Bonnie Bartel Latino says further: Exactly who is Miss Emily Rose? She's the hypothetical angel in the whirlwind battle for Texas' independence from Mexico, who captivates the imagination and leads the reader across several generations of family, Texas, and American history.

MISS EMILY is written in the cinemagraphic style, which shows what the characters are doing and experiencing, rather than merely telling the story, but the authors, Ben Durr and Anne Corwin, have not simply painted vibrant characters on the canvas. They have delicately brushed in the subtleties that bring the characters to life.

For example, when Emily de Zavala's husband dies in Chapter One, she had not seen her cousin Rose for some months and did not recognize her. At the funeral Emily saw an almost familiar female figure among the mourners. ". . . A heavy veil concealed her face; her black dress of coarse cotton showed the tops of well-worn shoes. The woman was surely not of her circle. And yet there was a rare grace about her and that slim figure had a familiar shape. She knew that shape, if she could only remember . . ." When the above passage continues, ". . .But the memories were scrambled and she stood silent. The baby began to whimper in Mr. Smith's arms. The children tugged at her skirt," the authors engage the senses as well as the reader's mind.

Anyone who has ever grieved at the funeral of a loved one, has experienced those perfectly described scrambled memories. Seconds later, the reader almost hears the baby's low cry and feels Mrs. de Zavala's other children tugging on the hem of her dress.

You will want to add this novel to your private collection if you enjoy epic sagas that are fictionalizations of actual events. In this case, the Battle of San Jacinto.

Beautifully written and skillfully crafted, "MISS EMILY" resonates with the ring of authenticity of place and time to the extent that the reader will feel as if he/she is reading a memoir rather than historical fiction.

MISS EMILY, the Yellow Rose of Texas is definitely not in the romance genre, but romance is woven as tightly as Texas barbed-wire around this historical narrative that is a must read!

I loved this book. I have never read any of Emily McGully's book but after reading Monk Camp's Out, I will read more. This is a story about Monk growing up. He is determined to go on his first solo camping trip. We see his parents love for him and there is some humor in the story when they look for each other. The story has a happy ending and makes you feel good. Kids should love it.

A classic storybook with enough animals for a complete make- believe barnyard. These are stories just long enough to pique the interest of your toddlers, yet short enough for their attention span. I brought this book to my daughter's playgroup and read it aloud to 8 kids. They were all mooing, baaing, & quacking before I was through. It was precious.

As we have limited space in our R.V., I really enjoyed the More of the Four Ingredient Cookbook. The recipes are fun and easy to do with my grandchildren. They are delicious and imaginative. Much easier to try with only four ingredients. Great recipes!!

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my father-in-law, who very conscientiously purchased the book from a locally-owned, independent bookseller. What a delightful book it is! My husband and I read it together, and we very much enjoyed every page. Bowers writes beautifully, fluidly and with wonderfully astute scientific insight. It is always a pleasure to read the writings of a scientist so inspired by her work that she shares her passion with laypeople; scientific passion is nothing less than infectious, regardless of the discipline. Bowers' essays are accessible, insightful prose that leave the reader hungry for more. A pure delight to read.

His peers admire him; his subordinates emulate him; His superiors think that he is the perfect policeman in Scotland Yard. Very few people have any inkling that his servants, who adore him, use their connections and their wits to help Inspector Witherspoon solve his homicide cases. The housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries uses guile and flattery to subtly direct the investigation. Aside from helping their employer, his servants like working behind the scenes to see justice done and know they had a part in making it happen.

Mr. Westover's death was originally ruled a suicide but Inspector Witherspoon's superior wants him to take another look at the case because the victim's landlady knows he was not the suicidal type. When the inspector begins his own investigation, he discovers that the victim was in a locked room with the key outside the door. He also learns that he was very angry just before he was shot and it was had something to do with work. Using information subtly given to him by Mrs. Jefferies he begins to get an inkling as to who committed the murder.

MRS. JEFFRIES PLEADS HER CASE is a charming, upbeat British police procedural cozy. Readers might guess early on why Westover was killed but they won't be able to deduce who the perpetrator is because many of the suspects had means and opportunity to perform the deed. Emily Brightwell, the author of this long running series, has written another fine work that fans Of British cosies will just love.

Harriet Klausner

The citizens of Victorian London are lucky to have a person as innovative, perceptive, and brilliant as Inspector Weatherspoon working for Scotland Yard. The Inspector has caught many killers before they have the chance to strike again. However, no one is aware, including the Inspector, that he is assisted on each case by his household staff, who using their vast underground connections, gather information to put the pieces of the puzzle together. From Mrs. Jeffries the housekeeper, to Betsy the maid, to the rest of Weatherspoon's domestic entourage, all of them work together in a cohesive unit with one goal in mind: to bring fame and glory to their adored employer.

The team has their work cut out for them when Hannah Cameron, a universally disliked person, dies. At first, it appeared that she inadvertently walked in on an on-going robbery. However, the more the team digs, the more suspects surface. As the evidence points to one person in particular, Mrs. Jeffries wonders if her group's investigative prowess has deserted them. It seems that the most likely murderer had everything to lose with the victim's death.

This combination police procedural cum cozy is a fine example of one of the most enjoyable and endearing mystery series in bookstores today. It is sheer pleasure to watch the interactions between the gullible Weatherspoon and his intelligent staff as they gently nudge him in the direction they want him to go. The distinction in class during the Victorian Age adds a dazzling and entertaining glimpse of history that cannot be gleamed form a text book. MRS. JEFFRIES QUESTIONS THE ANSWER is a perfect novel to read to get into the holiday spirit.

Harriet Klausner

There are very few people who has a group of devoted servants like the most fortunate Inspector Witherspoon has. Every member of the household adores their master and will do anything to help him, to include solving murder cases. Of course, he is unaware of their assistance or that his renown as one of the police's leading lights is because of their efforts.

In spite of the servants discreet support, some individuals are well aware of their secret occupation. One person, who has previously benefited form their help, pleads with the group to find her tenant's missing daughter, who was on her way to visit one of her gentry. The housekeeper, Mrs. Jeffries "persuades" the Inspector to have a talk with the residents of that house. When he arrives at the doorstep, he finds one of the guests has choked to death from a candy that turns out to have been laced with arsenic. Witherspoon begins to investigate the murder and the missing person with a little covert help from his cracked team of servants.

MRS. JEFFRIES REVEALS HER ART is another warm addition to the "Mrs. Jeffries" series. The novel is a part police procedural, part cozy, and part amateur sleuth(s). As usual, the book leaves the audience feeling satisfied by knowing that good always triumphs. The servants are all wonderful characters, but it is the Clouseau-like Witherspoon who steals the show as women will want to mother him. Emily Brightwell continues to produce fresh mysteries.

Harriet Klausner

Only the gardener and the residents of Sheridan Square have keys that allow access to the gardens. Venerable Scotland Yard Inspector Gerald Witherspoon begins investigating the murder of Mirabelle Daws, a visitor from Australia. The highly regarded law enforcement official expects this case will prove relatively simpler to solve than most of his previous cases due to the limited opportunity. However, as Gerald meets the occupants, he finds it difficult to see who would possibly have the motive amongst this gentle group. Adding to his troubles is that no one, including the sibling, knew or expected Mirabelle to be in England.

Unbeknownst to the Inspector, his housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries organizes the staff to begin their own inquiries in support of their beloved employer. As the Witherspoon servants begin to unlock the case, Mrs. Jeffries subtly provides her employer with clues and answers without him being aware of what his crack staff is doing for him.

The fourteenth Mrs. Jeffries Victorian mystery stays with the overall premise of the series, yet continues to retain a freshness to each new novel entry. The current tale, MRS. JEFFRIES ROCKS THE BOAT, is entertaining and the who-done is perplexing but interesting, and the characters provide a taste of life the nineteenth century in England. Emily Brightwell's novels continue to be some of the brightest historical mysteries of the past decade.

Harriet Klausner

From the opening of this book you are pulled into a wonderful world of servants living a slightly soft life. Led by their thoughtful housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries. This household does a lot more snooping than polishing the silver and always seem to come up with the answer just in time to save their beloved Inspector. Inspector Witherspoon who is just slightly naive but a truly gentle man at heart. When a nasty play critic is murdered it seems that Scotland Yard has got themselves another difficult hommicide. The suspects range from a beautiful actress to a beginning playwrite. Will Witherspoon fall for the actress and forget all about Lady Cannonberry. The case seems like a hopeless mess but will Mrs. Jeffries be able to turn this case around? True Mrs. Jeffries is far from like Sherlock Holmes their methods being quite. But their is more than one way to find the solution. Well like Brightwell says,"Behind every great man, theirs a great woman." An enchanting mystery with lots of suspense. Lots of subplots, such as who is the mysterious gift giver or what will happen to Smythe and Betsy? Its almost like a soap opera!