Artists Books

SANDRO BOTTICELLI'S DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDY IS NO MORE BETTER.
MERCI FOR THE AUTEUR-EDITION .

i heard of this drawings thru a brief documentary on Dante's Divine Comedy,and managed to track down a book about this subject, finally consulted Amazon to get it .Frankly when i saw the relatively modest price tag ,i did not imagine that in fact the book is not only a first class Art book worth( in an ideal world a bit less insane that the present one)much more than some 40 euros ,with a magisterially commented analysis ,and a magnificent one at that,for each of these trascendental drawings.Moreover the riproduction of the drawings is excellent,and the close examination of each of them with a magnifying lens can only leave a passionate of both Dante and of Great Painting simply speechless.Congratulations to authors,editors and everybody who made this available, from a humble old lover of Dante,of Painting and Music , those things that can stiil distinguish us from the "bestie', the "bruti" ,sincerely,guido zargani

This book brought Dante to life in a way for which I was unprepared. From the moment I saw Boticelli's depictions of the damned I was sure he must have had an "inside" look into what Dnate was writing about. A wonderful coffee-table book that will get your guests to talking.

This is an extraordinary book. It's like finding a rare and beautiful volume in an antiquarian bookstore. The book consists of almost a hundred drawings by Botticelli, made around 1500 to illustrate Dante's Divine Comedy of 1300.

The drawings are marvelous. The devils and monsters are rather tame by modern standards but the thousands of individual characters are beautifully drawn and are easily recognizable as Botticelli's work even to the untrained eye. Botticelli illustrates each canto like a modern day story board or sequence of drawings in a cartoon strip. The action follows all of the events described in each canto. I pored over the drawings every evening for a month. I used a recent translation of the Inferno as my guide to this section. Opposite each drawing is a short but comprehensive summary of the canto together with a description of the drawing. The summary was sufficient to carry me through the Purgatorio and Paradiso sections and the descriptions were extremely helpful and never pedantic.

The book is superbly produced with informative essays and excellent photographs of paintings by Botticelli to illustrate his style. Even the dust cover is well-made and robust. It is illustrated with a scene of Dante and Virgil crossing a bridge over a pit of burning souls (the evil counselors). The hard cover of the book is embossed with the flames from the same scene, making it a very attractive volume.

Most of the drawings, which were intended to be colored, are unfinished, but this adds to the interest since it's possible to see how the artist worked. In some, the drawings are so dense and complex that you might need a magnifying glass to see them. On each such occasion the producers of the book have provided an enlargement of the drawing on the following page, anticipating the reader's needs. A particularly fine example of the complex drawing is the illustration for canto X of the Purgatorio. The scene shows marble reliefs on the walls of the mountain terrace illustrating example of humility. There are three tableaux of such detail and intensity that each could represent a sketch for a fresco on the wall of a cathedral and yet the complete drawing is on a piece of sheepskin parchment measuring about 14 x 16 inches.

As a former museum photographer, I can speak to the fine reproductions in this volume. The complexity of reproducing drawings of such fine detail in print is quite difficult if not impossible. One would expect to find this quality at a much greater price. This volume is not only a master work of techical ability, but the history revealed in the essays is astounding. I actually could not put it down. As a painter working with the subject matter, it provided an invaluable resource.

This book is highly recommended for people (both new and old) interested in exploring one of the largest and fastest growing African Diasporic Religions (Lukumi/Santeria). Full of beautiful pictures of actual costumes, plazas and thrones. This book would also be of interest to students studying anthropology, comparative religion, ethnic art, etc. New or used, the price paid for this little piece of work is money well spent.

So many books on Santeria write about theology and rituals and forget about the visual beauty of the religion. This book captures the beauty of the visual arts Santeria. The authors have included many, many photographs of Thrones of the Orishas, that is, shrines decorated with colored cloths. If you want to learn about rituals or theolgy, this is not the book. But, if you want to see the colors and creativity of the folk art aspect of Santeria, then you will thouroughly enjoy it.

From the point of view of a new Olorisa, (initiated Priestess) Santeria Garments and Alters was like a breath of fresh air in an environment which usually does little to support Traditional religious practises. The photographs are honouring to our Orisas and beautifully done. The authors tell the story of the creation of the works of art designed to pay homage to the Orisas in a way in which both the aleyo (non-initiated) and the experienced Olorisa may understand. Santeria Garments and Alters is a "must-have" for anyone who must build alters or other sacred spaces as well as for those who seek to learn about the artistic nature of our rich spiritual Tradition. Iyawo Omi Saide

I think this is the only book dedicated to the materials used in the Thrones of the Orishas as well as the Traje De Galas, Beautiful pictures of panios, coronas, ceremonial vestments. Informative. This is a good book for the curious who would like to see what our sacred initiation garments, Shrines, and altar items look like. Smnall into to some of the Orisha as venerated in Santeria.

This is not traditional ceremonial clothing as used in Yorualand, but that of the Lucumi Ocha followers of the New World. And let me stress, that the garments and thrones, are an Art Form in themselves. Beautiful Pictures.

If you are interested in Santeria and the garments utilized in ceremonies, this is the book for you. You will not see these garments elsewhere. The author is a very well recognized santero and the pictures are stunning. The information presented is geared to a nonpractitioner of this tradition. Forget whatever you have heard about Santeria; this is the real thing.

are a fresh antidote to the usual stale paintings by late 19th century artists. This book shows the range and depth of Mr. Sargent's Venice painitings, including those that show the seamy side of Venetian life that many contempory paintings largely ignored, either by romanticizing/sanitizing the working classes or ignoring them altogether, preferring to painting the familiar scenes such as the Doge's palace/St.Mark's church and carnivale.

Mr. Sargent is a storyteller in paintbrush. I recommend art lovers to read his book.

I'm dedicating this review to my late grandmother. May she rests in peace.

Stephanie B.

If you love Venice, and if you love Sargent--then you will love this book. There are a few new items in this book, but for the most part they are reapeated images from now all the numerous volumes of Sargents books that have flooded the market in the recent years. The text is intersting and the insightful written by Mr. Warren Adelsen and Mr. Richard Ormond two Sargent experts-- are worth reading, if you want to add to your knowlege of Sargent and Venice.

SARGENT'S VENICE is a book that makes Sargent more than a great portrait painter. It reveals that he could be equally good at landscapes of the world's most beautiful city. His views of Venice are intimate, exploratory, perceptive, Venice seen from a gondola snaking its way through the canals. The prow of the gondola figures in many of his paintings. Venice has been the province of great painters since Tintoretto and Sargent now joins their company, thanks to this book.

Thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, and this book is a wonderful keepsake illustrated with abundant, good quality color reproductions. I would highly recommend this book. I appreciate Amazon's hassle free, speedy delivery as well.

Richard Ormond has collected the watercolors and drawings and oil paintings that were John Singer Sargent's response to that most mystical and romantic of cities - Venice, Italy - from two separate periods of time in Sargent's prolific career. The selected works are from a fecund period from 1880 to 1882 and the second even larger body of works date from his visits there from 1900 to 1913. Comparing the two periods is illuminating on many levels, but despite the separation in time, Sargent's manner of capturing the magic that is Serenissima is unmatched in works of other artists.

That Sargent was influenced by his friend and colleague Henry James is patently obvious. Were the reader to read 'The Aspern Papers' along with this picture voyage through the canals and paths of Venice the feeling of actually being there in time and place would be unavoidable.

Sargent seems more comfortable in the aqueous métier of watercolor for the views and atmosphere of Venice. He manages to paint the fogs and mists that rise from this water city, to reflect the relaxed tranquility of the people within the island, and he is attuned to the alterations of light as it strikes and reflects off the water, altering the subject matter in a way only those who have been to Venice can appreciate fully.

Along with the mood of the works elegantly reproduced in this volume is Ormond's narrative. He has selected photographs of many of the places Sargent painted, allowing the reader to appreciate the interpretation Sargent achieved in his artist impression as well as in his keen observational skills. This is a book of languid beauty, one that will satisfy on many levels. Very Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 06

A wonderful collection. Full, beautifully presented, with interesting narrative incorporating Nevelson's personal history with that of her creations. Prints - some color as well as black and white - are lusciously entwined with the essays.
A MUST HAVE volume for all art lovers.

The review from "Publishers Weekly" is not just hype but rather an excellent summation of this gem. Though another reviewer wished for more close-ups of Nevelson's sculptures, I was pleased with their number and really don't think more would have added much. I was also pleasantly surprised to find good coverage of Nevelson's etchings and metal sculptures. And it is always an added bonus when the text is well-written and insightful. All in all, THE SCULPTURE OF LOUISE NEVELSON: CONSTRUCTING A LEGEND is a must-have book for those interested in both the person and her oevre.

An excellent book on an extrordinary artist. There are not many books available on Louise Nevelson so this one is the most important. It has extensive examples of her work over her whole career. It is beautifully printed and finely bound.

Nevelson's work, as I had seen it in books and other photos, never really impressed me. Then I saw a show of her work, for which this book is catalog - what a difference.

Size matters - I knew that intellectually, but standing in front of these imposing works creates a subjective experience that no photo can capture. Walking around them changes perspective, too, giving a sense like one of those Zen gardens where no point of view presents all of the work's features. Then, at least in the "black" works, there's an odd paradox. If the works had been perfectly, 100% black and non-reflective, then there would have been nothing to see. Only the fact that they're not truly black exposes their mystery.

The static museum display, even more than the book's photos, left me knowing that I had missed at least two aspects of these majestic works. First, their depth and structure only half-defines the shadows deep inside these works. The other half of the shadow's definition comes from the light - a constant in the museum gallery, freezing the shadows like insects in amber, whereas natural lighting would change throughout the day and let the shifting shadows come to life. Second, some of the installations seemed incomplete. Oh, the pieces of Dawn's Wedding Chapel were all there and presented well, but I felt that there must have been some original placement of the pieces that would define the interior of the chapel - the pieces' placement in the display that I saw lacked the consistent logic that I expected of Nevelson.

More than just a catalog of the Nevelson show, this book provides insight into her origins, life, and career. Almost as much as Salvador Dali, Nevelson might well have been Nevelson's greatest creation - once success allowed it, her extravagant clothes, mask-like makeup, and signature scarf on her head worked together to create a unique persona. Beneath that, we still see the remarkable person and her groundbreaking work.

-- wiredweird

Just when I was interested in learning more about Louise Nevelson this very fine book appears in publication. The quality photographs show all facets of her career and the writings reflect in-depth scholarship. Some more detail views of the sculptures would have been nice also, like those on the front and back cover. This fresh and thorough book is the kind that gives great artists the continuing attention they deserve. Like her contemporary Georgia O'Keeffe, Nevelson was a truly unique American woman artist.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS I'VE ADMIRED SERGE LUTENS WORK FEATURED IN MANY FASHION MAGAZINES. I COULDN'T PASS UP ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY OWN ONE OF HIS BOOKS. AND OF COURSE, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH ITS CONTENTS: A COLLECTION OF PICTURES DISPLAYING AN ARTISTS' REMARKABLE INTERPRATATION OF FEMALE BEAUTY. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW HE MANIPULATES FEMININE BEAUTY TO IT'S FULL POTENTIAL WITH HIS USE OF PLAYFULLY SOPHISTICATED & AT TIMES EXOTIC MAKEUP & COSTUMES. WHAT ARTISTRY!.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS I'VE ADMIRED SERGE LUTENS' WORK FEATURED IN MANY FASHION MAGAZINES. I COULDN'T PASS UP ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY OWN ONE OF HIS BOOKS. AND OF COURSE, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH ITS CONTENTS: A COLLECTION OF PICTURES DISPLAYING AN ARTISTS' REMARKABLE INTERPRATATION OF FEMALE BEAUTY. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW HE MANIPULATES FEMININE BEAUTY TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL WITH HIS USE OF PLAYFULLY SOPHISTICATED & AT TIMES EXOTIC MAKEUP & COSTUMES. A BEAUTY THAT JUSTIFIES LIFE.

this is really a wonderful book.the expression on the faces, almost a real fantasy.

I have no word to describe the beauty of these pages. Serge Lutens is one of the most talentuous image-makers of these last years. You might have already seen a few of his photographs for Shiseido ads : in this book, you have a fascinating survey of his work and art. The beauty of the colours, of the make-up, of the objects and clothes... It's a perpetual joy for the eyes ! Lutens's work is completely original, far from traditional simple advertising pictures. Discover a world of magic, of fantasy, of beautiful (almost unreal) women... and you'll fall in love with Serge Lutens's visions too !

This is a splendid appearing photo chronicle of Lutens' images from 1973 until present. His images are most commonly seen as the stylized Shiseido advertisements. He describes it in the introduction as: "The imaginary where finery and rupture distill. Characters of precise contour, black essences, calligraphy of bodies..." This is an "art" book and not a how to book such as Kevyn Aucoin's "Making Faces". Visual observers, photographers and artists may delight. Those interested in the cosmetic techniques and products applied rather than the overall result may be disappointed. Overall a beautifully printed work of art that would make a memorable gift.

I'm a big fan of Susuan Boulet and was very pleased to see her calendar
avilable this year, her work just embodies the Indian spirit and beliefs and I'll be glad to have her work on my wall for the year.

We always did want to see the spirit of a tree. Susan Seddon Boulet did & brings us every detail, enchanting our eyes & entrancing our minds. This artist has a host of calendars & greeting cards to touch the heart, uncurl our modern neutered spirits & fill our eyes with affection, calm & starlight. Lovely & profound.

There is very little I don't own of Susan Seddon Boulet's work in calendar, card or book form. Shaman is an exemplary achievement and work of love done by a woman of profound talent.

I met Susan at a workshop in Rhinebeck, N.Y and was instantly struck by her inner glow. The radiance of a woman who is grounded and knows the path of a Shaman. How better to portray her inner beliefs than through her art work?

The Shaman's Paintings are a testament not only to a spiritual path but also to one of our finest American women artists.

The path of a Shaman is best expressed by someone like Susan Seddon Boulet as she weaves ancient myth and folklore into beautiful tales on canvas.

A must have.

This is the 6 year I've had a calendar containing the artwork by Susan Seddon Boulet. Although the artist is deceased, her artwork speaks of another world, ancient archtypes, legends and myths. There is always something new in each page of the calendar. Pictures within pictures. Along with each month is a small poem or quote which is appropriate to the picture and very meaningful. If you enjoy shamanism, native american legends, classical mythology, this is a product you should buy.

There is very little I don't own of Susan Seddon Boulet's work in calendar, card or book form. Shaman is an exemplary achievement and work of love done by a woman of profound talent.

I met Susan at a workshop in Rhinebeck, N.Y and was instantly struck by her inner glow. The radiance of a woman who is grounded and knows the path of a Shaman. How better to portray her inner beliefs than through her art work?

The Shaman's Paintings are a testament not only to a spiritual path but also to one of our finest American women artists.

The path of a Shaman is best expressed by someone like Susan Seddon Boulet as she weaves ancient myth and folklore into beautiful tales on canvas.

A must have.

Take away the celebrity chic aspect of this book, imagine that the drawings of flowers were rendered by a cross-section of not-so-famous people, and its power and pleasure remain undiluted. This is an enormously entertaining and wildly creative collection of words and pictures linked together by a dark and disturbing subtext. And that is something of a miracle, courtesy of the potent mind of the author. You get sneak peaks into the psyches of an amazing array of artists who, best of all, gradually coalesce to create a smartly subtle memoir of the charismatic character who conceived this book.

This book is absolutely great. Kids of all ages enjoy looking at the flowers that were drawn by the many famous stars that appear in it. I personally know Victoria and the work that she put into the book. There are stories in it that will make you cry, like the Alison Gertz story. It is very heartwarming. Thirty percent of the profits go to the Aid foundation known as Love heals which is absolutely great.

What a cool book! Who knew all these celebrities could also draw! I bought 2 copies. One for myself and one as a gift for Christmas.

This is a beautiful book to keep and to give. The drawings are very interesting and beautiful, some of them are very basic sketches, some are complex artistic works, but all of them have one thing in common: they were drawn with lots of love. And that shows. Thank you for this book Ms Leacock!

A very beautifully well put together book. Not only are the drawings interesting, the text that goes along with them as Ms. Leacock remembers the acquiring of the flowers will make you laugh and cry. The wide range of celebrities drawings of flowers is quite amazing (authors, directors, actors, etc.). That Ms. Leacock would share these very personal rememberances make it quite touching. Makes a wonderful gift for anyone and you will want to display it on your coffee table forever. The fact that a large percentage of the proceeds is going to AIDS charities is even more special.

This marriage of poetry and illustrations is like no other. As an educator I enjoy the layout of the book. The poems are divided into categories such as poems about weather, spooky poems, and animal poems. The illustrations are by Caldecott Medal artists - the best of the best! I have purchased countless copies of Sing a Song of Popcorn as it is a perfect gift to give to families to celebrate the arrival of a new baby. It is a book that all members of the family can enjoy - the young ones will enjoy the rhyming patterns of some of the poems and the silliness of others. The adults will treasure the inclusion of such classic poems as Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and Jack Prelutsky's entertaining "The Spaghetti Nut".

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of poetry and the beautiful illustrations which accompany. As a kindergarten teacher, I found the anthology to be an invaluable resource for introducing young children (or any children) to the world of poetry. :

Our girl's book club is reading this book of poems. Once they finish they will each get to keep a copy of the book. Poems are classic and the pictures are amazing. It's the best poem book so far!

This is a wonderful anthology of poetry, beautifully illustrated
by well known children's artists. I have 6 grandchildren, ranging from babies to a 9 year old. This book has material for
all ages, and it is well organized by subjects..."spooky poems",
"mostly nonsense", etc. The kids love it and so do I.

You don't have to be a certain age to enjoy this book, full of wonderful poems from various well known poets. There is a poem for every walk of life in this book. This book is sure to be on your shelf for many years to come!

Wonderfully written book. DF Whipple is great at describing the social and economic environment through his characters. Also, DF Whipple uses humor throughout the book to keep your attention. Issue of illegal immigration is presented in the book, with much thought to the affect in a community held hostage by one employer.

D.F. Whipple has demonstrated once again that not only is he an impeccable eyewitness of the human condition, that not only is he an accomplished author deserving of great merit, and that not only can he compose a craftily arranged story of wide, multi-faceted themes, but he can do it all with a subtle grace that belies the great intensity broiling beneath the depths of his work.

I must admit, as a high school student greatly interested in the literary arts, I am left with a feeling hardly assessable after reading a Whipple book. The characters, ideas; the tale itself seems unable to lie contently within the pages that Whipple has so masterfully filled. There is not a word that appears haphazardly thrown in or written in as "padding". The characters lives don't end by the time one has read through to the back cover. Nor were they started on the first page; instead one gets the feeling that we are merely the observers of these people's lives who we can only begin to grasp. As in his previous novel, the story is never brought to a conclusive end. This comes not through any lack of lucidity on the author's part: no, indeed this arises more to the fact that what Whipple has constructed within the three-hundred odd pages is a large, allegorical mirror upon which we are to view ourselves.

Yes, there are the more universal themes here dealing with immigration that never fall to bland assumptions, conclusions, or otherwise clichéd and stereotyped ends. However, where some readers may not connect to such global themes (which remains unlikely - Whipple allows no connection, large or small, communal or individual to remain insignificant; we as readers are shown the impact of our moral obligations through his characters on a both a restricted and wide scale) he sticks to situations on which we all can connect: what mother has not fretted over the well-being of her own children? When have people not been incited to anger when an outside threat closes in?

It is interesting to note, though, that the truth becomes most clear in the character's greatest struggles. These "scenes" - if you will - usually involve an almost dream-like, hallucinatory sequence of events. It appears that Whipple is trying to tell us that we (as human creatures) have known the truth all along but do not reach realization until our doubts, our self-imposed trials, choke out all other knowns and only the ultimatum - that thing which we so try to ignore - becomes clear even (or especially) as all else falls apart.

Any of those who have read Whipple's first novel, Shadow Fields, will recognize such masterful tactics. You will not be disappointed with this great selection; not only does it display a wide range of interests (the setting is almost completely removed from the large corporations dominating his early novel) but it also documents a maturing style of this author who so far has only demonstrated genuine enthusiasm and skill for his art. Not to discredit his early work by any means, but I left this one feeling more satisfied with the depth with which he explored his world. If any of you are to recall my previous review, you would find this to be a nit-pick of mine (I wouldn't call it a complaint, I enjoyed that book far too much to have a complaint). This time around, however, I left a very satisfied, very thoughtful reader.

And I left, perhaps, just a little bit more interested and compassionate about my fellow man. When a book can do that to you, you most certainly know you have something a little bit more than a "fireside read" on your hands.

I highly recommend this book to any and all interested. I even recommend it to any who may not be interested; you will be surprised at how easily you will slip into the world of Snooker Glen and how very hard it is to leave it.

I was taken away to Snooker Glen, Kentucky on the first page. At first, I thought it was a "light read", basically a book I could shut my brain off and get carried away. Well, carried away I was --- with an extraordinary plot and imaginative characters (all of whom I can say I met personally once or twice). I recommended the book to a few ladies at my church because it portrays a vivid and lively, and quite accurate account of a Southern woman and her family. Snooker Glen is a perfect book for a book club or discussion group - with so many issues intertwined. The author applies the concept of Biblical Esther to the way we live now, in a world threatened by bureaucracy and divided by language, aristocracy, money and religion.

We live in a world in which major media channels are
tightly controlled. This is especially true of
broadcast media and films, in which the major decision
making rests in rather few unelected hands. The big
exception is books-and for most people, books mean
novels. Until a topic is discussed in novels, it
simply isn't going to get broad exposure in US
culture.

Many folks need something with a story to start to
grasp an issue that isn't part of the "common sense"
of popular culture. Snooker Glen joins Fast Food
Nation as one the first books to seriously look at the
range of issues raised by mass immigration.

Snooker Glen takes the issue to a time upon which
many Americans have a bit of perspective of-and a
community that represents something that a lot of
America used to be a lot more like: town with a
strong sense of community and family wage union jobs.

The immigrants in Snooker Glen are more like the
original residents there than many other Americans
today (both groups are largely Protestant from
Northwestern Europe). Snooker Glen focuses not on the
issues of culture and language, but the effects of
immigration on economics, working conditions and the
disruption of an established community of people
who can't easily find another home like the one they
are in.

As a piece of literature, Snooker Glen deals with
things like the security ramifications of immigration
without coming off like a conspiracy theory. The basic
premise of the novel is asking how someone in the
American of the 1950's might view some major events of
the last 55 years if they could get a glimmer of the
future. Snooker Glen raises especially important
issues dropped from the contemporary political
debate-and does so in a way that folks from a wide
range of political perspectives might find thought
provoking and entertaining.

Whipple has crafted a very unique book where the "common-folk" systematically deconstruct the stilted, open border arguments of coastal commentators. In a din of otherwise half-hearted, and self-promoting, intellectualism, Snooker Glen is an irreverant, timely and thought provoking commentary on the immigration debate. In lesser hands, a novel on immigration could be heavy handed or angry. Whipple had the foresight to infuse the novel with a refreshing wit, rich characters and stunning logic. Some of the more vocal advocates for open borders may want to change their tone, volume and vocation; Whipple has reduced their arguments to ashes.

Farris is the master of the subtle plot. He is also a master of genuine horror - horror that is not necessarily caused by supernatural monsters or aliens or bogeymen. It is the horror that is immanent in human nature - more or less trammeled by the civilization and the rules of society. When they come into the open it is either due to mental or social sickness. In this book you can study persons that when they have the feeling of being almighty may exercise their dehumanized urges on innocent people. Man is the only being that kills for pleasure and personal satisfaction. Farris shows this in a novel full of breathteaking suspense. The Trevellians may be exaggerated and slightly unreal as characters but they represent a tendency in humans to play God and to feel like God. Hubris is punished in the classical Greek tragedy. But is this mortal sin always punished in our modern times?

John Farris, master of psycho books, has amazed me once again. I have read all of his novels to date and this is by far his best work. After finishing the book, I have not been able to keep my mind off it...too bad there's no chance of a sequel.

You won't be able to put this one down; get ready for a VERY late night! "Soon She Will Be Gone", will have you breathless in anticipation of what will happen next! Just when I thought I had "figured it all out" I was surprised by another twist, another turn, all the way up to the unpredictable ending.You won't regret buying this book, it's one heck of a roller coaster ride!

Six beautiful women have mysteriously vanished over the past few years with the only common links besides their gender being they were physically impaired and that they were involved in some manner with visionary architect Dix Trevallian. Their absence might have gone unnoticed except that the last victim happened to be the sister of U.S. Deputy Attorney general Dane Coleman, who believes that the six females are all dead and Dix is the culprit. He plans to bring the wealthy architect down either by legal or other means. ..... Sharon Norbeth falls into Dane's clutches when she cops a plea bargain with him. She will abet him in his efforts to get at Dix if he drops all criminal charges filed against her. Sharon gains entrance into the rarefied Trevallian inner sanction through Dane's Machiavellian maneuvers and her own artistic talent. She quickly discovers that the entire Trevallian family is twisted in ways so horrible that it is difficult to accept. Anyone of them could have caused the disappearance of the women and Sharon plans to uncover who the culprit is before she becomes the next missing number. ..... John Farris has written his usual nail biting thriller that draws upon the beasts that reside inside every human. SOON SHE WILL BE GONE is an example of horror at its most horrible brilliance. The characters (both good and evil) are compelling and the story line rapidly moves forward, turning this book into a must read for fans who enjoy reading about the surfacing of the Jekyll in all of us. .....Harriet Klausner

A serial killer may be at large. Six talented women with various handicaps have disappeared without a trace. The only link between them seems to be the Trevellian family. Sharan Norbeth , a disfigured artist, goes undercover to discover the truth, but comes close to being victim number 7. Just when you think you have figured out who the villain is, the plot takes a twist and turn. The story keeps you on edge and is a very satisfying read for fans of mystery and psychosexual thrillers.