his dreams seems to
still pine for her former betrothed making anything permanent between this couple appears
impossible. Regency romance readers will enjoy this delightful tale due to strong lead protagonists
especially the 6-foot Blythe. The secondary cast provides insight into the personalities of Blythe
and
Devlin. Though an incident with Carnover seems inappropriate fans will appreciate Kathryn
Smith's
wonderful historical love story.
A Wedding Story
Susan Kay Law
Avon
ISBN: 0060525185 $5.99 384 pp.
In 1899 penniless widow Kathryn Bright Goodale goes to the Waldorf-Astoria to see explorer
"Lord" James Bennett who is giving a talk there. Twelve years ago they met and passion exploded
until he learned she was the wife of his friend "Doc". Kathryn needs James to help her win the
Great
Centennial Race because she needs the $50K prize since her agreement with her late spouse of
fifteen years was that his estate would go to his children from his first wife. James shows up just
before the race begins. He listens to the first clue, a children's rhyme before deciding to rest while
his
opponents, many of whom he knows, races off into the sunset with no game plan. Kathryn is
frustrated with his seeming delay, but when she falls asleep he deserts her. He believes he can win
the race without an upper class pampered woman tagging along. However, Kathryn shows her
stubborn resiliency by catching up to him and forcing him to take her on the global race. As they
work together, the attraction of a dozen years ago explodes into love even as someone tries to
sabotage their efforts to win. This is an entertaining adventure romance that feels like an Indiana
Jones meets love while on an escapade. The story is fun to follow once the action of the great
race
begins. The lead couple is a delight as James wants to rid him of Kathryn, but her abstinence
refuses
to allow him to succeed although her being physically able to keep the pace seems ludicrous. Still,
historical romance readers will want to join on this around the world novel.
A Gentleman's Honor
Stephanie Lauren
Avon
ISBN: 0060002077 $7.99 464 pp.
In 1816 Alicia Carrington pretends to be a widow escorting her younger sister Adriana Pevency
during her first season. Alicia and Adriana know that the younger sibling needs a good match so
that
their three younger brothers can go to school. Anything less that a marriage to a kind wealthy
man
means disaster for the five Pevency orphans. Lord Ruskin has offered marriage to Alicia who
rejects
him. However, he knows she is a fake having flaunted the Ton with her widow fabrication. He
uses
blackmail to force her into his bed, but someone kills him before he succeeds. Lord Anthony
Blake
of the Bastion Club, men dedicated to finding their own wives without the aristocracy interfering,
notices Alicia with the dead Rusken. He helps her flee the scene, but wonders if she is involved as
he
was investigating the deceased in an effort to uncover those traitors who abetted Napoleon during
the war. As he stays close to Alicia, he wonders if his heart is hiding the truth about her because
she
hides something from him. The second Bastion Club tale is a typical Regency romance though the
chase for the traitors occurs after the war is over. The story line entertains the audience, as
Anthony
knows his beloved has a deep secret she fears will be revealed, but he has a problem seeing her
betraying her country. Though adhering to the conventional sub-genre tale and her own Cynster
novels, Stephanie Lauren's latest novel will provide pleasure to her myriad of readers.
Beloved Highlander
Sarah Bennett
Avon
ISBN: 0060519711 $5.99 384 pp.
In 1728, dying General Mackintosh arranges for his beloved daughter Margaret to marry their
wealthy neighbor Lord Abercauldy. He thought he was doing the right thing to insure Margaret's
future until he learns that Abercauldy killed his first wife. Desperate to keep Margaret safe, but
unable to ride because he is blind, he sends his daughter to bring home Gregor Grant, the son of
the
former owner of the estate. Though Gregor lost his inheritance due to the Jacobite Rebellion, he
also
saved the General's life so Mackintosh believes the lad is honorable. Margaret finds Gregor drunk
and wounded from a duel over a woman. She persuades him through her courageous actions to
come home with her to meet the General although she is disappointed that he does not live up to
her
image of him based on the drawing she found that he did when he was a teen. The General asks
Gregor to marry Margaret to correct his error in judgment. Gregor agrees only if Margaret
agrees.
She reluctantly does and they wed. Though both already love one another neither trusts the
other's
motives. They also must contend with an irate spouse and Abercauldy. This is an exciting
eighteenth
century romance, though the resolution of the conflict with the villain occurs too easily. The story
line moves rapidly forward from the moment Margaret confronts a drunken Gregor until the
climax.
Gregor and Margaret are a wonderful duet whose mistrust is understandable. The support crew
sustains the plot's pace and enables the audience to comprehend what makes the lead duo act as
they
do. The bottom line is that this is a fun tale that readers will enjoy.
Where's My Hero
Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Kinley MacGregor
Avon
ISBN: 0060505249 $7.50 384 pp.
"Against the Odds" by Lisa Kleypas. Though he likes Lord Wray, he also envies him for winning
Lydia because Jake Linley knows she is the prize. When a matchmaker locks the duo in a cellar,
Jake
displays proof that love is the axiom in a relationship, but will his mathematically minded beloved
cherish his theory of the heart? From SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, Jake remains a
delight
and Lydia has three siblings to go. "Midsummer's Knight" by Kinley MacGregor. Simon of
Ravenswood is in love with a highborn beauty, but knows she is above a common knight. He
exchanges letters with Kenna, related to the Scottish King, but signs them as his best friend Lord
Stryder. Kenna loves her letter writing Stryder. When they meet he is shocked to learn of their
engagement, but soon she realizes that Simon is the author that she loves. The loyal, wonderful
Simon knows he is a MASTER OF DESIRE when it comes to Kenna. Is Stryder next? ""A Tale
of
Two Sisters" by Julia Quinn. In three days Ned Blydon will marry Lydia Thornton though he has
doubts perhaps caused by his drowning in a sea of estrogen. The latest female invader is Lydia's
sister Charlotte. Ned falls in love with her and she him. Only a self acclaimed poet offers a way
out,
but Rupert knows not that that he tenders such clout. This is a SPLENDID tale with two
delightful
romances. WHERE'S MY HERO is a gimmick, but readers will value this entertaining anthology
that affirms what we originally felt when each hero first appeared: that they could carry a
book.
Hot and Bothered
Jane Isenberg
Avon
ISBN 0380818884 $6.99 276 pp.
Fully tenured professor Bel Barret is giving a Faculty Development Seminar to new teachers on
how
to cope with their new students. At same time she is organizing the neighborhood block party and
helping Sol, her significant other, cope with post-traumatic stress syndrome after seeing the
World
Trade Towers destroyed. Finally, she along with new neighborhood resident Eunice and two
other
neighbors, decide who is going to be awarded this year's scholarship for a semester at River Edge
Community College in Jersey City. Not too long after the block party, Eunice who moonlights as
a
stripper, is murdered. The police are looking at the nineteen-year-old student who didn't win the
scholarship as a viable suspect. Sol wants Bel to figure out who the real killer is, as does the Dean
of
RECC and she gladly accommodates them because she doesn't want to see her young neighbor go
to
prison. Most of HOT AND BOTHERED takes place in Hoboken, NJ one month after the events
of
Sept 11th and the people of that city can see where the two towers used to be. It affects everyone
in
a deep way but they all feel isolated and fearful. The heroine, who is in the process of major home
repairs, does not want to leave the area and move to a quiet and isolated village as Sol keeps
urging
her to do. The investigation she conducts keeps her mind off her personal worries and involves
her
in something that she loves doing. Jane Isenberg knows how to write an excellent amateur sleuth
novel with so many red herrings that reader will actually be totally shocked when the killer's
identity
is revealed.
The Lady Chosen
Stephanie Laurens
Avon
ISBN: 0060002069 $7.99 464 pp.
In 1815, seven former "government" workers know that the adventure is over while mourning
those
of their comrades who have fallen during the victorious war against Napoleon. The magnificent
seven sneak out of some boring event hosted by the unpopular Prinny and end up meeting at a
tavern where they agree to form the Bastion Club, a kind of private place for retired aristocratic
secret agents. Tristan Wemyss oversees the renovations to 12 Montrose Place that the colleagues
plan to turn into their club. Neighbor Leonore Carling believes that Tristan must be the villain
trying
to force her and her family out of 12 Montrose. He catches her snooping and she realizes he is not
the guilty party. Intrigued by Leonore, he joins her investigation into uncovering the culprit
harassing her and her family. As they share a passionate affair, she rejects his proposal as she only
will marry for love, but doubts he feels like she does. With the Cynsters barred from new romance
novels, Stephanie Laurens begins a new series with the members of the Bastion Club. The lead
couple of the first tale (of seven?) is an exciting duet whose romance and adventure will be
appreciated by Regency readers. Die-hard fans of the Cynster tales will especially feel "Welcome"
as
Tristan could easily have been a Cynster or at least a clone since he shares many of their
traits.
Dream House
Rochelle Krich
Ballantine
ISBN 034544972X $24.95 400 pp.
True crime writer and free lance journalist Molly Blume also writes a weekly column Crime
Sheet.
She gathers police reports of local crimes in the L.A. neighborhoods and reports on them in the
newspaper. She notices a case of vandalism on a street that she knows. When she looks into it she
discovers that the person who was vandalized is a very pro HARP (Historic Archeological
Restoration and Preservation Board). She observes a pattern to the local vandalism cases as the
targets are all Pro-Harp supporters. Tempers between neighbors on opposing sides are turning
ugly.
When a fire breaks out in the house of Professor Linney, the police at first think it was the same
vandal who did property damage to the other pro-Harp homes. The house was for sale and
supposed
to be deserted because the professor was living with his son-in-law. Molly thinks Linney's death is
linked to his daughter's disappearance five months ago and the same person killed them both. She
begins investigating in earnest and comes to the attention of a killer who won't hesitate to commit
another murder. The protagonist of DREAM HOUSE is an Orthodox Jew and her religion is an
integral part of her life enabling readers to learn the practices of this group. Rochelle Krich has
written a very clever and entertaining journalist investigative tale filled with several viable suspects
and a few red herrings tossed in that makes the story line even more exciting. The author
incorporates a very interesting social issue into a fine who-done-it plot.
Trading In Danger
Elizabeth Moon
Ballantine
ISBN 0345447603 $24.95 304 pp.
Ky Vatta wakes up as a senior cadet in the honor squad yet a couple of hours later she is asked to
hand in her resignation because she broke a rule causing major fallout. She returns home and is
given
command of the Glennys Jones, an old FTL ship that is to be sold for scrap after it finishes its
lasting
trading venture. When Ky reaches the planet Belinda, she discovers the government needs
agricultural equipment that another trading ship failed to deliver. She decides to make an
unscheduled stop at Sabine to obtain the equipment and with the profit she makes she hopes to
buy
the Glennys Jones and work for herself. She didn't count on being in the middle of a war or
mercenaries dictating her actions or stopping a mutiny but Ky is determined to surmount all
obstacles or die trying. This is the first installment in a brand new military science fiction series
and it
is absolutely outstanding. The heroine may be untested but she is a survivor and will do what is
necessary to win. Readers will adore her and will want to read other books in this series. Elizabeth
Moon is a talented storyteller who makes the audience believe that she is recording events that
happened.
Balance of Power
Richard North Patterson
Ballantine
ISBN: 0345450175 $27.95 624 pp.
Desperate and frightened Joan Bowden, sister of the First Lady, calls her brother in law, President
Kerry Kilcannon because he once promised to help her. A repeat physical abuse victim, she tells
Kerry that her husband John held a gun to her head, placing not only Joan in danger, but their
six-year-old daughter Marie as well. From his days as a prosecutor Kerry knows first hand the
consequences of battered wife syndrome so he and Lara try to help. Tragedy occurs anyway. In
DC
sides on the gun control issue begin to form for another war. The Sons of the Second Amendment
(SSA) have gun lobbyists with senators spouting apple pie challenge the bloody pulpit of the
President and his congressional supporters, sick of massacres and innocent children dying. The
Congress is bitter and divided by party lines as the debate turns ugly, personal, and acrimonious.
The
third Kilcannon tale (see NO SAFE PLACE and PROTECT AND DEFEND) is a powerful, in
your
face, condemnation of the American political system that abets gun violence. Author Richard
North
Patterson makes no apologies as he denounces a system in which money buys Congressional
votes,
ethics mean nothing, and the second amendment is used as a convenient wrapper though the
political
infighting on the hill seems to simple. Fans on the side of seat belts on guns will appreciate this
strong chiding of the American way while those who oppose any restriction will detest the
novel.
Out of Sight
Cherry Adair
Ballantine
ISBN: 0804120021 $6.99 310 pp.
T-FLAC legend Kane Wright found his doubts about having a trainee on a real anti-terrorism
scenario turn true when sharpshooter A.J. Cooper froze and missed the target. Even worse, she
disobeyed orders to abort as terrorist Raazaq escaped from his Egyptian camp. Due to her
incompetence in the field, one of her teammates was also shot. Kane tells A.J. to accept a desk
job.
A.J. feels guilt and a sense of failure especially in front of her hero Kane, as the quartet retreats
with
bullets flying. Though Kane wants Cooper off his team, his superiors insist she is a key to the
alternate plan of his posing as a photographer and she as a model. Hoping this will lure Raazaq
out
of hiding, the duo switches to Plan C when they learn their target has attained chemical weapons
and
knows how to use them. This is exciting non-stop action romantic thriller with the emphasis on
the
speed of the story line. Readers will have to wink at A.J. remaining on the team after she
disobeyed
an order that led to her comrade's injury on top of freezing during the mission. Still the use of
profanity during a firefight adds a feel of reality to a fast-paced plot starring the latest Wright
brother and a woman whose worship of him turns to love.
Street Hungry
Bill Kent
Dunne
ISBN 0312308472 $24.95 320 pp.
On the streets of South Philly, "Weight" Wisnitz sells fruits and vegetables out of a truck at cut
rate
prices. He's been a fixture in the neighborhoods for years so when he suddenly keels over and
dies,
one of his regular customers thinks enough of him to call obituary writer Shep Ladderbook of the
Philadelphia Press. Shep writes a nice obituary for the colorful man who made an impact so many
lives. A few days later, Ladderback's assistant, Andy Casicki is eating lunch with her mother at the
upscale restaurant Loup-Garou when a famous restaurant critic keels over in the same manner as
Wisnitz. Andy and Ladderback learn that there have been similar deaths in the city, which raises
the
obituary writer's curiosity. He investigates the deaths and learns that they lead back to a free
clinic,
an ambulance company that is always late delivering the bodies, and a generic drug company
ready
to go public. STREET HUNGRY is a fascinating who-done-it with so many interrelated sub-plots
that is takes the full length of the novel to finally understand how they are linked. The protagonist,
a
man who has been on top at the paper game for four decades, is a likable character whose
contacts
developed over forty years allow him to track a story back to its source. Bill Kent looks at the
seamier side of life and turns it into a gritty and dark expose of the human condition.
Pharos
Alice Thompson
Dunne
ISBN 0312318103 $21.95 160 pp.
Twenty-seven miles off the coast of Scotland lies the island that is the home to the Jacob's Rock
Lighthouse. Cameron is the principal keeper of the lighthouse and he has been alone on the island
so
long that he is eagerly awaiting the boat that is bringing his new assistant. When Simon arrives,
the
two men quickly fall into a routine, which is broken when Simon rescues a young woman who has
washed up on the rocks. When the woman regains consciousness, she has no memory of who she
is
or where she came from. The two men feed and clothe her and gradually she comes out of her
apathetic state and takes notice of the world around her. She hears strange noises and constantly
sees a young mulatto girl running around the island. Cameron insists she is imagining things and
he
keeps on telling her that until she is convinced that there is something evil on the island,
something
that Cameron is hiding from himself and her. Readers gradually get the feeling that there is
something not quite right about the people who are living on Jacob's Rock. The shipwrecked
woman
comes to believe that the Principal Keeper does not want her to leave but she doesn't know why.
There is a mystery about him that she intends to solve but there are other forces at work on the
island that intend to have their way and there is nothing the amnesiac can do to stop them. Thus
the
audience receives an exciting gothic-like paranormal thriller that entertains from the moment the
woman arrives on the rock.
The Cemetery Yew
Cynthia Riggs
Dunne
ISBN: 0312321260 $22.95, 208 pp.
The Nortons want to relocate the remains of a cousin from her burial spot under the Martha's
Vineyard cemetery's yew tree to a plot in Milwaukee. However, the gravediggers find no remains
when they inter the dirt at the location. Ninety-two year old Victoria Trumbull comes by just as
the
diggers give up assuming that the exhuming should have been somewhere else that is there ever
was
a corpse. Rumors say otherwise. Not long afterward, those interested in the dead girl soon join
her
in the afterlife as someone begins murdering people. The coffin of the Norton cousin suddenly
vanishes though Victoria had managed to strip a piece from it. Meanwhile Victoria saves retired
foreign service employee Dahlia Atherton, who suffers from cancer, from drinking poisoned tea.
Dahlia provides quite a tale about double cross involving gem smuggling and Victoria sees a link
to
the murders and the missing corpse, but will she live long enough to save the next season. THE
CEMETERY YEW is filled with twists and turns that will keep readers interest as they navigate
Martha's Vineyard led by a nonagenarian guide. However, the myriad of subplots needs leaps of
faith by readers to accept as they meander all over the place with tenuous links. Victoria remains a
creaky yet solid scrappy sleuth with fans savoring her latest senior snooping. Other cozy readers
will
go elsewhere for the late summer.
Avenger
Frederick Forsyth
Dunne
ISBN: 0312319517 $26.95, 384 pp.
Fifty-one year old attorney Pete Dexter practices law on the Jersey-Pennsylvania line and runs
triathlete events relatively successfully. People who know him picture a quiet unassuming friendly
fellow, but Pete has a second job as the AVENGER, a renowned bounty hunter, that he keeps
secret
from his neighbors. Pete maintains a Manhattan apartment as his center of human hunting
operations
in which he answers ads in Vintage Airplane magazine asking for the AVENGER. Billionaire
Canadian mining mogul Steve Edmond hires the Avenger to kill Serbian Zoran Zilic, Milosevich's
sadistic henchman for murdering his grandson. Following the trail from Serbia to South America
just
like he did the Cong in the tunnels of Nam, the Avenger closes in on the kill. However, the CIA
does
not wink this time, as they fear the consequences of this particular murder. To avoid global chaos
Agent Kevin McBride must stop the Avenger anyway he can. THE AVENGER is a typical
Forsyth
tale in which the action-packed plot uses real world events as a backdrop to a non-stop thriller
that
deeply focuses on a specific incident. The story line moves rather quickly forward as Pete begins
his
latest quest of vengeance for his client. Pete is an extraordinary individual who feels his soul is
clean
though he is obviously a paid killer. Kevin commiserates with Pete, but also knows orders and
fears
the outcome of a successful output by the Avenger. A strong tale though no DAY OF THE
JACKAL, fans of the author and anyone who appreciates a taut international thriller will enjoy
THE
AVENGER.
His Immortal Embrace
Hannah Howell, Lynsay Sands, Sara Blayne, and Kate Huntington
Kensington
ISBN: 0758204752 $12.00, 352 pp.
"The Yearning" by Hannah Howell. In Scotland, for over four centuries the males of Clan
MacCordy seek blood for nourishment as they walk the night. By 1435 Alpin MacCordy lives
with
the curse, but also must marry for needed money. However, Lady Sophie Hay fires up a different
thirst, making him wonder if love can conquer the curse. "Bitten" by Lynsay Sands. When her ship
goes down from the storm Emily Wentworth Collins nearly drowns, but Keeran MacKay saves
her
from the sea. The reclusive nightwalker offers her shelter. Though in some ways his castle feels
like
a cage, Emily finds the vampire's kiss quite enticing. "Stranger in the Night" by Sara Blayne.
Though
a male occupation, Georgina Thornberry relishes digs for ancient treasures as the antiquities
fascinate her. While working at a ruin, she meets enigmatic Julius Lathrop. One glance and they
just
about fall in love but will their embrace lead to his moon-darkened world or her sun shining
realm?
"The Awakening" by Kate Huntington. In 1814 Thalia Layton rushes to Lancaster to nurture her
beloved ailing Aunt Cordelia. At her relative's estate she meets Cordelia's strange companion who
introduces Thalia to the dark side of love. These four vampire romance novellas are a treat as
each
contains a strong bite of a plot starring delectable lead male vampires and charming innocent
females. The story lines are cleverly designed so that the audience embraces the four immortals
and
desire replacing the women they cherish.
Best In Show
Laurien Berenson
Kensington
ISBN 1575667835 $22.00 288 pp.
Melanie is leaving her son behind in Connecticut with his father while she and her Aunt Peg travel
to
Maryland to attend the annual Poodle Club of America event. Melanie is going to show her puppy
Eve while her aunt is going to make sure everyone knows their job. Melanie's lover Sam Driver is
also going to be at the dog show and Melanie hopes to have some quality time alone with him.
Aunt
Peg ropes her niece into helping the Boone Sisters, Edith Jean and Betty Jean into selling raffles.
Although the sisters are eleven months apart in age, they look like identical twins. When Melanie
walks Eve in the designated area of the hotel, she hears a scream and when she and others look to
see what happened they find Betty Jean lying dead on the ground. When the police start
investigating, they discover she was murdered but this time Melanie vows not to get involved, a
promise that doesn't last the full week of the conference. There are plenty of suspects who could
have wanted the victim dead but readers won't be able to figure out this complex, multi-layered
who
done it until the author is ready to reveal the identity of the killer. Members of the audience may
have fragments of the solution but Laurien Berenson holds back one shocking, unbelievable fact
that
changes the whole picture and the best part is that the clue is hidden in plain sight. BEST IN
SHOW
is a mystery and dog lover's delight.
Death at the Spring Plant Sale
Ann Ripley
Kensington
ISBN 1575667797 $22.00 320 pp.
Always on the lookout for a good idea for her PBS television show Gardening with Nature,
Louise
Eldridge agrees to tape the spring plant and flowers sale of the Bethesda Garden Club. When she
arrives to set up taping, two women of the club complain about the club chairman Catherine
Freeman, who always wins first place and hurts their business. Catherine is an arrogant
overpowering juggernaut and Walter Freeman, head of the President's Special Task Force on
Monetary Reform is her long-suffering husband. After the taping, Louise plans to spend a few
days
with the club's vice-president Emily. While the two women are walking the dog at night, shots
ring
out and the women rush to the Freeman residence. Walter is in his car covered in brain matter
after
Catherine was shot in the head. The police believe that the killer was after the radical economist
but
Louise thinks Catherine was the intended victim and sets out to prove it. The protagonist of
DEATH AT THE SPRING PLANT SALE is a levelheaded intelligent woman except that she
always seems to find herself in the middle of a murder investigation. This one is especially nasty
because Catherine had many enemies who had the means, motive and opportunity to kill her if she
was indeed the intended victim. The heroine once again almost gets herself killed in her quest for
justice and readers will hope she makes it through this dangerous time. This light-hearted and
entertaining amateur sleuth mystery is one fans of the sub-genre will enjoy.
A Merry Little Murder
Shelley Freydont
Kensington
ISBN 0758201265 $22.00 288 pp.
The Jeremy Ash Dance Company is going to perform at the International Stars Ballroom
Competition at the Grand Pavilion Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Lindy Graham Haggerty
tries
to get into the spirit of the occasion but she can't because her husband told her he is not coming
home to her, but stops short at asking for a divorce. Lindy's wannabe lover Bill is meeting her at
the
hotel but by the time he arrives, she is standing over the murdered body of a ballroom dancer who
had a great shot at winning the contest. The victim, Shane Corbett, was about to leave his dancing
partner and lover Katya for her rival. The police are searching for Katya who disappeared at about
the same time because they know she found out Shane was dumping her. Lindy becomes involved
in
this melodrama because Katya's teacher is friendly with Rose the Jeremy Ash Wardrobe mistress.
Rose wants Lindy to find out who really killed Shane. Dispute Bill's objections, she agrees and
almost has the curtain rung on a near final performance. Readers hearts will go out to the
beleaguered heroine as she works to find the killer, struggles to understand her husband's actions
and wonders whether to do what her heart dictates her to do with Bill. A MERRY LITTLE
MURDER is a whimsically charming amateur sleuth mystery filled with falls trails and red
herrings.
Intent To Harm
Jonnie Jacobs
Kensington
ISBN 1575668297 $22.00, 304 pp.
San Francisco attorney Kali O'Brien goes the extra mile for a woman she only knows as Betty
when
she agrees to meet her in a deserted park near Lake Tahoe. Betty was very insistent on client
confidentiality and privilege, making sure that Kali was paid with an anonymous money order so
that
privilege would cover their first meeting. When Kali and Betty finally meet, they only have time to
exchange pleasantries before shots ring out. When Kali wakes up in the hospital, she learns that
Betty is dead. The police identify the victim as Betty Arnold, the niece of Faith Foster, a high
school
teacher who disappeared eight years ago and is presumed dead. Unable to let matters rest, Kali
does
some sleuthing and discovers that Betty had found proof Faith is alive but is living under an
assumed
name. She knows that people are trying to find her and once again goes on the run, hoping to
shake
the determined killer on her trail. Kali is determined to learn why Faith is on the run and bring her
out of the cold. Jonnie Jacobs raises the bar on crime thrillers with her latest work INTENT TO
HARM. The heroine is what every lawyer should be, a person who takes care of her client even
when that individual is no longer alive. This is an action-packed thrill-a-minute novel that doesn't
shortchange the audience on character development. Told from the perspective of the killer, the
protagonist and the victim, readers know at all times what is going on in the minds of the main
characters leading to a fine time for the audience.
The Heart Too Long Suppressed: A Chronicle of Mental Illness
Carol Hebald
Northeastern University Press
ISBN: 1555534821 $24.95 244 pp.
As a child, Ms. Hebald had no allies once her father died, but even he, on his deathbed, "abused"
her
when she was five. Others from her mom to her baby-sitter to her lovers to her doctors made her
feel that life is miserable. For instance, as a teen a psychiatrist acclaimed she was a sure shot
suicide.
A series of hospitals and a bunch of losers with psychiatrist degree provided Ms. Hebald little
solace,
plenty of unhelpful advice and turned her stomach into a chemical processing plant. Finally at
forty-four, she decided it was time to recycle her life starting with dumping her drug paraphernalia
into the ocean. Readers should understand this is not an easy memoir to follow as Carol Hebald
goes
deep inside her brain to her soul to explain four decades of mental illness highlighted by several
suicide attempts. The author is all over the place with the influences in her life turning her autobio
somewhat into a NYC rush hour train. Though it is difficult to follow her narrative, the audience
will
find it worth the time for anyone dealing with mental illness or a family member because overall
this
is a powerful condemnation warning for the buyer to beware.
Anyone Who Has a Heart
Jacqueline Powell
Warner
ISBN: 044653174X $23.95 336 pp.
Single mom Theresa still suffers nightmares and needs alcohol to help her sleep though several
years
have passed since her lover Don died fighting a fire. Don never knew he sired a boy. Theresa
realizes
she must move on with her life, but drifts as she has no idea where she wants to go Her first lover
since Don's death Vince wants Theresa to clean up her act, but has identity problems of his own.
He
wants to be the great lover, but is not sure with which sex though he hides his male trysts behind
heterosexual prowess. Zenobia, Theresa's friend is also a single mom having divorced her abusive
former husband Mike, but shares joint custody of their daughter Payce and their business.
However,
she wants all ties ended with Mike starting with sole ownership of the business, the most in-club
in
St. Louis. Still she knows if she makes her bid, the risk is great that she can lose all inlcuding her
beloved Payce. Jacqueline Powell provides readers with a strong look at the African-American
middle class professional community through the rotating narration of three delightful characters.
Each one faces a crossroad of decisions that will impact friends and family, but especially
themselves
for the rest of their lives. This strong character study will entertain the audience as it reaches
inside
to the essence of the trio. Regardless of gender or race, ANYONE WHO HAS A HEART that
has
not read Jacqueline Powell is missing out on one of the deepest character-driven authors on the
market today.
The Elder Gods
David & Leigh Eddings
Warner
ISBN: 0446532215 $25.95
Four Gods commanding a specific directional point each control the Land of Dhrall and its
people.
Brothers dominate north and south while sisters rule east and west. However, in the center where
the compass converges lies That-Called-The-Vlagh, a creature not under godly power with
ambitions to conquer the land. The deity quartet raise children to become dreamers to fulfill the
prophecy that claims one who would defeat That-Called-The-Vlagh will come. As the latest cycle
comes to a close, only the Dreamers can save the day, but meanwhile as the Gods wait for the
right
time the foursome raises a human army to combat That-Called-The-Vlagh and his horde. The
opening book of the four-novel set The Dreamers sets the stage for what could prove to be a
strong
series centering on the recycling of life and death. However, THE ELDER GODS spends so
much
time setting the table, no one dines. Instead the wide cast especially the Gods pontificate with
soliloquies. Still the potential for a powerhouse has been placed in motion so that it appears the
action will step forward and readers will end up with a feast. Please do as I say, not as I do or
feel,
by being patient.
Reiver's Bride
Amanda Scott
Warner
ISBN: 0446612677 $5.99 400 pp.
In 1541 Scotland, the dying Border's Earl confesses to his daughter, Lady Anne Ellison, that he
failed her by not insuring she had the protection of a husband. He tells her that since she will be
wealthy in two years when she is twenty-one, she needs to stay low so she should live with Aunt
Olivia at Mute Hill House. After being falsely accused of two homicides, but not convicted, the
sheriff sent Kit Chisolm to the prison ship Marion Ogilvy. After fifteen months of living in hell he
has
finally escaped. During his six years away from the Highlands, his father died so he is the Earl, but
soon learns that his uncle declared him dead and claims the estate. When Kit meets Anne, he is
surprised to find he is attracted to the feisty woman. However, she may reciprocate, but feels
loyalty
to her cousin who is his intended bride. With the help of the Secret Clan, Kit and Anne may find a
path to happiness, but both has enemies with plans that will leave one dead and the other living
dead.
Amanda Scott's latest Secret Clan tale is an exciting historical romance with a touch of Scottish
magic that enhances the engaging plot. The story line is fun to follow though in many ways the
characters contain traits that are similar to previous books in the series. Still when the mischievous
imps matchmake or perhaps interfere with human hearts, chaos occurs and readers have a good
time.
Street Dreams
Faye Kellerman
Warner
ISBN: 0446531316 $25.95 420 pp.
While on duty, LAPD Police Officer Cindy Decker finds an abandoned infant in a dumpster. The
SOP is clear on this scenario: detectives take over seeking the mother. However, Cindy, who is a
good cop though only a couple of years on the force, has one fault as far as the brass is
concerned.
She refuses to pass on a case. Cindy makes inquiries seeking the missing mother, as she believes
the
individual is a rape victim, but no one else jumps to that conclusion. However, when the case
takes a
dangerous twist, Cindy turns to the one member of the brass she trusts, her father LAPD
Lieutenant
Peter Decker. Fans of the series will appreciate the latest entry that provides a police procedural
with the protagonist being an orthodox Jew trying to belong yet not be assimilated in modern
America. The investigation uses too much coincidence to move it forward though readers will
enjoy
following Cindy's actions and perseverance. The religious angle, as in previous tales especially
starring her mom Rina Lazarus, always grips the audience and this time with the daughter,
remains
intriguing. Faye Kellerman's readers will delight in STREET DREAMS because the heroine is a
chip
off of two popular blocks.
That Summer
Joan Wolf
Warner
ISBN: 0446610445 $5.99 368 pp.
Maryland veterinarian Anne Foster returns home for the funeral of her beloved father in Midville,
Virginia. Everybody who knew Pete loved Pete, which just adds to Anne's warm feelings about
her
dad. She worries how her mother will adapt to the loss of her long time mate so Anne is on a
leave
of absence for one month to help with the adjustment. When Anne sees Liam Wellington of
Wellington Farms horse racing family, she realizes that she still loves him, but he still considers
her
his "little Sister". Anne reflects back one decade to the incident that ended everyone's youth: the
vanishing and probable murder of Leslie Bartholomew whose body was never found. She
wonders
who killed the girl. Was it her beloved, his cousin, or their friend? Liam soon realizes that he loves
Anne too, not as his sister, but as someone he wants as his wife even while the truth slowly
surfaces
that point towards him as the culprit who murdered Leslie. Though the who-done-it takes a back
seat for much of the novel, readers will appreciate this warm contemporary romantic suspense due
to an engaging cast. Anne is a delightful lead female protagonist who struggles with conflicting
feelings about her beloved, as she wants to believe he could not have committed homicide, yet the
evidence makes him the likely suspect. The rest of the secondary characters augment Anne's
question of who is the killer, but like the heroine they will have to wait until Joan Wolf reveals the
killer's identity.
Popped
Carol Higgins Clark
Scribner
ISBN 0743249372 $23.00 266 pp.
The owner of Hot Air Cable Roscoe Parker has two television shows competing against each
other
for a slot on his network. Bubbles Ferndale is producing and starring in a sitcom she hopes to get
on
the air while her competition Danny Madley is trying to get his reality show on Rosco's network.
Danny has three married couples competing to see which one should renew their vows in a hot air
balloon and cash in a million-dollar check. When malicious pranks start happening on the set,
Danny
is worried enough to call his friend private investigator Regan Reilly to learn who is sabotaging
the
show. Many, but not all the tricks, can be attributed to Roscoe who loves stirring the pot.
However,
someone outside of his control is trying to hurt the contestants and he wants to discover the
culprit.
Between escalating pranks, each team trying to outwit the other, and team members trying to
outsmart the competition, Regan has a hard time keeping everyone alive. The judges of the reality
show Uncle Heartburn and Aunt Agony are just two of the funny, quirky and eccentric characters
that populate the pages of POPPED. This is a delightful screwball farce that will have the
audience
in stitches of laughter. Nobody gets killed and no blood is shed so fans that don't like violence in
their mystery novels will want to read Carol Higgins Clark's lighthearted satirical cozy.
Blind to the Bones
Stephen Booth
Scribner
ISBN: 074323796X $25.00 432 pp.
Two years ago, Birmingham student Emma Renshaw went to catch the train to visit her parents in
Withens. However, somewhere en route she disappeared without a clue as to what happened to
her.
Though most people assume she is dead, her frenzied parents fervently believe she is alive and will
come home soon. They live life as if Emma is attending school, keeping her room the way she left
it
and buy her holiday gifts, and maintain her car. However, murder occurs on the Dark Peak moors
near Withens leading to Detective Diane Fry wanting to reopen the cold case of Emma.
Meanwhile
Diane's peer, Detective Ben Cooper investigates the apparent murder of Neil Oxley, a roommate
of
Emma's who is also from Withens. The two cases seem to connect, but both detectives struggle
with
dysfunctional families as the Renshaws refuse to accept their daughter is most likely dead and the
Oxleys reject talking to authorities preferring to hide their secrets inside their clandestine clan.
This
is an exhilarating believable English police procedural that should provide Stephen Booth with a
host
of new fans. The story line is fun to follow as the two cops struggle independently with
non-cooperating people before their inquiries converge. Following the link, they run into even
more
disagreeable souls. Readers will take great pleasure in the latest Fry-Cooper novel and search for
previous books starring these powerful detectives (see BLOOD ON THE TONGUE).
Ozark Dawn
Bonnie Drury
Amber Quill
ISBN: 1592791395 $TBA
In Sunrise, Arkansas, Dr. Will Bradley sees the woman he has loved since college, Jolene Spencer
for the first time in five years. She left for the coast after telling him she does not love him. In
California, Jolene has become a reporter for the Sacramento beacon and does TV too. Jolene fled
to
because her mother refused to believe that her abusive stepfather made overtures and told her he
will
have her one day. She has returned because her beloved grandfather said her teenage sister and
mother needed her. Jolene and Will realize they still love one another, but she refuses to hang
around once she helps her family as she has not forgiven her mom. Making his second attempt to
keep Jolene by his side forever even more complex is his past returns with a little one that is
probably his. Fans of second chance at love tales starring the same two protagonists will want to
read the warm OZARK DAWN. The story line contains serious undertones centering on the
long-term impact of abuse, but also provides a delightful tale of love. Bonnie Drury engages her
audience with a fine tale of two people who respect and love one another, but must overcome the
past, especially the haunting reminders of her stepfather that Jolene sees in Sunrise.
Eyes of Betrayal
Patricia A. Rasey
Amber Quill
ISBN: 1592799582 $16.00 230 pp.
Marcus "Snake" Gallego accompanied by Egan "Villain" Tate and Ginny Summers returns to
Henry
County, Ohio to try to keep the woman safe from her biker friends. If the California based Lord's
Chief Randy Craig learns where Ginny is he will kill her and probably former member Villain too
as
no one quits the gang. Someone kills Ginny in the same manner, tied to a bedpost, in which
Snake's
wife was murdered two years ago. Homicide detective LeAnne McVeigh investigates the murder
that brings her former lover Marcus back into her life. Though she loves Marcus, LeAnne is angry
with him for deserting her without a look back. Serving as temporary coroner, Doctor Whitney
Montgomery also works the case, but finds an attraction with the aptly named Villain. While
LeAnne and Whitney wonder if the one each of them loves is the killer, the Lords are coming to
town. Randy does not mind running over the innocent if it enables him to get to Egan, who knows
that his beloved doctor is such a target. EYES OF BETRAYAL, the sequel to the taut KISS OF
DECEIT, returns two strong characters from the first novel. The story line starts at a dark rapid
speed and never slows down until the climax. Readers will wonder who killed Snake's wife and
Ginny, whether the biker gang will murder townsfolk including the two women, and will either or
both couples stay together if they survive. Fans of terse thrillers will want to read this one, the
previous one, and what one phone call from the grave sets up the next Patricia Rasey's
chiller.
Lost Boy Lost Girl
Peter Straub
Random House
ISBN 1400060923 $24.95, 281 pp.
Phillip Underhill doesn't have a clue what is going on in his own home. His wife Nancy, usually a
cheerful person, is getting more withdrawn by the day and the only one who notices it is their son
Mark. Phillip doesn't realize that she is remembering a time when her cousin by marriage asked for
help for her and her daughter and she refused to give it. When Mark isn't worrying about his
mother,
he is obsessing about the house on 3323 North Michigan Street. His mother warns him to stay
away
from the house but neglects to tell him that once was owned by her cousin, a notorious serial
killer.
When Mark breaks into the house she senses it and commits suicide. Mark explores the house
finding secret rooms, tunnels and staircases. He also senses the presence of someone in the house
and tells his best friend before he disappears. The police think he's the victim of a serial killer but
Mark's uncle Tim believes that he met with a different fate. From the very beginning LOST BOY
LOST GIRL has an eerie gothic atmosphere and as the plot moves forward the tale becomes even
spookier. There are two parallel sub-plots involving a serial killer and a ghost that never intersect,
leaving readers to ponder Mark's fate throughout the novel. Timothy Underhill, who also
appeared
in KOKO AND THE THROAT, plays a vital role in this horror thriller. He is the one who puts
together Mark's actions during his last days and comes to a conclusion that is emotionally
satisfying
his belief system. Peter Straub continues to write great horror novels that engage his myriad of
fans.
Black Water
T.J. MacGregor
Pinnacle
ISBN 0786015578 $6.99 416 pp.
Little Horse Key is an uninhabited island in the Gulf of Mexico where psychic Mira Morales and
her
thirteen-year-old daughter like to picnic. One day a man in a cast lands on the island, claiming his
boat is broken. When Mira goes to help him, he knocks her out and takes Annie into a strange
black
mist in the ocean where anything electrical or magnetic doesn't work. When they emerge from
that
mist Anne and her captor Patrick Wheaton are in the year 1968. Patrick has taken other children
into
the past through the corridor but only Rusty has survived. When Mira regains consciousness, she
follows them through her psychic lines with her daughter, into the past. She is determined to find
them and Mira and Annie separately leaves clues in the past. Annie's FBI lover in the present
comes
to realize what happened. The FBI agent and Mira are both trying to find their way to Annie,
knowing that a dangerous sociopath stands between her and her loved ones. BLACK WATER is
an
exciting time travel thriller that is filled with plenty of action and adventure. Everything the
kidnapper does is because he wants to change one crucial event in 1968 and he is taking the
children
as a practice run to give his mission a better chance of success. T.J. MacGregor has written a taut
pulse pounding work of suspense.
Welcome to Higby
Mark Dunn
Touchstone
ISBN: 0743249887 $14.00
The Labor Day weekend of 1993 finds the residents of Higby, Mississippi seeking happiness
though
everyone looks for this mythos differently. Teenage Clint and his minister father have not
recovered
from the death of Clint's mom nor do they share their feelings of doubt and struggles with
struggles
with their beliefs. That changes when Clint falls from a water tower luckily into a swimming pool
and dad meets the massage parlor owner. Carmen Valentine trips over a crack but does not break
her mother's back. Instead she badly peeled her face's epidermis. She follows up this scrape by
plowing into the pickup of Euless, who had stopped to help an Alzheimer's victim. Euless and
Marci,
the girlfriend of his roommate Stewie, shared intimacy. However, Marci has since found Jesus,
but
not in Euless' bedroom. Euless worries that there is something wrong with him when he feels the
hots for Carmen. Meanwhile Stewie and Marci reconcile passionately while alas a cult kidnaps
poor
Talitha. Labor Day in Hixby is like any other day in a town where bedlam is the norm even for
those
who try to strictly adhere to the Word. WELCOME TO HIXBY is a tremendously amusing look
at
the Southern lifestyle through a series of interrelated stories. The book is not an anthology as
incidents in one-segment impact events in another. Fans will enjoy the antics of the eccentric while
praying this does not happen to me. The use of biblical quotes are not chapter gimmicks but
instead
add to the overall flow that makes this book feel like a novel whose theme is enjoy life by finding
God in your own way.
The Thirteenth Skull
Bonnie Ramthun
Loveland Press
ISBN 0966269675 $14.95 360 pp.
Homicide detective Eileen Reed of the Colorado Springs, Colorado police department is famous
because she caught the UFO murderer and child Killer Teddy Shaw. She also found the murderer
at
the Schriever Air Force base, which houses a top secret missile defense development center. It
was
there that she met her fiance Joe Tanner, an expert at simulated war games. Their wedding is only
four months away. Joe is on his way to the Reed Ranch in Wyoming while Eileen makes final
preparations for the big event. Before he can get there, someone tries to kill him and he doesn't
have
any idea why. When he finally makes it to the ranch, Eileen is trying to find out who killed the
archeologist working on a site discovered on their property. The killer is not very far behind Joe
and
is determined to murder him just as he as killed many scientists working on missile defense in the
past. This time the predator has underestimated his target because Joe is determined to survive
and
he has many loved ones and friends who are willing to help him including a CIA Agent and an
ex-Mafioso. Bonnie Ramthun has written another exciting crime thriller in her Eileen Reed
mystery
series. THE THIRTEENTH SKULL is action-packed with several chase and escape or die
scenes.
The characters are well developed and several deserve their own story because they seem so
fascinating. This compelling and enthralling novel is a roller coaster ride of thrills and chills.
The Awakening
Shannon Drake
Zebra
ISBN: 0821772287 $6.99
Megan and Finn Douglas perform their musical act in Salem, Massachusetts hotel during
Halloween
week. Instead of a warm return home for Megan, who once lived here, nightmares plague her.
She
dreams that Finn is evil and wants to harm her. Sex after they fall asleep turns very rough and
frightens Megan. At the same time, Megan hears tales about the history of Salem besides the
highly
publicized historical witch-hunt. She learns that at one time Satanists attempted several times to
bring forth the demon Bac-Dal. Several people including her cousin warns her that Finn is evil.
Finn
worries about his wife and the strange occurrences including a weird fog that engulfs them. He
calls
an acquaintance from New Orleans, Lucian, who arrives faster than a human could, comes to
help.
Lucien and his friends struggle to keep Megan and Finn safe, but against what and who are
unknown. Though ALL HOLLOW'S EVE takes time to set the cast and location, once the
troubles
begin, this becomes an engaging paranormal romance. The exciting tale keeps readers wondering
until the final confrontation who the identity of the bad guys are. Finn and Megan are delightful
protagonists and the secondary players bring life to Salem or are a well -developed part of
Lucien's
pack. Shannon Drake continues to display that she is one of the best authors at providing an
exhilarating paranormal romantic thriller.
Men in Kilts
Katie MacAlister
Onyx
ISBN: 0451411137 $6.99 320 pp.
Flying in from Seattle to London and then training to Manchester, mystery author Kathie Williams
is
the only American invited to participate in Murder in Manchester. Jet lag and tiredness leaves her
asleep in the lobby drooling on her outfit. At the convention she meets Scottish sheep rancher Iain
MacLaren, whose two adult sons, knowing he loves mystery novels, paid his admission. Iain and
Kathie are attracted to one another from the start and quickly make love. He invites her to
Scotland
and she accepts. His oldest son is hostile to her while his youngest son welcomes her. As they fall
in
love, someone poisons his sheep leading Kathie to employ all she learned from research for her
novels to determine who would do this to Iain. Fans of contemporary romance with a love at first
sight theme will enjoy this delightful charmer. The story line is fun and the lead female quite
amusing
with her wit and asides. Iain is a hunk who finds his beloved amusing and to his credit takes no
gruff
towards her from his son or his neighbor. Though a bit of suspense is unnecessary to a strong love
story, readers will appreciate MEN IN KILTS not just as a good read, but for the respect Iain
bestows on Kathie.
Atomic Renaissance: Women Mystery Writers of the 1940s and 1950s
Jeffrey Marks
Delphi
ISBN: 0966339770 $21.95
This biographical anthology provides insight into seven female authors who wrote mysteries and
thrillers in the 1940s and 1950s. The twenty plus pages per author introduces new readers to what
were once popular writers. Some of the works were turned into successful films so though the
author may not be associated with a movie, the book is. Fans of the genre's "atomic age" roots
will
appreciate insight into this magnificent seven though most will wish Jeffrey Marks gave each one
their own book as the twenty plus dissertation seems too small. Still, it is worth the time to "see"
Margaret Millar, Leslie Ford, Phoebe Atwood Taylor, Dorothy B. Hughes, Charlotte Armstrong,
Patricia Highsmith, and Mignon G. Eberhart because the bookology will surprise readers who
appreciate the era.
Full Moon Inheritance
Jacqueline Elliott
Treble Heart
ISBN: 193174257X $12.95 201 pp.
In San Antonio, Jovan, though used to death of loved ones after centuries as a vampire, holds the
hand of his servant and best friend, Albert, as the man passes away. Jovan knows he must honor
the
pact he made a few hundred years ago with the Novazcek clan by finding Albert's descendent to
replace him. Cherise Novack believes her life has hit bottom as she is now unemployed and her
mother stole her jewelry. She wonders what to do next and where to turn with being homeless
seemingly next. Jovan is stunned that a female is next in line, but does the right thing sending his
attorney Victor (a lost soul the vampire redeemed) to inform her she inherited a fortune including
a
castle. However, the stipulation in the will is that she must live with Jovan, a hunk insisting he is a
vampire, who recognizes the soul of his deceased wife Belle struggling to take control from
Cherise.
As they fall in love, she wonders if he loves Cherise or Belle. Fans of deep vampire romances with
strong charcaters and fully developed complex dilemmas of the heart and soul will appreciate
Jacqueline Elliot's FULL MOON INHERITANCE. The story line is loaded with action from the
moment Jovan threatens a nasty family abuser until the final confrontation between a surprising
yet
obvious (hindsight is always accurate) opponent and the lead couple. The support characters
enhance the insight into the protagonists whether they appear throughout the plot as Victor does
or
for a moment like Albert. Though Jovan's morality seems too perfect, sub-genre fans will value
this
terrific tale.
Moody In Winter
Steve Oliver
Dark City
ISBN 0964413841 $23.95 242 pp.
Paranoid schizophrenic Scott Moody was institutionalized after he lost touch with reality and had
conversations with dead people. After two years he was deemed stable enough to be
mainstreamed
back in society. He worked briefly as a private eye until his client's uncle kidnaps and drugs him
and
puts him in a rest home. After that incident Scott leaves Spokane and moves to Seattle where he
drives a cab and sees his daughter when his ex-wife allows it. The first two fender benders Scott is
involved in he chalks up to bad luck coincidence, but the third one puts him in the hospital where
he
has a mental relapse. When he gets out, he refuses to drive the cab anymore. The replacement
driver
who drove Scott's usual cab was killed in an accident. Although Scott is definitely paranoid, he
believes that somebody or a group of people is responsible for certain traffic accidents. He intends
to
find out who they are or die trying. The question of the protagonist's sanity is paramount to the
central theme. Are the car accidents he is involved in random chance or a concerted effort by a
group of people whose goals are unknown? It would be too easy to chalk the events up to the
anti-hero's mental illness especially when other people he knows are also victims. Steve Oliver, a
former mental patient himself, has created a character who is fascinating, vulnerable and likable,
one
that the audience roots for every step of the way.
Anja the Liar
Thomas Moran
Riverhead
ISBN: 1573222607 $25.95
In 1945 Anja Wienewska stands inside the fence that contains those refuges from the war with no
papers. Former Wehrmact Captain Walter Fass sees her and begins talking to her in Polish, as he
believes she is from Poland. Anja ignores him until he speaks in German; she insists she is German
and not Polish. Anja is from Krakow, Poland where she betrayed her people to the German
occupiers. Under Nazi control, she learned how to lie. Walter has dark secrets too from his time
in
Yugoslavia. Needing to atone and appease his conscience and help Anna, he marries her. They
travel
to his farm where she gives birth to their child as they share a camaraderie. However, as their past
surfaces with the appearance of Walter's war comrade, their fragile relationship seems to go kaput
as
the war taught both to distrust everyone. ANJA THE LAIR is a deep look at the cost of a war on
individuals trying to survive during the fighting and its aftermath. The story line is incredibly
insightful as Thomas Moran paints a gloomy Europe still reeling from the devastation of WW II.
Walter and Anja answer the Edwin Starr question of "War, what is good for?" as both have paid
with their souls to endure the fight and remain compensating the piper as neither can trust anyone
nor give their love to anybody including their spouse. This is a strong late 1940s drama that rips
asunder the other psychological costs of war.
Last Lessons of Summer
Margaret Maron
Mysterious
ISBN: 0892967803 $23.95, 320 pp.
Manhattan based Pink and Blue and Max Enterprises executive Amy Steadman returns to her
North
Carolina home following the murder of her grandmother, Frances Barbour. Amy inherits a fortune
with the death of her maternal relative. She and her half-sister Beth clean out Frances's summer
home, a place where her mother committed suicide when Amy was three. Amy struggles with her
two immediate female ancestors dying violent deaths. She needs to know who killed her granny
and
what circumstances led her mother to kill herself. She begins asking questions of her gentle
visiting
kin (use the family tree page to keep track). Soon one of these kind relatives poisons a cousin and
tries to do likewise to Amy. Who amongst her amiable family is a murderer? LAST LESSONS
OF
SUMMER is a tremendous regional who done it that will provide much pleasure to sub-genre
fans.
The story line is brilliantly executed providing readers with a host of suspects, plenty of red
herrings
(and preserves) and a powerful climax. The dialect takes some getting used to for those not from
the
Piedmont, but worth the time as Margaret Maron writes a powerhouse of a tale that will provide
the
author with numerous award nominations.
Maisie Dobbs
Jacqueline Winspear
Soho
ISBN: 1569473307 $24.00 294 pp.
At thirteen Maisie Dobbs was employed as a maid to suffragette Lady Rowan Compton. The
aristocrat found her new employee to be intelligent and mentors the lass. During the war to end all
wars, Maisie served as a nurse on an all-female ambulance corps in France. By 1929, Maisie
opens
up a private investigative firm. A client hires Maisie in what looks like a simple philandering
spouse
case, but instead the adulterer is the deceased, Vincent Weathershaw, residing in a graveyard.
Maisie's investigation of Weathershaw takes her to the Retreat, a place where soldiers still
suffering
from war related traumas go to recuperate. Maisie continues her inquiries and even sends an
employee inside the Retreat, but she begins to panic fretting over whether one can leave the
Retreat
once you're a guest? Readers will enjoy MAISIE DOBBS as a solid early twentieth century
mystery,
but also feel disappointment because the novel could have been a juggernaut of a historical tale.
The
story line occurs in 1929 with Maisie the sleuth, but uses flashbacks to her mentoring education
and
a snail mail "love affair" with a soldier in 1917 who vanishes. The case is fine due to a strong cast
especially the title character and will give much pleasure to the audience.
Best Defense
Todd A. Stone
Novel
ISBN: 1591051266 $15.95
US Army Major Valerie Macintyre badly wants a command leadership assignment, but keeps
being
passed over for one. When the latest list omits her, she storms into the office of her superior
General
Ambrose demanding an explanation. He tells her to relax she will have her opportunity rather
soon.
Val's lover, Colonel Wolfe, has quietly returned stateside after spending time tracking down the
former Soviet nuclear arsenal. He explains to Ambrose that the key locale Infernesk Technical
Center is poorly managed by American Major McRyen and needs a replacement immediately and
better physical security. Ambrose knows the Army is already overextended, but still assigns his
aides
Val and LTC Jimmy Grimes to take charge. However, her first leadership assignment is a
cesspool
as morale is low. Soon Val will get what she asked for while truly being tested when a renegade
cadre of super Russian soldiers assaults Infernesk with plans to control and use the nuclear
arsenal.
Val, a veteran first sergeant and a bunch of misfits and rookies are all that stand in the way. This
is a
strong military thriller that will provide much enjoyment to readers. However, what makes BEST
DEFENSE stand above the pack is the insight into the American army as an organization and
culture
interwoven so as to enhance the plot and that the Russians are not all pathetic vile cretins. Fans of
military dramas will appreciate the emphasis on the seven values of loyalty, duty, selfless service,
honor, integrity, and personal courage that symbolizes the heroes of Todd A. Stone's strong
tale.
The Greek Villa
Judith Gould
NAL
ISBN: 0451210476 $23.95 352 pp.
Tom Sullivan is a David willing to battle Goliath. He also raised his daughter, wannabe writer
Tracey, a TV gopher, by himself. Tracey respects and loves her dad believing he is a great role
model. Perhaps her only complaint is his refusal to discuss her mother with her. On a particular
active news day, Tracey is assigned to report on a car accident that looked like vehicular suicide.
Ironically, the victim turns out to be her father. Tracey looks at Tom's papers until she comes
across
evidence that implies she is the daughter of film legend Urania Vickers. She even shares a literary
agent with Urania, Mark Varney. When he offers Tracey a chance to ghostwrite Urania's novel,
the
American accepts and travels to the Greek Island of Santorini. Tracey hopes to find love on the
island, but when she does it is not with the person she expected. THE GREEK VILLA is an
engaging contemporary romance that has a touch of mystery as to whether Urania is Tracey's
biological mother (read the book). Tracey and Mark make a charming couple as they fall in love
on
this Greek paradise. However, the tale belongs to Urania, whose on display public ego would
allow
her to run for Governor of California without leaving her isle home though inside she worries
about
the cash needed to maintain certain lifestyles.
Murder She Wrote: Destruction Murder
Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
NAL
ISBN 0451210484 $19.95 288 pp.
Cabot Cove, Maine murder mystery writer Jessica Fletcher agrees to accompany her friend
Reggie
Weems, a train hobbyist, to the Track and Rail Club's annual meeting in Vancouver. Members of
the
group are going on a three day journey on the Whistler Northwind train run by B.C. Rails. The
chairman of the club is Alvin Blevin, a high-power Vancouver lawyer who is very unpopular with
certain members of the group. On the first day of the train ride, Alvin goes into convulsions and
dies.
Jessica is certain that he was murdered and she doesn't hesitate to tell RCMP Detective Christain
Marshal that she believes he was the victim of strychnine poisoning. When a toxicology report
proves her right, the detective asks Jessica to determine which passengers had the best motive for
wanting him dead. The problem with that task is that almost everyone had a motive, which makes
ferreting out the real killer next to impossible. Most mystery novels have more than one suspect
but
in MURDER SHE WROTE: DESTINATION MURDER, the count is more than the fingers on
two
hands. All the suspects have very credible motives which is why the RCMP detective enlisted the
help of the amateur sleuth who has had a successful track record in finding killers on previous
cases.
Amateur sleuth lovers, especially series fans, will definitely enjoy this exciting who done it.
Morevi: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana
Lisa Lee & Tee Morris Dragon
Moon Press
ISBN: 1896944078 $23.95 361 pp.
During the reign of King Henry VIII, Rafe becomes head of the pirate ship following the deaths of
the previous captain and first mate during a battle with the Spanish. He leads the crew of the aptly
named Defiant to safety when they traverse through the dangerous Rift that takes them to
Naruihm.
However, that haven is short lived as Rafe realizes this is no longer the Atlantic. The threat is real
and even her most trusted advisors are suspect as Queen Askana of Morevi struggles to regain the
throne of the land locked country. Desperate for someone to trust and help her, Askana hires the
outworlder Rafe as a mercenary to unmask the female noble spies working for her enemies. As
Rafe
and Askana skirmish with her dangerous foes, they also begin to fall in love with one another.
However, a permanent relationship is doubtful for if they lose to her opponents they die and if
they
win she is a queen and he is a pirate. MOREVI: THE CHRONICLES OF RAFE AND ASKANA
is
a strong historical fantasy that connects the world of the last decade of the fifteen-century with
that
of another orb. The lead characters are heroic and seem real and the support cast augments the
action. However, the key to the powerful story line is that Morevi and its neighboring nations
seem
genuine as history and culture are cleverly interwoven into the plot. Fans of sword and sorcery
novels will gain plenty of pleasure from this fine work.
Mortal Engines
Philip Reeve
Eos
ISBN: 0060082070 $16.99 320 pp.
The Sixty Minute War ended western civilization leading to a new world order. The great cities
do
not reside in one place, but instead are mobile like Roman legions assaulting smaller locations.
London has been reduced to one of these prowling giants, but recently concern has surfaced that
with a lessening of prey among the midgets, other mega-metropolises will try to devour the big
city.
As London chases after Salthook, fifteen years old apprentice historian Tom toils at what all
rookies
do. He cleans in his case the exhibits of the London Museum of Natural History. However, Tom's
world changes when he rescues his hero, scavenger turned renowned archeologist Thaddeus
Valentine from an assassination attempt. Tom's reward is apropos for an apprentice as he and the
avenging assassin Hester Shaw are tossed out of the city into the vast wilderness. He learns from
her
why as she explains her connection to Valentine and the mayor. They team up to survive as
Hester
and Tom begin a series of adventures to stay alive. Though classified as a children's fantasy, this
complex tale can be enjoyed as a straightforward tale that young readers will appreciate or as a
satire that adults will treasure. The characters are complex as Philip Reeve paints a picture that
what
is acceptable under certain conditions seems cruel under others as values are not quite as universal
as we westerners would like to believe. MORTAL ENGINES is a winner for children and adults
of
all ages.
The Devil's Banker
Christopher Reich
Delacorte
ISBN: 0385337272 $25.95 448 pp.
In Paris the bomb killed the terrorist and several counter agents. The CIA fears that the dead
terrorist's host group will strike the United States next, but do not know whom, where and how.
Forensic accountant Adam Chapel is assigned to follow the money trail as all terrorist groups
need
funding in hope that the meandering path will lead to the group before they can act. Teamed up
with
espionage agent Sarah Churchill, they find the money flow from Paris takes them to divergent
forks:
the European banking community and the back streets of Pakistan. Their efforts soon leads to
Hijira
and its wealthy enigmatic patron Marc Gabriel, but will Adam and Sarah make it in time to stop a
strike at America's heartland? THE DEVIL'S BANKER is an intelligent, exciting counterterrorism
tale that hooks the reader from the moment the bomb detonates in Paris (very beginning of the
novel). The story line is cleverly devised to entertain readers yet show how a money trail, so much
in
the news since 9/11, is traced. Though the alphabet soup of organizations and agencies are
difficult
to follow leading to some disruption as to which side a secondary player belongs to, fans of fiscal
thrillers will appreciate Christopher Reich's deep story.
Lord John and the Private Matter
Diana Gabaldon
Delacorte
ISBN: 0385337477 $23.95 320 pp.
In 1757, Major John Grey, an aristocrat concludes he must end his cousin Olivia's engagement to
John Trevelyn because he knows the man suffers from the pox. After consulting on the delicate
matter with his military superior, Colonel Quarry also assigns John to investigate stolen ordnance
requisitions, which unless recovered will force the English armies on the continent to make costly
relocations to avoid massacres. John begins his inquiries with the homicide of soldier Timothy
O'Connell who is the prime suspect. Evidence takes John to a whorehouse and subsequently to a
gay
gentleman's house, Lavender House that he knows intimately from five years ago. He continues to
follow the trail that leads to a small specialty wine shop and from there to the murder of a wine
maker wearing a dress. As he closes in on the military case, he makes major progress on the
personal
matter too, but does not realizing the two connect. John forces the end of Joseph's engagement to
Olivia, but also is drugged by the man. Though readers need to understand that this is not a
romance
and the likable hero has a gay encounter, the novel still is the typical Gabaldon book. The
insightful
Georgian espionage mystery is rich with a taste for the era, but not just the typical kind found in
mid
eighteenth century novels. John, who has appeared in previous novels such as THE FIERY
CROSS,
is a delightful hero and the support cast adds depth to the era and to the suspense including a
rather
surprising heterosexual love story.
Morgue Mama, The Cross Kisses Back
C.R. Corwin
Poisoned Pen
ISBN 1590580745 $24.95 234 pp.
Several months ago the popular and famous televangelist Buddy Wing, based Ohio, died on
national
TV. It was discovered that the seventy-seven year old Pentecostal preacher didn't die from natural
causes but was murdered. The killer put Lily of the Valley in his drinking water and repainted the
cold cross on his bible that he kissed midway during each vision show with a highly toxic heart
drug.
Sissy James, a former member of the congregation, confessed to the murder after evidence was
found linking her to the homicide. New crime reporter Aubrey McGinty for the Herald-Union
doesn't believe that Sissy killed the preacher. She goes to Dolly Madison Sprawls, affectionately
known as Morgue Mama, for background information on the case. Maddy gets so caught up in
Aubrey's quest to free Sissy that she becomes the reporter's willing helper, going with her to
interview witnesses and looking through the morgue for possible suspects. When both women
discover that Sissy had an alibi for the night Billy wing was killed, they have the makings of a
Pulitzer Prize winning story on their hands. This is C.R. Corwin's debut novel and this crime
thriller
reads like Sara Paretsky or Barbara Parker wrote it because of its brilliantly executed plot. The
author has a gift for storytelling and she sets the reader up so that the climax as a complete shock.
Told in the first person narrative of the Morgue Mama, readers will find themselves entranced
with
character and hope she is the star in future books in this series.
Death for Dessert
T. Dawn Richards
Five Star
ISBN: 159414060X $25.95 204 pp.
Following her husband's desertion her for a younger model after thirty-five years of marriage,
May
List moves into the Active Senior Living Apartment Complex. She almost immediately runs afoul
of
her weird new neighbor Mrs. Berkowitz over a typewriter. Still she settles in only to find the
place
boring except for her nosy neighbor who knows thins about her no one should know. When she
buys
a computer, Mrs. Berkowitz shows her how to use it. May leaves the Berkowitz apartment only
to
realize she inadvertently took with her some disks belonging to her neighbor. These contain
blackmailing information that apparently Mrs. Berkowitz uses to extort money from other seniors.
May confronts the other seniors and learns that it is true so she goes to challenge Mrs. Berkowitz
only to find the woman dead. Tampering with the crime scene and delaying the calling of the
cops,
May searches for the identity of a killer when everyone detested the victim. Although Mrs.
Berkowitz may come across as a lowlife with no redeeming qualities, readers will enjoy this
amusing
yet intriguing cozy because of her human insight and schemes. The audience will see an assisted
living facility from the inside and though well kept, the tedium takes a toll on the residents.
Though
it is never clear how Mrs. B attains her data even if it is implied that the computer is her source
especially to May, fans of amateur sleuth cozies will enjoy this senior citizen investigative
tale.
Quarry's Greatest Hits
Max Allan Collins
Five Star
ISBN: 1594140618 $25.95 261pp
This anthology consist of one strong novel and four delightful shorts starring a hit man who
suffers
no remorse as he sees this as a means of earning a buck. Readers familiar with Quarry will know
this
book is a winner and newcomers will be fascinated by him. This collection represents some of
Max
Collins greatest hits. "Primary Target". This is an exciting novel that showcases the intriguing
antihero at his best. In his thirties, Quarry is retired from his kill for pay job. He lives comfortable
in
Paradise Lake, Wisconsin running an in inn with his young pregnant wife Linda. A client offers
Quarry $1 million to assassinate ultra right wing religious fanatic and presidential candidate Freed.
Quarry turns down the job. Not long afterward two amateurs attack Quarry's home killing his
spouse and visiting brother-in-law, but failing to take out the key antagonist. Quarry dispatches
the
duo and begins his quest for vengeance. The four short stories are all well written and provide
further insight into Quarry, a strong character whose presence is enhanced by deep secondary
players and strong plotting.
Cannibal Lake
Andy Gregg
Five Star
ISBN: 1594140596 $25.95 300pp
Milwaukee police officer Jason Targo recuperated in a hospital from an on the job bullet wound
when he learned his beloved Uncle Roland vanished. Roland, a globetrotting anthropologist,
raised
Jason, who feels helpless by not going to their Northern Wisconsin cabin. When he heals enough
to
travel Jason heads to Windigo Pond to complete his recovery and to learn what happened to
Roland.
Quickly Jason becomes embroiled with the changing landscape. Indians tell him to leave the land
that they insist is theirs. A religious cult offers to buy the land. However, Jason reaches closure
when he finds the skull of his uncle. As someone tries to kill him, Jason and Jackpine News Editor
Erica Chamberlain try to find out who did it even while they fall in love. CANNIBAL LAKE is an
intriguing investigative tale starring a delightful hero and a horde of secondary characters that run
the human genome string. The story line moves forward at a reasonable clip enabling the audience
to
see what Jason observes as well as have a feel for this remote Midwest area. The who-done-it
hooks
the audience with its touch of Native American legend and supernatural, but the tale entertainingly
flows smoothly due to a fine lead protagonist.
Seeing Pink
Erin O'Rourke
Five Star
ISBN: 078625632X $27.95 435 pp.
In Belle Springs, West Virginia, the five female friends are tired of the abuse from so-called loved
ones. When one is physically battered again, the police and others wink in belief that she deserved
it.
Tamaryn Sola, Nin Ryan, Hannah Jessler, Lucy Campbell, and Jo Adams are at the end of the
rope
and decide it is time for a pink bathrobe rebellion. At first the quintet of women pull minor pranks
that bring publicity to their camping throughout the greater DC area though they remain hidden
from
view. As they become bolder with the adrenaline of success, they increase their guerrilla war
against
society especially males. However, they cross the line when they accidentally kill Jed Whitecross,
son of a US Senator. They hide the error but refuse to give up the feeling of free souls though the
law creeps closer to finding Jed's corpse and subsequently killers. Though well written and
insightful
the tale pales next to Thelma and Louise, which readers, as this reviewer did, will compare this
novel
to the movie. Still this is an intriguing look at five courageous women battling for domestic
tranquillity in a world that ignores their plight until they squeak the wheel. SEEING PINK
condemns any society that places its head in the sand when abuse occurs to anyone. Erin
O'Rourke
uses some humor and deep characterization to make the case that one incident ignored is
unacceptable.
Endless Road and Other Stories
John Lutz
Five Star
ISBN: 0786254424 $25.95, 310 pp.
This anthology consists of one full-length novel and four short stories. All five tales are well
written
thrillers with an emphasis on the personalities of the lead characters. Though the title at first
seems
odd, as it is the same as one of the shorts, once the audience reads this deep collection, they will
understand the apropos traveling down the seemingly endless road of life. The novel THE
TRUTH
OF THE MATTER is simply superb. Lou Roebuck is a pathological liar who when caught either
closes down that life and starts a new one or fibs even further. He loses his job at Construction
Supply Company when his past catches up with him. Bob Ingrahm and Ben Gripp, guys he knew
in
the army, visited him at his place of business and discussed his less than glorious military career
among other fabrications with his boss. Angry, Lou runs over Bob in the parking lot, deserts his
wife, and flees into the night, also knowing that Ben will pursue him endlessly. This is a strong
tale
that digs deep in the soul of a professional bull artist. The four short stories are also cleverly
designed so that the audience can observe what makes individuals take the paths they choose with
some consequences not expected.
Lucifer's Crown
Lillian Stewart Carl
Five Star
ISBN 0786253487 $25.95 450 pp.
Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury did not die a martyr's death in 1170 as the history
books proclaim. At the last minute, he decided to escape and an innocent monk named David
willingly gave up his life for the cause. As his punishment for his overwhelming pride, Sir Becket
was granted eternal life so he could atone for his sins. In the present, he is living in Temple Manor
in
Glastonbury guarding one third of the Holy Grail. His path crosses that of Maggie Sinclair and
Rose
Kildaire who, along with Scotsman Mick Dewar, are the key to finding the stone, the second part
of
the grail. On the eve of the new millennium these four reluctant warriors are enjoined by the Lady
to
unite the book to the stone and the cup to ensure another millennium of life for humanity. Trying,
to
stop them is Robin Fitzroy, a being who long ago allied himself with the dark principalities. If
Robin
can stop them, the world will enter the End Times. LUCIFER'S CROWN uses the archetypes
from
many different cultures, legends, and myth to create an original good vs. evil story line. The
characters are what make this plot so unique because all the protagonists are fatally flawed yet
reject
evil again and again even when they are tempted beyond measure. Hearts will go out to Becket, a
man who has lived eight centuries and never loses faith even though he has yet to find his own
ease
of heart.
Mad Maudlin
Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Baen
ISBN: 0743471431 $25.00 438 pp.
Eric Banyon has graduated from Juilliard not an easy task for the average student, but for Eric
attaining the diploma was a bit more difficult than average due to a learning disability. Needing to
use his magical Bard abilities to save someone, usually himself, occasionally disrupted his study
time.
Eric decides to visit his parents in Boston. Meanwhile Elf Prince Jachiel ap Gabrevys, better
known
in a Manhattan runaway shelter circles as Jaycie, has vanished from Underhill. His Protector is
unable to locate him in iron clad New York City because the metal disrupts eleven powers. Eric's
apprentice Hosea learns that the runaways worship a creature called Bloody Mary, but apparently
she is no myth. Mary stalks Eric. Soon Eric, joined by a sibling he did not know he had, his
apprentice, and Jaycie among others, become involved in a street confrontation with Bloody
Mary.
The latest Eric the Bard escapade is a delightful blending of Manhattan street living inside a
wonderful fantasy. The story line is fast-paced, often humorous, and action-packed. Eric remains
a
solid prime character and the support cast especially Bloody Mary adds to the depth of the plot.
Though repetitive glib references to TV land becomes tedious, fans of the series, the authors, or
wild
urban fantasies will appreciate the marvelous MAD MAUDLIN.
Drifter
Stephanie Gertler
Dutton
ISBN: 0525947353 $23.95 288 pp.
Raised by a loving single father, Claire Cherney knows her life has been good even if she has
always
felt haunted by her mother deserting the two of them for Hollywood. She loves her husband and
her
two children, whom are away attending college. She enjoys her works as a Department of Social
Services' psychiatrist and takes pleasure in running the Dune Beach Inn in Drifting, Connecticut.
Still
she misses her dad who died a few years ago and wonders why her mom left when she was two.
Though the off-season, Nick Pierce arrives with his blind seven-year-old daughter Kayla.
Following
a scary incident in which she sees how concerned Nick is with Kayla, Claire sympathizes with the
father and daughter because she believes that the girl's mom deserted the two of them like her
mother did her and her dad. However, she soon notices little things like how Nick acts impatient
towards Kayla especially in color selections of wardrobe that seems so important to the little girl.
She begins to wonder if her own bias blinds her to a different reality than her initial reaction.
DRIFTER is a powerful look at relationships and how one sees the world through incidents that
shaped their lives. The story line provides a deep look into Claire who never forgot that her mom
left her though her dad nurtured and loved her and her spouse and children also love and
encourage
her. She sees people through what happened to her. Though the tale adds an unnecessary
suspense
element towards the end, Stephanie Gertler provides a potent character study.
A Branded World: Adventures in Public Relations and the Creation of Superbrands
Michael Levine
Wiley
ISBN: 0471263664 $27.95 260 pp.
Though the audience at first glance seems like advertisers and company moguls, consumers will
appreciate this insightful look at how to make your product stand out in a crowded diverse
market
place. Author Michael Levine contends that the product whether it is a consumable, durable, or
even
the consumer selling themselves can become more recognizable than competitors among the
buying
public through proper public relations. Mr. Levine includes strong examples of the winners and
losers in the branding process. He also follows a fictional campaign selling a new brand of ice
cream
so that readers with background of years of marketing to a consumer who only knows
commercial
jingles will appreciate this insightful look at building the reputation of a product. With this primer,
Michael Levine should become the branded name in PR creations.
No Angel
Penny Vincenzi
Overlook
ISBN: 1585674818 $26.95 640 pp.
In the decade before WW I, aristocrat Celia meets Oliver Lytton, member of a giant publishing
family. Though her family objects that his status is beneath her, Celia comprehends the changing
early twentieth century world; she maneuvers her weak beau into marriage. When he goes off for
war, she takes over the family business taking her sister-in-law as her only ally to the top with her.
Celia and Oliver have three children. The two daughters are as spoiled and selfish as their mom
while the son is a chip off the old fatherly block being as weak as Oliver is. She also adopts a
daughter of an impoverished friend, but when author Sebastian Brooke enters her life, Celia must
decide what she rally wants and at what price. This family saga, reminiscent of the works of
Barbara
Taylor Bradford, highlights much of the first few decades of the twentieth century and fully
belongs
to the heroine who is NO ANGEL. The story line focuses on the impact of Celia's ambition and
drive on anyone who lands in her ever-widening circle of influence. Though chapters seem a bit
extended, fans of insightful historical dramas that center on people and families will enjoy Penny
Vincenzi's powerful tale.
Silence Is Golden
Penny Warner
Perseverance Press
ISBN 1880284669 $13.95, 216 pp.
She moved from San Francisco to Flat Skunk in the Sierra Nevada gold country to lead a serene
life
style. Lately life in the former boomtown is anything but peaceful. Connor Westphal is a bit
skeptical
when local resident Sluice Jackson, the town's eccentric and oldest living prospector, finds a gold
nugget in the Buzzard Hill mine. The gold played out a long time ago but the owner is a little too
quick, to Connor's way of thinking, to accept Sluice's claim and develop a plan that would invite
investors. While most of the town is infected with gold fever, Connor is busy getting reacquainted
with Josh, her ex-lover from college. He and his young daughter and ex-wife are in town to obtain
a
cochlea implant for the child. When Josh's ex-wife is murdered the sheriff arrests him for the
crime;
Connor promises him she will find evidence to clear him. While Connor is trying to clear Josh, she
comes to the attention of the real killer who is determined to silence her permanently. Although
the
protagonist of SILENCE IS GOLDEN is deaf, she is much more aware of the world around her
then people who aren't hearing impaired. She is very at ease in her own skin and leads a very
extraordinary life (even if she could hear sound) as she jumps from one dangerous situation to
another. Penny Warner is a creative writer who knows how to develop fascinating characters that
turn her novels, especially this amateur sleuth tale, into action packed winners for readers.
The Beastly Bloodline
Patricia Guiver
Perseverance Press
ISBN 1880284693 $13.95 192 pp.
British ex-patriate Delilah Little has made a good life for herself in the United States living in Surf
City, California and sharing her abode with her beloved Doberman. She even has a beau in
homicide
detective Jack Mallory although at the moment the pair is not speaking to one another because of
an
argument they had while bird watching. She earns a living as a pet detective tracing lost animals
and
returning them to their own owners. Delilah gets a call from her best friend Eve asking her to
come
to Dorsett Farms and the Lazy D. Guest Ranch, which is owned by her cousin Hilda
Dorsett-Bragg.
Hilda believes her horse the Duke of Paddington was poisoned and she wants Delilah to work
under-cover to find out who the culprit is. During her time on Hilda's property, two men are killed
and a fire burns down the office where the business records were kept. Delilah believes the
incidents
are connected and with a little help from his friends, she sets out to prove it. Place an English
village
mystery in the middle of a California Dude ranch and readers will have a sense of what THE
BEASTLY BLOODLINE is all about. The heroine will immediately endear herself to readers
because of her love of animals and for making a home for herself in the U.S. without betraying her
British heritage. Readers will find the Delilah Doolittle Pet Detective mysteries charming and
sophisticated cosies.
Waking the Princess
Susan King
Signet
ISBN: 0451208838 $6.99, 352 pp.
In 1858 Edinburgh, though museum antiquarian expert Christina Blackburn wants to acquire the
Dundrennan collection, she prefers to avoid traveling there. Christina knows that the MacBrides
who reside at Dundrennan own the scandalous painting that she posed for in her youth and hides
from it ever since in garbs to bury her beauty. No one else with the skills is available so a reluctant
Christina agrees to go, but hopes that her frumpy wardrobe hides the fact that she was the model.
Upon arriving at the home of Sir Aedan Arthur MacBride, Christina sees her notorious portrait on
display. He feels that if he links her to the picture, her credibility will be destroyed. Aedan finds
himself quite attracted to his guest and wonders if the legend of the painting could be true that he
is
the handsome man WAKING THE PRINCESS with love. Susan King's Victorian romantic
rendition
of Sleeping Beauty is a charming winner that will provide readers with quite an entertaining time.
The story line is clever and witty as the lead couple struggles to avoid what seems obvious to
everyone else is their kismet, fulfilling the legend. If a reader can only choose only one historical
over the summer, WAKING THE PRINCESS is a strong choice though released late ins season
in
time for the Labor Weekend.
Swimming with the Dead
Kathy Brandt
Signet
ISBN 0451216204 $5.99 272 pp.
In the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the owner of the Lucky Lady is making a solo dive into the
bowels of the sunken ship, the Chikuzen. While looking around he sees another diver and when he
recognizes who it is he knows he is in trouble. When his body is found, the authorities believe it
was
an accident and it looks like his killer will get off free. Soon afterward, someone breaks into the
deceased's office, kills his secretary and rifles through his files. His father, the Police
Commissioner
of Denver, begins to believe that his son was murdered On the chance that his son was a homicide
victim, the commissioner sends Hannah Sampson, head of the Dive and Recover team to the BVI
to
investigate his son's death. From the moment she gets there and starts to question people,
attempts
are made on her life leading her to believe that Michael's death was not an accident. As she
gathers
information about Michael's last days, she begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together and once
again comes very close to dying. SWIMMING WITH THE DEAD is the first installment in a
very
exciting new series. The heroine of this novel falls in love with the British Virgin Islands and by
the
time the case is closed she is ready to move down there and give a new romantic relationship a
chance to develop into something deeper. There are many viable suspects who had reason to want
the victim dead so the reader is thoroughly entertained trying to figure out who the killer really
is.
Burning Garbo
Robert Eversz
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0743250133 $23.00 288 pp.
Paparazzi Nina Zero needs a break to change her finances that live up to her name. She decides to
make one for herself by photographing the Hollywood legendary recluse, Angela Doubleday. A
picture of Angela goes for about $50K and Nina plans to obtain that cash. Nina heads to the
Malibu
Hills and climbs a barrier to gain entrance to the Doubleday estate. Almost immediately, a man
assaults her knocking her out and destroying her camera. When she regains consciousness, Nina
sees
that the Doubleday house is on fire and the cops and an arson investigator want to question her as
the torch suspect. Nina flees the scene anyway knowing that her parole (see manslaughter in
KILLING PAPARAZZI) is shaky and only she has reason to prove her innocence. When a burned
to the crisp humans remains are found, Nina knows that she better leave no doubt to her
innocence
with her only ally Dog the toothless Rottweiler. The third Zero novel is an exciting Hollywood
tale
that crime thriller fans will enjoy though not as out of the box as Nina's previous excellent
adventures. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with action as Nina watches her world spin out
of control, but refuses to idly wait for the big crunch. Nina remains a strong protagonist, but her
fans
anticipating the unexpected will find BURNING GARBO a well written sleuthing 101 tale.
Tragedy
Ann Sinclair Browning
Dell
ISBN 0553586394 $5.99 400 pp.
The Vaca Grande Ranch outside Tucson is Trade Ellis' first love but to add income to the family
coffers she occasionally works as a private investigator. One day she watches her cousin Bea a
news
anchor for channel four on TV when the co-anchor, Terez Montiel reports that the Cordelia Jones
death may connect to a kinky sex cult. Soon after that telecast, a woman hires Trade to find her
sister who has gone missing. The client is Ann Aldridge and her beloved younger sister is Terez
Montiel. Through intensive research, Trade discovers that the missing woman was investigating a
local sex cult the Kiva club. Trade manages to spy on one of their meetings, but what she sees
sickens her. Still despite local and national authorities telling her to back off, Trade is determined
to
find the missing anchorwoman. Sinclair Browning has written a very gritty and realistic urban noir
crime thriller starring a protagonist it is impossible not to like. She is tough, independent and
refuses
to give up until she solves the case to her satisfaction. She is fascinating to watch, gathering and
assembling the pieces of the puzzle and then struggling to make them fit into a comprehensible
picture that will give her the answers to solve the case. TRAGEDY ANN is a superlative
who-done-it.
Stalking the Divine: Contemplating Faith with the Poor
Clares Kristin Ohlson
Hyperion
ISBN: 1401300251 $23.95, 272 pp.
When she was six, Kristin Ohlson believed and wanted to become a nun. As she grew older, she
not
only forgot her ambition, but also drifted from Catholicism. Years later, feeling alone on
Christmas
morning, Kristin finds an advertisement for mass at Cleveland's St. Paul Shrine. She attends with a
few others, but felt she belonged. Still she wondered about the sixteen remaining cloistered nuns
at
the monastery, who are the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration praying to God 24/7 to lift the
sorrows of humanity. Ohlson using the Poor Clares as a spiritual guide has begun a journey to find
her own faith though she lacks their dedication and belief and falters often. Thus while committed
she wonders if she is crazy. This is a strong biography due to the author's conflicting dualism and
her
comparison to her model the Poor Clares. Unlike many books in which middle age crisis leads to
healing faith-finding nirvana, Ms. Ohlson admits she teeters back and forth. She confesses that
while
STALKING THE DIVINE: CONTEMPLATING FAITH WITH THE POOR CLARES whose
beliefs encourages her but also frightens her as she pales next to her role models. Readers will feel
the same way yet will find they are motivated for the better good.
Twists and Turns
Janet McDonald
FSG
ISBN: 0374399557 $16.00 135 pp.
High school is over for the teenage sisters Keeba and Teesha Washington. All their "adjective"
friends are moving on from partying to adulthood while the two siblings remain clueless on
Brooklyn benches. The duo feels talent-less and slinging burgers seems wrong for a high school
graduate. A friend persuades Keeba and Teesha that they have a talent that is hair braiding.
Another
friend floats a loan, and the sisters open up TeeKee's Tresses beauty shop. However, the slums of
the Hillbrook Houses projects does not lend itself to a thriving business as the two young ladies
cope with few customers, an unexpected rent increase and vandalism. This is a strong inner city
character study that uses street slang to provide insight into the life of a new high school grad
struggling with the changes of adulthood. The two sisters, the support cast, and Brooklyn are
well-
written and believable charcaters whose message is to work hard on what one does best.
However,
though entertaining and teens will appreciate the novel due to the protagonists and their friends,
the
story line lacks a center so that it feels like electrons without a nucleus. Still high school students
will enjoy the adventures of the Washington siblings.
The Druid King
Norman Spinrad
Knopf
ISBN: 0375411100 $24.95, 413 pp.
In Ancient Gaul, after watching treachery lead to the defeat and subsequent death of his tribal
leader
father, Vercingetorix flees, taking shelter with the Druids. The Arch Druid Guttuatr and the
swordswoman Rhia become the lad's teachers training him in the art of magic and war. Gaius
Julius
Caesar recruits the young man to become Rome's client ruler over Gaul. Vercingetorix accepts
the
position thinking that Caesar is now his mentor. However, their relationship abruptly changes
when
Vercingetorix learns that Caesar was the devious force behind the death of his father. Now
Vercingetorix turns feral against his former benefactor leading his people in war against the
Roman
legion. This exciting insightful historical fiction provides the audience with an interesting look at
Ancient Gaul without the victorious Roman filter altering the view. The story line is very vivid as
Norman Spinrad points quite a panorama. The hero is an engaging individual who comes to life in
THE DRUID KING. Though Mr. Spinrad's loyal science fiction fans should be aware that this
book
is not anything like his Sci Fi tales, readers will appreciate the rest of the story from the loser's
perspective as opposed to the victors goes the history books.
Laws of the Blood: Heroes
Susan Sizemore
Ace
ISBN 044101108X $6.50 288 pp.
The Council makes the laws that govern vampire security and the Enforcers make sure that all
Strigori follow the rules if they want to live (in an undead fashion). All Enforcers come from the
Nighthawk line of changed nosferatu, but many other vampires feel that these are no longer of
their
species and must be destroyed. Martina, a vampire who works at Vegas' Six Road Hotel and
Casino,
wants to see the Nighthawk line die out and she will use any means at her disposal to see that is
happens. Nighthawk Enforcers Char McCairn, and her human lover Jebel Haven arrive in Las
Vegas
to attend the wedding of a former vampire companion to a mortal. Reclusive Nighthawk
Valentine
and potential Enforcer Geoff Sterling arrive in Las Vegas to check out their investment. All four
of
these people get caught up in the rogue vampire's scheme and know that if they survive each one
will come away from the encounter changed in ways they can not imagine. Susan Sizemore has
created a believable vampire community participating yet hidden within human society. In that
environs reside sympathetic characters that believe that it is possible to live a good life without
harming mortals. LAWS OF THE BLOOD: HEROES builds on previous books in the series and
has
a fascinating cliff hanger ending that will make readers want to purchase the next book in this
exciting series as soon as its published. This gripping chiller with a touch of romance will really
sink
its teeth into the minds of the audience.
For More Than Glory
William C. Dietz
Ace
ISBN 0515010911 $24.95 487 pp.
The latest galactic war is over and the Confederacy of Sentient Beings is at peace. However, the
Ramanthians, who engineered the war with the Thrakies, plan to take two of their planets in
reparation and steal the Sheen space fleet to fly five billion new hatchlings to their new planets. A
Hudathan leader works with the Ramanthians to steal some of the fleet for themselves since their
navy was taken away from them. In order to bring their plans to a successful fruition, both races
will
have to destroy the heart of the Confederacy. If the plan is successful it will bring about another
interstellar war. On the planet Lanor, the sentient races have embassies located in the city of Mys.
Also represented is the Confederation, which is protected by the Legionnaires, a fighting force
second to none. They are the last lines of defense when the Empress's Imperial Army and rebel
forces try to destroy the city. This volatile situation occurs because the representatives of various
species strive to further the goals of their homeworlds without concern what will happen to the
natives. William C. Dietz is one of the leading authors of military science fiction and FOR MORE
THAN GLORY is his best work to date. The trouble on Lanor is a microcosm of the interstellar
picture and the sentient species seem so believable that readers will wonder if the authors used a
time machine to go into the future and is recording his findings on the pages of this book. Life
hasn't
changed very much in the far distant future where political treachery and local hostilities are the
norm.
Nocturne
Elaine Bergstrom
Ace
ISBN 0441011098 $6.50 384 pp.
The Austras are a family of vampires who live among mortals yet stay true to their own heritage.
They only number thirty because it is rare to find a mortal woman who can be turned and give
birth
to children that are vampires. Such women are cherished and when it comes to the family's
attention
that Irene is one such woman, the vampires keep a watch on her so that when conditions are
favorable, a meeting can be arranged. Richard Austra attends the same college as Irene and since
they are both studying music they eventually meet. They fall in love and Irene soon learns what
she
could mean to the Austra family. Uncertain of whether she wants to be turned, she puts some
distance between herself and Richard by traveling on tour in Romania. Once there an enemy of the
Austras' kidnaps her. Richard comes to rescue her, but he finds himself in danger as well. It has
been
a long time since an Austra novel has been published but it was well worth the very long wait.
Elaine
Bergstrom's vampires compare favorably to the ones in the Anne Rice universe. Readers will find
themselves spellbound by these beings that are not evil, only different. NOCTURNE is such a
compelling novel that the audience roots for the young lovers to triumph in the face of staggering
adversity.
Darknesses
L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Tor
ISBN: 0765307049 $27.95 528 pp.
On Corus, sheepherder Alucius possesses a powerful, untapped Talent that he tries to hide while
serving his mandatory military time. Alucius just wants to go home to his wife Wendra so though
he
is a captain in the 21st Company he avoids trouble as much as possible in order to avoid becoming
noticed. Warlord Aellyan Edyss finds and opens an ancient vault containing magical weapons and
legendary beasts from a time long before the Cataclysm. Aellyan plans to use his weaponry to
conquer and then rule Corus. Alucius realizes his dilemma once he understands the threat posed
by
Aellyan. If he displays his prowess and succeeds in defeating the warlord and his magical army
and
arsenal Alucius will become visible to his superiors and a pawn of individuals like the
Lord-Protector
of Lanachrona. If he hides his Talent by doing nothing, he will probably die. DARKNESSES, the
second book of the Corean Chronicles (see LEGACIES), is a superb fantasy due to the abilities of
L.E. Modesitt, Jr. to make a world of magic and mystical beasts seem real. The story line
combines
plenty of action with strong characters and even a sense of history. Alucius is a delightful
reluctant
hero and his opponent is more than just a vile villain as he is a complete character too. The
support
cast such as Wendra and the magically created beasts add depth to a strong epic fantasy that will
have the audience wondering where the author will take them next.
A Fortress of Grey Ice
J. V. Jones
Tor
ISBN: 0765306336 $25.95 672 pp.
Though they know this is probably their last stand as a people, the Sull prepare for war. Their
only
hope of defeating the overwhelmingly superior forces of the Endlords resides in their most sacred
warrior the Reach, but Ash March is nowhere in sight, as she was not raised amidst her tribe.
Meanwhile Raif Sevrance remains a hunted outcast from his Clan Blackhail for accusing the new
chief of arranging the assassinations of their respective fathers. However, he can no longer brood
over his fate and what he lost because his destiny resides with Ash. Together they may save a
world;
separately both will die. Raif must find her, but that means traveling through the most feared place
on the orb, the Want where the Fortress of Grey Ice lies. If he is fortunate to reach his destination
with certain death at every step, then his quest to save a world begins. Still without Ash and her
power at his side even early success will prove futile. Though a second book in a trilogy, A
FORTRESS OF GREY ICE avoids the filler feel of many middle tales by moving the quest
forward
with exciting adventures. The key to this book is the lead charcaters and the various races that
seem
genuine; this makes the world seem very real. The introduction will help readers like this reviewer
remember what happened before, but it is better to re-read the first novel (see A CAVERN OF
BLACK ICE). Fans of epic fantasy will enjoy this powerful entry and look forward to the final
tale,
hopefully with less of a time lapse, but of the same quality.
Scatterbrain
Larry Niven
Tor
ISBN: 0765301377 $24.95 400 pp.
This collection is for the most loyal of Larry Niven fans though those science fiction readers who
have tried him might enjoy a taste of the award-winning author. SCATTERBRAIN is all over the
spectrum ranging from extracts from recent novels such as THE RINGWORLD THRONE to
non-fiction philosophical ramblings on Mars and saving civilization and some cold cash as well as
short stories and interviews with co-authors. The anthology is zany and all over the place. Though
each item is well written and catches the reader's mind and especially that of Mr. Niven, the
collection can prove difficult to find a pattern - duh SCATTERBRAIN. The book reminds this
reviewer of Jahn's (not sure of the spelling being a geriatric, perhaps Jan's?) ice cream parlor in the
Bronx where they offered a dish called the "kitchen Sink". Eat one without puking and get a
second
one free. In other words readers will either full appreciate Mr. Niven's assortment of "crazy ideas'
and seek previous wild but fun rides or puke out of the total lack of discipline. This reviewer fully
enjoyed the trek to the center of the mind and heart of Larry Niven.
Spirits in the Wires
Charles De Lint
Tor
ISBN: 0312873980 $27.95 448 pp.
Book editor Aaron Goldstein is irate by the slight he received from Christiana Tree, whose "birth"
came when Christy turned seven and rejected parts of his personality. Already a nasty person, the
angry Aaron forces a hacker to place a virus in Christiana's favorite website Wordwood. The
repercussions of his actions go way beyond that of destroying a web locale, as Wordwood is a
place
that exists in that ethereal limbo between computers. Thus people vanish including Saskia
Madding,
the girlfriend of Christy Riddell. Christiana feels that she has been assigned a quest to save
Wordwood, find the lost souls, and relocate Saskia in her own body. To do this they must leave
the
realm of the generally accepted reality and enter the spirit ether of the Internet spirit world,
Charles
De Lint is at his best with this incredible modern day fantasy that focuses on technological mumbo
jumbo to computer illiterates like moi who feels that though it is weirdly impossible it works. The
story line is loaded with action and intelligent characters that through the quest learn a key natural
law that in a moral society; it is not one's genes, but what one does and how one behaves today
that
matters. This is a great work by the one of the top fantasy authors of the twenty-first
century.
Wyrmholes
Jay Casselberg
Roc
ISBN 0451459490 $5.99 320 pp.
In the distant future, humanity lives in domed areas the size of cities that are bioorganic,
self-perpetuating structures. The rich live in the newest areas and the not so wealthy reside in the
old
section that will disintegrate in a decade or so. Jack Stein, a former black ops agent, works as a
physic detective, a person with the gift of psychometry and the ability to find clues in his dreams.
Outreach Industries, a very powerful and wealthy corporation, hires Jack to learn what happened
to
the miners on Daril III who disappeared without a trace. A lover of one of the lost miners works
in
the home office of Outreach. He gives Jack the missing Miner's hand held computer. It is
password
protected so he goes to someone who can crack the code. When he returns, the person is dead,
the
eleven-year-old child who was staying there goes home with Jack and the police pay him a visit.
There is obviously more going on than some missing miners and the conspiracy of silence coaxes
Jack to keep tying to solve the case. Fans of futuristic crime thrillers like J.D. Robb's Death series
will definitely enjoy WYRMHOLE. The protagonist is a complex man who wears blinders until he
is
forced to take them off and see the world as it really is (sort of like the Matrix but more mental
than
physical illusion). Once he does that, the audience sees his inner strength and moral compass
emerge
and appreciate the man he has become. Science fiction fans and readers who like private
investigator
talesm, especially those who apreciate a strong convergence, will enjoy this futuristic urban
noir.
House of War
Judith Tarr
Roc
ISBN 0451529006 $16.00, 384 pp.
On an Earth that never was but might have been, Richard the Lion-Hearted never died while
battling
against the infidels for control of Jerusalem. He went on to defeat Saladin and with the help of his
half-sister Sioned he took away the precious Seal of Solomon from Sinan, the old man of the
mountain. He was crowned king of Jerusalem and for over a decade he has reigned over the city
he
has come to love. Although he is reluctant to leave, Richard I is ready to return to England to
thwart
his brother's plan to take the throne. However, Sinan returns more powerful than ever, eager to
take
his revenge on everyone who opposed him a decade ago. He kidnaps Sioned's daughter, captures
one of Richard's castles, and lays siege to another. Sioned and her husband the Sultan of Egypt
persuades Richard that the only weapon that could defeat their enemy is the Ark if they can find
it.
Change the output of one pivotal event in history the way Judith Tarr has so brilliantly done and
the
outcome is a world that is completely different than the history books. Richard is presented as a
noble warrior king willing to heed the advice of the people he trust but the star of HOUSE OF
WAR
is his baseborn sister Sioned, a powerful mage who has the wisdom and courage of Boudacia and
Cleopatra. Fans of alternate history and fantasy will love this enthralling novel.
Harriet Klausner
Reviewer
Cynthia's Bookshelf
Unexpected
Lori Foster
Zebra
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue, New York NY 10022
ISBN 0758205481 $14.00
Scintillating fall read! Very highly recommended. Ray Vereker breaks all her rules in accepting her
latest assignment. Leaving behind her hammer and tool belt, Ray picks up her weapon to find Eli
Conners' missing brother. While she acquiesces to Eli's demand to take him along, Ray remains
determinedly in charge of this rescue mission. For years Ray has been a successful mercenary, yet
this assignment somehow feel much different than all the rest, threatening to spiral out of her
control
as she discovers an unexpected attraction to her employer. Even as he tries to grow closer to her,
Ray remains an enigma for Eli. He knows her abilities, her experience and her success, but he
does
not have names or dates. She does not look cutthroat enough, powerful enough, or hardened
enough to pull of this assignment. Indeed, Eli finds it hard to believe that Ray is a mercenary until
he
sees her in action. But his desperation to get his brother out of Central America and her insider's
knowledge mean that he must risk everything on this unexpected woman, even it means his heart.
Author Lori Foster's ability to pen sultry, titillating romance is not exactly UNEXPTECTED, and
fans will be delighted that she once again delivers in spades. Ray's combination of fierce warrior
strength and carefully concealed femininity results in a dazzling character. Likewise, Eli's
determination to get closer to her despite her reserve resoles in unexpected challenge and
pleasure.
Indeed, Eli and Ray prove why Foster has become one of the hottest authors in the business.
UNEXPECTED comes very highly recommended.
Ghost Touch: Dangerous Spirits 1
Mary Winter
Ellora's Cave
P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787
Sexual Content NC - 17
eBook/Multiple Formats
ISBN 1843602490 $6.49
Recommended with reservations. FBI agent Sage Kaimoon looses his life in the line of duty at the
hands of his former partner. While investigating traitor Lu-Marc, who has been selling secrets of
his
native country France to the Russians and then selling Russian information to Americans. All was
well until Lu-Marc double-crossed the American government in retaliation for the deaths of his
sisters. Sage's partner Kyle had begun selling information to Lu-Marc, and Sage was the agent to
take him down. When all three die in a transaction gone wrong, they continue their battle on the
astral, occasionally bringing it to the physical plane in the form of ghosts. Grieving the death of
her
beloved grandmother, Teri Richards fulfills her grandmother's last wishes. For the last eight years
her grandmother trained Teri in Wicca. Four year ago her grandmother gave her a box to be
opened
when she dies. Now Teri opens the box and follows the instructions to call a spirit guide. She
expects an old woman much like her grandmother. Instead, she pulls her astral lover from earlier
in
the day! Sage certainly has no experience as a spirit guide. Unfortunately, they are now bound
together in a common destiny, pursuing a hardened criminal who soon pulls Teri to the astral and
holds her hostage. Author Mary Winter comes invents a fabulous premise with GHOST TOUCH,
but I have problems with its execution. I understand the basic Wiccan premise "as above so
below,"
meaning that whatever is created on the astral becomes real on the physical. However, Winter's
characters ability to function on the astral in much the same way they do on the physical
prevented
me from fully submerging myself in the story. In addition, the heroine's easy acceptance of a spirit
into her bed is equally troubling. For lovers of romantic suspense, with touches of the paranormal,
however, this may be a satisfying read. Certainly, it would be worthwhile to check out future
novels
in the series. GHOST TOUCH comes recommended with reservations.
The Most Eligible Doctor: Silhouette Romance No 1692
Karen Rose Smith
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 037319692X $5.99
Loss has caused Brianne Barrington to carefully guard her heart. Two days before graduation, her
parents died in a car accident. Now she must settle the family estate and put her life in some sort
of
order. She accepts her first professional position at Beachwood Family Practice working with
Doctor Jed Sawyer. His sexy confidence, experience and fierce masculinity immediately arouse
her
attraction even as she determinedly avoids emotional entanglement. Divorced and almost forty,
Jed
bears the mental scars of his life experience. The death of his daughter made him leave his thriving
plastic surgery practice in LA and spend the last three years watching the northern lights of the
arctic. Now he has returned to Wisconsin to move in with his cantankerous father. Brianne's
presence stirs up emotions he has not felt in years, making him feel alive again. But many
challenges
confront Brianne and Jed if they want to find healing and love. The frigid temperatures of Sawyer
Springs, Wisconsin do not cool the heat of THE MOST ELIGIBLE DOCTOR. Profound life
changes result in guarded hearts and heated responses for Brianne and Jed. It is refreshing to
encounter the age and maturity, not to mention life experience, of a character like Jed.
Specifically,
the scars left by divorce and the death of a child provide a mature element missing from much
series
romance. The result is a mix of sorrow and joy as hearts discover one another in this charming
romance. THE MOST ELIGIBLE DOCTOR comes highly recommended.
Tall, Dark and Cajun
Sandra Hill
Warner Books
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0446612944 $5.99
Highly recommended. When her relationship with her fiance goes up in flames, Rachel Fortier sets
their furniture and exercise equipment on fire. Then she heads south in a rented red pickup truck
with a vanity license plate reading "Redhot" and a bumper sticker reading "Decorators do it
better".
Rachel looks forward to meeting her birth grandmother Gizelle and enjoying some down time.
Rachel expects Tara, she gets swamp and a Voodoo grandmother who does not approve of her
new
love interest. His face disfigured during Desert Storm, pilot Remy LeDeux expects rejection, not
the
heated response of this Yankee woman. Remy needs to buy some of Gizelle's adjoining land so he
has enough acreage to meet DEA requirements so he can do aerial surveillance for the
government.
Instead, all he can think about is Rachel applying Feng Shui to his houseboat in the bayou, thanks
to
his Tante Lulu's interference. The explosive heat building between Remy and Rachel threatens to
set
the bayou ablaze, but they really know very little about each other, and their erotic promise may
reach an unexpected peak as they discover the magic of the bayou. From senior citizen diva Tante
Lulu to local Voodoo witch Gizelle, author Sandra Hill creates a rich cast of characters
guaranteed
to entertain in TALL, DARK AND CAJUN. Outrageous antics and lively hilarity keeps the pace
brisk as Remy and Rachel discover the heat of the Louisiana bayou. Author Hill has a gift for
combining humor and sensitivity in a rich tale that will keep the pages turning. While TALL,
DARK
AND CAJUN is the sequel of LOVE POTION, it works just as well as a standalone. With a rich
Cajun flavor adding just the right zest, TALL, DARK AND CAJUN comes highly
recommended.
Complete Abandon
Cheryl Holt
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
ISBN 031298460X $6.50
Sensually titillating! Very highly recommended. A scandalous observation leaves spinster Emma
Fitzgerald with unfettered desire and outrageous daring. Rather than feeling appalled at
witnessing a
tryst between John Clayton, the new Viscount Wakefield, and his paramour, Emma longs to
sample
such risque behavior. Unfortunately, she has arrived on a serious mission, as the Viscount has
served
eviction notices on many of her elderly and widowed neighbors, as well as her own family.
Temporary distraction does not put her off from her purpose; rather, it prepares her. Under the
prim,
proper exterior of a vicar's daughter, Emma conceals passions to match John's. Her saucy daring
and
bodacious maneuverings captures his attention, promising an allure far beyond what John has
shared
with the jaded women of London. Moreover, John's attempts to protect while dissuading Emma
fail
miserably when she turns the situation to her advantage. Suddenly this bad boy realizes he has met
his match in the most unexpected of ways. Cheryl Holt creates a searing tale of passion in
COMPLETE ABANDON. Holt provides an amusing afternoon's read with vivid characterizations
that spring to life. A study of complete opposites, Emma and John come together with
unexecuted
hilarity and outrageousness. Emma's sensual nature sparkles under this bad boy's touch.
Remarkably,
she does not attempt to tame his wayward ways; rather, she glories in both his strengths and in his
flaws. John, however, has a lot to learn about women regardless of his varied experience if he
wishes
to ever keep the heart of this remarkable woman. Secondary characters likewise sparkle with
Holt's
characteristic style. Witty, daring and delightful, COMPLETE ABANDON comes very highly
recommended.
Cynthia Penn
Reviewer
Laurel's Bookshelf
Ticket to Paradise
Yvonne Ridley
www.dandelionbooks.net
ISBN 1893302776 $17.95
In locales from New York to London, Israel to Jordan, the author creates a fast-paced story of
heroism, hardship, hope and love. Ms. Ridley is a courageous journalist in addition to writer.
Although fiction, this novel rings of truth throughout thanks to realisic characters and scenarios
and
her sympathetic treatment of hard issues.
Judith Tempest is a British reporter who fights injustice through the written word. Wherever
there's
a flashpoint or simmering global crisis, Judith discovers and writes the truth. That her wealthy
American fiance does not approve of her politics or beliefs is of little concern to Judith. She views
life from her own perspective and ignores his disapproval. When her fiance shows his true colors
in
New York on 9/11, Judith knows she could never be happy with a dishonest coward. Her
coverage
of the 9/11 carnage gains attention from a shocked world and turns her own beliefs inside
out.
Mohammed Khalaf is a Muslim import-export dealer who makes the flight from New York to
London in the seat next to Judith after 9/11. He is a very private man, smoldering on the inside
and
harboring a tragic past. When their acquaintance turns to friendship, and then love, Judith begins
to
question everything she thought she knew about the Muslim life. Her coverage of Middle Eastern
suicide bombings throws her into danger as she reveals hard truths to a world that prefers pablum.
The CIA is on her tail, and God knows who else is shadowing her every move. And Mohammed
knows he cannot walk away from his predestined path despite his love for this non-Muslim
woman.
Ms. Ridley takes contemporary headlines and reveals the sometimes ugly truths behind them.
Ticket
to Paradise is an exciting read with a shocking, unanticipated ending. It's mystery thriller and
romance rolled into one.
Elastic Ekphrastic
Poetry on Art / Poets on Tour through Galleries
Edited by Jennifer Bosveld
www.puddinghouse.com
ISBN 1589981669 $14.00
This is the second book of ekphrastic poetry I've read recently and the concept is beginning to
grow
on me. Ekphrasis is writing poetry in response to visual art. In this insightful presentation, poets
from every level of experience used all five of their physical senses to create their poetry. I will
not
single out any particular poems or poets in this intriguing anthology. As with all Pudding House
anthologies, this one is distinct and well worth reading.
The objective of Elastic Ekphrastic is to encourage poets, writers, and the general public to
explore
and interpret the arts through poetry. The point is that if we can write about pictures in frames,
we
can write about the scenarios in our lives.
This exercise and the resulting poetry occurred in Columbus OH when writers and poets toured
the
city's many fine art museums. Editor Jennifer Bosveld then pulled it all together. The end result is
Elastic Ekphrastic. The editor and poets involved have every right to be proud of their
labors.
Glass Works: Art Glass, Windows, Bottles, Marbles, and Jars
An Anthology of Poems and Stories
edited by Jennifer Bosveld
www.puddinghouse.com
ISBN 1589981421 $16.00
I tend to struggle with anthologies and capturing the essence without singling out any particular
contributor. Glass Works features a compilation of short stories and poems by talented
wordsmiths.
This anthology focusing on the subject of glass is exceptional.
Why glass? Editor Bosveld succinctly captures the content of this fine anthology better than I
could.
"Glass holds and pours, it heats and cools, it soothes and frightens, it clarifies and blocks, it
invites
us in and keeps us divided, it flows and stays put, it is more still than a pool of water and cracks
louder than a rim shot on a snare drum. What else does so much and exhibits itself so
diversely?"
The poems are elegantly written as befitting the subject. The short stories in Glass Works have the
ring and clarity of fine crystal. This anthology speaks to passion, art, and creation, liquid in stasis.
To
add a bit of fun to the mix, the editor has included a back cover exercise and invites readers to
submit their own poems about glass. All in all, I think you'll find this anthology to be a satisfying
experience.
Highly recommended.
The Magic Fish Poems on an Edward Boccia Sketchbook
Jennifer Bosveld
www.puddinghouse.com
ISBN 1589980832 $18.00
The author states that The Magic Fish is ekphrastic poetry, where the poet views a picture and
creates a poetic respmse. For this well-presented book, she wrote poems based on the art of
Edward
Boccia. Ms. Bosveld is an award- winning poet. Mr. Boccia is Professor Emeritus in Fine Arts at
Washington University in St. Louis. His paintings and drawings are part of important
galleries around the world.
Images, relationships, form, color, and light pass from the artist's hand to the poet's eye with
amazing clarity in The Magic Fish, leaving readers with a sense of wonder. For Boccia's drawing,
The Arrival of God, the poet writes:
God arrives head first
between the legs of the crescent moon and Venus
trailing a sailor's sunset.....
Bosveld's reaction to Boccia's whimsical Manfred and Alma, is a poem titled Common Couple.
Amidst the whimsy she captures the sublime.
All of our love is half
given
to ourselves. All love received
was only half
a gift.
The pen and ink sketch titled A Man Making Love becomes philosophy at Ms. Bosveld's
hand.
Men die when they lose their heads
stuck in their last act
some bodypart sitting there--
evidence and messy
a man making love seldom gets it quite made
Boccia's He Has Been Called becomes a poem titled Medical Chart, once the poet has viewed it. I
read this one aloud several times, enthralled.
He's on his way out
and all mouth about it
like a crow mad with want
for the kill.
Like a priest always meant to make love
on the screen who never believed
in the character he was given.
The Magic Fish is more than a book. It's an experience enriched by the gifts of Ms. Bosveld and
Mr.
Boccia. This one is a collectible gem, well worth the price.
Something Higher
Larsen Bowker
www.puddinghouse.com
ISBN 1589981707 $8.95
Larsen Bowker took a long dead relative's journal and transformed it into poetry. He states in the
preface to his chapbook, "Eva May's journal offered me the opportunity to explore faith that was
as
much a part of her life as the wind that blew even when there was no wind, faith buried in her
bones." What follows is a tribute, nostalgic verses of the highest order.
I am Eva May Spaulding and often feel the dead
coming to my aid......
My timid demeanor disguises a wild desire
for a language clear as nature's speech, so
I can say exactly what I see on these
endless prairies, so vast words disappear
if they are not true as stone.
Eva May and Larsen Bowker speak of simple things with an uncommon eloquence.
Mama sweeps the dirt floor smooth every
morning with a straw and thistle broom,
as if her soul's progress depended on it.
Eva May's elder brother did not have the same love of books and reading, and yet his voice is also
clear and strong through the poet's skill.
But I have done no lantern reading, nor
midnight thinking in summer perfumed air.....
.....for there is no
melody in books sweeter than a
meadowlark's September song, or
the spider's airy spin across open
space, no taste more pure than wild
plums and mulberries with a drink of artesian
water from the willow springs.....
Eva May dreamed of doing something higher with her life, something that would make her worthy
of her death. In her estimation, she failed.
Day by day my dream of doing something
higher dies a little, as though my touch
were no longer enough to keep it breathing.....
I wish that somehow Eva May could know she didn't fail. A couple generations down the line
came
Larsen Bowker. He took her fragile, lovely dreams and breathed new life into them. His words
and
hers are true as stone. This book is one to cherish.
The Christmas Sonnets
Sonnets by Harald Wyndham
Prints by Linda Wolfe
Blue Scarab Press
P.O. Box 4966, Pocatello ID 83205
ISBN 1937179116 $8.00
Poet Wyndham and rostered artist Wolfe collaborated to create this meditative day book
in celebration of the Christmas season. It is both sad and joyful, a true reflection of the season's
heartsong world wide. To quote a line from one of the poet's sonnets, this collectible book hides
"secrets in each special hidden place."
Wyndham's sonnets speak to very human failings and hopeful joys, and are "written from the
outpost
at the edge of Hell" - our modern lives. For me, this excerpt from Sonnet 2 set the tone
ideally:
Now in the dying year's darkest hour,
the heart makes room for those who are not here,
and lights a candle for each missing face,
sending, instead of gifts, a prayer:
Sonnet 7 is powerful and poignant. I quote only a part of it here:
For all who are lonesome and far from home,
who press against cold windows in the night,
pray for us Mother, now and at the hour of our birth.
For children, whose clear eyes and vulnerable souls
are offered up each day on the butcher's block,
have mercy, Mother, now and at the hour of our birth.
With this book, Wyndham honors the holiness of life in all things. Each sonnet is enhanced and
enriched by Ms. Wolfe's original European-style prints. The Christmas Sonnets speak of healing,
forgiveness, mercy, light from darkness, much as the Christmas season does for us all every year.
It
would make a heartfelt gift for any loved one, friend, or co-worker who loves poetry and art.
Heavenly R & B
Harald Wyndham
Blue Scarab Press
P.O. Box 4966, Pocatello ID 83205
ISBN 0937179086 $12.00
In the foreword of Heavenly R & B the author extols "enjoying a diversity of choice and
memory."
That is what you will find here, a diversity of styles and subjects. Wyndham pours his anger, joys
and
sorrows into poems and describes the process far better than my words convey: As poet, he
"...hammers his agon and ecstasy onto the page."
A love of music sings in this poet's words. Writing of familiar subjects and experiences, life's
endless rhythm is in his work. One of my favorites is "Shoes", in which he contemplates his dead
father's footwear.
They are so grotesquely silent,
like masks of some tragicomic chorus,
fixed eyes, mouth agape, and the limp tongue
lolling to one side of a fool's face,
feigning a shocked wisdom.
Another of my favorites is "Elegy at Thirty Thousand Feet." In a poem several pages long,
Wyndham probes the masks men wear, death and life, from cradle to grave. The effect is
memorable
and touching.
It was a "fiercely mourning house," as Dylan named it,
the family huddled together in loose tears,
and when I saw his face in the casket
I lost all composure and sobbed with them
riding the rich flood of memories,
stabbed by the mystery
of how life suddenly ends.....
Fact is, there are more favorite passages than I have room to quote in this fine book. I'll restrain
myself to one last excerpt from "The Leaves Fall Down Like Poems Covering My Life."
It is this darkness that I hunger for,
and sorrow like a secret, silver knife
and someone who will hold me when I die.
Every decade of his life, Harald Wyndham publishes a sampling of his poetry. His first decade of
poems was entitled Cheap Mysteries. Heavenly R & B is his second, from 1982 - 1993. His third
is
due out soon and I eagerly anticipate reading every line.
First Lights
Steven E. Puglisi
Blue Scarab Press
P.O. Box 4966, Pocatello ID 83205
ISBN 093717906X $6.00
In this first collection of poetry by Steven E. Puglisi, the subjects are often ethereal or surreal,
perhaps allegorical, and always evocative. Readers will receive the gift of his thoughts, sometimes
disguised but always worth the contemplation.
His poem, "The Arts in Idaho", tells a tale that sounds familiar where support of the Arts in
Education is concerned. What follows is an excerpt:
Starvation, the crumbs from an unkept shelf,
A larder empty of all but promise,
The promise (an empty canvas itself)
Waits for its last supper, its judas' kiss.
"Words for Benjamin" was written in honor of Benjamin Moloise, hanged to death in South
Africa.
Skillfully written, the poet's requiem for one black man somehow becomes a dirge for all of
Africa and her indigenous people. I excerpt here:
Where? South Africa,
where hate flows so thick
the air can't breathe.
Where? South Africa,
where talking drums
have lost their voice.
Where? South Africa,
where children feed the shadows
milk and honey, bitter wine.
In this exerpt from "What Were They Like?", the poet contemplates Idaho's own native
people.
Sir, their songs have turned to smoke,
it is not remembered if they wept that winter
before they sang
or after.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Sir, they spoke in hushed whispers
and hoarse cries
of an angry god who screamed a flood,
who promised to rain a fire
next time, and did.
And sometimes Puglisi surprises with a sly humor, as in "Lunatic" - a favorite, I must
confess.
the night has a theory:
it believes the moon
would continue to shine
even without the sun.
the day, too, has a theory:
it believes the night
is crazy.
As a poet, Steven Puglisi is not afraid to tackle any subject or style. I tip my hat and ask
respectfully,
when can we anticipate your next collection?
Pahsimeroi
land beyond words
Edson Fichter
Blue Scarab Press
P.O. Box 4966, Pocatello ID 83205
ISBN 0937179027 $12.00
This 8 1/2 by 11 collection of poems and charcoal drawings by Edson Fichter is a treasure.
Between
these covers is the span of one man's life as poet, artist, husband, and wildlife conservationist.
Fichter began his life in Iowa, lived and worked in Nebraska, and fianlly moved to Idaho. His
work
is rich with images of fertile prairies, grasslands, mountains, and the wildlife such terrain
supports.
Pahsimeroi is a river in Idaho. Quoting in its entirety the poem for which this book is named
seems
appropriate.
No wilderness of my remembered years
As sweetly sang to me
as this possessive land --
The night-sad voices of its haunted winds
That only searching hearts can understand.
Too late I came to consummate a bond
With every sensuous meaning
of its perfumed air,
Its brooding slopes and secret valleys that
Will never feel my shadow moving there:
Too late for total being. Yet I know
These hills will never let me go.
Mr. Fichter's poems skillfully intertwine his love of nature with thoughts of human love. One
example is this excerpt from "Autumnal Sequence:"
The winds
Of twilight speak
Her name where once I touched
Her hand and knew the fragrance of
Her face.
The poet writes with often heartbreaking simplicity. This excerpt from "Components" is one of
many
such examples:
I must believe the catbird's song
when he spills his ecstasy
among the lilac blossoms
Edson Fichter's elegant poems are punctuated by realistic charcoal drawings of birds and animals
in
their natural habitat. His lifetime and his heart are in this book It would make a fitting gift for
anyone
who appreciates fine poetry or art.
All the Ways Home
Janne Goldbeck
Blue Scarab Press
P.O. Box 4966, Pocatello ID 83205
ISBN 0937179108 $9.00
In her first collection of poems, Janne Goldbeck writes of prairie pioneers desiccated by wind and
drought, and ancient canyon dwellers of the Great Basin. These voices from the past speak to the
reader throughout Passages and Migrations.
"The Crossing" calls up the dust, danger, and hardship of a prairie passage. This brief excerpt lets
us
share their sense of wonder:
. . . . . . . . .At evening
our eyes burned following
the plains clear to the sun,
but the whole land shone.
The women, especially, endure a loneliness in the new land their menfolk don't understand. That
loneliness is expressed simply in this excerpt from "Endurance by Design":
Before I sleep, I brush the floor bare,
open windows to the wind. I wait
and hoard my emptiness.
And this excerpt from "Persephone" brings together the passages, the migrations, and the
inevitable
settling into a new life and new land.
Always the myth unmakes me. I will keep
my bargain with the earth, breaking the cold soil,
telling the long dream in the furrowed seed
open to relentless light. I will know
again how summer ravishes the land.
Slow sun spill thick as honey on the grass;
the harvest's brass and amber fill my lap.
The back cover of All the Ways Home states, "Here are the voices of wind and solitude, of
struggle
and survival - of homecoming." You will find that an much more in Ms. Goldbeck's first poetry
collection. I hope it won't be the last.
Long Island Alive: A Hunter Travel Guide
Francine Silverman
www.hunterpublishing.com
ISBN 1588433218 $17.95
If Long Island Alive is not the definitve guide book for Long Island travel, I don't know what is.
This was my first experience reviewing a travel guide, and it was a delightful surprise. Anything
the
traveler could possibly want or need to know can be found between these covers.
Of particular interest to me was the Long Island history. Beginning with the ice age - which
created
the unique topography - to the Native Algonquian Indians, progressing through early Dutch and
English settlers, the island's history is fascinating. Ms. Silverman also describes the geology and
geography and provides detailed maps. It is a diverse land of pine barrens and beaches, state parks
and golf courses, hiking trails and woodlands. I was thinking "Wow!" before I'd finished reading
the
introduction.
The book is arranged rather handily into distinct areas of Long Island - Nassau County, Suffolk
County, and Fire Island. The author then breaks down each area into points of interest and backs
up
her information with first hand impressions, phone numbers, websites, helpful tips and intriguing
tidbits.
Sources of transportation available by car, rail, bus, plane, plus directions are provided. Available
lodging and restaurants in each area and price ranges are clearly listed. Whether you are interested
in
museums, the arts, farmer markets, romantic getaways, cruises, outdoor activities, family fun, or
world class night life, that information is listed. There's something of interest for everyone and
choices to suit every pocket book. This guide also contains practical information, such as banks,
hospitals, veterinary clinics, houses of worship, and which destinations are handicapped
accessible. If
you're wondering if children or pets are welcome, you'll find that information too.
Long Island Alive is complete with any information the traveler could possibly want to know. And
it's entertaining reading to boot. Highest recommendation.
Satin Verses
R. Leland Waldrip
www.rappahannockbooks.com
ISBN 1892105071 $16.95
Author and poet Waldrip shares his thoughts in rhyme this time with Satin Verses. Subjects range
from the mundane to the sublime, and he does it with humorous, pragmatic or philosophical bent.
As
stated on the back cover, readers may be either pleased or disturbed but will appreciate his rhyme
and rhythm. Following are excerpts of his verses on various subjects.
The hummingbird in "Tiny Tyrant":
In your ruby cravat and frock of green
What hormone or gene made you so mean?
There you sit, so cocky, so proud,
You've chased away the hummer crowd
From your red and yellow nectar stash
In a hellbent Kamikaze buzzing flash.
I enjoyed his reply to the Unabomber manifesto, in which Ted Kazinsky stated that technology
had
ruined mankind:
You hardly spurn technolgy, your bombs blow
Good people to bits, lay wooden buildings low.
In "Anthem", the poet takes on organized religion:
I won't accept a religious creed,
Or bend my knee in word or deed.
If blasphemy I commit, so I deign,
But not holy treason against my brain!
Finally Mr. Waldrip shares his thoughts in prose and verse on "September 11, 2001" and
questions
the presence of an all knowing all loving God on that horrible day. His conclusion follows:
It made no difference, don't you see,
What their ethics or morals would be,
The catastrophe came and innocents took,
And God was neutral, not even a look.
The subjects addressed in rhyming verse are too numerous to excerpt here. Read Satin Verses for
yourself. There's something for everyone, food for thought.
Russells in the Leaves: A Jack Russell Terrier Picture Book
R. Leland Waldrip
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.xlibris.com
ISBN 1401079962 $20.99
Russells in the Leaves is a delightful book, appropriate for any age from one to one hundred.
Those
who love dogs - particularly Jack Russell terriers - will chuckle and smile at the antics of Jack,
Jessie, Spunky and Lizzie.
Jack and Jessie are the mom and dad dogs and Lizzie and Spunky their offspring. This family of
Jack
Russell terriers lives in a comfortable home in the woods near the Rappahannock River in
Virginia.
They love to run and play in the woods and swim in the river whenever their master will take
them
for a romp. Their story is told from Lizzie's point of view. She keeps a humorous running
commentary about their activities and the photographs that memorialize fun, frolic, and naps.
This is a sturdy, high quality book with large print and colorful photographs. The fun loving, high
energy Jack Russell terrier personality is captured perfectly by the author in Lizzie's voice.
Russells
in the Leaves would make a wonderful gift, suitable for reading aloud to a child or for older
readers
to enjoy.
99 life-affirming thoughts for all ages
Murray Zevon
Voices From My Retreat
P.O. Box 1077, South Fallsburg NY 12779
www.myretreat.net
ISBN 096706404X $14.99
Murray Zevon was a Russian immigrant to New York. He worked hard, took pride in his
citizenship, became a loving husband, respected father, and congenial friend. Murray Zevon died
just short of his 100th birthday, leaving behind the poetry and thoughts of a lifetime. To quote one
of Murray's poems, he described himself as "just an average guy, doing his best and knocking on
wood."
After reading and re-reading Murray Zevon's poems, I would say he was anything but average.
His
work is positive, definitely life affirming, practical and profound. He wrote of love and war, for
example, from the perspective of a man who had known much of both. Following are excerpts
from
Murray's thoughts on a variety of subjects.
On love:
I love to hear her heartbeat
in the dark next to mine....
In my dreams I held her near
And now she is really here
I hear her heartbeat all the time
really and truly next to mine.
On aging:
You spend a lifetime pretending
That there will be a happy ending
And that a merry heart and sense of humor
Will help prevent that final tumor.....
Old age is about the only ailmnet
you don't look forward to being cured from.
On reaching eighty:
One day dove tails another
And before you know it
You get to be eighty
Not by taking
But by giving and giving.
On living:
By piecing together
small miracles
We manage to make it through
the day.
On war:
I thought that when we got rid of Hitler
we were rid of the last beast.
But we are wrong again,
and it's a crying shame.
Now then, what can we do?
Who can we fault, who can we blame?
Our president and people in high places
are all doing their part to save their faces.
Murray's thoughts are simply stated, yet touching, humorous and wise. And to put a face with his
words are photographs of Murray throughout his life. Murray as a youth, and as a dapper young
swain with his beloved, as father, in contented middle age or still-dashing with snow white hair
and
face creased from a life of smiling added poignance to his work. I felt that we had been birds of a
feather or life long friends. This one would make a lovely gift for parents, grandparents, friends,
or
anyone you love.
The Road to Darkness
Shawn P. Madison
www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
ISBN 1554040469 $4.99
Horror is not my preferred genre, for the simple reason that when it is well-written such stories
scare
the bejabbers out of me. The Road to Darkness, Shawn Madison's 19 Stops on the Way to the
Unknown, is a VERY well written anthology of horror stories. I'm still shivering.
The introduction states that this author has a ".....deep unquiet respect for those that have
departed
before us."
Mr. Madison writes in "pure and eerie prose." and that is for certain! The book is divided into
three
parts. Part One serves up "Ghosts and Goblins" in a spooky mix. Part Two is "Oh, So Many Ways
to Die." Part Three - my personal favorite - is the "Jack Thatcher Chronicles." Jack Thatcher is a
taciturn hero who takes care of business, leading his solitary life mostly in the dark hours of night
when the full moon shines. Many a dying, deep lonely howl is heard when Jack is on the move.
And
that's the only hint I plan to give you.
The Road to Darkness presents gentle hauntings from the past, monsters that lurk in shadow,
gruesome but imaginative deaths, and all points in between. My neck hairs stood on end at every
turn.
As I said in the beginning, I'm not a horror story fan but Shawn Madison does the genre very well.
If
you like horror, by all means check this one out. I don't think we've heard the last of this
author.
Chasing Demons
Christy Tillery French
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN: 0595291236 $14.95
The author of Chasing Horses and Wayne's Dead has done it again. Her gift for creating
compelling
characters and an exciting story comes a cropper in Chasing Demons. This third book is Christy
Tillery French at her best.
At age 14, a beautiful and innocent Kendra is "traded" by her father to Tony Salvatori. Tony is a
mobster, an evil, murderous villain of the worst kind. Wealthy and powerful, he grooms the young
girl he's renamed Angel to be his wife. At age 18, he marries Kendra / Angel and sets out to make
her into the sort of woman he can be proud of in public. Over time her life becomes a nightmare
of
vicious beatings and observing Tony's murderous vendettas. When he deliberately causes her to
miscarry their child, she escapes with the help of a sympathetic henchman.
Battered and hemorrhaging, she finds shelter on the property of Garth Fisher. Garth is a burnt out
cop who lives in self imposed isolation in the mountains of North Carolina.
At first shocked and moved by Angel's condition, he soon feels admiration for her courage. Over
time, his concern for her turns to tenderness, and then love. The only man Angel has ever known
intimately is the brutal Tony. Garth's quiet strength and gentle consideration are a new experience,
one she'd like to explore if only Tony's spectre was not threatening their lives.
The raging Tony cuts a violent swath through several states in his maddened search for Angel.
And
when he and his goons catch up to Garth and Angel, all hell breaks loose. But Angel has vowed to
rid herself of Tony. No more chasing demons. The final chapters are full of adrenalin pumping
action
as Angel takes her stand with Garth beside her.
It seems Ms. French can write in any genre. Her work is always "no holds barred" excitement,
with
strong and believable characters racing to a satisfying climax. If you like action thrillers with a
healthy dose of romance, give Chasing Demons a whirl.
Any movie producers out there? This one would make a thrilling movie.
Laurel Johnson
Reviewer
Interviewer note: Robert J. Sawyer is a writing phenomenon, with 17 best-selling novels so far.
He's
won 30 national and international writing awards at last count. The list of accolades describing the
man and his work is impressive, including:
"....just about the best sci fi writer out there these days...." "....the dean of Canadian sci fi...."
"....the
sci fi genre's Northern Star...." "....a writer of boundless confidence and bold scientific
extrapolations...."
In addition to being a talented and prolific writer, Sawyer is friendly, humorous, and
approachable.
What a winning combination! I'm so pleased he agreed to an interview.
LJ for MBR: You've come a long way from that self-described "chubby kid who was lousy at
sports." I think winning the Hugo Award for Hominids probably made up for any past
disappointments. Give us your thoughts on being nominated for and winning the highest award a
sci-fi writer can have.
Rob: I've just been walking on air since it happened. Although I've won awards in the past, there's
no doubt that this one is, as George R. R. Martin said in his speech before presenting it to me,
"the
big one." I read the list of titles that have previously won the best-novel Hugo Award -- Stranger
in
a Strange Land; Dune; Ringworld; The Forever War; and my all-time favorite SF novel, Gateway
--
and to think that my novel is now part of that canon is just astonishing to me. Looking at the
names
of the other authors who have won best-novel Hugo Awards -- Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov,
Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, William Gibson -- to think that the next edition of Microsoft
Encarta is going to have my name on the same list ... there just aren't words to describe how I
feel.
The best-novel Hugo confers immortality on the book that earned it, and lifetime job security on
the
writer that wrote it. I've never been so happy in my life.
LJ for MBR: Hominids is the first book in your Neanderthal Parallax trilogy. Humans and Hybrids
round out the series. I haven't read Hybrids yet but know it will be a rousing finale. What sparked
the idea to write about humans interacting with Neanderthals as a contemporary scenario?
Rob: There are always a half-dozen answers or more to the question of what inspired a particular
book, but here's one of the factors: at the 1998 World Science Fiction Convention in Baltimore,
my
publisher, Tom Doherty of Tor Books, took me out to dinner -- just me and Tom, which was a
heady experience in itself. Over dinner, we were chatting about the fact that Tor was looking for
some media properties to do books based on. They'd acquired the rights to Earth: Final Conflict,
and
I'd been offered the job of writing the first novel based on that series, but ultimately turned it
down; I
just didn't love that series enough, and I also feel that doing novels set in series that are currently
in
production is really bottom-end work. Back in the days of the original Star Trek, print SF authors
wrote scripts for the series: Harlan Ellison, Robert Bloch, Theodore Sturgeon, Jerome Bixby,
Jerry
Sohl, and others. These days, print authors aren't allowed anywhere near media projects, except
doing merchandising tie-ins which I think is bad for the media project, and insulting to the print
author. But I said to Tom, you know, if you acquired the rights to the original Planet of the Apes
universe, I'd be delighted to write novels in that milieu. I was quite disappointed in the recent
re-imaging of Planet of the Apes, but the original series of films was and is something that I
deeply
love, precisely because it did what science fiction is supposed to do: give us a distorting mirror
that
lets us catch glimpses of ourselves that we wouldn't normally see.
Tom thought about my suggestion for a few minutes, but then said he thought the best thing for
me
-- and for Tor -- would be for me to create my own franchise. By the next year's Worldcon, in
Melbourne, I had put together a proposal for the Neanderthal Parallax trilogy. On a superficial
level,
the parallels to Planet of the Apes are obvious, although there are equal parallels to everything
from
Gulliver's Travels to Stranger in a Strange Land: the story of an outsider who comments on a
society
in which he finds himself inadvertently stranded.
LJ for MBR: You hold what seems to be a passionate belief that multiculturalism is a positive
force,
with heroes such as Martin Luther King and Gandhi. Did that philosophy fuel the realism and
heart
so apparent in the Neanderthal trilogy?
Rob: Absolutely! I grew up in Toronto, which the UN recently named the most multicultural city
in
the world. The greatness of our species comes from its diversity, from all the ways to structure
families and governments and societies and economic systems, all the wonderful beauty of the vast
spectrum of colors and shapes that collectively call themselves Homo sapiens. Of course, I also
have
to give credit where credit is due: I grew up watching the original Star Trek. At the time, I had no
idea how groundbreaking it was to show that multiracial crew on the bridge of the Enterprise, or
to
show that Kirk's superior, Commodore Stone, was black, that the genius who designed the
Enterprise's computers, Richard Daystrom, was black, or that the governor of the Tantalus
colony,
Donald Cory, was Asian. It just seem right to this kid to see all those different sorts of people
working together and respecting each other: the future belongs to everyone.
LJ for MBR: Your writing success began long before the Neanderthal trilogy. You've had many
best-selling novels and won numerous awards. Tell us about your favorite, earlier novels and their
awards.
Rob: Although it was published as my fifth novel, End of an Era was actually the first book I
wrote,
and I'm still very fond of it. It's the most rollicking story I've ever told -- in fact, a deliberate
attempt
to turn something H. G. Wells said on its ear. Wells said it was all right to write about aliens, as
he
did in War of the Worlds, or invisibility, as he did in The Invisible Man, or antigravity as he did in
The First Men in the Moon, or time travel as he did in The Time Machine, but you shouldn't write
about invisible time-traveling aliens who use antigravity. Well, all those elements figure in End of
an
Era, which, to my great satisfaction not one but two reviewers called one of the best SF novels of
the last ten years. Still, it sold only modestly in North America in its original Ace Books release,
so
the great vindication for it was winning Japan's Seiun Award for best novel of the year.
Another book I was very happy with -- and probably the one I worked the hardest on of all my
novels -- is my genetics thriller Frameshift. My agent at the time, and some reviewers, felt it was
too
crowded with plot elements, but to me those elements were instruments in an orchestra
performing a
carefully constructed symphony. Although that book was a Hugo nominee -- the third of my
seven
Hugo nominations -- it nonetheless made only a modest splash in North America when it was first
published, although the mass-market paperback just keeps on going like the Energizer bunny in
terms of sales. That book also won Japan's Seiun Award, which was very, very gratifying.
LJ for MBR: Your writing is interesting and readable in addition to being intelligent and
insightful.
Is that combination a gift you were born with or a style you developed over time?
Rob: It's definitely the fallout of the work I did in the 1980s. I spent most of that decade doing
freelance writing for magazines about computers, high technology, and personal finance. I
developed
whatever knack I have for explaining complex ideas in simple terms during that period.
LJ for MBR: You have new novels slated for release. Give us a brief rundown of what to expect.
And will they be published by Tor?
Rob: Oh, yes, indeed. Tor and I are very happy with each other, and I certainly don't anticipate
ever
changing publishing companies again. I mentioned earlier having dinner with Tor publisher Tom
Doherty, which I've done several times now; at the other companies I've been with I never had
any
contact with the actual individual who held the job of publisher. Tor treats me very well.
I've just done a contract with Tor for two new stand-alone novels -- I quite enjoyed writing the
Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, but stand-alones are my real love. The first, with the working title of
Skins, is about uploaded consciousness, and the second, Webmind, about artificial intelligence.
I'm
really enthusiastic about both of them, and am eagerly waiting for the post-Hugo-win media flurry
to
die down so that I can just settle back into my chair and get on with being a writer.
LJ for MBR: If you could give one bit of advice to aspiring writers, what would it be?
Rob: Perseverance is the key. My first novel, Golden Fleece, did very poorly in the marketplace --
and yet it ultimately went on to be named the best SF novel of 1990 by Orson Scott Card in his
review column in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. My sixth novel, The Terminal
Experiment, was rejected from a finished manuscript by my then-publisher, and then went on to
win
the Nebula Award for best novel of the year. My novel Frameshift was a very tough sell, as well --
but I insisted that my then-agent keep at it. And, of course, I had six Hugo nominations before I
actually took home the prize. So: don't be discouraged. Or, in the words made famous by the film
Galaxy Quest, "Never give up! Never surrender!"
LJ for MBR: Thanks so much for your time, Rob. Those wishing to read more about Robert J.
Sawyer, the man and writer and his work, should visit his website at
http://www.sfwriter.com
Interview for Midwest Book Review by Laurel Johnson
Shirley's Bookshelf
The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane
Arrow Publications
P.O.Box 10102, Cedar Rapids, IA 52410
http://www.frangipane.org
ISBN# 0962904902 $14.75 Hardcover $9.00 Trade paperback 1-877-363-6889
This is perhaps my favorite book so far by author Francis Frangipane. In these end-times it is vital
to
know who and what you are fighting and what weapons you need to win the wars. In this
outstanding book, "The Three Battlegrounds" you learn exactly that and more.
What are the battlegrounds that Christians must face? The author breaks them into three distinct
groups, the mind, the church, and the heavenly places.
He gives you needed insight into overcoming battles that are raging around you and against you.
He
shows the importance of your thoughts and the very words that you speak, bringing revelation
that
is life changing.
This book, in my opinion, should be on every Christian's nightstand. Packed full of battleground
insight, it is one you will read over and over again, and put each principal to use in your daily
walk
with the Lord.
Very highly recommended!
It's Time To End Church Splits
Francis Frangipane
Arrow Publications
P.O. Box 10102
Cedar Rapids, IA 52410
http://www.inchristsimage.org
ISBN# 1886296081 $10.50 1-877-363-6889
I have to admit I was not particularly looking forward to reading yet another book about church
splits, but by page 5 I was really hooked. The author does not just tell the story, but gives the
answers to end this age old problem, like a breath of fresh air you feel there is hope.
Francis Frangipane takes you gently into the areas that the enemy uses to corrupt the unity of
God's
church. He shows you, in down to earth ways, how to avoid being a part of this corruption and
what
to do if you are confronted with it; answering a lot of heart felt questions, he leads you to healing
the hurts that you may have within your spirit from being a victim or a participant in this
event.
Mr. Frangipane shows the damage that church splits do to the Body of Christ and our testimony
as a
whole, not in a condemning way, but in a thought provoking way that should bring every
Christian
to their knees in prayer for the Body of Christ. Through his words we can see it's time we join
together and put an end to this invasion from the enemy of the church; and the author writes the
words that will help mend the broken fences if the church will listen and apply the truths spoken
within these pages.
Recommended read for all serious Christians!
The Inheritance
Gail MacMillan
Awestruck Ebook
http://www.awestruck.net
editor@awestruck.net
ISBN# 1587493896 11 Chapters $5.99 Download
The story begins with Allison attending her Grandfather's funeral with her strong mother Myra.
Allison had loved her grandfather dearly, but due to circumstances that occurred she had not seen
him in many years. Allison blamed Heath, the now grown man who stood before her, for the loss
of
all that time she could have spent with her grandfather.What happened so long ago that caused
her
to not return to see her beloved grandfather? The mystery begins!
As the story unfolds, Gramps leaves specific instructions in his will that have to be carried out.
This
forces Allison and Heath to be together and to make some decisions in order to fulfill Gramps
wishes for his beautiful retreat. If they should fail, all that Gramps loved would be lost
forever.
The author does a very good job in bringing you into the lives of these two people, allowing you
to
feel their emotions and their passions. I enjoyed this read, it was entertaining and had a little
twist of mystery to it. Love, mystery, entertainment, what more could you want!
I Believe In Visions
Kenneth E. Hagin
Fleming H. Revell Company
Old Tappan, New Jersey
ISBN# 0807706706 $6.95
I have always loved the teachings of Pastor Kenneth Hagin and this book only added to my
admiration of a very Godly man.
Pastor Hagin shares with the reader his actual death, leaving his body and coming to the gates of
Hell. Talk about scary! He speaks of his early walk with the Lord and begins to share with the
reader many visions and visitations he has had with Jesus Himself. Sound fishy? Not on your
life!
I can only tell you this. Through the years I have studies under teachings of Pastor Hagin and
know
of His knowledge of God's Word and his relationship with Jesus. The man would never disrespect
the Lord by telling something that never occurred.
If you are interested in the supernatural, you need to turn to this book for a healthy dose. You will
learn much about the Lord and His Word and how to apply it to your life. I loved this book! It
was
great!
Treasures of the Heart
Joyce and Jim Lavene
Awestruck Ebooks
http://www.awestruck.net
editor@awestruck.net
ISBN# 1587494310 $TBA
Keri worked at the Richmond Historical Museum. She liked her job as the assistant to the curator,
but her hearts desire was to go on a dig. She knew she was ready, but her boss Mr. Grainger
thought otherwise, after all Keri had seizures and he wasn't sure it would be safe for her. Keri felt
cheated and longed for an opportunity to prove herself, despite her illness.
As fate would have it one day as she was walking out of the museum she met a man who had
found
an important old diary. Mr. Armand St Jacques claimed to be the last descendent of the Bourbon
throne and he wanted to fund an expedition to find the Dauphin, whom he said had died and been
buried in America not France.
Keri's heart raced as the thought flooded her mind that perhaps fate had put this man before her.
Surely she could handle this without telling her boss anything about it. Thus begins our story.
The plans are made as both Keri and Armand make their way to the Island off Alabama with all
their
equipment, but things are not going to go as planned.
As you read on, you find that Armand is not who he says he is but is really a rich bankers son who
longs to go on a dig as much as Keri does. His family is against his desires and so he has
disguised
himself to try and hide his identity from anyone who would know his family.
They both find out the truth about each other which causes doubt to enter their beginning
relationship. The author does a great job of keeping up the suspense in this work and keeping you
abreast of the thoughts of the characters. I liked this book a lot. It has adventure with a good
storyline. It had love with a tender ending! And it was quite an interesting read, one you will enjoy
from beginning to end.
Dream Man
Judy Gill
Awe-Struck Ebook
http://www.awestruck.net
ISBN# 1587494256 $4.99 10 Chapters
Judy Gill has outdone herself in her new book "Dream Man." This story is not just one of
romance,
but adds many different twists out of the norm before the two special people are finally allotted
their
happiness.
Max McKenzie is a freelance writer, his chosen article is to be written about weird jobs that are
offered in the paper. His brother Rolph points out one such job and after much decision Max goes
to
J.Leslie Career Consultant to inquire of the job. Little did Max know that J, standing for Jeanie,
would be the woman who finally made him release to love; an emotion he did not even realize he
was capable of.
Jeanie is no ordinary woman, she is from a line of Gypsies who believed that something's that
happen in dreams would come to pass. Jeanie had seen Max before, in her dreams. Max doesn't
know why, but he knows that he is drawn to Jeanie and has to have her as his own. The problem
is,
how does he convince Jeanie of that? After all, dream men do not come to life, or do they?
Drawn together by fate, these two tumble in and out of their relationship and it takes a near
tragedy
to make them realize something's are just made to be. Dying in a cave, the two cling to the love
that
was always meant to be. A good twist in the storyline, adventure always seems to steam up
romance!
I enjoyed this read of love and adventure, with a little mystic thrown in for good measure.
The Tongue A Creative Force
Charles Capps
Harrison House Publishers
PO Box 35035, Tulsa Ok 74153
ISBN# 0892740612 $6.99
Remember your Mom telling you, "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, just
don't say anything?" She was right!
In this outstanding book by author Charles Capps, you learn the importance of what comes out of
your mouth. Are you blaming circumstances, others or fate for your situation in life? Well,
perhaps
you better turn that finger inward and point at yourself.
If you are a Bible believer, than the words in Proverbs 18:21 should make you stand up and take
notice. "Death an life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit
thereof."
In other words, your own words are planting in the ground your future. Scary isn't it?
I don't suppose we like the ball to be put in our court when it has been so easy to blame
everything
else on our 'rotten luck', bad situations, and unfulfilled dreams. After reading this book, we now
have a new saying in my house and a new word maybe you would want to apply it as well and
change your life forever.
"Just what are those little 'lippers' saying?" If I can have what I say, I say I have only good things
from now on. How about you?
Highly recommended!
Angels
Charles Capps
Harrison House Publishers
PO Box 35035, Tulsa, OK 74153
ISBN# 0892743085 $6.99
This is a great companion book for Mr. Capps other outstanding work, "The Tongue, A Creative
Force." Both books give you great insight into the words you speak.
Are you wondering about Angels, what their job is and just how they go about doing it? If you
are,
this is the book for you. The author gives you Scriptures shwoing Angels work in history and
explains how they can help you in your daily life.
God wants you to understand that you do have supernatural help, and this book explains to you
how
to release their power on your behalf. Again, your words are important and play a large role in
just
how much your Angels can intervine in your life.
If you believe in God's Word, if you believe in Angels and want to know more about their job on
planet earth and how they can help you, this book is a must read. I truly enjoyed it and felt the
author did a wonderful job. Recommended!
Natural Health Secrets Encyclopedia
Frank W. Cawood
FC & A Publishing
103 Clover Green, Peachtree City, GA 30269
ISBN# 0915099306 $4.99
This handy book was given to me to read recently by a friend. Although it has been around for a
while, upon reading it, I found there was still a lot of useful information in the pages I read.
Here is a bit of information I found fascinating. Did you know that you could have a reaction to
an
insect bite several weeks after it has bitten you? I certainly didn't. You'll find tips on combating
aging, breathing correctly to protect yourself from high blood pressure, and some information on
drug and food reactions. Pretty interesting stuff. This was a good read educational read.
Emergence of Hope
Jeff Neugroschel
Publish America
Fredericks, Maryland
http://www.publishamerica.com
ISBN#: 1592864082 $16.95
At this time in our Nation's history there are many books out there telling the story of the horror
our
country felt on September 11th. Emergence of Hope takes you back to this day in a way that has
to
be called pure genius.
Stacy Hogan is a teenage girl living in New Jersey with her Mom, who has experienced the loss of
a
dear friend at the Trade Towers. Stacey's Mom and Dad are separated and Stacey's family, like all
those around the world, are trying to come to grips with the horror that captures their every
waking
moment. However, for Stacy, it also captures her sleeping moments.
Stacy is having dreams about a man called Pete Jorgenson, who she sees going through the horror
that day in the World Trade Center. In her dreams, she sees his actions, feels his pain and hears
his
thoughts. Over and over the dreams would come to her, giving clues that this man is still alive,
lost
in his memory,unable to talk and wondering around in the City of New York. Who would believe
Stacy? She must find a way to help this man and bring him home to his family. But how?
The author does an excellent job in bringing you into the mind of young Stacy as she struggles
with
the images that flood her mind and the battle to make others believe her. The outcome is
breathtaking and it is a joy to read of victory within such a horrific time-span.
A different twist on a story that has been embedded in our minds forever. A very good read, one
that
you would not want to miss.
House of Snakes
Perry Comer
Wings e-press
http://www.wings-press.com
ISBN# 1590882393 ebook
Download: $6.00 Trade Paperback $9.95 (site/wholesale) $13.95 retail
ISBN# 1590886992 POD
I cannot imagine a young person not being totally absorbed in this outstanding work by Perry
Comer.
Young Josh is separated from his family as they are overtaken by flood waters caused by
Hurricane
Floyd. Alone and fighting desperately to save his life, Josh must make moment by moment
decisions
that could have fatal outcomes. You the reader, become part of the adventure, as he battles
dangerous flood waters, fallen objects and by far the worse, a houseful of snakes. Double
shudder!
The author does a wonderful job of weaving the human element into the story, especially for the
young reader, as he brings young Josh's dog along for the ride. My heart broke when the one
friend
Josh had was swept away, but rejoiced when dog and boy were once again united. Have a tissue
handy, you will need it!
Mr. Comer also shows the initiative that a young person can take when put in a situation that is
life
threatening. Let's hope the reader would never need the lesson, but if they should it's a sure bet
they
will remember what they have read. I know I will!
House of Snakes is a rollercoaser read from start to finish, one that takes you from a high to a low
in
a moment of time. My heart was in my throat more than once as I read with continuing hope that
young Josh and his beloved dog Snoopy would survive.
Don't miss this one, and parents surprise your young reader with a book they won't be able to put
down. Highly recommended!
Wake Me When It's Over
Sandy Knauer
SynergEbooks
2325 Shoals Rd., King, NC
http://www.synergebooks.com
Synergebooks@aol.com
ISBN# 193154042X $5.00 download
Hats off to Ms. Knauer for an outstanding job in her book "Wake Me When It's Over." In this
outstanding work, a woman has a dream that a young boy is murdered, the night before it
happens.
You can imagine her amazement and fear when the next day she sees the report of the murder on
the
news. Thus begins the start of a great story. "Wake Me When It's Over" held my interest from
page
one. The author does a great job in bringing her characters to life and making you feel as though
you
have known them forever. Not an easy task to do! With this in place, you can't wait to see what
will
be the final outcome of this read! You don't want to miss this one! Highly recommended!
Desideratum's Doggie Dish
Janet I. Buck
SynergEbooks
2325 Shoals Rd., King, NC
http://www.synergebooks.com
synergebooks@aol.com
121 pages Download
ISBN # 0744303176 $5.00
If you want to read a book that will give you a lift and make you chuckle on the way, this one is
for
you. The author uses humor in writing about some everyday experiences, that we all go through,
and some not so everyday experiences all heaped together in a delightful read. The topics range
from
"Martha Steward and Other Irritations" to "Humble Pie." Great little stories about people and life
in
general. Ms Buck writes in a fun way, using her experiences as the backbone of her story, she
whisks you into the experience, which you probably have had as well. I recommend this book, it
will
leave you feeling good! Great job!
Free Falling
Sherri Neilson
Publish America
PO Box 151 Fredericks, Md
http://www.publishamerica.com
ISBN# 1591298415 $17.95
Denise is having recurring nightmares that are terrifying her, because of this she seeks the help of
Dr. Leopold, who gently convinces her that perhaps she is remembering a former life. This at first
horrifies Denise but something inside of her draws her back to the doctor to find out the truth.
Under hypnosis, Denise goes back to her past life as a young woman named Olivia who is married
to
an abusive husband. This is where the story truly blossoms. Olivia falls in love with her coach
driver
Wilson, who is a black man. They are drawn to each other by their deep desire to be free, one
from
the abuse of racism and one from the abuse of a cruel husband. Unfortunately their love causes
both
of their deaths. I found myself not able to put this book down until I completed the read.
Although I am not a believer in reincarnation, to me this was a story of deep love that spanned the
fringes of time. The author does an excellent job in drawing you into the very life's of her
characters
as their world unfolds before your eyes. I recommend this read, a real page turner with a very
happy
ending!
Shirley Johnson
Reviewer
INTERVIEW WITH SHERRI NEILSON AUTHOR OF "FREE FALLING"
I really enjoyed Sherri's work, "Free Falling" and wanted to know more about this lady. I believe
you will enjoy this interview and I know you will truly enjoy reading her outstanding work, "Free
Falling".
Let's begin.
SPJ: Sherri, please tell us what started you on writing and how long you have been a writer.
SHERRI: I've been writing my whole life. When I was a child, I wrote stories, and when I was in
high school I started writing novellas. Writing is a skill, and I believe each novel I write is better
than
the one before. I really don't know why I write. The pay is not very good! It's just something I'm
compelled to do. Although I've gone years without writing anything, I've been writing one novel
per
year for the last three.
SPJ: Thank you Sherri! I believe most authors understand what you are saying about the 'pay' not
being very good! *smile* And I believe we understand the drive to continue that you are sharing
with us. Is "Free Falling" your first published work?
SHERRI: Yes, getting Free Falling published has really motivated me into becoming more serious
about writing. I had some previous novels self published and sold them to family and friends.
Seeing
my work in print has been a great experience. I've learned a lot about the publishing industry in
the
past year and met a lot of great people. Getting published really changed my life.
SPJ: Please tell us how you decided on the topic of your book.
SHERRI: I was playing "what if" one day and thought the controversial topic of a plantation
mistress falling in love with a slave would be very interesting. It's also a topic that hasn't been
done
much in books and movies.
SPJ: Sherri your idea created a masterpiece. You truly reach into the emotions of a forbidden
love
and you were able to pen them in a way that brought the reader directly into the hearts of your
characters. Very nice work. Please tell us how long it took you to complete your work and if
there
was much research involved.
SHERRI: It took me about four months to write Free Falling. I write in the morning on weekends
and holidays. It's hard to write after work because I have a 50-mile commute and a very
demanding
job as a Systems Analyst. Writing consistently is the key to finishing a book. If you wait until you
have time, it'll never happen. My latest novel, Renaissance Man, took only two months to write
the
first draft. I set a record for myself.
I did quite a bit of research for Free Falling since it's historical. The research is always fun because
I
learn so many interesting things. I read several books on southern plantations and learned all the
details about Fort Sumter, where the first shot of the Civil War was fired. I also had a friend send
me
a detailed article on kudzu. I had referred to it in the book, but the article pointed out that it
hadn't
reached the South until the 20th century. I guess the lesson from that is no detail is too small to
research. I usually do research while I'm writing and finish the rest afterwards. I could never do all
the research first. I'm afraid I'd lose interest in writing the book before I started.
SPJ: How did you come up with the characters that you used? Did you fashion them from people
you know? How about the location of your book, how did you decide on that?
SHERRI: When creating characters, I often borrow from the physical and personality traits of real
people while other characters come strictly from my mind. This probably sounds crazy. I had the
topic of the book tucked in my mind for years, but I never felt enough "spark" to write it.
Watching
reruns of the television show, Different Strokes motivated me to write the book. I pictured Todd
Bridges as the hero and Conrad Bain as Uncle Victor. I'm not sure why the show inspired me, but
maybe the racial issues it brought up got me thinking.
I chose South Carolina for the location because it has such an interesting history surrounding the
secession and Fort Sumter
SPJ: What has writing "Free Falling" done for you and what do you hope it will leave with your
readers?
SHERRI: Writing "Free Falling" has kicked my writing career into motion. For that reason, this
book will always be special. The second thing it did was to open my eyes to racial issues in this
country. It inspired me to learn about the Civil Rights movement and write the sequel, "Home
Free."
I hope the book inspires others in the same way.
SPJ: Great job! Now a question that many authors would like the answer to. Tell us about your
quest for a publisher and what you learned from that experience please.
SHERRI: I've been submitting to publishers for 13 years. In the beginning, I went to the library
and
looked up publishers in reference books like Literary Marketplace and Writer's Market, scribbling
notes about names and addresses. I didn't do a very good job of finding publishers who were
looking
for the type of stuff I'd written. Then I started looking more at the marketing angle and requested
catalogs to see if the books matched my work.
When the Internet got popular, it helped my efforts tremendously. I just look up the publisher's
web
site, print out pertinent information on submissions and general background, and browse the
online
book catalog. Web sites also list current information such as editor names and whether or not
submissions are temporarily suspended. I keep these printouts in a file.
Now that I've joined Romance Writers of America (RWA), I'm sticking to their approved
publisher
list. They send out updated tip sheets every month. This makes things much easier and allows me
to
target the publishing market more effectively. I'm also doing a better job at tailoring my writing to
the publisher's requirements.
SPJ: If you could speak to publishers face to face, what would you tell them on behalf of the
many
authors seeking publication?
SHERRI: I would tell publishers to encourage writers not to give up. I've heard several editors
say
they do look through slush piles and find several promising new authors there. Publishers should
express their do's and don'ts and specify exactly what they're looking for. It's a lot of trouble and
expense for an author to prepare a submission and send it in. Writing is very personal, and sending
in
a piece of writing often feels like putting an internal organ into the mail. When it's ignored or
impersonally rejected, it hurts.
It's also the author's responsibility to make the submission as professional as possible and to find
out
what the publisher is looking for. If authors and publishers could communicate more effectively,
there would be fewer inappropriate submissions, smaller slush piles, and less rejection.
SPJ: Thank you Sherri, I do hope some publishers are reading this. Where do you hope your
writing
career will be in 3 years?
SHERRI: I hope to have:
* an established relationship with an agent and at least one major, RWA-approved publisher
* several more published romance novels under my belt
* author name recognition
* my books stocked in major chain bookstores wherever I go
* national book signing promotional tours
* a movie deal for one of my books (Well, maybe that'll take more like 5 years...)
SPJ: Those are some great goals, I hope you achieve each and everyone of them. Do you have a
special place that you write where you feel more creative?
SHERRI: I used to write longhand, but now I can't write unless I'm at the computer. I do all my
writing in my home office/workshop, which has a big window with a view of the woods. I've lived
in
a lot of places but have been most prolific living here on a mountain in West Virginia. If I don't
have
peaceful, harmonious surroundings, I can't write.
SPJ: Thank you! Tell us this, do you have family/friend support in your writing and how
important
do you feel this is to a writer?
SHERRI: Yes, I have lots of wonderful friends who read my work. One of them even inspired me
to
write my latest, "Renaissance Man." Others include my critique partner, Ellen, who has taught me
so
much about publishing and writing, my parents, who have read everything since my earliest
scribbling, and my husband, who gives me encouraging words when I need them. Since writing
can
sometimes be solitary, emotionally draining, and unappreciated, support is crucial.
SPJ: On a personal note, do you read and if so what is your favorite genre?
SHERRI: Yes, I read constantly. I started reading romances when I was a teenager. Back then, I
thrived on romantic suspense by Victoria Holt and historicals by Kathleen Woodiwiss and Laurie
McBain. I also enjoy women's fiction by Danielle Steele and Anne Rivers Siddons.
As part of my writing career, I'm now reading romances by as many sub-genres and publishers as
possible. I never used to read romantic comedy or category romances, but now I find them quite
enjoyable. The best way to learn about the market is to read.
SPJ: Tell us abut any other works you have in progress and when we might be seeing them
released
to the public.
SHERRI: In "Home Free," the sequel to Free Falling, Olivia and Wilson come together in another
life. Donna Jones is the most popular girl in an all-white high school in a small South Carolina
town
in the early 1960s. The fact that her boyfriend's father is the grand dragon of the Klan doesn't
bother
her until African-American Wallace Jackson comes to her school and is forced to work with her
on a
class project. As Wallace reveals the Klan killed his father and begins his quest as a Civil Rights
activist, he opens Donna's eyes to things she doesn't want to see and forces her to choose between
the simple life she always wanted and a love consumed by his fight for freedom.
I've submitted partial manuscripts of "Home Free" to several publishers and am waiting to hear
back.
When I attended the Washington Romance Writers' annual retreat at Harpers Ferry, West
Virginia,
last April, I pitched "Home Free" to editors in person. Since that was my first experience doing
that,
I was pretty nervous.
My latest novel, "Renaissance Man," is a time-travel romance. The last place Rex Denali, a
successful California architect, expects to end up is a Medieval castle in the Loire Valley of
France.
When his identity is mistaken for a Renaissance architect from Italy, he finds himself competing in
a
contest, hosted by the king of France, to design a new chateau. The prize is marriage to Angelique
de Le¢n, the beautiful daughter of the most powerful count in France.
Haunted by the past, the last thing either of them want is to get married. Angelique vows to
protect
her brother, the heir of the Le¢n title, at all costs. Rex just wants to go back to Denali Designs,
the
company he worked so hard to build. International intrigue and the growing love between Rex
and
Angelique make winning the contest a matter of life and death. Will they repeat their past
mistakes,
or can love survive through time?
I plan to pitch this one to editors and agents at the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in
Kansas City, Missouri, this October.
SPJ: Would you tell us a little about yourself outside of being an author?
SHERRI: I'm a Systems Analyst for a research firm, which is a very demanding job. I constantly
strive for balance in life between: work and play, quiet contemplation and social contact, creative
daydreaming and practical planning. I love doing active outdoor activities like hiking, ice skating,
and skiing. I also enjoy sewing and needlepoint. Lately, my most valuable commodity is time.
SPJ: Thank you Sherri. Please use this space for anything you would like to leave with our
readers
about yourself or the publishing world....
Dear readers:
I invite you to give my book and books by other new authors a try. We all tend to read the same
authors. That's human nature, but there are a lot of great books out there. Take a chance and read
one book by a new author. If you don't like it, you don't have to read another.
I also invite you to patronize local authors, especially at group book signing events. These events
are
a lot of work to coordinate for both the hosts and the participating authors. There's nothing better
than having a book on your shelf that's been signed by the person who wrote it.
I invite readers to visit my web site: www.sherrineilson.com to read book excerpts, request a
signed
bookmark, sign my guest book, sign up for my newsletter, see my upcoming appearances, and
read
reviews of my work.
I want to thank Sherri for allowing me this interview with her. Please find my review of "Free
Falling" in this column, it's a great work and I recommend the read. Let's hope that Sherri's future
is
filled with everything her heart desires. Thank you Sherri!
Shirley Johnson
Interviewer
INTERVIEW WITH PERRY COMER; AUTHOR OF NUMEROUS WORKS
I read and enjoyed Perry's work "House of Snakes" so much that I wanted to interview him and
get
to know him a little better. If you have young adults in your life, I strongly recommend you check
out Perry's work. Good reading! Let's begin please!
SPJ: Perry, thank you for doing this interview with me. Would you please tell our readers how
long
you have been writing?
Perry: I took my first creative writing course in 1972. My first paid work was Saturday Evening
Post in 1988.
SPJ: Perry that is exciting to have been in the Saturday Evening Post. Would you please tell us
what
genres you write in and if you have any plans to expand in any other areas.
Perry: I enjoy writing stories for boys filled with action and adventure. My goal is to write
historical
fiction similar to Foresters HORNBLOWER series. THE PRIZE, a historical sea novel set in
1770's,
I began in 1983 and am delighted Wings has decided to publish. I've yet to write horror but am
working on a romance. So, don't be surprised what shows up with my name on it.
SPJ: I am sure whatever you write will be outstanding. I look forward to all your works in the
future.
Now, let me ask you this. I really enjoyed reading and reviewing "House of Snakes." How did you
come with up that storyline?
Perry: HOUSE OF SNAKES came about because of the flooding brought about by Hurricane
Floyd
that devastated eastern North Carolina. Seeing the people rescued by helicopters from trees set
me
to thinking about what would it be like to be caught in such a flood and how would a
person survive.
SPJ: I love the way writer's minds work. We see something and can picture a good book out of it.
Tell me please, how long did it take you to complete this
work?
Perry: I worked pretty steady on the story for a year including the re-writes.
SPJ: Will you do a sequel or series from this work?
Perry: No, this is a stand alone story.
SPJ: Finding a publisher can be a long hard job. Tell us, how long did it take you to find a
publisher
for your work/s?
Perry: I collected quite a few rejection letters for THE PRIZE and HOUSE OF SNAKES. My
agent
at the time queried all the major publishers of Children's Books without any success. The good
folks
at Wings accepted HOUSE OF SNAKES so I queried them for the other works I had completed
and they accepted two others.
SPJ: Perry that is wonderful that you have found a publisher for your work. WE wish you the best
with them.
This is always a question I find interesting. How many hours a day do you spend writing?
Perry: Most days I spend four to five hours either writing or researching. I find that research is as
much a part of writing as actually putting the story onto paper.
SPJ: I love my computer room to do my writing, it's my special place where I can collect my
thoughts and dreams. Tell me, do you have a special place that you write?
Perry: Yes, I have a desk that is surrounded by paintings and prints of Men-of-War ships.
SPJ: I love that. My walls are covered with children's Title pages. It gives me motivation! There
are
times Perry when I have trouble with my writing. Do you ever experience the dreaded 'writer's
block'
and if so what do you do to remedy it?
Perry: Writer's pause afflicts me quite often. When I decide on a story I work on it exclusively.
When I hit the spot, "What comes next?" I read. Reading spurs the imagination and writing
process better than anything I know.
SPJ: Yes, I agree, seeing other writer's styles, and enjoying a good read can help a lot. Let me ask
you this. Has any one person been instrumental in encouraging you along the road in your writing
career?
Perry: My wife is my best encourager. I decided to be a writer at the age of eleven. Finding the
time
to write seriously did not come till the kids were in their teens.
SPJ: I need to do a survey one day on that question. It seems spouses are so important to the
writer. Please tell our readers, where do you hope you will be 5 years from now in your
writing career and what are you doing to obtain that goal?
Perry: As every writer dreams, I dream of the day I'm on the author's list of a major publisher with
at
least one book in the top 100. My personal goal is to make that list in the next three years. The
way
to get there is to write, my goal is to complete two books a year. Since I write for both adults and
middle school, I feel this pace is possible.
SPJ: Perry, I pray that you obtain your goal, I really do. If you could speak directly to the
publishers
out there, what would you like to say to them on behalf of struggling authors?
Perry: When viewing solicited or unsolicited manuscripts, separate into two piles: one for new
unpublished and one for published. Spend more time looking at the unpublished.
SPJ: Publishers, there is an idea for you! Perry, in your books, do you fashion your characters
after
people you know or have known, or even after yourself as a young person?
Perry: In the beginning, I put a lot of myself into the main character. Now, I become that
character
so the character is free to think and be what he chooses.
SPJ: Interesting! In the writings of your work, if there one that made a difference in your own life
after completing it and if so please tell us about it.
Perry: I am an independent person, a loner if you will. My wife calls me a problem solver. My
stories
reflect my inner self in those ways. Reviewing what I've written, I come to the conclusion both
those
things are my basic nature. I try to be more open and outgoing because of those revelations.
SPJ: I will say this, you certainly allowed your character to solve major problems in "House of
Snakes!" What advice would you give to authors seeking first time publication?
Perry: Realize that the major publishers are going to be very, very hard to take a chance on a new
writer. Submit to them but set your expectations low. I know we should aim high, believe in our
work but business is business. The major publishers will invest a lot of money into the books they
publish and they want to bet on a sure thing. New writers, no matter how good their work, are
unproven profit potential. Use a pyramid approach, a list of publishers starting with the majors at
the
top and the small local publishers at the bottom, and work your way through the list. It may take
years since many publishers refuse multiple submissions.
SPJ: That is very practical advice Perry. Here's a question for you. How important do you think it
is
for an author to have an agent?
Perry: For sanity purposes, an agent is very important. The frustration and depression a new
writer
goes through dealing with rejections can be overwhelming. An agent who knows what publisher
will
be interested in a manuscript is invaluable. An agent has the contacts and publishing knowledge
that
can get a manuscript to the right person at the right time. A writer on his own has little chance to
make those connections. But, as a word of caution, make sure the person (agent) representing
you
knows the publishing business.
SPJ: Do you promote your own work and if so what tips do you have for other authors? Would
you
ever consider having a publicist?
Perry: When financially feasible, I will go wherever I can promote my work. In the coming year I
will be attending quite a few teacher conferences to let teachers in North Carolina know abut my
books. Yes, I would use a publicist if I could afford one. Part of the problem of being a new
writer is
the lack of money.
SPJ: Yes Perry, money always seems to be a problem in everything. Do you belong to a writers
forum and how important do you think that is for an author?
Perry: I belong to online groups of which my favorite is MINDSIGHT created by C.E.
Winterland.
I'm also an SCBWI member. In business you succeed by networking. In writing, without
networking, you are in the dark as to publishers, agents and resources. A group provides you with
fellowship, feedback and support. A group can also save a new writer from making some back
business mistakes such as hiring a fake agent, signing with shady publishers or getting taken to the
cleaners by hucksters.
SPJ: Thank you Perry! Would you share with us a little about your non writing life and how this
part of your world effects your writing?
Perry: I am a pastor. You can imagine that I have no problem creating characters for writing since
I
meet so many people. Finding time to write is always a problem with so many other
responsibilities
pulling.
SPJ: Yes, I am sure you have no problems creating characters, that is a plus! Is there anything you
wish I had asked you that I have not that you would like to share with our readers about yourself,
your works or publishing in general. Any final thoughts you would like to leave?
Perry: We are becoming a visual society and as such reading is becoming a slow time-consuming
activity. I love movies but when watching a movie I become a spectator and are not interacting
with
characters. Books through the wonder of imagination cause us to think, feel, taste, see, hear, and
touch. I put think first because that is exactly what I do as I read, I think about the characters, the
places, and even the things they eat. While watching a movie or television show my mind shifts to
neutral. In my opinion, a non-reading person is a non-thinking person. Non-thinkers are people
who
re-act to life rather while thinkers are people who live life. Writers of fiction do not put words on
paper, they record experiences of other people who walk through the writer's mind. A good
writer
records those experiences in such a way the reader is able to see, hear and feel what the writer has
experienced.
SPJ: Thank you Perry for a wonderful interview. I pray that the Lord blesses the works of your
hands and I am sure we will see a lot of your books in the days ahead. I look forward to
them.
PUBLISHED WORKS:
PARISH NIGHTMARE PublishAmerica 2000
HOUSE OF SNAKES Wings ePress (October 2003)
THE PRIZE Wings ePress (December 2003)
LANDON'S WAR (Wings ePress 2004)
Donovan's Bookshelf
New Tastes of India
Das Sreedharan
Headline/Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, Howe Hill Road
North Pomfret, VT 05053-0257
0747271488 $24.95 1-800-423-4525
Vegetarians seeking something different need look no further than this collection of vegetarian
dishes from Southern India: Sreedharan hosts a title which covers a variety of foods, from a
Cabbage Curry and an unusual Tomato Rasam to Spinach with Baby Potatoes. The dishes are
spicy,
authentic, and tailored to American tastes while retaining authenticity. Advanced Indian cooks
will
find it particularly appealing.
Children of the Western Plains
Marilyn Irvin Holt
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60622
1566635403 $26.00 1-800-462-6420
Vivid details and personal accounts pack this story of growing up on the Western Plains. Holt
tells
how the West's settlement affected children, reviewing their often-difficult lives, their coming of
age
in the 19th century, and their adjustment to a new frontier life. From changing race relations and
immigrant status to work and education, this provides a multi-faceted survey of pioneer kids'
lives.
That Old-Time Religion In Modern America
D.G. Hart
Ivan R. Dee
1332 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60622
1566634598 $14.95 1-800-462-6420
Hart traces evangelicalism's current reputation by tracing its development over the last hundred
years, from its part in the Protestant denominations that modeled American religious thought to
its
controversies of the 1920s which marginzalized evangelicals in American denominations. An
intriguing survey of the course of evangelical Protestantism in this century in America.
Diane C. Donovan
West Coast Editor
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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