While Mercy isn't really a sequel to the earlier novel, Heartbreaker, it does continue the story of the Buchanan brothers, with Theo taking the lead here. Like Nick from Heartbreaker, he's a terrific hero (Garwood always writes fabulous male characters). Michelle (aka Mike) is another strong heroine, playing a skilled surgeon who wants to stay in her small Louisiana hometown as a GP for the town folk. Like Heartbreaker, Mercy is also a suspense story - and a good one at that. Unlike Heartbreaker, you know who the bad guys are and what they are doing. Or, at least you think you do - Garwood pulls out some good surprises along the way, one in particular throws you. She's certainly not a Grishom, but she has come so far with her writing, Mercy is a real pleasure to read. And her skill at writing dialog has greatly improved, the character interactions really shine in Mercy. You know from the start that Theo and Mike will end up together, there's no secret there - Garwood keeps you engaged with the suspense plot and does a terrific job. Now here's my next request - we've come to know (and love/lust for) Noah in both Heartbreaker and Mercy. I realize he's not a Buchanan, but Julie can we finally meet the woman who will be his downfall? Hey - Theo and Nick have sisters, don't they?

I am not a fan of historical romances so I have never picked up a Garwood book. I work in a bookstore and have read most of the descriptions and I know how popular she is...
Mercy was excellent. I really enjoy the tight romantic suspense and she def. made me feel for the characters. True it did seem a little busy with the sheer number of characters involved, but it was easy to navigate. If you enjoy romantic suspense I HIGHLY recommend this book, if you spook easily and/or live alone.....maybe this won't be your cup of tea :-)

As an addition: DO NOT BUY the audio book read by Terrence Mann. I listen to audios all the time (my commute is 2 and 1/2 hours every day) and I thought that since I loved the book so much, then the audio would be great to listen to.
Terrence Mann does a good job with the different accents in the book (Cajun, Boston) but he has no sense of emotion and he smacks his lips all throughout the production. The sound became so grating and so pronounced (in my mind) that I couldn't even finish it. I am hoping that Killjoy will be out on audio, but if he's the reader, there not a chance I will purchase it.

This book is a follow up to her last novel "Heartbreaker". In "Mercy" Garwood brings back Nick's brother, Theo Buchanan, who holds an esteem position with the U.S. Justice Department. He falls ill at a party, and literally falls into the arms of Dr. Michelle "Mike" Renard. It does have the feel of the Florence Nightengale syndrome. The book is fun. The characters are great. I hated to come to the end of this book. In this book they had a couple of stories going. They had conspiracy going on with a group of people that involved Dr. Mike. Theo comes to her rescue because he can't stop thinking about her. The book had suspense, romance, and drama. I hope that she continues to write about Mike's crazy brother and Theo's FBI friend in a future book.

Amanda, an author, decides to lose her virginity for her 30th birthday. Jack, a publisher, shows up at her house, on the fateful evening. Their encounter will pull them into a relationship, one that will be sexual, as well as professional.

I would be inclined to say, that the above paragraph sums up SUDDENLY YOU's plot or story. As Jack and Amanda become closer, their relationship will become more heated. Both characters are very likeable. But, a book about sexual encounters between nice characters, just doesn't have enough substance, for me. And, Jack's big secret at the end of the book, is almost too silly to include. Especially, since there are big hints throughout the book, about his secret. Romance light, Kleypas light, in this circumstance, just makes me miss the Kleypas style of some of her earlier books. She's always been a favorite author, but, if this book indicates her future writings...

I could have given this book just one star, but I have liked this author, alot, in the past. And, Jack and Amanda seemed like very nice people...

The story is about a famous spinster novelist who is about to face her 30th. birthday. She hires a male prostitute to celebrate that special event with her...and to loose her virginity to him. Exactly to the time she awaits her blind date Jack Devlin arrives, a roguish, handsome, notorious and incredibly sexy publisher and fan who wants to have her exclusively writing for his company. He of course uses the misunderstanding to his own purpose and tries to seduce his admired author whom he desires the first instance he sees her. Sparks fly and it takes some time for the stubborn heroes to come together at last! I simply devoured this book. I didn't go to the telephone and I cancelled a meeting because I had to read this book in one sitting...I fell head over heels in love with Jack Devlin, the hottest hero I met so far in a romance novel-he is absolutely irresistible! I would give the author a 7 stars review if it were possible! One of the critics at amazon.com said that "older frustrated woman meets younger lover" is a worn-out plot...well, I must have missed something. Though an avid romance reader this plot is absolutely new to me. Perhaps this storyline is used in contemporary romance novels which I don't read. Only one thing I have to criticize: The fact that Amanda didn't feel attractive because she was short and plump. Well, exactly this was the beau ideal in the Victorian era. It was said that women were the short-legged sex and all famous courtesans of that time were fat according to our standards. Vanderbilt called his mistress Tennie Clafflin his ample beauty and it was meant as a compliment for her. Victorian men simply loved wide hips and big butts and round legs. If Kleypas wanted to have her heroine suffer from an inferiority complex she should have turned her into exactly our beau ideal which is tall and thin.

Lisa Kleypas' new book, Suddenly You, delievers a face-paced, witty story with a strong independent heroine and a hero who isn't afraid of her intelligence or success. One of the great things about Kleypas' writing is that her books are not retreads of the same idea over and over again. Suddenly You opens---with of all things---the heroine, novelist Amanda Briars, trying to hire a prostitute as a gift to herself on her 30th birthday. Because of a matchmaking madame, her new publisher, Jack Devlin, arrives at the appointed hour. Despite his less than sterling reputation, Devlin is truly a gentleman and doesn't take (much) advanatage of the situation. The two begin a friendship and professional relationship that becomes much more. The dialog is frist-rate, the secondary characters charming, and the passion begins in the first few chapters and doesn't stop. Although there are some misunderstandings between the lovers, this aspect of the story isn't drawn out or senseless as in some other books. Moreover, Amanda is beautiful but not rail thin, a model or clingy. Jack is rough around the edges, not perfect, but is strong in that he views Amanda as his equal (and more but that would ruin the ending). If you are a long-time fan of Kleypas, your wait is over and the book doesn't disappoint. If you have never read a Kleypas before, this book is a great place to start and should be followed by her earlier works like Someone to Watch Over Me and Stranger in My Arms. A historical romance with modern themes. Another winner for Kleypas--and readers.

Having already read three other Jack Reacher novels, I finally got around to reading "Killing Floor," the first in Lee Child's popular series. Here is the Jack Reacher that we know and love--macho wanderer, man of few words, quick with his fists, an expert at weaponry, fearless and unforgiving.

Jack is passing through Margrave, Georgia. It is a town that is surprising clean and well-kept, considering that most of the residents have little visible source of income. Jack intends to stay for a brief period to look up some history about a blind musician, and then he intends to move on. However, Jack is arrested for a vicious crime that he did not commit, and he then becomes embroiled in a murder investigation that involves his brother.

It turns out that Margrave is a corrupt town, rotten to the core. With the help of a few good police officers (one of whom makes for a sexy love interest), Reacher gets to the heart of an extremely profitable criminal operation run by some very ruthless and powerful men.

"Killing Floor" is a fast-moving, engrossing and extremely violent thriller. Reacher is quick-witted, unerring in his instincts, and relentless in his pursuit of justice. One of Reacher's quirks is that he rarely changes his clothes, since he hates to be bothered with laundry. Since he never carries luggage and he only showers when he gets a chance, he must be fairly malodorous. Surprisingly, no one seems to notice.

I enjoyed "Killing Floor," recognizing it for the entertaining fairy tale that it is. Child does not try for realism. If you can stomach tremendous carnage and you like non-stop action, then you will enjoy "Killing Floor".

I read one of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels quite awhile ago, and thought it might be worth checking out the others. I've finally started to read them from the beginning, and I wonder why I waited so long. This book is jam-packed with action from cover to cover. Jack Reacher is the most understated Rambo-type hero you'll ever meet. This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of very descriptive violence in here. The grammar is not of the highest calibre, but it does not detract from the story. And oh what a story it is! We meet Jack Reacher - the guy with no ID and no fixed address. As we read we find out about his background and life before he reached Margrave, Georgia. As soon as he reaches town he gets thrown into a conspiracy huger than anything he could have imagined. and he finds that he's got to clean up a whole town which has been corrupted by a philanthropist and his foundation - Mr. Kliner. This is a humbdinger of a book.

Even though I read about fifty books a year in the Mystery/Thriller genre, this is my first introduction to Lee Child. He comes highly recommended and I'm now wondering why I waited so long to pick up one of his books.

My immediate thoughts on this author are that I like his writing style. He writes like we speak -- shorter sentences and gets right to the point. My second discovery is his use of surprises. There's nothing I like more than reading a book where I don't know what's going to happen at the end of a chapter. I love having some of those "Oh, No" moments when settling down with a mystery. My third and probably most important reason for liking this book is the main character. Finally, I meet Jack Reacher -- 6'4", 36 years old, a former military policeman and, best of all, he's not a wise-guy. I don't know why most authors think they have to resort to the wise-cracking main character in order to have a successful book. To me, Jack Reacher is a refreshing change.

The setting of this book, Margrave, Georgia, is reminiscent of a Stepford town. Everything is perfect, everything is clean, everyone is happy with their lives....until dead bodies start showing up. Reacher, who just happens to be wandering through Margrave, is immediately considered a suspect simply because he's an outsider. But little does this town know that it's the "insiders" they have to worry about as Reacher sets out to prove his innocence and seeks revenge for the death of someone from his past. And when Reacher sets out to seek revenge, he means it, as he has no problem at all in killing bad people.

In the beginning of the book, he won't know whom to trust and neither will the reader. As the story progresses, however, you will become amazed at Reacher's intelligence and will become attuned to his deciphering of even the smallest clue.

Jack Reacher has now moved right up on top of my list of favorite main characters in a mystery series. I've looked past the fact that he has no problem killing people.

I'm just so glad that this is a series because it means that I get to visit with this pantheon of human pulchritude again and again and again. Next up....Die Trying.

I love the Amelia Peabody mysteries and this latest novel is a long awaited delight. Elizabeth Peters writes with wit and a dash of history according to Emerson - he would probably claim to have found tomb KV5 long before it's recent rediscovery, but begin only assigned to tidying up tombs in the 1906 season was unable to reveal that he he had for the lack of a firman! It is refreshing to read from other points of view other than Amelia - the change of century brings a new style and layout to the novels, allowing more scope to explore the characters. The return of the dashing Master Criminal, Sethos is another delight as he recused the one he loves - Amelia, much to the chagrin of Emerson. One can't help thinking that he is perhaps related to Sir John Smythe from the Vicky Bliss mysteries... I look forward to the next installment.

This series of mysteries, starring an eccentric British archaeologist husband & wife team who are excavating in Egypt at the turn of the century, just gets better and better. They are witty, hilarious, ingeniously crafted mysteries, and fascinating in their depiction of archaeology at that time (Peters, the author, is actually an egyptologist and is correct in every historical and period detail). What makes them special is the relationships between the characters. Peters has assembled an all-star ensemble cast who play against eachother wonderfully. The family relationships in this group of intelligent, competitive, and passionate people are drawn with such skill that you laugh and ache with them. While the earlier books were narrated entirely in the first person by the undauntable Amelia Peabody, this latest book (and also the previous one "Seeing a Large Cat") includes parts told from the viewpoints of other family members, particularly her precocious son Ramses who we watched grow up in preceeding books. Peters captures the generation gap perfectly, deftly exposing the frailties of both groups - the tendency of parents to underestimate their children, and vice-versa. Having read the series from start to finish (about 12 books) I am completely hooked. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next in the lives of this remarkable group of people Peters has created.

Well, Ms. Peters, you've done it again. I could hardly put this bookdown. This episode was another tantilizingly brief encounter with the Emerson family, and in some respects, it raises more questions than it answers. Everyone who has followed the stories of both the Emersons and Vikky Bliss have probably noticed that there are clues as to a possible relationship between John Tregarth and the Emersons. Could "Sir John" be a great grandson of Ramses and Nefret? Maybe... And as for Ramses and Nefret, I've enjoyed seeing how these two have developed very real personalities- influenced by Amelia and Emerson, but not identical to them. There really isn't any way for me to discribe 'The Ape Who Guards the Balance' without stealing or recycling well-known phrases such as, "It had me on the edge of my seat..." or, "A thouroughly entertaining romp...", so I'm not going to try. My advice to anyone familiar or unfamiliar with the Amelia Peabody series is: READ IT! I promise you won't regret it!

There are some stories you just don't want to end. The Search by Iris Johansen is one of those stories. This book not only brings back all the characters from Ms. Johansen's last two novels but provides a story that went way beyond my expectations of this book.

John Logan, that wonderful millionaire who helped Eve Duncan search for the reamins of her murdered daughter is suddenly slapped in the face with horrendous evil from his past. When one of his research facilities is blown up and a brilliant scientist is kidnapped, Logan calls in Sarah Patrick and her golden retriever, Monty. Logan knows his only chance of rescuing the scientist alive is through the special talents of Sarah and Monty. He promises Sarah that this is a one-time job and then he will never bother her or Monty again. However, what is suppose to be a one-time deal explodes as Logan frantically tries to confront his past and save those in the present.

The chemistry between Logan and Sarah sizzles. The evil is enough to give even hard core suspense readers chills up their spines. There are no words to adequately describe this novel and sensations it makes you feel. This book is fantastic. I especially love the way Ms. Johansen not only shows the communication between Sarah and Monty, but also gives Monty his own story line that keeps the reader intrigued. I would love for Ms. Johansen's next novel to feature one of the secondary characters in the story named Galen. He definitely sounds like a lead character that deserves his own story.

Put out your hard-earned money for this novel. It is well worth the investment.

KLR
October 9, 2001
The Search
This novel, The Search written by Iris Johansen, is a great book that you find yourself not wanting to put down. It is a very action filled, intense novel with a little romance thrown in.
Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor whose daughter was brutally murdered. John Logan helped Eve to find her daughter's body and bring her home. When Logan suddenly faces a horrible problem from his past he calls on a friend of Eve's, Sarah Patrick. Sarah and her dog Monty are part of a search and rescue team and Logan knows he must have her cooperation to deal with this horrible fate. Logan promises to help Sarah get away from her boss as long as she will help him do this one job. But the one job Logan had planned turned out to be a whole lot different.
As Sarah and Logan stay together longer to help innocent people, they start to develop a chemistry between them, something that will last a while.
Iris Johansen did a great job in keeping the book suspenseful. She makes all the characters have their own story line and she shows them interacting well together.

John Logan is in a desperate situation, his top secret project has been sabotaged, all employed are dead except for one man being held for ransom by a madman hell-bent on revenge. Logan knows he must rescue the man in order to find out what secrets he knows, and to save his life. For this mission to work, Logan will need the cooperation of the expert search/rescue team of Sarah Patrick and her golden retriever, Monty.

Sarah is not a big fan of Logan and is furious that she is forced to help him.

Once the mission has begun, Sarah realizes Logan's promises of safety may not be enough...for Sarah has become an object in the killer's plan.

The clock is ticking for Sarah and Logan to put a stop to anymore killings.

"The Search" is EXCELLENT summer reading. It is an exciting, fast-paced and well-written thriller, that all readers will enjoy.

Iris Johansen has scored another HIT, bringing back characters from her previous novel "The Killing Game".

A MUST read.

Nick Gonnella

I am NEVER disapointed with a Linda Howard creation. Her latest, 'Dying to Please' was exceptional. Packed full of strong characters and great dialog along with a fast-paced storyline had me reading this in 6 hours! The not-often used story of a very intelligent and strong woman who can not only take care of herself but can also protect herself had me smiling. She is a woman butler and a bodyguard for a retired Judge! Loved it! She doesn't need any man to pick up the shattered pieces of her heart or sanity even when she is faced with a murder charge. She stays strong throughout the entire story and shows her weaknesses appropriately. Oh and the hero...Ms. Howard sure delivers on the heroes as always. :) He is strong, as strong as the heroine and Alpha male to the max. These two were explosive and made for each other. As always Ms. Howard creates a web of suspense and romance that just can't be done by many authors. And her villains are always creepy and real...in this one, the villain is definately not someone you'd want to run into anytime soon...

~Sarah Stevens is not only beautiful and intelligent, but she is the impeccably organized, efficient, professional woman butler/bodyguard for a retired Federal Judge. She takes her work very seriously. She loves her job and she adores the Judge. Thwarting a failed burgarly with her martial art skills, her life is thrust into the limelight for her '15 minutes' of fame. Not enjoying the spotlight, Sarah is disturbed when she recieves an expensive gift from someone and then suddenly finds herself the prime suspect of the brutal murder of the Judge.

Detective Thomas Cahill is impressed with the woman's training when he first meets her at the burgarly but when he is called out to investigate the murder of her employer and she becomes the prime suspect, his instincts are on full alert. Soon she is eliminated as a suspect and not a moment too soon, for Cahill finds himself fiercely attracted to her. Now as she is in the clear, he dares to persue it. Soon the trail grows cold and Cahill finds himself falling for Sarah hard. His heart shatters when yet another of Sarah's employers is murdered...did she do it after all? Is she a cold blooded murderer? How had his instincts get so clouded?

In the shadows a killer awaits...waiting for Sarah...waiting anxiously for her to finally be alone, to be his after all this time, for he is 'Dying to Please'...

...

Right off the bat I say buy this book since you can't put it down once you start it. It's so Linda Howard with her fabulous Alpha heroes to die for too.

Sarah Stevens is a butler for a wealthy retired judge in the small town of Mountain Brook, Alabama. She is also trained as a bodyguard and hired by the judge's family to watch over him as he's had some death threats in the past. Sarah has worked for Judge Roberts for three years and is almost a member of the family. One night she interrupts a robbery and is in the news and on TV. Unbeknownst to Sarah she has attracted the attention of a stalker who thinks she is perfect for him and a chain of events is set into motion that will have dire consequences for Sarah.

At short time later Sarah walks in to the judge's house one evening and discovers he has been brutally murdered. Linda Howard knows how to build ... tension so well you can feel the steam heat. Whew!...

If you are one for sensuality this is definately the book for you. The story line is a bit graphic. The premise is that the main character Sarah Stevens is a highly paid, well trained butler who just so happens to double for a bodyguard. She's of course the beautiful, strong willed athletic sort (every woman's basic nightmare), but somehow extremely loveable.
Your heart really has to go out to her when her employers suddenly start becoming victims of mysterious homosides that somehow places her as the prime suspect. The real twist comes in when the head detective on the case, Tom Cahill becomes the steamy romantic interest.
I will say that it takes Ms. Howard a while to get the duo right to it, but I assure you, once those two go at it, they do it well... and OFTEN!
The book has a wonderful plot, a great deal of suspense, and excellent sensuality. I would not hesitate to grab another of Linda Howards books!!! Do yourself a favor and read this book!!

I have very little time to sit down and read, so I've learned that books on tape work for me. I am on my fourth round of listening to this wonderful book. Not because it's difficult to follow but, because it's so wonderfully written. It has everything I look for in a book murder, suspence, mystery, romance, surprise.

Lacey Sherlock is so spirited, bright and independent. Dillon Savitch is tough but sensitive. Both are a wonderful combination together.

Surely Catherine Coulter can't stop here! I hope she continues to write more books with these two FBI characters and their friends, family and co-workers. I want to know what happens, no I have to know what happens with their professional and personal lives.

Please Catherine Coulter write many more books on these two wonderful, believable characters.

My mother got this book out of the library for me. I had only read Catherine Coulter's historical romances & thought that those were the only type of book she wrote. When I got the Maze, I was stunned. It is one of the best comtemporary thrillers I have EVER read - and I read all the time, I have read thousands of books & the Maze rates up there w/ the best of them! The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, to use a hackneyed phrase. :) I adored Savich & Sherlock, they have become two of my favorite characters & I hope Coulter continues to develop them in future books. I was pleased to see them return in "The Target". Catherine, your thrillers are AMAZING, please keep them coming! So many women can write the historical romances but not many people can write a thriller as well as you can! I would highly reccomend this book to everyone!

I had a lot of trouble putting this book down (and I tend to be hard to please when it comes to finding a book that will keep my attention!). If you're a James Patterson fan or a Patricia Cornwell fan, I think you'll love this one! The story lines are similar and it is just as fast-paced.

If you are looking for a Cliff notes summary of Dante's Inferno, the Dante Club may be a good choice. Though called "A Novel" it reads more like a play with a small ensemble of ready made characters and with all the action centered at the Craigie house. The Nicholas Rey character seemed out of place and while it may have helped set create the atmosphere in Boston during that time, he doesn't contribute anything critical to the story. Like Rey, the rest of the cast fit the formula for mass-market mystery novels. The story lacks its own Virgil. It needed a Beatrice or Francesca to create tension. Figuring out who was behind the murders is obvious from the time of this character's introduction. In summary, it's an okay book for a quick read but wait until it comes out in paperback or they make the movie.

"The Dante Club" is a meticulously researched historical novel. It is based on the true dante club, a group of scholars in Boston in the mid 1860's who met to translate Dante amidst much resistance from the academic and religious communities. These individuals-who included Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry Longfellow, James Russell Lowell-come alive in these pages. Pearl has done a magnificent job in blending a number of facts about these individuals-for example, Longfellow's mourning over the death of his wife Fanny, his correspondence with a young woman he had met on a summer sojourn-into this book. You will learn a lot about these individuals.
However, you will also learn a lot about Dante, about Boston and Cambridge and its rigid social structure, about the politics of Harvard University at this time. And it's all fascinating.
The plot concerns the efforts of this group to track down a killer who has modeled his murders on Dante's Inferno. These murders are gruesome and grotesque. The "Club" realizes that they, and perhaps only they through their intimate knowledge of Dante, possess the power to solve them. And so they do with the help of the first African American policeman in Boston.

My problem with this book lay in the pacing and the awkwardness of the dialogue at points. Now I realize that he was trying to achieve a 19th century voice in this book; however, at times, it seemed as if he was trying to cram his research into the mouths of his characters. His narrative voice-as has been noted by other reviewers-also was uneven. I sometimes winced at the awkwardness of phrases even though all were well written.

I would recommend this book to lovers of Dante, of the Italian culture, of Boston history, of mid 19th century Harvard. I also would recommend this book to individuals who appreciate historical fiction-this book is a tougher read than The Alienist-but you should be able to appreciate his research.

I look forward to Pearl's future work and to his maturation as a writer.

This was a fast-paced, action packed and very compulsive read!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes and James Russell Lowell team up with 19th-century publisher J.T. Fields to catch a serial killer in post-Civil War Boston. It's the fall of 1865, and Harvard University, the cradle of Bostonian intellectual life, is overrun by sanctimonious scholars who turn up their noses at European literature, confining their study to Greek and Latin. Longfellow and his iconoclastic crew decide to produce the first major American translation of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Their ambitious plans are put on hold when they realize that a murderer terrorizing Boston is recreating some of the most vivid scenes of chthonic torment in Dante's Inferno.

What a talent Matthew Pearl is. He's managed to combine the traditional academic themes with a more convential mystery story to great effect. You really get a feel for the four main protagonists, and you are placed right with them in their search to find the killer. I new very little about Dante's works before I read this, but it doesn't matter. You can read this book on SO many levels. This a first-rate thriller, with a deft and elegant plot, and I sincerely hope that we hear more from Matt. Pearl in the future.

A must read!

Tracey Chevalier's second novel, "Falling Angels," concerns itself with two families, the Colemans and the Waterhouses. They meet at a cemetery, where they happen to have adjoining family plots, on the morning following the death of Queen Victoria. On that morning, the serious, intelligent Maude Coleman becomes lifelong friends with the shallow and self-indulgent Lavinia Waterhouse (both five years old at the time) and the destinies of the two families become intertwined.

While the above may be a very engaging premise for a novel, especially given the time period and the setting in which it takes place (fin de siecle England), Chevalier simply fails to capitalize on her idea's potential, due in great part to her lack of a consistent narrator and her inability (or refusal) to make us privy to the thoughts and emotions of the characters involved.

While Chevalier often lets more than one character describe the same thing, she really doesn't let us see into that character's being and so this writing device, one she also employed in "Girl With a Pearl Earring," simply falls flat. And, although I was one of the minority who did not like "Girl With a Pearl Earring," at least the title character, Griet, grounded us and gave us some degree of consistency. This simply doesn't happen in "Falling Angels."

This is not to say that Chevalier doesn't manipulate the third person subjective. She does. She simply doesn't do it well. Her characters have many interior monologues, they simply aren't good monologues. Rather than revealing their personalities and detailing their emotions, these monologues serve to describe historical data instead. Had Chevalier written her book with an omniscient narrator, or had she chosen a single narrator (Kitty Coleman would have been the obvious choice), this awkward situation could have been so easily avoided.

One of the worst examples of the above occurs when Lavinia writes out a guide to mourning etiquette, presumably "so I shall always have it," but in reality, so the reader will have it. This is, as any first-year writing student knows, a very bad choice. I don't know many authors who could get away with this and I'm surprised Chevalier even tried. Even if a reader can't put his or her finger on the problem, a discerning one will know that a problem does exist and will certainly be put off with the choppy writing style.

What makes this even more puzzling is the fact that Kitty Coleman would have made such an engaging narrator and, had Chevalier made Kitty her narrator, the characters would then have been free to come alive, to live in the pages of this book, rather than serve as little more than guides through a tour of 19th century England.

If a guide to post-Victorian England is what you're looking for, this book will certainly fill the bill. It's chock full of detail and there is absolutely no reason to doubt its authenticity. Chevalier seems to have done her research very well. But if it's an engaging story you're looking for, better think twice before delving into "Falling Angels." While all the makings of a wonderful book are there, Chevalier simply fails to deliver what could, and should, have been.

I really had no idea what Falling Angels was even about when I started it ~ I only picked it up hoping I would enjoy it half as much as I did Chevalier's first novel, Girl With a Pearl Earring. Falling Angels not only met my expectations, it fully exceeded them. From page one (I didn't know Victorians did THAT!) I knew I was in for a rollercoaster ride of a book.

Neighbors Kitty Coleman and the Gertrude Waterhouse are as different as night and day. Kitty is forward thinking and restless in her role as wife and mother. Gertrude is firmly, and happily, ensconced in the oppressive Victorian mores of the day. To their horror their young daughters, Maude and Lavinia, become the best of friends and the two families are forced to interact. Over the course of nearly a decade, starting with the death of Queen Victoria, we watch as the Colemans and the Waterhouses struggle with each other, themselves, and the changing times as England moves into the new century.

Tracy Chevalier is an author I will seek out again and again ~ I can't wait to see where she takes us next.

For the longest time I stayed away from period fiction. I wasn't interested in reading stories from the early 1900s or stories from England. I'm happy to say that Tracy Chevalier has changed all that. I actually read "Falling Angels" first, then went back and read "...Pearl Earring." While there are similarities between the two stories, the one marked difference is that Pearl Earring was told from the sole point of view of the housemaid - Falling Angels is told from various points of view. You can read the book in the eyes of any one of the characters in the story. You will never get lost either - you will always know who's point of view you are reading since Ms. Chevalier uses headings and always informs the reader whose point of view the next chapter is from. This is a wonderful way to tell a story. When there are several characters on the canvas, it is easy to get lost in who's telling who what and when, but with Ms. Chevalier's writing style, you always know who's feeling what and why or why a character chooses to act as they do. You can grow to love a character you once disliked, and trust the characters you distrusted in the beginning. I am anxious to read more of Ms. Chevalier's work and understand she is currently working on her next novel. I'm hoping it's out soon (I'm also looking for some of her earlier pieces of work which I understand are short stories), but in the meantime, I have Ms. Chevalier to thank for opening the door to stories told around this time period - I've since read some wonderful novels written about England and the early 1900s, late 1800s and I'm currently reading and enjoying "Girl in Hyacinth Blue." (about the painter Vermeer featured in Pearl Earring) My eyes have been opened to some wonderful story telling! Thank you and keep 'em coming!

This book is just incredible. At first, it's a bit difficult to the spelling and grammar of Winston Groom (AKA Forrest Gump), but as soon as you adjust to it, this book will make you laugh out loud. If I had to give it a movie-type appropriateness rating, it would probably be PG-13, the same as the movie's, because while any person young or old could enjoy it, there is some launguage and content that the young 'uns don't need to hear just yet. A very funny trip through history--too bad we can't read this in our history class instead of the dreary and boring text books that are forced upon us.

Even within the first 20 pages, I was laughing out as Forrest Gump describes his day out with Jenny Curran at a movie theater, and his experiences with his all-state football team.

An amazing book. I will soon start reading the sequel--Gump & Co--can't wait. Hope Groom writes a third book.

I first read Forest Gump when I was in the 6th grade! And now that I'm in the 10th grade it is still one of the most memorable books I've ever experienced. I read it after seeing the movie and the book surpasses it by far. Forest is a guy who when growing up didn't get it easy, he was considered stupid by almost everyone, except his lovin mama. Winston Groom writes the book hilariously! I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions and I still giggle every now and then at the embarrassing, goffy, and out of this world situations Forest got himself into. Now this book is more than a barrel of laughs, throught the book you will experience every emotion. From running through a torpedo of bullets in the war, to just kicking back and playing the harmonica. It's told from Gump's point of view and Groom never breaks character. At the end of this book you will have experienced a lifetime of memories, and you'll still be yearning for more!

Ok, I've studied english for 5 years. I saw the movie, that I got in DVD because it is really good, and then I discovered that it was based in the book by Winston Groom. I bought it, and that was my first ennglish novel- and it was awesome. I understanded almost all things (but Gump's narration is really bad-written, with ortography mistakes, but it makes it funnier), and I laughed a lot- its a really hilarious novel.
Forrest Gump is an idiot with a IQ of 70, and he tells us his amazing life- he becames to be a football player, a Vietnam-war veteran, a musician, a table tennis professional player,an astronaut, a wrestler, a chess player, a shrimp-bussiness tycoon....! It can sound impossible, but the book makes it real, and its a lot better (and different!) that the film. Read it!