Murder Take Two, by Charlene Weir, is the fourth in a series of high-voltage mysteries. Weir is a master of tight, clean prose; characters the reader can care about; and intricate, twisty plots. Susan Wren, a former San Francisco police officer, becomes police chief of Hampstead, KS, when her new husband, the former chief, is murdered. Initially Susan wants the post because she is driven to catch his killer. Now, three years later, she wonders what is keeping her in this small town where she is still the outsider. Realizing that one part of the answer is something she would prefer not to admit even to herself--her attraction to second in command Ben Parkhurst--she tries unsuccessfully to stamp out her interest in him. In Murder Take Two, a Hollywood film crew is on location in Hampstead. When a stunt double is killed, Susan learns that the movie's leading lady, the lovely Laura, was once married to Parkhurst. Susan orders him off the case, but with Laura begging him to protect her, he can't stay away. As Susan struggles with her jealousy and Parkhurst's insubordination, an appealing young officer, Yancie, follows a string of bizarre episodes to the book's explosive ending. This series has everything going for it: fascinating characters, a sense of place so real you find yourself slapping mosquitoes, and ingenuous, complex plots. Don't miss it.

For police chief Susan Wren, trouble started the day Hollywood decided to go on location to shoot a film in her small Kansas town, making her tiny force stretched to the max. However, Trouble with a capital T does not start until stuntwoman Kay Bender, a ringer for superstar Laura Edwards, is killed during a shoot.

During the initial inquiries, Susan learns that Laura has been the victim of several threatening notes. Susan also finds out that her current boy friend, police officer Ben Pankhurst, used to be Laura's spouse, disqualifying him from the case. As Susan digs deeper into the lives of the personalities involved, someone else is murdered. The police chief wonders if she can control her jealousy over Ben's former relationship and if Laura is the ultimate target of the killer.

The fourth Susan Wren mystery is an intriguing who-done-it because it brings much insight into the personal lives of the recurring cast. Though the interspersing of the killer's thoughts into the action seems to cause some inertia, MURDER TAKE TWO remains a well-written, often times humorous novel. Wren fans will have plenty to crow about as they soar like an eagle with Charlene Weir's latest book.

Harriet Klausner

elam bartholomew kept copious quantities on notes his entire life about the daily adventures of living in western kansas. his life span encompassed travel by horse, then train, then automobile not to mention the advent of electricity and a sod home. a deep and abiding devotion to god country and family propelled this tough individualist thru life. his hobby of plant life and cultures turned into his live work. but his dairy entries on a daily basis opens a window to the reader to feel and experience life on the frontier of america

Pioneer Naturalist on the Plains.. is more than the story of Elam Bartholomew. His diaries not only gives the reader an insightful look at this remarkable man, we are given a spectacular view of pioneer life. The book does what novels cannot. We see and feel what is like to live the pioneer life through the eyes of Elam. As he carves out a life for his family on the wild frontier, the reader lives his triumphs and tragedies. Anybody interested in the true pioneer spirit of America will find this book a fascinating read.

This book is a wonderful book!!! It really is a great adults book. You feel like one of the gobblers! This would make a great Rob Reiner movie!

The Prairie Adventures of Turk and the Gobblers will keep you in stitches, long after the last page is read. This novel is entertainment at its best!

Once I began the book I never put it down. Bruce lived five blocks away from me in the same era. I especially remember Shortcake and Roy Beatty. They were friends of mine too. Bruce's recollection of Frank's restaurant was poignant although I didn't remember the dirt, just the heavenly(?) taste of a tenderloin sandwich. As to Old man Pierce, I too was chased from the premises, albeit not for the same reasons. My home was across from Scarrit grade school. Bruce no doubt played baseball there too. I do remember Lykins Square where we played the kids from "south of Independence Avenue" on many occasion, probably losing more than we won. This was a great step back to my own childhood. NE grad 1954.

This memoir of growing up in Kansas City in the 1950s is much more than nostalgia. It is an evocation of the importance of baseball in a young person's life, the ambitions of youth, and the impact of family, friends and neighbors. The characters are wonderful, and the whole book is beautifully written. It's a good read, humorous and poignant.

This book does a wonderfull job of depicting the struggles involved in raising a family & building a farm on the great plains. Just 3 or 4 generations ago many of our own families were living the same life as the Ise's.

You can get so lost in this story that you will laugh and cry with the family as they go through the years.through birth and death rain and shine you will enjoy every line of this book.I got a real feeling of what it must have been like to settle the country, and the early years of this century. now that we are leaving the 1900's in the space age learn what it started out like.

The title is exactly the basis of the book; it's hard to state it any more clearly than that!
Nancy Moser is so good at bringing every character so fully to life you may even catch yourself talking back to them. The premise of the book, "totally surrendering your ALL to God, no matter what your ALL may be" is a tough subject that Ms. Moser not only meets head on, but also gives wise counsel to throughout the book. As usual, I become totally caught up in reading one of Ms. Moser's books and cannot put it down; the details of every plot twist keep you locked in to the whole story. So many nice little twists and turns keep you turning pages long after the rest of the house is shut down for the night. And even once you've closed the cover there's the questions that this inspired writing has raised into your own consciousness. Could you do what Claire has done? Would you be able to surrender all to God? Shouldn't you be more able to give up everything to one who gave His life for you? Thank you Nancy Moser for another terrific book, and characters that will continue on again, we hope, just as Merry did.

You know how often the middle of a novel languishes? Just kind of sits there doing nothing, as if the author is just biding her time between the kicking beginning and the strong finish? You won't have that problem with A Steadfast Surrender. The characters Nancy Moser introduces once her main lady, Claire, arrives in Steadfast, are memorable, to say the least. My favorites are senior citizens Blanche and Ivan, a crotchity widow and widower who can't deny their attraction to each other--but will have you in stitches trying.

There are teenagers in trouble, middle-agers in conflict, and everything in between--all being challenged through Claire's bold actions to ask themselves whether they, too, are willing to say "yes" to God.

I highly recommend this book. In my opinion, it is Moser's best to date.

I am a retired teacher. I retired early (age 25) to stay home with my first baby when she was born in 1989. We now have three children who love to read. I love children's literature and this book interested me. It interested me because entangled in the pages are history, family, friendship, devotion, loyalty and patriotism. The author had me glued to the pages and I, literally, did not put the book down until I finished it! She made the main character so real and I was cheering her on, feeling her pain, and could remember being a little sister to a big brother whom I loved and adored. My daughter is reading the book now - it is beside her bed. These are the kinds of books that I loved as a child and love passing down to my children. It's a wonderful book. I hope the author is inspired to continue to write more children's books. She has a gift and we are fortunate that she shared her gift with us, the gift of writing.

I purchased this book for my 10 year old grandchild and decided I should read it before presenting it to her. I am so glad I did. It is a splendid combination of the spirit of World War II and the details of that period of history that should not be forgotten or changed. It was written for the kids we hope will never experience that kind of time, but who must learn about it.

It is not just a story of a victory garden but a child's view of the spirit of the people then and to some extent now. It is so timely because once again our children are called to the details of another world wide battle in which we (and they are involved).

Bravo to the author for bringing this charming, enlightening chronicle of a child uniting people by leading in a way that unified them while helping them. Isn't that what won that war?

Professor Wheeler has written one of the most insightful accounts of a small Kansas town and of Swedish/American life. I recommend it. Dale R. larsen, St. Loui

A must for Chiefs' fans. An interesting history lesson as well as all the top games in the great Stadium's history. You could swear you were back in the stadium for the Montana-led Chiefs vs. the 49ers game. The hundreds of color pictures alone are worth the price of the book!

Identity crises plague both Claudine St. James and Robert Lester, though for entirely different reasons. Claudie comes from a broken home and a life of prostitution. Bo was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a father who never deigned to notice him. As they struggle to connect the pieces of their past into a meaningful present, both Claudie and Bo must learn self-acceptance and forgiveness.

Claudie's been of the streets for seven months, starting a halfway house for prostitutes and using her experience to help others. But she can't forget the family she left behind, especially the youngest sister she practically raised. Fearing that at seventeen her sister may become her stepfather next victim, Claudie heads to Kansas to confront her past.

Bo follows Claudie, realizing the danger in her quest. Even as Claudie believes she can't share her used and damaged body with this remarkable man, he's equally determined to love her and give her a future. Claudie's skittishness and fears are portrayed compassionately and realistically, making her an extraordinarily sympathetic character without undermining her strength. Bo's own issues with her father prevent him from becoming "too perfect," and giving him sufficient flaws to be perfectly human. Indeed, Bo's both wonderfully tender and self honest, making him perfect for Claudie.

Debra Salonen's daring choice of a heroine brings gritty realism and compassion to BACK IN KANSAS. Salonen writes with a deep understanding of how good girls go wrong, and how a few can still make their lives right. BACK IN KANSAS also presents a flawed hero, providing the novel with dynamic characters guaranteed to win the reader's heart. Very highly recommended.