I have read all of the "Prey" books. This book does not, exactly, meet up to the standards of previous books. Lucas Davenport is not the "loose cannon" that he was in the past. The search for the villain is not as compelling. I felt that another character in the book should have, either been the murderer, or, at least, an accomplice. This mystery woman could have been the missing element. John Sandford is one of my favorite authors. He seems determined to rehabilitate Lucas Davenport. (He tried in Winter Prey, and now, again in Secret Prey.) Maybe, he needs to read Mickey Spillane and make Lucas more like Mike Hammer, like he was in Eyes of Prey and Silent Prey, the best books of this series, by far.

I've enjoyed all of John Sandford's Lucas Davenport novels. While Silent Prey is true to form, it falls well short of Sandford's best effort. Much of this novel seems forced. Davenport's battle with depression is simply distracting. His not unexpected relationship with a female detective, while entertaining at times, seems to be thrown in for the laugh track. Davenport's fellow detectives, fully fleshed out in the previous "Prey" novels, are not given much to do here ... and that's too bad. Part of the fun in the Davenport stories comes from the other detectives in the squad.

The villain in this story is the highlight of the book. Evil comes in many forms and none so subtle as this one. Sandford's killers are never simple and this one is as complex as any he has created. Frankly, the villain makes the story.

I recommend this book to any Sandford fan. If you have never read one of the "Prey" novels, you may still want to read this one. However, I would suggest picking up "Winter Prey" first.

Sandford is the pseudonym for John Camp, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. I happened to run across this book while staying with a friend at Little St. Simon's Island over Thanksgiving. It was one of those bibliophile moments when you are bored and perusing a bookcase of paperbacks. Suddenly I was enthralled. I like his characters so much that I have read four of his novels and am in the middle of two more in less than a month. I find I cannot put them down!

I actually cannot tell you precisely why I like these books so much, which may be the greatest testimonial I can give them as simply good reads. Most of them are set in the Minneapolis area and the central characters are a homicide team that gets the toughest cases. The central figure in the series is Lucas Davenport, a detective, then ultimately a vice-chief who made a good bit of money designing software games but is addicted to the dangers and complexities of solving difficult crimes and taking on violent criminals.

This particular novel involves the killing of a bank president in the middle of a merger. It has enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages all night. The characters are believable and the plot is both engrossing and becomes very convincing as you get deeper into the characters' personalities, histories and motivation.

Sandford/Camp is to Minneapolis what Parker is to Boston and Archer was to Southern California. I highly recommend his works.

Crusie wrote formulaic category romances for years, but her books were way ahead of the pack, funny, intelligent, excellent reading. Her characters were real, fully-rounded people. I enjoyed Tell Me Lies, with one small quibble (which I'll go into later). It is a wonderful character study of a small town (Frog Point) good girl, the one who married the high school football hero and lived happily ever after. Not! No, Maddie Martindale Faraday's dream marriage is a sham. Her husband Brent is a philanderer, and worse. The only thing that's been holding this marriage together is their 8-year-old daughter, Emily, whom both adore, and suddenly it is not enough. The reappearance of C.L. (you'll love what those initials stand for!) Sturgis, the hot, bad boy of Maddie's high school days, is the further catalyst for Maddie's personality change. He's in town on a specific mission, but seeing Maddie makes him want to stay. Funny dialogue, a good mystery, sexy scenes, and even a puppy, will keep the reader going, but my quibble is with the intrusion of Emily's thoughts into the book's otherwise fast pace. Stops you dead, in my opinion, though Em is a good character, and a smart kid. I love the obvious and subtle ties among the townspeople, where everyone is related somehow to someone else, by blood or business, and family stigmas can never be erased, no matter how much anyone tries to achieve. The down side to small town life is sharply and honestly portrayed.("Well, she's a Lowery, what can you expect?"---Oh, those self-fulfilling prophecies! Save us!) Highly recommended, as are all of Crusie's books.

As some of my online friends know, I am from Ohio and I eagerly read any books by a Buckeye native ~~ this is the fourth book I've read by Jennifer Cruise and I love it.

I have to admit, it took me awhile to get into the book ~~ but once I did, it snared me into a hilarious story.

Maddie has it all ~~ a perfect marriage, an adorable daughter and a good reputation in her hometown that she has lived in all her life. Then one day, she finds a pair of black lace panties in her husband's car and her perfect life begins to unravel. A former lover comes back into her life and turns everything upside down ~~ there's murder, intrigue, good home-cooked meals and everything a reader loves to read ~~ suspense, great sexy scenes and funny dialogue.

If you're going to the lake for a day and need a book to while away the time, I highly recommend this book. It's not a deep, thought-provoking book, but it's a great escapism book and fun to read. You won't regret reading Jennifer Cruise's first novel. Just like her other books, it's saucy and fun to read. Have fun!

Tell Me Lies led me to go out and get my hands on every Jennifer Crusie book I could find. It was the first one I read and remains one of my favorite re-reads.

I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud while reading Tell Me Lies. While particularly appealing to those with small town backgrounds (myself included), there's something here for everyone. The overbearing mother, the old flame who still makes your heart pitter patter, a best friend who brings you chocolate - these are characters we all can relate to. Add in a dash of romance, a murder mystery, secrets from the past, a fast paced plot, and lots of chuckles and this makes for a great read. I loved Maddie's quest to redefine herself and the funny, yet poignant answers she found. On top of that, Crusie does a great job of keeping you guessing "whodunit" and then nicely wraps all the loose ends. A terrific read!

After reading 'The Quiet Game', easily the best myster/legal-thriller I have ever read, I was anxiously waiting for '24-Hours' and let me say right here and now, it was one of the most thrilling stories I have read in a long time. Taking place pretty much over the course of just 24-hours, the pace is frenetic at the very least and once in motion, quite literally never let's up.

The plot is absolutely chilling to anyone who is a parent: your child being kidnapped for ransom. The thing about kidnapping in this country is: the culprits almost never succeed. The FBI captures virtually all of the criminals who are stupid enough to use kidnapping as a means to get rich quick. This is where Joey comes in. He knows how unsuccessful snatching people for ransom is, so he devises a nearly foolproof plan that has worked like a charm 5 times-in-a-row...but that is before Joey decides to make a grab for Abbey, the diabetic daughter of Karen & Will Jennings. His idea is actually incredibly simple: grab the kid, take them someplace isolated...hold Mom and Dad in two other separate locations keeping them apart for the entire 24-hours it takes to pull off the *plan*...which means you need 3 kidnappers in order to make the *plan* work. What Joey did NOT count on, was the determination of Karen & Will. Y'see, Joey is going to make this the FINAL *plan* and intends to move out of country and enjoy the spoils of his evil ways with his partners. He also has something special in store for Will in particular, making this last operation one not only of kidnapping, but of sweet revenge. I can't tell you the WHY, because finding out is half the fun of this rocket-ride of a novel. I CAN tell you that once you begin this thriller, you will be hopelessly caught up in Greg Iles' fertile imagination, one that won't let you go until you reach the final page. The explosive climax is worthy of Hollywood's biggest chase scenes. Word has it that Hollywood is interested in turning this story into a movie, and as long as they didn't screw it up, it would be a great one, too.

I only gave '24-Hours' 4 stars simply because after finishing 'The Quiet Game' I was absolutely stunned with how amazing it was. Greg Iles is a truly gifted storyteller, and it was almost impossible to equal that novel (in my opinion) and as good as '24-Hours' really is, 'The Quiet Game' is still my favorite novel by him. Do NOT let that influence you into NOT buying this book, on the contrary, buy it, read it and enjoy because it is a fabulous book that deserves ALL the positive reviews it has received--and NONE of the negative ones. I am truly mystified at those who did not like this book, and actually went out of their way to bash it. Go figure. For ME, it was great and I Highly Recommend it.

When I'm in a bookstore, one of the determining factors that often influence my choice as to whether or not to buy a certain book is to read the opening lines. If the book has a good enough "hook", then I'll take a chance on it, considering that the concept hasn't already grabbed me. Iles did a masterful job in setting up a cinematic prologue that details the safe return of a kidnapped child to his frantic mother. It's an anticlimax that works to the story's advantage.

Joe Hickey, his cousin Huey and a woman have perfected an ingenious system for kidnapping children of prominent Mississippi physicians and for not only eluding capture but to even make their existence unknown to the authorities. But when they kidnap Abby Jennings, the small daughter of Will and Karen Jennings, Joe Hickey and his accomplices have picked on the wrong family.

Impeccable research into the intimate details of families like the Jennings make their master plan foolproof and not knowing that Abby Jennings had juvenile diabetes strikes me as something that a criminal genius like Hickey would've known. When they spirit the child out of the house only to subsequently discover that she's been separated from her life-saving insulin, Hickey is forced to alter The Plan.

But the family's will and resourcefulness make the carefully laid plan spiral more and more off course until both sides are adlibbing in a deadly game of chess, with Abby being the most important piece.

The Jennings, however, are targeted for reasons other than money and Hickey's motive for revenge is rather generic and uninspired. What *is* inspired and unique is the thrilling climax that takes place in the interstate, a denouement that has cinema written all over it.

24 HOURS has pacing and suspense that's as smooth and sharp as a scalpel on flesh and the characterization is as topnotch as Dean Koontz's. The relationship between the ringleader Joe Hickey and his giant cousin Huey has a feel reminiscent of OF MICE AND MEN, a dynamic used by other authors such as Scott Smith and John Gilstrap but without as much skill. Iles, however, pulls it off and one of threads of tension that runs throughout the book is the question of which force has more control over the gentle giant, the one who's watching Abby- Hickey or Huey's own conscience. Cheryl, a cynical, hard-assed former stripper, comes across as a solid, living woman and the reader can't help but sympathize with her as well as Huey.

Iles is indeed a master storyteller at the top of his game and, if he isn't, it's only because he has yet to peak.

There is something really special about Greg Iles' writing that is hard to pinpoint. My favorite authors have been Nelson DeMille and Jeffery Deaver. I think Iles is every bit as good as these masters, and even better in some respects. What sets Iles apart is his understanding of human nature, thus his characters seem more real (human) than any author I have read. He must spend as much time studying people as Clancy does technology.

His dialog is also crisp and very realistic. He doesn't spend a lot of time describing settings, but his characters and plots are so good the reader doesn't even notice or miss it.

24 Hours is a really moving work. I would find it hard to believe that anyone with a family (especially young children) could read this novel without being affected. I put this book in my top 5 I have ever read.

Also recommended: Mortal Fear - Greg Iles; The Devil's Teardrop - Jeffery Deaver; Plum Island - Nelson DeMille

Looking for a non-stop, gripping, realistic page turner from beginning to end? Keep on looking, but if you are interested in an entertaining, ultimately fast-paced thriller to pass an afternoon, this may be your book. Prior to reading Hostage by Robert Crais I had not heard of the author although he has written many other books. This book is written with an unusual narrative that will not appeal to everyone.

The Plot-
I won't give much away, but Hostage is set in real time over the span of roughly just 14 hours, excluding a brief prologue and epilogue.
The prologue sets up the main character: Sergeant Jeff Talley, a hostage negotiator for the L.A.P.D. SWAT team. We briefly meet him and learn how he will come to find himself in the suburban setting of the story, living a solitary life, estranged from his family.

The clock starts ticking on Hostage as two bumbling brothers and a mysterious co-worker of theirs haphazardly rob a convenience store and find themselves in a chain of events rapidly progressing from a bad idea to a worse situation. It ultimately lands them in the midst of the Smith family home, where father, daughter and son become the title Hostage's of the story.

Now Talley must exorcise his personal demons and face another hostage situation that he was certain would elude him in the placid, bedroom community he'd settled into. At this point I thought I could see the writing on the wall for the rest of the plot, and I must say I was mildly annoyed with how predictable this appeared to be. Had I stopped then, I would have missed the best parts of the book.

--Will Talley face his fears and return to his profession and his family?
--Who will make it out of the "hostage" situation alive?
--What is the secret of the household patriarch that really throws a wrench in things?
--Who's double-crossing whom?

All questions you'll have to read the book to learn the answers to. Suffice it to say, Hostage has a bit more to offer than first impressions would lead you to believe.

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My Thoughts-
The style of narrative is a bit different in Hostage. It jumps from person to person, sometimes in the midst of a chapter. This will definitely not appeal to everyone, but I think it added to the frenetic pace the author was striving for. I also found the characters to be wholly unappealing. I can't think of one that I cared for, or conversely cared about. Kind of crucial when you're supposed to be enthralled with what will happen to them. I think they could definitely have used some more development.

I still gave this an above average recommendation, why? It is a very different read than anything I've come across recently and I did appreciate all the technical aspects of crime fighting, and the police that were covered as well.

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Objectionable Content-
This is not the book for the immature or sensitive readers. There is considerable cursing. Drug use is discussed and done. There are allusions to both physical abuse of children and sexual innuendo. To top all that off, there are several scenes of graphically detailed violence. It's not something that bothers me given the context of the material, however I am sure it would be offensive to some readers.

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Recommended-
I do recommend this book but with a cautionary mention of some of the graphic violence and mature subject matter covered in the book. I would not give this book to a reader under the age of 16. Fans of mystery, suspense and popular fiction should find this an entertaining read once it gets going.

Jeff Talley, Chief of Police of Bristo Camino, a small suburban community in So. Calif., is confronted with a hostage situation that challenges all of his skills and experience. Talley, an ex- SWAT member and hostage negotiator, is plunged into a nightmare that ultimatly threatens the lives of his wife and daughter.

Robert Crais creates a wide variety of characters with vivid description and realistic dialogue the reader can almost hear. The three young hoodlums that impulsively rob a store and in their escape hole up in a home owned by a man connected to organized crime are genuinely realistic. The feelings of fear and anger they instill in their victims are felt by the reader as well.

The story is fast-paced and full of suspense and thrills that keep the pages turning. What sets Crais's stories apart is his ability to describe the tension the characters feel with a style that puts the reader inside their heads, depicting and experiencing their personalities and thought processes in a variety of situations. Crais has continued to develop his craft to the point where readers eagerly anticipate his next book. Don't pass up this well-written, deeply felt fiction. Its realism will hold you a hostage in its grasp and entertain you.

I very much enjoyed Demolition Angel, however, I have to say I enjoyed Hostage even more. This novel moves at a pace beyond breakneck, more like light-speed. At one point in my reading of the book I got up around 3 a.m. in the morning to continue my reading as I couldn't sleep trying to anticipate what was going to happen next. But even at the acclerated pace Mr. Crais has not neglected characterization, writing believable characters and describing their reactions to intense, almost unbearable pressure. As much as I enjoyed the characters of Jeff Talley and the kids trapped in the house with three psychopaths, I also enjoyed the development of the bad guys. This is where I believe the book surpasses Demolition Angel. I felt that the character of Mr. Red in Demolition Angel might have been further developed with a little more of his past and why he became Mr. Red. The baddies in Hostage have a history which is displayed in description, word, and deed. Read this book.

Mr. Crais, particularly in his last three novels - L. A. Requiem, Demolition Angel, and now Hostage - has taken chances with his personal style which are paying off, demonstrated in the confidence of his writing. This bodes well for the future of his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series (which will be continuing) and for his future stand-alones. The biggest complaint: it sure can seem a long time between his books, but with his development I would rather see Robert Crais take his time with his craft, ensuring the creation of characters that live and breathe, rather than create characters that become caricatures. Hostage is an outstanding novel.

As a first timer to the novels of Robert Crais, I could not have picked a better book to start with. In Demolition Angel, Crais departs from his former characters and takes us into the explosive world of the Los Angeles Bomb Squad. Carol Starkey is an LAPD Bomb Technician who is lucky to be alive, living a second life, after surviving a blast that killed her partner and lover David "Sugar" Boudreaux. Starkey is now a Detective Second Grade with the Criminal Conspiracy Section teetering on the verge of her own mental health - now on her third shrink and a steady diet of gin, cigarettes and Tagamet - each day is a struggle to justify her survival. Starkey now catches her first real case, a case involving the death of a former colleague in the bomb squad - to solve it she must master all her fears, deal with the past and get back to doing what she does best - finding the bomber - but can she get back to the place she needs to be? With help from an ATF agent named Pell, Starkey is introduced to the notion that the bomber has a very sinister agenda - killing bomb technicians. Pell begins to share information, leading Starkey to a serial bomber that goes by the name Mr. Red - and the hunt is on - but was this bomb the work of Mr. Red or of someone else. The game begins - will the real killer be found in time. Crais has taken a very real possibility - that of domestic terrorism - set it against the vast loneliness of Los Angeles. Starkey is in a life and death struggle with her own personal demons and unless she can master them, and summon all of her knowledge - the bomber will win and she will die for a second time. This book is a page turner - explosive!

Taking a break from his successful Elvis Cole mystery series, Robert Crais has come out with this amazing novel. DEMOLITION ANGEL is a fast-paced, non-stop thriller that you will not be able to put down.

Carol Starkey, once Los Angeles' best "bomb squad" technician, is now struggling as a detective in the Criminal Conspiracy Section in the LAPD. It has been three years since she was pronounced dead at the scene of bomb detonation, and she is suffering through alcoholism and a Tagamet addiction. Starkey is called to the scene to investigate an explosion that has killed an officer, and she is in for the ride of her life, trying to catch one of the country's biggest terrorists.

Crais does an awesome job of piling on plot twist after plot twist. The book flies by and you can't help but get caught up in this amazing, yet totaly believable storyline. Crais brings together a super group of interestingly diverse characters and meshes them together incredibly well.

This is a well-written book that thrills the reader with suspense, intrigue, and "fireworks." You will not be able to put this book down.

I read this novel in a day. I literally couldn't stop reading it and genuinely didn't want it to end. Carol Starkey is a darker character than Elvis Cole, but Crais develops her with a sure hand, and introduces supporting characters who are interesting, believable, and whose interaction with Carol give the book intensity and life. (It's refreshing to have a detective who actually likes and respects her supervisors, by the way. Sometimes the "admin jerks" cliche grows tiresome.) However, it was difficult to get used to a character who abused herself, physcially, and I found myself wondering how this woman could possibly think well on a diet of alcohol, cigarettes, tagamet, and altoids. Furthermore, it was, perhaps, overemphasized that she was a softie under her tough cookie exterior. With sufficient character development, the reader doesn't need that spelled out multiple times. And, in this novel, the protagonist was very well developed. I hope to meet Carol Starkey again. And I'm glad that Crais is one of the pantheon of mystery writers who are, indeed, artists of the genre and can be counted on to produce a book well worth reading.

For the first 354 pages, this is an absorbing novel of two families living in Topanga Canyon in California. The characters are well-drawn and interesting, except for Jordan, the son of Delaney and Kyra Menaker-Mossbacher, who is completely cardboard, and Socorro, daughter of Candido and America, who is only a few weeks old by the end of the book. One can hardly expect much character delineation of an infant, but Jordan is old enough to be a real person.

Kyra is a champion real estate salesperson, very driven, who loves her work perhaps more than her family. Delaney is a nature writer who wants to be laid back, but doesn't quite make it. He would have voted for Ralph Nader, but hesitated to admit to his neighbors that he hadn't voted for George W. Bush.

Candido, in his thirties, and his beloved seventeen-year-old wife America are illegal immigrants from Mexico.

The novel nicely contrasts the affluent lifestyle of Delaney and Kyra with the abject poverty of Candido and America, who seek honest work, and work hard when they can get any work, but are repeatedly cheated and robbed of what very little they have.

After 354 pages that would have rated at least 4 1/2 stars, Boyle apparently ran out of steam, and halfway thru page 355 he just stopped writing.

T.C. Boyle's "Tortilla Curtain" is a modern novel with classic topics: racism, hate, tolerance, differences, the belief in god, materialism and ethnical conflicts. What makes the novel interesting in the first place are the two parallel-elapsing worlds which suddenly cross sometimes: Delany and Kyra Mossbachers posh lives in wealth and health and the very opposite, Candido and America Rincons story in garbage, dust and hunger. This is very ironical, because both couples live only miles or even meters away from each other. Therefore the same natural disasters disturb them and change their lives, and that's one of Tortilla Curtain's main meanings: nature and god treat and threaten all humans or all beings equally. The novel is very thrilling and dazzling until the end and provides irony, melancoly, humor and a taste of hard reality except of the dramatical ending. I liked the novel and I think it might be important to use the book as standard literature in schools of industrial nations - it might change people's minds...

This novel was very interesting because of the political and social issues it addresses. For example the issue of illegal immagrants and societal or class status. I was amazed at the way Boyle was able to get inside the mind of the characters and relate their feelings through the book. He provided each character with a realistic background, so he was able to show their thought processes and therefore the reason they act and react as they do. That made it easier for me to relate to the characters and what they were going through. For example, when Candido was unable to work and America had to get a job, I understood where he was coming from.. Being a man in idealogical, schovanistic world we live in, I was raised on the same ideal Candido held. That ideal is part of the basis of the "american dream," which is a major theme throughout the book. "A house, a yard, maybe a TV and a car too-nothing fancy, no palaces like the gringos built- just four walls and a roof." (pg.29) This is a theme that all Americans can relate to because its a search that most everyone must go through, the search for the American dream (although I admit its different for everyone). I like the way Boyle opened up my eyes to immmigrancy by giving me a glimpse of what an immigrant may go through (or at least his idea of what an immigrant may go through). I have sympathy for immigrants because many of them are searching for the same things I am, but this novel brings up the question, what happens when immigrants begin to infringe on my life, my goals and my opportunity? The second point that grabbed my interest (drawing me deeper into the book) is Boyles stand on class status. Seeing (or reading) the way Delaney and his neighbors lived, contrasted to the way Candido lived was in my opinion pure entertainment (you know, as well as good structured insight in the way people live as a direct result of their environment). The imagery of Dominick Flood's party shows the way Delaney's neighbors live and so in part shows why they feel and act the way they do about people who are not in the same social class as them (Mexican, immigrants, "the gangbangers" alike). "A string quartet was stationed under an awning that shaded the den..a table laden with enough food for siw Thanksgiving feasts, including a whole suckiling pig with a mango in its mouth and fresh-steamed lobsters surrounded by muliticolored platters of sashami and sushi." This book was very powerful in the statements it makes and also very enjoyable.

Let me just say that I love Jude Deveraux. I know some of you that read the title of my review are thinking "She just doesn't appreciate a good Jude Deveraux story" or "Well, time travels just aren't her thing". I'll clear the air for you. Jude Deveraux is fastly becoming one of my all time favorite authors, and I am a BIG fan of time travel. But, _Legend_ just doesn't do it for me... sorry.

I started the book prepared to hate it. Let me tell you... I didn't. It was well written and entertaining. But, the story line was a little too twisted. The book starts out inroducing us to Kady Long, a famous chef. She is about to be married to her boss' son. Although he is gorgeous and gives Kady the freedom she thinks she needs, the reader knows right away that he is not the man for her. While browsing through an antique store, Kady impulsivly buys a flour tin. But, when she gets home, she realizes she bought more then she thought, and that the simple little flour tin would change her life forever.

Once Kady pries open the tin, she finds three treasures inside: a breathtaking wedding dress, a watch and a family photo. Since Kady is getting married so soon, it seems that the hands of fate were guiding her decision to buy the ancient tin. Kady tries on the dress, and is overcome by a dizzy spell. When she wakes up, she is no longer in her drab little appartment in Virginia. Instead, she is on a mountain top, and a hanging is about to take place.

Rushing to the hanging tree, Kady sees three men trying to hang a gorgeous man. She uses her wits and saves the man. It turns out his name is Cole. Kady instantly feels a pull to him, but thinks that he is not the man for her because all of her life, she's dreamt of an Arabian Night. Because of Cole's fair features, he can not be the man for her. Nevertheless, Cole feels that he is in Kady's debt for saving his life, and so the two end up getting hitched. Cole is in love with Kady, but she is still trying to decide what it is exactly that she feels for him. All this while there is a secret, and once Kady figures it out, Cole is gone from her forever. Can she still find true love? Will she ever see the truth about Gregory? Will an Arabian come from the desert and sweep her off her feet?

Okay, I never usually give a three to a book, so I'm going to break down the good things and the bad things about it so you can understand why it's not the greatest.

Bad Things- 1) About half of the book is spent with Cole. Now, I loved Cole, and he was a great character. I got tricked into thinking he would be the hero. Not so. Kady is whisked away from him, so you are left with a strange feeling of loss. Then, we are introduced to Tarik, Kady's Arabian man, and think that he could be Cole's replacement, but alas, he treats her very badly. When he later tells her that it was all an act, I had a hard time believing it. Tarik treats Kady hostilely and then it is explained in two seconds, and all is forgiven. It was a little sloppy. 2) The ending. The first part of the book was really good. I could see how Jude came to the conclusions that she did about time travle. But, the second half was too confusing. She got sloppy, and it shows. The relationship between Tarik and Kady was too shaky for me to believe that it was actually true love. 3) Jude's whole time travel idea in the second half of the book. I think Jude forgot about the cosiquences of changing things in the past. For instance, Tarik's biker straddling cousin stays back, with her cycle mind you, and when Kady and Tarik return to the real world, nothing has changed. This was a little too convinient for me to believe. One thing I really enjoy in most of Jude's books is that it is easy to believe that this could really happen. _Legend_... well... it just doesn't make the grade.

But, Jude is a good writer, and I did enjoy _Legend_. Although there are problems with the story line, it is still a pretty good book. So, if you feel you have to read all of Jude's work, it's not a waste of your time. But, if you are just looking into Jude Deveraux books, I'd say wait a while. If you're looking for a good time travle, try _A Knight in Shining Armor_, _Remebrance_ (both by Jude Deveraux), or Diana Gabaldon's _Outlander_ series.

I have been a fan of Jude Deveraux for years, have read almost all of her books, and I can honestly say that this book is close to being my favorite of all of her books. While reading it I found myself saying, "oh, just a couple more pages." Then I realized it had been another hour. What surprised me even more is the fact that I am not a huge fan of time travel, and yet I loved this book. The character Kady is sweet, believable, and funny. Her relationships with both of the main male characters kept me glued to my seat. I have read several unfavorable reviews of this novel, but I don't think those reviewers were being totally fair. This is a romance novel, not great literature. While the plot did jump around a bit, it kept the novel MOVING, which is one of my main complaints about a lot of the romance novels I read nowadays. If you are looking for a good, engrossing romance to read, I highly recommend this novel.

this is jd's second book that has time travel in it. It was a great read. It has a shocking part in the middle of the book that will make you seem like you have juss been on a roller coaster and an unexpected loop has juss came up. i liked this book a lot. Jd is a great author.

p.s cole wat a sneaky person

I read this book in one sitting last night. It's only 192 pages and a lot of that is the ever-lengthening recaps that we Malory fans have to endure as the family gets bigger. Since the last installment (Derek and Kelsey's story), the Malorys have been procreating like mad and are meeting at Haverston for the holidays. The plot in this one revolves around the first Marquis of Haverston and his (gasp!) Gypsy wife. Of course, it's a flashback, but not a bad one, although the story is not well-developed. The story of the first Marquis has its effects on Jason and Molly the Maid, as well as James and Georgianna, who are in the midst of a totally unconvincing spat. I like the Malorys, I really do, but as the family gets bigger and bigger the repeating of the pertinent facts (presumably for those who have never picked up a Malory novel) gets more and more tedious. Read this one because you have to.

First off, here is the series in sequence: 1. Love Only Once 2. Tender Rebel 3. Gentle Rogue 4. The Magic of You 5. Say You Love Me 6. The Present: The Malory Holiday Novel

I was hesistant in reading this one because the previous book, Say You Love Me (5th novel), was not to my liking... However, since this is the last book (so far) in the series and since I have already bought the book, I made myself read it with open mind. I am happy to say this book was indeed worth my time. The updates of every MALORY was a joy.........Note: I have notice that all books in this Malory series (except for the first one) contains lots of repetitive informations. There were times I had to skip parts wherein a Malory or two will start discussing the story or happenings of the previous books, sorta like a short summarization for those who have not read it. For readers like me who have read the series in sequence, It's kindda useless info. and i won't lose anything to skip it... At first, this style of writing didn't seem to bother me but when I got to the third book of the series, the summarization of the first two books was getting to me. Imagine my restlessness when i was reading the 4th and the 5th book! I skipped more parts then cuz I didn't need to read the summary of the 3-4 previous books which i have already read. Whew! I say it would have been better for Ms. J.L. to leave readers some thrill to pick up each book and read each story for themselves. This 6th novel also had shares of summarizations but it wasn't as bad as the 4th (The Magic of You) and 5th book.

Christopher and Anna's (Malory Grandparents) story was touchy & interesting. It is also different from the usual Malory story considering the time plot and the social structure of Anna. The add on story of Jason & Molly was also quite nice. Though I enjoyed Cristoff and Anna's love story more. There's were far more amusing and endearing. The whole book was a good read. Heart warming! It'll make you realize how important family truly is. No matter what each member's point of views, faults & even scandals, family sticking together can surely make a difference. A family together will survive almost any difficulties. Again, I specially liked every updates of the Malory! ...and I can't wait to read Jeremy's Story and perhaps the Anderson brother's as well.

Once again Johanna Lindsey has written a book to be cherished and read over and over again. With "The Present", she reminds us why we fell in love with the Malory family. You get to revisit all of the Malorys as they gather for Christmas. The conflicts between James and Anthony had me laughing until my sides hurt. You can also finally discover the secret of the gypsy ancestor. I loved this as I loved all of the other Malory books. I can't help but read them again and again. I can hardly wait for a book about Jeremy or the Anderson brothers.

Astonishingly gripping for the first two-thirds of its length, THE BIG PICTURE has it all: great concept, superb characterizations, vivid style, and a compelling pace. The lead character, Ben Bradford, is a failed photographer who has become a dull-but-prosperous trusts-&-estates lawyer on Wall Street. Bradford's life is shattered when he discovers his wife is having an affair with the loser next door. An anguished Bradford confronts the lover, who taunts Bradford mercilessly. Bradford kills the man with a wine bottle. Rashly, he decides to cover up the murder by staging his own death and assuming the identity of the man he killed. This book is breathtakingly well-written, and perfectly captures the quiet desperation and abandoned dreams of working professionals in the 1990s. Candidly, around page 250, the book suffers from the "Indecent Proposal" syndrome, namely, once the spectacular deed is done, the intensity of the plot lurches to a disappointing halt. Things heat up again while on the lam in Montana. Still, The Big Picture is unputdownable good and Kennedy shows Grishamesque promise

Although I had never heard of Douglas Kennedy, I was intrigued by the cover and the summary on the book jacket and picked The Big Picture up from the bargain book table. I am glad that I gave this work a shot, as it was a nice, entertaining read. The story is about Ben Bradford, a Wall Street lawyer who, on the surface, seemingly has everything that anyone could want. Quickly though, the reader comes to realize that, as the story goes, money cannot buy happiness. In an instant, everything in Bradford's life is turned upside down. Although it is difficult to condone what Bradford did, one cannot help but appreciate the workings of Bradford's mind as he plots his future and runs from his past. The character development was quite good - it was easy to feel yourself in the various settings, rooting for or against various characters. There was plenty of action, suspense and plot twists. This was a captivating book. I will definitely seek out other works by Kennedy.

Douglas Kennedy has written a well-crafted novel for yuppies burdened by mid-life crises and itching to be free. At its heart, it is as much a novel of ideas about identity, the burdens of obligations and honesty to one's self as a traditional narrative. But what makes it fun and interesting is that the story works just fine as a cliff-hanger(almost to the very end). The launching pad for Kennedy's meditation is the story of a miserable no-longer-young lawyer at a big New York City law firm who lives in the elite suburbs of Connecticut and whose marriage has been slowly disintegrating. When our hero discovers his wife is having an affair, a confrontation with her lover unexpectedly escalates into murder. Rather than throw himself on the mercy of the justice system, the lawyer determines to escape, which means, he quickly concludes, that he must disappear. From this premise, reader is invited to ponder perhaps the ultimate "what-if" question: How would my life change if I had to walk away -- irr

Fast Women is an ambitious book with a large cast of characters and a complex plot. I didn't like any of the characters -- including the kidnapped dog. Unlike Crusie's past protagonists, the ones in this book are small hearted and mean spirited. There are so many characters that it is hard to keep them straight and some characters -- like the protagonists' own children -- get lost in the story line.
I hated the plot, which had grizzly little touches like a woman married to the man who killed her mother and a main character who gets even with her ex-husband by describing to him -- in a restaurant with lots of people around -- the lesbian affair she had with another sister-in-law.
I read in another review of Fast Women that if you like Janet Evanovich you'd like this book. Don't believe it. The Stephanie Plum books are laugh-out-loud funny. There's a lot of very weird stuff going on and a lot of violence. But the violence is tempered by a heroine who operates on excellent intuition, is funny as hell, and doesn't have a mean bone in her body.
Save yourself some time and money. For a decent, funny romance, pick up one of Crusie's previous books. If you're looking for a mystery with a complex plot, lots of crazy characters that is sure to make you laugh -- go straight to Janet Evanovich.

A fairly common complaint is that FAST WOMEN is not WELCOME TO TEMPTATION. Personally, I think that's a good thing. True....TEMPTATION is an excellent book. So is WOMEN. They're very dissimilar, thank heavens. Frankly, I get tired of the "cookie cutter" characters when an author finds a format that's selling and refuses to stray from it. Crusie gets edgy and isn't afraid to break away from the pack and FAST WOMEN reflects that break.

Nell Dysart has been dumped by her husband of 22 years and with the help of her two sister-in-laws, is groping for a new life. Due to a few twist and laughable turns she finds herself working for a couple of detectives in their antiquated office that she immediately decides to update,(the office, not the detectives) but not before she has innocently managed to create even more damage. By the time she has made changes in the office she has also dug through the tough shield that the #1 detective, Gabe McKenna has shrouded himself in.

Crusie developed a novel that is pure feel-good entertainment and serves up plenty of opportunities to laugh out loud. As an added bonus the reader gets to try and figure out the mystery that is brewing throughout the book. It's not heavy reading, but who wants that on lazy hot summer days? If I want to dig into WAR AND PEACE again, I'll save that for those long, dreary winter months. Until then, I'll grab every Crusie book as fast as she can turn them out.

"Fast Women" was a total of 417 pages long...I read it in 2 days! It was THAT GOOD! I couldn't bring myself to put it down. Going to bed at night became such a pain; I found that I had to force myself to put it down and get some shut-eye. I loved reading it. Crusie is NOT your ordinary "smut"-writer. She brings the reader into her intricately woven world of mystery, suspense, one-liners, laughter and intense love scenes. Where other romance novels have made attempts at portraying a mix of light witty comedy with romance, and failed, Crusie sails above all others with her colorful fast-talking characters and laugh-out-loud-funny dialogue. While reading this, I literally was brought to tears with laughter, time after time. I was afraid my family was beginning to think I was crazy, sitting there laughing at a "romance-novel". I recommend this to any woman in need of a good laugh...and the love scenes aren't bad either! Just brace yourself if you're a TV junkie -- you'll be neglecting your habit for a while. It's an awesome book! Happy reading!