That is the word i kept thinking of as i read this book. I just could not believe that a publishing house would pay for this kind of writing.If there is a more dis-honest writer of fiction out there i haven't come across him. Or a plot more predictible.You've read this book a hundred times before. Only the names and the metaphores have changed. I can just see Chuck Logan working over the formula outline for thrillers. Inserting a name here, an auto model there, a precisely detailed firearm here.... Although there is some comic relief. In a passage involving (fake) cocaine. It is obvious a little research in his own kitchen could have helped Logan to see what twenty-two ounces of powder looks like.I resent every penny i paid for this piece of junk. This book was so bad i could go on for pages but there are limits here.......

Phil Broker is an ex-Saint Paul cop who now lives on Michigan's Upper Peninsuala with his infant daughter. However, when his ex-wife, Caren, finds her present husband is in deep with the Chicago mob she grabs the two million dollar payoff and goes running to Broker for help. On the way, she pairs up with morally-bankrupt reporter Tom James who sees his big chance to grab for the brass ring by murdering Caren, framing her husband, and disappearing with the two million into the FBI Witness Protection Program. But he didn't figure on Phil Broker who would stop at nothing, not even the FBI's Witness Protection Program, to learn the truth behind his ex-wife's death.

I've read Chuck Logan from the beginning and he just gets better and better. His writing is strong and his characters stand out. His writing style is very staccato and immediate but the action is exciting and the plot is clever. This thriller is way better than many of today's genre that masquerade as thrillers. I recommend this book highly.

I can't believe this book sat on my shelf for over a year and I didn't read it. I finished it in one day! Once again, Chuck Logan immerses the reader in the world of his protagonist,in this case, Phil Broker. Hopefully we'll see more of Broker in future books. This is a great read and the "daddy" scenes are winners. The reviewer who says Broker doesn't care about his wife and child didn't read this book very carefully. What about the last sentence????? Maybe one has to understand about "compartments" to understand Phil Broker.

I'm always interested in books about Vietnam vets written by Vietnam vets and that was what got me to read this book. The protagonist, Phil Broker, served in the waning days of the conflict and was, unwittingly, involved in the theft of 10 tons of gold from the bank of Hue. The plot is all about hunting the gold, assorted derring do, having illusions about your old comrades shattered or renewed, and generally driving on. It also has one of the most interesting female characters I have found in a long time: Nina Pryce, ex-Gulf War heroine, daughter of a disgraced officer, and likely to "be the first woman to win a CIB." (The CIB is the Combat Infantryman's Badge, probably the most coveted of Army awards since getting it honestly requires the recipient to have actually been involved in action with the enemy). The book gets off to a great, but somewhat confusing, start but like a runner on a steep hill, slows considerably thereafter. The middle of the book is almost interminable. Good solid prose, but 'way too much of it. The ending, well, read it yourself, but skim the middle 100 or so pages... no loss. This was a great 180 pager stretched to fill almost 400. Do they pay authors by the word, or what?

Shame on all of you. After reading these sterling reviews, I was prepared for a real treat when I picked up Logan's novel. My goodness, the horror I felt as I slogged through this interminable mess. After an intriguing start, the plot feels as if it's walking through quicksand. Long after we know the setup--gold in Vietnam, must beat evil old army buddy to it--Logan hurtles his hero all over the country in pointless, needlessly detailed subplots. I mean, my God, this just absolutely killed the suspense he had so perfectly created in the early going. Also, Logan completely abandons the disarming touches of almost self-mocking humor in favor of corny, heavy-handed machismo. I was still laughing but at parts which were clearly intended to be dramatic and hard-boiled. Logan needed to lop about 150 pages out of the center of this thing and then he might have had something. By the end, I just didn't care anymore, I only wanted the book to end. Logan can surely write--and he knows it. He suffers from a case of literary narcissism and seems incapable of writing a short, well-crafted sentence. His tough guy act strives for Hemingway but I can only imagine Papa scoffing at some of the long-winded tripe this bloated work contains.

This author, Chuck Logan is a talented writer. He has a good grip on the requirements for successful commercial fiction. The Price of Blood is a suspense thriller with so many twists and surprises one almost need to keep a list. To say that the reader is kept off balance a good deal of the time is to understate the case.

Phil Broker is an undercover cop, with almost twenty years in service to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal apprehension. He served some time in harness, but his inability to deal with tight structure and a rigid chain of command sent him into the murky, swirling waters of undercover law enforcement. Broker has become a master of the sleight-of-hand maneuver. He's a veteran of Viet Nam, but he's not by any measure a superhero, which makes him an intriguing protagonist.

Comes suddenly to his home, interrupting a sting, the grown-up daughter of his commanding officer in the last action Broker saw in Vietnam. Nina Pryce, who's father was posthumously cashiered amid charges of lethal incompetence and stealing treasure, has dumped her own army career while trying to clear her father's name. Now she wants Broker's help to rehabilitate her father, and not incidentally, her own career. Reluctantly, he decides to help, pushed into the effort by some very weird and dangerous characters.

Like Logan's other books, The Price of Blood brims with verisimilitude, action, a pell-mell pace and a pretty high body count. It's exciting, clean, and makes an exciting entertainment.

As a social critique of Enlgish and European society, this book is very effective. It is also beautifully written. But it should not be read as the depiction of what society should be like. Thomas More, a wise and brave man executed by orders of Henry VIII, knew that Utopia shouldn't be taken very seriously, and that is exactly why he used the word Utopia to name his famous island. Utopia, in latin, means "in no place", that what can not exist. The problem is that this simple fact was not understood by many. And so, "utopianism" was born. The preposterous belief that there is a universal and definitive form of organization for human societies led to disasters like Nazism and Communism. By organizing everything perfectly (according to who?), these systems become the negation of the very essence of the human being: its innate imperfection and its need to be constantly changing, always on the move. It is simply impossible that some political, economic and social system resolves once and for all the troubles of humanity. Problems are exactly what make humans progress and reform constantly. Besides, the State has proven indispensable for survival, but also limited in what it can accomplish (in Utopia, the State provides everything for everybody). Stagnant societies degenerate and disappear, or remain to live from the charity of dynamic societies. Closed, perennial social systems, simply don't work: there is abundant proof in history, ancient or recent. "Utopia" is an excellent account of human shortcomings and a good tale, but it is not, nor was intended to be, a recipe with solutions for the world. Aldous Huxley and George Orwell have shown us what might happen in a supposed Utopia. The Communist world was worse. And Anthony Burgess clearly shows us in "A Clockwork Orange", that in "perfect" societies, the only way to practice freedom is violence. Let's not be perfect.

As a social critique this book is very effective with answers to many arguments. Thomas More is a wise, brave and educated man who was executed by orders of Henry VIII, and wrote Utopia more as an explanation of why society needed to be far from perfect in order to be enjoyable. Utopia, meaning in Latin "in no place", was written entirely in satire, and many have said that it was a great source of entertainment for the more educated as they watched those less educated argue on the side of a Utopian state while quoting Moore, and having never seen the satire present while reading. Mr. Moore's Utopia touches on every aspect of the human existance as it would be experienced if we prescribed to this way of life. I found many of his discriptions colorful, and commonly found myself of the verge of anger before realizing that Mr. Morre was more often than not simply playing the devil's advocate.

This was very enjoyable for me. I would recommend that everyone take a risk and read this one.

It's unfortunate that it seems as if most of these reviews were written by people whose only knowledge of More has come from the (mostly incorrect) opinions they have formed after reading this book. I don't think one can truly understand its import until he or she understands where Moore is at this point in his life and what he previously wrote ("Life of Pico", for example) and what he wrote later (while in prison, perhaps). No, he wasn't expressing his views through Raphael. In fact, it's clear that Raphael is an opinionated fibber (i.e., he discovered Utopia after Vespucci's fourth voyage? There were only three and Morus knows it...) and his account is purposefully filled with contradictions. There's more to it! More is raising issues, trying to make the careful reader think (and shame on some of the other reviewers for not being careful readers). And once you've read this book, read enough More (ha!) to understand what was going on in the bigger scheme of things, such as More's relationship with the other Renaissance humanists of his time and Henry VIII.

Pam Logan disappointed me because she never manages to deliver her book's promises. She bikes through China and Tibet, but offers few details about this type of travel; indeed, she spends half of the book on foot. She becomes obsessed by the Kham warrior people, but never actually enters their territory.

She is admired by at least two local men, but circumspectly never reveals the outcome of those relationships. She is stopped by police at the Tibetan border, and never reveals the subterfuge by which she successfully crosses.

And then, of course, there's all that claptrap about how travel is like performing karate exercises.

Real travel books reveal their author's strategy for surviving the awful and the exotic. Logan reveals only her longing to be back in California, kicking and slashing ghosts.

I really liked this book but refused it five stars because Pamela never spoke to the warriors which was the reason for the grant money in the first place and the title of the book.Very well written and being a serious mountain biker my self I could picture eveything that went on. All the side trips and very little complaining about the conditions in Tibet. Pamela describes the people with great affection and learns to put up with the endless red tape. Visits to local monasteries are well recorded along with the rebuilding of a Buddha statue wrecked by the Chinese. When Pamela started talking about her training in the martial arts I skipped it - it didn't really add to the story and besides I want to hear about Tibet and Warriors not someone droning on about martial arts, please Pamela stick to the story as you make the reader very hungry for it. I strongly suggest you buy this book. I got one through Amazon.com that had a Tibetan beer bottle label glued to one of the pages which is the reason I bought that copy! Very good read and Pamela has a new book out too that I haven't read but will soon it deals with the saving of Tibetan Art teasures and the rebuilding of an old monastery. Enjoy!

A friend of mine passed this book along to me and I am so glad she did!

The author did a wonderful job describing her journey; I felt as if I was right there with her through the entire trip!

Her determination and courage were so inspiring!

Thanks, Pam!

I think that this was a really good book. I love to read ALL of V.C. Andrews book but ever since she passed away, her books haven't been the same. I still like to read the books though and will continue to. I liked how Cary and Melody became involved with one another. I liked how Melody stook up to her grandmother and wouldn't back down. I don't like Oliva, she is so wrong and mean. She will get what she deserves one day. Hallie is a bad mother for the simple fact that she dumped Melody off at realitives house that she didn't even know. Other than this, the book was really good and thrilling to read. I hope that in the future though, the aurthor continuing for Andrews will get better and stop puttig in information and then in another book forgetting about it. Good luck if you choose to read this book!

I like this book a lot! I love V.C. Andrews' books so much. This story made me keep reading chapter after chapter. I couldn't put it down. Each event captivates you. The ending was a little unclear though. I wish it would have turned out a little different and I am sure many of you can agree with me. I still rate it as a must read book! It helps to read the 1st (Melody)and 2nd (Heart Song) novel before Unfinished Symphony, so you know more about the characters.

I am a and always was a great fan of V.C. Andrews. I have been deeply touched and inspired by all of her series that I even named my thrid son after two of the characters in the Flower's In The Attic Series. His name is Christopher Joel. I religiously and with great anticipation wait for upcoming novels. I just finished reading this book, The Unfinished Symphony. I felt a great amount sadness as I closed the book. Sadness in the sense that the book ended. It was a fascinating and inspiring book. I looked forward to opening the book everyday and reading more about Melody's life. The book ended and I felt Melody actually leave. V.C. Andrews' books books always caused an impact like that. I can not wait to read her upcoming novels. She has a special way of taking me into her books and experience what the characters feel. She is truly a legend. Keep up the wonderful work of creating those wonderful novels.

I agree with the reviewers who say this book is less than complete. Very sketchy descriptions. Fromer's guide is MUCH BETTER.

This guide was a present for our 40th anniversary. We found it very useful and highly recommend it to other travelers who wish to learn more about our national parks. We didn't even know about many of the parks that are included.

My wife and I found the Scott's guide to be an excellent reference during our first try at visiting the national parks. Especially worthwhile is the coverage of many small areas that are included. We highly recommend this book and the accompanying guide to the eastern park areas.

The Oz in this book didn't really seem like the Oz from the show, as another reviewer pointed out quite well. Not only did he not seem to think like himself, he didn't look like himself either, and I had a lot of trouble remembering, as I was reading, that this was a book about Oz. With other comics I read, the art isn't as huge an issue for me, but with a comic based on a show I like, I was expecting the two characters from the show (Oz and flashbacks of Willow) to look more like themselves. I've seen BtVS art that was really accurate before, so I was expecting better than what I got with this book. Also, from the few details I got from the show about Oz's journey to take control over the werewolf, I always figured it'd be a really internal thing. In the show, Oz was never really a big fighter anyway, which made the fight scene in this comic odd. I don't think it was necessary to find a way to get a fight in this book - I've seen comics where most of the action was internal, and many of those were done very well. I wish it had been that way with this one.

I love Christopher Golden, let me just say that right off the bat. I adore his work, and in fact this has been the first novel of his that has seriously disappointed me. I'm in the minority on this, judging by the other reviews, but, oh well. I can understand why. This was a good *story*. It just wasn't a good story about *Oz*. I didn't believe in the characterization, not in the least.

Why?

I think Christopher Golden, while writing this novel, forgot one major aspect of Oz's character: he's not a typical guy. And while I did believe in the dialogue, the thought processes were completely off. See Buffy ep: 'Earshot' if you wonder why. Someone who idly wonders if telepathy means he'll cease to exist as himself and instead exist only in the one who can read his thoughts does *not* spend all his time thinking about the surface problem. Yet not once did Oz's thoughts wander to anything more than missing Willow and solving his werewolf issues.

And that's just not who Oz is.

I did have one other problem with this novel besides that -- the obligatory 'serious battle'. Oz's journey was an inner one as well as an outer one, and I think Golden underestimated his readers by assuming he had to throw in several enemies to be defeated, when the more interesting story was Oz himself. A little more internal time in Oz's thoughts could have fixed the characterization, and, in my opinion, been a lot more interesting than yet another battle.

A story about what Oz was up to between when he left and when he returned in 'New Moon Rising' is a damned good idea.

I just wish someone who could have done the story justice had had it first.

~Erana

Did you ever wonder where Oz went when he left Sunnydale? Or how he managed to gain control of his changes? Here, issuing from the fertile mind of Chris Golden (one of Buffy lit's best writers) is as good an explanation as one could ever want. With the help of Giles, Oz makes his way from Sunnydale to the frozen Himalayas, where there are rumours of a master who can give him back his self control. But to accomplish thathe must face his own demons and battle a few others who have different plans for him.

First he goes to Los Angeles, and then by boat to Fiji and Sidney, Australia. A plane takes him to Hong Kong where he meets Qing, the butcher, and his family. They are Kaohsiang fire demons, and friends of Giles. They are able (barely) to keep Oz locked up during the full moon. Then Oz heads off for magic transport to Tibet and discovers he has an unexpected companion. Qing's beautiful daughter, Jinan, also wants to study under Master Shantou, who is a great mage as well as the world's only werewolf therapist.

Even as Oz struggles to deal with his inner beast, he also finds himself hunted by Gib Cain, the werewolf hunter from Phases (BTVS - Season 2). And everyone is locked in a life and death struggle with Lord Muztag, a demon who makes grim a household word. "Patience is a virtue," Muztag exclaims, "And I don't have any of those." Count on a lot of seat of your pants excitement as Oz struggles with both his insides and his outsides.

This book is unusual (at least for me) because it is a novelization of a graphic novel, which was a compilation of a series of comic books. All written by Chris Golden, naturally. In the book, Golden spends considerable time filling in the originally sketchy beginning. This includes the entire trip to Fiji, and the Gib Cain subplot. As one might expect, the details are finer and the vistas wider. It is surprising that neither format suffers in comparison to the other. The extended text of the novel is just as enjoyable as are the comic graphics.

What is most special though, is the look we get into Oz's head. In BTVS, Oz is so laconic that we are lead to believe that he is the world's most laid-back werewolf. In 'Into the Wild', we find that is hardly the case. Becoming a werewolf has turned Oz into something he doesn't quite understand and he desperately wants to return to being the old Oz again. But there's no way back from that precipice. Now he must find a way to be more than man or beast. When Jinan tells him that she understands, because she too is a monster with a human veneer, Oz exclaims "No. You don't. What's in you? It's still you. The thing inside of me? It'll kill you if you give it a chance... You're running away from home when all I want is to finally be able to go home."

Let's be honest - the two most difficult issues when starting a business venture like this would be:
1. Getting your foot in the door (of a world that is so foreign to you that it may as well be OZ) and
2. Money negotiations (how does one actually sit down and talk money with people of this stature)?
Both of these extremely difficult issues are addressed along with so much more.
I found this guide to be an informative read as well as an honest straightforward peak into the world of celebrity fan clubs.

Your guide to starting a celebrity fan club is just the best! It is extremely informative, and the samples that are included were a much appreciated bonus. But, more than any of that -- what made this an incredible read was the motivational writing (the "pep talk if you will")! I really feel like this is something that I CAN do and who knows ... maybe I will get to run that "certain someone's" fan club after all! Thank you so much!!

I've been a member of fan clubs since I can remember being interested in music (quite a long time now)and have always fantasized about running my own club. But how in the world do you start something like that? Well, I recommend this book to guide you. I was so pleased to see examples of letters, contracts and member cards!!!! This truly is a dream come true.

Minnesota author Chuck Logan has a wonderful way with words. His new action/thriller/mystery packs more action in the first 70 pages than many do in an entire book. The bone-chilling cold is a major character.

Phil Broker, former undercover cop, guides 3 Twin Citians - a doctor, a lawyer and a writer - in by canoe to shoot a moose among the northern Minnesota lakes of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA - no motorized craft allowed.) "Broker ... speculated that they wouldn't be out here unless it was a once-in-a-lifetime hunting trip. They had won a state lottery that allowed them to take a moose in the Boundary Waters in the 'greatest wilderness, big-game hunt east of the Mississippi.'"

"[The water] had never been warm. Even in summer. For thousands of years that gray water had cherished a geologic memory of its glacier mama." They encounter an unexpected October blizzard - akin to the Gales of November that bode ill for the crew of the Edmond Fitzgerald- and a life threatening situation. Two must paddle out to get help: "The doctor, he decided, was used to digital results and was holding nothing but an analog wooden paddle in his hands, so he was more frustrated than fussy. ... The time stretched out in front of them. Old-fashioned, unplugged, slow Real Time with no crowds, no traffic, sirens, TV, telephones, email, or Internet. Just the creak of the canoe, the hiss and slap of the bow cutting the chop, and the dip of the paddles."

A routine medical procedure goes awry and Broker makes a trip back to the Twin Cities area to investigate possibly sinister causes: "Broker had always taken back roads and harvest fields for granted, but now he saw that Washington County was running out of them fast. Not more than two miles from J.T.'s place the lumber skeletons of new houses haunted the farmland. That was global warming for you. The Minnesota winters used to keep the population down and the riffraff out."

This is a well-written thrill-packed chiller.

Silly me...I read this and it's follow-up (Vapor Trail), not realizing they were a series. So now I have to go back and read THE PRICE OF BLOOD and THE BIG LAW. However, even though starting here, Logan has certainly created some interesting characters in Phil Broker and his assorted buddies, especially Merryweather who has of all things..AN OSTRICH FARM! But...there is one heck of a scene in which this ostrich helps our hero out, and it is awesome!
This has an original plot, and it reminds me so much of such early thrillers as "Postman Always Rings Twice" and "Body Heat." Miss Jolene Sommer is one piece of work. The characters of Earl, Jolene's ex-stud, Miles the lawyer and Allan the doctor are also very well developed. Of course, Hank Sommer comes across very sympathetic, too, as he watches the people around him plot his demise.
Broker is a fun, no-nonsense hero, and since I haven't truly met his wife, Nina, I couldn't relate well to his marital plight...but what the heck??
THIS IS A GREAT BOOK..HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I have been home recovering from surgery for a few weeks, so I finally had time to read a few books. I have been waiting for a new book from Logan for too long- his new book in the Phil Broker -Nina Pryce series is outstanding. I couldn't put it down (as opposed to The Summons - by Grisham, which was barely worth reading). Logan's books are full of suspense, and he's developed characters who are worth reading about. If you like james Patterson, Logan is better - and less gruesome. This book is worth checking out.

Logan's Run is one of my favorite novels from a standpoint of plotting, back story and general premise.For those unfamiliar with it, Logan's Run is about a society in the future where no one is allowed to live past the age of 21. A person's age is determined by the color of the small crystal flower in the palm of his/her right hand. When the crystal starts to blink from red to black, it means you have 24 hours to report to a Sleepshop for mandatory euthanasia. At the end of this grace period, your flower turns black, and you become quarry for the DS men, an elite squad of police whose sole purpose is to eliminate the fugitives, or "Runners" as they are called.As I mentioned before, the book is a crackerjack example of plotting, and can be read in an afternoon. What makes it special is how each of its plot points is included for thematic or symbolic reasons. In other words, each episode in the novel is included because it reflects on the society in which its characters live, which in turn is a comment on its general premise.The premise in question is that a society cannot sustain a culture without wisdom, experience, and tradition. Those things, it argues, come with age. When the novel was published back in 1967, it was seen by some as a finger in the eye of the emerging youth culture.Like all good speculative fiction, it takes current issues and extrapolates them to their extremes. I'm pleased to say that this aspect of Logan's run hasn't lost any of its bite. We continue to live in a society where youth is equated with beauty, where the old are locked away and forgotten, and by a media-driven feeding frenzy over all things materialistic and fashionable. "Be young, have fun, drink Pepsi", indeed... Logan's Run picked these as important thematic concerns. Sadly, they are still with us.Important to the novel is the concept of a gigantic computer web that regulates every aspect of people's lives. In the novel, it is slowly dying. Since nobody lives long enough to learn anything complex, nobody knows how to repair it, or even knows that anything is wrong with it at all. The overall implication, is that runners or no runners, whether Logan fails or succeeds in his quest, the society depicted in the novel is eventually going to fall, and fall hard, due to its built-in inability to sustain itself. Where the novel falls short is in its characterizations and in its dialogue, which feels like it could have used a rewrite or two. In my opinion, a second or third draft for dialogue could have played the characters more subtly and believably. Instead, characters say things in very flat, unconvincing ways (especially Logan and Jessica, in their first real conversation together)that do help move the action forward, but don't make them very believable people.Still, all quibbles aside, a ripping read, full of action, suspense, and intriguing ideas.

"Logan's Run" is a particularly captivating book that functions as something of an allegory of the fact that all persons who are ever born have to face death. Although the premise of "Logan's Run" condenses mortality to a span of 0-21 years, the "sanctuary" that is sought by "runners" in the book serves as a facsimile of the reality that regardless of the age to which people live, there is always the yearning, the need, to experience more. "Logan's Run" makes this point brilliantly in a setting of a dystopian future run amok with the excesses of youth.

This is a fast paced, well written story about where a youth obssesed culture could lead us. Using overpopulation and a nuclear war as a springboard the authors weave a tightly knit story about a society living in self-contained domed cities where everyone's favorite past-time is the pursual of pleasure. Sounds good until you realize that implanted at birth into the palm of every citizen is a life clock crystal that glows with a different color for each seven years of life. On your twenty-first birthday your life clock turns from red to black, it's time to volunteer to be put to sleep for the good of Society. Logan is a Sandman a modern day police officer who tracks down those citizens who have decided they want to live longer than 21, these are called "Runners". The myth whispered is that you can live to become 'old' in a place called Sanctuary. Logan's search for Sanctuary with a Runner named Jessica sets the pace for the rest of the story. Entertaining Sci-Fi at it's best.