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Margery Allingham is a great writer. Albert Campion is a classic figure in mystery literature and I hope they never stop reprinting her books. I haven't been able to read many Allingham books but I can say that this is one of her best. The mystery is fascinating and she provides a wonderful twist in the plot right in the end. Just when you think it's all figured out. Wham! Even Campion is shocked. This is the first Allingham I read and I was hooked. Campion is such an intrigueing character. Sometimes he's not even the main character in her books, but he's still a force to be reckoned with. A character that adds much warmth and richness to Allingham's books and particularly this one, is Magersfontein Lugg, Campion's valet, butler, cook, etc. He also happens to be a former burglar, I believe. Writers like Allingham don't happen all the time and I wish I had discovered her sooner. Any book written by her is bound to be good and I also recommend Tiger in the Smoke. Wonderful suspense too.

No doubt Allingham fans will remember Uncle William from "Police at the Funeral." William's near miss with the British legal system and the death of his mother having left him at loose ends, so he decides to write his memoirs. Having lived an unexceptional life, William decides to make it up out of whole cloth. Unexpectedly, the book, "Memoirs of an Old Buffer," becomes a comic bestseller. To ice the cake, a musical review, starring Jimmy Sutane, the dancer, is a runaway success. All should be roses.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Freak accidents and practical jokes have dogged the cast of the play, and nerves are running high. Uncle William calls in Albert Campion to help resolve the problems and return things to normal. After a backstage visit Campion accepts an invitation to Sutane's country house, where he meets Sutane's long time friend Squire Mercer, his understudy Benny Konrad, supporting actress Chloe Pye, and many other players in the drama about to unfold. Much to Campion's shock he find's himself stricken by Suntane's wife, Linda. Everything comes to a head when Chloe Pye falls off a road bridge directly in front of Sutane's moving vehicle. The inquest is inconclusive, unable to decide if se was pushed, fell, or jumped.

Completely befuddled by his feelings for Linda, Campion has difficulty focussing on the case. He withdraws, providing help only sporadically. Not even the sudden tragedy of the bombing murder of Benny Konrad, which leaves 15 people dead or injured, seems to rouse him from this state. Finally, it is the pleas of Linda herself that arouse him to the hunt again. Even so, it is an unwilling Campion that follows the trails to their inevitable, tragic conclusion.

This is one of Allingham's most difficult books. Truly, we are not used to an unwilling Campion. Without the precious antics of Magersfontein Lugg, Campion's manservant, the overall tone of the book would be darkly somber. Yet the writing is some of her best. Character depictions are deep and well made. There are moments in the dialog and narrative that attain an almost poetic clarity. The plot is complex and moves along well. And, for those of us who do not always pay close attention, the ending is a bit of a surprise. Allingham has wandered onto uncharted waters in "Dancers in Mourning," and she has done very well.

Uncle William Faraday (POLICE AT THE FUNERAL) was at lose ends for awhile after Albert Campion cleared up that bit of unpleasantness for the family a while back. After his mother passed on William needed something to occupy his time - and replenish his bank account, and so decided to write his memiors. Unfortunately Uncle William, other than that distastful murder business, had not led a very exciting life and his memiors reflected that. Being Uncle William he had no problem spicing them up a bit. Anyone else would have been exposed as a fraud but once again Uncle William was undeservedly lucky and his book was adapted for the stage, becoming a hit musical. When his old friend Campion turned up again Uncle William was happily included in the perpetual cast party being hosted by the star of the production, Jimmy Sutane, at his country house.

Sadly this is where the luck runs out and the trouble begins. Albert quickly becomes involved in the midst of things, sorting out the petty practical jokes that have been plaguing the production, unearthing old scandals, current rivalries and the odd murder or two.

This is the ninth CAMPION novel and Allingham has really hit her stride, Campion is now very much his own person with his own unique style. The mysteries (and there are several questions to be answered) are all clever, the clues are fairly laid out for the reader to follow and the characters, both old and new, come to life. This is an excellent read, definitely a 'must' for fans of the series but it would probably be better to begin the series with the earlier books.

I've often wondered what it would be like if Margery Allingham decided to write an English country manor mystery. I knew instinctivley that it would be nothing like anything we've seen from Patricia Wentworth or even Agatha Christie. Well, now I need wonder no longer. This is an English country manor mystery like none you've ever read before. For one thing it is much more sinister and much darker than the books from this genre usually are. Secondly, it's written by the grand mistress of crime Miss Allingham herself. We are treated to another look entirely at Albert Campion - different than anything before. The main difference is that he is much more personally involved with this one than he usually is, and he knows that too. And because he knows that he is not comfortable with it and tries repeatedly to pull himself away, but finds that he can never successfully withdraw from trying to solve these crimes. The book is also different for Miss Allingham and her hero Campion because it is set within the theatrical set. And what an excellent job she does of portraying the artistic temperament. It also goes to show that not only Ngaio Marsh can excel in this particular arena. You must read this book if you are interested to hear more since I will not spoil the fun for anyone. If you've never read Margery Allingham before this may be a good place to start, but bear in mind that the plot is quite different from most of her books about Campion.

This calendar is awesome !! There are 12 pages with Alias stars and it is perfect for the walls. If you love ALIAS you should get this ASAP..

This calender has GREAT pics from season 4! If you are truely an Alias fan you should deff have this hanging on your wall. I love the pictures and its so exciting to see who it will be for each month =)

I am not going to go into explicit detail on so simplistic an item.

The actual day-to-day calendar aspect of this product is typical for wall-mounted calendars. The pictures this time are a little fresher, and there are more of them, which is a good thing. Nearly every shot is a promo shot from Season 4 (of course) and while I could wish for some perhaps more original stances and poses, if you're an Alias fan, it's always nice to see one of your favorite cast members when you need to check the date or your plans for the month. A smallish version of the photos is up on this site, so you can tell what you're getting before you buy.

Only fans would get a kick out of this, but if you're a fan, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

What is great about the "Alias: 2006 Wall Calendar" is that it really is an "Alias" calendar and not a Jennifer Garner as Sydney Bristow calendar. After the month of January, which features a head shot of Garner as Sydney as the main photograph, with three candid shots of Sydney in disguise and one of her with Michael Vaughn, the star of the show never gets another photograph as big in the rest of the entire calendar. Yes, there are more pictures of Jennifer Garner than anybody else in the calendar, but the rest of the cast members in the ensemble each get their own pages (as a point of contrast and comparison, "The Buffy the Vampire Slayer 2006 Wall Calendar" has five pages for Buffy and only three other cast members get a month to call their own).

To name names the others getting the one big and four small shots are Ron Rifkin as Arvin Sloane, Michael Vartan as Michael Vaughn, Carl Lumbly as Marcus Dixon, Kevin Weisman as Marshall Flinkman, Greg Grunberg as Eric Weiss, Mia Maestro as Nadia Santos, and Victor Garber as Jack Bristow. If there are interesting shots of any of the characters undercover (e.g., Marcus Dixon doing his island guy routine) those are usually included in the candid shots. But I also want to note that for most of these shots the actors certainly look like they are in character, which is a nice touch. As a result, this is one of the better calendars for a television show that is out there this holiday season.

The calendar part of the calendar gives you the phases of the moon and national holidays. If you actually want to write things down on the calendar to remember appointments, birthdays and the date of the final episode of "Alias." The show will end in 2006 but the calendars should continue for a while as a retrospective for the show. That is already true for the 2006 version given that Vaughn is dead, Nadia is in a coma, and Weiss has a new day job (not that death, lack of consciousness or new employment has prohibited any of the characters from appearing in episodes this last season). But when ABC started playing around which where "Alias" was in the schedule I figured it was going to be the end of the road for the series.

This gorgeous novel reflects many of the ideas found in "A Room Of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf, with whom Vita had a famous affair. After the death of her husband, the Earl of Slane, Lady Slane shocks her staid family by asserting her own will, leaving the house she kept with her husband, and settling into a small house in the countryside. Finally after seventy years, Lady Slane is determined to live as she chooses, with a life full of contemplation, dreams, and memories. She reflects on her lost ambition to be a painter, but knows that the life she lived was not without merit or value. She finds passion in the freedom to choose, and this gift she bequeaths to the one member of her family who understands its importance.

I meandered my way to this book through Sarah Ban Breathnach's treasure of self-excavation, Simple Abundance. I had read Anne Morrow Lindbergh because of her recommendation too. AML & Charles Lindbergh were good friends with Vita Sackville-West & her husband, Nigel Nicholson. So I finally got around to Vita Sackville-West & this book. It was so moving, wonderful, unforgettable, that I will reread it. I laughed & cried. I will try to find older copies of this to give away to dear friends, old & new. It's one of those books. I'm 41 & have sacrificed much for the men & children in my life that I nonetheless love so dearly. This book helped me bring those feelings of ambivalence into focus. It also helped me realize I'm relatively young & still have time to live the life I've dreamed of since I was a little girl. Maybe this "child-bearing years" thing was just a detour.

This curiously overlooked novel was revived by a Masterpiece Theater production starring Dame Wendy Hiller, which like this novel was superb. The gentle story of an elderly woman's retirement while her forceful children squabble over unimportant matters is at once comic and poignant. The author has peppered the tale with curious, memorable characters, among them the eccentric art collector who is allowed to eat in portrait galleries because museums hope he will donate to them when he dies; the benign landlord Bucktrout, who sees Lady Slain's desire for peace at home; and the coffin maker who pictures people dead to reveal their true characters. This fine little masterpiece deserves to be read today.

How effortlessly Ms. Sackville-West spins her surprisingly moving story of an aging aristocrat who, near the end of her life, decides to do those things she could never do before as she sublimated herself to her strong, successful and controlling husband. This classic British diplomat, who expected to be obeyed because such were the times, was, after all, so much more important than she was and what an interesting life she had in his shadow, didn't she - so conscientious and such a good wife and mother. What she does when he dies, how she perceives her existence and her place in her family - and how they respond - will catch you up in its wake and carry you to the ending, which is perfect and thus bittersweet. I found this a memorable novella.

This is one of the most thoroughly researched film biographies I have ever seen. This book relates the life story of Tom Mix, the silent movie star who dominated Hollywood in its early years. Jensen has provided extensive documentation of all the information contained in this work, including material from original sources stored in the back rooms of libraries and museums. Due to the research and reliance on original documents (personal letters, court records, etc.), there is a considerable amount of material contained in this book that has never been published before now. This book is a true tribute to Tom Mix, and will serve as the definitive biography of his life and career for many years to come.

One of the better books on Tom Mix.I really enjoyed this one,it
tells the Mix story warts & all.Apart from spelling errors & some incorrect facts Mix fans will go for this one.A good proof
reader would have helped!!!
John,"B" Western fan.

"The Amazing Tom Mix" reads like a novel but it's a biography, which to me made it all the more enjoyable. I only knew a little about Tom Mix but my parents remembered him, so I read it and then gave it to them to read. All of us agreed that the book was fascinating. There is so much detail in the book, but you don't get bogged down in it. It's just a great book.

I loved this book and agree with these two reviews that were on the back cover:

"Here is Tom Mix as he really was ... captivating ... enchanting ... a splendid book."
- Richard S. Wheeler, five-time Spur Award winning author of "Trouble In Tombstone."

"...the most complete biography of Mix's life of trials, tribulations and victories."
- John Duncklee, author of "Bull By The Tale."

"Anakin's Fate" is a story about what happens to the slave boy before he meets Padme and the Jedi. The official prequel novels all have about a third of additional story that never made it onto the silver screen. Terry Brooks' "Phantom Menace" is no exception as there is a great deal of time and energy spent on Tatooine with 'Annie' long before his destiny intersects with Qui-Gon Jinn. "Anakin's Fate" is closely based on some of these events that happen long before the Nubian blockade. In this part of Anakin's life, we experience the podrace that he and Watto allude to in Episode I: "he smashed up my pod in the last race." The reader also spends time with Kitster, the Jawas and space pilots. Marc Cerasini beautifully flushes out Anakin's character. The Jedi Readers can be a mixed bag in terms of quality and this one is surprisingly well written. Until readers advance enough to handle the Terry Brooks novel, "Anakin's Fate" is a great title to read prior to watching "the Phantom Menace."

It was AMAZING!!!! ESPECIALLY when Anakin dreamed about wining the podrace. Watto is EXTREMELY mean and selfish!!!!!!!!
When he sent Anakin to Mochat Steep.
He could have bought them, but he was too cheap. This is the best book I have ever READ.

My 4 year old loves to have these books read to him. Before I introduced these books to him he was at a much simpler level of book, but his interest - because of the droids (robots) has helped him grow into these. My 7 year old devours them by reading them to himself and to his brother.

It talks about the fate of Anakin Skywalker. I thought it was a good and detailed book. It gets right to the point.

Angel and Co. once again comes through in the end. Loved reading this novel that featured Fred, who's one of my favorite characters on the TV show. Such a good story, but trying to imagine what the various demons looked like was truly a challenge. Nonetheless, a good story. Recommend to all fans of the show and the novels.

When Fred is kidnapped, the LA crew are is panic to find her before sunrise or else Angel will burn in exchange for Fred's life. So what follows is a hilarious chase of wacky demons, gang wars, dead leads and cinnamon smells. This Angel is book is refreshingly new and has great characterisation of the newer characters, Fred and Lorne. The highlight is how Lorne is written. It is a basic who-dun-it book with lots of twist and turns that will keep you in suspense because everyone is a suspect. Demonologists will be pleased with the great characterisation and imagination of the demons. Its fast paced and the passages of Lorne questioning each eye witness demon is a definite highlight. Passages with Fred may be a bit slow for some readers though. Overall, this is a great book and will not disappoint anyone. There's suspense, mystery, thrills, comedy and drama!

Party night at Caritas. The team is celebrating their successful return from Pylea, the reconstruction of Lorne's bar, Fred's rescue, and the good life in general when an explosion outside the club interrupts the fun. A fire blazes across the street, then a half-hearted drive by shooting. When the smoke clears, Angel counts heads, and Fred is missing - kidnapped on her first timid foray into Los Angeles.

We quickly find out that, like humans, the demon patrons of Caritas are spotty witnesses. Of course, the fact that everyone was face down on the concrete doesn't help one bit. As a result, the team splits up - doing research, questioning witnesses, and scouring the city. Squeezing every microscopic clue for some element of the truth.

As the story switches from character to character it becomes clear that Fred's kidnappings is more than a 'grab the girl - get the money' action. The story turns into a classic race against sunrise, with much more than Fred's life at stake. But there are additional levels of complexity, as we meet the habitués of Caritas and delve in the demon life style as only Los Angeles could know it.

Jeff Mariotte is an old hand at creating popular fiction out of the world of Buffy, Angel, Charmed, Startrek and others too many to name. His writing style is consistently solid, and he makes an effort to understand and deepen his characters within the context of their shows. His books are often interesting as well as entertaining, and he avoids the temptation to simply go from one fight scene to another. Classic Angel for the vampire addict.

Sanctuary is just wonderful. Here is a preview: The Fang gang is just chilling in the Host club, when an exploshion happens that draws everyone outside. Next a car comes by and starts shooting, but no one is killed or hurt. When everyone gets inside they discover Fred is nowhere to found. The Fang Gang go into detactive mode, but can't find any leads. Lorne talks to all the demons in the club, but each tells a different story of what they saw. Who took Fred and what do they want with her? Will Angel find her before it's too late? Will Lorne figuer out which denons our liying and which our telling the truth? to find out read the book. Mariotte capture's Fred perfectly on the page. Best I've seen to date in the novels. Sanctuary reminded me of the BTVS Eposide 'Choices' in season 3, and the moive Ransome with Mel Gibson. So if like that moive or that Buffy ep you will love Sanctuary. Can't wait for Mariotte's new Angel novel Solitary man, this winter.

Words cannot totally express how much this book has helped to define my outlook on life. It covers many important issues, not only of the time it was written but also of today. Cleaver had a clear perspective of life when he wrote this book and it shows greatly. The chapter entitled "Soul on Ice" is a part of the book that I will not allow myself to forget. Eldridge Cleaver was a very evident literary genius and moreover, a gifted prophet of how everything in life "hangs by such thin and whimsical threads."

This is by far the best book I have ever read in my whole life. Once I picked up the book I could not put it down. Eldridge Cleaver talks about the things almost no one else would dare to talk about one of the greatist books of this century. Eldridge talks about the black man's stake in Vietnam, how it really is behind bars, Malcolm's death and offers a real look about Black America. This is one of the greatist men who ever lived who takes a real look at a racist America. A great novel and a real page turner.

Going by this text alone, it would appear that, unfortunately, going to prison is the most enlightening experience that Eldridge Cleaver has ever undergone. The epiphanies and revelations that Cleaver makes from his cell at Folsom State Prison reach deep into the soul and psyche of the African-American male, and uncover many truths here-to-fore considered taboo. A definite must-read!

This is by far the best book I have ever read in my whole life. Once I picked up the book I could not put it down. Eldridge Cleaver talks about the things almost no one else would dare to talk about one of the greatist books of this century. Eldridge talks about the black man's stake in Vietnam, how it really is behind bars, Malcolm's death and offers a real look about Black America. This is one of the greatist men who ever lived who takes a real look at a racist America. A great novel and a real page turner.

I've watched the Japanese version of "Mewtwo Strikes back" and this book fits it to a perfect T! The BEST adaptation of the movie that I've seen! And to qoute another reviewer, it shows to the readers that Mewtwo is NOT a shallow villian, but more of a tortured philosopher who cannot realize the value of his unnatural life. Takeshi Shudo weaves a tale of a Pokémon-esque Frankenstein, if you will. In the origonal Mary Shelley version of Frankenstein, the monster escapes its master to find others, but doesn't understand why people fear it. it is confused and lashes out in self-defense, the humans labeling it as a "mosnter". They persue it, mainly because they are afraid of something they cannot understand. When i first saw the movie, I related it to the tale of Prometheus, the Greek Titan. The scientists were playing god. They were dabbling in a power that wasn't meant for them. It seemed natural for their creation to turn on them. Though, Mewtwo destroyed them in self-defense and because he was confused.

Blinded by rage and hatred and filled with confusion and emptiness, Mewtwo joined Giovanni, and eventually turned on the human also because he was being used.

I will not speak more of the plot, but I'll say this: This book is a much better adaptation than the actual novelization. If you're looking for a tale of creation, betrayal, and the value of life regardless of one's birth, then consider this book. The art is gorgeous, the story is unforgettable. Kudos to Takeshi Shudo! Domo arigatou for the great story!

Finally, an ACCURATE translation of Mewtwo Strikes Back. The book, the dubbed movie, all of them were severely altered from the true version. However, in the Art book you can finally read true quotes from Mewtwo Strikes Back and see that Mewtwo was no longer such a shallow villan, but rather a tortured philospher who could not realize that value of his unnatural life.

Mewtwo Strikes Back

This book would be enjoyed by someone who likes monsters. In the beginning, Ash, Misty, and Brock go out for a picnic. Meanwhile, Mewtwo is in a lab. Mewtwo is upset when he learned that he was a clone. He used his psychic power to destroy the lab. Mewtwo escapes and form a blue shield to protect himself from the flames. Later, Mewtwo rebuilds the lab that he destroyed and called New Island. Meanwhile when Misty, Brock, and Ash are having their picnic, Mewtwo tells Dragonite to deliver a hologram to Ash Misty, and Brock. The invitation is to come to New Island to see the world's best trainer.But the world's best trainer is really Mewtwo. I think that the movie was better than the book because the movie has the sound of the actors and battle sounds. The movie had more kick to it.2\2\00

This is a lot more accurate than the novelization of Pokemon: The First Movie. It includes a lot of art and pictures from the movie and also includes some quotes on the bottom of the pages from the different scenes. Has both the movie, and Pikachu's Vacation. I was a little concerned about it until I bought it. The book had proven me wrong. It was a lot better than I had expected and it's a book that any Pokemon fan might want to get . An excellent book. 5 stars.

This book - if you can find a copy - is a witty and entertaining companion to the television series. It covers Cooper's life from childhood [and his first audio recorder] through his FBI career [including the tragedies surrounding his partner Windom Earle], and finally ends where the TV series begins. It offers more insight and exploration into Cooper's character beyond what we already see in the show and film.

This, along with The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer (A Twin Peaks Book) and the faux travelguide: Twin Peaks: An Access Guide to the Town, completes a set of official book companions to the series.

One last note: as with "The Secret Diary..." there are a few inconsistencies between the description of some events in the books versus the TV series and the film prequel "Fire Walk With Me", but not enough to detract from the book's value overall.

^o^

This is a wonderful tie-in to the whole "Twin Peaks" mythos. The book is written in the style of a transcript of tapes that Dale Cooper made throughout his life - from childhood, through the initial Windham Earl affair, and ending with the call for Cooper to head to Twin Peaks. (Oddly enough, that's where "Diane..." the audiobook picks up.) Author Scott Frost (brother of Mark Frost, co-creator of "Twin Peaks" with David Lynch) captures the quirky nature of Dale Cooper and the Twin Peaks universe perfectly. From amusing anecdotes in childhood to experiments in college (seeing how long he can go without sleep, without urinating) and beyond, "My Life, My Tapes" helps fill in the unknown quantities of the enigmatic Dale Cooper. If you're a "Twin Peaks" fan who hasn't found a copy of this book yet, I encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful read.

Dale Cooper, How could someone like this write spmething like this? it's beyond me. Dale's life seems to much for anyone but he managed to keep himself together. His closest friends and family all desert him one way or another yet somehow he keeps his head up. I was so amazed by this book and this life thatI am in the process of writing a dramatic script to coinside with it. This book is someone's life this should be shared with everyone. Dale Cooper His Life- His Tapes

I bought this book when I was in eight grade and I connected with it instantly. I'm 24 now and it is still as touching as it was then. I really feel for dale coopers's character. He has so much go wrong and yet he keeps his inocent perspective on the turbulent world around him. This my sound lame, but I think this is a truly great coming of age story.

"Back to the Future, Part 2: A Novel" is so cool! I love the movies, and when I found this book for sale used, I jumped to buy it. Even though I didn't read the first book, I still enjoyed part two. It's a very faithful novelization of the movie, and I found it most interesting to know everyone's thoughts. I must read for a fan of the movies. I recommend.

What a great read. It captures the mood and humor of the movie characters well. It has also been "cleaned-up" from the movie version so it is suitable for all the young readers out there.

This was an excellent book. It had lots of action and it was flawless. I liked the way it described the characters. It never got boring. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Any fan of the Back to the Future triology who wants to be able to take the movie with them should think of picking up this book. One of my favorite movies of all time, Back to the Future Part II goes just as well in book format.

The second part of the famous trilogy , starts off right where the first one ended. Doc Brown shows up in his time traveling Time Machine to take Marty and his girlfriend Jennifer to the future to fix a problem with their future kids. Little do they know that their troubles are far from over after they arrive there. Biff steals the time machine from the future and hands himself a sports almanac giving all the scores for the next half centruy. The time line is totaly changed and its up to Marty and the Doc to fix things before its to late by going back to 1955 where the trouble starts.

The great thing about the book is that it gives more detail then the movie. It goes into what the characters are thinking that we can't see during the movie and gives details that were cut out of the movie as well. Theres a part where Marty meets his brother Dave in an alternate 1985 and his brother is drunk and a bum to say the least. Another moment where the old farmer Peabody from the first movie shows up trying to still get at the DeLorean that busted up one of his pines is pretty intersting as well. Theres also a lot of description of the moments we find ourselves in, so we can pretty much see the movie without having to actualy see it. Its very true to the movie and I think captures the great sequal quite well in book form.

The only true problems I have with it is that they did edit out the curses and even not so bad words making them even nicer then they were. I do feel it took a little away from the book as there aren't that many curses in the movie as it is and it was noticible. Also some of the scenes seemed rushed through towards the end. A lot of the stuff at the end of the 1955 climax of the movie just didn't come off as exciting as it did in the movie. While I know its hard to do a non stop action scene like the tunnel chase where Marty has to get the almanac off of Biff's car in a book, it still came off as half as exciting as it truly was.

Its great to be able to take with you though whereever you are. you can't always bring a VCR or DVD player with you, but this book can always be in hand and it is defiitely a worth while buy as its as much fun as the movie and the movie is one of the greatest sequals of all time.