This current book of MS Braun's is different from her past works. This endeavor has a different feel to it. There is a dark and brooding mood. Gone are the older characters that imparted the charming small town feeling. The bantering between Polly and Quill is missing, as are the cats. Though they do make an appreance, most of the cat in The CAT Who.. is absent. Gone also, is the humor. If you had to skip one book in the series, this would be the one. It does not continue the story line in the old familary way. Reread one of the first three books, and wait for the next one.

I am a big fan of the Cat Who mystery series. The Cat Who Sang For the Birds was the first new book in the series to come out after I had begun reading the series. Therefore, it was all rather fresh to me, and I found both the book and the style quite interesting. I think part of what makes this series so great is that it's not so much murder mystery as a nice, well-connected tale. The Pennant Race (spelling bee) is a nice extra, and so are some of Qwill's pursuits. On further reading of the book, after reading some of the others, I find that it could be more interesting and exciting. The humor however is there, and so are the cats! Let the cats live on forever!

Although a lot of diehard fans argue that this is the first "The Cat Who" book that may provide evidence that Lillian Jackson Braun is no longer writing the series, I honestly think that "The Cat Who Sang for the Birds" is a wonderful book. It is a great addition to any "Cat Who" collection. The characters in this book are given much care and thought, and it is a definite page turner. It was this book that made me wish for a real Pickax, so that I could go live among these wonderful people. Qwilleran becomes more compassionate in these pages, Polly loses her constant doubting attitude, and the rest of the residents of Pickax become more than just "characters" in Qwill's life. If Lilian Jackson Braun did indeed pass on her pen, then the author of this book would be an excellent successor. Long live the Siamese!

Richard Paul Evans is a gifted and talented author of inspirational and insightful tales. This book fulfills those goals. This is a story of two people in need of trust, faith, hope and love. A man who has lost so much in his life discovers a young woman who never had much to loose. Hunter is a preacher turned gambler. He has turned his back on God due to the death of his wife and child. Hunter is accused of a murder that he didn't commit. Quaye is a young girl from a starving Irish family, whose father "sold" her to a man, Jack, on his way to America. The husband turns out to be an extremely abusive man interested only in gold and money. Quaye accepts her life as the only possibility, no matter how horrible. hunter and Quaye are thrown together in a blizzard. They learn and discover things about themselves when viewed through the others eyes. The story was well written. The details of place and time were wonderful. The only disappointment was... this was the first novel of Richard Paul Evans that did not move me tears with it's lessons on life.

This book was one of my most favorite of Richard Paul Evans. I have now read ALL of his books, and enjoyed them all very much. I am so glad that he had this spiritual urge/need to write the first book (The Christmas Box) and of all the good that he has done from that. He continues to be a wonderful author and I am so thankful that he does write and bring such pleasure to all of his readers. However, this book is my most favorite and I've gotten my Mom to read all of them as well. I could not put it down and just read and read (usually through tears). He tells such a wonderful story, and I guess I was naive in wanting a HAPPY ENDING. So did my Mom, but I think it had to end this way because it made a great deal of sense and seemed so much more poignant. Anyone who really enjoys reading should take the time to read this one, as you would most certainly enjoy it.

This is the first book I have read by Richard Paul Evans and can not wait to get my hands on his other books. You can feel deep down in your heart the agony and then love between Quaye and Hunter as described by R.P.Evans. I would love to see this come out as a movie and plan on buying the audio version of this book!

In recent years, a variety of sentimental books like The Lighhouse Keeper have entranced readers everywhere. And this title is no exception for those who enjoy this genre. The reader is consumed by a wonderful story based around a gentle man's past experiences as a once proud lighthouse keeper to a stoic man now suffering from a terminal illness. In a series of flashbacks we learn of his early tragedy, how he came to be a lighhouse keeper and about his powerful love for a woman who becomes his wife.

For those who enjoy windswept beaches and flashbacks to the past, pick up this book. You will enjoy the read and remember it for sometime.

This delightful story of personal and family trials, tribulations and triumphs will appeal to all readers. James Pratt allows his readers to share his characters' lifes as he introduces the reader to Peter, Billie, Anna, Katie and Kathleen. Life is a struggle but it also has its rewards. As I was reading, I felt empathy for the characters. I laughed with them; I cried with them. I experienced their misery and I experienced their joy. Seldom has a book pulled at my heart and emotions as much as "Lighthouse Keeper" did. James Pratt has not just written a wonderful story but also a book that teaches a moral. I'm glad that i read "Lighthouse Keeper".

I was inspired and lifted by James Michael Pratt's first book, The Last Valentine. Now with his second work, The Lighthouse Keeper, he proves that his first book was no fluke. Once again, Mr. Pratt has achieved that which so few fiction writers today seem able or willing to attain: a story that lifts the human spirit; speaks of love, compassion, trial and triumph-and all without the crutch of "Hollywood-style" profanity and sex. As with the lighthouse in his story, the reader is gently drawn into Mr. Pratt's book and encounters an uplifting and unforgettable experience. For all those who enjoy reading words of light, I highly recommend The Lighthouse Keeper. I can't wait for Mr. Pratt's next book!

Again I say this is not the conventional romance story. Ms. Putneys female characters are in no ways shy or demure about there sensuality. So if that is what you like in Historical Romance BUYER BEWARE. It is not done like say Betrice Small's Heroines. It is more like they are not afraid of sex or there wants but embraces it.

This one was harder to get through than "The Wild Child" Very Interesting storyline. Heroine (Troth)is unique, Hero (Kyle) is.... just there. I read "The Wild Child" first and really enjoyed it if I would have read this one first I would have given it 5 stars. Unfortunatly I read them back to back.

The description of China was beautiful, the Heroine has so much about her that you must read the book to give her justice. Maybe that is why the Hero in comparison doesn't shine so brightly. Some of the characters show up in this book from "The Wild Child" which I enjoyed. This is a interracial love story they have to overcome the probability of racial prejudice from Family as well as the ton. On another note I have come to see in this series "The Wild Child" and "The China Bride" the Hero is the one that is holding out on the physical part of the relationship trying to do the "honorable thing" where the female is literally [upset] because she doesn't understand the conventionalism. Both books have heroines that were raised in different society's other than "stanch" English. So I applaud Ms. Putney for giving us a different type of Heroine in this book she is beautiful, intelligent and quite capable of handling herself (physically in any situation)

Happy Reading

Mary Jo Putney is one of the better writers in the romance genre, and what I liked best about this book was the wonderful historical texture of China in the 1800s that she wove into the story. She managed to create an authentic sense of time and place and mystery that were a delight to read, perhaps even more intriguing than the heroine and hero. I was disappointed to discover that the sacred temple to which they trekked was a only product of Putney's fertile imagination, because I was ready to hop on a plane and go there! The heroine is refreshingly different and a pleasant change. I agree with other reviewers that the story lags a bit when China is left for Scotland, but this is still a very good book.

It was incredibly wonderful to turn to this author's newest novel and discover that she hadn't abandoned her unique strengths simply because she has gone to hardback and become more well known. I can say this about so few romance authors. Putney invented two unique characters, an English lord and a Chinese-Scot woman. She brings the two together in China. Her details of what China is like for them in that time period held me spellbound, from the trade to the shrines to the role of women. The action then shifts to England and Scotland. I don't think the story lags here as much as the locale is familiar and thus less fascinating. Nevertheless, if this duo is going to become a married noble couple in the 19th century UK, we need to see how their relatives, friends, and business associates react to such a proposed match. I also liked all of the eastern spiritual influences Putney brings into the novel, which reminds me of the similar job she did in "Uncommon Vows." The heroine also redecorates the hero's English estate in the feng-shu style, bringing one's environment into spiritual harmony with the self according to Eastern principles, which I found humorous to envision in 19th century England. One can buy everything this author has written with complete confidence.

I have read all of Ms. Garwood's books. PRINCE CHARMING is a great story and for those who like a little western in their romances, this one is perfect. I loved the hero Lucas and Taylor was delightful as the heroine who follows him to Montana. Garwood has a unique writing style that doesn't disappoint in this one. She easily shows her flare for being able to diversify location settings within the same book, added to that is the building tension between Lucas and Taylor and you have an enjoyable read.

Julie Garwood is the queen of romance. Her stories are filled with adventure and excitement. Prince Charming is definitely no exception. The women in her stories are independent and strong, unlike other romance authors. The character in this story, Taylor, is one of my favorites. The chemistry between Taylor and Lucas is electrifying. This is one of her best novels. From cover to cover you will be enthralled. I found myself spontaneously laughing out load and wanting to crying at the sad parts. You don't find many authors who can evoke that much emotion in their writing. If you are interested in reading a book by Julie Garwood. This book is definitely a must.

i have been a fan of julie garwood since i haphazardly picked up "the bride" and fell in love with her optimistic and romantic writting. This is one of my favorite book by mrs. garwood.

This story of an heriess, taylor, hell bent on saving her two nieces in america and Lucas, a rugged man from the american frontier just as hell bent on saving taylor. Their marriage was one of convience to help taylor gain access to her inheirtance and get her to america but the love that developes between the two characters is heartwarming.

I love garwood's heroes as the reluctantly chivalrous men trying their damnest not to be drawn to garwood's heriones. I love taylor's spunk and determination. Though she is naively innocent she can wield a gun with the best of them. Little oddities like that are what always make garwood's work so much fun to read.

i definitely enjoyed this book. i couldn't stop reading it which is always a good sign in my opinion. try it out and be ready to be a fan:)

This book was alright. Like I said, I have read better books. The first Historical Romance novel I ever read was written by Amanda Quick, (Desire) so that is why I have read all of her books. I usually have a pretty good memory, but I can't even remember the hero's or heroin's name anymore (I read this book about a year and half ago). I'd recomend you read "Mystic", "Mischief", or "Dangerous".

... is just the begining of a world of wonderful stories by the talented Ms. Quick. If you have yet to read a book by Amanda Quick, I seriously envy you... you have many discoveries yet to make. _Affair_ is one of my top Amanda Quick books. Yes, it is similare to all of her other books, but that's what makes this author a comfort read. You can read one of her books and be assured to have enjoyment.

The Hero: This time around, our hero is Baxter St. Ives. He is the illegitament son of the Earl of Esherton. Because of all the gossip that inevitably surrounds him, Baxter learned early on to retreat to his labratory. In doing this, he became a man of science, thoroughly engrossed with his experiments. During the time of Napeleon, he was with another of his scientist friends. Together, they had created an acid that burned flesh. Baxter's partner, Morgan Judd, wanted to betray England and sell the potion to Napoleon to help him win the war. Baxter wouldn't allow it, and he spilled all of the acid and took the recipe with him as he set the labratory on fire and fled. Assuming Judd was dead, Baxter went on his way to live peacfully within his labratory once more. Until his aunt came to him for help. Her best friend had been murdered, and she suspects a woman of being a murderess and a blackmailer. Reluctnatly, Baxter agrees to help his aunt. In doing so lead him to...

The Heroine: Who happens to be Charlotte Arkendale, the woman whom Baxter's aunt suspects of killing her best friend. Five years ago, Charlotte and her sister, Ariel, were sleeping in their house. Charlotte was awakened when their stepfather came home drunk. She heard some confussion outside her sister's door. Grabbing her father's unloaded pistol, she went out to investigate. It turned out that her father owed the man that was with him a lot of money, and to pay off his debts, he was selling Ariel's virginity to the man. Charlotte forces them out of the house with the pistol. The next morning, their stepfather is found dead. Charlotte is forced to make a job for herself, and makes an unsual carrier. She investigates the pasts of gentlemen who are thinking to marry women. Her last client was Baxter's aunt's best friend, and she feels it is her duty to find out what happened to her last client. When she and Baxter meet, sparks fly, and it leads to...

The Affair: Charlotte and Baxter decide to join forces to find out who the murderer was. As they get closer and closer to the murderer, a love forms between the two. But, can they stay alive long enough to be truly happy?

I truly enjoyed _Affair_. Because it is a romance novel, the end is never in doubt, but that is one reason I enjoy romance so much. Baxter and Charlotte were wonderful to read about, and I do believe Quick was at her wittiest in this book. Baxter often unkowingly said some amazingly romantic things. My favorite quote is as follows

*Charlotte* Baxter, are you ill?

*Baxter* Very likely. If I am, one thing is certain. You are the only one who can supply the elixer I require to cure the fever.

The only thing that dissapointed me in this book is that I found the mystery to be quite easy to solve. In all of Quick's other books, I was guessing until the end. But, with _Affair_ I had a susspect in my mind right away. Don't get me wrong, I still wanted to keep reading, if only to see if my guess was right. So, if you are a book fan, I highly recomend this book to you. It is guarenteed to give you hours of enjoyment while supplying you with a nice lite story.

In a genre filled with identical plots, Amanda Quick's _Affair_ is an invigorating change from the same-old run-of-the-mill romance. She teams up an unlikely hero (though Baxter is wildly sexy in a boy-next-door sort of way!) and a heroin who is not only brave, courageous and incredibly sure of herself but who is also in need of a love that will pull her from her jaded views of men. Another break from the usual is in Ms. Quick's use of two very mature and level-headed main characters. A nice switch to romances involving younger women and flighty men. I absolutely adored the added depth of the murder investigation. It advances the plot and gives you great insight into the character's minds. I can't say enough good things about this book. My first by Amanda Quick and *certainly* not my last! Definitely one to be added to your personal library for repeated readings.

This Lonely Planet book is a big help when travelling in Japan. The book provides a lot of useful information (such as bus/hotel/tourist center info and general history of each tourist attraction). The best of all is that the authors put Japanese characters next to all the locations. Many Japanese tourist spots do not have names spelt in English. Therefore, the reference in Japanese characters that the authors put out is a huge plus. Also, the book is extremely helpful for people who plan to backpack and stay in the Youth Hostels in Japan. Before leaving for Japan, I read though many tourist books and found this one the best among all. The book is a bit weak in providing detailed maps but this can be overcome by visiting the tourist centers (usually next to the train stations).

Lonely Planet Japan proved to be incredibly helpful in planning for and making my first trip to Japan. The cultural information in the front of the book is accurate and useful. The maps and directions on how to get to the sights are even more accurate - and in a country that can seem overwhelmingly urban at times that made life a lot easier. They tell you where the bus stops by the stations are and how to get to the airports using public transportation when it's time to go home - and that can be complicated some times, especially if you're on a budget. Lonely Planet Japan is especially good on directing you to more than just the major tourist stops, like some of the other guides I consulted. As someone who prefers to see some of the off-the-beaten path places, this was useful. Paired with the Lonely Planet Japanese phrase book I, with a minimal knowledge of Japanese, was able to get around, find good food, and good places to stay. The only drawback is that the book was published a few years ago and some of the prices (surprise) have gone up a bit - but usually only a 100 yen or so for admissions, and proportionately so for hotels. If you're going to Japan, or just want to find out what's over there and learn a little about the country, this is an excellent book

I've been using travel books on Japan for 23 years, attempting to discover new & interesting places. None has completely fulfilled this quest. However, the LP book has set the standard for the others: It covers more places, has more maps, and has more information than any other. "Rough Guide" comes in second in this regard, and I find very few places in RG that aren't covered in LP. It's like the RG author's traveled around using the LP. The omissions are the same on top of that. A few examples: neither covers Fukushima, or Koriyama, both major cities that you may end up in traveling northward, and in the same area, both overlook nice areas such as Miharu town (3 Spring Town, so named for its 3 flowering trees in the spring) and Soma City (famous pottery and samurai horsemen festivals), and neither checks out Rikuchu Kaigan National Park along the Pacific Coast in Iwate. On the other hand, both LP and RG cover the small town of Tono, both not reaching the park. They both also cover the Iya Valley in central Shikoku while overlooking the most isolated Heike refuge in central Kyushu, Gokanosho. There are too many parallels between the two.

I agree there is not a consistent style throughout LP. It was written by 4 authors whose work was based on original work by Ian McQueen who burned out after 3 editions, so there is much original style mixed in with subsequent updates by the various authors through the next 4 editions. This does make some areas better than others, though, especially when it comes to locations of bus stops and "getting there" sections.

But overall, I don't see much problem with some sections having transportation and other sections not as no matter what book you get, you need to get JNTOs Railway Timetable or updated ferry or bus schedules because the train-bus-ferry schedules change from year to year, making everything obsolete quickly.

This book is also aimed at those who are traveling around using the main train routes, who want to see the big sights and maybe a few of the smaller ones. If you have a car or motorcycle, you're going to end up in places that aren't covered in any book almost every night. A smattering of Japanese is the only thing that will help this kind of traveler. It also only contains brief history and background on some areas. At times it seems to assume that you have a separate book for this information. If you want a history book, get a history book. This is a practical guide for travelers to get you to a place and into some lodging. At that it excels.

I do get annoyed with the phone number area codes only being given at the beginning of a section. With a large section, it make take a while searching for the correct page with the area code so you can dial a number. This always seems to happen in an unlit phone booth on a rainy night.

Lastly, this 7th edition is now old. I read as part of an article in the NY Times that said that Japan was getting ready to promote domestic tourism to help its economy, that someone was back in Japan trying for an update . This would help immensely as LP quotes exact prices on hotels and admissions. Anyone who has used this book recently knows that prices have gone up on most things, and down in a couple of other cases. I like the exact quote on hotel prices better than RG's range quotes, as I can get a better idea when planning a budget than just a Y5000 to Y10,000 range.

When the next edition comes out, I'll be first in line to get it, again looking for anything I've missed (and I know there's a lot as I discover every year). If you're looking for a tool to help you travel through and around a very interesting country on your own, this book is for you. If your hotels and transportation are already covered in your tour, a Frommer's guide with photos and history would work better for you.

Kentou!

Herbert Asbury's "Gangs of New York" was an expose first published in 1927. Its style shows its age: reading this book is like listening to an old 1920's newspaper reporter from the far end of the bar after he's had too many drinks: lots of exotic tall tales of life in the gritty city; countless names and places rise and disappear never to be heard again. The overall effect is entertaining but completely unbelievable, as though Paul Bunyon had moved to the Lower East Side of 19th-century Manhattan.

One illustration will suffice: the early gangster "Mighty Mose" is describe as 'at least 8 feet tall' wearing boots studded with inch-long spikes.On one occasion Asbury has Mose pulling an oak tree out of the ground by its roots to 'smite' some of a rival gang, the Dead Rabbits. On another the author claims Mose swam underwater from Manhattan to Staten Island without coming up for air. It comes off as the kind of book a boy would have hidden in a corncrib to read when it was first published in 1927: lowlife fun, but if you're looking for the real history, you will be disappointed.

You will be even FURTHER disappointed if you expect the book to resemble the new Scorcese movie in any manner. Although Scorcese borrows the names of characters from the book - Bill the Butcher, Jack Scirocco, Vallon, Everdeane - and sets the movie around the time of the 1863 Draft Riots, which really occured - in the book these characters are sometimes separated by 50 years and 100 pages. The character played by Leonardo diCaprio, Amsterdam Vallon, does not appear at all in the book.

I first read the book before the movie was filmed, because of my interest in New York history. It's entertaining although the writing style is pretty archaic. But if you came to this page looking for the 'true story' behind the movie, you won't find it here.

The Gangs of New York is a fascinating chunk of controversial history (some question its accuracy), an interesting period piece written nearly 90 years ago-- but fans of the highly-touted film should BEWARE if they're expecting for something closely related to the Martin Scorese flick.

Even so, no matter what anyone (including yours truly) says...and awful lot of people of all ages READ this book -- and love it. I was recently on a flight and sat next to a guy in his early 20s who sat there fascinated, reading it during the entire 3 hour flight.

Gangs of New York is NOT your typical book on which a movie is based. If it's bought by someone who loves the film somebody is going to be in for a monster surprise (or disappointment). Don't expect a plot, don't expect compelling writing, don't expect a large section on which the book is based and to easily find those sections. But do expect to be fascinated.

WHAT THIS IS: This is a book about: early brutal gang warfare, during a time in the 19th century where gangs literally swarmed all over New York City; blow-by-blow bloody battles and legendary gang fighters in a city virtually in the grip of gangs -- leading to the creation of the NY City Police department; and the politically dominating Tammany Hall machine's birth and growth in the 19th and 20th centuries, set within the context of a politically corrupt, violence-prone city.

Most interestingly, it's about a time in NYC's history that you seldom see portrayed in films or in books. I found the accounts of the 1863 Civil War draft riots absolutely gripping. But mostly it's about the gangs with names such as Dead Rabbits, Plug Uglies etc (the film used these names too). Many illustrations are old-style drawings rather than photos.

WHAT IT DOES: Gangs of New York gives you a good history seemingly based on interviews and mountains of old newspaper clippings, most of it in anecdotal versus dry statistical form.

WHAT IT IS NOT: It is not a book written in a modern prose style, but it isn't boring. It doesn't have a "plot" with a beginning, middle and end. No, it doesn't have a hero, or anyone resembling Leonardo, a love subplot, etc.

But if you're interested in the acclaimed movie's source material and learning about a fascinating and often forgotten period in NY City's municipal history you'll love it. Even though it was out of print for many years The Gangs of New York has been a legend itself for many years -- and it easy to see why.

Among the many special things that make this book a real treasure is that it was written in the mid 1920's. Without knowing what the future would bring Asbury concludes that the age of the gangs is over. And, in a way he is correct. Of course he could not foresee the development of gangs in the second half of the twentieth century, but he does successfully describe the changes in demographics and size that took place during the nineteenth. The later truly amazed me in that during the period of about 1840 to 1870 the shear size of the gangs that terrorized Manhattan, and its environs, were enormous. Gangs numbering in the thousands in an area of less than half of Manhattan is quiet frightening. Their relationship to political machines such as Tammany Hall and the Know Nothings insulated them from the long arm of justice.
Asbury also does a wonderful job of describing the rocky evolution of the New York City Police Department. Good or bad the heroics and sacrifice of the New York City Police during the 1863 Civil War Draft Riots should never be forgotten.
I highly recommend this book. If you have experienced New York then you owe it to yourself to compare then and now.

The idea behind this book is to take one of literature's most-proven plotlines and give it a dark, minimalist twist. The story tells of the 1911 coming-of-age of Newfoundler Fabian Vas, who makes his living drawing birds and repairing ships. The action follows Fabian's bizarre love affair with his childhood friend and his arranged marriage to a distant cousin, his mother's adultery, and his murder of his mother's lover.

But the story is stranger than its summary. For such a raw tale, for a book that touches on so many deep and barely-controlled passions - love, hatred, revenge - the writing is remarkably quiet. There's no spark among the characters and rarely any heat. The protagonist reacts far more than he acts, and even then it is with more resignation than furor. The plot is controlled by his mother and his lover, two women with only a tenuous grasp on reality, decency, and what it means to be human, and it zigzags without regard to the boundaries of normal people.

The writing and the setting contribute to the feeling of blank surrealism engendered by the storyline. Newfoundland is generally described in books as a place rich in its bleakness and isolation (although one would have to have read other books set there, or have been there, to know this). And the writing itself is harshly minimalist, to the point of seeming simplistic and a bit uncrafted.

Which is perhaps what the author intended. Maybe, if one is patient enough to see through the tired sentences and dry narration, the characters who don't care or give the reader a reason to do so, and the sheer indifference displayed by the writer and his subjects towards the unfolding drama, there is a lesson. Perhaps the book is not about the largest passions of the human experience but about a man - who so many of us have been - who looks at his unfolding career and his longtime lover and feels nothing but emptiness, a vague confusion, and an obligation to fear.

"The Bird Artist" is a dark yet charming tale set in turn of the century Newfoundland. Howard Norman desearved "National Book Review Finalist" recognition for this well-crafted tale. The protagonist, Fabian Vas, is a bird artist and furthermore a murderer. I've ruined nothing--for the heart of the novel lays not in murder nor bird art but rather how a lonely stretch of land can push characters in most disarming ways. Howard's novel is strangely reminiscent of the better known, Newfoundland-set novel "The Shipping News". I liked it more and found it to be if not as humorous, more touching. The plot is wonderfully coilded; there are plenty of subtle twists and suprises..

Howard Norman writes what I think of as anti-mysteries. It is his trademark to announce the "crime' that forms the basis for his story right up front. So, Norman's novels tend to start with confession and work their way toward explanation (as opposed to a standard mystery, which moves toward a solution.). In The Museum Guard the crime is theft; in his newest, The Haunting of L., it is adultery, then murder. This book begins thusly:

My name is Fabian Vas. I live in Witless Bay, Newfoundland. You would not have heard of me. Obscurity is not necessarily failure, though; I am a bird artist, and have more or less made a living at it. Yet I murdered the lighthouse keeper, Botho August, and that is an equal part of how I think of myself.
This novel is characterized by a dry humor, unlikely but truly engaging characters, and the skill with which Norman fixes them in their community and landscape.

As he recounts the story to the reader, Fabian, despite knowing where he is headed, even what he will see when he arrives, remains at the mercy of the stubborn swells of memories that preoccupy him along the way. And that, it seems, is the great mystery at the heart of Norman's anti-mysteries. Not what will or did happen, but what role the narrator actually played in everything and why it all seems to have so little to do with him. Norman's befuddled narrator/protagonists, with their confessional introductions, imply that everything they are describing is, in fact, being made sense of in the retelling, that the reader, therefore, is witnessing their very synthesis into a story.

Although critics have celebrated The Bird Artist as a tale of "redemption by art," the novel seems skeptical about the idea. For one thing, meaningful redemption requires guilt, and Fabian feels none (nor is the reader shown any reason that he should, a fact that may bother some).

There is a big difference, though, between reckoning and redemption. Fabian's "redemption" for Botho's murder is the fantastical mural of Witless Bay he is paid to paint near the end of the novel, above the pulpit of the church. The offer, from Reverend Sillet, is tendered with a mix of prurience and sanctimonious sadism-he throws in extra money for a depiction of the murder. Indeed, Fabian's show of contrition seems to be mostly for Sillet's benefit, and Margaret rightly mocks his shameless decision to paint himself into the mural, facedown in the mud in the place of Botho. But if the mural does not offer redemption, it does offer something like revelation. For the first time in the novel, Fabian steps back from the enveloping current of events, fixes them in relationships, and imposes his own organizing vision on them. What Fabian's art does offer are these moments of clarity, the knowledge that, in the end, Botho's murder is simply "an equal part of how I think of myself."

For, in the end, it seems to me it is not so much redemption Fabian seeks, but understanding. Which is a scenario much more true to the realities of everyday life than is the struggle for redemption in my view.
A complex, challenging and rewarding read.

Manhattan is My Beat is an early work by Bone Collector author Jeffery Deaver. Rune the heroine is a quirky Dharma like character from Ohio who wanders New York seeking adventures and fighting her fairy tale "dragons." Rune The Little Girl Lost joust the windmills of New York rather than facing the realities of her fathers death. She is at times a space cadet, a goody-two shoes, and a person who thoughtlessly faces danger.

Runes life is a kind of perils of Pauline, she works in a video story, she squats in a building being renovated and she fabricates stories about the life she leads. All of this results in both cops and bad guys chasing her. Rune with her blinders cannot differentiate the good guys from bad.

I debated over three or four stars, but decided to be kind. While it is somewhat fluffy, hey I read it in one sitting, found it entertaining and will most likely read another "Rune" book.

This book may not be satisfying to the hard-core Bone Collector readers.

This is one of the author's earlier works, and while it is not one of his best efforts, it is still a cut above what is currently proferred by other writers of this genre. Jeffrey Deaver writes with a decidely contemporary feel, his prose always spare and lean. While he does not dwell unduly on character development, it does not deter from the book, as it is wholly plot driven, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the last minute. It makes for a quick, enjoyable read.

The book revolves around a decades old bank robbery in which the million dollars heisted was never recovered. This robbery was memorialized in an old bete noire film entitled Manhattan is My Beat. Enter the story's unlikely heroine, twenty year old Rune of the purple hair, who work in a video store, squats in an abandoned loft which she calls home, and has an imagination that doesn't quit. When one of her video customers is killed execution style in his apartment, Rune is drawn into events of the past, as they converge upon the present. The now dead customer had repeatedly rented the film Manhattan is My Beat, and Rune firmly believes that there is a connection between his death and the age old bank heist. Her do or die resolve to discover why her customer was killed leads the moxie endowed Rune on a merry and dangerous chase. It is one which keeps the reader fully engaged and entertained.

i loved this book. It was obvious that the book was written before the invention of lincoln rhyme, but there is something more magical in this book that becomes more logical in deaver's later novels. i especially enjoyed the character development of rune. living in nyc, i could definitely relate to her character and fantasy world. sometimes reality is not what you want and it was interesting to see how far someone might take their imaginary persona. also, in the true spirit of jeffrey deaver, this book is filled with twists and turns leaving you usure of the ending til you get there.