I look forward to April each year knowing that the next Benni Harper edition will be at the book store. I took my time reading STTA simply because I didn't want it to end. Each book is true to the characters of Benni Harper and her husband Gabe and her entire family. Seeing another side of Gabe added to the intrigue of STTA. Also, it was great bringing back Hud! I am amazed at how each book is so completely different from the previous book. While so many authors become stagnant after writing nine or more novels, Earlene keeps growing with each book.

Benni and Gabe's marraige hits a fork in the road. While happiness fills the air around their family with two weddings, Benni and Gabe have some big decisions to make. Benni stumbles across a murder in San Celina after agreeing to help the historical society. How will she work on solving a murder and her marriage at the same time?

I can't wait for April 2003!

Earlene Fowler has written a wonderful series of cozies set on the central California coast and featuring Benni Harper, head of an art co-op and her police chief husband, Gabe. In this ninth book of the series, Benni's best friend Elvia and her grandmother Dove are plannng their respective weddings. At the same time she is busy helping them, Benni is asked to catalogue the letters and keepsakes of a woman named Maple Sullivan who reputedly killed her wealthy husband and ran off with another man. Benni reads Maple's love letters to her husband and has a hard time believing that she could have actually murdered him. The decades old mystery intrigues Benni and it also keeps her mind off her own deteriorating marriage. Gabe has encountered an old girlfriend who makes no secret of the fact that she is out to rekindle their old romance. Fowler seems to hit all the right notes as she continues to develop the characters and situations in this well-written series.

Benni Harper has got too much going on in her life to get involved in an ancient unsolved murder case. She's got to plan for two weddings, a Mardi Gras party, and then there's the little matter of her husband's old girlfriend showing up--and looking very much like she has her claws out for Gabe Harper. Still, once she learns about the 50-year-old murder and the woman who supposedly killed her husband, Benni can't rest until she learns more. How could a marriage that started so well have gone so badly so quickly? At some level, her own marriage problems become transferred to her need to solve the mystery.

Author Earlene Fowler does a wonderful job delivering an emotionally rich mystery. Bennie is a teriffic character with a full set of skills and fears. Her job at the local California museum gives her the ability to track down ancient clues to the long-forgotten mystery--a mystery that still rankles with many of the older residents.

Her concerns about her husband's love, and increasing understanding of the murder make it hard for Bennie to put all of her positive attention on the upcoming weddings, but somehow Fowler manages to pull all of this together into an emotionally satisfying story.

It is one of my favorites, too! It's different read and PW is one of my favorite authors. The year is the late 1890's and the place is Rhode Island during victorian times. It is during an annual fox hunt that Emma Tremayne, a high-society beauty that is engaged to be married to her childhood friend, meets Shay McKenna, an impoverished Irish revolutionist. He is at first the mystery man without a name who works for her fiance, to Emma. Emma has been born into a luxurious, social world that requires her to separate herself from the common people. But Emma's heart wants to reach out to those less fortunate that her. She starts visiting local mill-factory (of which her fiance owns) families, becoming best-friends with married pregnant millworker with 2 girls- Bria McKenna. During visits Bria opens Emma's eyes up to unconditional love and friendship. It is during her visits that she meets Shay McKenna again- Bria's husband. She observes the strong love, passion, and devotion Bria and Shay have for one another, realizing that is what she wants. She loves her fiance- they have always been best friends and there is a love for one another, but not a passionate love. It is revealed that Bria is dying of consumption but no one wants to speak of it or admit to it until Bria forces Shay and Emma to accept that she will not be with them much longer and that she wants them to lean on each other to fill the void. Emma has never told Bria that she feels a desire for Shay. It is definitely a complex story of devotion to each other and strong passionate love. Emma's mother feels threatened and severely punishes her for the bond Emma has developed with the lower class. It is heart breaking. The chemistry is strong all the way through the book between Bria, Shay, and Emma- definitely a triangle! I highly recommend the book- it is definitely a keeper for me!

A rich young heiress, Emma Tremayne, becomes engaged to her childhood friend at the last social event of the season, soon after noticing and being rather intrigued by a young Irishman who is way too familar with her. The encounter that day raises her social conscience and she soon befriends a young Irishwoman suffering from tuberculous, while risking being ostracized by her social group for associating with shanty Irish.
A wonderfully written book with multidimensional characters, this story is told from the various points of view of the main characters, but doesn't jump around enough to make it confusing. A story that will make you believe again that true love is possible. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I found myself going back rereading especially well-written and moving passages, something I'd never done before in a novel. It will appeal to readers of historical fiction, romance novels, and mainstream fiction as well. I highly recommend it.

This book will go down as one of my favorates! It hurt to turn the last page and end the story. The chemestry between Emma and Shay was powerful. I am a first time reader of Penelope Williamson and after reading this beautiful story, I plan to read all of her books.

VENDETTA: LUCKY'S REVENGE, is the 4th in a series of books about Lucky Santangelo, daughter of an italian "businessman" who had ties with the mafia. In this novel, Lucky experiences a series of bad luck, not realizing til much later that this was not bad luck, but an old nemesis Donna Donnatelli Bonnatti taking revenge on the family and on Lucky for murdering Donna's husband Enzio. Lucky's movie studio is taken over by an unknown business woman, and her husband Lennie Goldman is reported missing and dead. It does appear to be bad luck but it takes some heavy duty sleuthing for Lucky to figure out what is really going on. In between this main plot, there are sub plots with various hollywood-type characters. The action never stops, as is typical in any Jackie Collins book.

If you are looking for some fast action, you won't go wrong with LUCKY'S REVENGE.

I really liked that book. From the few Jackie Collins books that I have read, this was by far the best. Lucky is a very strong woman - that's the way today's woman should be! They should not let people walk on their feet. What I admire is the faith and trust that there is in Lucky's and Lennie's marriage. It's not directly their fault if they had both committed adultery, only once. The one to be blamed is Donna. Lucky was trapped in believing that Lennie was dead, that's why she slept with Alex, while Lennie slept with that italian girl so as to save himself. A must read book for all Jackie Collins fan. I am not exactly one of her fans, but I definitely am now after having read Lucky's Revenge!

Jackie Collins is always the best when it comes to fun can't put down reads. In Vendetta Collins proves that she is the queen of the beach read! Vendetta continues the story of Lucky Santangello, this time as the head of her own studio and a happily married woman and devoted mother. All is perfect until Donatella Bonnati takes revenge on Lucky destroying her and those around her. Now Lucky vows to destroy her and get back her and get it all back. Vendetta is a fun read. The characters are interesting, the story may seem far fetched at times, but it keeps the pages turning. Jackie Collins says she wants readers to have fun reading her books and Vendetta lives up to to that promise. I hope that Jackie Collins keeps writing her fun reads, because I always have a good time reading her books.

I would not characterize myself as a fan of sentimental novels and I have never had a cat. Political biographies, social and military history and travel books are my idea of a good read and of course, I love dogs. I actually bought this book for a friend, a cat owner nontheless, who had once suggested that I take a break from non-fiction and read a "trashy novel" from time to time. I thought the Bachelor's Cat might be trashy enough and decided to read it before mailing it to her (still looked unused). The book failed to meet my expectation by its lack of "trashworthiness", I read it in one session and enjoyed it quite a bit. The book flows very nicely and has given me a new perspective on cats. I continue to be a catless bachelor and that might very well change, the cat part anyway.

Fortunately or unfortunately this story mirrored my own all too well. The love that develops with trust, the clarity that is found in honesty with and to oneself. The simple beauty and kindnesses found between the covers of this book have in a single day worked to scrape away layers of doubt and to shed rays of light where there was a darkness. I told you, this was too close to home for comfort. Like so many things that I've discovered or uncovered recently, I found The Bachelor's Cat to be "exactly what I needed, when I needed it". "The shared experiance heals both." For this I thank Mr. Hoffman as well as for the warm story itself. I'm sure Mr. Hoffman will be glad to hear that I too, can no longer cast pearls before swine. And yes, my cat received some extra food and strokes tonight. Guess he approves as well.

I was given a copy of this book by my mother, who termed it 'delightful'. It was much more than that. I too am a feline-file... As I read, I remembered the adage that a cat is never owned, but choses whom 'it' will own. Yes, the ending is sentimental and predictable, but that doesn't make the story any less readable. I cried at the ending, and made sure my kitty got a little extra love. I think even non cat owners will fall in love with the story.

I truly enjoyed reading Natalie Cole "Angel On My Shoulder: An Autobiography". Although Natalie had many obstacles to overcome she had a very privileged life. She talked very candidly about her relationship with her mother and siblings. I felt sad reading that Natalie's mother was not a nurturing , supportive person when Natalie really needed her. However, I was elated to read how Natalie overcome all the hurdles in her path and turned her life around to be a more productive person. This book is one of encouragement for people with addictions who think there is no hope. I highly recommend this book.

I love a well-written and insightful celebrity autobiography, and "Angel On My Shoulder" by Natalie Cole more than meets expectations. A good celebrity autobio will have plenty of pertinent details: family background, how they became successful, little known secets, name dropping, & cherished memories. In this book, Natalie provides humorous and sensitive detail: things that will make you laugh out loud (all the many times she was saved from tragedy via angels), things that will shock you (her darkened drug addicted days), and things that will make you think (she had a male friend who was on the brink of death, only to miraculously recover; but when he refused to acknowledge that God had healed him, the man up and died -- just like that.)

I loved Natalie's candidness and her words of wisdom that she inserts in her book. She admits that everything in her life isn't perfect -- she's still learning and I admire that.

I believe anyone who reads this book will come away with a greater insight into the life of a famous singer, and you'll also be more aware of the angels that may be present in your own life. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Natalie Cole, versatile superstar singer and daughter of the unforgettable Nat "King" Cole, chronicles her amazing life in this autobiography. Frank and revealing, Natalie tells about growing up in a famous family; the devastating effects of losing her father when she was 15; her ascent into drug abuse and how it nearly destroyed her life and career; her complex relationship with her mother, Maria Cole; the phenomenon of her comeback with the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning UNFORGETTABLE...WITH LOVE CD, a loving dedication to her father; an abusive marriage, her struggle to uphold her family legacy, and much more. This book is honest and sincere, and although it may seem as if in some parts she's venting, well, maybe it's because she needed to. It made me laugh out loud, shed some tears, and think...because many of her experiences mirrored ones in my life as well. Not everyone may have grown up as the child of Nat King Cole, but there are situations in this book I feel everybody can identify with. If it's not happening to you, it's a sure bet that you know someone who went through it, or is going through it. Highly recommended.

This was my first James Hall book, and I plan to read some more in the future as he seems to be a very good writer. His writing flows clean and easy, making for a fast paced read. The main characters Hannah and Frank were good, but I would have liked to see a little more depth into Frank. Hal and Misty are also good villians, but Hal is perhaps a bit cartoonish, particularily his method of killing. The plot was interesting and had some original ideas compared to the typical plot in the genre. The only problem was that you could see how it would end from a mile away. Although the identity of Hannah's parents killer was a nice suprise. Overall, a good read.

this is my very first book of james hall that i've read and, since i enjoyed it sooooo much, i'm actively seeking out each and every one that he's written before! this was the ultimate cat & mouse game with a terrific cast of characters! i particularly liked viewing the juxtaposition of hannah (the lead character) and erin (hannah's lead character in HER book)....Hal is a sociopath of the highest order and would most certainly equal Boy in Bogner's phenomenal 'to die in provence'! hall's easy style of writing makes you just zip through this book to the very satisfying ending which was truly a surprise as well as an excellent conclusion! i can't wait to read all of his other books and i'm grateful that there are sooooo many for me to enjoy! grab this book fast...you'll be glad that you did!

James Hall has rapidly become one of my favorite authors, whether he's writing another book in his Thorn series, or the stand-alone thrillers he's been producing lately. _Rough Draft_ is one of his stand-alones, but the characters he creates here are compelling enough to warrant their own series.

Single mother Hannah Keller, a former policewoman turned bestselling author, is concerned about her withdrawn son. The boy apparently was an eyewitness to the murder of his grandparents many years before by a man Hannah's father was prosecuting for embezzlement.

The FBI is aware of her circumstances and an especially devious agent-in-charge sets up an elaborate sting, aimed at the vicious mob killer, Hal Bonner, an odd, inhuman, almost robotic man, with a grisly trademark to his slayings. The agent in charge of the investigation into the death of Hannah's father years before, Frank Sheffield, shows up again and starts to fall in love with Hannah.

Just based on this brief summary, you'd be right in thinking this is a pretty convoluted plot for a thriller, but Hall makes it work. His characters are real, believable human beings and they're often put in situations of extreme jeopardy. Not all will survive. It is also to Hall's credit that he almost manages the feat of making us care about the inhuman Hal, who becomes involved in a love affair of his own during the course of the story.

This is an excellent, fast-moving thriller, and highly recommended.

Not much can be added to the previous reviews. I would highlight the point that it would be wise to read the forward and preface before getting stuck into the book. The layout of the book is somewhat different to your normal biography but in this case it works well. The story is excellent and is well presented and as mentioned by other reviews without any noticeable bias either way. The authors have produced a gripping and entertaining story and have also provided the reader with some detailed lists of principal characters, issues and images and appendices that have copies of some letters written by 'Joan of Arc'. The list of characters was very detailed and makes the book a must have for any decent library. Overall this is a very well researched account of this amazing woman and the story was a joy to read. Recommend to anyone who loves good history.

I have seen a number of documentary efforts concerning Joan of Arc over the years, but wanted to get a little closer to the recorded history. I decided to look for a book that could give a compelling account of events while providing plenty of snippets of historical source material. This book fit the bill almost perfectly. The core of this book is a chronological examination of the historical record, which is not identical to a chronological ordering of events. Don't be put off by this approach, however. Its appropriateness and lucidity are well represented here. This "core" section is only 160 pages. The rest of the book consists of translator's preface, semi-biographical sketches, appendices, and the like. Consequently, the only intimidating factor here is the occasional spate of French names and place-names, which I had unusual difficulty keeping straight in my head. The authors are scrupulous about providing context (which is to say, more French historical detail than an English-speaking reader might readily absorb). Your head may swim on occasion. But the pay-off is inevitably worth it. At it's best, this work is more thrilling (and where it deals with Joan's persecution, more chilling) than nearly any work of fiction. However, I recommend you start by skimming the "character" sketches and maps thoughtfully provided in this edition. In short this book is challenging but definitely worthwhile if you want a better understanding of how Joan's mission was viewed by herself and her contemporaries, as well as a large helping of historical backdrop and court intrigue. However, if you prefer a more "conventional" presentation of characters and events (such as a novel), you'll want to keep looking.

This is an eloquent and detailed book, full of scholarly facts and based upon extensive research. Mlle. Pernoud, "'la grande dame' of French historical writing", was probably the foremost expert on Joan of Arc, and she is famous both for her scholarship and her engaging writing style. Better yet, she stands aside and lets Joan do the talking.

While "Joan of Arc, By Herself and Her Witnesses" makes for easier reading, this one covers a lot of information not found in the above book. Both would be good choices for anyone studying the subject.

Joanna Brady returns in DEVIL'S CLAW, and as usual, things are really hopping in Cochise County, Arizona. Joanna and Butch are getting married in a week, and the mother of the bride is finally able to plan the wedding of her dreams for her daughter. Normally all the hoopla would drive Joanna crazy, but she's turned all the wedding details over to Butch so she can concentrate on clearing her desk so they have have a real honeymoon (destination: Top Secret). When a teenager disappears and a woman is found near death, Joanna has even more work than she anticipated.

When the investigation into the woman's death reveals that she's the missing teenager's ex-convict mom, Joanna finds herself becoming more and more involved in the case. Compounding her stress, Joanna meets Butch's parents for the first time and has to deal with assorted pre-wedding parties. I especially enjoyed the side plot involving Joanna's secretary, Kristin.

As in all the Joanna Brady stories, Judy Jance provides the reader with a real-life look at southern Arizona. Since she grew up in the Bisbee area, Judy really knows the area well. I look forward to the next book in this exciting series.

Jance's Sheriff Joanna Brady series has been the highlight of many a rainy night for this reader. Devil's Claw is by far one of the best Joanna Brady books to date! The characters take on an added depth in this tale of a young girl, her pet hawk, and a riveting tale of time and tragedy that transcends mere mystery.

A recent, Sheriff Brady-inspired pilgrimage to Bisbee, Arizona proves that Jance knows her stuff. The Copper Queen is the best restaurant in town, the streets of old Bisbee are curvy and narrow, and the sheriff's office is at the farthest reaches of town.

Now if only Sheriff Brady could arrest all of the outlaw ranchers threatening to shoot illegal immigrants in Douglas, Arizona, we could all sit down and enjoy a good book!

J. A. Jance's Joanna Brady series is one of my absolute favorites. Probably helps that I got to have lunch (one on one) with J. A. Jance last year.

Joanna Brady is a Sheriff in Arizona. She is also a widow and single mom. I like the way J. A. Jance has developed Joanna's 12 year old daughter. She has gone through a lot but yet isn't an obnoxious child, nor is she a wimp. Joanna has gone through a lot as well. In this book she is to marry Butch. Her neighbor and friend Clayton dies. He used to help her feed her animals after Joanna's husband was killed by drug dealers (in a previous book). She always has a lot to deal with -- running the Sheriff's Dept., taking care of her daughter, keeping peace with her mother (a full-time job), getting to know Butch (in the past books), and trying to solve various murders and crimes.

Lucy has run away because her mother is getting out of prison. Her mother killed her father and Lucy has been living with her grandmother. She doesn't want to see her mother so she and her red-tailed hawk Big Red run away.

I normally don't like books where it isn't told in first person, but this is one series that it works well for.

I really enjoy this series and am always waiting for the next installment.

A very fine debut novel by an up and coming new author. The Caveman's Valentine has great characters and a great story. The central character, Romulus Ledbetter, is one of my favorite characters of all time. He's a bum, a vagrant, an intellect, a psychotic, a father, a hero, and just about the most interesting person you'd ever meet. His visions of Stuyvesant as the evil white controller are especially funny. But what really impressed me about this book was Green's impressive ability to move the mystery along without taking away from Ledbetter's conflict with the world around him and with himself. Green does not detract from the real story that interests every reader: what really goes on in the character's head. We read Valentine and feel sorry for Romulus and want him to succeed in whatever he sets out to do. Much of what he says is frank and to the point, which is a way in which we would all like to be. The dialogue and actions of this man are often times d! ownright hilarious. This is a character impossible to forget. While I have gone on endlessly about character and how it plays a great role in this novel, it is important to know that the plot aint to shabby either.

George Dawes Green's "The Caveman's Valentine is a definite "must read" for those of you who like great characters, humorous situations, and lively dialogue. Buy it, read it, and enjoy.

This is a wonderfully crafted mystery. Perhaps more importantly though, in these days of you-gotta-have-a-gimmick mysteries (quilting mystery,cooking mystery,Jane Austen mystery,cab-driver mystery.....) no one has yet to match the unique central character of Caveman's Valentine. Romulus Ledbetter lets us into his world of schizophrenia and, hopefully by the end of the book, the reader understands and gains empathy for this illness that affects one in every hundred people in the U.S.. Romulus captures our attention, our compassion, and our hearts. I salute Mr. Green for finally casting the schizophrenic as the hero in this novel, instead of the killer at the core of far too many mysteries and thrillers to count.

I am a fan of Samuel L. Jackson. He is one of the few actors whose movies I will watch no matter what they are. That is how I stumbled on the film adaption of this book. I loved the movie, and so I went to read the novel. This book is fantastic. First of all, hats off to the film's director for making such a true adaption. And hats off to the author for writing such an increadible book. The character is hysterical and tragic and truely one of the most intriguing people I have ever read about. I wanted this book to go on and on. The characters are complex and the writing style is sharp and unique. The author made me care about what was happening, and that is rare in modern literature. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I am defiantly going to read more of the works of George Dawes Green.

I read "Paris Trout" (which I picked up wondering what the City of Light and fish have to do with one another) and was hooked. Pete Dexter writes books about people you don't really want to know -- racists, violent men, drunks, people who are depressed to the point of dragging you down with them -- but he gets his hooks in you on page one and never lets go. "Paperboy" is basically about failure and how close we are to it even when it seems that life is going OK -- something can come into our lives that takes it all apart. The story is magnificently told in prose so tight that you can almost hear typewriter keys clicking away (Pete Dexter's books don't read like they were produced on a word processor). Best of all, there are the many places in the book where the words "as if" or "like" appear. Nobody does descriptive comparisons better. This is a great book, just like the other Pete Dexter books -- you just can't go wrong with him.

The opening paragraphs of Pete Dexter's latest novel set the tone and pace of a story of quiet poignancy and crystalline violence. Dexter really does have a genius for openings. Even better than Brotherly Love (and less gratuitously bizarre than Paris Trout) The Paperboy also cleverly reveals a relationship of brothers, making us wonder how much we know and understand our own family. There isn't a poorly realised character, the love story is subtly drawn and profoundly sad, while the plot (investigating the conviction of a death-row murderer) makes the book un-put-downable. I can't wait for his next

Pete Dexter is one of the most overlooked writers around. His style is beautifully lyrical, insightful with great characterization. Granted, his stories are dark examples of the human condition but well worth the journey. If you want a fast-moving plot, a pretty story or happy endings, you won't find them here. What you will find is some of the best writing you will ever read. I must admit to a bias here because Pete and I worked together in the '70s at a couple of newspapers so I consider him a friend. But I'm also a book editor and reviewer and read a lot, and I've read all Pete's books and consider this one of the best. Now, if he'll quit writing movie scripts ("Rush" and "Michael" to name a couple)long enough to write another fine novel, we'd all be happy!