K Books

I enjoyed this book. It's about the Animorphs' discovery of a chat-site about Yeerks. I thought that it was an okay book, but they don't seem to mention the people in the chat-site anywhere else in the series (I'd have thought that a whole site full of Yeerk-aware people would be a major thing, but that's just my opinion), so if you are just looking for important books in the series, you can skip this one.

The book does not have enough adventure for it to be a good book. It should have fighting against the Yeeks. I think that if there was more adventure, and it had more Controllers it would be alot better.

In this book, Jake discovers a web site about Yeerks. He shows it to the others and they see the chat room. They decide to pay a visit to Web Access America (not AOL, A reader from U S A). They go to the airport because WAA is too far to fly in bird morph. There they fight over wether to morph flies on a United or Northwest plane (they choose United). Marco eats some shareholder's first class lunch and Jake (?) wonders if there will be an in-flight movie, and Marco (?) says not a movie, the flight's 1 1/2 hours long, more like an in-flight cartoon! Tobias in fly morph is funny. When there in the WAA building, Jake, in tiger morph, Rachael, in Grizzly morph, Cassie, in wolf morph, and Tobias, in his natraul form (hawk), mop the floor. An employee says there crazy, why are they mopping the carpet? Ax and Marco sneak in to the computers (everyones distracted) and find out who MegMom, Fitey777, and Gump (screen names from the chatroom) really are. It turns out Fitey777 is Joe Bob Fenistre is the CEO of WAA. Jake gets a rhino morph and They go to Joe Bob Fenistre's house. I'll leave it at that

Jake has made an amazing discovery: a web site about the Yeerks. Should the Animorphs investigate? If they do, they might walk right into a trap. And if they don't, they'll never know if they're fighting their enemies alone.

Jake and the gang go on a yeerk web page track down fenstre. the find out the the yeerk in side him is a twin of the yeerk in visser three thats why he ordered his men to shoot a the birds (rachel an Ax in bird morph) because visser three is the only controller that has the morphing abillity

Calvin is a young boy that is a hero to all people who had wild and vivid imaginations as a child and suffered for it. I possessed a very vivid imagination as a child and that made my years in elementary school difficult. I was constantly daydreaming of doing things like flying, sailing on a boat and inventing wonderful devices. Unfortunately, I regularly did them in class.
My major problem was when we were reading a story in our reading groups. I read the story very fast and then was required to sit there quietly while the others finished. Naturally, that was a problem and I spent some time in punishment. Coincidentally, the principal at my elementary school closely resembles Calvin's teacher.
Calvin is an inspiration to all people who imagine in their youth and then try to maintain that quality into their adulthood. If they can, they become the authors, artists, poets and architects and otherwise free thinkers that our society so badly needs.

No,its not just a bunch of random stuff, its a bunch of random funny stuff!! Its funny for Calvin being a little scared of Hobbes, and all that really funny stuff. Although Calvin's only a 1st grader, he sounds like he's really smart. So, I guess whoever is looking at this I have convinced them to buy it, just because it's so funny!!!!!!!

I am not sure I have ever met anyone who has read some Calvin and Hobbes comic strips and hated them. I suppose there might be a person or two out there allergic to stuffed toy tigers, perhaps, or had a horrible accident involving one. Those would be the only people I could think of that would not find these strips entertaining, no matter what age.

And so it began.

This treasury included the strips from the first two collections of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. And if you don't know what you have been missing, you are in for a treat.

The comic strip follows the misadventures of Calvin, a highly imaginative, hyperactive six year old. How imaginative? His only real friend is Hobbes, his stuff tiger. But that isn't a problem because Hobbes is really a real tiger, at least in Calvin's mind.

Since this is the first book, things are still being established. But many of the strips staples are here already. We meet Calvin's parents, teacher Miss Wormwood, neighbor Susie Derkins, and bully Moe. We even get the first couple of run ins with babysitter Rosalyn. While we don't get the hilarious social satire that would show up later, we do get some comments on the environment and Calvin's obsession with polls. (He is constantly trying to get his dad to bend to political pressure by showing his standings with household six year olds and tigers.) And we get plenty of adventures from Spaceman Spiff, Calvin's imagination again as he tries to deal with the various aliens in his life like his parents or teacher.

I tend to read the later books more often, so I had forgotten just how go the early strips are until I picked this up. There are so true classics here, most of the time at Calvin's six year old nature. Not that I'd want my kids getting any ideas from Calvin. He doesn't see anything wrong with pounding nails into coffee tables or popping popcorn without the lid on the pot.

And that does bring up the only possible flaw with the book. These strips originally appeared in 1985-1987, so at times they are a little dated. Calvin makes reference to renting a VCR or wanting to get cable. But that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

This "treasury" collects the strips from the first two books. As a bonus, there is a story told in poem form at the beginning and the Sunday strips are in color. If you have the two books, you probably don't need this one. But if you don't have them, this is the way to go.

The day this strip ended was a sad day indeed. But thanks to books like this one, we can relive it over and over again.

This collection contains earlier C&H cartoons. Being accustomed to seeing a slightly different looking Calvin in the more modern works it takes a little getting used to. His head is HUGE! His mouth...HUGE...and also very much like those Peanuts characters. The way his body and feet are drawn is also like them. Maybe they were Watterson's inspiration? Aside from the bigger head and mouth, Calvin in drawn shorter and wider than we are accustomed to and Hobbes is also bigger than him (when he is a stuffed tiger) which makes Calvin look even smaller. I thought at first that he was four or five but then he refers to himself as a six year old so that hasn't changed. I'm guessing that Watterson refined his craft in the years following...after all, this was originally published in 1988!!!

In this collection we see:
Calvin meets Hobbes
Calvin meets Susie...and does some serious flirting???
Calvin goes to the doctor and lives to tell the tale
His mom lets him try smoking
Shrunken heads for dinner anyone?
Calvin vs Rosalyn...who wins?

Many, many more memorable episodes in this collection that will keep you coming back for more!

CAUTION!!: When the information said "Includes cartoons from Calvin & Hobbes and Something Under the Bed is Drooling" I was under the impression that it contained just a few of those. Not so! It actually COMBINES those 2 books so that ALL of those cartoons are contained herein. I learned this because I ordered this together with Calvin & Hobbes...I am assuming it will be like this for other collections as well.

After 6 weeks of being unbelievably depressed and being unable to figure out why I couldn't get over the loss of my little kitty, I purchased this book through amazon.com. Reading it brought me relief almost overnight and helped me know that I was not alone.

This book was a beautiful source of comfort when Jim and I lost our beloved cat, Dori, to cancer. I had lost pets in the past, but it had been 15 years since my last pet passed away and I had forgotton how devasting the loss of a much loved pet like Dori could be. I received the book while I was trying to cope with the decision to let her go and it helped so much. I want to thank Moira for such an wonderful book! Debbie

I purchased this book a few weeks after the loss of my beloved black lab Java at 13 yrs of age. The pain I felt the morning I had to make the dreaded decision was visceral and made breathing difficult. It was beyond anything I had experienced and simply numbing. The book offered amazing insight into the grieving process and assured me the emotions were expected, natural and eventually the pain would lessen. It also addresses the guilt we feel and our questioning of "could I have done more" or "maybe I made a mistake" which are quite powerful.

This book is a must have guide for any pet owner. My prayers and thoughts are with all of us sharing the pain and loss of a beloved animal, both now and forever.

-bob

This is a hard book to read, especially when you have lost a pet or know you are going to lose a beloved pet soon, but it is very useful. Everything about it is kind and understanding, from the abstract cover that does not feature a happy dog or cat to the chapters loaded with advice about all those tough topics we'd rather not think about, including saying goodbye, euthanasia, what to do with the pet's remains, deciding whether to get another pet, providing for pet care in case you die or become disabled, and what to do if you're forced to give your pet away. We don't want to think about these things, but sometimes we need to know. Allen, a writer and pet lover with a master's degree in counseling, has produced a reference every pet owner should keep around, just in case.

My best friend died 1.5 years ago and I still miss her terribly - she was my 15 year old cat. This book was very useful to me during my time of intense mourning. While I know that her loss was a significant and horrible event in my life, recognition of the death of animal companions is not common in our society. This book helped me to see that I was not alone in my grief and that it was okay and normal to feel such grief. I actually purchased several books on this topic and found this one to be the best.

Ratha's creature opens up a whole new world of cats. Long before the Warrior cat series, lived Ratha and her tribe. This book is full of adventure and suspense for any age. I couldn't put it down. Make sure to buy this one first and while you are at it, order the other three so you won't have to stop in the middle of this great adventure. If you love the Warrior Series you will love Ratha's Creature!

The Named Series is a collection that has survived in the hearts of readers for decades, inspiring fanart, fanfiction, and more. Here is the book that started it all - Ratha's Creature, an epic, memorable tale of strife, forgiveness, and triumph. This novel resurrects an ancient world and delivers in full detail, the savage brutality endured by those of arcane laws, a code of claws and fangs - while thrusting into harsh, honest light, what it means to question and discover the meaning of 'Self Awareness'.
Lion King worshipers, Warriors devotees, Animal enthusiasts - you have not stalked the feline path, until you have unearthed these treasures.

For more information, copy and paste the following links:

Clare Bell's official domain:
www.rathascourage.com
For an exclusive look including fanart, fanfiction, and more visit Trails Of Conquest:
www.trailsofconquest.webs.com
For Named (Ratha) Series Cat Role Play (rp) stop by Into The Mist:
www.intothemistrp.webs.com

I am a huge cat fan and I can't believe that this book has existed for so long without my knowledge! I loved it from the very beginning and the story drew me in. I quickly ordered the other books to read. Any adventure or cat fan should read this book. If you do not love cats or do not have a fasination with animals you will soon. The book, while fictional is very realisitic and the characters are very wild and "animal-like." I cannot wait to read more. I genuinely feel the loss of one character in particular...sigh. Read this book! It is a great escape. Welcome to Ratha's world.

I never write reviews, but Ratha's Creature is the exception. I came upon this book as a 7th grader back in the early 90's and it was out of print even then. This book is fantastic, with it's prehistoric world and it's memorable characters. I am thrilled to see it released again so children can have the same experience that I had at their age in reading this wonderful story. This is a must read! In a world where the Harry Potter series is over and kids are left wondering what to read next, this one is a fun series and you will not regret your time in reading it, only regret that there is not more. Read it, you won't be sorry.

I have read many feline fantasies,but none of them touch this one.It is better than the Warriors books,and I think that older Warriors fans will love this book.The harsh landscape and the complicated,realistic characters are wonderful!A word of warning,though:this is not a cutsey kitty book.Ratha's Creature is a very deep,allegorical,and thought provoking book.Some of the raw,savage images(mating,wounding a cub,death by fire)may be too much for younger,sensitive readers.I would reccomend this book for mature teens who will be able to understand and enjoy this magnificent,powerful book.Well done,Clare Bell!!

I bought this for my mom, who lives in Yuma, Arizona and hasn't a lot to do in 110 degree heat in the summer. She loved it, said it was a great, fun read, and that's enough for me.

I thought this might be cheesy. It was fantastic! After having loved Ian Fleming, this was a great substitute. I look foward to reading the rest of the series.

Listening to this tape, I was surprised by how much of it really had a timeless quality. The book was set back a ways (there's a way to find out exactly when, having to do with a character's age and the print date of a book, but I've forgotten...) and there were clues to the fact that it was not a contemporary novel - the political setting and the level of technology - but the characters really could have been plucked out of any time period. And this made it very enjoyable to listen to because I could picture Mrs. Pollifax and it really was easy to like her and root for her. Though I figured out where the microfilm went about, oh, two tapes into the six, there was enough story around the central mystery to keep me interested. I would definitely recommend it as a wonderful book to listen to (or read, I'm sure). I believe I will try a few of the other Mrs. Pollifax books...

Bored and in excellent health for a woman who is retired with nothing more to look forward to than her gardening meetings, Mrs. Pollifax decides that there are only two choices in her life. Take one giant step off the roof of her building in New Brunswick, New Jersey or pursue a dream that she has had since childhood. With the decision made she boards a bus for Langley, Virginia and decides to be a spy for the CIA. Taking place during the cold war, Emily Pollifax is sent to Mexico to retrieve important documents, that doesn't seem difficult until she is forced to outsmart Red Chinese military men with nothing more than a pocketknife and a Christmas tree. This woman could definitely give MacGyver and Forrest Gump a run for their money.

This is the second Mrs. Pollifax book I have now finished and I adore them. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is a delight in her adventures and this one is full of thrilling adventures. I am now hooked and will be reading every Mrs. Pollifax book there is. They are thoroughly enjoyable...

This book is an essential item for any who has or will be adopting a racing greyhound. Practical information presented in a logical, no nonsense way.

This book has a lot of important information about caring for your greyhound. I found it to be a great source!

I am a first time Greyhound adopter and I'm so glad this is one of the books that was a pre-adoption requirement. I enjoy how Cynthia is so in tune with these wonderful dogs and she gives you the info directly from her heart! They said any book by Cynthia Branigan is worth purchasing, so I'm going to buy her other book on Greyhounds next.

This book was such a help as the breed was new to me. I knew nothing about the personality of the breed or what to expect. This book will help any one interested in adopting a Grey through the first months and the life of the pet. The medical information is invaluble as these are things some vets don't know let alone the pet owner. The book not only assists you in knowing the breed before you bring one home, but can greatly assist you in deciding if this is the right pet for you.

this book is a must if you are planning to adopt a greyhound for a companion...great information to help you make the right decision to see if a greyhound is the right "new family member" for you and your family.

It was a fun book, the first one Marco, his jokes are just soo funny, another reason why I read these books, no matter how bad they get in trouble or how hurt someone is he can always make you laugh. I likes when he beat up those muggers with his gorilla morph.

I like this book a lot. The best Animorphs book I've read. Right after I read it, I swore to myself that I would always read Marco books. (He's an Animorphs character.)

Review by a 9 year old Animorphs fan

Marco never wanted to be an Animorph. He never wanted to risk his life saving the world with his animal-morphing powers. He knew that if he died, his father would go insane--since both his son and wife would be gone forever. Now, the two year anniversary of Marco's mother's death is coming, and Marco is nervous. And after a dangerous mission that almost got he, Jake, and Ax killed, Marco decides to quit.

But before he quits, Marco decides to go on one last mission to steal a Yeerk ship from Visser Three so Ax can use it to return to the Andalite planet. However, the kids' plan goes terribly wrong and they end up trapped. But while everyone else worries how to escape, Marco is shocked when learning a terrible secret. Now, he has a reason to fight the Yeerks. And no matter what it takes, he'll kick butt.

THE PREADTOR contains one of the most shocking secrets in the Animorphs series. And this is definitely one of the best Marco books. Although it was a great read, I had a problem with this book. The first half of the novel was about the Animorphs' adventure at the mall with Ax who keeps running away. Even though it was funny, I would've preferred more Marco dealing with the secret.

In this fifth installment of the popular sci-fi series, Marco and the other Animorphs attempt to help their alien friend Ax return to his homeworld, only to make a shocking discovery that forever alters Marco's attitude toward their cause. For sequel see "The Capture."

Marco has always hated being an Animorph,he worries what would happen to his Dad if he got killed,Marco doesn't think his father could handle it if both his Wife and his son died.....That's why Marco doesn't want to risk his life fight the Yeerks........But now Marco dicovers that he has a reason to fight,The Yeerks have taken someone he loves so much.........

I was thumbing through some books at my local library, when I came across the book Ceremony Of The Innocent by Taylor Caldwell, and I could remember reading that this was Stevie Nicks favorite book, so I decided to give it a try, and I am glad I did, because it turned me on to a wonderful author named Taylor Caldwell. Captain and The Kings is my second book of Taylors to read, and I also enjoyed it as well. I am now on the look out for other Taylor Caldwell books.

I have not received this book at this time. I hope someone will contact me about this. I have e-mailed back I have not received it. Thank you.
Bobby Thompson

Enjoyed this book and bought a copy to send to my mother an avid reader.

One of many wonderful books Taylor Caldwell wrote. This one makes you wonder who's really in charge of things.

If I could recommend only one book, it would be Taylor Caldwell's "Captains and the Kings." Here are three reasons.

Caldwell's fascinating tale is filled with ironic, powerful, and unique insight into human nature and behavior. She will entice you into turning page after page without rest, until you reach the end of her story. Then you'll sit wondering if you really read all that, tempted to go back to read it again. Craftsmanship and story-weaving earns "Captains and the Kings" a place among the world's ten best books.

Caldwell writes historical fiction with intimate knowledge and perception. Her readers often wonder if she actually lived through the times she depicts with her pen. It's been said that she believed that herself; many of her other books tend to encourage this idea. "Captains and the Kings" offers a vivid and unsettling view of an earlier and much different America, in a time that was more free and open than our modern age, but also more dangerous and a great deal more heartless. If you've always wondered what the term "nitty gritty" means, read this novel! So saying, I boost the book into my top-five list!

Finally, this book has defined my experience with personal computers, the Internet, and Reality (tm) itself! After purchasing an Amiga 1000 almost twenty years ago, I found my way onto a BBS that feaured FidoNet forums. I began reading and posting on the "Issues" board. One poster commented cryptically that "Taylor Caldwell's 'Captains and the Kings' exposes how the Council on Foreign Relations rules the world." I was driven (as if by an invisible hand) to the public library, seeking out Taylor Caldwell's book. I found a captivating, often dark story that gripped my interest in sinuous coils as its weaving, bobbing head rose up to mess with my memes. With her right hand, Caldwell uses her suburb writer's skill to dazzle and entertain, but the whole time, her Left hand is busy imparting knowledge and understanding of how things really work in this world. She administers her synergistic potion in just the right strength, proportion, and rhythm to assure that most of us who might never otherwise read about a "Conspiracy" lap this up like mother's milk. During the ensuing decades, I used the 'Net to verify what I'd read; and I learned a whole lot more.

In retrospect, speaking as someone who has "earned a Ph.D. in Conspiracy Theory," it's necessary to add a small disclaimer: Caldwell does not tell all. There are things she could not or would not divulge. But don't fret! If you've had your eyes on the news the past few years - and especially the last few weeks - you'll certainly discern the missing part. The late Sufi, Idries Shah, claimed there are times when long-hidden knowledge suddenly becomes available to one and all. We are living through such a time!

Summarizing, Captains and the Kings is a remarkably well-written and captivating piece of historical fiction that will carry you back to an earlier and intriguing America at the same time it fuels you with subtle insight and knowledge and kick starts your thinking machine, proving once and for all that willful ignorance is the only real sin.

I visited Amazon this evening to buy a used copy of this book for a workplace friend. So I dedicate this review of Taylor Caldwell's "Captains and the Kings" to Ernestine.

Team Yankee is quite an interesting book. Harold Coyle describes a war between the Warsaw Pact and NATO in 1985 in great detail. But don't expect this to be like Red Storm Rising, this book focuses entirely on small unit tactics with zero politics. The action starts immediately at the beginning of the second chapter, and it never stops.

The battles are realistic and the tactics are described in great detail in the text as well as the maps that are in the book. The maps really help you figure what's going on and what platoons are moving where, etc.

The story focuses on Captain Sean Bannon of Team Yankee, a military unit deployed in Germany during the Cold War. When war breaks out in 1985, he must lead his unit to victory. There are several other main characters including several other tankers, and an infantry sergeant. This is definetly a book you don't want to miss.

This book is, IMHO, the finest of the cold-war era military novels, and one of the finest military novels ever written, includng the writing of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester.

The only book that can compare is Clancy's "Hunt for Red October", and it does not give as good a feeling as being there as does Team Yankee.

If you like military novels, or just good writing, read this book.

This was the second Coyle book I read (the first being "God's Children") and once again I was compelled by his gripping battle scenes and poignant view of today's combat environment. The story flows well and was generally enjoyable and engaging.

However, by the end of the book I became disappointed because of the constant, repeated stupidity of the opposing forces. I felt cheated because it never seemed that the U.S. forces won due to good strategy & tactics as much as because the enemy used tactics a learned high school student would shun. Don't get me wrong, the book is a good read. I only wish Coyle would create an antagonist with some brains to serve as a challenging foil for our heroes.

Setting aside all the geo-political baggage of the day, Coyle finds his real strength with one tank platoons story in WW III. It's a shame he never went back to this style. A real shame, as this is terrific, exciting stuff you wont find else where.

Harold Coyle's Team Yankee: A Novel of World War III (Presidio Press, 1987) was published a year after Red Storm Rising's triumphant debut in hardcover, and although it is thematically similar (Soviet forces invade West Germany after a series of crises escalate into an all out conventional war), Coyle's approach is very different from Clancy's. Instead of creating his own possible scenario for a NATO vs. Warsaw Pact confrontation, he asked for, and received, permission from British author (and retired General) Sir John Hackett to set Team Yankee within the scenario created in Hackett's two
"speculative fiction" books The Third World War: August 1985 and The Third World War: The Untold Story.

Team Yankee takes place within a two-week period in an August in the late 1980s. Since late July, a series of crises precipitated by the Iran-Iraq war has morphed into a clash between U.S. and Soviet naval forces in the Persian Gulf region. By August 1, word comes that NATO is mobilizing and ordering their armed forces, including Bannon and Team Yankee, to their wartime positions. Soon, the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact "allies" cross the Inner German Border in force. Team Yankee and the rest of NATO's forces in West Germany must then fight the invaders and stop them before the Red Army reaches the Rhine River. After that, assuming the Soviet attack bogs down, the mission will change from merely defending territory to taking offensive operations and pushing the invaders back. The question Coyle poses is, can American soldiers, using their weapons and tactics against superior numbers of Soviet and Warsaw Pact soldiers, defeat Russian weapons and tactics?

Readers familiar with Hackett's macrocosmic World War III will know the big picture, but first-time readers will be turning the pages to see who wins, who loses, who dies...and who survives in this outstanding first novel by a true master of the military fiction genre.

The only flaw, and this is not Coyle's fault, is that reality -- in the shape of the fall of communism and the end of the Cold War -- has made the novel's setting extremely outdated. Some of the then-modern weapons, such as the M1 main battle tank, have been since updated to M1-A2 standard, older weapons have been retired, and obviously there's no more Warsaw Pact.


All in all, it's an entertaining read.

If you looking for a light hearted & easy read then Agatha Raisin is your girl.
I love the way she is written and can not wait to continue to read the series.
A cozy kind of mystery. Not to deep. No blood or gore. Just a cozy little mystery read.

And Quiche was a great kick-off to start this series. Great characters, good mysteries, fun protag. Just a good read all the way 'round.

As a devoted fan of M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series, I was intrigued to keep reading reviews of Hamish Macbeth books by people who claimed they liked the Agatha Raisin series better. But every time I contemplated the title, Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death, it just seemed too tongue in cheek to be possibly any good. Well, I was wrong. Although the book couldn't be any more satirical and much punnier than it is, the book works very well both as a straight story and as a satire. It's like getting two books for the price of one.

Since the Hamish Macbeth series started first, let me address Hamish Macbeth fans first: Think of Agatha Raisin as being one of the optimistic incomers to Lochdubh who hope for peace and tranquility without realizing what village life in Sutherland is really like. But Agatha has mostly good intentions (except towards the women in the area who drive her batty) instead of being an incipient homicidal maniac like the incomers in Sutherland. Agatha is also her own woman, and not about to take any prisoners she doesn't have to. Like Hamish, she has a crime-solving partner, Bill Wong (of the local detectives), who helps her in ways she doesn't always appreciate (like Priscilla Halburton-Smythe does for Hamish). Agatha is based, however, in the gentle Cotswolds so there won't be too many stories about brutal winter blizzards in this series. You won't miss hearing about Strathbane.

In this inaugural book, Agatha has just sold her PR firm in London (where she succeeded by being a blunt instrument in plying journalists with meals and drink and then shaking them down for stories) and decided to retire to a cottage in the Cotswolds, an area she had once visited as a child. Naturally, she has a romanticized view of what life there will be like. Having been a busy businesswoman, she now finds herself not quite sure how to fill her time. Although she had made no friends in London, she expects to make many in rural Carsely. People nod and are friendly, but it goes no further. Agatha soon makes an enemy of her next door neighbor by stealing her housekeeper. While catching up on her reading of Agatha Christie mysteries, Agatha decides she needs to get everyone's attention. Why not win a prize for baking?

Plotting her strategy, Agatha invites the quiche competition judge, Reginald Cummings-Browne, and his wife, Vera, to an expensive dinner (expecting to curry favor as it were in the quiche wars). Agatha instead ends up with a very large bill and a not very high opinion of the Cummings-Brownes. Agatha makes a quick foray to London to buy a wonderful spinach quiche that she enters as her own.

But her plot is soon foiled when the woman who always wins the quiche competition once again triumphs. Agatha leaves her quiche behind in disgust, and Vera Cummings-Browne takes it home as a snack for her husband. That night, he eats the quiche and dies of poison! Naturally, there's a police investigation and Agatha has to confess that she cheated.

Feeling like she will never make it in Carsely after such a large faux pas, Agatha begins to think she should move out and go back to London. Soon, she's between two islands of discord and not sure what to do.

The police decide that the poisoning was an accidental death, but Agatha's not so sure. Before long, she starts acting on her urge to detect . . . with consequences that definitely heat up the story.

Where most detective stories are mostly about a crime and the process of uncovering the criminal, that element retreats into the background in this book. Instead, Agatha's search for happiness is the main focus of the story. The crime and its solution are merely incidents along the way. I liked that element. In fact, this would have been a very entertaining story even if it hadn't contained a mystery.

Any time your attention threatens to flag, you can just sit there and chuckle over the outrageous satirical elements. Although you know they are overdone, you can't help but laugh . . . as you might at good burlesque sketches with imaginative pie throwing.

Although I haven't read past this book in the Agatha Raisin series, I would have to say that Agatha could displace Hamish as number one in my affections for M. C. Beaton characters.

Enjoy!

As a devoted fan of M. C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth series, I was intrigued to keep reading reviews of Hamish Macbeth books by people who claimed they liked the Agatha Raisin series better. But every time I contemplated the title, Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death, it just seemed too tongue in cheek to be possibly any good. Well, I was wrong. Although the book couldn't be any more satirical and much punnier than it is, the book works very well both as a straight story and as a satire. It's like getting two books for the price of one.

Since the Hamish Macbeth series started first, let me address Hamish Macbeth fans first: Think of Agatha Raisin as being one of the optimistic incomers to Lochdubh who hope for peace and tranquility without realizing what village life in Sutherland is really like. But Agatha has mostly good intentions (except towards the women in the area who drive her batty) instead of being an incipient homicidal maniac like the incomers in Sutherland. Agatha is also her own woman, and not about to take any prisoners she doesn't have to. Like Hamish, she has a crime-solving partner, Bill Wong (of the local detectives), who helps her in ways she doesn't always appreciate (like Priscilla Halburton-Smythe does for Hamish). Agatha is based, however, in the gentle Cotswolds so there won't be too many stories about brutal winter blizzards in this series. You won't miss hearing about Strathbane.

In this inaugural book, Agatha has just sold her PR firm in London (where she succeeded by being a blunt instrument in plying journalists with meals and drink and then shaking them down for stories) and decided to retire to a cottage in the Cotswolds, an area she had once visited as a child. Naturally, she has a romanticized view of what life there will be like. Having been a busy businesswoman, she now finds herself not quite sure how to fill her time. Although she had made no friends in London, she expects to make many in rural Carsely. People nod and are friendly, but it goes no further. Agatha soon makes an enemy of her next door neighbor by stealing her housekeeper. While catching up on her reading of Agatha Christie mysteries, Agatha decides she needs to get everyone's attention. Why not win a prize for baking?

Plotting her strategy, Agatha invites the quiche competition judge, Reginald Cummings-Browne, and his wife, Vera, to an expensive dinner (expecting to curry favor as it were in the quiche wars). Agatha instead ends up with a very large bill and a not very high opinion of the Cummings-Brownes. Agatha makes a quick foray to London to buy a wonderful spinach quiche that she enters as her own.

But her plot is soon foiled when the woman who always wins the quiche competition once again triumphs. Agatha leaves her quiche behind in disgust, and Vera Cummings-Browne takes it home as a snack for her husband. That night, he eats the quiche and dies of poison! Naturally, there's a police investigation and Agatha has to confess that she cheated.

Feeling like she will never make it in Carsely after such a large faux pas, Agatha begins to think she should move out and go back to London. Soon, she's between two islands of discord and not sure what to do.

The police decide that the poisoning was an accidental death, but Agatha's not so sure. Before long, she starts acting on her urge to detect . . . with consequences that definitely heat up the story.

Where most detective stories are mostly about a crime and the process of uncovering the criminal, that element retreats into the background in this book. Instead, Agatha's search for happiness is the main focus of the story. The crime and its solution are merely incidents along the way. I liked that element. In fact, this would have been a very entertaining story even if it hadn't contained a mystery.

Any time your attention threatens to flag, you can just sit there and chuckle over the outrageous satirical elements. Although you know they are overdone, you can't help but laugh . . . as you might at good burlesque sketches with imaginative pie throwing.

Although I haven't read past this book in the Agatha Raisin series, I would have to say that Agatha could displace Hamish as number one in my affections for M. C. Beaton characters.

Enjoy!

...And great fun to read! Agatha first comes across as hard to take, but pretty soon we begin to appreciate her vulnerability. Set in the Cotswold villages of Britain, Agatha's adventures are closely tied in with her inability to safely navigate normal social life amongst the village. The supporting cast is wonderfully diverse, and the humor that is liberally sprinkled throughout Agatha's observations and experiences kept me thoroughly entertained chapter to chapter. I don't much care for series, but look forward to reading more in this one. I appreciated that it was PG rated, and that the main emphasis was on characterization and solving the mystery. No blood and guts.