Sharon visits her flight instructor, Matty Wildress, and senses that something is bothering her. After some questioning, the private Matty discloses that her lover John has disappeared and has left her with his young son. Sharon and her lover Hy fear that Matty and the boy may be in danger and they try to protect them. Circumstances go from bad to worse, there is a murder, and Sharon and Hy begin looking for the perpetrator. From California, to Arkansas, Florida and Minnesota the two investigators hunt for John to try to find out who the murderer is, and why John disppeared so suddenly. Marcia Muller's books have come a long way since the late 70's when she first created Private Investigator Sharon McCone. This book is a winner for those who enjoy mystery and adventure stories.

Three years ago, Matty Wildress taught private detective Sharon McCone how to fly an airplane. It is time for Sharon to renew her flying license, so she goes to see Matty, who she has not seen in a while. Matty does not seem like the same person as Sharon once trained under. She is nervous and upset because her lover John Seabrook has disappeared, leaving behind his pre-teen son to be watched by Matty. A week later, Matty receives a letter from John pleading with her to immediately flee town (with the lad in hand) before something terrible happens to her (or the child). Matty plans to heed the advice, but only after she does one last air show. Shockingly, the plane crashes killing Matty. .......Sharon cannot ignore the death of her friend. She begins to investigate the missing John and, with the help of her nephew, traces the vanished man to Florida. Further investigation proves that John has pulled this stunt at least once before, apparently a decade ago following the murder of his spouse. As she gets closer to the truth, Sharon, with the help of her lover, place themselves in danger, needing their best flying skills to survive. .......BOTH ENDS OF THE NIGHT is the eighteenth Sharon McCone story and surprisingly with that girth of books and the decade that has passed since the first tale, the novel and the character remain extremely fresh as if it is the first story of this classic series. The San Francisco-based McCone is a great female detective and the current story line is fast-paced and exciting. However, what makes Marcia Muller's novel a passionate one sitting reading experience is the supporting cast, who add layers of dimension and excitement. Ms. Muller continues to prove that she earned that 1993 Life Achievement Award for one of the best (if not the best) female private eye series on the market today. .....Harriet Klausner

"Both Ends of the Night" is one of the best of the Sharon McCone novels. McCone is hired by Matty Wildress, who was McCone's flight instructor when Sharon got her pilot's license, to find her lover, John Seabrook, who had disappeared. Matty does aerobatics and had one final meet for the year. Before that she gets a letter from John telling her not to fly in the last meet. He puts $70,000 into Matty's account and asks her to take his son, Zach, and flee California. Matty choses to fly anyway, and dies in a crash while performing a simple move for her. Since Matty is McCone's friend, McCone continues her investigation. because the murder of Matty and John Seabrook's disappearance, seem to be conected. McCone's lover, Hy Ripinsky, who is usually a minor character, plays a major role helping Sharon to find Matty's killer because of his friendship with Matty from years back. They uncover corporate corruption, government witness programs, and people who will stop at nothing to fulfill their dreams. This novel is very well written. The characters are well-drawn and Muller is one of the best at putting the reader there. I had shivers when she and Hy were in sub-zero weather in Minnesota. An excellent novel!

This was my 1st Dorothy Garlock book that I have ever read. I loved the people in the book and the love that Johnny and Kathleen had. When I was reading it made me feel like I was there in the book. Hope mrs. garlock writes books in the future about these people! ITS A MUST READ!

Once again Dorothy Garlock gives us a great book. Johnny Henry and Kathleen must overcome their own misgivings and issues surrounding their backgrounds and the death of their baby. A strange character that is fixated on Kathleen only adds to drama.

The characters in this book are very real. There were several times that I wished I could snap some common sense into Johnny Henry and get these two together.

This was a great ending to the war series. For anyone who has read "With Hope", "With Song" and especially "With Love" this is a must read.

In the final book of her latest series, Dorothy Garlock writes a 2nd book on the lives of the beautiful red-headed Kathleen and Johnny Henry. I didn't think that there could be another book about them, the way the last one ended. However, Ms. Garlock came up with a wonderful story to keep these characters alive. All the other characters from the series show up or are mentioned in this book, and it's fun to be reaquainted with them. She is so wonderful on character definition, and I particularly enjoyed the depths to Johnny Henry. If you enjoyed the rest of the series, you'll be doing yourself a favor finishing this book.

Susan Conant is back and in fine form. This time she has combined her mystery with tip of the hat to Sherlock Holmes to create a wonderful tale. Of course she has given the reader another responsible dog owner message - this time detailing the importance of pet therapy visits. And her readers will be delighted to find a new character added to the mix - Holly Winter rescues a cat and becomes the somewhat reluctant owner of a none-too-agreeable feline. This new entry in Conant's Dog Lover's Mystery series has, as usual, left me anxious for her next book to appear!

Since I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, "The Barker Street Regulars" is one of my favorites in Susan Conant's series of dog lover's mysteries. Holly Winter and her Alaskan malamute Rowdy, who has qualified as a therapy dog, visit the Gateway nursing home, where they meet a 90-year-old woman, Althea, and her friends, Robert and Hugh, all of whom are Sherlockians. Althea's sister, Ceci, is being conned by a woman who calls herself an "animal communicator" and who claims to be channeling messages from Ceci's dear departed Newfoundland, Lord Saint Simon. Then Ceci and Althea's grandnephew, Jonathan, is found murdered in Ceci's back yard. Holly and her Sherlockian friends set out to discover whodunit. In addition to the usual dog lore, this book is chock-full of references and allusions to the Sherlock Holmes Canon: Ceci lives on a gaslit street on Norwood Hill; the tall, evil man whom Holly thwarts in his attempt to drown a cat has a "bulbous forehead"; an obnoxious couple on the dog-show circuit are named Gloria and Scott. (Holmesians will notice one gaffe: Take a look at Holly's account of the plot of "The Copper Beeches" in Chapter 26. Oh well, she has admitted that she's no expert.) If you enjoy a good, humorous cozy mystery, and if you are a dog lover and/or a Sherlock Holmes devotee, you're likely to find this book lots of fun.

I received this book for my birthday, being someone who shows dogs, and I've read it four times since. The storyline is original without being too weird and the characters evoke many emotions. Susan Conant writes as though the main character is actually talking to you, not just normal first person, which is refreshing. Although I was sometimes confused by the hints to Sherlock Holmes, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to dog lovers. :)

I swear, Candice Proctor's writing gets better and better with each book. THE LAST KNIGHT, her most recent book, is what I believe to be her best novel yet. Full of adventure and true romance, it's a story that fits perfectly in the romance genre. Attica d'Alerion and Damion de Jarnac are the most passionate characters that I have had the chance to read. They admitted that they loved each other from the start and weren't even afraid of showing it. They did anything they could to protect each other from danger. Damien saved Attica's life twice, and both times Damien told Attica to run to safety, but she would not budge and infact helped Damien ward off the enemies - this is just a small example of courage in both characters. Both of them were intelligent, determined, and charming. I loved every part of the book, and was very sad when I finished it. I highly recommend THE LAST KNIGHT, it is romance writing at its best.

This was a captivating story. The love story between Damion and Attica was tender and passionate. It was refreshing to read a romance novel where the basis of the story was not revolving around sex. I believe the book was so much more enjoyable because you were thoroughly involved in the story line. Candace Proctor wrote a beautiful story that allowed me to feel the joys and sorrows of this tale. I have read "Night in Eden" also by Candace Proctor but must say "The Last Knight" was by far a better read. This love story is one of the reasons I enjoy reading historical romances. If you have not read this book I strongly recommend it. I don't think you'll be sorry.

Candice Proctor is quickly proving herself to be one of the best historical romance writers around. In The Last Knight, she takes the time to give you enough detail to completely transport you to medieval France without weighing down the plot in any way.

Main characters Attica and Damion are so well developed--with personality quirks and idiosyncracies--that they quickly become more than memorable: they come to life. The romance is breathtaking, the chivalry is uplifting, and the suspense is heart-pounding! Unusual circumstances add drama, yet the love story remains completely believable and inspiring. I've loved all Ms. Proctor's books, but this is the best so far--a winner!

The arrival of A FINE DARK LINE prompts a legitimate question regarding its author, Joe R. Lansdale: is there anything this guy can't do well? My first encounter with him was THE DRIVE IN, a science fiction horror novel. This was followed by THE MAGIC WAGON --- a gothic western if you will --- and COLD IN JULY, a mystery. Then came the Batman-based CAPTURED BY THE ENGINES, TARZAN'S LOST ADVENTURE, the Jonah Hex comic book story arcs, and on and on and on...and they are all great. So with A FINE DARK LINE, we have a coming of age novel set in rural Texas in the 1950s, a time both better and worse than our own and inexorably linked to it. And, like all his other works that have preceded it, A FINE DARK LINE is his finest work to date.

A FINE DARK LINE is told through the eyes of Stanley Mitchell, a thirteen year-old boy standing on the summer cusp of adolescence, the younger of two children in a family that isn't poverty-stricken but not exactly next door neighbors to Scrooge McDuck, either. No, the Mitchells are the owners and proprietors of the only drive-in theater in Dewmont, Texas. Stanley's youth and innocence are consumed in a slow-burning maelstrom sparked by his discovery of a tin box containing a collection of troubled love letters that ultimately lead him to a burned out house, the mysterious deaths of two young women and secrets that the powers that be in Dewmont would prefer to stay buried. Stanley's unlikely ally is Buster Smith, the projectionist at the theater, an elderly black man whose attempts to drown his demons in alcohol are doomed to failure but who has a depth that only Stanley is aware of. In attempting to solve the mysteries of the deaths of the two women, Stanley exposes not only himself, but also his family and friends, to danger. A FINE DARK LINE, however, is more than a mystery story. It is, ultimately, the tale of a time not so long gone but vanished completely nonetheless. Lansdale uses the mystery as a vehicle to explore the cultural landscape, race relations and sexual mores of the 1950s. What is most remarkable here is that Lansdale is able to capture so perfectly the voice of a 13 year-old boy in that era. I suspect that, to at least some extent, it is his own, some 50 years removed. If so, it resonates within him pitch-perfectly and his translation is unerring.

With A FINE DARK LINE, Lansdale continues to expand the breadth and scope of his literary vision. One could easily come to the conclusion that his talent and landscape know no boundaries. He is a writer who has exceeded the promise of his earliest work and the expectations of his readers --- and will undoubtedly continue to do so.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Joe Lansdale proves again he can recreate with a fine eye growing up in East Texas during the '50's. Perhaps "A Fine Dark Line" is a bit too close to his prize-winning "Bottoms," but nevertheless, this is prime Lansdale reading.

Stanley Mitchel, Jr. 13 resides in Dewton, Texas. His daddy owns the Dew Drop Drive-In movie, and their home is kind of between the screen and the concession stand, which Stanley thinks is a very good thing. The whole family, Mom ("Gal"), Daddy, and older sister Callie run the theatre. It is the summer of 1958, and as Stanley says, more things happen in that summer than have happened in his entire life. He finds a hidden trove of love letters that lead in him to a burned out plantation in the woods in back of the drive-in and discovers a young girl was burned to death in the fire. On the same night another young girl was murdered on the railroad tracks, decapitated and her head never found. Rumored ghosts abound. The remnants of the house and mill are eerily entwined with vines and saplings that have grown around and through them. Stanley decides to investigate the mystery, and gets a great deal more than he bargained for---corruption in high places, blackmail, and two psychotics: father of his best friend Richard and erstwhile boyfriend Bubba, huge and terrifying, of the family's housekeeper Rosy Mae.

The characterizations are sublime. High spirited, cheerleader-cute sister Callie is wonderfully drawn. She knows she has great powers of attraction and uses them like an inexperienced marksman with an assault rifle. Friend Richard wrenches your heart with his deprived and catastrophic home life. The family employees, Buster, the projectionist, and Rosy Mae, crackle with life, earthiness, and vibrancy. Daddy, in spite of his bad temper and propensity to fight, shines with goodness, and mother Gal is secretly in charge of everyone.

"A Fine Dark Line" is witty, terrifying and occasionally mischievous. Sometimes credibility is stretched. Even in 1958, could there be one 13-year-old boy that still believed in Santa Claus? The amount of terror and mayhem that happened on one night couldn't have happened to most people in a lifetime. But believe me, you will consider every last word right and true as you race through the pages. A book not to be missed.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

Lansdale describes a summer in 1958 when 13 year-old Stanley Michel Jr and his family moved to a house that formed the screen of the drive-in theater in Dewmont Texas. During that summer, Stanley loses his childhood innocence when he learns about racial bigotry, passion, cruelty and violence. He also becomes close to his 16 year old sister, befriends the aged black man who runs the projector and solves a 20 year old murder mystery.

This "not to be missed" story draws its characters and their personalities so finely, you feel like you can actually see them. I enjoyed some of the dialogue of the characters so much, I reread parts of the story.

The title, Fine Dark Line, signifies many things in the story. There is a quote by Stanley in the story in which he feared that a force he felt in his room would take hold of him and drag him with them "across the fine dark line that made up the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead." I also think there was a fine dark line between the lives of the blacks and the whites in the town, the poor and the rich, and instances we see of both cruelty and love.

There are lots of memorable characters. In addition to Stanley Jr. who narrates the story, we meet his friend Richard, who receives regular beatings my his religious fanatic father but finds the courage to stand up to him; the aging black projectionist, Buster Lighthouse Smith, who helps him solve the mystery letters found in an abandoned house. Buster teaches him how to research what actually happened to two murdered teenage girls, but more importantly, teaches Stanley many life lessons. His sister Callie, a co-conspirator in his investigations, introduces him to many adult issues.

This book has been compared to "To Kill a Mockingbird" and is as memorable. Highly recommended

I am a 12 year old girl. I thought this book was perfect. IT is about a young boy who moves to the woods to work at the limberlost. THere, he meets a girl. He enjoys being around her a lot. But a bad gang comes and tries to steal trees. Freckles must stop them. With a little help, he can! Read this book anyone my age would love it. It's one of those really good ones you can get into!

Suffering from the "unfairness of life" a young man makes choices. Abandoned at birth with only one arm, Freckles chooses to love....and love He does! He finds the world about him the object of his intense love. He finds the people about him worthy of love. Finally, he finds himself not worthy to love one special girl and is surprised in the end with her response. We are led into a magical world where love is not yet tarnished with selfishness. A joy to read again and again and a very special foundation to preteen and teen training in love.

This is the best book I have ever read! I am 13 years old, and have read the book twice. Gene Stratton Porter is a great writer, and has wonderful concepts. Freckles is a great roll model for boys and girls alike, and is so humble! He will not let the "Swamp Angel" marry him, because he has only one hand, is an orphan, and has no knowledge of "honerable birth" which he thinks is very important. I think anyone who has read this book will agree with me, that this is a wonderful book. If you liked this book, you will also like "A Girl of the Limberlost" the sequel to "Freckles". From 1 to 10, I give this book an 11!

This is the first Jo Beverley book I have read, and it's also more than half-way through a series. It's a credit to Beverley as a writer, though, that I didn't realise it was towards the end of the Malloren series until I read her author's notes at the end.

Rosamunde Overton is married to a man much older than she is, and who is not expected to live long; they have no children, and the heir is a member of a Puritanical sect whom no-one wants to inherit the land. So hints aplenty have been dropped: Rosa should get herself pregnant by whatever means possible, so that the baby can be passed off as her husband's. By pure chance, Lord Brand Malloren has been drugged and dumped in the middle of a bog; Rosa finds him, rescues him and, as payment, demands his sexual services. And what begins as pure sex turns into something more.

But Brand has no idea who his temporary mistress is, and Rosa is determined that they will never meet again. But she reckons without Malloren determination, and the resourcefulness of Brand's elder brother, Bey.

This is certainly an enjoyable book, though I wouldn't call it memorable; it has none of the haunting qualities of a Mary Jo Putney, or of Balogh at her best. I also felt that some descriptive passages were rushed: I had to read some of the action sequences several times to understand what had happened. Beverley also skips over elements of the story very quickly, losing the sense of suspense and failing to take advantage of opportunities for angst or romantic scenes. And I still don't know, for example, just how Brand managed to be at Wenscote in time to save Rosa from attack, since the last time we saw Brand he was headed somewhere else entirely. His presence was neither explained at the time nor in retrospect.

Having said that, I do intend to read the other Malloren books, and in particular - since I guessed from this book who Bey, Lord Rothgar's, own particular Nemesis would be - Bey's own story.

I didn't care for Cyn and Chastity's story (My Lady Notorious)so I didn't really make the attempt to read any more Malloren stories. Then I read Bryght and Portia's story (Tempting Fortune)and liked it somewhat more. So I picked up this book. And oh am I glad I did! I think Brand was the most well-rounded hero I have come across in a long time. He is of course a typical male; when asked to provide sexual service he doesn't need his arm twisted. I appreciate the fact that Rosemunde doesn't justify her nights with Brand strictly as duty. I like the "real" human element Rosemunde brings with her acknowledging that the real part of the situation being wrong is that she liked sex with him. I think there is a real symbol of human nature there. And Beverley didn't play it off with typical "book character" conscience. I was anxious to see how it was going to work out in the end. I was glad the ending wasn't your typical perfect. When a story's framework involves adultery how can the end be perfect. I have also enjoyed the tidbits about Bey in the novels in this series. I am definitely going to read his story. I hope he is the bad boy in bed that he seems to be!

Oh my, ladies, this was an all-nighter! Do you girls ever do that thing at 3 AM where you're talking to yourself saying, "Lord, you're going to feel [terrible] tomorrow, you'd better go to bed!" "Oh no, I've got to finish this part at least!" "Yeah, but you've been saying that for an hour - go to bed." "Oh man, I can't stand it! I have to finish this part! And this part! And this part!" ......... til 5 AM! ???????
Yes, it was one of those nights.... I could not quit reading this book! Even when my eyes hurt, I just had a couple of chapters to go & NO WAY was I quitting then! It was fun, had an interesting plot, & such warm passion (I LOVE warm passion)... it was really good; definitely on my keepers shelf!
Rosie & her cousin Diana were a hoot - their 'plans' were nuts & their friendship was soooo sweet. Brand was as good-hearted a hero as I've ever read about, & the secondary characters added soooo much to the story. This was a book from the Malloren Series, so Bey (Marquess of Rothgar, Brand's brother) figured into quite a bit. I still can't wait to read his story!
If you like historicals definitely go for this one.

Wilson has written two books, and combined them into one called The Select. He combines a love story between two medical students with a thriller about a medical conspiracy. We spend the first half of the book reading about Tim and Quinn, the two medical students, and how each likes the other. Tim is hitting on her in a playful way hoping to gain her love. She is always thinking how she'd like to be with him, but she has her studies so won't act upon her feelings. Throughout this we get a little dose of the conspiracy, but nothing really happens. Finally, Tim and Quinn realize their love, and the book changes focus to the conspiracy. The only real aspect of Tim and Quinn's "happy time" love is sex in a nearby hotel mentioned for about half a page. Then comes the conspiracy where the two lovers are seperated from each others and we really get to meet the "bad" guys. None of the "bad" are really evil, they think what they are doing benefits mankind. These characters, from the Senator, to security guards are great. They are complex people doing what they think is right, even though they know they would be arrested for doing it. I would have like to have seen these characters, especially Dr. Alston, developed more. Instead we get a 'this is why I'm doing what I'm doing' speech so the reader has a basic understanding of Dr. Alston. I would have liked to have seen what made him believe that what he is doing is the right thing. Overall, this is not a bad book, it just could have been much better. If Wilson had developed Dr. Alston to the length he developed Tim and Quinn, Wilson would have a much better book

Book Review: The Select By: F. Paul Wilson Filled with suspense, thrills and science, this suspense fiction book, The Select, by F. Paul Wilson is a book about aspiring young med-students who are entering one of the country's most prestigious med-school, The Ingraham. In the beginning Quinn, and her friend Tim do not really suspect that anything suspicious is going on behind the scenes in this college, but soon later they learn that the school has been committing a medical conspiracy. For learning this, they will either become a part of this research, which is on burn therapy, or they will die. This book keeps the reader in suspense as he learns how Quinn and Tim are able to outwit the unsuspecting school officials and co-conspirators. The thing that I found to be the best part of this novel was how the author was able to keep the reader on the edge of his or her seat. This was good because most people would put the book down if nothing happened after Quinn and Tim got caught, but an intertwined plot always kept me on the edge and convinced me to continue reading until I was finished. The biggest part of this "on the edge reading" was when the students were caught in their discovering of the conspiracy, they did not end the book just by the students turning the Doctors in, but they had a whole roundabout plot where the Doctors were trying to capture the students and make it seem as though they had just left the college campus. The thing that I found to my biggest dislike was the graphic gross-out description. The author used much more description in some places than were necessary. For instants, the biggest areas where he used this were when he was describing the people who were victims in the Burn Ward. He described everything about the people right down to the holes which were cut in the gauze so that they could see, and how the holes looked. As well, when Tim is caught in placed in the Burn Ward, it describes the burns which were inflicted on him, and how they looked. It was completely gory, unless you knew that it was coming. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good suspense story, and wants to be constant left on the edge and waiting for more. I would also recommend this book to somebody who has trouble continuing to read a book that they have started because once this book is started, the reader will not want to put it down until they have successfully finished it

I came across a gem when I purchased this book at a thrift store. Wow!! What a medical thriller. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. You never know where F. Paul Wilson will take you. This is a great book--a guaranteed suspense read.

Helen goes back home to the Bad River Lakota Reservation to go undercover as a dealer in the Pair-A-Dice gambling casino, when her boss mysteriously ends up dead, his son, famed basketball star Reese Blue Sky. After a thirteen year absence, how do you tell someone he fathered a son and you had to leave town when you were pregnant? But Reese takes the news in stride and accepts his son, but is disappointed that Helen didn't let him know before, as they start to fall in love all over again...as a family.

Kathleen Eagle writes the best contemporary modern romances with cross-cultural themes and crossover mainstream appeal. "What the Heart Knows" is no exception! If you like contemporary/modern romance. Get this book!

Kathleen Eagle is by far the best romance writer ever. Her stories have characters that you can identify with, and who are very likable. What the Heart Knows is no different. There is no pushing away and pulling back by the characters - it's a love story, without the typical head games characters play. Her male characters are always tender, compassionate, and understanding. They are men you can understand why the women love. Reese Blue Sky is fabulous. He knows what he wants - to do right by his father, to keep his newly found family, to hang on to his lost love - and you want that for him.

Mrs. Eagle - keep up the great work. There's only one book I haven't read and I can't wait to pick it up. I most especially can't wait for your next one.

I started my voracious read for Romance with Kathleen Eagle's Reason to Believe and now with her compelling effort in WHAT THE HEART KNOWS, she has re-established herself as a master of this genre.

WHAT THE HEART KNOWS draws readers to Bad River Sioux reservation, where Roy Blue Sky is unexpectedly murdered with his recent railings with the local casino. This brings back Reese Blue Sky, an NBA player who has returned to pay respects to his demised father and Helen Ketterling, who is a retired teacher, now working undercover in the casino as a proficient card dealer. The two characters shared a brief but amorous relation in the past and now the torch is rekindled.

Kathleen Eagle embellishes the magnificent story plot set on the Indian territory with her sincere and rousing narrative. Helen Ketterling harbours a secret - she fears Reese would snatch away Sidney from her - the son that Reese had no knowledge of. But when she saw Reese battling with hypertension, Helen realizes that she has kept Sidney away from his diginified father. The emotional trauma they initially face to the eventual acceptance and redemption makes their love more majestic than the wild frontier. Their fears and vulnerability are too familiar in our daily lives.

WHAT THE HEART KNOWS is even more credible with the vivid portrayal of a prominent and authentic Indian culture besieged by development. The resonant human drama between Carter and Reese, a brotherly love threatened by Carter's disillusioned passion for wealth is poignant. Sidney's gradual development of an entrenching paternal bond with Reese brings up succinctly issues like racism and being true to one's heritage. WHAT THE HEART KNOWS defies categorization - it has been a long while since any contemporary romance could stir such emotions and realism.

WHAT THE HEART KNOWS is indeed a sweeping romance presented gloriously in the Indian territory; and with such a keen observation of culture and engaging moral dilemmas written with such commitment, it is undoubtedly the best that romance genre could ever offer.