I've always been a great fan of detective, spy and Cold War novels. This book brings out the best of all 3 worlds, but unlike so many American Cold War novels, Smith looks at the three dead bodies in Gorky Park and beyond (and out of Moscow to New York City) through the eyes of the main character--detective Arkardy Renko, a cynical Ukrainian who works hard at his job with honesty and with conviction in Moscow--and not some unkillable CIA hero. The story is filled with intrigue, cunning plot twists and wonderfully-crafted characters.

I am 13, and Gorky Park is the best book I have ever read. It possesses an intriguing and complicated plot, extraordinarily well-developed and interesting characters, gives an amazing portrayal of Soviet Moscow, and is exciting and suspenseful. I highly recommend it. Main character Arkady Renko is both brilliant and cynical. He was interesting to read about, and was one of the reasons I liked the book so much. The book has many good elements-love, friendship, death, corruption, greed, suspense, and the violence that comes with the position of Chief Investigator of Moscow, which Renko holds. The KGB is heavily involved, it seems, and Arkady wonders if they are laying a trap for him. (His earlier attempt at arresting Major Pribluda of the KGB for the assassinations of the "Kliazma River" bodies and his thinly disguised comtempt for the Party and its machinations give them a motive for this action.) The plot has many twists and turns, and by the end of the book, the KGB, Moscow Militia, FBI, and an NYPD officer are all involved, in a complicated and satisfying plot stretching all the way around the world to the U.S. Two other books I have read and enjoyed are "The Monkey House" and "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold". I also enjoyed other books by John Le Carre (Gorky Park was every bit as good as "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and as good as le Carre's astounding "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", though Tinker Tailor was more difficult to understand and required more concentration on my part). In addition, I liked every book I have read by this author, Martin Cruz Smith--Polar Star, Red Square, Havana Bay (all which are in the Gorky Park series) Stallion Gate, and Rose. If you liked any of those books, I'm sure you will like Gorky Park.

Arkydy Renko, an honest hard working, conscientious, public investigator, fights his way through a maze of evil and hostile characters, the cunning, ruthless American entrepreneur, Osborne, his own corrupt boss, Yamskoi and major Preblida, the KGB man. He is after the ruthless killer of three young people, found in frozen Gorky Park, shot at point- blank- range, their faces and fingertips obliterated.. He is helped along the way by the brother of one of the slain men, a young American idealist. Curwell, a New York detective, fluent in Russian, joins hands reluctantly with Arkydy to revenge his brother's murder.

Arkydy, by brilliant reasoning and with help from his love, Arina Ossinova, entangles the Sable fur trade, the labyrinth of KGB, and bureaucracy of FBI, tracks down the killer all the way to New York City. Here detective Curwell teams up with him to go after Osborne. But Osborne knows the score and book ends with an unforgettable scene where Arkydy fulfilling his task, limps back to Moscow. He tells Arina, his accomplice and love,who sells her very soul to come to America, to go disappear in America, where she belongs.

The book sheds light on dark, Byzantine, bad old days of Soviet Union where every body spied on every body and KGB ruled supreme. I guess people
like Arkydy, the optimistic, very human chief investigator, turned the Soviet régime around and created another revolution seventy years after the brutal first, paving the way for democracy.

Will hasn't seen his brother Ken for 12 years. After being accused of raping and killing a neighborhood girl, he simply vanished, leaving his family to pick up the shattered pieces left in his wake. Clues left at the crime scene leave the family to wonder if Ken himself was also a victim that night. But now with the death of his Mother, Will is left with only her final words, "Your brother is still alive." And when Sheila, the love of his life disappears, Will is more determined than ever to find answers Because not only was the murdered girl a neighbor, she was also Will's first love. The deeper Will looks, the more he discovers facts that he would rather not know. How well does one really know those he loves? Is everything connected, or just random circumstance? As the mystery deepens, Will must face the truth, and the danger, that surrounds these questions and more.

This is easily the first perfect mystery of the year. Coben doesn't miss a beat, and there's not a single miss-step in the entire novel. Combining unbridled suspense, and heart-wrenching emotion, Coben has written his best book yet. The reader will be torn between reading as quickly as possible in order to unravel the hidden mystery, and reading as slowly as possible in order to savor each beautifully rendered word. Each character comes alive under Coben's more than capable hand, leaving the reader emotionally spent , yet craving more, chapter after chapter. Do what you must to get your hands on this book, you won't regret it. Just make sure you start it at a time you can finish it, because it's almost impossible to put down. My only complaint, and it's a sad one, is that Mr. Coben has now set an almost impossibly high standard for others to achieve in mystery writing, one that other authors after this will undoubtedly have a hard time living up to. But don't let this stop you from reading this intelligent and moving thriller. It's an experience not to be missed!

I first became acquainted with the name Harlan Coben when I signed onto an Internet book list several years ago. At that time many of the readers were touting Coben's series, which featured Myron Bolitar, the feisty sports agent/private investigator. Although I never read any of these books, it was the premise of Coben's recent stand alone book, Tell No One, which interested me enough to read. Literally gulping down this book, I looked forward to either reading the first book in the Bolitar series or another stand alone by this author. And suddenly there was news of a new book, Gone for Good, which found me snatching it from the shelves the first day it appeared. Now, I consider Harlan Coben one of my favorite thriller/mystery author and I do look forward to making the acquaintance of Myrom Bolitar shortly.

Gone for Good is set in and around Manhattan and the suburban community of Livingston, NJ. Life in Livingston is presumably idyllic where children grow up thinking the world is theirs. But this isn't the case for the ----------family. Eleven years ago the oldest son Ken was accused of brutally murdering Julie Rogers, a neighbor and his brother's one time girlfriend. Feeling from the scene and his family, and while there have been unconfirmed sightings of him in different countries the family chooses to believe he is dead. That is until Sunny, Ken' smother dying from cancer tells her son Will that Ken is still very much alive. With nothing more than these words and then a revealing photo and also realizing that Sunny was on heavy medication before her death, Will decides this might be just enough to find out in fact if his brother is till alive. And while the plot certainly takes off from here, it certainly escalates when Will's girlfriend leaves him a cryptic note and then disappears leaving reader's to wonder if there is any connection between Sheila and Ken. And now the twist and turns come so fast and furiously that as you rush through the pages, you need to pay serious attention to the plot to keep up.

For all of the reasons I really enjoyed this book, not the least of them are Coben's wonderful characters. Beginning with Will and his family, we meet Ken's two old school buddies The Ghost and Phil McGuane, both violent men who will stop at nothing to protect themselves or their interests. We also meet Squares, a one time racist now turned Yoga guru who is more brother to Will than friend. From the seamier side of Manhattan, we meet Wanda, a transvestite who leads Will to Sheilah's former boss, Louis Castleman, an unsavory man who is now a quadriplegic and is care for by Wanda. And as we meet these characters We walk the mean streets of Manhattan and the tree lined streets of Livingston where Will and his father spend time reminiscing about Little League games, Ken and their family life.

This book is a hair-raising roller coaster of a read, which never lets up or disappoints the reader. Imbued with family values the book also explores the themes of friendship, loyalty and betrayal.
The ending can best be described as both shocking and poignant. From the first page to the last, you will be riveted and when the book ends you'll wish you were starting it for the first time.

Sorry I must hurry but I must get to the bookstore to pick up Deal Breaker, the first book in the Bolitar series. Writing this review has left me with a yearning to return to the books by Harlan Coben.

One more time, Harlan Coben has written a superb mystery where every page adds another totally unexpected twist. This book didn't have as many extreme plot turns as his last, "Tell No One," but it is really close.

As you have read, the plot revolves around poor Will, who has to be the unluckiest man in love ever. His first love is murdered, his worshipped brother is the suspected killer and has been on the lam for 11 years, his current lover is missing. Can things get much worse? Of course they can because Coben makes up good stuff!! I refuse to say any more about the story because to do so would ruin it for you.

Suffice to say, the different story lines become interwoven, and downright creepy. I have followed Coben's writing since his very first novel and, in my humble opinion, he keeps getting better and better.

If you only read one or two novels a year, this is a don't miss for sure. If you read hundreds of novels a year, this is one you won't forget. "Gone for Good" is a great read, filled with suspense and the knowledge that Coben won't let you figure it out; he always has one more surprise up his sleeve. And the surprises just keep on coming. Buy it, Read it, Relish it. This book is one of the year's best!

A Single Shard is the story of an orphaned boy named Tree-ear. He lives in the village of Ch'ul'po, on the west coast of Korea in the mid- to late twelfth century. Tree-ear lives under a bridge with Crane-man, who is homeless and disabled. Orphans are uncommon in Korea at this point in history. Crane-man agrees to raise Tree-ear because Crane-man is also without family.
Ch'ul'po is famous for its beautiful celadon pottery. Most of the families from which Tree-ear and Crane-man beg food are involved in pottery making. Tree-ear spends many hours watching the potters and wishes that he could learn to be a potter. However, the law states that the pottery trade can only be handed down from father to son. Tree-ear knows that none of the master potters will agree to teach him the trade. Tree-ear does find work with the master potter, Min. Tree-ear chops wood and digs for clay for Min in exchange for meals.
A royal emissary comes to town in order to award a pottery commission to one of the master potters. The commission will guarantee the potter to whom it is awarded a life-ling income. The royal emissary likes Min's work and wants to see more of it. Min begins to work on a very special piece of pottery. This piece takes Min a very long time to create. When Min is finished, Tree-ear volunteers to take the special piece to the royal court. In doing so, he sets out on the adventure of a lifetime.
This book is full many technical terms related to the making and firing of Korean celadon pottery. The culture in which this story takes place would be relatively unfamiliar to the majority of the audience for which this book is recommended. It may be difficult for young readers to completely understand this story with out additional background information that would better enable them to understand the cultural context. Additionally, much of the language used in this book would be difficult for readers to understand. However, the overall theme of perseverance this book is one to which children should be exposed.

I'm not sure if A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park actually deserved the Newberry Medal, but it was a pretty good book.

This is the story of Tree-ear who is an orphan in Twelfth-Century Korea. He has lived under a bridge near a small potters' village and has been raised by Crane-man, a homeless widower. Crane-man has raised Tree-ear with love, teaching him those lessons needed for survival. Eventually, Tree-ear longs to become a potter. One day, Min gets a chance to provide a service for the village's best potter. It is a service which could eventually bring about the fulfillment of his dreams, but which could do just the opposite.

There are two real strengths to the novel. The first is the historical aspect. Park did a wonderful job of recreating Twelfth-Century Korea. Also, the relationships depicted are apt and insightful. I only had one small problem with the book. One legend related in the novel is a Masada-like story of a mass-suicide. The "bravery" of the women who chose death over a rough life is lauded. The message sent in that story is never refuted, and I've never liked that message or thought that it should be a strong message sent to children. Nevertheless, that isn't the primary message of the novel, and the novel very good, though not great. If you like this novel, you will probably also like Yang-fu of the Upper Yang-tze.

A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park, is set in 12th century Korea. The main character of this book is a young orphan boy named Tree-ear who lives under a bridge with an old, crippled man named Crane man. When he is not rummaging for food, Tree-ear spends countless hours watching a potter named Min as he works. Tree-ear wants someday to become a potter himself, but because this trade is supposed to be handed down from father to son, it seems at first very unlikely that Tree-ear will ever realize this dream. Eventually, Tree-ear does get a job working for Min, but he is only allowed to gather firewood and collect the clay which will be made into new pots. One day a royal emissary comes to town to give a pottery commission to a master potter. The selected potter would then make the pottery for the king and his court. Min works on a piece of pottery for a long time in the hopes of submitting it to the royal commission. When the piece is finally completed, Tree-ear eagerly volunteers to take the piece to the king. What happens to Tree-ear along the way of this journey is both surprising and inspiring. I really enjoyed reading this book because the setting and time period is unique, and the characters are very realistic. I also think that this book offers many important lessons for our youth today.

There are two important facts to remember about The Last Place on Earth. The first is that its author, Roland Huntford, comes to it with the clear agenda of debunking Scott and lionizing Amundsen. The second is that he has the benefit of more than fifty years of historical hindsight, which makes it easy for him to criticize Scott for apparent incompetence. He's also not above fabricating so-called "facts" if doing so helps him further his cause of tearing down the Scott legend (I'm thinking of his more or less unfounded allegations that Kathleen Scott had an affair with Nansen). The truth regarding Scott and Amundsen and their respective expeditions is naturally somewhat more complicated. The Last Place on Earth is not a bad book. It's not necessarily even bad history. But it is revisionist, and heavily skewed, written by a man with a clear agenda. If you want a more fair, balanced, and compassionate view, read Diana Preston's A First Rate Tragedy. Read the Scott chapters of Francis Spofford's I May Be Some Time. And read Scott's and Amundsen's own published records of the events. Because let's face it: nobody knows what really happened better than the men to whom it actually happened. And they left their own perfectly adequate accounts.

This book is a fascinating combination of detailed analysis of the two men, Scott and Amundsen and the wildly different tactics used to reach the Southernmost point on Earth. Although certain sections of the book drag with perhaps too much in-depth analysis (such as a detailed discussion of Amundsen's housekeeper's influence on his life) it moves along well overall.

The final days of Scott's party are laid out in a plain and factual way, but the terror that must have crept over them when they finally realized that there was no way they could reach their main base alive comes through remarkably well. You begin to feel the deep chill of the Antarctic wind and the crushing disappointment when a food depot is missed.

In contrast, the absolute ease of Amundsen's journey is shocking. His men used dogs to pull their sledges to the pole and then killed the weaker dogs on the return trip to feed the remaining team. Detailed planning for the journey, including learning to live in high latitudes from the experts, the Inuit, led to his success. Their skis carried them upwards of 20 miles per day with ease, despite the harsh environment. The team literally had a holiday while "boxing" the pole with flags during the several days used to confirm their position and ensure their place in history.

The pictures reproduced in the book do a good job of filling in the stark images the text roughs out for the reader. The amount of research required to produce this book is simply overwhelming and it should be considered the definitive text on this last great geographic race.

There are few books as satisfying as this one, both in the inherent interest of the story and in the literary execution in all its enthralling detail. A few truly excellent books come to mind, such as Rhodes' Making of the Atomic Bomb or Halberstam's Best and the Brightest. This book is indisputably of that caliber and every page exudes the love of the author for its subject.

Huntford tells the story of the conquest of the S Pole as a race between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen just prior to the outbreak of the First World War. On innumerable levels, the book is utterly fascinating: as pure adventure, as a contrast of extraordinary personalities, and (my purpose in reading it) as a management challenge. It also has plenty on the historical context, set against the beginning of the decline of the British Empire at the same time that a Norwegian nationalism was being forged. It was also the last great exploration that was done largely without higher technological vehicles such as airplanes and land rovers.

On the one hand, there is Scott, the quintessential bureaucrat of the British Navy: he is most comfortable in a huge hierarchy that lends him indisputable authority and is driven by a smoldering ambition and hopes to advance himself via the discovery of the S Pole. He is exceedingly rigid, arrogant yet painfully insecure, and pathetically unsuited to command. His failure to learn, in part because he is more comfortable at a desk with books than in observing real life, eventually leads to the ultimate failure. Nonetheless, he embodied a certain British romantic ideal, which he consciously cultivated: the heroic explorer who takes great risks for the sake of discovery and national glory. With his remarkable physical stamina and literary gifts, he created a legend for himself that his ambitious widow spent a lifetime advancing.

On the other hand, there is a consummate professional explorer, Amundsen, who decided at age 15 that he would master Arctic travel and live the life of a discover. Amundsen systematically learned how Eskimos lived, from their primitive technology (perfectly adapted to the polar climate) to their languages, and apprenticed to the greatest arctic explorer of the age (Nansen). He was also a shrewd and natural leader, able to lead a "happy ship" without rigid hierarchy of command. It is a case study in highly capable management of a monomaniac, and as we should all know, he succeeds (I give nothing away here). This book explains why in wonderful detail.

The reader really comes to feel that he knows these men by the end of the book. At every step, we witness a subtle psychology emerge. Genius though he might have been, Amundsen made plenty of mistakes and lived a lonely and unhappy life, much like a general who spends years, or even decades, planning a decisive victory that is decided in only a few hours of combat and then feels hollow. Scott, for all his disorganization and petty egotism, was better with the media and more in sych with the expectations of his times, which explains why his story of a noble failure eclipsed that of Amundsen for so long.

Warmly recommended. This is a great gift book and a truly splendid read. If you are considering getting it, you won't be disappointed.

The secret garden is a good and loved book. This book shows that nature would change human's personality how much.
The main characters in this book ware Mary and Collin. They are cousin and always cross and nervous. They have a point of sameness. They have lost his mother in child. The reason of their nervous character was affected their environment. In early, Mary's mother was not care of her daughter and Collin lost his mother in his one year. Mary changed his mind more and more because Martha concerned to her at first time. One day, Mary found the secret garden, which was not opened for ten years. Mary and Collin worked hard for recovery garden. They effort to garden's live, to have keep the secret.
I would you read this book what secret is. When you read the end of story, you would experience miracle. And then you will think about your family and your life. Through this book we will recognize what we love, how we love and whom we love at first. Furthermore, when you are lonely,read this book.

I am EAD a fifth grade student at Wadron Mercy Academy.
A sour nine year old, Mistress Mary, has just moved to her uncle's mansion in a far lonely place. She has moved here because Mary made a nasty wish that her parents and maids would die, and it came true! Now, Mary is lonly and unwanted by everyone. Mary's uncle is a widower who has one son named Colin.
Soon, Mary becomes used to this place and explores all of the gardens. She has an Irish friend named Deacon. Deacon and Mary explore all of the gardens. Does Mary, Deacon, and Colin find the magic garden that their aunt had locked up? Find out what happens to Mary, Deacon, a krippled boy Colin, Mary's mysterious uncle, and the magic garden. ... I think this book was a real page turner. I could not put this exciting book down. I highly recommend this book. It is a classic of all times! I rate this book #1 of all the books I have read. I also recommend the movie.

The Secret Garden (book review)

Soon Kim
June 18, 2002

Do you believe in magic? If you read The Secret Garden you will experience the amazing magic, I am sure.
Mistress Mary Lennox was born in India. Her parents paid no attention to her. Mary is not loved by all, she is spoiled, gloomy, sullen, and selfish in India. Suddenly, her parents die and she goes to live with her uncle on the Yorkshire moors of England. But also her uncle is an apathetic person.
When she arrived in Yorkshire she found another person who looked like herself. He is her selfish sickly cousin Colin. Mary and Colin discover his mother's garden. They take care of flowers and trees together, and they have a great deal of fun together. Mary learns to accept that there are other people in the world, and she helps Colin. The garden's magic makes the two children's characters normal and happy through good people and the beautiful secret garden.
I wish that you would read this book; if you need to love, if your mind has been devastated, if your life is dry and boring, if you lose interest in everything, then read The Secret Garden and your mind will sprout " The word is so beautiful." I still smell many kinds of sour smelling blushful roses in the secret garden. The sweet roses are coloring my mind still ......... I love them so.

It would appear that there is a general consensus from Nevada Barr fans that they like this book and feel it is consistent with her other novels. This being the first Nevada Barr book I have read, I can only provide prospective of an avid mystery fan.

Nevada Barr clearly does a good job of putting you in the setting. You can visualize the Natchez Trace Park and the surrounding area. It is apparent that she spent the time working there and she translates her experience well.

That being said, the amount of detail about the area becomes exhaustive. I found myself skimming thru pages (not paragraphs) that went into the description of the area. This made the book move slow.

As far as the mystery itself, it almost plays an incidental part in the novel. The solution itself is pretty weak and only plays a key part in the last 30 pages or so. The book revolves mainly around the life and surroundings of park ranger, Anna Pigeon. This approach to the book made it very easy to put down, and I would hardly call it a page turner. The sign of a good mystery is a book that keeps you guessing and has you eager to get the next page to find out what will happen next or what clue will surface. This lacked that.

If you want a book that puts you in the middle of Mississippi, with a mystery on the side then this is for you. However, if you are looking for a solid mystery book then I would suggest you move on.

This is the first novel that I have read by Nevada Barr, but I plan to "go back" and read the rest in this series because I really enjoyed the Anna Pigeon character. Also, the book had vivid descriptions of the area and persons surrounding the Natchez Trace which added much to the tale.

Anna has just assumed a management forest service job on the Natchez Trace. She is the first woman in such a position in this area of the "Deep South," and is subject to significant animosity on several fronts, especially from her two long-timer subordinates. Unfortunately, within days a local girl is found murdered in her jurisdiction, under peculiar circumstances. Along with her charming counterpart in the Sherrif's office, Anna dives into the investigation, although she has little understanding of the relationships and dynamics among the locals.

This is not the most suspenseful page-turner that I have read, although the mystery remains well-concealed until the end. It is, however, a very pleasant read. I highly recommend it.

I've enjoyed every Nevada Barr mystery I've read, which is all of them except for "Blind Descent." "Deep South" is no exception. In fact, it's one of my favorite entries in the Anna Pigeon series, even though I've never been farther south than Virginia and am a native of California who's always lived there. I've enjoyed the other novels immensely with their predominant western venues, but one of the joys of reading about Anna Pigeon's adventures in law enforcement as a U.S. National Park Ranger is the vicarious experience of traveling and experiencing new places. Nevada Barr is excellent at making the reader feel as if he or she were actually there.

In "Deep South," we readers get to have an experience of the southern portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. Some interesting characters are introduced -- people who make Anna's professional life interesting, positively and negatively, as she has assumed a management position in a completely unfamiliar park venue and a part of the country that is utterly new to her.

The plot is specific to the place and reveals much about local residents who live in towns and cities adjacent to the Trace. If I have a complaint at all, it's that Anna is subject once again to great injury and this time I found it upsetting. I had to put the book down and tell myself, "This is fiction. Anna Pigeon is not a real human being." I came to realize is that I wish she were a real human being.

One of the best parts of this book is the introduction of a new character who looks to be a promising love interest for Anna, someone she actually deserves who deserves her, too. We shall see in forthcoming books what happens in this regard as Anna progresses through her 40s.

Read "Deep South" and you'll feel the heat and humidity, experience aspects good and bad of Southern culture and politics, and learn the obvious truth that racism there, while firmly entrenched and prevalent, isn't universal.

Nevada Barr writes this novel very convincingly as she ought to -- her most recent post as a ranger with the National Park Service was on the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi and even though she's now working as a novelist, she still lives in that state.

I first noticed Mr. Braithwaite's Wonderland Murders featured in the Sisters in Crime celebration issue of Publishers Weekly within the pages of an article profiling "Rising Stars" of mystery fiction. In an age in which men are writing in the voices of female protagonists and white Americans are creating leads of the widest possible variety of ethnic backgrounds, I found it refreshing to read this book by an African-American author starring a Latino private detective.

While set in today's suburban Los Angeles, its story reaches beyond the standard updated Raymond Chandler/Ross Macdonald sub-genre. The Wonderland Murders tells a tale of our time with serious social themes planted at its core. With a series of murders at the heart of the story, the novel deals with themes such as exploitation and assimilation with basic American values reverberating from its literary soul. Jesse Ascencio, his family, and the supporting characters are marvelous creations. The final plot twist came as an utter surprise, though it fit in perfectly with the events of the story.

I believe Mr. Braithwaite will be a rising star of mystery fiction, and I am most happy to have discovered this trendsetting mystery.

Wow! It's about time for mysteries like this one! According to the latest Census data, the Latino population has become the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS introduces a private eye who is perfectly representative of our ethnicity. Jesse Ascencio is a professional Hispanic man with roots in America's working class. He's a lot like people I know, except he is a private cop, a tough private cop. He's confronted with a series of murders at an amusement park in suburban Los Angeles. Working comfortably in the multicultural wonderland that southern California has become, Jesse investigates these murders and eventually solves the crimes after confronting exploitation and personal danger in any number of guises. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS also introduces a fascinating, and culturally diverse, group of supporting characters. Jesse's Anglo wife. His parents and in-laws. His darling children. His best friend--a black cop. THE WONDERLAND MURDERS is obviously the first mystery in a new series. Bring on the next book! Viva Jesse Ascencio!

I heard Kent Braithwaite speak while he was featured on an author panel at Pasadena's Left Coast Crime convention flanked by Roger L. Simon and Robert Ferrigno. What company Mr. Braithwaite keeps! Both Ferrigno and Simon are bestselling legends. Some questions from the packed conference room were aimed by name to Braithwaite, and he held his own with his heavyweight companions.

Following the panel, I picked up The Wonderland Murders, got it autographed, and read it in one night. Braithwaite's book is a fast-paced thriller that Ferrigno quoted Newsweek as saying "might well be a great book." It was.

It's a modern noir work featuring a Hispanic family man private eye. It takes place in sunny Southern California, and reveals the darkside of that paradise. It is a mystery that deserves the notice it has received and is still receiving. I'm thrilled I bought this thriller.

The Grand Canyon is certainly one of the most beautiful, awe inspiring places on this earth. I have visited the Canyon 7 times. On my most recent trip I purchased this book the day after my friend and I completed our 5th rim to rim (in a day) trek. After reading this marvelous account I now realize how many potentially fatal mistakes we have made through the years.
This book is extremely well written and has many of the qualities of a page turning thriller. The authors are quite knowledgable and bring their passion for the material to the page. Some of the middle chapters lag but all in all it is a very good read.
I will return to the Canyon and enjoy it's awe insiring beauty, and challenge myself on it's demanding trails but I will do so with a healthy sense of caution and respect.

This is a surprisingly long (368+ pages) and delightfully readable compilation and explication of hundreds of deaths within the Grand Canyon. This is a must read for Grand Canyon hikers and river runners, and an interesting read for anyone else who has an interest in understanding how nature can fatally surprise any of us. Through this book you'll discover the specific circumstances of accidental and not-so-accidental death for dozens of individuals and learn, in many instances, ways to avoid similar problems in your own journey to the Canyon. The authors include well-written narrative, easy to read tables and statistics, and lots of references for those bent on further research or reading.

Whether you've already been to the Grand Canyon, are planning to go, or are simply interested in the sometimes deadly impact of this incredible landscape on people I think you'll enjoy this book.

I was at the Grand Canyon North Rim a few weeks ago. Looking for information at the visitor's office, I was cautioned that a hike into the canyon is extremely dangerous and difficult. This was made clear both in the literature and by the person behind the desk. I was skeptical - I mean how tough can hiking be - and wondered if these cautions were dramatic. The night before I was to hike down, I wandered into the gift shop and flipped through this book. Before I could say "help!" I was laying down bucks to take it back to my cabin for a nightly reading experience which ran from incredulity to horror to fear for my own safety. Because of this book, I cautioned my hiking buddy not to wander off the trail, not to pretend to be falling and to avoid the temptation to urinate over the edge of a cliff (sorry ladies, it's a guy thing, and it's gotten a number of us killed). He later admitted that he was, in fact, tempted to do all these things which proves how naturally we invite accidents. Needlesstosay, after hearing about the intense heat and cases of dehydration we packed lots more water. Despite the heat headaches and blisters at the end of the day, it was a fantastic hike that ended with an awesome respect for nature.

This book breaks through the assumption that a national park can be visited with the same indifference to safety as an amusement or theme park. It is written in a surprising straight-forward manner with direct comments on safety. There are discussions about how some deaths could have been avoided, as well as intelligent and professional assessments regarding events surrounding obscure or unwitnessed accidents. Accidents of all manner are organized and discussed: on the rim of the Grand Canyon (picture-taking on the rim can become a nearly fatal activity!), by environmental conditions, by flash floods, on the Colorado river, by aviation, suicide and freak accidents. Each chapter is followed by a list of victims and brief circumstances surrounding their deaths.

There's a lot of history here and several tales of prospectors and frontier adventurers. Some of the stories of more recent accidents are deeply disturbing and demonstrate how much people have suffered. This book serves not only as chronicle of deaths in the Grand Canyon but also as a guide to those who visit and appreciate the enormous power of the place.

If you thought that Disneyland was the best place to work, think again. Disney is not immune to problems, and this book tells all about them. Koenig takes an un-edited, behind the scenes look at Disney. Read about how Disneyland has changed since Disney's death. Or what really goes on with those people who wear the larger then life Mickey and Minnie Mouse suits. What you don't know won't hurt you. So if you want to go to Disneyland thinking that it IS the 'Happiest Place on Earth,' then you may not want to read this book.

I am a huge Disney fan. I have been to Disneyland and Disneyworld many times, and found this book very interesting, and suprisingly, very funny. When I first saw this book, I thought it would just show some behind-the-scenes things that go on at Disneyland. It definitely does a lot of that, but what makes this book so great is all of the funny stories it tells about things that have happened at Disneyland. However there are also some stories that are not so funny, but very interesting. If you are someone who does not want to think that Disney does anything bad, DO NOT READ THIS. It tells about some of the bad things the company has done to try and not ruin it's squeaky clean image. But still, it s a good book for any Disney fan to read. If you have ever been to Disneyland, and want to hear some good, funny stories about the park, read this. But if you don't want to hear about the bad things the company does, pass on this book.

Are you obsessed with the mouse? Do you love Disneyland? Or are you just curious what makes Disney tick?

Personally, I fit in with the last two questions. I have visited Disneyland numerous times and everytime I've always asked myself and (to their annoyance) my family how did the Disney company make such a place. This same question is often asked by an audience member watching a magic show -- how did s/he created the illusion? Well, this book reads like a truthful tabloid. Sounds like a contradiction? It's not.

While I was reading this book I felt like I had picked up the latest issue of a weekly tabloid that proudly read on the front cover "Ex-employee of Disney tells all!" But this story is truth, unlike the majority of the tabloids, I'm sure. If you wanted to know how Disneyland works, read this book. I was laughing and enjoying the reading from cover to cover. Being an ex-amusement park employee myself (Legoland, CA. for over a year) I could related to a lot of the stories that were told by Disneland employees (or I should say cast members). This book will give you a new perspective about the mouse and his land. I think it's a very good read!