Ken Howard Books

I love this book and Jyothi!
She is an incredible teacher and certainly knows what she's talking about!
I have been teaching Mom and Baby yoga for years now since taking her amazing training. It has been incredibly rewarding work!
I believe she has a Mom and Baby Teacher Training coming up in NYC. If you need a little more than just the book i definitely recommend it!

I am a prenatal and postpartum yoga instructor. I did my post partum training with Jyothi Larson. She is amazing. This book is a must have for all new mothers. It has 10 minute yoga session to 30 minute yoga sessions to help you bond with your baby. Amazing book written by an amazing yogini.

I bought this book thinking it would have ways to do yoga with your baby (moves for us both). That is not what it has! It basically tells you different ways to involve your baby in your routine, but they are neither clever nor fun for the little one. If it had more moves that your infant could actually do that would be good.

I really enjoyed this book. Not only is it clearly written, well-photographed and a good size but it proved inspirational. Being a yoga novice did not prevent me from trying some of the even more complex positions as the text is intuitive and the photographs are easy to follow.

Although most of the yoga is geared for mom there is plenty of material for your baby too - the last review seems to have missed the subtitle of "The yoga workout for new moms". How much can you expect a baby to do? Downward dog? I think not!!

The description says that this is yoga to do with your baby. When I got the book it seemed like 90% of the time the baby was on the floor while mom was doing the yoga. I don't need a new book to give me that idea. I can already do yoga with my son on the floor next to me. I wanted, and thought this book would give, ideas on how to do my yoga practice with him.

Only borrow books from actual real, live, human librarians is the best strategy.


Here, a man that suddenly has to fill in at an after dinner speech at a club on short notice ends up going to the local library, somewhere he hasn't been for a long time.

He gets help to put on a successful talk, but the librarian and her hunter she calls into play to chase down the overdues are rather monstrous.

Please note that this is a review of the story, as read in a book, not the audio. I'm sure the audio adds some separate dimensions that are important to evaluate independently. The book version I read ("Four Past Midnight") had 3 other stories as well. And the following paragraph does reveal some aspects of the story that may qualify it as a "spoiler," so beware.

The Library Policeman, of course, is a great idea, and a lot of the elements are really good. However, I found aspects of the story to be a little contrived - like the red licorice balls that the protagonist (Sam) used as a weapon. It's sort of a kids' story, except the crime details that Sam has repressed are definitely not suitable for children. Somehow, to me, the different elements didn't quite fit together. It was supposedly in a small town, but a town of 35,000 isn't really that small. I find it hard to believe that AA has such indifference to class - the bankers and the homeless hanging together - and what would be the point of pseudonyms if everyone knows everyone else? SK is right, though, about the prevalence of alcoholism in these parts of the country. Not much else to do. Anyhow, it feels strange to criticize someone of SK's skill and stature (I wish I could write a story even a tenth as good!), but I just don't think this is one of his better works. By the way, I bought this book from my local library as part of a sale, so I don't think I'm a candidate for a poleethman's visit - except I did get some "due back" notices for some other books. Wish me luck. And maybe King's "reviewer poleethman" will schedule a visit to discuss the paucity of stars in my rating. Oh, my aching backside. Load the licorice!

This audio version of Three past midnight will capture your attention especially if you listen to it in the dark. the reader does an excellent job giving each character a distinct voice. spooky music punctuates the suspense of the book giving it a chilling feeling which pulls the lisener in. Still, like most Sk books the begining was better then the ending. I found the way the hero fought off the entity a bit over the top and really didn't make that much sensse. Yes Sam faced his fear but King built up the evil being so much that one would think it took more then childhood fears to kill it off. Overall though a pretty good listen. This book contains 6 cassettes and is narrated by a single reader.

"The Library Policeman" is a thrilling story of a man and his bad trip to the library, and of what is to come. The book has great detail and well developed characters. The horror of such things could only come from a great writer like Stephen King. The book is fast reading and makes you grip the pages with suspense. Ardelia is a a monster from my deepest nightmares. I love how King incorporates children into the story, and makes them the victims giving it a more horrific feeling of what Ardelia is doing. The whole story sent chill's down my back. The library in the story, is so twisted and scary that I love it. The story shows a great case of coping with your fears in order to over come a bigger picture. If you like creatures that you have never imagined like the Library Policeman, then i suggest trying " The Langoliers", also by Stephen Kind. I enjoyed "The Library Policeman" a great deal and woudl read it again.

This novella was somewhat disturbing and weird. A Library Policeman!?! What the heck! When I started the book(novella), I almost laughed my head off. I must admit it was boring till about page 80 or 90. As the story went on though it turned creepier and more disturbing by the page. Once I got to the chapter called Dave's Story I was fully engaged in the story and couldn't quit it. I finished this novella in one day. Ardella or whatever the name is(couldn't remember the name even when I finished), is so creepy when Dave tells his story. King did a great job of connecting us to the character in only 200 pages or so. This is a great imaginative piece of work by Stephen King and he scores a grand slam again!

It's very difficult to review this story without spoiling it, so I decided that the concerns of the reader are more important, and that the author shouldn't be able to hide his story's faults behind some thin secrets, so here goes.

"Stealth", which is very much a cold-war thriller, offers the hapless story of a DIA analyst, Michael Pretorius, used to crack open a large-scale KGB counterintelligence operation on American soil. Pretorius retired from intelligence following a disastrous mission-gone-wrong in East Germany. Captured, he was cracked. The Russians let Pretorius think that his story held, but the Americans know that Pretorius's debrief was much more thorough than the spy realizes. Without letting on, Defense Intelligence Agency brings him back. They tell him that he's needed to pose as a scientist assigned to develop warplanes and give allow himself to be captured by the Soviets. In the process, he is to turn over much flawed information on the America's newest technological achievement, the BAT-3 Stealth Bomber. BAT-3 will exceed both existing stealth aircraft and soviet technology geared to detect them. With Pretorius in their control, the Soviets will have no idea that his information has been altered, that they will be sent down a myriad of blind alleys. Unfortunately, when captured, Pretorius is almost immediately recognized, and his interrogators go even deeper, fully cracking him. Pretorius regains consciousness knowing that he has been completely compromised and that the Soviets now possess everything, the intentionally distorted stuff and the very real data. Breaking free, he finds himself on the run from the Soviets but also from his own side.

SPOILER.BEGINS HERE
It takes very little time before the reader figures out the secret - there is no new Stealth bomber, it's all a sham to distract the Soviets from America's real weapon, "Star Wars". (Did I mention that this was very much a DATED cold war thriller?) I mean, if Pretorius isn't really an engineer, why tell him any genuine information on BAT-3? For that matter, why tell him that he's expected to be captured? In maintaining the sham, the Americans dragoon a captured Russian Tu-160 bomber tailored to look like the new American warplane. Going on the run, Pretorius will eventually learn that his handlers and hunters are one and the same, that there is a deeper conspiracy than the one involving the Russians - an idea that seemed old even when Coonts used it better in "Minotaur".
END SPOILER

The problem with Stealth, besides its failed twist, is the fact that it's not very thrilling. The author has very unexacting ideas of what a technothriller is supposed to be. None of his major characters are involved in the stealth aircraft (they do seem to know a lot about it - rattling off scads of data likely culled from a handy copy of "Janes"). Instead, they seem to know more about fine dining, the best wines, the hautest of cuisine. Before he can even get a chance to show his hero is really a genuine character, Durham insists on letting his remote home, his antique stove, his distinguishing palette and his ability to get a fine dinner whenever he wants. This was all okay in the days of James Bond, but the end of the cold war was supposed to be lead to more believable characters, and Pretorius is at least a few steps behind in that unlike Bond, he actually manages a few bits of genuine heroism between sips of Dom Perignon '56. Nothing Pretorius does makes much sense, and like the story, he goes nowhere real fast. Reading "Stealth" ominously reminds me of Pat Robinson - like Robinson, Durham populates his stories with men who are meant to be heroic even though they navigate nothing more than the menu of an expensive restaurant. In other spots, Durham exhibits the worst traits of genre authors - not content (or able) to excite the reader, Durham thinks he's in a position to educate the reader. At best, he doesn't so much educate as try to make himself sounded educated. Unfortunately, like those pricey menus, Durham's prose on the exotic sie of espionage look like a copy of something somebody else already wrote - he names the different gun-fighting positions rather than fleshes out the severity that drives men to choose one over the other.

This may be a bit demanding, but in reality the genera has done better. Looking to uplift myself, I picked up the original, "Flight of the Intruder" as well as "Firefox" and the newer "Dangerous Ground" by Larry Bond. Along with David Poyer and even Joe Buff, there is proof that the technothriller genre can still deliver good thrills along with prose that don't insult their readers.

This book was great. I loved the detail it went into. I especially liked the parts of action. The thrill just keep me reading. Thank you Mr. Durham.

This book was a great read. Thrill-a-minute.

I had hoped to read more of Guy's work, but, as far as I know, he only wrote one more book.

Guy Durham masterfully tells a spy tale with grity details of the processes along the way. He includes a myriad of interesting characters and plot twists in a live-action way, Bravo!

I read this book a number of years ago and found it to be one of the best works of fiction that I've ever read. It is difficult to follow at times and I can understand how certain individuals may find it boring, but I would definetely recommend this book.

This book, like most in the Osprey series, provides a good introduction to this particular battle in only 96 pages. If you are looking to get an introduction in an hour or hour and a half of reading this is the book for you. It provides a brief (with emphasis on brief) to the motivation behind, personalities involved and actual military operation.

Osprey's book St. Nazaire 1942: The Great Command Raid describes the great commando raid on the Normandie Dock in St. Nazaire. Focus for the raid was to eliminate the dry docks there to prevent the Tirpitz from sortieing as the Bismarck had. The layout follows Osprey's usual formula (background, the forces, getting ready, the story, and the aftermath). However, unlike most of the campaign books, this one covers the subject in good detail (while I love Osprey's work, most of their campaign series gives you just enough to wet the appetite, not enough to satisfy). The general battle is discussed along with what happens to each of the MTB's (Motor Torpedo Boats) carrying the commandoes. This is then followed up with the actions of the different commando teams on the ground. The text is a little brief and abrupt, this is due to the limited space in Osprey's books. The additional material; the photos (a few I hadn't seen in other books on the battle), the artwork (very nicely done and fitting to the battle), and the maps are great! Also, the bibliography is a good (I'll recommend St. Nazaire Commando as an excellent follow up on the land portion of the battle). I'll need to follow up on a couple of them later on.

Rating wise for an Osprey book this is a five star book and by far the best I've read in the campaign series! While it doesn't have the details that the references have, it does a great job describing the Raid on St. Nazaire. Because of this, for me it's a solid four star book!

St Nazaire 1942 is an excellent narrative summary of the famous British commando raid in March 1942. While this raid has been covered in detail in a variety of other books, this latest edition of the Osprey Campaign series adds detailed maps and diagrams that help to make sense of a very confusing night action. However, the author Ken Ford has not followed the standard Osprey Campaign format very closely, which will upset some readers.

Instead of the standard sections on opposing leaders, plans and forces, the author begins with sections that outline the reasons for the raid, the planning phase, training the raiding force, the Royal Naval forces involved, and the enemy. While many details about leaders, tactics and equipment are included in these sections, the information is not as well packaged as usual. Furthermore, the author provides little information on the German perspective; only one leader is detailed and there is little information on Luftwaffe/Kriegsmarine patrols around St Nazaire. German anti-invasion plans and mine defenses are not discussed. Intelligence collection about the target is only mentioned in terms of aerial reconnaissance, with no mention of either Enigma or the French resistance. No formal order of battle information is provided for either side, although much of the data is embedded in the text.

The raid itself is covered in excellent detail, with three sections covering the sea approach, the run up the Loire River and the actual assault. There are three 3-D "Bird's Eye View" maps: the raid at H+10 minutes, the commando attacks in the dockyard and attacks in the Old Town. There are four 2-D maps: the port itself, the route to St Nazaire, the path up the Loire River, and the dockyard targets. In addition, there are three battle scenes depicting HMS Campbeltown charging toward the dock, the demolition of the Pump House and the final breakout attempt. Numerous excellent photographs also complement the text.

The greatest flaw in this volume is the total lack of analysis. While the raid was a brilliant success in terms of the objectives achieved, the virtual destruction of the raiding force needs closer examination. Based more on brawn than brains, the British plan relied primarily on raw courage and luck to gloss over major flaws in the plan. The British raiders were incredibly lucky in passing undetected within 750 meters of German coast defenses around St Nazaire and by the time they were spotted, the Germans could not stop HMS Campbeltown from ramming the dock. However, the British did little to interfere with German coastal defenses other than an ineffectual air raid and crude deception efforts; had the Germans spotted the British ten minutes earlier the raid would probably have ended as an utter failure. Furthermore, the lack of a viable evacuation plan - other than cruising past fully-alerted German defenses in slow, unarmored launches - was a major flaw in the plan. The British were writing the book of how to conduct raids at St Nazaire and they made serious mistakes, fortunately which they learned from.

Another huge mistake, which was one of the great lessons learned from the raid, was that transporting troops into combat in thin-skinned vehicles is a bad idea. Of the 12 motor launches in the raid, 7 were sunk and 3 badly damaged; only 38 of 164 commandos on these launches were landed. British losses in these exposed, unarmored launches were horrific, and remind the modern reader of the similar American mistake in sending troops in thin-skinned vehicles into combat in Mogadishu in 1993 (and with the same result). There is not much discussion of alternatives to this type of raid and no discussion about lessons learned for future raids. Nor is the effect of the raid on the French population of St Nazaire discussed. Overall, this book is an excellent summary of the raid but the lack of analysis somewhat reduces its value as history.

Ken Ford's THE RHINE CROSSINGS: 1945 covers the last major battle of World War II in a region which no invading army had crossed since Napoleon's forces. The history of these last battle strongholds comes to life in a survey filled with black and white vintage photos and detailed discussions of crossing tactics and logic.

For some readers, British Field Marshall Montgomery's crossing of the Rhine River in March 1945 would seem like the climactic moment of the Second World War. Yet for other readers, this campaign appears more of a foregone conclusion since the Germans lacked the ability to prevent the Allied crossings. This a priori impression will greatly influence the reader's impression of Ken Ford's The Rhine Crossings 1945, number 178 in Osprey's Campaign series. Overall, it is a satisfactory volume, although it is more the result of thorough synthesis of existing secondary works rather than original research. The reader's opinion of the Montgomery's skills as a general - at the core of this account - will also influence assessment of this volume.

In standard Osprey format, the author succinctly lays out the origins of the campaign and the development of each side's operational plans. In the section on opposing commanders, the author provides capsule biographies of 9 Allied and 8 German leaders; the inclusion of Crerar (not directly involved in the campaign) and von Runstedt (relieved weeks before the campaign) didn't make much sense. However, it is when the author gets to describing Montgomery that many readers may take umbrage. First, the author states that Montgomery was "Britain's most famous and well-loved soldier." Was Montgomery really more famous than the Duke of Marlborough, Wolffe or the Duke of Wellington? As for well-loved, Field Marshall Slim was selected by Sandhurst cadets in a post-war survey as the most respected British commander of the war, not Montgomery. The author then states that Montgomery "had accomplished many victories." Like what? Actually, it is questionable that Montgomery every clearly won a battle (El Alamein being an incomplete victory - no breakthrough and DAK got away), but he clearly lost at Arnhem just a few months prior. Adding insult to injury, the author states that "to his men, Monty was infallible" (go ask Roy Urquhuart if he thought Monty was infallible) and that "his name was associated with some of the finest feats of arms of the British Army." Really, like the Battle of Blenheim, the capture of Quebec, Rorke's Drift, Wavell's 1940 campaign in Libya? This section infuriated me for its lack of basis in historical fact and lapse into polemics. There was also an odor of anti-Americanism underlying the author's defense of Montgomery - somehow it was the fault of Americans that Monty has been criticized. Sure, go ask the Canadians what they thought of Monty's 1942 Dieppe Plan, or Urquhuart what he thought about Monty's Market-Garden Plan.

The section on opposing forces is sub-par for several reasons. First, the author paints a picture of the British Army in 1945 that makes it appear stronger than it was. In fact, the British Army was running desperately short of infantry replacements after the 1944 campaigns and had to disband formations. Nor does the author discuss the German defenses in sufficient detail, such as what exactly were the defenses at the river's edge and the composition of the mobile reserve (how much armor in 47th Panzer Corps?). The order of battle provided only goes down to division level, with no mention of artillery brigades, engineer units that supported the crossing or air units. Indeed, the author makes little effort to discuss the Allied air interdiction efforts to isolate the battlefield and the artillery support plan is rather vague.
Graphically, this volume is appealing like most volumes in the series. This volume includes five 2-D maps (the Rhine with Allied and German positions; 21st Army Group Operations; Operation Plunder; Operation Flashpoint; from the Rhine to the Baltic), three 3-D BEV maps (1st Commando Brigade attack on Wesel; Operation Varsity; Expanding 21st Army Group's bridgehead, 24-28 March 1945) and three battle scenes by Howard Gerrard (15th Scottish Division reinforces its bridgehead, 24 March 1945; Glider troops of 17th Airborne Division arriving on landing zone S, 24 March 1945; Royal Engineers build the first Bailey bridge over the Rhine).

The actual campaign narrative is sub-divided into sections covering the British assault, the American assault, the airborne landings and the breakout. These sections are the best written and describe the Allied operations in significant detail, although the emphasis is on British rather than German or American perspectives. It is clear that the author has carefully mined existing secondary sources for all pertinent facts about these operations and he succeeds in melding them together into a careful, if dry, synthesis. In the aftermath sections, the author makes a brief nod to the two main criticisms of the campaign - that Montgomery's crossing was overblown in scale and that the airborne operations were unnecessary - and then shrugs his shoulders, avoiding making any conclusions. There seems to be an element of British ego-soothing in this account, as if being on the winning side was not enough, but that Monty has to be credited with achieving some great feat of arms that brought the war to a close. For an operation that involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers, this seems a very narrow and parochial interpretation.

British bookseller Ken Ford's Dieppe 1942: Prelude to D-Day follows in the footsteps of his earlier books in the Osprey Campaign series on the D-Day landings. Ford's narrative is clear and accurate, well supported by highly detailed battle maps and overall the volume provides ample narrative and graphic content on its subject. Ford's battle narrative is aided by the Canadian government's in-depth files on this operation, which provide a wealth of information on the Dieppe landing.

Dieppe 1942: Prelude to D-Day follows the standard Osprey campaign series format, with short sections on the origins of the battle, a minute-by-minute chronology (very helpful), opposing commanders, opposing armies and opposing plans. The author also provides an Allied order of battle which is good, but fails to mention unit strengths. Given the heavy casualties in the Dieppe landing, the author should have provided an initial strength for each battalion-size unit and its subsequent casualties. The author's sections on the Germans are also rather skimpy. The maps are excellent and include five 2-D maps (sea routes to Dieppe, the British landing plan, German defenses in Dieppe, Yellow Beach, the air battle) and three 3-D Birds Eye View maps (4 Commando's destruction of Hess Battery, Green Beach and Assault on Dieppe). The three color battle scenes are decent: the destruction of Hess Battery, the Attack on Red and White Beaches and Dogfight over Dieppe. The author provides a short bibliography but fails to note that key documents - such as the Jubilee operations order and captured German after-action reports - are now available on the Internet.

Ford's battle narrative is excellent and his methodology is perfect: he starts on the flanking landings (Yellow, Orange, Blue and Green beaches), moves to the main landings in the center (Red and White), covers the air-sea battles around Dieppe, then finishes with the withdrawal. In particular, Ford's coverage of the actions of 3 and 4 Commando is quite good. Readers should have no difficulty in following Ford's narrative, which is clear and succinct.

Some standard military lessons are hammered home in this volume, such as the essential fact that obstacles must be covered by fire in order to be effective. Ford notes that the German defenders were initially caught by surprise by the initial landings and had only limited troops watching the coast on Dieppe's flanks. On Yellow beaches, small groups of 3 Commando were able to infiltrate up a cliff face covered with barbed wire in 20 minutes - without special equipment! Subsequently, both the German Hess and Goebbels batteries were surprised when they came under attack by Allied commandos. A few German snipers could have prevented such nasty surprises. Another important lesson is the importance of terrain analysis in operational planning; the Anglo-Canadian planners failed to grasp the impassable nature of the beachfront obstacles around Dieppe or the loose pebble surface which effectively neutralized most of their tanks.

Ford contends that the Dieppe landings had many objectives, such as a political demonstration of a "quasi-Second Front," to give the Canadian troops battle experience, to test the German defenses, to cripple the Luftwaffe in the France, and to validate combined operations doctrine. The landings are described both as a "raid" and as a "reconnaissance-in-force." Most of these justifications appear rather specious, particularly the idea that the Soviets would see a temporary raid as a "Second Front." Rather, it appears that Operation Jubilee's main objective was to achieve a propaganda victory - to temporarily seize a port city in France, run up the Union Jack, take some photographs, and leave before the 10th Panzer Division arrived. Had the landings actually seized Dieppe, this would have been a tremendous boost to British morale following soon after disasters in Singapore and Tobruk. Churchill needed a large-scale success and something more than just small-scale commando raids. Indeed, the actual military objectives of beach reconnaissance and destruction of German coastal batteries could have been achieved by 3 and 4 Commando alone - why add the 2nd Canadian Division? Indeed, the Dieppe planning bears some of the same false assumptions and unwarranted optimism that marked Churchill's earlier effort at Gallipoli in 1915. Yet a faulty plan, probably driven by political imperatives, handed the propaganda victory to the enemy instead. The virtual annihilation of the Canadians on the beach added credibility to Hitler's Atlantic Wall and probably bucked up morale in Germany.

The manner in which Ford handles the fact that the Dieppe landings were a conspicuous disaster that achieved few objectives and resulted in 60% casualties further highlights the Twilight Zone that surrounds Operation Jubilee. Ford's subtitle for this volume, "prelude to D-Day" highlights the post-war British conviction that the Dieppe landings were a necessary precursor to the D-Day landings and that many invaluable lessons were learned. Taken in this light, of experience gained that saved lives in future landings, Dieppe's losses appear more acceptable. Unfortunately, Dieppe appears less of a "prelude to D-Day" than a "successor to Gallipoli," the infamous British landings in 1915 that also failed to achieve their objectives and cost thousands of lives. Furthermore, the idea that Dieppe was an essential prerequisite to D-Day conveniently ignores the fact that the Anglo-Americans would conduct four major opposed amphibious landings before D-Day (Torch, Sicily, Salerno and Anzio) that were much larger and that were not designed as raids. Actually, the idea that Dieppe was necessary in order to ensure the success of D-Day has become a historical palliative to dampen Canadian outrage and to soothe the consciences of leaders who recklessly threw 6,000 troops into the frying pan for dubious objectives. Yet is has been abundantly clear since 0506 hours on 19 August 1942, when the German machineguns began the slaughter on Blue Beach, that Operation Jubilee was a dumb plan executed by brave soldiers.

I, as well, read Roth's book and agree with author Kalfus here that the novel was stellar for about 2/3 of the way through...then it was as if we were subjected to Roth's first draft musings. As if Roth had scrawled several jumbled and disjointed notes and paragraphs on the page, and we -- as his readers -- were left to pick up his sundry pieces and sew 'em back together. (Are we the only ones who felt this to be the case?)

I, too, was really put off by the RFK and Sirhan Sirhan assertions later on in the book, and didn't really feel such an insertion was a well thought out authorial device on Roth's part.

I couldn't agree with Mr. Kalfus any more that Roth appears to have rushed out his PLOT AGAINST AMERICA in time to coincide with a certain *something,* what that something was, I'm not entirely sure. Nor am I skilled enough to surmise. The last third of the work just seems so, well...well, so goshdarned contrived!

I'm also somewhat surprised by the title of Mr. Kalfus' story here. I mean, "Howard Dean" gets a single (or double) mention throughout the entire nine pages, but this is the mysteriously chosen title? Hm...perplexing.

I was certainly attracted to the Roth allusion, which is what got me buying this Short in the first place. All this to say that my review of Kalfus' story has surely intrigued me to delve deeper into this writer's works. I enjoy the way Kalfus breaks down an argument, and his prose flows smoothly. He takes his sentences seriously, to be sure.

What's more, if this doesn't get people wanting to read Roth's original book (not such offshoots, stellar, but not the Real McCoy), I'm not exactly sure what will.

Bravo to Mr. Kalfus for keeping this subject alive. Yours, sir, was a great read with heaps of insight(s). Thank you again.

I love the "Prey" series, but this one is the weakest entry of them all. I quit about 1/4 through the book. Convoluted, scattered. My absolute favorite in this series is "Winter Prey". If you've never read a book in the "Prey" series, this is not the one to start with.

This is the first entry in the Davenport series that I haven't just absolutely loved. The story lacked a soul. Rather than coming off as the tough cop, Lucas was an immature jerk. The women were flat. The Native American angle could have been amazing, instead it was it was vague; replace it with any other special interest group, and it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The pacing was poor, to the point where It took me a week and a half to drag myself through this volume.

I'm glad I didn't start the series with this book, I probably wouldn't have picked up another one if I had.

Joh Sandford himself has said that Shadow Prey is one of the least popular books in the series, but it's one of my favorites. Its premise is similar to that of Sudden Prey in that you have a group of villains whose motives are at least understandable, if not laudable, and that ambiguity nicely grays out the inevitably violent conflict between them and Lucas Davenport. No doubt that's why the publisher was unenthusiastic about the book, but I think it raises the enterprise to a more interesting level. There's also a lot of good street-level sociological detail about Natives Americans in the Midwest, very tough action and terrific dialogue.

John Sanford keeps the readers interest book after book with his main character detective Lucas Davenport, in his Prey series. I have read all of James Patterson and Jame Lee Burke and John Grisham, now I intend on reading all of John Sanford's books. His books are not the fast reading style of James Patterson, however it keeps your interest all the way thru and seems more true to life than Patterson's Alex Cross books.

Pat Ahern

Cocoa Beach, Fl

This is the second book in the Prey series. It is a solid police procedural, and includes the many difficulties and social problems of the Native Americans in Minnesota. I've read several of the later books in the Prey Series, and it is interesting to go back and see Lucas before he settled down and became a family man.

In Fire Lover, Wambaugh attempts to get into the mind of a convicted serial arsonist, one who nevertheless has never (at least as documented in this book) admitted to his crimes. The story is well-written, intriguing, and at times even a page-turner. The few occasions when the story drags are most often in the telling of Orr's trials, when Wambaugh seeks thoroughness in telling the story of the trial, but occasionally at the expense of the reader's interest. But all told, this is a good, even haunting story of a true case.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed four of Wambaugh's earlier books, I was sure this one would be a page turner; however, it was strictly the story and not the writing that kept my interest. So my feelings are mixed and my rating is lukewarm. Wambaugh tries too hard to depict John Orr as evil, yet without the hard-sell, the reader would come to that conclusion anyway. I finished the book still feeling that there is more on John Orr that could have been included in the book. An additional thought - one reviewer mentions that Wambaugh copies Truman Capote's style of not including photographs of the characters, yet Wambaugh's own picture is on the back. I'd much rather see who I'm reading about.

This is an unusual book. I don't think I've ever read a book about an arsonist before, certainly not a non-fiction book, and the story that it tells is so fantastic that it's one of those stranger-than-fiction tales that defies belief.

The book tells the story of John Leonard Orr. Orr was a frustrated individual, from a split household, who tried to become a policeman and failed, and wound up becoming a firefighter, both in the Air Force and then in the city of Glendale here in Southern California. He rose to become Glendale's senior arson investigator, actually teaching classes that other arson investigators, even Federal ones, attended. He was considered one of the leading authorities on arson fires and arsonists in California. Then suspicion fell on him and his activities, and he was arrested and accused of being an arsonist himself. The accusation was followed by a pair of trials.

Now I live in Montrose (yards from the border of the city of Glendale) and used to actually live in Glendale, so it was interesting to read about the locale and the people of my new home (I've lived here for five years). Everything's reasonably well-recreated, though I didn't think Glendale was made that unique compared with other Southern California cities. Orr comes across as something of a nerd, a doofus who's always trying to fit in while never quite making it, and always cheating on the current wife with the prospective one, while paying child support to the ex.

Wambaugh's writing style is interesting, in that he uses a lot of slang and emphasis to show what he means, and has a very conversational style. It'd be interesting to hear Ken Howard read this book: it reads as if it would sound better than it looks on the page. I will confess that the cast of characters is large enough that I had trouble keeping track of all of the investigators and attorneys involved, and I think it would have helped if the author provided a dramatis personae at the beginning of the book.

One note: several of the other reviewers presented the idea that the author thinks cops are somehow better than firefighters. This is erroneous. It's his position, stated and restated through the book, that the crime spree was solved by a firefighter turned arson investigator, and that he was ignored by his cop colleagues until the evidence confirmed his suspicions. He does say, several times, that cops themselves sometimes think themselves firefighters, but he's clear that he thinks this is unfortunate. Strange when people have read the same book as you, and come to a different interpretation of what was written. Altogether a good book, though.

I think he could have written in 200 words or less that he hated John Orr, thinks cops are better than firemen, and thinks prosecutors should always have the upper hand.

One thing he could have included was photos, to make the book less boring. And, he could have explained just how we went from the judge disallowing Orr's manuscripts into evidence to the prosecution being allowed to use them as evidence.

This is the first Wambaugh book that I've read. I've heard lots of good things about his books. I work in law enforcement and have enjoyed other true crime books written by former law enforcement personnel, so thought I would Wambaugh as well. I had seen the documentary about John Orr and wanted to know more.

However, although the author is an excellent writer, this book was very biased and Wambaugh comes across to me as very arrogant -- a trait that I cannot tolerate under any circumstance. In fact, his bias that police officers are better than firefighters is downright cocky.

Although I knew the story of John Orr and felt he was guilty, while reading Fire Lover, I found myself wanting him to get off from page to page because of the cockiness of the writer.

I would NOT recommend this book to anyone.

This is the first McBain book I have ever bothered to read even though I have been aware of McBain for years. I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading the other 12 Matthew Hope novels. Why McBain stopped writing Mathew Hope novels after 1998, I don't know, but it would be nice if he started up again.
Read this one, then enjoy watching the TV movie based on it.

Three Vietnamese men are found stabbed and ritualistically mutilated after death in the town of Calusa, Florida--and they share a common history. They were recently arrested and tried for the vicious rape of Jessica Leeds, whose outraged husband, Stephen, swore revenge upon them when they were found not guilty in a court of law. Stephen's wallet is found at the scene of the crime and two witnesses come forward to identify him as the man seen arriving and leaving the scene of the crime. It is, says assistant district attorney Patricia Denning, an open and shut case.

Most famous for his "87th Precinct" novels, author Ed McBain is also the creator of a series of novels commonly known as "The Fairy Tale Books," which draw their titles from loose parallels with children's stories--in this instance the three murdered, eye-gouged victims--and feature defense attorney Matthew Hope. Published in 1990, THREE BLIND MICE is the ninth in the series, and in many respects it is indicative of McBain's stylish prose and way with character.

It is not, however, indicative of McBain's best turn of plot. Although it is never implausible, neither is it--in the best traditions of both mystery and detective novels--realistically inevitable; details tend to overcrowd each other, subplot complications distract from the primary course of events, and although the conclusion is clever enough it lacks any sense of real surprise. Even so, fans of McBain will find it mildly entertaining, as will virtually any reader in seach of a quick read for a rainy afternoon. Mildly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Ed McBain's "Matthew Hope" series is one of the more entertaining and engaging mystery series set in that most murderous of states - Florida! Well, not actually perhaps, but if one reads the vast number of murderous tomes and series set in the sunshine state one might get that impression. Like John D. MacDonald, Carl Hiassen, James Hall, Lawrence Shamus, Dave Barry, Tim Dorsey, and others MacBain makes good usage of his setting. Lead character and protagonist attorney/P.I. Matthew Hope's adventures aren't as madcap and humorous as those of some of the other authors mentioned above, but he is definitely hard boiled and suspenseful.

In this novel Hope is engaged to defend Stephen Leeds, a man accused of murdering three Vietnamese immigrants who have just recently been acquited of raping Leeds' wife Jessie. When the men are found murdered and mutilated shortly after Stephen had publicly threatened to kill them, everyone assumes that he is guilty. Evidence found at the scene seems to clinch the matter, but Hope takes on the case and begins to investigate, along with his assistants. As is usual in a MacBain novel, you learn quite a lot about the various characters along the way, making them and their motives believable. I recommend all of the Matthew Hope series. While this one isn't his best, it is still a good pager turner. Recommended.

Four Stars.

What is it about Ed McBain and romance? It can turn him from Mickey Spillane to Maurice Chevalier in a matter of two or three pages. Here we are treated to a pair of romances, one involving Florida defense attorney Matthew Hope and a Vietnamese interpreter, the other involving a private investigator and a woman who works at the Calusa Tax Collector's office. There's also a murder, of three restaurant employees who raped a woman and then beat the rap.

The Matthew Hope books, which seem to have been brought to a close by McBain in 1998 with the release of "The Last Best Hope," was an excursion on the other side of the criminal justice system by McBain, writer of the "87th Precinct" series of police procedurals. It was a detour in tone, in tempo, in setting, and in character, but for some reason, the Hope novels I read never seemed to benefit from this fresh approach. Unlike the "87th Precinct" books he was writing concurrently, McBain seemed to plot these ones by the numbers, with little interest in what made people tick, until it came to a romantic situation. Then his focus would bore in on cute meets, long walks on the beach, and post-coital cuddles of quiet satisfaction. Often he throws in lovers of different ethnic backgrounds, showing what a liberated guy he is and all that. Meanwhile the killer continues to kill and the reader gets frustrated. Love makes the world go round, but it is more likely to make a good mystery go down the drain.

The mystery here, published in 1990, is one of McBain's weakest. It's not terribly clever in its set-up, and an attempt to set up a red herring is transparent. Hope seems unable to see things about his client, the jailed husband of the raped woman awaiting trial for the murders, and those closest to him which any mystery-versed reader will pick up on fast. At one point, when finally confronting the killer, he does so in a stupid, self-exposing way, without backup, despite the fact he knows someone else doing the same thing ended up losing his life.

The romances, picked up suddenly in the middle of the narrative, aren't resolved in any way. About the only thing unique is that one of the romances doesn't wind its way into the bedroom, as the couple want to take things slow for a while. The woman, it turns out, is a virgin, which makes her quite an exotic female in the McBain canon.

But this book is not for McBain virgins, or you may lose interest in reading his other, and for the most part, much better books. Then you really would be losing out on something.