MacDonald is rightfully considered one of the three great hardboiled detective novelists (along with Hammett and Chandler). Rereading this novel confirmed what I thought the first time I read it: this is the best detective novel that I have ever read.

It is also the most appropriately titled novel that I have ever encountered. The first time I read this I was lying in the sun beside the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. When I reached the moment when the mystery was solved, a chill literally ran up my spine. One of the truly creepy moments of my life. Hyperbole rules among reviewers here, but this one would get a higher rating if I were allowed.

I have read most of MacDonald novels, despite the fact that I really don't spend much time reading mystery or detective fiction. His earliest books are good, but not great. But about four or five novels into the Lew Archer series MacDonald (in real life Professor Kenneth Millar, and husband of fellow mystery writer Margaret Millar)found his voice and his theme. In all his best books the theme is: the sins of the father shall be visited upon the second and third generations (I didn't check my OT for a more precise quotation). A typical plot from his best novels is as follows: Archer is asked to look into this or that problem (a person has disappeared, has left, is being plagued by someone, etc., etc.). Gradually upon conducting his investigation his role shifts from detective to archaeologist, until he eventually discovers the troubles that he has been asked to look into have causes reaching back ten, twenty, or even fifty years. The seed planted by an act decades earlier has sprouted in the present, destroying those who are otherwise innocent. (MacDonald always reminds me of Yeats's "Leda and the Swan," where Zeus's rape of Leda will eventually result in the birth of Helen and all the tragedy of Troy: "A shudder in the loins engenders there/The broken wall, the burning roof and tower/And Agamemnon dead.")

All of MacDonald is more than readable, but someone wanting to proceed from THE CHILL (which really is his finest work) should look at THE DROWNING POOL or THE INSTANT ENEMY.

Ross Macdonald could flat out write. His style is at times very 'Chandleresque', (he really enjoyed Chandler's books)but he brings something else to this story that even the master Raymond Chandler wouldn't have.

The word is 'dimension'. Where Chander and Hammett were known for there 'hardboiled' approach, Macdonald's Lew Archer is obviously a man of keen intelligence. He is also one cool customer, a flawed man in a flawed world.

The story concerns a murder that could be connected to

another murder that happened many years before. And, maybe another. The plot reveals itself slowly, I wasn't quite sure where it was going, but the writing is so crisp and poetic, that i just read, and let it all happen.

This is a wonderful book, written by a man who deserves all the praise in the world for bringing something else to the mystery novel.

Just read it, and enjoy.

For those of us who keep going back again and again to read
the novels of Ross Macdonald, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell
Hammett, Ernest Hemingway and Peter Matthiessen, this is
without question one of the greatest works of that group.

Once Ross Macdonald (Ken Millar) broke through with the Galton Case, every novel from then on formed one of the great canons of
American literature. The N.Y. Times Book Review had
The Underground Man as its front page review in 1970.
Well-deserved recongnition for a writer at his zenith.
What Conan Doyle was to London in its era, so is Ross Macdonald to
California in its era. A great writer on the edge of a culture.
The Chill stands with the Zebra-Striped Hearse and The
Underground Man alongside The Long Goodbye and The Big
Sleep as American writing at its very best.
To be an American (and a Californian) is to read these
books.
So subtle, so psychological, so empathetic, so hard.
Modern noir --- the epitome of great craftsmanship.
At the top of 5 stars. The very top. One of the proud
novels on the Knopf list.

Dr. Alice Domar's book on Self-Nurturing is a must-read for both men and women! To say that this book is simply a woman's book and has no application to men is like saying we really don't want to understand the lives and experiences of over 50% of our population. Self care is what stress management and Mind/Body Medicine are all about, and this book sheds light and understanding on these important issues. Recommend this book to women AND men everywhere! . . . Gary L. Flegal, Ph.D., Professional Stress Management Services.

This book helps especially women to learn to love themselves and to appreciate themselves. Men could profit from this book too. The author shows creatively practical examples and analogies how women can achieve a self-appreciation for what they do, and how stress is reduced and proper self-esteem is developed and established. Another book along these lines that is extremely helpful and goes hand in hand with this one, and I highly recommend, is Dietmar Scherf's "I Love Me: Avoiding and Overcoming Depression" also available at Amazon.

It's so easy for women to forget to take care of themselves. This book shows that it is in the best interest of their health and well-being, and that of their families, too, to take care of themselves. This book is a great follow-up to Domar's previous book, Healing Mind Healthy Woman. Women owe it to themselves to learn more about self-care. It's making a huge difference in my life.

Overall, this book was pretty good. It started off to be very interesting, but slowed down in the middle. When the plot focused on The Horridus, I.R. Shroud, and CAY it was engrossing. However, all the extraneous stuff about the main character's personal relationships with women was just tedious reading. The story again speeds up at the end and I found myself reading through the last few chapters very quickly. It was well written and a pretty good read, but I don't understand those who say they couldn't put it down. Maybe they were referring to the last few chapters. If you are from Orange County in California, you will enjoy reading all the references to real life locations. It helped bring the story to life for me.

It's been well over ten years since I read T. Jefferson Parker's LAGUNA HEAT. I remember that it was a good book. For whatever reason, I didn't follow up on Mr. Parker's other works as he continued to write. That was my mistake! Thankfully, I've rediscovered him. I just finished WHERE SERPENTS LIE and though the novel was written over two years ago, I have to place it on my list of best books that I've read so far in the new millennium. The story deals with Sergeant Terry Naughton, head of the Crimes Against Youth Division of the Orange County Sheriff Department in Southern California, and his hunt for the Horridus, a man who preys on young children. Two years before, Terry suffered the lost of his five-year-old son, Matt, in a swimming accident. He still feels the immense pain of the tragedy, not to mention the sense of failure and regret he experienced when he and his wife could no longer live together after what happened. Terry now pours all of his energy into trying to save as many children as possible from the human monsters out there, who secretly hunt, sexually abuse, and kill these innocents as a means to fulfilling their sick desires. There is one man who calls himself the Horridus, and he's the worst of the monsters. His pleasure comes in the form of kidnapping the children right out of their homes, then using them to complete his dark fantasies before feeding them to his thirty-foot long python. Now, in my opinion, this is definitely a guy you want to do a "Dirty Harry" on. Terry feels the same way. His one goal is to put this predator down the hard way, hopefully before he kills again. As Terry gets deeper into the hunt, he's suddenly sidetracked when mysterious pictures of him having sex with a minor are discovered by members of his department while checking out a crime scene. Terry knows that he is innocent, but few others seem to believe him. The question is who's setting him up for the big fall? Who has the most to gain? Is it the Horridus, or is it possibly one of the members of his department? Terry quickly finds himself on suspension while an investigation is started into the incriminating pictures. He refuses, however, to just sit back and wait, especially while the Horridus is still kidnapping children. With or without the help of his department, he's determined to nail this guy. He simply has to do it before he finds himself in jail on false charges. WHERE SERPENTS LIE will surprise you again and again. Just when you think you know where it's going, there will be a twist that takes you in a completely different direction. You may at times feel sick as Mr. Parker delves into the hideous side of human nature, but at no point will you stop rooting for our hero to put down this evil specimen of humanity. The writing is taunt and the suspense is relentless. Mr. Parker has created a hero with a tormented soul in the character of Terry Naughton, and your heart will go out to him at the ending when he's forced to look at himself and the people around him, realizing that monsters can come in many different disguises. This is certainly the kind of book you will try to read in one day. Don't rush it. Savor the anticipation and excitement of each page, and take your time. Allow yourself at least two days of delightful enjoyment. I'm now getting ready to start Mr. Parker's next novel, THE BLUE HOUR. From the blurb on the back cover, it appears to be every bit as good as this one was.

Orange County has some terrific mystery authors who have produced some extraordinary mystery books. John Shannon's Orange Curtain, Kent Braithwaite's Wonderland Murders, and Carol Lachnit's Janie's Law immediately come to mind. T. Jefferson Parker is the top of the class, and his Where Serpents Lie is one of his darkest and most haunting books. I loved Mr. Parker's mastery of his detailed setting and his capturing the Orange County lifestyle. The reptile store featured in this novel really exists! His plot was fresh. I enjoy the way Parker creates new characters for almost every book. Where Serpents Lie is a dark book. It is well-written. I'm glad I read it.

For those seeking the famous tale on which the recent film wasbased, this will sorely disappoint. This is Scott's tale of a youngEnglishman, son of a prosperous middle class businessman, who is sent to live w/distant cousins in the north of England (just below the Scottish border) because of his failure to live up to his father's mercantile expectations of him. Here he becomes involved with all manner of intrigue and gets pulled into a vortex of events involving rebellion against the English crown, a scheming cousin, a beautiful girl and that famous Scottish outlaw and freedom fighter, Rob Roy. But the outlaw, certainly the most interesting character in the tale, is only a side player, so to speak, and makes a number of appearances, often in disguises ( a favorite Scott motif), only to guide and/or rescue our blundering hero. This is most definitely not a tale of high adventure and derring do, and the complex and twisted intrigues of the plot do not sustain the book adequately. For those who like period pieces or the works of the masters (and Scott was certainly one), this book might be okay. But this is one of those rare instances where the movie, based apparently on Scott's preface to his book (in which he sketches out the life and times of the historical Rob Roy), is better. And frankly the movie wasn't half bad; far superior, in fact, to that other film of historical Scotland of the same vintage with Mel Gibson. Oddly enough, the Rob Roy film did worse @ the box office. Who can account for some people's taste? -- Stuart W. Mirsky

Sir Walter Scott is widely acknowledged as the creator of the historical fiction genre. His best known book is Ivanhoe, which I have not read. I instead decided to read Rob Roy, a book I became familiar with due to the 1995 movie of the same name starring Liam Neeson and Tim Roth. Rob Roy, written in 1817, takes us back in time to the 1715 Jacobite uprising.

Surprisingly, Rob Roy is not the main character of the book. Rob Roy's appearances in the book are spotty, at best. Instead, Francis Osbaldistone is both narrator and main character. Francis, we quickly find out, is more interested in poetry than in business. His father, who hoped for Francis to take over the family business, becomes angry with his son and banishes him to his brother's estate, Osbaldistone Hall. Francis's relatives are all country hicks, with the exception of Diana Vernon, an astonishingly beautiful "cousin" who stays with the Osbaldistones for reasons best left unrevealed here. Francis also encounters the treacherous Rashleigh Osbaldistone, the cousin who is to replace Francis at his father's business. Francis soon becomes embroiled in several adventures, usually with Scottish sidekick/groundskeeper Andrew Fairservice and Glasgow businessman Nicol Jarvie at his side. Needless to say, Francis falls in love with Diana Vernon and becomes entangled in the machinations of the Jacobite rebellion.

I found myself amazed at Scott's depictions of women in this book. Diana Vernon is not only beautiful; she's smart, self-assured, and a very dominant figure. Rob Roy's wife, Helen MacGregor, also is presented as strong and domineering. I find this fascinating in a novel written in the early 19th century. Even more surprising is Francis; he is depicted as weak and easily dominated. Between Rashleigh, Rob Roy, and Diana, Francis never seems to know what is happening and is easily brought to emotional frenzies by the other characters. You quickly begin to wonder how this guy can get anything done.

There are two minor problems in Rob Roy. First, I'll mention the Scottish dialect. Scott, in an effort to be authentic, makes liberal use of the Scottish accent. This isn't much of a problem in the first part of the book, but in the second half it becomes a serious issue. Even worse, Scott uses the Scottish characters to reveal major plot points. Therefore, if you can't read the dialect, you're in trouble. This wouldn't be bad if a glossary had been included in the book, but there isn't one. After awhile, I realized that "bluid" was blood, and that "muckle" meant much, but the inclusion of many Scottish idioms had me totally dumbfounded. Other Scott novels in the Penguin series include a glossary of Scottish terms, but not their edition of Rob Roy.

Second, the pacing of the book is most unusual. For some 200 pages, nothing much happens. I've read many novels from this time period, and most move faster than Scott. This doesn't make Rob Roy a bad book, but it does take patience to get to the end. Even when the plot starts to thicken, Scott still takes a lot of time to unfold events. In some aspects, this lends a distinct quaintness to the book. At other times, it can become annoying. It is easy to understand how many people would lose patience with the book and give up.

This is still an entertaining book, and I highly recommend it to those interested in historical fiction. Despite a few problems I had with the book, I would like to read more of Scott's work in the future. I shall certainly look for editions with glossaries so I can navigate the Scottish words. By the way, the man on the cover of the Penguin edition is William, 18th Earl of Sutherland.

Robert Louis Stevenson called "Rob Roy" Sir Walter Scott's finest achievement. I do not disagree. Set shortly after the unification of 1707, Scott tells the tale of the protestant Francis Osbaldistone as he bids adieu to his father's London commercial interests and enters, as an exile, the baronial home of his papist relations in the north. His cousin Rashleigh assumes the commercial role intended for Frank and uses his newfound access to stir loyalist feelings in the Scottish Highlands by ruining the far-flung credit of the Osbaldistone business. Frank, upon uncovering the conspiracy, sets forth to Glasgow with the mercurial gardner, Andrew Fairservice, as his guide to right the wrongs of the scheming Rashleigh. Ever dependent on the outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor, to intervene in his behalf, Francis Osbaldistone leaps from one adventurous situation to another in his fight to clear his family name. Along the way, Frank meets and falls in love with the outspoken and beautiful Diana Vernon who aids him in his plight. Though a fair portion of this book is related in the Scottish vernacular, there is a glossary in the back of this edition that will easily point the way. Even so, the reader will confidently understand the vernacular when one-third through the book. This is a classic that can be enjoyed by anyone, particularly those interested in period and place.

Nicholas Nickleby is a marvelous novel. It is the young Dickens at his best. I almost feel guilty for giving it four stars, but giving it five would be unfair, I think, because his later works, such as Great Expectations, are bettter. The novel is written enthusiastically and contains some of Dickens' best humor. I especially found funny the character Mr.Lillyvick, the revered and dignified water clerk. And I will never forget Ralph Nickleby. Mr.Squeers and Arthur Gride were detestable and colorful villains, but they pale before Ralph Nickleby. He is such a cold and heartless character that he steals nearly every scene he is in. He has a certain magnetism that most of Dickens' good characters lack. And his suicide at the novel's end is so perfectly written that I read over it several times before I finished the novel. My only problem with the book was Nicholas's lack of psychology, but let us remember that this was written by a young man, not the mature artist of Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend. The novel's strengths easily make up for its weaknesses. Nicholas Nickleby will be enjoyed by fans of Dickens and all other readers for centuries to come.

My first taste of Dickens was the appalingly long David Copperfield as a freshman in high school. I detested it, swore I would never read Dickens again, only to find that my junior year held in store for me what would become one of my favorite novels, Great Expectations, a book heinously bastardized years later by a 'modernized' film adaptation, with Anne Bancroft being the only redeeming feature.

Through the years since high school, I have begun to read Dickens of my own free will, and have greatly enjoyed his works.

Nicholas Nickelby, one of my all time favorites, is a wonderful novel, typical Dickens, chock full of characters, plots, satire, and story. Nicholas and his immediate family are the 'black sheep' of the Nickelby name. Humble, gentle, and common in the eyes of their well-to-do relative, Uncle Ralph Nickelby, who denounces Nicholas as a boy, and man, who will never amount to anything.

In typical Dickens fashion, Nicholas encounters adversity first at a boarding school, then in society, as he forges a name for himself. Along the way he befriends many, enrages some, and invokes the wrath of his Uncle Ralph, determined to prove himself right in bemoaning the shortcomings of his nephew.

One point of interest in this novel for me is the major revelation that comes toward the end involving the character of Smike. Throughout the novel he is loveable, pitiable, and utterly realistic, and his significance to the life of Nicholas, as revealed in the final chapters, is a true plot twist, and a charming, if not bittersweet, realization.

For anyone forced to read Dickens early in life, if you appreciate quality satire and an engaging look at the London society of more than 125 years ago, visit this novel sometime, it is one of Dicken's finest.

"Nicholas Nickleby" is one of the best works of Charles Dickens overall. This novel is about the brave adventures of Nicholas, his sister Kate and their mother. The story begins at about the time Nicholas's father dies and the family has to encounter the struggle of life with no imminent prospects of fortune. At this time they make an appeal to the brother of Nicholas's father, Mr.Ralph Nickleby. From this point on, the parallel developments of the honest Nickleby family and their villanous uncle begin to unfold. With many twists and turns the story is as captivating as any of the author's best books. The tale is characteristically filled with the Dickinsian people such as Mr.Vincent Crummles and his family, in particular the "phenomenon", Arthur Gride, Newman Noggs and others. Overall, this book is a pleasure to read and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in good story-telling.

I'm a nut for reading series in order, so when I decided to tackle Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels, I started here. Now, I am definitely planning to continue making my way through the series, but if it weren't for Parker's sterling reputation, I don't know that I would have been inspired to pick up Book 2 after reading "The Godwulf Manuscript." For anyone who's read a lot of private eye novels, this is a fairly standard tale of a two-fisted gumshoe who's always drinking, fighting, irresistible to women, etc. Plus it's set against an early '70s backdrop of student rebellion which seems almost quaint now. Nevertheless, I like Spenser's sassy first-person voice, and I've already started "God Save the Child." Onward and upward!

Robert B. Parker's first Spencer novel, The Godwulf Manuscript is a fun and sometimes addictive read of thievery and murder. While not high literature, this book is a classic in its own right, written in 1973, where Spencer became the typical cardboard cutout detective that we see in many B-movies. Witty and sarcastic, and many times flattened emotions to send the "I am not amused" lines of dialogue. While today this might seem blah to some readers, if read with the idea that this is the first of its kind in the back of your mind, it may be more appreciated. Aside from this, the story is well told in the simplest way without getting fancy. This series went on to some 12 novels and a TV series, 'Spencer for Hire.'For a fun quick read, those who enjoy mystery will enjoy this book.

I love reading mysteries. I've torn through John Sanford, Michael Connelly, Jeffrey Deaver, Elmore Leonard, Ross MacDonald, and the like...and so, it's with a little shame that I admit I hadn't read a Spenser novel before now. My mother told me that the authors I was reading now, while good, were basically following the formula that Robert B. Parker had been perfecting for the last 25 years. So rather than picking up "Potshot", his newest book, I went to the used bookstore and found myself the first book in the series. Although a little out of my element with references to people and styles that were popular when I was three years old (the book was first published in 1973), the story crackles like any on the shelves today. I was reminded of the gritty violent world that Dennis Lehane portrays in his Boston mysteries starring Kenzie and Gennaro, and the wise-cracking wit of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole. Of course, now I realize that these PI's owe a great deal of their success to Spenser. The plot of the mystery in "The Godwulf Manuscript" was fair and interesting, but ultimately it is secondary to the captivating character of Spenser and the people surrounding him. I cared less about the unfolding of the mystery of where the Godwulf Manuscript went and who took it, than I did learning about the people who were involved in the deadly circumstances surrounding it. An excellent first book of a series. I'm thrilled to know that 27 more Spenser books are in my future!

It seems strange to be entering a rating for a novel so firmly entrenched as a classic. I really just came here looking for other readers' responses, because I have found this book, in the Everyman translation, so deadly dull that I have been using it as a soporific for over six months, and I'm still 100 pages from the end. The characters have never come to life for me; indeed the whole world of the novel seems very distant and thin. Therefore it's fascinating to read the reviews below. Am I missing some gene that makes it possible to enjoy this strange narrative?

Most people who have even heard of Stendal know of him as the author of the Red and the Black. Thanks to the praise Harold Bloom bestows on this lesser known work in How to Read and Why, I think many are rediscovering this book as well. Imagine my surprise when I found it not hidden deep in the literature section, but right on the "new release" section thanks to the New modern library edition.

Stendal, really Marie Beyle, wrote prodigiously during his lifetime and used over 200 nom de plumes, Stendal being only one of the more well known ones. He dictated this book in 54 days, impressive when you realize its girth. Stendal has been critized by many for his lack of style and proper French grammar, but thanks to fellow writer Balzac who wrote an influential review of the book, it gained much fame. Balzac wrote, "Beyle has written a book in which sublimity glows from chapter after chapter...If the mediocre knew that they had a chance of raising themselves to the level of the sublime by understanding them, La Chartreuse de Parme would have as many readers as Clarissa Harlowe had on its first appearance."

This novel has a bit of everything, but mostly court intrigue and love plots as we follow the unlikely hero, Fabrizio through his adventures, the most exciting of which for him seems to be his imprisonment in the tower. His charm lies in his complete inability to realize the importance of anything until after it happens. In fact, he sleeps through most of the important events: he gets drunk and barely remembers his small role in the Battle of Waterloo and later during his "rapture" in the tower, he finally discovers in his boredom that he is happy. As far as actually enjoying this book, I suspect that many modern readers will find parts either boring or hard to follow since many of the Italian court traditions are far from our experience. Unlike other long novels like War and Peace or Madame Bovary, this one might not hold interest levels the same way since it has a much denser plot and much less convincing characters. Still, I think we should appreciate this novel for its incredible scope and faithful recounting of a period long gone. It's not hard to see why it's a great novel, it just may not be as enjoyable to read as other great novels no matter how much praise Balzac heaps upon it.

Whether it's Thomas Hardy, Tolstoy, or Dickens, I've never met a 19th century novel I didn't like. In his 1999 book, WHY READ THE CLASSICS?, Italo Calvino calls THE CHARTERHOUSE OF PARMA "the best novel ever written," and Harold Bloom also praises it in his HOW TO READ AND WHY. Written in 52 days, THE CHARTERHOUSE OF PARMA (1839) opens amidst the rumble of cannons on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, and then follows its young Italian protagonist, Fabrizio del Dongo, from one "nasty scrape" (p. 193) to the next. "A little drunk" (p. 46), we find our unlikely hero sleeping through the Battle of Waterloo. Later imprisoned for killing another character in a street fight, he exclaims, "I've never been so happy in my life! . . . Isn't it funny to discover that happiness was waiting for me in a prison?" (p. 327). It is in his prison cell, in the "extremely ugly" (p. 299) Farnese Tower of the fictional Citadel of Parma, that Fabrizio is transformed by love. THE CHARTERHOUSE OF PARMA may be read as a historic novel, a picaresque adventure, a love story, or simply as "a great Italian novel." As translator Richard Howard tells us in the book's Afterward, it is "a miracle of gusto, brio, elan, verve, panache" (p. 503).

G. Merritt

VOODOO DREAMS is not the type of book that I generally read for entertainment, however, it was what I was carrying around at the time until my next novel, so I read it, and had the nerve to enjoy it. A novel of Marie Laveau, from childhood to adulthood, the next voodoo queen for her people, Marie was raised in the bayou of Louisana, purposely by her grandmother, to live as best as she can, despite the isolation of living in the woods. During this time, she has visions of a man who will acknowledge her abilities and use them for his own gain. Despite her grandmother's attempts to keep her ignorant of her powers and her past, especially of her mother, Marie rebels until she leaves the haven she has known for a world that exist during the time of the slave ships and the free black men who must have papers to prove it. Marie is automatically drawn into a quickie marriage to provide her stability, while being drawn to a man who will destroy her mentally, emotionally, and physically in order to obtain his desires of dominance over the blacks who believe in voodoo. During this traumatic time, Marie's powers will prove to be more than just a lark. They will show her how to survive, and who to trust. They will also act as tools of revenge toward those who have already engineered her destruction. She will also realize that just because she has the gift, doesn't mean she's the only one. A novel with a right mixture of love, betrayal, friendship, lust, and voodoo, only the sturdiest of readers will attempt to take this book on, and also like it.

Kudos to Jewell Parker Rhodes for an extraordinary piece of fiction based, in part, on fact. While some might argue that the picture Ms. Rhodes paints of the three Marie Laveaus is not entirely born out by the historical evidence, let's set the record straight. Take a close look at the title on the cover ... Ms. Rhodes clearly acknowledges that this amazing book is a NOVEL and never claims herself to be the definitive biographer of the REAL Marie Laveau or any of Marie's decendents.

That said, there are several reasons why I believe this book deserves 5 stars. First, the vivid imagery used so eloquently by Ms. Rhodes harkens back to the days of old when ALL history was oral history and story-telling was an art. What she has given us is a passionate tale of female courage in the face of injustice, triumph, tragedy, adventure, mystery and faith -- all packaged in a format that is superbly written and masterfully structured.

In my opinion, with VOODOO DREAMS, Jewell Parker Rhodes shines where most of the current best-selling authors fail. She leaves you begging for more, NOT wishing you'd spent your money at Starbucks.

This is wonderfully written novel. Rhodes did a terrific job of dramatizing the legacy of this remarkable woman. Her characters come to life with each page the reader turns.

Whether or not one believes in or practices Voodoo, this book is an insightful and entertaining read. It discusses the beliefs and origin of the Voudon, and provides a glimpse into a world that many try to ignore.

A captivating read and a lyrical novel, I was engrossed in the story of Marie and her legacy. As the title suggests, I found myself having dreams about Marie Laveau.

Candace K

I loved this book. Gail Connor, the protagonist, is faced with a real life dilemma: how to maintain a civil relationship with her ex-husband for their child's sake and how to prepare that child to accept a new life with a Cuban American stepfather. Gail's love life is complicated because David, the ex-husband, is weak, needy and still in love with Gail while Anthony,the Fiance, seems strong, possessive and passionately in lust with her. On top of this complication, when Gail starts receiving menacing phone calls and disgusting photos that hint at violence to her beloved daughter Karen, each man accuses the other of masterminding these threats.

All Gail wanted out of life was to be a successful lawyer, a good mother and a good "Cuban" wife. Instead, her law practise is struggling, David is fighting her for custody of Karen and Anthony's Cuban connections seem sinister and ruthless.

This was an exciting book in my opinion. There is a hint that Parker will continue the Gail/Anthony love affair in another book and I look forward to it.

I thoroughly enjoy reading the continuing story of Gail and Anthony. The politics of the Cuban-American community in Miami is interesting. The characters are well developed and engaging. However, it is frustrating to have Gail continuously making stupid mistakes. As a lawyer with her own practice, you'd think she would smarten up. The book would have gotten 5 stars from me if the ending (regarding the stalker) wasn't so predictable. The author gave away the identity of the stalker about three-fourths of the way through the book so the last fourth was pretty flat as far as the mystery was concerned. The story between the main characters continued to be engaging and I can't wait for the next book in this series to see what happens between them.

Miami attorney Gail Connor is having a run of bad luck in "Suspicion of Betrayal." Her new law practice is in trouble, her new house is falling apart, her ex-husband can't pay her back the money she lent him from her trust account to bail him out of a business disaster, and there's trouble in paradise with fiance Anthony Quintana. To make matters worse, Gail begins receiving death threats which escalate into acts of terrorism directed towards her young daughter. Could her ex-husband be behind the threats, engineered to ensure that he gets custody of their child? Or is it a client? If not one of Gail's current clients, could it be one from the past with a grudge? Or maybe it's one of the very controlling Anthony's business associates or family members. What great fun it was to find out! I had a pretty good idea who it was about halfway through the book, but the writing was good enough and the suspense level high enough to supersede that. Miami in all its splendor and squalor is captured in these vividly descriptive pages. It's cold here in Virginia but, I swear, I could almost feel a Miami sweat breaking out. Although there are a number of passages in this book when the reader feels like saying to Gail, "Wise up, girlfriend", what a great read it made following the clues to the final harrowing confrontation.

I have read several Spenser novels chronologically starting with Mortal Stakes. This was my least favorite so far, but I still give it high grades. Parker is really stretching credibility in a story that boils down to a fight between two boys over a girl. It is a really big and complicated fight, and it involves mercenaries, gun manufacturers, CIA, FBI, so on and so on. But Parker somehow pulled it off. I can't help but enjoy the dynamic of Spenser, Hawk, Susan, et al. As with all of Parker's books, the strength lies in his characters.

Overall, it was an entertaining but not quite great book; it was just a little too farfetched to get a five star rating. But if you are a fan of Spenser, you have to read this book. It is of crucial importance if you are following the relationships and the development of the characters.

This is Robert B. Parker's best Spenser novel and best novel to date. Besides updating the hardboiled/film-noir/detective novel genre for the new age, it has always been clear to me that Parker, an English Professor who has taught at Tufts and Harvard, is also exploring the concepts of the Hero and the Heroic in our decidely un-heroic, if not anti-heroic, age. He does so masterfully here.

The book soars on many levels. Lovers of literature will not be disappointed with many obscure allusions--not the least of which being the title of the book. Action fans will find plenty of violence. Lovers of pithy prose and repartee will also not be disappointed.

Parker accomplishes the almost impossible: an exciting novel that manages to be literature at the same time. No mean feat, but he's been doing in for 30 years. If some of the later novels fall somewhat flat, e.g. Small Vices, Hush Money, Pale Kings and Princes, this book repays endless rereadings. And, since discovering it in 1987, I've read it at least a dozen times. It repays each new reading. Truly a book for a life time.

Having read all of Parker's Spenser novels -- and all but the first are very good or better -- this one is the best. It integrates all the familiar Spenser characters from earlier novels, even Rachel Wallace, sheds further light on the relationship with Hawk, and, most especially, on that with Susan Silverman, which is the subject of the esoteric title. It shows Spencer sensitive and suffering over the woman he loves, seems satisfying psychologically to me, although I'm not sure Susan would act quite as she did. But that's a quibble. This is Parker at his best, Spenser at his height, and a good, rip-roaring, cross-country adventure story to boot. I like God Save the Child and Mortal Stakes and Early Autumn and Small Vices very much. But if I had to take one Spenser book with me on a long, boring journey, this would be it.