I highly recommend this book for anyone plannning to build a large-scale Corba System. It covers many important topics which I'm sure any developer will find useful. The chapters on Managing Server Resources, Load Balancing and Fault Tolerence are very good. This book also gives you very good guidelines on good IDL design which can have a huge affect on performance.

First off - let me come clean : I'm biased!!!

The authors are all Senior Consultants in our Professional Services Group at IONA Technologies.

I'll limit my review to saying this: if you are seeking real, practical advice on how to actually build a CORBA system - then I believe this book is a must-have.

To my mind, the authors have zoned in on the key topics we see again and again when building systems - object location and naming, scaling, performance, database integration, etc. You get the necessary fragments of code, IDL, design and architecture to ensure you can really understand the issues and apply it to your own situation.

Because it's based on experience on the field, the book has a "been there, done that" feel to it - but it manages to avoid being overly didactic or preachy. The authors are very clear to identify open issues where they exist, and manage to group their topics to that beginners and experts alike will gain from their experience.

All in all, the CORBA development community sorely needed a book like this, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone building or thinking about building a distributed system. This book will save you time.

Now - roll on the second revision!! :-)

Sean O Sullivan, Professional Services, IONA Technologies

This book does a *great* job of explaining the design issues that must be considered when building large-scale CORBA systems.

The parts on IDL design, fault tolerance and load balancing, and database integration were particularly helpful to me.

The knowledge in this book will be extremely useful for anyone designing or implementing a CORBA system, regardless of the ORB product being used.

Female War had so much potential that it's a real shame to give it such a low rating. Unfortunately, it's one badly enough that it merits it. Wilks and Billie continue to have a lot of "development" scenes, the only problem being that the authors are basically restating their problems over and over. More than half the book is spent just introducing new characters, condensing the interesting stuff into about a hundred pages at the end. The climax seems rushed harried, and unfinished. The fight scenes are fairly well done, but again short and rushed. Stephani Perry's influence is seen in the writing style -- for the first time in this series, a semi-colon has been properly used, and there's not quite as much language or sex. Ripley is semi-interesting, but not developed enough in any way that counts. This book also shares a flaw with the first two in the trilogy -- namely, not enough of the title creatures.

This trilogy has been enjoyable but dissapointing. If you really like Aliens, read them, if not, you're not really missing anything.

This book has the best story out of the first three of the series. In this one, the two main characters join up with Ripley (from the movies) and return to the home planet of the aliens and capture their queen mother (queen of the queens) to release her on Earth so all the aliens flock to her, creating a perfect target for a nuclear weapon... you get the idea. The one thing you have to keep in mind while reading this book is that is was written before "Alien3" was filmed, and you'll know why I told you this while reading. This one as well deserves 5 stars.

While Nightmare Asylum cast a madman in the role of the villain, Female War returns it to the banana headed bugs we've come to know. And it's focused on the biggest one of them all, the queen mother.

While it's a very nice book, I have a few criticisms about it.

The characters, other than Wilks, Billie, and Ripley, aren't very well deveoped. So there's isn't any real sense of loss when one of them gets killed.

The ending offers some closure but also opens up new questions. I think that almost everyone who read this book wonders what happened to the crew? Based on some stuff in Genocide, we know the mission was a success but how does the crew explain hijacking a ship, taking it for a ride to a far away planet, getting some of the marines on board killed during the mission, and setting off some nukes in the Pacific Northwest?

There are also a few criticisms in the aliens in the book. First of all, the queens have 6 arms, not 4. Second, what would be the point of having a queen mother? If the aliens don't have the ability to travel into space and to other planets at whim, wouldn't having an alien that only produced queens quickly put hives in competition with each other over limited territory? Of course, it might make sense if the theory that the aliens are another alien's engineered living weapons . . . But at heart (or whatever vitals they have), these are still the black-shelled monsters we've know and love(?)

But despite these flaws, the book is really good. We didn't exactly spend lots of quality time with the marines in Aliens either and the queen mother is just one really nasty creature instead of an out-of-place being when you actually read the book. Having Riply and Billie right next to the perversion of motherhood of the queen mother was a nice touch. And finding out why Ripley is here when the book is set after Alien 3 is just as interesting as when the crew goes to the ground with the bugs.

On the space station the Innominata, ilegal experiments are being carried out; with humans as the subject. The breeding of Xenomorphs is taking place, and unsuspescting marines are disappearing as a result of this. Eventually one marine, Anthony Crespi is sent into a manufactured labrynth of aliens with only his wits to assist him.

I thought this, although similar to the usual conspiracy idea was an exellant book, the crisp art making it an even greater enjoyment to read.

This story is one of the best thrillers that I have ever read. I really don't like to read many books, but the Aliens selection is one of the books that keeps me interested. I don't like books that don't have any andventure in the begging. It gets me bored and I just give up on the book. This story is pure adventure from the begging to the end. It's the best!!

This is a truly creepy novel. The way the Aliens are portrayed is astounding. I am a huge Alien fan and I must say, this book impressed me. The ending where Crespi and Sharon McGuinness were in the maze with the Alien drones running around was awesome. And Paul Church is truly a freaky character. If you're into the Alien movies, comics etc. this would be a great book. I especially like Crespi and Churches flashback scenes to their previous encounters with the Alien. This is a definite must read.

This was the best DS9 book that I've read in some time. The story was engaging and the reader gets a chance to spend some quality time with Jake as he starts his transition into manhood. What really makes this story stand out is Perry's ability to create interesting characters along the way. She did a really good job of breathing life into the other characters in the story. This book does a good job of allowing the reader to really get into Jake's head. You get the chance to see what it is like being the son of the Emissary. Jake desperately wants to step out of his father's shadow - while not wanting to truly abandon his father to his fate. This dilemma is central to the story and Perry does a really great job of allowing the reader to share in Jake's frustrations as he thinks about what he should do with his life. The book has a really nice twist at the end when Jake come to grips with the real meaning of the prophesy and his role in its fulfillment. A nice set up for the next book in the series...Unity and it also sets the stage future adventures involving Jake's character. A very good read and I highly recommend it.

Star Trek - Deep Space Nine: Rising Son written by S.D. Perry is a well-written book about Jake Sisko and his adventures in the Gamma Quadrant as he makes his way back home.

This book is richly written and carries the character of Jake Sisko right along. Even though Jake wasn't one of the best characters in the Deep Space Nine series, by that I mean he wasn't one of the primary driving force characters as he was young and the son of Captain Benjamin Sisko which in and of itself made him more of an adjunct than anything else.

Perry does the character of Jake well and gets the character's personallity and especially the mindset right... along with the journal enteries makes Jake come alive. As the story goes Jake is found in the Gamma Quadrant by a rag-tag bunch of space faring salvagers and favor runners... all in it for the profit. As they make stop after stop and exchange cargo they get leads on other "jobs." After joing them, Jake learns that his voyage is a search for the truth and that the truth will lead him to find the last thing he ever expected.

The book eludes to great things coming for Jake, but only time will tell. I found the book to be interesting reading as the story moves right along and towards the ending the book's pace really kicks into gear. So from the ruins of B'hala, to the far reaches of the Gamma Quadrant, and finally back to the wormhole Jake grows up and we get a better picture of the true character of one Jake Sisko.

The ending to this book is a mild suprise, but it will carry us into the next installment well. This is a solid 4 star book that is well-written with mild action-adventure, but mainly it is a book that shows us a young man growing up... maturing into a personallity all of his own. This is a good book for the fleshing out of the character known as Jake Sisko.

Rising Son is part of the post-television continuity Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Not only that, but it runs parallel with all of the other books except Avatar. It explains what happened to Jake Sisko after he disappeared into the wormhole during that book, and his experiences as he tries to get home (or tries to decide whether or not he even wants to go home). It's a very intriguing character study of young Jake and it includes an interesting plot as well. We've been waiting months and months to find out what happened to Jake, and it was well worth the wait.

If you're a fan of Deep Space 9, especially the post-television continuity, this is a must-own book for you. I've only read a couple of the newer books, but I've wondered when the Jake story would be told, and I'm glad they waited until the tenth anniversary of the show to tell it. Perry writes a very satisfying book, with interesting characters and a good story to go with it. I enjoyed reading about Jake and the touch decisions he has to make in it. Perry really portrayed well the tug-of-war between Jake's new friends and his ideals. The crew is not the most honest bunch around, and they make some of their living by doing illegal things. They don't do things out of the goodness of their hearts and helping people is only a priority if they are getting paid. This goes completely against how Jake was brought up and he finds himself doubting. Should he stay with these people who have accepted him? Should he build his own life, away from the Federation and from being "Ben Sisko's son?" Is sacrificing his ideals worth it? And then when the prophecy rears its ugly head again, Jake is even more torn. It seems like, even this far away from home, Ben Sisko is reaching out to grab him and pull him in. Jake's final decision looks more and more obvious as things progress (Dez can't understand why Jake is having a problem with the way they do things, and thinks he needs to grow up), but it's still heart-wrenching to see him go through it. I think this would be a marvelous vehicle for Cirroc Lofton (the actor who played Jake) if a TV movie ever got made (not that it will happen of course). I think that's the highest compliment to the book.

Dez is an good contrast to Jake. He desperately wants Jake to like him, to give Jake the opportunity that he never had with his own father. He is baffled by Jake's ethical code that has a problem with the way he does things. He finally decides to pretend that they will become a more altruistic crew while Jake becomes further immersed in the crew's life. Then, when Jake is unable to get himself out, he'll force Jake to realize that what they do is not a bad thing. While you don't like what Dez does, you can understand it and almost sympathize with him. It makes him a sad character in a way, and as you watch Jake agonize, you know that there is no real good or bad side in this conflict. There are only a couple of times where the character doesn't ring true, as he goes just that little bit further to convince Jake and seems to go over the top. It's not often, though, and Dez turns out to be a fascinating character to read about.

The crew of the Even Odds is an eclectic bunch, with a few familiar Alpha Quadrant races (2 Ferengi and a Cardassian) and one Gamma Quadrant race we're familiar with (the Wadi). Thus, Perry can wrap her other, unfamiliar characters in a sheet of familiarity that Trek fans can handle. I'm a bit disappointed in that aspect, but Perry does a good enough job with them that it's not a bad thing. The Caradassian is fairly non-descript, though he does learn some things during the course of the story. The Ferengi are stereotypical, but it's the new races that are so very interesting. The best of the bunch is Stessie, a joined being with numerous different facets. Only one can talk, but all the facets have their own personality even as they are part of the whole. While this sort of thing has been done before (even in Trek), Perry imbues the character with an interesting personality that makes her (it?) a wonderful piece of work. The other crew members aren't really that interesting, fulfilling their roles admirably but not doing much else. Facity, the Wadi first officer and Dez's lover, provides an interesting viewpoint as she watches the interplay between Jake and Dez, but I didn't find much of interest in her personally. She serves almost as a spectator, viewing the game between the two of them and commenting on it.

The writing is standout for a Star Trek book, with no real waste or padding visible in the book. The only pointless point of the story is the ending, where a surprise personality from the television series meets up with them, adding a slight bit of tension but then quickly dissipating it. The story also ends with a "To Be Continued," but in itself it is fairly self-contained. If you're just interested in what happened to Jake, you will find that out and don't have to continue further if you don't want to (but what DS9 book fan will not want to continue?).
The book is well-written enough that if you're not a fan, you would probably still enjoy it. If you are a fan, though, you should check it out. The book is marvelous and it is a fine addition to the DS9 library of books. Bring on Unity!

The superlatives trip off my tongue when I think about this book. In it Harvard psychologist and philosopher Willaim James propounds the substance (not much) and import (massive!) of his philosophical method: pragmatism. He got this method from his lifelong friend Charles Sanders Peirce and it boils down, quite simply, to doing nothing which doesn't make a difference in terms of outcomes; what works is what matters. Not that this simplicity boils over into simplisticness. James is an astute operator and is aware of what criticism shall come his way. Thus, in this series of lectures he addresses all the realist, essentialist and foundationalist philosophers with their abstract, universal and idealistic arguments and demonstrates that it is the pragmatist who takes our obligations seriously. The pragmatist is guided by the experience of the senses and the working body of truth each person carries with them and these are no small trifles. The pragmatist is not one who is free to make anything up (contrast the external realist who can say anything and claim what they like since its beyond verification / falsification).

So read this classic piece of American philosophical writing and be entertained, educated and edified all in one go. It has changed my approach to life.

PoSTmodERnFoOL

What follows is an example of the greatness of this book:

From Introduction by Bruce Kuklick to William James' Pragmatism.

James went on to apply the pragmatic method to the epistemological problem of truth. He would seek the meaning of 'true' by examining how the idea functioned in our lives. A belief was true, he said, if in the long run it worked for all of us, and guided us expeditiously through our semihospitable world. James was anxious to uncover what true beliefs amounted to in human life, what their "Cash Value" was, what consequences they led to. A belief was not a mental entity which somehow mysteriously corresponded to an external reality if the belief were true. Beliefs were ways of acting with reference to a precarious environment, and to say they were true was to say they guided us satisfactorily in this environment. In this sense the pragmatic theory of truth applied Darwinian ideas in philosophy; it made survival the test of intellectual as well as biological fitness. If what was true was what worked, then scientific truths were just those beliefs found to be workable. And we could investigate religion's claim to truth in the same manner. The enduring quality of religious beliefs throughout recorded history and in all cultures gave indirect support for the view that such beliefs worked. James also argued directly that such beliefs were satisfying; they enabled us to lead fuller, richer lives and were more viable than their alternatives. Religious beliefs were expedient in human existence, just as scientific beliefs were.

Depending on who you ask, american philosophy is an oxymoron. But the pragmatic schools of James, Pierce, and Dewey are truly a challenging and significant to philosophy as a whole.

James has a very peculiar way of viewing experience, for a philosopher, and a sort of colossal respect for truth that rivals Kant's. This book approaches in a very systematic way the problems that we have dealing with truth and its inherent elusiveness. Both Empiricist and Rationalist philosophical attitudes run aground when dealing with reality; certain aspects of both are better at dealing with particular facets of experince. That is, some of the "work" better than other in certain situations. (As James notes, Hegel or Kant have done little to advance any scientific knowledge-- but a wholly empirical philosophy can give offer us no end to strive towards that we will find humanly compelling) James makes the middle road between the two, and offers the philosphically radical suggestion that the closest to any "Truth" as a big T we are going to get is going to be through our examination of how particular notions of truth produce for us better explanations of experience. In fact (as James later elaborates) the best philosophy we can find is one that will be able to unstiffen the mind an be able to deal with various different truths. Plural.

If you can't see from this outlook, James's notion of philosophy is profoundly democratic. His philosophy is one of the best attempts I've ever encountered to form some sort of coherent system that accomodates mutually exclusive forms of truth. And such a system, also, is American Democracy.

The reviewers below fall into an error on this account by saying James apologizes for scoundrels. He does not; in fact, he was thoroughly anti-imperialist and in case we havn't noticed Nazism and Stalinism are systems built on Monistic systems of Truth. Look it up. Read the book, it's a classic, maybe the classic, of American Philosophy. A fitting testament to james' enduring genius

I just finished reading this book and was very surprised to find a reviewer who said that it is about reincarnation. This book is about Near Death Experience and about human transformation. I do not remember reading anything about reincarnation at all.

What I do remember reading was a book that echoed very strongly with my own thoughts and feelings about life and death. I enjoyed reading about the "future predictions" and "paranormal powers," but I don't need this information to motivate my life. What I need, and what I found in this book, are powerful statements about the connection of all life, the strength of love, the need to open our hearts and give, and the need to affirm the divine nature of all humankind. Deep spiritual values that are at the heart of all religions (yes, I have read them in my bible too!).

My mother is 82 years old and beginning the evolution to her death. I will soon begin reading this book to her. I have asked my brother and sister to read this book. I hope that we can work together to "de-stress" our hearts and minds as we participate in a death in our family.

The author was struck by lightning in 1975, and was "dead" for 28 minutes, during which time he recalls leaving his body and being transferred to a realm of light, where 13 Spirit Beings spoke with him. He experienced a "life review," in which he was able to experience himself and his actions through the perceptions and feelings of all those whom his life had affected. The Spirit Beings gave him 117 specific predictions of the future, including previews of such events as the fall of the Soviet Union and the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. Brinkley was also returned to life on earth with a mission - to build Centers for the cultivation of spirituality from a non-religious perspective.

Years later, Brinkley had a second NDE while having heart surgery. He experienced another life review, and gained further insghts that were to help him in the future - although he has considerably less to say about this NDE than about the earlier one.

During his recovery from the 1975 lightning strike, Brinkley discovered that he had apparently spontaneously developed the ability to read the thoughts and feelings of other people, and to foretell certain kinds of future events with a high (though not perfect) degree of accuracy. The effects of these new-found abilities on his life are documented in this book.

Brinkley has found a niche (his life's purpose) in hospice work, using the accounts of his experiences to help relieve the dying of the fear of death, and using a pre-death version of the "life review" process to help the dying come to terms with the events and effects of their lives. The net effect of Brinkley's work seems to be to help people die in a state of relatively greater peace and dignity.

Brinkley's NDEs included no sense of being judged by the Beings of Light. Rather, he says that we are much harsher judges of ourselves than any other being(s) might be, and that the after-death life review gives us an opportunity to do that judgment. However, no particular penalties or rewards seem to be imposed or granted from without.

As the book closes, Brinkley has built a functional prototype Center, and he discusses the effects of its use on clients or subjects. From Brinkley's point of view, the cultivation of spirituality seems to be related to out-of-body experiences, meetings with dead loved ones, and other such experiences that are generally considered occult or psychic in nature.

I enjoyed this book, in that it seems to promote a very loving and compassionate attitude toward ourselves and others, and to encourage kindness as a primary virtue. According to Brinkley, "random acts of kindness" turn out to be what matter most, in a positive sense, from the perspective of a life review.

On the question of whether Brinkley's experiences, and the many similar accounts of NDEs, provide a genuine preview of what we can expect when our fleshly bodies expire and we leave the earthly scene, I am not prepared to issue an opinion.

In this second book Mr. Brinkley goes into considerably more detail about his Near Death Experience, hospice work, and the Centers that he was directed to build by Spirit Beings. It is a most inspiring and comforting account- this is the third time that I've read it since its publication. Always central is the message that he was directed to bring back to this life, namely, that we are all mighty spiritual beings who came here to cocreate with God out of a spirit of love.
It occured to me in reading this that he has recreated the ancient profession of the psychopomp, the guide to the spirit world. Indeed, his Centers sound remarkable like an updated version of the psychomanteum, a temple where people can go to have mystical visions and/or direct contact with spirits. I can see where this would correct a profound imbalance in the modern psyche.
The author also recounts the visions of the future that he was given in 1975...

This novel features William Monk, Hester Latterly,and Oliver Rathbone. The mystery lies in the motive, and not the killer. The case looks most hopeless, and it is not until the defense case is almost over before the outcome is known. In this novel, the author takes great pains to humanize Monk's memory lapses. We understand why he is not able to think of Hester as a romantic interest. The key element that is Anne Perry's success is her knowledge of Victorian England. Her use of this historical era is sheer genius. I, therefore, found it odd that she used the word plastic in a description. I would suggest to the reader that the next Anne Perry work would be Sins of the Wolf. Here the relationship between Monk, Rathbone, and Hester is put to the ultimate challenge.

I've only started reading Anne Perry a couple months ago and started with the William Monks books as they seemed a little more recent and accessible. I've always been a lover of Victorian mysteries and this has to be one of the best I have ever read and one of the better books I have read period. Basically the book can be broken into thirds, first third is relatively interesting as it lays out the opening facts in the case, the second half gets extremely frustrating and to some degree boring and the last third will keep you up until 4AM in the morning like it did me because you can't put it down. I think the second third was done on purpose as I think Anne wanted us to be as frustrated as the characters were at the lack of progress in the case. You do start to suspect the motive but it unravels slowly and when it does, all I can say is "Oh my god!" The last third is riveting as you can't wait to see how it all plays out especially in light of Victorian social mores. Don't get me wrong, Anne Perry has a number of annoying quirks in her writing, she loves SAT words like prevaricate and equivocate and uses them every chance she gets, her use of third person omniscient gets a little out of hand and her characters are a little slow to deduce things that you know they should have 100 pages earlier. If you can get past these difficulties and some others, however, Anne Perry creates very strong characters and in this case, a riveting tale.

You might think that a confession in the first few chapters of a mystery novel would be a bad idea. Why keep reading? Anne Perry proves she knows best once again in this, the third novel in the William Monk series. Here we read on page after exciting page because we want to know WHY Alexandra Carlyon would murder her husband, Thaddeus.

Fans of Anne Perry know that the author is fascinated with secrets, who keeps them, and why. Because this book focuses on disclosures in Alexandra Carlyon's murder trial, rather than a murder investigation per se, we are able to follow each labrynthine path that the author lays down. Did Alexandra murder her husband because of jealousy? Because she was in love with someone else? Or to protect someone she loved?

This book is gripping and intriguing--a real page-turner. If you like Victorian mysteries and the modern TV series Law and Order you will love this book. Part detective work, part legal work, the case will keep you guessing!

I enjoyed this book. Plot and action were good, as was the relationship depicted between Xena and Gabrielle. I especially enjoyed the explanations hinted at for Xena's success as a warrior. I felt as though I gained some interesting insights into what makes Xena 'tick'.

This book is better than Xena.... Magic Arrow of Myx. I got the Xena feeling. I couldn't put it down. I was even doing house chores and reading it at the same time. "Prophecy of Darkness" was a very good book. Even this has a down side. I didn't quite get the ENTIRE Xena feeling and aura. But I would suggest it for all die hard and not so die hard Xenites alike.

This Xena book is the best so far of all those prior. Xena and Gabrielle are true to character and the situations are more probable to the show. I persoanly would recomend this book to anyone, Fellow Xenities: This is a MUST for your Collection. :)

This book is a must have for every black woman. Barry Fletcher creates a wholisitc look at black women and their hair, hair of all textures. I've found the book to be helpful because it forced me to examine my general health in relationship to my hair, my personal hair care treatment, and the importance of healthy hair in my overall appearance. Not to mention in between the chapters included are nice articles by expert writers to make the reading nice and light, yet informative. Fletcher is a genius and black women should thank God for him!

"Why are Blak Women Loosing their Hair?" is informative, thorough, intelligent, intimate and most of all practical.

Detailed instruction from credible medical professionals and hair specialists, provided me with an arsenal of information regarding my hair, it's needs and subsequent care.

I especially enjoyed hearing testimonies from REAL pople in REAL hair crisis scenarios. Each testimony added sensitivity, familarity and sometimes humor to a serious and emotional subject matter.

People of color are extremely diverse, and our hair--it's range in length,texture and thickness-- reflects this diversity. I appreicate Fletcher's sensitivity to our differences, and most of all his ability to synthesize and present them in a format everyone can relate to and benefit from.

A final thanks to Flethcer for having the foresight to provide us with the first complete Black woman's hair-care reference book of its kind.

Long overdue, much appreciated, worth the wait.

A must read,

Sincerely,

An appreciaiative Sister.

After reading this comprehensive "how-to" guide, it is no surprise that Barry Fletcher is lauded as a master in the Black hair care industry. Extremely informative, "Why Are Black Women Losing Their Hair?" doesn't treat our mane as a homogenized item. This book respects and addresses the "various" textures of African-American hair and caters to our specific hair care needs. No bookshelf or styling salon should be without these words of wisdom from one of the best in the business.

Thomas Perry has written a number of excellent thriller; his last one, Pursuit, was well-plotted. Unfortunately, Dead Aim features uninteresting characters, a dubious premise, and an unbelievable ending. The main character, Robert Mallon, is a successful builder forced into an early retirement after a bitter divorce results in him having to sell his business. The plot begins with Mallon saving a woman from committing suicide, only to have her later leave him and finish the job. He eventually discovers that she killed a former boyfriend; she was given training in how to do this from a group of people who run a self-defense camp and who will help their trainees kill people for a fee. Since the trainees kill their victims for a motive (this is not a camp attended by serial killers), one would expect that they would be questioned by the police at some point, and that sooner or later one would give away the scheme. However, nothing like this ever happens.

Not helping matters is that Mallon is a very bland character. A female private detective he hires is more interesting but doesn't survive long enough to carry the book. ....

Let's hope that Perry's next book is a return to form.

Thomas Perry is a great authors-- his books are fun and suspenseful-- great 'beach' reading for the summer. Those are all true of "Dead Aim" as well. The only problem is that the plot is completely unbelievable.

The protagonist, Robert Mallon finds himself being hunted by an unknown assailant after delving into the life of a woman who he has unsucessfully tried to stop from killing herself. This sounds like a fantastic plot device, but instead of developing the character and flushing out his conflicts, Perry falls short-- the last 300 pages are reminiscent of a video game, with Mallon killing anything that gets in his way. The ending is predictable, though completely unbelievable were this in reality.

If you're a Thomas Perry fan, or if you have a very good suspension of disbelief mechanism, then you should definitely read this book-- it's a fun read.

Thomas Perry is, by far, one of the most original storytellers I have read. This is the author who brought to life such characters as The Butcher's Boy, Jane Whitefield, Chinese Gordon and Dr. Henry Metzger and I believe there are more to come. Perry does not disappoint with the steadfast Robert Mallon, from his latest, Dead Aim. Perry is not only gifted and talented, he has an uncanny sense of timing ---he understands when his characters are in danger of becoming stale, cardboard imitation of what they once were. So what does he do? He creates anew, and we are captivated and enthralled once more.

In his new novel Perry has taken a horrifying evil premise and makes it believable.... once the action starts, the reader is swept away, all the way to the last page.

This story begins with Robert Mallon, a wealthy retired landowner, saving a young woman from attempting suicide. He takes her to his home, where upon she runs away while he is out picking up dinner. Days later he reads in the paper of her suicide and he goes down to the police station to file a report. He soon becomes obsessed and must find out why, after he thought he had saved her, given her a new beginning and perhaps a new beginning with him (or for him a new beginning with her) she would kill herself. Either way he blames himself, feeling he did not say the right words or do the rights things or she wouldn't have followed through with her suicide. Mallon hires a private detective. One he knows but has not seen in 10 years. His attorney also makes an appearance when the police start to question him and his motives. It takes Perry awhile to lay the groundwork for the action but once it starts, Mallon takes on an evil that Perry brings to life in only the way he does.

Whether you are a long time Perry collector or just someone who enjoys a great read, Dead Aim is for you. After all, this is Thomas Perry we are talking about!