Wow! This book was a continual surprise for me. It's really good on so many levels: well-written, great character development, beautifully crafted scenery, and a tricky plot.

Two women move west to escape persecution from their lifestyle. Unfortunately when they first move, they haven't actually done anything, but the one woman becomes entangled in the other's affairs. Though this is a novel about the love two women have for eachother the sexual feelings are secondary to simple, mutual caring.

Intrigued by the life these women "lived," I several times read the book into the wee hours of morning. It was quite a wonderful journey. I do have one criticism, which is that the end of the book was confusing. I don't want to give anything away, but what the women did to keep the ranch was one thing, the fact that the "person" changed names in the narrative was (to me at least) cumbersome reading.

This was a great portrayal of two women who struggled to make a life together during a very difficult time period. The plot was riveting and kept my interest. The characters were not portrayed as stereotypical lesbians, which was a nice change from other novels that I have read. This is a definite change of pace from the Anna Pigeon mysteries I have become used to reading by this author. Sarah and Imogene were great characters. I only have one criticism. Toward the end of the novel, I was flipping to see if I had read something wrong, due to the author's use of pronouns and the name switch that occurred. Overall a great depiction of two women who knew their own strength and used it to their advantage! The scenery was vividly described and the characters well-read.

The pioneer setting and the hard-scrabble life described in Bittersweet, reminded me of Isobel Miller's now-classic lesbian novel, Patience and Sarah. Barr's book, even with a few first-novel flaws, is a far better book than Miller's and well worth reading for its very authentic picture of life in the mid-19th century for two women who love each other.

Also, I encourage any reader interested in researching these so-called Boston marriages to read one or another of Lillian Faderman nonfiction books.

THIS BOOK WAS GREAT. JOHN RIDLEY IS A GREAT AUTHOR, AND IF YOU SAW THE MOVIE U-TURN, WHICH WAS BASED ON STRAY DOGS, YOU WOULD KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN IDIOT DIRECTOR OLIVER STONE IS. OLIVER STONE DIRECTED THE MOVIE U-TURN, AND COMPLETLEY CHANGED THE BOOK AROUND. THANK GOD I READ THE BOOK FIRST. IF I SAW THE MOVIE FIRST THE BOOK WOULDENT SEEM ALL THAT TEMPTING

John Ridley's Stray dogs is one of those short, hardboiled books reminescent of a dime store novel from the 30's. It's one of those novels that you either will love or hate. I happened to love it. The chapters and long on cynicism and short on description and detail. Ridley's writing is very compact and brief. It feels at times like you are reading a script because of all of the one word descriptions. It's no coincidence that Ridley wrote the script to the movie which is almost exactly like the book. The story is rather simple it's about a drifter whose car breaks down on the outskirts of a dustbowl town named Sierra and what happes to him in the 24 hrs after. A good read but nothing life altering. John Ridley is a good writer with a distinct voice. If you are looking for a entertaining read check it out.

I was hooked from the first word and couldn't put it down. The characters are funny and twisted, and you actually feel John Stewart's pain and frustration during his 24 hours in the small town. Stray Dogs is a quick, worthwhile, entertaining journey!

This a a fast and furious read that leaves you spellbound as Hallie O'Rourke and her twin daughters race away from danger after Hallie's stepfather is murdered. Hallie ends up in Primrose Creek after her car breaks down and she and her daughters encounter The Last Chance Cafe during a snowstorm.

Chance Qualtrough, one hunk of a rancher,is concerned for Hallie and her kids and let's her stay in his aunt's house. Something about Chance makes her trust him and this begins one humdinger of story that never lets you go.

Great characters, intense suspense, and a delectible romance. Makes me want to read all the Primrose Creek historicals to find out about the ancestors! Wow, I'd better get busy.

Don't miss this book!

Suzanne Coleburn,Winner of the Fairy Godmother of Romance 2002

I really would give this 4 1/2 stars. The story of Hallie and Chance is wonderful. The passion between the two of them smolders and explodes!! And who says a cowboy has to be the aloof type? Chance is caring, giving, generous, and selfless. Not to mention the dream lover. I now know the answer to the question "Where have all the cowboys gone?". They are in Primrose Creek, and Chance is the standard by which they should be judged!!

The modern people of Primrose Creek still possess that timeless quality that helped to build the fictional town during the pioneer days from Women of Primrose Creek. They embrace Hallie and her two precocious twins Kiley and Kiera, even though Hallie possesses a dangerous secret that could bring turmoil and heartache to the close knit community.

The story of Chance and Hallie has romance, adventure, humor, intrigue, and mystery. This is a good book to curl up with on a rainy day and get lost in the mystique of The Last Chance Cafe.

Finding a safe haven for herself and her twin daughters is utmost in the mind of Hallie O'Rourke as she flees her Arizona home. Someone has murdered her beloved stepfather, and the evidence contained in an old strongbox reveals the prime suspect to be her ex-husband. So Hallie loads her belongings and her children in an old pickup truck and takes off for points unknown, no real destination in mind; just somewhere safe and remote. When mechanical problems and a raging blizzard force Hallie to stop outside the tiny Nevada town of Primrose Creek, it almost seems as if fate has brought her to this refuge of safety. Maybe this would be the place where she and her small family could start life over again?
When rancher Chance Qualtrough encounters Hallie and her girls at the Last Chance Café, his first instinct is to protect the frightened and homeless young woman and her family from whatever danger is pursuing them. As he discovers the true story behind Hallie's flight from danger, he vows to keep them safe, whatever the consequences.
Trouble in the form of Hallie's deranged ex-husband catches up with them in the sleepy little town, and Chance pulls out all the stops in order to protect the woman and children he has come to love, even if it means sacrificing his own life.
In her latest novel, "The Last Chance Café," author Linda Lael Miller combines an absorbing mystery along with a mature romantic storyline to achieve a fascinating book that will keep readers captivated to the very end. Fans of her romance novels will enjoy the return to Primrose Creek, the fictional town made popular in her series "The Women of Primrose Creek." This time around, it is the descendants of the pioneering families that are featured in the story.
But don't be fooled into thinking this is just another romance novel. The element of danger and surprise that Miller incorporates into this book makes this story a spine-tingling mystery as well. Proof once again that a story can have the best of both worlds, a little thrill and a little chill.
- Sharon Galligar Chance, Times Record News

I chose this book because it had Elizabeth Lowell's name on it, and ordered it before there were any reviews. I expected the usual gripping suspense, twisting plots, and exciting romance. I didn't know it was an expanded version of a release from some 16 years ago. Well, there wasn't the gripping suspense, the plot had no unexpected twists, and you knew from the start that eventually Hope's beloved Valley of the Sun would be saved, and the couple would live happily ever after.

What held me enthralled and gave this book the 4 stars it deserved was Lowell's ability to strongly develop her characters. You couldn't help but get involved in Hope's dream - you felt the physical exhaustion as she struggled to do the work what had to be done to bring water to her cattle. You saw the world through Rio's heart and soul as he was determined to help her find the water to save the ranch, as he struggled not let a romance develop between them as he would have to move on and didn't want to hurt her. You felt Rio's pain that no white woman would ever want to have a child his mixed breed bloodline. You couldn't help but get caught up in the passion of the love between Hope and Rio.

It was enough. Lowell's creative magic made for a very enjoyable evening's entertainment.

"Beautiful Dreamer" is a novel of quests and discoveries. As the hero and heroine search for the solutions to the drought-induced dilemma, they find themselves discovering emotions that had been long dead and buried deep. The result is well worth the journey to discovery. Elizabeth Lowell is well known for her versatility in writing. She can whip out a spine-tingling mysterious suspense novel, and then turn around and amaze her readers with a far-out science fiction epic. But it is her sensual and passionate romantic tales that have endeared her to so many fans. With "Beautiful Dreamer," Lowell counts on her fans to continue their loyalty when they discover this novel was actually released in 1985 under the name of "Valley of The Sun." Lowell has expanded the story to flesh out the plot line and add details, and for those who have read the previous version it will be interesting to discover those additions. For those who haven't read the former edition, "Beautiful Dreamer" will prove to be an intriguing novel.

I absolutely loved this book. It was my first Elizabeth Lowell book, but it definitely won't be my last. Hope is the strong heroine fighting for her dream, and Rio is the mysterious and sexy as hell hero who helps her achieve it. You can tell they're attracted to each other the first time they meet, but neither of them wants to accept it because Hope can never leave the Valley of the Sun and Rio can't stay there. My only problem with this book was all that "brother to the wind" crap with Rio. What sane person lets the freakin' WIND dictate their life? "I'm sorry, Hope...I love you, but I have to leave now because the WIND is blowing, and it sounds like it's saying my name...you should have known you'd never be able to replace the WIND in my life...see ya..." That part kind of had me wishing Hope would walk out on his sorry behind in the end, but of course, the romance got the best of me. Anyway, if you're looking for a good love story, this one is a must read.

Don't miss this book if you play Blackjack or want to, especially if you are Nevada bound. Here you can live the life vicariously before jumping in with both feet. Seems like a NO-BULL book. As well, the wife enjoyed it as a casual read.

With casinos sprouting up everywhere, this funny and smart "road-trip" book with blackjack-playing stops at every casino in Nevada is a great read. Even as a non-gambler, I was fascinated by Meadow's take on the subject, as well as the compelling narrative: Will the author, an accomplished blackjack "counter" who plays at a high enough level that he might OCCASIONALLY have a slight advantage over the house (but don't bet on it, he concedes) lose his $8,000 stake after nine weeks of play at a mind-bending succession of casinos, from dusty roadside joints to the glitzy emporiums of Las Vegas? The guy knows his subject, but more importantly, he knows its culture and thinks it's a riot. Time and again, I laughed out loud while reading this book.

I loved this book. It isn't the one to read if you want to learn to count cards at blackjack, but really gives a wonderful description of what casinos are like. Barry Meadows isn't Paul Theroux, but he is a lot funnier and sounds like a much nicer guy. Anyone who loves visiting Nevada will love this one. If you haven't visited Nevada, you will want to after you read this book.

I am an avid mystery reader and a biologist, and so when I was stuck in the Portland airport for 12 hours, I picked up Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr. I have often found with mysteries that there are 2 basic kinds: a mystery with a compelling plot that is well constructed but has a one-dimensional protagonist, or a simple-minded mystery with a compelling protagonist. While not perfect, I found Anna Pidgeon and this story to be the best of both worlds. True, the plot was a bit translucent at times, but it was still based on a neat premise. Her descriptions of the park were beautiful without being distracting. And I loved Anna. Yes, she is flawed, but she is a REAL person. I know people like Anna. She's no Miss Marple (dont' get me wrong--I love Miss Marple and her twinkely blue eyes), but does she need to be? Anna is a decent, flawed, intelligent person. Like most of us. She's not the 'perfect omniscient detective' who figures out things in leaps of logic none of us can fathom (and are disappointing to read in a mystery, frankly). You can put yourself in her shoes, and any good novel does that for the reader. I look forward to watching Ms. Barr and Ms. Pidgeon grow in the subsequent novels. This was not a perfect novel, but showed a LOT of potential!

As far as mysteries go, I thought this book (and the other Anna Pigeon books I have read) were pretty good, though perhaps not among the best-written I've ever read. What made the books enjoyable for me were the settings. Each book takes place in a different National Park, where the main character, Anna Pigeon, is stationed as a ranger. We've traveled to several of the national parks featured, and her descriptions are very evocative of the sites and bring back great memories. They also provide some interesting perspectives on the life of a park ranger! If you're a National Park Fan, you'll enjoy following Anna Pigeon around on her various assignments.

Nevada Barr is really the first mystery writer I've ever looked at, and "The Track of the Cat" is the first book I've read of hers. It's very good, and maybe a little old now since it was published in 1994. However, the time of publication does not matter in this case, for I loved the stark description of the national park where Anna Pigeon works. I enjoy her relationship with her psychologist sister who still lives in New York, and the unravelling mysteries surrounding the death of fellow ranger Sheila Drury and the disappearance of another male ranger. Unfortunately, the copy I had might have been missing some pages right near the end, so I don't know if I went through the entire story. Once again, read this and be enthralled with Nevada Barr's debut novel!

Naked Came The Phoenix was a book selection for two of my local reading groups because we were intrigued by its unusual format. Twelve bestselling mystery and suspense author joined together to contribute a chapter to this murder-mystery, soap-opera. The catch? Each other must pick up where the last left off and continue the story using the same cast of characters, all of who get zanier as the story progresses.

The opening chapter written by Nevada Barr sets up the story and, in my opinion, was the driest, dullest entry in the entire book. It's here that the lifeless main characters are introduced (luckily they don't stay that way!). After the recent death of her father, Caroline, wife of a big shot Congressman, agrees to spend some quality bonding time with her difficult mother at a high-end health spa. Caroline's fellow guests at the spa include an aging rock legend, a quirky psychic, a starving model and loads of other oddballs and Hollywood "it" types.

After the sloooow start, JD Robb picks up the tempo in chapter two. She breaths life into Caroline's character by bringing her down to earth in a funny little adventure brought about by hunger. She also adds a hunky pool-boy to the ever growing list of characters and kicks things into high gear by killing off the snooty spa owner!

Things get silly as each character seems to harbor some dirty secret and the murder count becomes ridiculously high as each author adds their own little twists and turns to the story and attempts to pick up where the previous author left off. A friend of mine described the characters as "manic depressives" and she was right on. Each character switches moods and personalities from chapter to chapter which only added to the sense of fun. Eventually, all dangling threads and over-the-top plot twists were neatly brought together by author Laurie King.

I'd read another book like Naked Came The Phoenix for the fun factor alone. But would I read this one again? Umm, probably not.

Naked Came the Phoenix is a riot from beginning to end! When Caroline and her mother visit the Phoenix Spa in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, they expect rest and relaxation, but soon after their arrival, the spa's owner is found dead in the mud baths and the "fun" begins! Thirteen popular mystery writers take the reader on a roller-coaster ride of murder, mayhem and mirth. What fun to watch one author plant a clue then lean back, rub her hands together and wait to see what the next author does with it! Kudos to Nevada Barr for introducing us to the cast of supporting characters -- King David, the aged rocker; Ondine, the wrath-like model; Howie Fondulac, the has-been Hollywood producer; Lauren Sullivan, the movie star; and my particular favorite, Phyllis Talmadge, the psychic who's at the spa touting her latest book, Flex Your Psychic Muscles! Brava, Lisa Scottoline for giving us detective Vince Toscana, who "retired" to rural Virginia to please his wife, but wants nothing more than to sink his teeth into a Philly cheese steak, and, oh, by-the-way, solve the murders. Wheee, to JA Jance who drowns a victim in the lake and to Faye Kellerman, who knew CPR! Ka-pow, to Diana Gabaldon who really knows how to throw the reader a curve. Ye-gads, to Val McDermid who gives new meaning to the word "incarnadine". Wow, to the amazing Laurie King, who ties up all the loose ends with delicious tongue-in-cheek humor. And, thank you, Marcia Talley who sewed the patchwork together into one, seamless novel and is a heck of a writer, too!! All I can say is, "Encore"!!

With the recent death of her father Hamlin Finch from throat cancer, Caroline Blessing decides to help her mother Hilda deal with her grief. Though she knows that reconciling their differences will be impossible because the only way to accomplish that is unconditional surrender. Still Caroline, a cellist and wife of less than one year to a first term Tennessee Congressman, takes her mother to the exclusive Phoenix Spa.

At the spa, Caroline's mother remains her usual obnoxious manipulative self though perhaps acting a bit more bizarre than usual. The owner of the spa Claudia de Vries, her mother's college roommate, behaves even weirder than Hilda does. However, Claudia's behavior becomes moot, as someone murders her. The police and Caroline conduct separate inquiries even while other patrons die.

NAKED CAME THE PHOENIX is an entertaining collaboration from thirteen of the leading female mystery writers on the market today. The story line is fun though the line up of superstars tend to void pronouncements from the previous chapters. Still, the plot seems fresh due to Caroline who is the one consistency throughout the who-done-it. For the most part the authors provided strong entries that help make NAKED CAME THE PHOENIX a likable story. What else would you expect from a who's who consisting of Nevada Barr, J.D. Robb, Nancy Pickard, Lisa Scottoline, Perri O'Shaugnessy, J.A. Jance, Faye Kellerman, Mary Jane Clark, Marcia Talley, Anne Perry, Diana Gabaldon, Val McDermid, and Laurie King.

Harriet Klausner

A Desert of Pure Feeling, a novel by Judith Freeman is about a writer, Lucy Patterson. The book contains three stories of her life: her early marriage and her dying child, a cruise honoring her as the writer on board, and a Las Vegas Motel called the Tally Ho. These separate instances intertwine throughout this book leading to a deeper understanding of Lucy's complex character. In the end, her lives must combine as one, and she must accept her past along with the present. In the book A Desert of Pure Feeling, there is a new image of the West that destroys the falsities of the West from the past. First, Lucy lived by herself in Idaho for many years. She was not brought by a man trying to move West and dragging along the poor old wife. Instead, she was the one who wanted to move West to run away from her past and the pain she felt when her son was kidnaped in Guatemala. Lucy explained to her lover Dr. Cabrera , "...it was grief and despair that drove me to retreat from the world..." The West is still portrayed as an escape from reality, and a place where the problems of life will disappear, but now it is acceptable for a woman to move West. The West itself was not enough to cure her of her tremendous pain. Certain people also use religion as an escape, especially the stereotyped women of the West. Religion in the West never assumed an important role. Many Westerns, such as, High Noon and Riders of the Purple Sage, devalued religion, and suggested that women must give up their religious beliefs and conform to the cowboy's beliefs. In A Desert of Pure Feeling, Lucy denied her religion on her own. Her father, a bishop, challenged her Mormon beliefs when he told her she could not ride her horse on the Sabbath because of the family's image. Her father told her that if it was up to him he would let her ride. The reader learns this when Lucy confided in her lover again, "At that moment I realized he didn't really believe in it, and I thought, Why should I believe if he doesn't? I'm not sure I ever really believed." This independent woman made her own decisions about her faith, which is quite different than the stereotype of the women of the West in the past. Religion did not fulfill her emptiness that she felt inside. In Riders of the Purple Sage, by Zane Grey, Lassiter, the cowboy hero, must prove to the "blind" woman, Jane, that her Mormon religion is wrong and that her people do evil. The dreams of the West are also torn down by the contrast of the true Las Vegas and the Magic Mile, or "fantasy." The true Las Vegas is described as "...an empty lot dotted with dry tumbleweed and bits of broken glass." Las Vegas is in the desert. On the other hand, on the Strip there are human built fantasies: "a pyramid, King Arthur's castle, Treasure Island, a Mayan palace, giant Easter Island heads." The dream of the West was a fertile land that on which one could grow crops, and a place where people can pick up gold right from the ground. This dream was not reality! The soil was not capable of producing crops and only the lucky few made a fortune from a gold find. In some of the Westerns, people seem to be able to escape the past and move on with their lives. In A Desert of Pure Feeling, the past always returns until the person deals with it. For example, Lucy encounters her former love Dr. Cabrera on the cruise she was invited to take as a writer. During the cruise, many characters admit or come face to face with problems from the past. A man from the past of Dr. Cabrera confronts him on this cruise about an occurrence that took place 60 years ago. People cannot deny the past, because it is part of who that person is. The idea of the western hero is replaced by a longing for a companion in which a person does not have to put on a facade. The person that Lucy finds is Joycelle. She can confide all of the secrets of her past and experience the true feelings of unconditional love. At the end of this novel Joycelle and Lucy pledge their loyalty to each other. This is the "pure feeling" that Lucy searches for throughout the novel, which is not a cowboy hero! This revisionist text recreates the myths of the West. This book is a change from the Westerns of the past. The plot keeps the reader interested, while the author makes statements about life and relationships.

A Desert of Pure Feeling In A Desert of Pure Feeling, Judith Freeman has written the heart-wrenching story of Lucy Patterson, a woman who opened her heart to love without knowing the pain it would later cause. Just as the desert is uncultivated and forsaken, the character of this novel lives an unsettled life as she encounters experiences that leave her emotions scattered. With each chapter of this book, Freeman takes us farther back into Lucy's past to help us understand her inner struggles as well as her accomplishments. From the first page to the last, Freeman successfully employs flashback to capture the reader's interest in a part of Lucy's life and hold him/her there until the conclusion of the book when unravelling stories lead to an understanding of the character's life. As this story unfolds in the first scenes, Lucy finds herself in Las Vegas living in "...Motel Nowhere, a generic and slightly rundown structure in the heart of the heart of the Mojave." In this city of bright lights, fake landscapes, and people who never sleep, Lucy finds it easy to hide in the activity of daily life and reflect on the important people and events of her past. Although the significance of these relationships is found in Lucy's ability to cope with the present, each person in her life contributes a particularly interesting part to the story. In Lucy's life, perhaps it is her son who evokes the most feelings from her. "I dreamed of Justin last night. It was the old recurring dream...How many years have I been dreaming this dream or some version of it? Fifteen? Twenty? Since long before he disappeared." Justin filled her life with worry as a mother, confusion as a human being, and fear as a loved one. Lucy struggled through her son's entire life, but with each struggle she learned a little more about herself. Next, part of Lucy's inner peace was stolen by her relationship with Dr. Carlos Cabrera. Whether her feelings for Dr. Cabrera stemmed from her gratitude to the doctor for saving her son's life at birth or the possibility of an escape from an unfulfilling marriage, this relationship developed into a love affair that would encompass her for the rest of her life. It seems as though this love between Lucy and Dr. Cabrera is meant to last because their love endures a separation of time and they are reunited once again. However, dealing with secrets from the past is more than Dr. Cabrera can bear. Do not mistake this turn of events as a tragic ending because it is through the doctor's past mistakes and inability to accept the consequences that Freeman's character is allowed to finally discover her own inner self. Finally, Lucy finds companionship with an unexpected character, Joycelle. As the book draws to a close, Lucy is faced with the fear of losing yet another loved one. However, Joycelle is the one who helps Lucy cope with her own situation as well as those from her past. Lucy states, "She looks at me and I can see something written on her features. A strength and calm that seem far superior to anything I can muster." From this, the reader is shown the change in Lucy's character. Lucy is able to put the trials of her life to rest in order to give comfort and true love to Joycelle. In conclusion, A Desert of Pure Feeling is exactly what it's title suggests. Until the main character could learn to cope with reality, she was unable to keep her emotions from turning her life into a desert of uncultivated, forsaken events. The author helps the reader to realize that we cannot hide our feelings in the Las Vegas of life, but rather we must respond to our own struggles before we can find true inner peace, the prerequisite for happiness and love.

In her entertaining, yet warmhearted novel, A Desert of Pure Feeling, Judith Freeman moves backward and forward in time, and intertwines a series of events from her narrator's life. She explores the life of Lucy Patterson, a woman who seems to be searching for truth throughout the text. Even the setting for part of the story is in Las Vegas, Nevada, a place known for its falsehood. Lucy first encounters the truth about her father, a truth that haunts her for the rest of her life. This truth makes Lucy view the idea of adultery a whole new way and it is after this incident with her father that Lucy herself begins to stray from her husband. Soon after her son's birth, Lucy feels like something had broken in her and that something was the capacity for intimacy. She feels she is protecting herself from a "loss that seemed imminent." She was right. Throughout the text, Lucy loses many relationships with people that are important to her and she goes on searching for the truth about herself and others. One reason Dr. Cabrera is so attractive to Lucy is because she knows she cannot have him. She is fully aware of the fact that he has a wife and children that he will not leave. Yet she continues to be involved with him because it allows her to get what she wants from the relationship. Lucy can get all of her physical needs from Carlos without getting tied up emotionally. The fact that the other person she falls in love with, Joycelle, is a young hooker who has just discovered that she chronically ill also supports this claim. This young mother turns out to be just as needy and troubled as Lucy herself once was. But this is yet another person that Lucy cannot fully rely on and spend the rest of her life with. She knows Joycelle is weak and does not have much life left in her. Yet by getting involved with people whom she cannot spend the rest of her life with, she does not have to have a deep, trusting relationship. All of the characters in the text seem to be dealing with their hidden secrets from the past. We find some characters, like Carlos, are unable to handle the truth, while others, like Lucy grow from revealing and facing the truth about themselves. It is a truly enlightening part of the book when everyone is being totally honest with each other and telling of their skeletons in the closet. It is at this point in the text when we realize that we all have our own secrets and issues from the past that we do not want to face. It is at this point that all of the characters are on the same level as Lucy and dealing with the same type of insecurities from the past. The events of Lucy's past broke her trust in others and she still carries the unforgettable scars she received when she was a young teenage bride and mother. She was not prepared for the feelings she had after she gave birth to her child. She felt like her son, Justin, was taken away from her the moment he was born. Then, throughout the rest of his life, Justin was taken away from her by other things. He was taken away from her by his fatal heart condition, later by his father's influence, by the Mormon religion, and in the end by the terrorism that led to his disappearance and presumed death. She often wonders what it would have been like to have a son when she was thirty or thirty-five, instead of having a child when she was only seventeen. The maturity Lucy would have gained before having the child at this age could have significantly changed the events in her life. The hardships Lucy faced would have been difficult for anyone, especially someone who was as needy and dependent as Lucy was in her early years. Even after learning of her father's infidelity, her fallen marriage and husband's infidelity did not seem to bother her too much. But it really did, deep down. She again lost a once strong relationship with someone she loved. The breakup appears to be nobody's fault, after all who can really blame a person for wanting to leave a marriage that has been dead for a couple of years. In the text, Lucy is a woman struggling to make peace with herself as a mother, lover, artist and friend. It is after all of Lucy's heartaches from the past and discoveries of the truth that she grows as a more independent person. When she becomes acquainted with Carlos again, she does not go running back into his arms, but proceeds cautiously. Also, when she meets Joycelle, she is not looking to have a relationship with her, it just happens naturally. Along with finding a loving and passionate relationship with her, she also develops a sort of paternal relationship that she misses having with her son. It is in this relationship she is finally comfortable with herself and all of the truths of her past. The setting for the story occurred in three main places: Las Vegas, St. Paul, and on an ocean liner across the Atlantic. The main place in the text associated with the West is Las Vegas, Nevada, even though nothing about it has Western characteristics. Las Vegas is famous for its phony attractions, lights, glitter and gaudiness. It seems to be a place that is corrupt with many lies and deceptions. It is ironic that the place where Lucy finally finds the truth is in Las Vegas, among all distractions of the flashy city. It is here where she meets Joycelle and her life changes in many ways. Not only does she discover a pure and truthful love, but a different form of sexuality she has never experienced before. It is in this fake and phony atmosphere that Lucy bears all of her feelings and becomes completely truthful with herself and others. This text was extremely well-written and had a wonderful theme and storyline. The only part of the text I had any trouble believing was the manner in which many of the main characters experimented with their sexuality in the past. I had no problem with what happened, but it just seemed incredibly unbelievable that all of the main characters experimented this way. However, I can overlook that extreme and appreciate the book and the important themes that had. The idea of finding truth and becoming comfortable with one's own feelings and past is a message all readers of A Desert of Pure Feeling can benefit from.

This is could be the title of this book. As a firm supporter of our country, I found this book helpful in filling in many details about subjects that I have read in other books. What I liked most about this book was that it gave a brief history of each major player in the building of Las Vegas and how they got where they are today. Then it shows how these major players worked either with or against the powers that be. It also helped me understand many of the major political events in this country, especially why Nixon was forced to resign. The basic theme of this book is that the Mafia--the Syndicate-- controls our goverment by giving huge amounts of money to those running for office, not just in Nevada but in our presidential elections. It also tells how these Mobsters work hand in hand with the CIA in drug running and have helped in assissinating legimate leaders of other countries or trying to assissinate them. Money speaks and it speaks loudly. Unfornuately those who control the money are not working in our best interest. I lived in Las Vegas in the early to mid 80's. I saw how the Synidate ran things and how the locals just accepted it as a fact. I also worked with people who were addicted to gambling--who sold their blood so that they could win big time at a game where only the house wins. Because Las Vegas has done such a good job at promoting itself as a place for families to have innocent fun, some may have a hard time believing that what is said in this book is true. However, anyone who will take the time to do further research can substantiate what is written in this book. It is well written, but I had a difficult time reading it. It made me cry to think that the citizen's of this country have let corruption take over this country because people want to have a good time. I think this is a must read for every American.

As an author and professional tour director I'm always on the lookout for insightful material to share with my travel clients. This book was recommended to me by a bookstore in Las Vegas saying that this was the real history of the city.

I found this book to be more than a Bugsy Siegel or Godfather Part II interpretation of the past. The cast of characters is far more reaching (Steve Wynn, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, the Kennedys, Howard Hughes, Senator Paul Laxalt, the Rat Pack, the Jewish underworld, etc.).

I particularly found the part about Joseph P. Kennedy to be interesting. Here's a man that was head of the SEC and our Ambassador to Great Britain, yet a man who President Truman said is "As big a crook as we've got anywhere in this country."

I would also recommend a book titled, "Double Cross" as one to read when it comes to understanding the Syndicate, the Kennedys, Hollywood, and Las Vegas.

This book gives you a deep understanding of how Las Vegas was created and helps make a trip to this city far more interesting and intriguing.

I've been going to Las Vegas with my folks since 1955. The place has always facinated me. Why would so many go to this America Mecca? How were the politicians, beauracrats, mafia, drug lords, entertainers all comingling in the oasis? I've never considered myself particularly naive politically, but after having read this book, and the accounts of all the seedy characters that have made Las Vegas and Nevada what it is today completely blew me away. I now realize that the glitz and glitter of Las Vegas is and always has been just a carnival act in the midway, hiding a much more elaborate and dynamic show which not only controls the city, but our government as well. No kidding - when we stayed at the Sands Hotel in the 50's, you could walk to the back of the parking lot and see nothing but desert all the way to forever. The city was built for many reasons, but greed and power seemed to rise above all else.
As it says in the book, Lansky new that their were only 2 kinds of gamblers, winners and losers. The winners always owned the games. Great book. If you love Las Vegas, if you love the adrenaline that flows though your body as you approach the #1 city of the 21st century, and if you wonder why you feel so emotionally and economically drained when you leave Las Vegas, this book will fill you in. It can get a little slow, but the information is well worth the read. I especially enjoyed the information on Steve Wynn. Truly fascinating.

An excellent well-read and researched book that shows that Millman has done his homework. Everything from the profile of the Stardust and their sports book manager, to quotes from the Mirage's first sports book operator Vaccaro, to the origination of the Don Best line service. The only problem with the book is the attention that is given to some of his "Gamblers" in the book. He wasted a good portion of his book on a kid handicapper who fires parlays and actually thinks he can win in the long run and was woefully unprepared about how Vegas books operate. But he is an interesting character, as is the professional who is skilled and makes a ton of money, but has traded off lonliness for greed.....Millman has shown that the majority of the degenerates lose their money because they have no idea how to seperate greed from handicapping, and how not to get to high on wins and too low on losses. Millman's perspective on Vegas history of the handicappers and the ones who try to set the line to beat them is top notch. Also is his astute observation that the end of Vegas being the center of the betting universe for sports is now, thanks to weak hypocritical internet gaming laws in Nevada and the US (Carribean-mostly Costa Rica). Readers will like Bob Stupo, who runs the Stardust, as he battles the public and takes loses personally. Sadly, Millman;s book is named correctly, as the more Casinos have become corporate, the more they have not allowed gamblers to actually gamble, limiting single game bets to 5 and 10k limits (except Super Bowl) which were considered small time wagers not that long ago. Also a good book to get is Art MAnteris's Super Bookie from 1991.

I read the book in two sittings and enjoyed it throughly. The characters were fleshed out nicely and you could actually feel yourself rooting for them in some instances knowing all the while that a "normal" person would never have the guts to lay down the bets that they have made. Contempt and jealously were common emotions I felt as I read them, and as I am planning a trip to Las Vegas in the next few weeks I will be toting the book looking for autographs.

This is truly a very good read and if you have interest in sports betting and Las Vegas I can't see how you could go wrong in purchasing this.

I thought this was a very good book that not only gives you a feeling of being in Las Vegas sweating out the games or more precisely the bets, but it also educates the reader to the many changes in sports wagering with a little history lesson. I read it in only two readings because I could not put it down.

My biggest letdown from the book is when it ended. I wanted to read more! I wanted more true stories to feel the exitement of winning as well as the sickening feeling of losing a bet in the last few seconds of a game to a freak play.

The book leaves the reader thnking maybe I do not know as much as I think I do about betting sports. The games fall squarely on the lines so often it is scary. If the wise guys can not beat the lines studying information and trends as a full time job, how can I possibly do it over the long run committed to a family and working a full time job.

I only found a few editing mistakes where the team did not cover the spread but our guy was stated to have a winning ticket. Not enough to take away from the realism or to be too distracting. No gambler really tells the truth all the times. It would have been a little better if we knew how much the bettors really lost or won, the book was a little vague in that area. It only stated the our guys had had a very bad two months.

But to finish positively, It was a great read and one I will pass on to my best of friends.