When one of their co-workers almost dies in a suspicious car accident, the guys at the detective agency go through his files trying to figure out who pushed the car over the cliff. In this sense, this is typical, if not classic, PI fiction.

So why read this book? I read it because a critic named Gardner named it one of the best dectective books of the 20th Century. I'm not sure if I'd go that far but it's a solid read. There are plenty of red herrings and a curve ball ending. It's also a bit of a time capsule. Readers with ties to the East Bay will enjoy the jaunts into cities rarely seen in fiction (Castro Valley and Concord).

DEAD SKIP is the first book about the Daniel Kearny Associates (DKA) agency. Kearny is a superman with a massive jaw, flat nose and a mountain of determination. He is a hard-driving boss and a mentor for a crew of mostly younger agents who mature noticeably throughout the series. DEAD SKIP is one of the better DKA mysteries by Joe Gores.

This book was really hard to put. It's a shame that is no longer available. The writing is fast, excellent and intelligent. I really loved this book.

This book is good in a sense that it gives you a general idea about the American culture. Also, it provides a list of references (books and movies) at the end of each chapter for people who want to learn more about the subject presented on that chapter.

Also, you should know that this book is originaly intended for people who are studying the Englisg language and it provides many excercises at the end of each chapter.

This is an excellent introduction to American culture, and easy enough to read to be used with foreign students. The follow-up and supplementary exercises and suggestions at the end of each chapter are particularly helpful. I only wish I had enough time to use more of them.

The American Ways is an easy to read, well-organized, comprehensive book discussing how the U.S. developed its value system. It builds from the history behind the values to how these values are exhibited in today's political system, religion, ethnic assimilation, business, home and family life, education, sports, and leisure time. The reader can easily understand or recognize the value placed on activities in these various areas of American life, both in the past and present.

Excellent references and exercises accompany each chapter.

I have used it with many newcomers to the U.S. and given it to many U.S. born friends. All have enthused over its thought-provoking content. I highly recommend for anyone who wishes to develop a deeper understanding of our great country and all we have to be thankful for.

Joe Gores does a tremendous job in "Cons, Scams & Grifts" of keeping the novel under control, a highly commendable achievement considering that the book has dozens of characters who play significant roles in the plot, as well as probably over a dozen separate storylines, most of which are interrelated in some way. The key storylines in the novel that all the others are spun off from are the repossession of 27 classic cars from a dealership who does everything it can to hide them, a Gypsy woman's apparent murder of her husband in Los Angeles, and the battle between an Italian zoo curator and a California millionaire for a rare orangutan

I understand that this novel is a sequel of sorts to "32 Cadillac's", which I've never read, using many of the same characters. To Gores' credit, he gives you enough backhistory so that those of us who haven't read "32 Cadillac's" are able to read "Cons, Scams & Grifts" without feeling lost. I would say about 90-95% of the time Gores was successful in keeping all of the various characters and storylines clear, and there really was only a handful of times when the various intersecting plots and characters got a bit fuzzy.

One of the strongest aspects of "Cons, Scams & Grifts" is the fact that Gores really was a private detective and repo man. Unlike many detective novels that pretty much require that you leave you brain and any sense of logic or reality at the door in order to enjoy them, the believability quotient seemed to me to be much higher in this novel than in similar books. I also enjoyed the obviously well researched insight into modern gypsy culture, which I really didn't know anything about previously. Half the fun of the book for me was reading a scene that I figured was being played straight, and then realizing later I had been conned myself (particularly the scenes with the overeager jewelery salesman whose free-spending customer and rare gem supplier are not exactly who they seem to be). Also, having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area it was fun to see many familiar locations appear in the novel.

A roller coaster of a novel, dealing with a passel of repo men and women and a whole tribe of gypsies. A hilarious story of magnificent scams and cons. An in depth study on the repossession of cars for a bank that holds the defaulted loans. Of course, the two intertwine and the results are beautiful.

Unfortunately, the author chose to write in very short chapters with constantly changing scenery. Add to that the ever changing names, and the result can become rather confusing.

This book was a little difficult to read because of all the different stories going on at once, but if you can get past that and I did, it is a fun read. This is the latest in Joe Gores Series with the DKA Repossessors. I had not read the previous books by Mr. Gores but will probably go back and start from the beginning. I was not lost in this book because I didn't read the rest of the series though. Each of the agents from the Agency have a story as well as the main murder plot. It is definitely a good guy, bad guy book. It also portrays the Gypsy way of life pretty well. The characters definitely come to life for you.

Joe Gores' DKA series, which details the operations and adventures a San Francisco repo firm, got its start in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine back in 1967. With six books in the series in print, this volume provides the admirable service of collecting the twelve DKA short stories into a single volume. Gore based the DKA characters and series on his personal experience and coworkers at a San Francisco repo firm, which lends the tales the zing of procedural authenticity and an atmosphere likely to appeal to Bay area readers. Each story is introduced by Gores, who explains its origin and fidelity to actual cases-as he grew more and more sure of his writing, Gores strayed more from the actual case facts, thus the stories grow progressively freer. In his introduction, Gores also discusses the problem of setting a long-running series in the present, but not having its main characters age at the same rate.

Running almost exactly twelve pages each, the stories are perfect for those times when you only have ten or fifteen minutes to sit down. The thrill of these stories come from the tricks and craftiness employed by the repo men (and women), and their quarry. Since no one is interested in killing or getting killed over an unpaid for car, guns don't come into play very often, although fisticuffs do provide for some action. And of course sometimes an unpaid for car is simply part of a greater crime... Most of the stories are fairly straightforward and enjoyable detailings of interesting repo cases. A few, such as the Dashiell Hammet homage, "Beyond the Shadow" and the anti-developer "Do Not Go Gentle", with its Snidely Whiplash villain, do not work as well. My own favorite stories are the more whimsical ones, such as "The O'Bannon Blarney File" in which a hearse is repoed, or "Jump Her Lively, Boys!" in which a fire engine is repoed. The best of all however, is "The Maimed and The Halt", whose denouement is masterful, hilarious, and true.

This is the perfect introduction to the DKA series, for those who haven't encountered it, and the perfect gift for those who have. Unfortunately, the stories aren't packaged very well, with a terrible cover and the worst typography I've come across in a long time, but at least one doesn't have to track down ancient copies of EQMM to find the stories any more!

I was introduced to Joe Gores and DKA in 1979 when the Mystery Book Club put "Gone, No Forwarding" on its selection list. I've been hooked ever since by his dead-on portrayal of life on the street for the repo-men and -women of DKA. His books even inspired me to enter the field, and twenty years later I still grab the newest book to learn the latest tricks of the trade.

Stakeout on Page Street was a real treat for any fan of the series who didn't have access to the short stories from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Gores developed the "private eye procedural" and is still the most entertaining storyteller in the field because of the authenticity of his work. Watching the characters develop (without aging!) and reading the biographical introduction reminded me why I became an investigator and why I stay in the field. I still recommend the books to students and interns and cherish my own "private collection." Thank you, Joe, for sharing your stories and your world with us. I'm a happier person for experiencing your books.

And if you haven't read 32 Cadillacs yet, you're missing the ride of your life, and the magnum opus of the series.

The Kearney's present an honest and heartfelt picture of their struggles to raise a profoundly gifted child. Unfortunately, they proceed to make recommendations based solely on their personal experience.

They wrongly assume that they are responsible for Michael's amazing mental development, being unaware that there have been many others like him, and that such prodigality is inborn.

They also equate learning with intellectual development and feel that by allowing Michael to learn as much as he wants and as fast as he wants, they have fulfilled his intellectual needs.

They also present their plan as the ideal solution, offering no alternatives for parents who may want something more substantive for their child than rushing through the educational system.

This has been an extremely controversial book in discussions among parents of profoundly gifted children. Those who wish to allow intellectual, emotional, and physical maturity a chance to develop in an integrated way are generally highly critical. Parents who are eager to see their children move as swiftly as possible through their schooling, possibly setting records along the way, and saving themselves money as a side benefit of college compaction, praise the book highly.

I see it as an interesting personal memoir that has become undeservedly influential.

GREAT! Couldn't put it down. I think that this is a "MUST READ" for parents of highly gifted children and a sometimes-funny "GOOD READ" for all of us. Parents of gifted children are finding this book an "aha!" experience. In spite of being two of the most precocious children on record (Michael is at, or close to the reported precocity levels of William Sidis), it is astonishing (and a little frightening) to me how often the Kearney children were misdiagnosed or mishandled. When Michael was born toxemic, and prematurely, the Kearneys were told that he might be brain damaged and retarded. They went all out from Day One to stimulate his mind. They little imagined that they would be confronted with a super-prodigy-an "accidental genius".

To me, one of the striking aspects of Michael's upbringing is the fact that his parents are doing their level best to insure that (unlike William Sidis), he and his comparably brilliant sister, Maeghan, are well adjusted to the world. The Kearneys have evidence that there may be thousands of children showing up around the country with the kind of energy and rage-to-learn that has characterized Michael and Maeghan. The Kearneys think that their dedication to keeping their children supplied with fresh knowledge allowed a flowering of their children's minds that made possible their full mental development. They are very concerned that other children are, perhaps, being misdiagnosed, just as were Michael and Cassidy, Of course, our school systems may not be well-geared to accommodate children at this level of rarity, and yet, these are the children who on whom we are depending to light the world. For the parents of such children, I think "Accidental Genius" is a necessity.

"Accidental Genius" is a wonderful book to help parents of profoundly gifted children understand the way these children learn and process information. It helps to make sense out of the speed they need to go in their studies. The Kearneys also help those coming along behind them to better understand the dynamics of working with various academic bureaucracies. If I had read this book 4 years ago when I first started homeschooling my profoundly gifted son, I would have understood his frustrations in following a linear curriculum and I would have accelerated him differently. We are facing our 10 yr. old entering college full time and are very nervous about the prospect. The Kearneys' insightful book helps point out the pros and the cons of such a venture.

I applaud their heart-wrenching honesty as they tried to explain in their book the reasons for the path they took. All may have different paths in this dark and uncharted forest of giftedness, but I'm glad the Kearneys left a map to explain the terrain!

This book reminds me of one of those low budget horror movies. The writing is pretty elementary and undeveloped. However, I had just finished reading a novel by Dan Simmons and I guess that didn't help. If you enjoy Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, Stephen King, and Dan Simmons then this book will probably be a disappointment.

As I began to read this one, I felt like groaning aloud: "Oh, not another one about a brave mom having to defend herself and her child against evil!" In the end it is so only to a point, and the book ends up developing in a rather unexpected direction. Its ambiguous story (and dubious morality) would have been the stuff of a very good book, but the characters are flat and never seem to come across as quite alive, except the teenager Kara, who soon steals the protagonist role from her bewildered mother. The book is entertaining enough, however, which is no small feat.

Back in the early nineties, Scott Smith wrote the definitive "what one act can lead to" novel, "A Simple Plan." That was a brilliant book and few have been able to come anywhere near it's domino effect crime. However, Kearney tries mightily hard in this thriller, which all occurs in one long day. Chuck Hausmann and his new wife, Gretchen, and step-daughter, Kara, return to an isolated island in the middle of Lake Superior, to attend the reading of his father's will. We soon learn Chuck is hated by pretty much everyone in the little village. We also learn Chuck had been married before and his first wife died under mysterious circumstances; Chuck feigned insanity to keep out of the draft. From the get-go, we know Gretchen and Kara are in for some dark, disturbing moments. The island is populated with stereotypical characters, but still they're interesting antagonists. We do wonder "Is Chuck really the insane killer" the town makes him out to be; was Mary's death really an accident; did the old man really extort money from his church-going parishioners; and is Chuck telling the truth about anything?
The novel spins towards it's unusual climax, and many people suffer because of one lie, one betrayal. Sharp and enthralling, this is no "Simple Plan" but is a fine psychological thriller, with an unexpected ending.
RECOMMENDED.

I've always been a great fan of Joe Gores, and found this effort really painful because he's let his readers down.

Many authors use the technique of relating, in parallel, stories from the perspective of several people. The fun comes when these stories become intertwined, leading to a combined climax to the action. It seems at first that Gores is plotting this kind of action, but the reader gradually realizes that there is no interconnection between the stories except that they happen at the same time to different DKA operatives. In effect, what we have here is a half dozen short stories of varying quality spliced together. It doesn't hold together, and I was ultimately unsatisfied.

The individual components of the book range from an overly complex death threat, a bloody union scheme, surreal-comic reposessions, and a distasteful DKA op who gets his kicks taking sexual advantage of illegal alien girls.

Enjoy 32 Cadillacs or other earlier Gores works and pass on this one.

Too disconnected. Gores flits here and there and everywhere never giving enough to string a story. It's like a day in the life of a repo man only it's a day in the life of ALL the repo men and women who work for DKA. Very boring and pointless. There wasn't enough local atmosphere or story to hold my attention.

And another thing that's beginning to grate on me after 20yrs of reading mysteries is ALL THE WOMEN ARE ALL flawless KNOCKOUT PERFECT...blond, blue eyed, boobies & brains and long legs. Ah..the guys are normal. I'm still going to try 32 Cadillacs.

Joe Gores is one of the most entertaining mystery authors around, no argument. He can write really tough, noir stories, but my favorites have always been his "DKA" novels, featuring Daniel Kearny, king of the San Francisco repo men, and his crew of talented and slightly strange operatives: Larry Ballard, good-looking white-bread and black belt in assorted martial arts; Bart Heslip, black ex-boxer and Larry's best friend; Giselle Marc, beauty combined with brains and organizational smarts; O'Bannon, elder statesman of repo artists and inveterate lush; Ken Warren, Vietnam veteran with a serious speech impediment; and numerous others who come and go throughout the series. Gores's specialty is to combine this retinue of fascinating people with complex -- but reasonable and logical -- multiple plots, an eye for telling detail and description, and a droll style of delivery that will have you laughing out loud on the bus. This time, the overlapping plots include Bart going undercover in the Tenderloin District, Giselle talking Dan (who's been thrown out of his house by his wife) into taking on a personal security job for a young computer geek who is about to become a semi-billionaire, Ken becoming the sexual target of the geek's aging society mom, Jacques Daniel trying to uncover union corruption and being run off a Marin cliff on his racing bike, Trin Morales trying to balance his repo load with his desire to become both a Latino godfather and the bane of underage chicas, and Larry getting involved with a gorgeous, feisty Italian labor union official who just may be more than he can handle. And then there's the two cops who have been a team so long they're known as Rozenkrantz and Guildenstern, automatically dressing alike and keeping up an endless stream of off-color jokes and patter. The pace is fast and steady, and ten pages from the end of the book, you'll shake your head and wonder how Gores can ever bring all the threads to a conclusion. But he does, and very tidily, too. This would make a wonderful film!