Author Alexs Pate deftly depicts a post-Jim Crow '60s society where Whites and Blacks are still segregated beyond reason and the deck is stacked in the white man's favor. Pate also weaves an atmospheric tapestry so wonderful that the reader senses vividly the surroundings and lives of his characters.

12-year-old African-American Edward Massey makes his usual summer pilgrimage to West Rehoboth, Delaware. There, through the eyes of drifter Rufus C. Brown, he runs head-on into life as a mature black man in segregated America. It is Rufus' story that this novel tells.

Rufus is a likeable enough character, as are most of the characters in this book. But Rufus does not suffer well the struggles of being a black male in America. Though Rufus grows up in the 1920s and meets Edward in the '60s, many of his trials are the same many Black Americans face yet today in the 2000s : absent parents ; too much spare time ; poor job oppurtunity ; and dishonest employers and coworkers. Rufus blames his problems on the White man but creates worse problems for himself by seeking solace in alcohol.

The balance to Rufus is Edward's successful, independent Aunt Edna. Edna achieves financial success by manipulating the white man's rules and doing the best she can. She parlays this into the successful restaurant/dance club where Edward stays.

Pate's other characters represent the range of ways the African-American diaspora dealt with inferior treatment at the hands of White America.

This book is hard to categorize. Pate is a writer of magnificent talent. His depictions of characters are honest, their faults at times glaring. Unfortunately, excellent characters and magnificent writing alone cannot make this a masterpiece. A poor, hurried ending hurt a plot already hampered by the introduction of an element of extra-sensory/mystical perception that does not belong here. Those two shortcomings bring this novel back to earth.

Hats off to Alexs Pate for this great "coming of age" novel about Edward Massey, 12-year-old aspiring detective and an unusual summers in West Rehoboth, a beach in Delaware.

Every summer Edward's father take him, his mom and his younger sister to West Rehoboth to get away from the ongoing madness in their inner city surrounding. This particular summer Edward decides to put on his best detective hat and find out more about the strange man he know knows as Uncle Rufus.

One of the things that drew me into this book is that Edward reminds me of my younger days when I was always trying to figure out the what, where, how and why of everything. Edwards wants to know what his Uncle Rufus did that has him banned from his Aunt Edna's house. He wants to know where he disappears to without a trace. He wants to know how does he suddenly reappear and no one says anything and he wants to know why everyone says Uncle Rufus is crazy and why everyone tells him to stay away from him.

As Edward goes on to find the answers to this questions he also learns a couple of lessons about life and reality. Sorry, you'll have to read the book yourself and go along the journey with Edward to find out what the answers are :-D.

I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons...I found the book to be captivating at times but I'll be honest it starts a little slow. The author developed the main characters so well that sometimes you knew what they were thinking. The book also has some suspenseful moments that will keep you turning the pages.

I recommend this book if you want to experience writing on a different level. I will surely be picking up more books by this wonderful author.

This is the first book I've read by Alexs Pate and I'm impressed with his writing style. West of Rehoboth starts out slow, but the time is spent introducing the reader to the 12-year old sleuth, Edward.

Edward is an atypical pre-teen from Philadelphia that spends his summers in the small "tourist-like" town Rehoboth - his hobby is reading mystery novels. The setting in during the 60's when racial tensions are high.

To hone his "detective skills" and overcome a loss from his previous Rehoboth visit, Edward is initially enthralled with the reason his weird and secluded Uncle Rufus kills his friend Mr Peabody.

The Mr Peabody killing serves as a surface level mystery for the reader while Uncle Rufus' mysterious relationship with the town of Rehoboth probes deeper into the human psyche way of dealing with anger, true love, deception, and so much more.

Pate, successfully combines reality with the supernatural to take the reader on a page-turning journey through West of Rehoboth. The book contains little violence and sex, but a very good mystery.

I found this novel pedestrian, and after 56 pages I had to give up because nothing really happens and I just couldn't find anything about the characters to keep me going.

I loved this book!

Ms. Johnson's wonderful story kept me going -- her plot was intriguing with enough suspects to keep me wondering whodunit right up until the very end. Her descriptive abilities brought the entire book alive for me -- pulling me into the story even further and further with each page.

I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

When former professional body builder Candy Emerson is found dead in her Rehoboth Beach gym, the police rule it a tragic accident. Novice insurance investigator Colleen Fitzgerald disagrees, putting both her life and her heart on the line to find Candy's killer.

Colleen soon discovers that while suspects are many (including Candy's unstable ex-lover, her business partner, a violence- prone drug dealer, and her rivals on the bodybuilding circuit, clues are tantalizingly few. Also tantalizing to Colleen is aerobics instructor Gillian Smith, who is rumored to have had an affair with Candy.

I liked this book because the mystery is very clever and difficult to solve, and because the tension between Colleen and Gillian is so believable and well done. Barbara Johnson is a very good writer, who makes the reader feel like she is right there with the characters -- whether on the Delaware beaches or at the mercy of the murderer.