Elizabeth Berkley Books

Elizabeth Lynn bring a poetry to the often hard-scrabble of science fiction. In a future near-perfect, renown artist Jimson Alleca suffers from a debilitating disease that forces him to remain planet-bound while his lover leaves to experience the different light. When Jimson received a post-card equivelant of a message, he elects to take his life into his own hands, travel off-planet. It is, for Jimson, the journey of a lifetime, as he explores "the hype" meets and learns from "spacers" and even manages to find his first love.

Lynn's prose has a soft elegance to it, flowing from metaphor and allusion into the reality of the surrounding science fiction world that seems so real and has so much depth. There always seems more to explore, more to see, and more to do.

I admit I'm not a fan of sci-fi and the first time I saw it, I was kind of ticked off by the cover. If it wasn't by Elizabeth A. Lynn, I'd have left it alone. But when I started reading it in the bookstore, I just HAD to take it home. It's a wonderful story of a painter, Jimson Alleca, who's fate is to die during a time when a being may achieve immortality. He may live for thirty more years if he stays in his world, but he longs for freedom and wishes to find his love, Russel O'Neill. And maybe, just maybe, he'll also find a cure for his sickness. A truly wonderful story that can only be written by Elizabeth A. Lynn. I read this almost everyday.

i will not discuss ms lynn's writing skill: one page melts in the other and her style is always smooth, delicate, sober, her expressions deceivingly simple sometimes even lyrical. it is a writing made of small touches, light shades, always convincing if not always moving.

the problem here lies in the story: hard as i tried i could not get involved, i could not get to love her characters.
the main issue is that of a love sick young artist doomed by cancer to die early in a world where an intimidating science nearly always guarantees a healthy, long lasting life. this issue, if a bit cerebral, could in itself be touching but in this case it left me cold.
i wanted to feel for the main hero, his lost lover being another man should have helped me identifying, but i simply could not.

it seems to me ms lynn was absent minded while writing this story: while retaining her usual skill she was not and could not move.

Unlike the other reviewer I am a regular reader of sf & f, especially feminist and/ or GLBT-themed sf & f. I love(d) this book!!! I loved it when I first bought it in the late 70's and it is not at all dated. (I re-read it last year and was touched and amazed and overjoyed all over again.) The love story, the space opera and the primary conflict between the two men is as real and vital now as it was when it was first written.

I read this book a number of years ago. I really liked the story and how all the charactors were developed. I liked how she found what she was looking for even though her visions were of the past.

While each of these books stands alone, they do add up to an amazing experience. The third one is perhaps the richest, as the culture seems to have evolved significantly since the first book. I loved the characters and the language. I wish Ms. Lynn had continued to write books like these and to write prolifically.

Down in the Delta, the martial arts and the power of the Red Clan have declined but have also been incorporated partially into general culture. Contrary to the first books of the Tonor series Northern Girl focuses on a female protagonist, but gives also ample space to male characters. The book tells the story of a young girl whose emerging telephatic gifts might eventually lead her far away from every home she knows. While she struggels with the question wheather she should stay or leave and thus loose her lover, who is captian of the guard of her "employer", she is caught in midst of a dangerous political intrigue.

Northern girl revisits the lands of the first two books and closes the circle as Tonor Keep was once founded by a renegrade smith from her southern city. The warm atmosphere of an almost utopian society where men and women can live and love each other freely and without any barrier to create families (including numerous children) in various gay, lesbian and even sometimes straight familiy arrangements is cleverly balanced with action.

This and the detailed descriptions of both characters, the world and the landscape make "Northern Girl" a pleasant summer read, I have read this book numerous times and am glad to ree it reprinted again.

It is a book I can highly recommend to any lower of martial art and utopian fantasy or any age.

I didn't find The Northern Girl as entertaining as the other two in this universe [Watchtower; The Dancers of Arun]; In fact, I didn't find myself much interested in anything until the very end of the book. She continues with her familiar themes: the flexibility of human love and sexual attraction, and the necessity of force to bring and maintain peace. It's as competently written as the other two, though the pacing seems much slower [and it could be that I simply wasn't as interested in the story]. I'm not sorry I read it, but I don't think I'll ever re-read it.

A note: It's not necessary to read the first two books to understand this one; all of them can be read out-of-turn.

I could not put down Sheldon Rusch's THE BOY WITH PERFECT HANDS. This page-turner entertained me with a poetic voice set against crumbling characters and events. I was attracted to the suspenseful piecing together of clues and pushed through the grisly scenes. Hewitt remains a volatile mix of emotion and cerebral control, and I am glad for the messiness. Hewitt's friendships and continuing relationships round out her character and create a richly textured emotional landscape. With Hewitt, the reader can take a moment out of a life and question man's humanity to man as well as within himself. It surfaced with a subtleness and imbued this work with a rich patina of things to come. Why read a horror book? Rusch tugs at how love of oneself and others determines a darkness within or a hope for humanity. Where will Hewitt go from here? I cannot wait to see.

A man is found strangled in his home at the same time a woman is found murdered and posed in an outdoor arena. The pattern happens several times. Illinois State Special Agent Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt is assigned the head up the case. Her new captain is not the father figure like her previous one;, in fact he is more like the evil stepfather who never lets Hewitt forget she slept with a serial killer. Elizabeth has a theory that two different people working in tandem are responsible for the series of murders.

Hewitt's first break comes when she notices that in the house of the male victims, the radio was tuned to the classical station WCLS. On the night of the last murder at 3:03 A.M. Nocturne in E. Flat by Chopin was playing. She thinks the killer got into the apartment and played the song working the victim over just as he did with the other male victims. When she goes over to the radio station, she is shocked to learn that the owner is her old high school friend Jimmy Benson. He tells her that the only disgruntled employee he knows is a radio personality he fired. When Hewitt meets that person her instincts tell her he isn't the killer and she moves the investigation into a different direction one that almost costs her and her lover their lives.

Sheldon Rusch proves he is no one hit wonder with THE BOY WITH THE PERFECT HANDS, a mystery that has luscious rich, literary prose, a likeable "everyman" heroine and a group of suspects that could all be the killers. The investigation progresses naturally from one moment to the next and makes the climax feel very right. The protagonist uses tried and true police methods as well as intuition to crack the case wide open.

Harriet Klausner

Peaches Dann might be forgetful, but she's beginning to resent the labels foisted upon her by well-meaning bystanders. Deputy Wynatt insists that she's "murder prone" and it's turning out to be true.

Peaches accepted the job as a feature reporter for the small town newspaper just so she could avoid crime scenes, but when a childhood friend arrives in her office telling tales of murder and mayhem, she doesn't have much choice. Belle claims Isaiah Hubbel is responsible for the death of her husband, but he's related to half the town and Belle has no evidence.

Despite every intention to stay uninvolved in the investigation, Peaches finds Belle unconscious in the woods, then gets abducted at gunpoint by Hubbel's brother. When Isaiah turns up dead and Belle is the most likely suspect, Peaches doesn't believe she's guilty, and her own list of suspects grows longer by the minute. Using every available memory-sharpening tool, she finally remembers the clue that might give them the answers and takes off on a last minute quest, only to be ambushed by a killer intent on silencing her forever. Has she left enough of a trail for help to find her in time?

For some, Peaches Dann is an old friend. For others, she's a new but quirky heroine. Squire has crafted an amiable character whose erratic memory and her attempts to compensate are endearing, as is her propensity to follow a trail to the truth, wherever it might be found. Squire has obviously found a formula that works. Forget About Murder is not a stay-up-all-night thriller - it's a cozy mystery with likable characters, a colorful setting and a highly satisfying conclusion.

PJ Nunn for The Charlotte Austin Review

It only takes a few pages of the latest Peaches Dann Mystery to realize you are reading a writer at the top of her form. I have followed the development of Peaches from her first investigation, and Forget About Murder grips you, not only from the questions posed in that first chapter, but the power and strength of Ms. Squire's writing. Ms. Squire, tie a string around your finger or use some other memory trick, we want more Peaches!

I found a paperback copy of *Harlem Summer* in a used bookstore, and purchased it on a whim (having lived on the edge of Harlem for several years, I wondered if the book would mention landmarks or spots that I knew). This turned out to be a very compelling, well-written book with excellent characterisations. My favourite character is Old Paul, Mark Two's Grandfather. But really, all the characters were well drawn, believable, and multi-faceted, even the "villains", Dippy and Duke. The novel also works in relevant historical information, concerning the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Marcus Garvey's life and times, etc. Though I found it in the "young adult" section, as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was one of the first books I have ever read. I have read it time and time again from my library when I was around ten. This book is one of the greatest around and If I can find it, I would give it to my children to read it.

I read this because I am a female pre-med student wanting to go into surgery. Dr. Morgan recounts the struggles she had to go through to be a woman in field dominated by men. No matter how tough it got, she stuck with it. This book is inspiring to me as a woman, fascinating to me as a pre-med student, and entertaining to me as a book lover. Dr. Morgan begins from her undergraduate days and goes through medical school, internship, residency, and then ends with her practice. She describes surgical procedures in detail, but not in a way that people don't understand. She also shares views on co-workers and patients. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in surgery as a career or even just has an interest in it!

I read this book for a book report and really got into the plot line. It is a fantastic story about a young women's struggle in a man's world. It was fascinating and enthralling. A great book for people of all ages.

On the day she became engaged to Brady, Illinois State special agent Elizabeth Hewitt is assigned to what will prove to be one of the most horrific cases of her career. She and the daughter of her mentoring Captain has is daughter Jen Spangler job shadowing her. They are sent to the house of Rita Vandermause. There they find her body in a pool of blood, but her head is nowhere around. The obvious first suspect is the victim's estranged husband Joe, but he is found dead with his head missing too.

A second couple is soon discovered dead with their heads missing. Elizabeth and Jen seek the common threads and learn the latest pair was estranged and like the first duet went to Big Shoulders Therapies for marriage counseling; the other commonality is psychiatrist Dr. Gerald Boccachio. Matters turn bizarre when pictures of the dead couples dressed up for a wedding are sent to Mundelein Dispatch owner Byron Biffle, whose father was murdered several years ago in a still unsolved case. Elizabeth has quite a list of suspects so she sends Jen to interview the person she considers least dangerous; her assessment will prove wrong.

SEPARATED AT DEATH is an exciting police procedural showcasing an experienced cop mentoring a criminology student who starts off shadowing her but eventually persuades her teacher to allow her some independent field work. Both women are believable as bright and independent role models. There is plenty of action in this complex mystery, but the heart of the tale is the strong cast because this makes for a credible and terrific investigation by the two dedicated sleuths.

Harriet Klausner

A new engagement ring adorns the hand of Elizabeth Taylor Hewitt. Liz Hewitt, Illinois State Special Agent, has just become engaged to Brady Stephen Richter, who is also a detective. Weddings and marriage is the main theme of Separated at Death but in the most gruesome way imaginable.

Ed Spangler, Liz's superior, teams Liz up with his daughter, Jen Spangler. Jen is a young single mother who still lives at home with her father. She has decided to study criminal justice at the university. Although her father is not happy with her career choice, he has agreed to allow Jen to shadow Liz and get some experience. Jen's first experience is shocking beyond belief. The first call she goes on with Liz is to a residence where a woman has been murdered. The scene is horrifying but made even more so by the fact that the murderer has removed the victim's head, and it is nowhere to be found.

When Liz and Jen go to talk to the victim's estranged husband, they find that he has fallen victim to the same beheading. Therefore, the two investigators, one experienced, one wanting experience, find themselves going down a strange path. Liz meets with the marriage counselors who have counseled the victims. Big Shoulders Marriage and Family Therapy have a unique assortment of counselors for Liz to study. Jen takes off on her own to follow up a cold case that she thinks might have a connection to the violence currently taking place. Jen meets with Byron Biffle, newspaper editor, whose father was murdered years ago.

Jen and Liz approach the investigation from different angles but finally observe the final ceremony that the killer has planned all along.

Separated at Death will intrigue and shock the reader. I would highly recommend the book for any reader that enjoys an exciting read and is not disturbed by violent acts. This book is not for the cozy reader.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended if you can read a good story that also has violent acts in it.

This is one of my all time favorite books, if you're a woman over 40 it's an absolute MUST read... it is also a wonderful anthology of American characters...it made me want to jump in my car and run out to meet these folks...what a great story... it will make you feel not quite so crazy when you feel like jumping out of your skin...pure enjoyment... throw the kids out, get a nice glass of wine, sit down and enjoy this book...

I have read most of Berg's books, but have waited to read this one. Maybe because it's like a long running monologue with the thoughts of one person, Nan. For some reason, she finds herself leaving her husband with just a note, and experiencing a one woman road trip around the country. I suppose that I have avoided it for this long, because I usually don't like reading this kind of format, back and forth writing in her journal and letters to her husband. But, the more I read, the more I was pulled into it.

The question about why she did it, becomes more clear as she travels. She lived her life through her husband and daughter, which seems to happen a lot to those that are reaching middle age wondering, "Is this all that there is?" When she first started writing letters to her husband, she was very detailed about what was going on, I ate here...I did this...etc. She stayed on the surface. While in her journal, she was more honest about how she felt about her life. The longer that she stayed away, her letters to her husband became similiar to her journal entries. She told the truth, no matter how ugly it was.

Although I have always loved Berg's books, she has a tendency to write scenes that are a little bit far fetched and not very realistic. But, I stayed with the book because, like all of her books, she has an eye for detail, simplicity, and beauty. She is the kind of author that all aspiring writers should read.

In the end, I would have enjoyed reading about how Nan's husband viewed the situation, but it was all about her. It was similar to Ladder of Years, by Anne Tyler, but I liked that one a bit better. I would still recommend this book, especially if you are in a quiet mood, and need some solitude.

I've read every book by Elizabeth Berg and I've loved every one...this didn't disappoint. She beautifully captures the human experience in well-crafted language and plot...I eagerly anticipate her new work.

I love to read & never stop reading a book before I'm finished; until I came accross this utter piece of trash. It is extremely pedestrian, mindless and depressing. The writing style equals what you read in a stupid 'women's magazine'. The main character is so incredibly self centered she's a discredit to the female gender. Save your time, save your money, save your brain.

"The Pull of the Moon" is Berg's ultimate delight; it is her diamond in the rough; it is every women's journey into lightness and darkness and her deepest secrets; it is an almanac of what a woman is and where she is going.

Nan is 50 years old and undecided about her life. Although she loves her husband, she still makes the decision to take a road trip to nowhere--anywhere, and the reader is fortunate enough to travel with her. The people she meets along the way are wonderful, insightful, life changing, and strange. But the person she gets to know the most about is
Herself.

This book is overflowing with wisdom and details--beautiful, stunning details about the changes we all go through whether we want to or not; the transformations, internally and externally, we all must endure.

In the first chapter Nan walks into a super market and sees tampons. "I cried for 1 hour," she says.

Every woman will resonate with "Pull of the Moon." It is deliciously sweet and bitter at the same time; it is like a chocolate sundae you want to last forever; the words will spill over the reader like a cascade of truth and love and immaculate realizations.

If you are a Berg lover or a woman or searching for truth--this book will burn beautifully inside your inner chickness. I can't believe Oprah hasn't picked up on it yet.

A revelation and highly reccomended !!!!

I have read just about everything Elizabeth Berg has written & am always looking forward to her next book. This is a beautifully written book that brings you into the lives of such real, believeable people....people you want to reach out & hug, to drive to the hospital, watch their kids, bring them over a casserole. Elizabeth draws you slowly into their lives, making you care about them, cry with them & laugh out loud with them. The book's title is as much about the book characters themselves as it is about the author's growth as a writer. She only gets better with each book!

I have enjoyed reading books by Elizabeth Berg. I couldn't wait to find out the ending of this book. This writer has a unique talent with words on paper. She describes things in a way that allows the reader to see things a little different. I find myself absorbed not only in the story but the way she tells it. This was a unique plot. It isn't just the story of a woman whose husband is in a coma. It is a story of the things in her life that help her cope. From the next door neighbor who is losing her husband to another, to the apparition who distracts her enough to help take her mind off her troubles. This is another great read by Berg! Highly recommend

I particularly liked Berg's "Open House" but was extremely disappointed with "Range of Motion." The story begins when Lainey's husband, Jay, is hit on the head by ice falling from a building and is rushed to the hospital. There he remains in a coma. Lainey brings Jay's favourite things from home with the hope that scents, sounds, smells and feel of familiar things will help him come out of the coma.

The book seems to drag on forever and the characters have absolutely no substance or realistic quality. They remind me of wind-up toys going through the motions (maybe that is what prompted the title, "Range of Motion?)and feeling nothing. Lainey's best friend, Alice, adds nothing to the book and the ghost of a woman who previously lived in Lainey's home is just too bizarre and far-fetched to be believable. The ending was predictable almost from page one. What more can I say, "The booked is boring, dull, a chore to finish, and now sits in my compost bin."

Elizabeth Berg has done it again! She's written another brilliant novel that touched this reader on a deeply emotional level. While correctly classified as a family/medical drama and not a romance novel, it was sweetly romantic in its hopeful and life-affirming message. The vividly described details brought the setting and situation to life, making them very real and tangible. I adored Lainey: Her tenderness, her strength, her unwavering belief and faith, her devotion and level of commitment, her coping mechanisms. Evie and Alice were such wonderfully supportive characters. It was fascinating to be able to "listen in" on Jay's thoughts while he was in the coma.

Once again Elizabeth Berg delivers a heartwarming tale of true friendship - I love her characters, the way they relate, the believable (and enviable) bond between her female friends. I have read several of Berg's books and have loved them all - this one made me both laugh and cry. I would definitely recommend it.

I liked the way it starts out, and stays in Darcy's point of view and perspective. Very good imagry as you could see youself there with him.
His interactions and view of Elizabeth Bennet exactly as F. Darcy would view her as well.

If you have enough stress in your life, escape for a while into the world of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. This story stays true to the original yet gives the reader more insight into the characters and the era. Good clean fun and a very nice read.

I cannot usually bear to read expansions, continuations, revisions, or prequels of Jane Austen -- I tend to hurl them down before I reach page three. They all fail miserably to sound like Austen, and I'm appalled at the hubris the authors exhibit in attempting it.

But this book sneaked around my prejudice by being -not- in the voice of Austen, but in the voice of Darcy, and I enjoyed it very much. It was funny; it followed the original, but from a different point of view; it sounded like Darcy to me -- young, proud, passionate, uncertain, and a little humor-challenged.

Street even came up with a reason for Darcy to have attended that first ball, though he doesn't enjoy it or expect to: he knows that if he stays home, Caroline Bingley will find an excuse to stay home too!

Get it. Read it. Enjoy it.

This is a quick and entertaining read as Mr. Darcy tells his and Elizabeth's story from his point of view. The language and details follow Jane Austen's tale very closely and the author is very clever at reversing the action as Elizabeth sees it to what Mr. Darcy can know or see. For a real Pride and Prejudice fan, this book is fun and just the thing for a rainy day.

I tried to order this book for two years from AmazonUK without success. Each time it was on backorder for 6 weeks, then I would get a notice that it was not available. Eventually I just stopped trying. I was very happy to see that it was finally released in the States. This book was originally written in 1999. That by itself was probably a very adventureous undertaking for Ms Street. At that time the flood of Pride and Prejudice look-alikes had yet to hit the market. Now, if you love Jane Austen and her books, you can find plenty of authors who have tried to explain or expound on those original treasures.

I have read many, many variations on the Pride and Prejudice novel. Some are much better than others, some are absolutely dreadful. This book rated four stars from me. It did have its faults but it also had quite a few reasons for enjoyment. This book follows Pride and Prejudice completely. You could actually read them simultaneously if you wanted to perform such a feat. What I wanted to see the most was what Darcy was doing during the times he is absent from Elizabeth. I got some of what I wanted but not in enough detail. This book is written in first person and yet there are no conversations with anyone outside the characters written by Jane Austen. Why not? This device would have been wonderful for letting the reader see Darcy from a whole different viewpoint. A true opportunity missed, from my perspective.

The characters fell somewhat flat for me. Ms Street apparently didn't want to deviate from the narrative established by Ms Austen for Elizabeth, especially, so we don't get any new discourse between her and Darcy. I realize this is a fine line for an author to walk but expanding on the established interactions between Darcy and Elizabeth would have been an acceptable thing. Elizabeth's words are quoted but in italics as rememberances by Darcy. Not as direct, while they were standing toe-to-toe intercourse. Definitely a disappointment for me. Often Darcy could not even gauge Elizabeth's reactions because her bonnet hid her face.

If you've read this far you probably wonder why I gave this book four stars at all. I enjoyed what I was reading. Yes, it did have some problems but I also liked what WAS there. Darcy struggled with his inclination to fall in love with Elizabeth and I was able to believe the change in his personality which made it possible for him to be willing to accept her and her family. When Elizabeth rejected his marriage proposal she spared him absolutely nothing in her criticism. It took a while for him to get over the initial hurt of her rejection but after a while he began to look at himself from her perspective. He had never once questioned his own character and personality. No other person had ever had the courage to point out his flaws, not even his parents. Suddenly he began to know that she was right, he did present himself to the world as arrogant, conceited, stand-offish. He didn't like himself as seen by Elizabeth and others. I liked the interaction between Darcy and Bingley. I thought it was a wonderful moment when Darcy realized that Bingley was probably slightly afraid of him. That was warmer and more personal as was his relationship with Georgiana. I also really liked his reactions to Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Those were right where I wanted them to be.

Was this the best Pride and Prejudice variation I've read? No. Was it the worst? Good heavens, no!