I found this a harder book to wade through than Fatherland.
I suppose this was partially due to a darker tone to the book, maybe this was imparted by the fact that much of the book take's place in the middle of the night. I am sure another aspect was that the some of the subject matter was a bit redundant to me, having recently finished the lenghty tome Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. I was also put off by the now familiar, having read FatherLand and Archangel previously, literary and thematic twist that Harris employs of couching the revealation of historical pogroms and monstrostisties as the cause of the books mystery. All of these three books employ this same device, so that by the end of Enigma I was not that surprised by the historical cause of the "enigma".

Having said all of that, I did enjoy the book, especially the insight into the accomplishments of Bletchley Park as well as the mystery Claire's dissapearance. I guess it was just not as enjoyable as Fatherland, and it was probably a mistake to tear through three of his books in so short a time period.

'Enigma' is a story of intrigue that takes place at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. There are two main storylines: cracking the enigma code before a shipping convoy is destroyed, and discovering the motives and intentions of the mysterious Claire Romilly.

Both these storylines revolve around the main character, Tom Jericho, a cryptanalyst working on breaking the german naval enigma code.

'Enigma' starts off very slowly, and after 90 pages, I was about to put the book down and move on. However, Harris really starts getting to the heart of the action about this time, and the book really takes off. Perhaps he could have condensed the first 90 pages and made this book five stars, but taken as a whole 'Enigma' is quite entertaining.

If you enjoy books about wartime codebreaking, you will definitely want to read this book. If you read and enjoy 'Enigma', you should check out Neal Stephenson's 'Cryptonomicon.'

This book is a must read for anyone who likes smart, savvy adventure mysteries.

The main character is Tom Jericho, a mathematician and cryptoanalysist who works in a government building in Britain, trying to crack the Nazi Enigma code known as Shark. Tom and his team manage to crack Shark a month ago, but the Nazis have set up a new version that makes Shark, which already has several million ways of encoding, just 26 times harder. Jericho is overworked and tired, and distraught over his girlfriend, Claire, dumping him, but he is sent back to help the team crack the new code. The Nazi U Boats are planning an attack in 4 days, and the code is virtually impossible to crack in that amount of time. To make things worse, Jericho finds that Claire is missing under very strange circumstances. Jericho must deal with the constant memories of Claire, and team up with Hester, Claire's roomate, and his many co-workers to solve the mystery of the Shark.

The book is very intelligently written. Harris knows exactly what he is talking about, from historical facts to every little detail of the Enigma machines and codes. He delivers these facts to you in an engaging style that keeps you riveted. This book is NEVER boring. Even the long passages about the codes and mathematics are so interesting the pages just fly by. I'm a person who detests math with all my heart, but this book manages to capture my interest and hold it.

I'm amazed at how the characters are portrayed. They're all superbly characterized, even the very minor ones, each with their own unique speaking style and actions and motives. The characters are so realistic that you're able to see all them and REMEMBER all twenty or so main characters as if you've known them all before.

The pacing of the book is fast, but manages to deliver romance and deep thinking without dragging the book down. The superb, complex plot, the characters, and the intriguing details make you want to go back and read it again.

Note: you'll probably need a dictionary or at least some knowledge of WW2 to fully understand all the terms and references in this book.

One thing is for certain, you'll put down Enigma enlightened to a lot more about WW2, in addition to having read a great book.

Although I expected a natural birth perspective (which I share), I was disappointed in the book's overwhelmingly negative tone toward OB's. I would have prefered a balanced, relatively objective discussion. I expected it from a book called The Thinking Womans Guide.... If the stats are so glaring, a balanced discussion is better than dogmatics.

This is an excellent book for those who have decided to give birth naturally. It is not one to recommend to friends to help them make the decision about their birth. It will turn many women off. A better book for an introduction to the benefits of natural birth and the drawbacks of managed care is Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn by Penny Simkin.

Your eyes will be opened. If you are ready to trust your obstetrician and believe that s/he will make the best decisions for you and your baby, you need to read this book. Goer clearly lays out the pros and cons of various medical practices that are common in the U.S. She contrasts these with the common practices in other industrialized nations that have better outcomes for mothers and babies.

Goer is fair in that she acknowledges that many obstetricians are doing what they believe to be best--they were trained in medical schools and residency programs that view pregnancy as a disease or condition which usually requires intervention. She also acknowledges that just because you choose a midwife doesn't mean you'll get better care and just because you choose an OB doesn't mean you'll get poor care. Each practitioner is different and it is up to the "thinking woman" to seek out a caregiver with whom she can work and develop a sense of trust.

It is important to know your options. Few hospital birth classes will give you the real low-down on the side effects and complications associated with epidurals. Most obstetricians won't recommend you get a second opinion before performing a C-section even though it is major surgery and, more often than not, not a true emergency situation (obviously, in a true emergency, you'll be rushed to the operating room).

This book will inspire you to seek out alternatives to the way your were born and many of your friends gave birth. Family and friends may think you're strange for not wanting to do it the way everyone else does, but that's often the case with pioneers. This book is not the best for building your skills and confidence for natural birth, but it's a good starting point to help you realize the benefits of natural childbirth.

A great book to read along with this is "Husband-Coached Childbirth" by Dr. Bradley and any other books on the Bradley Method.

Henci Goer has written an excellent book that is great for anyone who wants to know more about the risks and benefits of different procedures involved in birth. The information is supported by an extensive list of research from reliable and well known sources. What I like most about this book is that it's straight forward and unbiased. It's easy to read but a bit dry. It's exactly what it claims to be- a guide for thinking women who want to know about the facts, benefits, and risks in childbirth decisions. I highly recommend this book for first time moms and those who want more information than you can get in the "What to Expect" book.

John Douglas sketches the lives and crimes of violent offenders ranging from fire starters to serial killers. Douglas' writing is like a white chalk outline at a crime scene. He does a very good job of outlining the basic impulses and motives that drive human beings to violence against other human beings. After reading this, for instance, I would be careful about getting very chummy with fire starting, animal abusing bedwetters.

My primary criticism of the book is that Douglas uses taunting language to describe the killers he's studied. They're "cowards" and "losers" who come from bad family circumstances but deserve no pity or understanding. In Douglas' view, their crimes cut them off from any human compassion. They're unredeemable, and I had the impression that it would be best if we lined them all up against a wall and shot them.

Maybe that's even true, but the born bad view offers little hope or comfort for any of us. These mostly white males are a bunch of bad seeds. They can't be rehabilitated, and the only possible hope is that they won't get ticked off or hurt badly enough to start killing to regain control.

I would've liked to have seen a little more compassion in Douglas' treatment of these failed human lives, but maybe he's seen too much of what they do to have any compassion or hope left.

This is the third book I've read of John Douglas. Mindhunter and Journey into Darkness are the other two. If you're anything like me, you are absolutely repulsed by the crimes these creatures commit...but you're curious about it, too. I mean, HOW can any human being do things that Mr. Douglas describes in his books to another human being. As much as I am repulsed by this behavior, I am strangely fascinated by it. What makes them tick?

John Douglas helps answer this question. Straight-forward description of events, explanations behind the crimes. He describes what happens underneath the surface of these crimes and how this will help point to motive. And ultimately, that's what's important: WHY? Because when you find out HOW, you can figure out WHY, and this will help lead to WHO, as John Douglas explains in his book.

This book will interest anyone that reads suspense, thriller, or horror genres. Authors like Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Jeffery Deaver, Thomas Harris, Patricia Cornwell, and the likes: If you read any of these authors, read John Douglas's books, especially The Anatomy of Motive. What it may lack in suspense (he writes these books not so much to keep you guessing "what next," or anything like that), it more than makes up for in the fact that EVERYTHING HE TELLS YOU, ACTUALLY HAPPENED!

And not that the "lack of suspense" makes this book boring. This couldn't be further from the truth. Case in point: John Douglas will not just describe a crime and an investigation into the Whodunnit, he's going to take you inside the mind of serial killers, mass killers, spree killers, assassins, arsonists, poisoners, kidnappings, and more. That's what's so terrifying: You're inside the mind of a killer, and for once you're not asking "How can a freak like this do such a thing to another human?" because it suddenly makes sense. SPOOKY!

This book is simply a must read in light of recent events in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. Many people all over the world are currently asking the question: What kind of person would do this and why? In The Anatomy of Motive, John Douglas answers this very question. As Mr. Douglas has stated in his previous books, the primary motivation of sexual preditors is manipulation, domination, & control. However, in this book, Douglas delves deeper, looking into the personality differences to uncover the causes which make these extremely dangerous criminals act out in the various ways that they do. Arsonists, Bombers, Poisoners, Snipers and others are all covered in a detailed, yet very understandable format. Therefore, the reader does not have to be a Psychology major to comprehend what Douglas is saying. Moreover, the numerous case studies included help to make the book an extremely interesting read while, the "You make the call" portion at the end gives the reader a chance to put their newly obtained knowledge to the test.

Stuart Woods writes fast paced fiction and I really like his detective turned lawyer Stone Barrington. However, more than once during my quick read of 'Dead in the Wa;ter," Woods lost me. There are more plot twists and turns in this than a bad day at Wimbeldon. Ultimately, I liked the book, but I think he could have simplied the plot some...ex-wives, insurance investigators, a blood-thirsty Prime Minister, a dowdy old attorney, a bar-keep with his own secrets, a downed plane, reporters...well, you get the picture.

I hope Woods will trim down his character list for the next Barrington mystery, which, by the way, begins where 'Dead in the Water" ends.

A good summer read

"Dead in the Water" by Stuart Woods delivers a suspenseful thriller formula about a beautiful young woman that docks a yacht in a Caribbean port. Allison Manning, claims her husband had a heart attack and she buried him at sea. The plot thickens when she is charged with murder after the authorities learn about the $12 million insurance policy her husband took out several years ago. Vacationing lawyer Stone Barrington, whose girlfriend misses their flight to the Caribbean because of a work assignment, leaves Barrington free to come to Manning's aid. Allison tearfully tells the authorities, how her husband suffered a fatal heart attack while she was lodged atop a mast and was unable to help herself down much less help him through his unfortunate incident, and was forced to finally bury him at sea. The story's good enough for the coroner's inquest, but not enough for Sir Winston Sutherland, an ambitious Minister of Justice, who thinks a high-profile conviction might be just the thing to catapult him into the Prime Minister's post. Allison comes off as the poor little rich girl with all the right credentials (blond hair, killer body, and boundless sexual stamina) to secure herself the premier legal representation on St. Marks in the vacationing New York lawyer, Stone Barrington and his side kick Leslie Hewitt an elderly local barrister. Stone believes that he need only lodge a media campaign to expose the islands government that assumes that the accused is guilty and the real crime would be keeping the jury past dinnertime. Stone is pulled deeper into the mysterious web of Allison Manning by succumbing to her seductive advances which render him impotent to a justice system which bears very little resemblance to the American courts. Dead in the Water is a cyclone of a roller coaster ride. Every page leaves you on the edge and the verge of suspense.

This is the first book I have read by Mr. Woods. The plot combined with Mr. Woods writing style made for exciting reading. I found it extremely hard to put down. I often found myself feeling sorry for Allison and Stone as well as thinking "She Did It", only to find myself a few pages later thinking "She Didn't Do It". Later in the book I found myself thinking, "Insurance Scam". I won't spoil the book by telling you what happens or if she did or didn't do it. What I will tell you is that this is definatly a must read book with a fantastic ending. Being the first book I have ever read by Mr. Stuart I was plesantly surprised to find that there was nothing about this book I didn't like. Easy, smooth flowing reading. I will definatly be reading more of Stuart Woods writing. Even though this book is not listed as a legal thriller, I would rank it right up with authors suchs as John Grishim and Brad Meltzer's"Dead Even". Let me take a minute and reiterate that this is a great book and a must read for any avid reader.

I was so excited to read this book but was greatly disapointed when I begun, because the romance aspect was left to the background and the political part dominated the story to the point of bordem. There was way too much information and pages and pages of textbook information on jade and how it is crafted and set into jewelry or ancient swords for the Chinese. The romance between the main characters Lianne and Kyle was so rushed and didn't make much sense. I wasn't sure why he was trying to seduce her and why she even fell for him when she was centered on her work? I feel like I missed out on the plot here.

~Kyle Donovan is trying to get to the bottom of the disappearance of cultural treasures from the Tang vaults. He and his brother are trying out there own business at gem trading and treasure hunting. This discovery would be a coup, the only thing he didn't expect to get tangled in was an international gem ring that will bring him close to a woman who not only beautiful, but also suspected of theft of the famous Tung vault treasures hundreds of years old.

Lianne Blakely is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful Hong Kong trader and his American mistress. She is being accused of theft. Not just any ordinary theft, but the theft of ancient treasures. Millions in jade. She meets Kyle and he believes her, but she must find the real thief. Together they venture into the sordid world of international gem thievery, power plays and dangerous people that would rather see them dead than give up the beauty of the ancient jade.

Tracy Talley~@

Lianne Blakely, the illegimate daughter of a Chinese trader (Johnny Tang) and his American paramour, is told to "pick up" Kyle Donovan by her father (though he will not explain his reasons). Kyle Donovan, in the business of gems, is also told by his brother (Archer Donovan) to get into the Tang family for information through Lianne.

Both have their agendas, and do not expect to be attracted to each other, much less fall in love. The plot thickens when Lianne is framed for the theft of jade amounting to millions, and Lianne and Kyle must find the real culprit and figure out what's going on in the Tang family.

This book has been thoroughly researched. There are a lot of information on jade, which may get tedious, but which I still find fascinating. A great read, and one of the best of the series.

Though it lacks a bit of Amber Beach's quick repartee, Jade Island is definitely the better book. The characters are more developed, deeper and more complex.

Anyone who has ever been trapped between two worlds, never really belonging in either, will understand and love Lianne Blakney. She is beautiful, funny, and intelligent, but also deeply hurt by her family's disregard. Lianne is also full of useful information about jade and chinese culture. If you leave this book without having learned something, then you should probably read it again. I found it fascinating.

Kyle Donovan was burned pretty badly in the first book, and is wary of women. His self-depreciating humor is endearing, as is his wary concern for Lianne. The setting was also worth the cover price. I love Seattle, and the entire Pacific Northwest!

All in all, this is a much better book than the first. I look forward to watching the other Donovans.

An eighteen year old girl from the Tennessee hills, Frankie Silver was hung in 1832 for the killing of her husband, whose total body parts were never found. In the 1970's, in that same part of the country, Fate Harkryder is convicted of the heinous murders of a young couple. Two decades later, he is to be electrocuted for his crime.

Twenty years ago, Spencer Arrowood, a young gung-ho law enforcement official, was positive that he arrested the right person for the murders. His then boss, Sheriff Nelson Miller, takes him to the Silver grave and confesses that there are two cases that he has had some doubts about: Silver and Harkryder. After recently being shot, Spencer wonders if he looked at the Harkryder investigation through myopic lens. He begins to investigate both the Silver and Harkryder cases to insure that an innocent man is not being sent to death.

Appalachia is impervious to human time as it virtually ignores the mortal presence in its backyard. The timelessness of the region and the seemingly repetition of human events a century apart add up to a melancholy, haunting, but beautifully lyrical masterpiece from Sharyn McCrumb. THE BALLAD OF FRANKIE SILVER can be read on two levels. It is a brilliant mystery (actually two) and it is a fabulous philosophical work of art. The book is so well written, readers will subconsiously find themselves reconsidering how to look at the flow of time. Instead of just short term and linear as our existence seems to be, Ms. McCrumb eloquently argues, in her ingeniously blended pair of who-done-its, that time is vast and non-linear. This novel will pass the test of time and will be considered a classic in years to come.

Harriet Klausner

Once again, Sharyn McCrumb has outdone herself! With each book in "the Ballad Series," she pushes the boundaries of our knowledge and fine-tunes her wonderful skills in plot-development. _The Ballad of Frankie Silver_ has proven no exception! For those unfamiliar with this series (shame on you!), it will not matter. One of the many beauties of her work is that one need not necessarily have read the previous installments to completely comprehend the new one. I find it fascinating (as I always do), to lose myself between here-and-now and the bygone eras to which Ms. McCrumb leads her readers in each novel. The eerie part is coming to the realization that, for all the advances "we" have made, not much has changed at all. And neither have "we." The two concurrent mysteries of _Frankie Silver_ serve to remind the reader of this very fact. With pain-staking details to 19th-Century American law, we see a woman tried in what would now seem an unjust system. We feel her frustrations. And those of us who know Appalachia can probably even relate to the scrutiny she must have faced in the "civilized" world of Morganton because of her own "savage" mountain background. As for Fate Harkryder, the central character of the "current" storyline... With capital punishment as hot a topic as it is, Ms. McCrumb poses some interesting moral questions in light of what we eventually learn about his case. And the meshing-together of the two storylines is, as always, the part for which I most admire this creative writer. So many differences, yet always the same! Sharyn McCrumb is "mountain magic" personified!

I only discovered Sharyn McCrumb,s work about a year ago. What a wonder I have been missing! I love her satires, including the Elizabeth MacPherson books, but her "Ballad" series has fascinated me since I first read "If Ever I Return, Pretty Peggy-o". I read her explanation of how she was able to write two such different forms, and I am only too glad that she can. The her latest book, "The Ballad of Frankie Silver", is by far her best. It is a masterful blend of real history, modern mystery, and social commentary. As an old history major, I appreciate the degree to which she has accurately woven the historical component into this wonderful book. Simply, I could not put it down!

This book was given to me by an elderly friend. She knows I enjoy police mysteries. When I saw it was written by Sandra Brown, I became skeptical. She is a well known romance writer, and I do NOT enjoy romances. My friend assured me that it was more of a mystery than a romance, and since I was going on vacation I decided to take and give it a try. In all fairness, much of the book tries to deviate from being a tradional romance. The male lead, Burke Basile, is not a muscle bound bad boy. He is actually a rather tragic figure, having lost his partner in a shooting he felt responsible for. His marriage is destroyed, and he decides with nothing to lose, he will destroy those who were utlimately responsible for his partner's death, and Burke's downfall. The female lead, Remy Duvall, is no bimbo either. She is intelligent, charming and strong. Probably the most likable character in the book is Dredd, the kind but curmudgeonly hermet who makes his home in the bayou. His connection to Basile becomes known in the book. I won't ruin it for the potential reader here. There is a lot of action and suspense, but unfortunately, the story falls into the same predictability that so many of this genre do. Things resolve themselves through umprobable circumstances, all too neatly put together. Nonetheless, for a light and fast read, this is enjoyable. Ms. Brown cannot quite leave her romance roots behind, and perhaps she shouldn't. It is, after all, her strong suit. The plot is clever, Pinky Duvall is a deliciously nasty bad guy, and all in all, it makes for an entertaining weekend read. It has not, however, changed my mind about romances!

Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown may find its way to the best seller lists. Brown serves up a tasty morsel in this epic drama. After a tuff New Orleans narcotics cop, Burke Basile's, partner, Kevin Stuart is fatally shot and dies during an investigation. Burke is bent on vengeance for all concerned. In the tradition of the cop suspense drama, he vows to go outside of the law to exact revenge on not only the thug who was involved with the incident but the kingpin himself. Basile finds he must turn in his badge to enforce the punishment meant for such a crime. Fat Tuesday starts to sizzle when Basile turns up the heat by mixing charm and coercion to enlist various underworld elements in his cause. Basile seeks revenge on Pinkie Duvall, a prominent defense attorney/crime-lord, he feels is responsible for Kevin's death. In Fat Tuesday the reader becomes apart of the game swept up by Basille's quest to "set things right." You find yourself becoming the illusive detective in search of hidden clues to solve the ever changing puzzle.

Bought this book thinking it would be a gift for someone who likes romance novels. She already had it. The book sat around for awhile, then someone asked me if I liked Sandra Brown's new mystery novel, and pointed out some of the reviews.

Rule: Never judge a book by its author's name.

FAT TUESDAY is a good adventure story with a decent mystery plot, though not as strong as some I've read. What excels here are the characters. Pinkie Duvall is well portrayed as not only a powerful attorney, but a drug dealer as well. Burke Basile is a New Orleans cop whose life is falling apart. His partner died accidentally from a shot fired by Basile in a drug raid and he witnesses his wife involved with someone else. Basile wants revenge, and his target is Pinkie Duvall, who he holds responsible for all that has happened to him. He resigns from the New Orleans Police, poses as a priest to kidnap Remy, Pinkie Duvall trophy wife, then the action really starts.

The characters are well defined. The plot seems like a cliche at first, then suddenly you find that you can't put this one down. Good book - I'll be looking for more of Sandra Brown's mystery novels.

Amber Beach was the first book by Elizabeth Lowell that I have read. My friend read it and passed on the information to me. In a few words, I can say that Amber Beach knocked me off my feet. After reading this book, I became so entrapped into the story that after I had finished it, I just had to read the other books that she had written. Amber Beach is a thrilling story based upon the Czar's Amber Room that immediately disappeared after World War I. The main characters are Honor Donovan, a sister who is determined to go after her (disappeared but presumed dead) brother. Jake Mallory is a rugged man aborbed by the brillant heat of Amber. His business was kicked out of many countries when he becomes framed of stealing the Amber Room. Jake goes undercover to help Honor Donovan find her brother, Kyle. The sweet part of this book is the fact that a sweet romance developes nicely as the story progresses.This book is passionately intense and has intense passion too! The Donovan family will warm your hearts as you read more and more about them. The Donovan saga continues into Jade Island and Pearl Cove. So do what I did and take my advice. Read Amber Beach and you won't be disappointed.

I read this book because I saw the sequel, Jade Island, and wanted to read it. When I realized it was a sequel I searched for and found Amber Beach. I am very impressed by Elizabeth Lowell. I probably read some of her paperbacks, but unlike with Krentz and Howard, I didn't go looking for all the paperbacks I could find by this author. That has now changed. I enjoyed the family relationships, the romance, the action, the humor (esp. the sandwich eating scene), and the technical information. As much as I love and enjoy Romance, when I pay for a hardback romance, I want more than the typical contemporary harlequin/silhouette type book. This book/author has it in spades. I hope she keeps it up

Honor Donovan and Jake Mallory set the pages on fire with their fiery personalities and passion but both are afraid to trust and love. It was a great adventure with plenty of action, 'shady' characters and love scenes. Elizabeth Lowell really writes wonderful books, but I have one complaint. The endings to all her stories come so quickly that I feel I'd like to know just a little more, like a short epilogue about the wedding or honeymoon, etc., something so that I don't feel like I'm left hanging. I have read all the Donovan stories in this series that she has written so far and they are all GREAT! I'm looking forward to the last two brothers' (Lawe & Justin) stories. If you like a good romance with lots of action, suspense and steamy love scenes, you'll love this book and all the others in the series.

I'm a big fan of Lee Child. His first book, "Killing Floor", was an excellent read. His second novel, although not as good as his first, was still a book I couldn't put down until I had finished it. However, on reading his third book, I was extremely disapointed to find that Lee Child seem's to have gone all "Hollywood" and "mainstream" in that he seems to be reaching for the female readership at the expense of his loyal male following, whom his first two books were aimed at.

Jack Reacher is Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. A Charles Bronson or Arnold Swarzennegger. Alas just as Swarzenegger sold out in order to reach the female audience with his kiddie films etc, Lee Childs has turned parts of his third book into a slushy, soppy romance. Not only do we have the obliqitory "Hollywood" sex scenes but the excitement and anticipation of this action thriller stops and starts because action hero Jack Reacher can't stop thinking about his girlfriend whom he falls in love with. This is extremely disapointing. It really spoils the book and dilutes the main character.

In the first book Jack Reacher was a "John Rambo", a drifter with no emotional attachments wandering from town to town trying to make some sense of his life and his past. In this book, Lee Child has lost his sense of direction with his character.

I hope that Lee child doesn't start borrowing his mother's bedtime reading otherwise Jack Reacher might start changing nappies, denying his masculinity and want to search for his feminine side. Worse, I fear that Lee Child may turn into a male version of Babara Cartland.

I literally just finished reading Tripwire, and it was a good book, easily up there with Lee Child's other Jack Reacher books, but still not quite as "oh my god" awesome as Killing Floor. The villian this time was (without giving anything away) a fairly common type of character, whose true nature I saw coming well in advance of the final couple of chapters. Even so, this was a good novel, but not quite the "can't put it down to go to sleep" type of read that Killing Floor was. Maybe Lee Child will be like William Gibson, in that everything he writes after his first novel will be damn good, but just never able to measure up to that first work. That said, I'll still keep buying everything the guy writes.

Lee Child writes some amazing books! I first read The Killing Floor and really couldn't put it down. I tend to read things out of order (even though I really don't plan it that way), so I've now read Tripwire before the second Jack Reacher novel. However, that one won't be far behind!

I made the mistake of reading some of the reviews here while I was in the middle of the book. I was fascinated by the plot twists and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. Then I read about all of the "factual errors" in the various scenarios. That sort of soured me on the book a bit, and then I realized that even though there ARE factual errors in the book, the book is FICTION and doesn't have to be factual. All in the all, when you get to the end, I think you'll see that what Reacher finally discovered COULD have happened.

I don't ordinarily find books that merit 5 stars, and I do read a lot of books, but I have to tell you, if you can get past occasional wordiness in descriptions and certain inconsequencial factual inconsistencies, I believe you'll enjoy watching the drama unfold and wend its way through a stunning conclusion!

It is unfortunate that "Native Speaker" is the likely choice for New York City's ad hoc citywide reading group, as The New York Times reported Feb. 19. I typically read 25+ novels a year, and last year this novel was the least interesting and most cliched I picked up. I forced myself to finish it.

"Native Speaker" is so very similar to Tom Wolfe's "Bonfire of the Vanities" in tone, attitude and description that it offers very little that is original and revealing. Wolfe's novel was deserving of its praise, but it does not follow that a book that apes Wolfe should also be lauded. Occasionally Lee's prose may indeed be "remarkable" as some reviewers have suggested, but more often his writing is flat, predictable and downright boring.

I am not a Korean American, but I live very near Manhattan's Koreatown, spend much time there, and I speak some Korean. I was eager to read this book given my interests, yet no book recently disappointed me as much as "Native Speaker" did. If you seek a novel that looks at New York from an Asian resident's view, get Fixer Chao by Han Ong, a far superior novel.

Henry Park, the son of a Korean grocer who lives in New York, is deserted suddenly by his Caucasian American wife. Reflecting back on his life and and the events that lead him to this situation, he considers the way deceipt over his vocation has clouded his marriage. He reviews how his life had been when his dad was alive, when his son was alive, and the lack of understanding by his wife of his Korean culture.

A pervading sense of something having gone wrong opens this book. The search for its cause and more details is the powerful driving force behind this intriguing first novel. Its finest characteristic, however, is the way in which the author expresses what it feels like to be an ethnic Korean growing up in America---the alienation, the anguish, the longing to be a necessary part of the wider culture. It addresses the dichotomy of two divergent cultures that must be embraced by the child of an American immigrant who strives to improve his station in life, the tension that exists between Asians and non-Asians who find themselves living and working side by side, and the intergenerational clash that often occurs between the immigrant generation and its children. NATIVE SPEAKER is an absorbing story and a welcome addition to any growing collection of Asian-American literature.

If you read a great deal, you recognize that only a few books are truly profound and will be regarded as noteworthy among those written in a particular era. Having just finished "Native Speaker" I was both moved, and extremely impressed. This is clearly one of the distinguished books of this generation.

Chang Rae Lee is clearly a man of acute depth and insights, and he eloquently represents distinctly different cultures, and the angst, disillusionment, and metamorphisis arising from survival that affects immigrants. He also probes fundamental issues of family, loyalty, betrayal, and the question of what constitutes success. While he employs Korean, and Korean American prototypes, his themes and issues are fundamentally human, but perhaps distinctly American.

Furthermore, Lee is a superb wordsmith and a beautiful writer, with a masterful command of the English language, which he skillfully and artistically, employs to convey his complex tale and profound concepts.

I was motivated to read this book when I read that this was the book that had been recommended by many as that which diverse, fractious, and iconoclastic NYC should claim as it's own in the trend for each of the nation's cities to focus on a book to read. However, this is an important book for all Americans, as it trully speaks to the American experience. I noted one review compared it to Ellison's "Invisible Man". While I think that it stands alone, if I were to compare it with other American classics they would instead be Dreiser's "An American Tragedy" and Richard Wright's "Native Son". I am very pleased that I chose to read this book; it is noble, touching, and important.