Timothy Dalton Books

Very True Depiction of the ever growing injustice that is taking place everday in Minority Communities around the county while everyone just sits around idly not doing anything to change it. I highly recommend this movie to anyone, but especially blacks and hispanics, so that you can see how easily it could be you or someone that you love going through a similar situation. This movie makes you wanna get up and start a march or just want to do more to change the unfair practices used against Blacks and other minorities in the "so-called" name of JUSTICE. We need to all come together to make a change. This is how moved the movie made me. By the way, mandatory maximums and minimums should be abolished! Well, I hope you check out the movie which has an awesome cast of actors to highlight a heavy issue.

This is a great movie that everyone should see. Not just blacks, but latinoes, Asians, and even whites to open eyes to a truth that goes overlooked. This movie basically tells of the "new slavery" for minorities, the prison and so-called "Justice System." There's no justice. This movie is a must see, and needs to air on BET and other public airways, in order to get the message out.

This is an excellent movie. One that shows us how to rally the people and give us the strength to stand up to the power structure of this nation and fight for justice, if we truly want to. A great movie. I was quite inspired.

I loved this book! This is the latest in my collection books by Timothy Alberts. From beginning to end the author captivates you with attention to detail. Although this book does not delve deeply into the more intricate aspects of how to make the designs shown, most are not for the beginner anyway. The designs featured in this book are some of the finest that I have seen. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in millinery, and eagerly await future works.

I was unhappy to see that this book did not contain explicit hat making instructions. The best example was chapter 5 on straw hats. In the instructions you are told to sew the straw braid together either by hand or machine but did not tell you if you should butt the straw braid together or over lap the braid. No help was given for hand sewing the braid either... what stitch to use? Nothing was mentioned about machine settings either. For example, if you use a straight stitch how long should the stitch be? If you use a machine zigzag stitch what is the best length and width. I was also surprised at the how to pictures in the book. I expected better close-ups. This was my first book about millinery so my expectations may be too high but I still feel the book left out a lot of very important information.

I also heard of this writer on NPR and decided to give it a go. First the writing is amazing, I've never read something with such detailed descriptions. This is why I'll probably go ahead and read his next book even though:
The plot was a bit thin. I enjoyed the main character but I'm not sure this book constitutes a "thriller" and the mystery was a bit thin.
I've read better and I've read worse but if you want to read something with the idea of reading a piece of good writing then go ahead. If you are looking for spine tingling suspense then pass.

Widower, moody, broody, drunken Garret Quirke is in charge of the pathology department in the basement of Dublin's Holy Family Hospital. It's the 1950's, Ireland is steeped in Catholic tradition, but when Quirke wanders downstairs from a going away party and finds his step-brother/brother-in-law Dr. Malachy Griffin (they married sisters) messing around with the cause of death of Christine Falls, he is curious.

It turns out Mal altered the cause of death, so that it didn't say she died in child birth. Quirke thinks this is more than his brother protecting the reputation of a fallen woman and though he has no authority and is warned off, he investigates anyway. He is an obstinate bulldog who will get at the truth, no matter what is done to him, no matter how it will affect his family. If they are destroyed, so be it, truth will out.

I liked Quirke and I liked this dark book where nobody really comes out a winner. Many, myself included, will compare this with the works of Black's alter ego, John Banville. Okay, Banville's his real name, everybody knows this, but Black's the real writer. Yes, yes, I know Banville's won the Man Booker Prize. But Black is the one winning the readers, because Black's a better writer. I read this book in one night, it took me a week to get through The Sea. Yes, I know it's beautifully written and only a couple hundred pages, but I just kept setting it down. I simply didn't care for the characters or the story the way I did that of Quirke and crew. But, of course, I had no choice, because this book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go till I finished.

Ken Douglas, author of Dead Ringer, Desperation Moon & Running Scared.

I wish I had heeded the tepid reviews of the other Amazon reviewers rather than the starry-eyed NPR review I heard. Next time I'll know whom to trust.

I found the plot to be entirely coincidence-driven. The big "reveals" were extremely oversold. The villains' scheme wasn't shocking at all, it was perhaps mildly affronting. I am not one who reads a mystery trying to guess what will happen at the end, but in this case Black gives such a roadmap that guessing the plot is reflexive.

I had expected great writing and great characterization, but you don't get that either. The main character is supposed to be a bad boy with a heart of gold (I gather, based on the number of times he is assured by wise women that he is a good man), but he makes a more persuasive case when he berates himself as a selfish useless jerk.

I was promised that I would feel I had been transported to 1950's Ireland. Other than being told that Catholics don't want their daughters to marry Prods and that it was often VERY foggy, I couldn't say how the author attempted to sketch his scene. Small example: the point-of-view character wonders whether a nurse's accent was Kerry or Cork. Those are just names on a map. If the author is attempting to create ambiance, wouldn't it have been preferable to tell us what characterizes those accents, to let us "hear" them?

I often read and enjoy literary mysteries. But when in doubt, I would much rather read a fast-paced well-plotted thriller or mystery than a book that fails both as literature and as mystery.

Meh. Everybody gets all gooey about this, because it's really by John Banville. First of all, its infantile to write a book under a pen name and then tell everybody who you really are. Secondly, the book just isn't that good. It's not bad, mind you -- but it's not some sort of radical redefinition of the detective genre. You got your drunken protagonist, your labyrinthine family situations, your iconic victim, blah, blah.blah. It's okay. It's Agatha Christie in the Twenty-First Century. Everybody needs to calm down.

Christine Falls

Admittedly I am an unusual reader. Years ago I decided to upgrade my shotgun approach to reading and have worked my way through the Pulitzers, Bookers and the National Book prize lists just to name a few. I also love mysteries, mostly focused on international writers and foreign locales.

As an Early Reviewer for Library Thing it was an interesting twist to come across "Christine Falls" by Benjamin Black. Interesting because "Christine Falls" is a mystery and Benjamin Black is the nom de plume of Booker award winning author John Banville. In 1981 Banville received the Booker (now the Man Booker) for "Kepler". Set in the 16th century "Kepler" is an accounting of the life of the astronomer Johannes Kepler and his struggle to pursue his scientific discoveries in a world rampant with political intrigue and religious strife. Much more recently, in 2005, Banville received the Man Booker for the second time for "The Sea", a strikingly different novel. Returning to the seaside village where as a young man he encountered a family that profoundly shaped him, a middle-aged man grieves the death of his wife. Both novels are intricate, layered and perhaps a little mannered.

"Christine Falls" has all the attributes of the Man Booker winning novels, but is an even greater departure in genre, style and tone. Successful mysteries must contain all of the staples: a suspicious death, an engaging detective, seemingly overwhelming odds against solving the crime and carefully sprinkled clues, like crumbs in the forest, eventually leading to the murderer. Imagine all of this being by accomplished by an author who brings the level of mystery writing to that of literature.

Setting is a key element of a good mystery and Dublin in the 1950s feels as atmospheric as Paris in the war years. Quirke, a pathologist, discovers his physician brother-in-law tampering with the body of a murder victim. Like all admirable, and often unwilling detectives, Quirke has a personal history and a set of circumstances that work against him and he pursues the truth despite the opposition of the Catholic Church and men in power in Dublin and in Irish circles in America.

Black's writing is elegant and it powers a story line that takes hold early and doesn't let go until the final pages. Characters are sharply drawn and react and interact in ways that make sense while still providing surprise and suspense. As a reader I experienced a satisfying mystery and a fine novel within the pages of one volume.

Unless Banville wins another award I am not likely to read another mainstream novel by him. But the good news is that "Christine Falls" is the first in a series of Quirke novels. I am eagerly looking forward to reading The Silver Swan, the second. Oddly enough, and despite the recognition of the literary cognescenti, Benjamin Black is a much better writer than John Banville.

This is the second book Timothy Dalton has read by Benjamin Black and the characters are the same. If you remember where the first book left off, you're in good shape and if you've forgotten you can pretty much limp along. This book deals with the murder of a young woman, investigated by Quirk, the pathologist. Like the first novel, this one plods along without any particularly memorable (or likeable) characters and the ending comes as no surprise. Add to that the book is terribly depressing and it makes for uneasy listening.
The sole attraction for me was the fact Timothy Dalton narrated the book. The Irish and American characters gave him a good chance to stretch his talents with dialects and I found (as always) his voice soothing and rich with enunciation and emotion. I thought he was a little lazier with the American "Texan" this time (whom author Black referred to as a "Yankee" and nearly made me drive off the road) but altogether the first six discs were brilliantly read and eased along the otherwise sluggish plot. Interestingly, however, disc 7 represented an entirely different Timothy Dalton. It were as though he had to come back to the studio to re-record the final chapters and had entirely forgotten which voices he used for each character. The transition was so startling and persisted for the entire disc, that I have to believe some time lapsed between the narration of the first 6 discs and the last. He never did get the voices back and that made the final chapters of the book seem disjointed and out of place.
Without question if you're buying this for Timothy, you won't be disappointed; but beware of disc 7.

In a sequel to his first crime novel, the 2008 Edgar-nominated Christine Falls, Benjamin Black (nom de plume of John Banville) creates a complicated tale, filled with unnecessary characters and obfuscations clouding the mystery. It brings back Quirke, the Dublin pathologist with an "incurable curiosity."

A college acquaintance implores Quirke to forgo an autopsy on his wife who jumped off a pier and drowned in Dublin bay. In eyeing the body, Quirke discovers a puncture in her arm, and blood-work shows presence of alcohol and morphine. But Quirke allows the coroner to give a finding of accidental death. The plot involves the back story of the dead woman, alternating with events including those of Quirke's family, especially his daughter. The narratives are intended to lead the reader forward to decide whether her death really was suicide or murder, as well as laying the groundwork for future developments.

The novel is atypical of the usual mystery or crime book, and is more like an Irish drama (written without the brogue, fortunately). Perhaps that is the shortcoming of the novel, no matter how well-written it is. Nevertheless, it should be read and despite my problems with it, it is recommended.

Dublin Pathologist Garret Quirke is back in a book that is even darker than Christine Falls as if that could be possible. Quirke is no longer drinking, but he's still as moody, broody and, well, as quirky as ever and we now know his niece is really his daughter, if you haven't read Christine Falls, please stop right here, go out and get it, you won't be disappointed as it's a thoroughly enjoyable read. You can read this book as a stand alone if you want and enough is explained so you won't feel like you're missing too much, but you will be.

It's two years since Quirke investigated the death of Christine Falls when he has Deirdre Hunt on the slab. She washed up, an apparent suicide, by Dalkey Island, by Dublin Harbor. Quirke knew her husband Billy in school and when Billy asks him not to do an autopsy, because he didn't want his wife cut up, also he didn't want her death ruled a suicide, because he didn't want her denied Catholic rites, remember it's Ireland in the 50's. Quirke agrees, but does the autopsy anyway.

And, of course, Quirke finds evidence of murder, this is a mystery after all. But unlike some of the other mysteries you'll find on the shelf, Black does it differently, his characters are not only all too real, but they're steeped in a mire of moods and darkness, but there's a heart in them too. The live and breath as real people. Somehow John Banville has managed to channel both Earnest Hemingway and Raymond Chandler at the same time when he writes as Benjamin Black, let them take control of his fingers and the result isn't just art, but a dark and brooding affair with a soul that is all too real.

Ken Douglas, author of Dead Ringer, Desperation Moon & Running Scared.

The Silver Swan is Benjamin Black's follow-up to "Christine Falls" (nominated for a 2008 Edgar, to be announced 5/1/08). It is two years after the events of "CF" and the reader is quickly brought up to date on characters and events left somewhat hanging at its conclusion - for enthusiastic fans of the first book, those tidbits are enough to justify investing time and money in "SS".

I will spare you plot details, you can find enough of that in other reviews and in the critcs' summaries above - some of which reveal a bit more than I would have preferred knowing before reading either book. Let's just say that a mysterious death (that the police do not aggressively pursue for not very plausible reasons), porn photos, and blackmail are part of the mix.

My sense is that this story relied much less on our (anti)hero Quirke than the first, and I missed not having him invloved as much as he was in "CF". This is a much shorter story than the first yet it seemed to take me longer to read. Everything seemed to be in slower motion. One of the things that made the first story very different from most crime fiction was the detail paid to Quirke's interesting, extended family - unfortunately by the conclusion of each of these stories that family continues to dwindle away. However there is a new relationship for Quirke in this story that will hopefully reappear. And there is always the possibilty that Phoebe will come out of her (boring) funk....

Another interesting attraction that this series offers is its 1950's Dublin setting. There seemed to be a lot more detail in the first, and little more than a lot of street names here.

Yes, the story is good - but not as a standalone, only as Christine Falls Part 2. It has the feel of a contractual obligation on the author's part. Hopefully, #3 will be closer to the excellence of Christine Falls.

This character driven novel did not hold up to the very end. Though the author was able to define his characters well and create an interesting plot line he seemed to loose interest in his work towards the final last quarter of the book.

I really loved this book. I have no experience in creating clothing for my 15½" Franklin Mint fashion dolls & the shoes that came with the dolls are a major disappointment. I hope to be able to rectify that soon with my husband's help in creating lasts & molds.

I gave the book 4 stars because, although the creation & design processes are detailed very thoroughly, there is a dearth of good photos of finished shoes. Many of the shoes that are shown tend to be somewhat hidden under the hem of a doll's outfit, the folds of artistically draped fabric, or the lid of a colorful candy box.

As suggestions for a second edition: If I could re-edit this book, I would add more finished shoes, add patterns for other popular fashion dolls (such as Franklin Mint vinyls,) & change the typeface font to something less fussy, with full margin justification.

This book is pretty on the inside and outside. Lots of colored photos. Plenty of photos of the shoes they have made and who they were made for. But no patterns to go with any of them except two. Very involved detailed process for making the solid shape to build your shoes upon. Brief explanations of various shoes over the centuries is nice, but don't expect to be able to design a shoe from many of the line drawings of shoes. The drawings are crude with no variations for each time period. They are not in color and mention no fabrics or popular colors for the time period. Nice glossary of tools used, shoe parts and techniques. There are 8 sources where you can purchased parts, etc. And last but not least there is a nice full page plug for the new upcoming book. I gave a three because the book is pretty, photos done nicely and process explanations were clear.

I make and design clothes for the Madame Alexander doll Cissy and have always been frustrated with the scarcity/lack of selection/high price of shoes that I can buy for this doll. So, when I saw this book advertised in one of the many doll magazines I browse monthly, I knew I had to have it. The instructions are fairly easy to follow though sometimes the photographs showing the various steps are not located on the page facing the written instruction (the sole reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5). The instructions for making a permanent last were very helpful. This book contains patterns for lasts & shoes for Cissy and Gene in particular, but the instructions and methods in this book could be applied to many dolls though I wouldn't recommend it for people wanting to make anything for Barbie. There are also instructions for making molds for heels (if you have a high-heeled doll like Cissy or Gene). Following these instructions, I successfully made my first pair of shoes, and, because I made them myself, I was able to customize them to the outfit I had made. A great book for making shoes for dolls for whom you cannot cheaply and easily buy decent shoes.

I am not reviewing the content of the novel, but the Kindle format:
DO NOT BUY THIS VERSION. The text has the oddest spacings - almost as if it were a poem - and this is not the way the book is meant to be laid out. I am currently reading a paper copy of the novel now, but am not far enough to properly review the book. I just wanted to give this warning to fellow Kindle readers.