What a shame this book is out of print. It's one of Pamela Allen's best, rivalling "Who Sank the Boat" and the Mr McGee series for fun and entertainment value.

Most children like to dream of being pirates. The patch on the eye and the parrot on the shoulder are all part of the game.

The hero of our story has an older brother called Peter who's got a pirate suit. Of course Peter has all the fun, gets all the treasure and makes our little friend walk the plank when in a sea of crocodiles.

When the boys grow up a little our friend inherits the pirate suit. However he doesn't get to experience the pleasures of being a pirate since Peter is now a lion tamer. Now, guess who is the lion? It looks like young brother is about to get his revenge.

Lobby the publisher to get this fun book back in print.

"In a Green Shade" is a collection of articles covering the seasons of the year. In spring he writes about bulbs and other familiar plants, including Fritillaries which are not so well known or grown because some find them frustrating. Lacy implies there is hope for those who fancy these lovely flowers, though I refuse to waste any more money on 'Imperialis.' He says if one can figure out how to treat them properly, the fritillery are faithful flowers that return year after year. I love Meleagris (Snake's Head lily, and have had some luck here). Lacy digresses on Thomas Jefferson's love of the Imperialis and it's origins in Turkey.

In other sections, he covers lillies, roses, Bee Balm, tobacco plants, gourds, dahlias, begonias, mums, trees (Hazel)and other plants he has grown in his New Jersey garden. He discusses their nature as well as nurture, and their history, geography and interesting anecdotes. I particularly found his bits on creating a garden on a deck interesting. His pots, and trellises and other deck paraphanalia must be beautiful, and I wish a photo or two had been included. I have mirrored his approach to gardening--completely fill the yard with plants, shrubs and trees, and removed the grass--so if you like grass, don't look here.

If you've read many gardening books, some of the anecdotal material may seem recycled. For example, seasoned readers know Nasturtiums are nose-twisters. If you're starting out, the book will seem fresh, and funny in places. If you need lots of basic "how-to" information, the book will prove less useful. There are no photos of how to prepare the soil or long discussions of which tools to buy. From time to time, Mr.Lacy interjects technical details, but this is not the strength of this book, although there is a short list of extant nurseries in the back of the book.

For even more statistical and personal detail on the migration to New England, see Roger Thompson, Mobility and Migration: East Anglian Founders of New England, 1629-1640. See also David Hackett Fischer, Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, which examines the transference of four different regional cultures of England to four different regions of America. Fischer studies Puritan Massachusetts as the seedbed of one such regional American culture. On the Puritans, consult any number of books on the subject by Edmund S. Morgan.

Psychiatrist Dr. Jack Caleb is jogging in Chicago's Lincoln Park when he hears some chanting. When he goes in the direction of the noise he observes a cultist mob about to burn a police car with the cop inside the vehicle. His presence puts a halt to the festivities and the wannabe arsonists flee the scene. Later on, the officer's partner Arlette Banks is found dead, a victim of a stoning. The Chicago police department assigns John Thinnes to investigate the case, which circumstantially point towards the cult.

However, the case becomes more complicated when members of the cult begin to die in what appears to be a series of arson fires. Soon, evidence surfaces that makes the prime suspect appear to be Dr. Morgan, a close friend of Jack. To prove his buddy, who he wants a closer relationship with, is innocent, Jack sets in motion a plan that, if it fails, will leave him and John burnt to a crisp

The third Thinnes-Caleb investigation, INCENDIARY DESIGNS, is a well-designed tale. The story line is obviously crisp and fast-paced. The secondary characters and the lead duo strengthen the plot. However, what makes Michael Allen Dymmoch's novel so good is the best tour of Chicago since Bueller needed a day off. This is a wonderful series that is worth reading.

Harriet Klausner