This is a beautifully compiled collection of short stories from Mississippi authors, including the writings by both of the editors. Tucker's short story, "CLara's Star," reminded me of much of my Mississippi past, even though I left Mississippi, reluctantly, almost forty years ago. This is a beautiful book and I am still enjoying it. A Mississippi past is helpful, but not mandatory, to become thoroughly engrossed in this book. I cannot recommend this book any higher. It is unfortunate it is so difficult to find.

Maybe Welty, Morris, Hannah and other such names sold the book, but the works of Wheelock, in Christmas Lights and Isonhood, in Morning Stove seems to have captured what the true meaning of Christmas is in our hearts. Need to hear more from them.

This is a beautiful collection of stories, not just for the Mississippian or the Southerner. With greats like Faulkner and Welty and Spencer in the crowd, it should have a wide appeal. But to my mind, the lovely, bittersweet story of Caroline Langston testifies to the fact that modern writers from Mississippi are as talented as ever, and write with as much poignancy as those from the past.

This book and author surprised me. Depoy has a real gift for writing dialogue and character development. Fun to read. I laughed out loud. I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good story. I will look for Depoy's name from now on.

Philip Depoy is the thinking man's mystery writer. I hesitate to say "private eye" writer, because Flap Tucker insists that he is not a detective, merely a "finder of lost things", and it's something he does very well.

In other mysteries, coincidences are the bane of the reader and the deus ex machina of the writer. It's often too hard to believe that such disparate events have a common root. In this novel, Depoy hands it all over with a wink & a nudge and makes it all believable.

Flap is looking for the wife of one of Atlanta's nouveau riche. Only problem? The guy is possibly slow and probably imagining her. He's also asked to uncover the truth behind the "devil man" or demon who is terrorizing the proprietor of a local Asian restaurant. Are they related? Sure! How? Read the book.

Depoy's Atlanta is an almost fairy-tale place, where angels and demons walk with equal impunity. I know from experience that it sounds better here than it really is.

Easy? Yeah...easy read, easygoing characters, easy to fall in love with the Flap Tucker series. After reading EASY, I flapped onto Amazon and ordered the next and the next. It was...uh...easy.

Racking secrets is a book that allows you to understand the complexities of one of the most important shots in pool. Mr. Tucker's descriptions are simple, yet complete. This text even goes so far as to anticipate questions that I had while I was reading. In order to answer my question or finish my thought, all I had to do was read on. This book will make me a better pool player by offering me the ability to get off to a good start each and every game.

Joe Tucker has lift the veil on a subject which was kept secret and only whispered about. This little book will give you an edge playing pool. You'll learn to read racks and take advantage of it. Just hope your opponent hasn't read it yet.

Joe Tucker is a touring pro, a great teacher, and understands both the physics and art of pool. In this book he has shared his secrets of how to read the rack that only a few, if any, professional and amateur players know about. No 9-ball or 8-ball rack is perfect, they all have tiny spaces between the balls and Joe reveals how to use these imperfections to your advantage. After reading this book, I now make a ball on my 8-ball and 9-ball breaks almost 100% of the time. This alone has brought my game to a new level. A good read, great diagrams and well worth your time. The games of 8-ball 9-ball will never be the same. Two thumbs up!

This is an excellent biography of Stalin, the middle book in a proposed trilogy. Tucker weaves events in the Soviet Union around the twisted, paranoid personality of Joseph Stalin, former seminary student. What I found to be the most intriguing was how every time Stalin changed his mind about something, everyone had to fall in line or risk being labeled a "wrecker" or "counter-revolutionary." Stalin was not particularly brilliant, and he was not Lenin's choice as a successor, but he had a genius for bureacratic maneuvering that put him in the powerful position that he held for years. For all his paranoia and all the damage he did to Russia, it is amazing that someone didn't actually knock him off. It is a chilling reflection on how obsequious even the best of us can be when motivated by fear.

Neither Stalin, the collectivization crisis, nor the terror suffer from a dearth of good and serious studies. Yet despite the crowded field, Tucker's "Stalin in Power" is by far the best treatment of all three complex events. No other book sets out as credible, well-researched and well considered a theory of the workings of Stalin's mind. The great challenge presented by the Soviet thirties is the comprehension of the real logic behind what appears from the outside as mass irrationality. Most writers' personal models of depth and social psychology are inadequate to the task. Tucker succeeds, by a significant margin.

Tucker's careful storytelling hews to historical facts and grippingly narrates Stalin's creeping domination of the Soviet idea. This book is complete. A must read for all interested in recent Russian history.

This is a wonderful, creative book for young children that promotes imagination and lots of giggles. The illustrations are most appealing to a child as they are simple and colorful. As a teacher of young, special needs children,I have read this book to my students. It delighted everyone and held their attention. It is a book that will become a family favorite and will be read many times. Adults will smile while reading it to children.

My high energy children ages 5 and 2 loved this little tale about the adventurous fun loving Tucker. Rarely do I find a book at this age level that so captures their undivided attention. They giggle at Tucker's escapades and delight in the fact that he loves to have fun as much as they do. When you read this book over and over like we do, you will also have a good time picking out the humor in McGuirk's illustrations. In text and illustration, this is a book full of life and fun.

My 3 year old boy and 1 year old girl love this book about a cute little white puppy who is more adventurous than his two brothers! the drawings are amazingly cute and unique and the book is written right at kid-level. my son learned to "read" it in just one sitting, it appealed to him so much! the story is about a real dog, and the writer clearly loves and respects animals and kids. excellent!

This book is a family favorite. Children can identify with the kitten who worries that his misdeeds will cut off his mother's love, while parents reading the book are rewarded with some sly illustrations over which they can have an adult laugh, a rare quality in preschool bookland.

Above all, the book provides an opportunity for parents to reassure their own occasionally naughty offspring of their unconditional love. Our family culture would be poorer without this book in our lives; I'm grateful that it was available to us.

I have 3 children - ages 3,6 and 8. "The Way Mothers Are" is one of our favorite books. I strongly recommend it everyone.

this is defiantely one of the best childrens books ever written. it answers all the questions of "why this or why that" children always ask. if you have a little child or knows someone who does, i wuold strongly urge you to buy it as a bed time story, even a prenatal story. BUY IT NOW! you wont be disappointed

This hip, teen-oriented book offers up twelve avenues to self-discovery, ranging from 20th Century+ psychology to ancient astrologies. Each technique is given an accessible and informative synopsis of its history and approach, and is followed by questions and info to get you started on using it to find out your true self. You can see which brain hemisphere you depend on the most, research your multiple intelligences, and find out whether you're an Introvert or Extrovert (and all the other categories that come out of that famous test). But along with the modern science, you get a hefty dose of ancient spiritual stuff too: Native American and Chinese astrology, as well as the familiar Western kind; palm-reading, chakras, and more. After going through this book with my 14-yr. old cousin, I felt that a lot of these techniques reinforced each other when I compared what they had to tell me about myself, which says something. And learning about chakras and enneagrams informs you not just about yourself, but about other cultures as well. Very fun, informative, and surprisingly deep. You could learn a lot about yourself-- what have you got to lose?

This book is an awesome way to get to know more about yourself, and really get you thinking. It doesn't claim to be able to tell you exactly what makes you tick - and it doesn't. But it DOES get you thinking about who you are.

Getting kids to read can be tough, but not when it comes to Tucker Shaw's books. My teenage daughter has all of his books (this is the fourth I believe). They keep her busy, inetested and an involved for hours. I'm always truly amazed at the things she learns about people, the world and most importantly, herself by reading his books! He writes with a level of understanding that most impresses me. We'd love to have him over for dinner sometime. Thanks Tucker!

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell for Love Romances

Seth Rutherford was just about to be married. He was one day away from tying the knot with fellow professor at Gannon University, Mary Kathryn O'Malley. He had dreams of them being perfect partners in everything, from marriage to research out on Lake Erie. So he is stunned when at the wedding, his bride-to-be ditches him just as she is about to say "I do." He never saw it coming, and thought she was as happy about their partnership as he was.

Desi Smith was the wedding coordinator for this bridal disaster. She feels for Seth, and tries to convince him to carry on with the reception anyhow, since everyone is there and everything is ready. Desi has had a crush on Seth since their high school days, so her heart goes out to him as he is humiliated in front of everyone. And when he gets totally drunk at the reception that wasn't, she takes it upon herself to make sure he gets home safely, not expecting to have anything to do with him after that. Until she gets in a bind...

When Desi's assistant gets a chance of a lifetime the day before her next job, she is stuck and can't think of anyone to help her out. Her parents won't help as they have never made a secret of the fact they thought she was wasting her God-given talents in her chosen career. So her only choice is to call Seth, and hope he will help her out. He agrees, not realizing what he is agreeing to, and he is horrified to find out what she needed him for, saying she owes him for that one.

His return favor is that he asks her assistance to collect samples out on Lake Erie. She agrees and while out, she decides to get him to have some fun no matter what it takes. Seth is a stodgy professor, obsessed with his work and the logic of the scientific world. He swore to never let emotion get the better of him, having seen his parents, two overly emotional people who fight... and make up loudly and with abandon. Desi is a true romantic, who is all about having fun and enjoying life. As the two of them spend more time together, they grow more attracted to each other, finding it harder and harder to resist the magnetic pull between them. Seth has difficulties dealing with Desi's passion for life thinking there is no rhyme or reason to it. But the more he is with her, the more he realizes that maybe having zest for life - and each other - isn't such a bad idea after all.

Ms. Jacobs has done it again! Her own love of life and finding the humor in it comes through in this story, and the lives of Seth and Desi. Her love of the town she calls home is also obvious, in that this story, as are all of her books, is set in Erie, PA. Seth and Desi's opposition in everything provides numerous moments of hilarity for the reader. Her attempts to make him see the finer things in life are sometimes met with disastrous results, but that doesn't stop her from trying. Seth's insistence that everything in the world has some sort of logical explanation drives her to distraction; all the while it endears him to her even more.

Those readers who desire some lightness with their romance will find that How to Catch a Groom does not disappoint. Seth and Desi are made for each other, even though it takes him a while to figure that out. But the journey to that discovery makes it all the more wonderful when he does. Logic and emotion both have a place in life... and love. Ms. Jacobs' story proves that, and it is a delightful one. She is a wonderfully talented author who is making her mark in romance. Why not try a few others of her books as well? There is even one in the works, where the reader will find some favorite characters from this story come to life again.

Bonnie Tucker is the greatest romance writer on the planet. Hilarious and totally entertaining!!

When you open up a Holly Jacobs book be prepared to laugh, and don't plan on stopping until you've come to the last page. And even then, her heart-warming scenes with their touch of comedy will keep you smiling throughout the day. I recommend that you buy every other book the woman has ever written, as they are all fabulous. I can't wait until her next release. Take a chance and discover your new favorite author.

It's London, 1940 - and as World War Two rages, the Doctor and Ace team-up with PI Cody McBride to look into what appears initially to be a secret Nazi weapon. In truth, the sphere contains a Cyberman...

There's something about the Seventh Doctor that seems to require writers gives us stories that feature Cybermen and Nazis - first 'Silver Nemesis' and now this. However, unlike the twenty-fifth anniversary story, this one works!

Flowing quite neatly on from the established relationship between the Doctor and Ace - it is very trusting and mutually reliant. This places it in distinct contrast with the earlier written New Adventures published by Virgin, which focussed on the Doctor's emerging manipulative nature and the strain it placed on his friendship with Ace.

The Cyberman in this story is a return to a classic monster - somewhat spoiled by the ridiculous "allergy" to gold introduced in 'Revenge of the Cybermen', this aspect is not considered in this book and therefore the task of the Doctor and his allies is much more real and dangerous.

A good example of how to write a traditional Seventh Doctor story, and a welcome return to a strong portrayal of a classic Who monster.

Let me explain something. I love the Daleks. Ok? I really love them and always thought of Cybermen as, so-so. But this book is great. The setting, the time period, the characters all really come alive. Even the feel is of a Dr WHO? TV episode. Now if they can only get the Dalek Novels to be this good, but frankly, this is the only Dr. WHO Novel that I have had so far that is right up there, in plot and charcters, with a Dr. WHO? TV episode. Great stuff. Loved Ace. The Cybermen were ok too.

Oh, the scene with the Panzer vs. the Cybermen was cool.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the atmosphere of the story, the air raids, just the whole WWII theme. Like Ace, I think it would be fascinating to visit that era of history. It would have been better if the Doctor and Ace had been together more in the book as their characters compliment each other so well. It was nice to see the Cybermen back, (well, not *nice* since they killed people, but you DW fans will understand) and I found the majority of the characters interesting and likeable in their own ways. I think any fan of the 7th Doctor would enjoy this story.

Archer Mayor is like a master artistic puzzle builder. He takes a little bit here, a little bit there, weaves this into that, and what starts out as a seemingly straightforward and relatively innocuous (if crime can be innocuous) crime ends up being a complex labyrinth of events, motives, characters, and decisions that lead inexorably toward the climax and resolution. A mark of a good mystery writer is that the reader is left wondering almost until the last page, but when the answer comes, the reader says, "Of course, it fits perfectly! I should have seen that!" Mayor is one of the best at accomplishing this difficult objective. This skill also lends a sense of reality to his stories that few other mystery writers attain. That is, the complexity of his work shows how much each of us, our lives, our work, our unthinking reactions are intertwined with others - how, for example, in this story, a harmless ad for a watch on E-bay leads to the destruction of human life and paradoxically allows series regulars Kunkle and Sammie discover their need for each other. Tucker Peak is not for mystery readers who want a simple story unfettered by reality solved in 22 minutes (not counting commercials). It is an immensely satisfying read for those who not only want to escape the banality of daily life for a few hours of fiction-more-real-than-real, but who appreciate an intellectual and emotional challenge in the process.

When I first picked this up in the store, it was great to get my hands on it. I was waiting for it for so long to come out and to read it, that I thought that I was going insane. I live in Brattleboro myself, and the places that Mayor tells about are places that I go to all the time. It was much better then "The Marble Mask" which was not as well done because it didn't take place back in Brattleboro. Though, I was happy with the end, and the re-uniting of the characters. I would have liked to see Gunther return to the Brattleboro Police Department or have J.P Tyler and Ron come up to VBI. But this was a great book, and I recomend it to anyone who wants a good piece of reading.

I have been reading the Joe Gunther books ever since I started Ragman's Memory, and have read all of the books in the series. Being from Vermont, I can relate to the location that the books are featured in. I have also had the liberty of meeting Archer Mayor at a signing.
Tucker Peak is the latest book in his Joe Gunther series, set at a fictional Ski resort in southern Vermont. There, a series of robberies and crime have occured, bringing Joe and his southern VT VBI team into the picture. They begin with a simple robbery case, and end up with a homoside one, reaveling that there is much more to the book than what meets the eye. Even from the last portion of the book, Mayor gives no indication of who is guilty and who is innocent.
Mayor sets the setting, characters and plot beautifully, capturing the image that is just so close to reality that some authors struggle with. Because he is also a Vermonter, he has the chance to research for his books easily.
He sets Tucker Peak very well, exposing the 'true' Vermont. Tucker Peak is a fictional ski resort, but it is real enough so that I can invision skiing down it's slopes. The towns, roads, cities and area are all familier to me, and that makes the book so much better.