Shadow Books

... I have met the author. It is certainly true that I have met Lee. Indeed I've known him for several years. The fact is though, I like Lee's writing style. I have read his newspaper columns. I own his earlier book on Vietnam too. Lee has the ability to bring a full range of emotions to the surface in the reader. From sadness to anger to a feeling of smallness in awe of the power of nature, I can't help but be involved with his writing. Moving among the lights and shadows of this book is entirely pleasant, amusing and fulfilling.

From earliest childhood Lee Basnar loved nature. Basnar was born in Vermont in 1938. Stories of Alaska created a fascination for Lee. He wanted to experience the last frontier.

Lee's father had plans for him to graduate from college. Instead Lee married his high school sweetheart, Joan. He worked for his father as an apprentice carpenter. It was seasonal work. Tired of menial jobs and unemployment checks during the winter months, Lee again disappointed his father. He joined the army in 1961.

Lee's service career took him to Germany and France. In 1968 he was transferred to Viet Nam where he served as advisor to the South Vietnamese infantry division and later as an infantry company commander.

In October of 1971 Lee was assigned duty at Fort Richardson. His dream of seeing Alaska had finally come true. However, in 1974 he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. Soon Lee was seeking reassignment to duty in Alaska. An opportunity opened and Basner became senior advisor to the 207th Infantry Group of the Alaska National Guard, near Anchorage, for the remainder of his Army career.

As time drew near for his army enlistment to end, Lee began to plan his retirement. Together, with Joan, he looked for a site that would accommodate a cabin home. They both were ready to take on the challenge of the Alaskan frontier by living in the bush.

Lee is a gifted story teller. His descriptions of animal life, nature trails, mountains, and rivers in the vast Alaska wilds are spectacular. In breathtaking word pictures Basner creates new vistas for the reader. "Snow sprinkled the mountains like powdered sugar on cupcakes, and each new snowfall frosted the slopes a little lower." Each chapter includes a photo which depicts something of its contents.

Narrow escapes and life threatening experiences mount up as one after another Basner chronicles his story. He tells of a smoke filled cockpit in his small Taylor Craft airplane. After an emergency landing and repairs he had to battle river rapids for a dangerous take off at 2:30 AM to return home. After landing, securing the plane in a blinding snowstorm, having had no sleep for 24 hours, Lee, the master of understatement put it this way, "For some reason I felt a little tired."

Adventure stories of trapping, hunting, fishing, and photographing moose, wolves, bears, and other wildlife fill the chapters of this rapid paced narrative. The unpredictability of grizzly bears, a midwinter chimney fire, and other narrow escapes will keep you turning the pages of this fascinating account of the Basner's life in the bush.

Lee related how after surviving his tour of duty in Viet Nam, he was plagued by survivor guilt. He hoped to exchange combat nightmares from Vietnam for a new sense of freedom peace and contentment by living in the bush. After some years of roughing it, Lee wrote: "Vietnam intruded less frequently as the years accumulated...the demands of bush living shoved Viet Nam aside, leaving room for healing. The nightmares, less frequent now, retreated to a hidden place, emerging rarely. Drifting and pondering gave me time to realize that I had truly survived and shouldn't feel guilty because of it".

This is a book for everyone who ever had a dream of adventure on the last frontier. It is a book for Veterans, who experienced the ravages of war. Every school library should have a copy. It is for the sportsman, the hunter, and the environmentalist.

This is an incredible read.

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (08/06)

Ever since I read Jack London's Call of the Wild when I was a child, I have been enamored of anything to do with Alaska. If a book is set in Alaska, I'll buy it, more for the background and how people live than for the storyline.

Lee Basner was born in Vermont and in his early childhood developed a fascination with the Alaska Territory. It took him thirty years, but he finally achieved his dream of living in the far North. Sick with guilt over the men under his command who never came home from the Vietnam War while he made it through, Lee retired from the U.S. Army as a major at the age of forty-two and he and his wife Joan built a log home 200 miles from Anchorage. They moved in during a March blizzard and lived there for the next sixteen years, pitting themselves against the worst Alaska could throw at them and surviving to tell the tale.

They had no indoor plumbing, self-generated power and no telephone for the first years. Clothes were washed in a wringer washer and hung outside to freeze, after which they were brought inside to thaw in front of the wood-burning stove, the only source of heat.

Balanced against these inconveniences was wildlife at the door, breathtaking scenery and the chance to really live their own lives as they wished, with no one to tell them what to do.

Filled with anecdotes of their daily life from the mundane, like digging a trail to the outhouse, to the poignant such as a herd of caribou caught in an avalanche, many of them killed and injured while Lee was unable to reach them to at least put them out of their misery, I was unable to put the book down. I even took it with me to read while I waited in line at the bank. I loved this book. It's a real keeper.

Wow! Captivating from the beginning digging your way out of the cabin. Excellent imagery. Made me want to go there before it is all gone, to breath the air, to see the landscape, to feel the rush of the wind, the chill of the frozen tundra, to taste food that is fresh and wild, free from man's processing. To hear the sounds that nature sings.
This descriptive account of life in Alaska is an eye opener of the fortitude it takes to make it in the Last Frontier. The extreme conditions and the extreme rewards.
This book opens your eyes to the hardships and the little things a tenderfoot wouldn't think of in your survival in the Alaskan wilds. Dotted with humor, sprinkled with love and support of a life mate, along with the daily challenges of self-sufficiency. Here you will find many helpful hints if your dream is to live in the wilds of Alaska. And if it has been your dream it will open your eye to the reality of such a challenge. A marvelous read and an excellent way to experience the wilds vicariously in the comfort and safety of your own armchair, from wildlife survival, to the Elmer's, natures Christening, the antics of the wilds, this books is fascinating, one to read and re-read.
I can only say thank you Lee for writing your experience out in such vivid details.

A great book. The descriptions of the wildlife and landscape are insightful and accurate - I was informed as well as entertained. The book captures the feel of wild Alaska and allowed me to experience life in the bush along with the author and his wife. I felt as if I was in the plane when he was lost during a snow storm. I stood beside him and felt the excitement and fear when wolf or grizzly was encountered at close range. The book gives us an environmental message as well. Wilderness is ours not only to experience, but also to protect. The author's insights into how to live with the land and appreciate its beauty and harshness make this a valuable read.

This book was of great interest to me for her opinions on different techniques. I especially liked learning more about masking and glazes.

The paintings capture light and shadows with incredible beauty and are inspiring to my own watercolor endeavors. The book is a worthwhile addition to any watercolorist's library.

"Paint Watercolors That Dance with Light" is a very well written, easy to understand book that can be applied to other media as well. Her explanations are clear and concise. This book would be a great addition to any painter's library. Defnitely would recommend to others.

Elizabeth shares with me the meditative and contemplative aspects of painting. Additionally she values pure colour glazes and this has provided me with a new way of glazing, a technique that I love. The book is suitable for someone who has been painting and is dedicated to impovement. It builds on the knowledge that you already have and doesn't treat you as a novice. Thankyou Elizabeth, it is a delight to own your book.

HER WRITING DEFINITELY SHOWS HER LOVE FOR WATERCOLOR. IT SPEAKS TO YOUR SOUL.

I have read this book several times. The Woolfolks were my ancestors so I wanted to get some information on my past family history. Before this book I never knew that this had even exsisted. Carolyn...thank you for teaching me about something I knew nothing about.

Carolyn spoke at my library in 2000 and everyone was so impressed that I have been trying to get in touch with her ever since. I would love to hear from you. I can't find any new books by you and was wondering where you are with the movie plans.
Joice Public Library, Joice Iowa

I received this book for Christmas and have already finished reading it. In fact, I read it in 8 hours. Wow!! It knocked me off my feet. Powerful stuff here! Highly recommend it.

I also received this book as a Christmas gift. I can not believe how incredibly good this author is. I am difficult to buy for because I am such a critical reader. But THIS book kept me glued to the pages. It was so rivoting, I could not put it down. I predict a movie. Thanks sis for a great present. I recommend it highly to anyone who likes nonfiction narrative.

The good thing about this book, and perhaps the best thing I can say about it, is that there is a huge body of historical information within it's pages. I myself have visited the Woolfolk site as a child and as a young man, and I've been interested in the story for years. I've heard all of the local legends and wives' tales, and I've long wanted to know what actually happened to the Woolforks. DeLoach has done a great job of sorting through the newspapers and recording her findings. My hat's off her for what was no doubt a great amount of research.

However, all is not well in this book. Throughout the book, we're treated to descriptions more befitting a badly written romance novel. For instance, the book starts off innocently enough, setting the scene: "Before the rains, Tobosofkee Creek was a meandering branch lazily engraving its serpentine path down from the fertile fields of Monroe County before fading quietly into the mightier Ocmulgee River." A lurid description, a bit on the verbose side, to be sure, but not a terrible start. Shortly after, we get to a prime example of what's wrong with this book: "Emma Jones stirred. The silver rays of the bright full moon gradually illuminated her bedroom then faded again in the clouded night." This is the meandering prose of a bad romance ghost writer, not that of a writer that wishes to properly convey a historical scene. To further illustrate my point: "As she read, a raw pain began cutting deep within her, increasing in intensity and severity until it exploded in her chest. She felt as if someone savagely reached inside her body, took hold of her heart, and ripped it out." While I understand the desire to tell a compelling story, this book is billed as a historically accurate account of an event, not a fictionalized retelling of the story.

Furthermore, while I understand that it's important to accurately recreate the dialect of a place and time, DeLoach's approach borders on the absurd, if not the offensive. Take for instance, this recollection of a black man to an investigator: "Yassur. Ya see, he was struttin' 'round talkin' high and mighty 'bout how'z d'place was his'n and his sisters 'n that he was gonna have it...Well suh, ya see, I was outside there paintin' n' I heard him'n his pa arguin'. D'Cappin', he went on in d'house." Or perhaps: "Run over to d'Smith's and d'Yates. Tell'em to git over here quick...tell'em somethin' bad's happened at d'Cap'ns.'" Throughout the entire story, nearly every black character talks in the same, practically unreadable "dialect." In effect, DeLoach managed to take several important characters and turn them into one interchangeable "black" character, an effect that she was probably trying to minimize by adding the effect in the first place. Any proper editor worth his salt would've nipped that directly. It's not only not needed, the reader is actually left guessing at the actual dialogue at times, much less being offended by the treatment of these characters. To be clear, I'm not saying that this is racist, simply that it was ill-advised and badly implemented.

Aside from all this, the story itself is why I read the book, and why I continue to read it. I don't know that anyone unfamiliar with the murders in the first place will find this book to be much more than an overly romanticized account, but deep down, DeLoach has the facts and uses them to relate what happened on that fateful day and subsequent months and even years of trial. Ultimately, the reader will have to decide to either trudge through the ungainly verbose tale to find out what happened, or simply look up the bare facts online and forgo the gory details. I chose to read the book because the story itself is simply that compelling. Let's hope that the next generation of Georgia and/or murder scholars learn from this text and stick to what works: facts, not implied fiction.

Shadow Laws is the second book in the Laws series featuring Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry. All the books in the Laws series are stand-alone thrillers and can be read in any order. Bryson Coventry and his African American partner, Shalifa Netherwood, return in every book to a new and exciting adventure. The series includes Night Laws, Shadow Laws, Fatal Laws, Deadly Laws, Bangkok Laws and Immortal Laws.

Attention, thriller fans. Another tale you'll want to read. Chills will crawl over your skin and up your spine as you join Detective Bryson Coventry in his latest case.

An accident, a lawyer's search for a mysterious killer and a policeman's hunt for a stalking killer, all cross paths in this chilling tale. They merge into a story you won't be able to put down once you pick it up.

Lawyer Taylor Sutton is hired to identify a mysterious caller who seems to be bragging about being a killer. She is soon hot on the trail and runs headlong into danger. Will this be the end of her too?

The car accident results in murder by the very killer Coventry is searching for, a man who has kidnapped a young art student and they fear for her life. But the student has a surprise in store for the killer.

A fast-paced, well-plotted tale by very talented author Jim Michael Hansen that will keep you focused, wanting to know what will happen next. Danger lurks on each page.

Highly recommended for any mystery or thriller fan. A tale you'll read more than once. Enjoy. I sure did.

SHADOW LAWS by Jim Michael Hansen: In this second of the "Laws" series, Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry, and beautiful young attorney Taylor Sutton, are separately hunting vicious killers but for very different reasons. A lawyer friend of Sutton's has a mysterious client, with whom he has only talked by phone, that he thinks is trying to kill him. He has tapes of their conversations that are not conclusive and wants Sutton's advice as to whether he can ethically turn them over to the police. In the meantime Coventry is looking for a missing woman that he fears is dead. Soon they are in pursuit of a sicko who likes to play games with his victims, the police and attorneys. Eventually the paths of Coventry and Sutton cross and they close in on the truth. Another excellent outing.

Shadow Laws by Jim Michael Hansen

Lieutenant Bryson Coventry has his hands full in this second book of the "law" series -- more ways than one.
Luckily he has a hotshot and hot-to-trot accomplice filling
in the reader and doing the foot work while Bryson plays
around.
Taylor Sutton is the most atypical 21st century
woman you'll ever meet. Bryson might do well to come up for
air a little more often or this gal will steal his staring
role.
Bryson has more than one mystery to solve though, including
the past of a mysterious, but irresistible woman.
Not as strong as his first novel, Night Laws, Shadow
Laws still delivers a one-two punch and gives us a few more
insights into the continuing mystery of Bryson Coventry's
character.
Nathan Wickersham is introduced early on as the bad (really
bad) guy. He tears through the story like a Vegas pit boss
on the hunt for loaded dice. As someone who likes the bad
guys, I would have preferred more character study on this
character, but as interesting as he was, I wouldn't want to meet him in a even well-lighted alley.
Even the villain has a silent and deadly partner who keeps
everyone's heads turning to see who's behind them.
The book keeps the reader, and most of the characters,
guessing till the last page. It's definitely a good read and will no doubt become a collector's "must have" as the series evolves. Buy it while you can! Don't expect me to give you my copy when you find they've sold out.
###

Hansen creates suspense and drama that glues you to the story from the first page, and holds you there until the story is complete. Unlike many of Hansen's contemporary's, the characters of Night Laws are realistic, engaging, humourous and likeable. Turn the lights on, fill up a pot of Coffee (like protagonist Bryson Coventry), and be prepared to stay up all night for this page-turner!

I remember reading this when I was young. I would read while sitting on an old tree stump until it was dark. Overall it's a great read, very creative and draws the reader in. When I had finished it I went looking for the other book. It wasn't until now just about ten years later that I found it. Enjoy reading it, I'm sure you will.

Shadows in the Water mostly takes place in the Florida Keys during summer.In this book there are two sets of twins.The first set of twins are July(boy)and Liberty(girl)they are both 12.The second set of twins are Charly and Molly, both girls and both 5.They all have telapathic powers and can talk to each other through their minds.In the begining of the story July and Liberty were unhappy because school was going to begin soon and they were going to have boring lives,until the next day the children's father,Put,told them that they were moving to the Florida Keys from their home in Washington D.C. for his job(catching toxic waste dumpers.)When the children get there they discover a mysterious boy named Robbie that has bandages over his hands.After about a week of being there July and Liberty sneak out into the night.They sail in their boat to an island and find many turtles.For the next couple weeks July and Liberty sneak out,until one night they find dolphins waiting for them at the shore.The dolphins tell the twins about Cuda and his toxic waste dumping crew.The twins and dolphins meet at the island many more days, then one day when July and Liberty sneak out they find Charly,Molly,and Robbie in the boat waiting for them.As they ride the dolphins that night they decide to meet the next night and sail to Cuda's house.The next night when they reach the house Robbie,July, and Molly got cught by the crew. Liberty and Charly had to think of a plan.I think this book was very good.Everyone should read it because it is adventurous, mysterious, and I enjoyed it a lot.

The main characters in this book are Liberty and July. They are twins who have telepathic channels. They just got back from a trip to London where their dad, a special worker for the government, ended another crisis.
This time their dad drags them to the Florida Keys where he can end the crisis of a very serious chemical called diploidmysterol. This chemical keeps being dumped into the ocean killing tons of sea life. On the twin's way they run into a lot of problems. For example, the twins get stuck in these drunken guy's home on an island they've never even heard about. While they're there they find out that these are the guys who keep dumping the diploidmysterol into the ocean.
The time with major events is at night, because that's when the twins always sneak out of the house. You always want to be sneaky at Pelican Key, because even if you don't know it some strangers might be watching you.
The theme is that the twins are trying to constantly save everything they come across from the diploidmysteroil, including themselves.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It constantly gave details to enjoy. The author made a very constant statement of getting the point across in an enjoyable manner. Another thing is that the author doesn't always use such fancy words like diploidmysterol.

I read this book when I was 10 and really enjoyed it. So now that I am 15 and had to do a book report for school I decided to read it again. Although I am now five years older it was still very interesting it dosen't seem like required reading because it is fun. It draws you in and lets you use your imagination.

I enjoyed Shadows in the Water because it is such an imaginative novel but yet seems so real. The Starbuck Family is full of unusual features. Including two sets of twins, Liberty and July (feternal),Molly and Charly (identical), the Starbuck Family goes on many wild adventures.To make the story even more exciting, both sets of twins are telipathic. On this expidition,the twins are sent to the Florida Keys. Meeting up with some toxic waste dumpers, the children find that a beautiful dolphin's life is at risk. Being able to communicate with the dolphins using their telepathy, the children do the best they can to save this beautiful dolphin.
This book is very thrilling. If you decide to get it, I hope you enjoy it.

The book is wonderful and very well published. I received it in record time. Thank you very much.

The Tabernacle: Shadows Of The Messiah, Its Sacrifices, Services, And Priesthood by David M. Levy examines the description and ministries of the Tabernacle as portrayed in fifty chapters of the Old Testament. This extensively researched presentation, offering full-color photographs and a wealth of archaeological evidence as well as close study of the Old Testament itself, sheds new light on the sacrifices, services, and priesthood of this ancient institution which figures so prominently in Judeo-Christian religious history. The Tabernacle is a welcome and highly recommended addition to Biblical Studies reading lists.

It's very good information regarding the entirely tabernacle. The typology of the tabernacle is much learned. The book is recommended if you want to know more about Jesus Christ. It is enjoyably read. :-)

Many Books on the Tabernacle but this one is such detail of describing of Christ. Uses alot of scripture. Awesome book. Well not resell. I will use as a refrence book along with the Bible

A pretty good book. But, if you are not Protestant you might be in for a slightly rough read. The author dwells heavily on the notion of legal imputation of the righteiousness of God. The book is not as organized as I hoped it would be. I was left with some unanswered questions about the priesthood and the sacrificial system. Also, there were not enough diagrams here for my liking. But still and all, I got a lot out of it.

I met author Frank Fradella at DragonCon in Atlanta, GA a few years back. My fiance and I talked to him, and he gave us a deal on his book - we got two copies for the price of one.

I regret that.

The book is worth every penny, and a part of me feels as though I have stolen from him.

The book appeals to me through a fantastic plot with a seemingly ordinary protagonist who faces great odds. The level of writing that Fradella exhibits is greatly under-appreciated - the man is only starting out, and he definitely deserves to have a growth in fame.

One of the greatest elements of the book is the use of various mythologies, effortlessly and flawlessly incorporated into a single, cohesive unit, with elements pulled most notably from Greek and Norse myths, but also with a few other references.

I apologize for ranting - but I love the book, and, come to think of it, it's about time to re-read it! I do guarantee that any mythology buff will NOT be disappointed, and lovers of great fantasy or romance can also find an enormous appreciation for this title. One of the best books I ever bought. Fact.

Have you ever wondered if there's another world going on around you that you just can't see? Forces at work that are undetectable? The protagonist of Valley of Shadows, David Knox, wakes up one day and finds just such a world imposing itself on his previously normal life. That woman he loves? Not who he thought she was. That opera he took her to - just killed her. And though hidden forces manage to keep his senses at bay for a little while, he eventually peels back that thin veneer, the one that is not strong enough to keep him from his True Love, and goes hunting for answers. If you're looking for adventures, you'll find them in this book. If you're looking for happy fairy tales, well, look again. As David goes from a mountain cabin to the depths of Hades, itself, he's physically and spiritually accosted by beings that just shouldn't exist. Terror, bodily harm, threats to his own life and those of his loved ones, none of it is enough to deter him from finding out the answer to the question: What is real, and what is illusion? In Valley of Shadows, Frank Fradella uses vivid imagery and stark terror to answer those questions, about the world around David and his true friends, as well as the love that he feels for a woman he just can't let go - not even if it means challenging the very substance of his own reality.

I was lucky enough to read this book in one of its later draft stages, and even then it excited my senses. I usually have reservations about reading the manuscripts of friends as it sometimes puts me in the delicate position of having to feign enthusiasm for my friend's work. My worries evaporated quickly as I read the first few pages of this book. Anna bursting into flames and the attendant fallout had me riveted. I barely put the pages down over the next few days as the rapid-fire chapters sunk their hooks deeper and deeper. Seeing the book in it's beautiful hardback edition months later swelled me with pride almost as much as it did Frank.

Another reviewer mentioned AMERICAN GODS. I've read AMERICAN GODS. This book is no AMERICAN GODS. It's better!

Frank Fradella is a true master of the written word and, while the book could use a bit of editing in the punctuation department, VALLEY OF SHADOWS is fantastic introduction to the strange and romantic world of David Knox and his creator.

And just to rub your nose in it: I've already read the manuscript of the next chapter in David and Anna's life, and it's even better than the first.

In the hands of the right director this story would make a great movie. There aren't enough well written books in this genre, which I would call fantastic realism. I literally could not stop reading and, as soon as I finished, I read it again! I truly marvelled at each and every unexpected turn of events, and believe me, there were plenty. This author kept my interest, told a great story and I fell in love with some of the characters, and they weren't even the main ones, and some of them were the baddies. Deirdre Fallon, her pet monster/henchman Chester, Thracian and who could forget dear Uncle Teddy. I really hope this author brings them back if this is to become a series. Joss Whedon needs to read a copy of this book!

Some say Love is Hell. Well, in "Valley of Shadows", when David Knox' lover, Anna, literally catches on fire during an operatic performance by famous tenor, Oliver Thracian, Knox awakens in the hospital to discover that a witch can restore his badly burned hands.

More than that, someone magically restores David's old life, including Anna. Only replacement Anna isn't quite right and a chance encounter with scalding water from a coffee pot at his Seattle based bookstore, has Anna Version 2 fleeing and Knox in search of answers.

Nothing is quite what it seems. Anna is in Hades--and she isn't dead. Well, she was never really alive to begin with.

Oliver Thracian will help David recover Anna from Hades as long as David will do a favor for him. This favor literally takes David and his bookstore helper-adopted daughter Vanessa across the River Styx for love.

Frank Fradella's got an interesting take on life, soulmates, Valhalla and warriors in general, and the making and un-making of gods that comes from the "it's not right, but it's definitely real" school of life. "Valley of Shadows" is a strong entry into modern urban fantasy-magic realism and is well worth the read.

If you're interested in this type of story, Jane Lindskold's "Legends Walking" and "Changer" might be worth a read.

Rebecca Kyle, April 2008

This book is fantastic. Joe Rosenblum's story is inspiring. I have shared this book with many people and every one of them found the book intriguing. Mr. Rosenblum went through hell and emerged a hero and a very decent man. Very well written with co-author Mr. Kohn.

There is no shortage of writing about the Holocaust, fortunately, because nothing so evil should ever be forgotten. In addition to the dry historical accounts, we have many novels, military assessments and first-person accounts.
What Joe Rosenblum gives us is a closeup look at his hometown of Miedzyrzec, Poland, as it is swallowed up by the Nazis, the effects on its mostly Jewish population and the terrible events that upend and destroy his family. Equally important, he tells us how he survived his hellacious odyssey through Nazi death camps, his techniques for survival and the pure luck that kept him from destruction.
I found the writing a little choppy and some of the material was a bit repetitious. The book sometimes read more like an interview with someone eager to spill out the details before it's too late. So what? This is not literature, this is humanity, set down on paper so that we'll all remember and, if we're lucky, have just a little of the courage of this survivor.

This book is one of the best suvivor accounts I have read. The authot lets you into his life and lets you see things through his eyes. Once you are in - it's hard to leave. The author has such an amazing memory of his life that the pages beg to be read. I happen to have been fortunate enough to meet Mr. Rosenblum and hear him tell his story to my students. Truly an amazing man. I highly reccomend this book for it's truth, honesty and heroism.

Defy The Darkness is the story of the author's (Joe Rosenblum) life before, during, and after World War II. After the Germans invaded Poland, he was, due to his Aryan looks, able to survive by working on the farm of a Polish family who were very kind to him. As a result, he was able to bring food to his own family which helped to prolong their lives. Rosenblum was a very remarkable man. He took his father's place on various slave labor details, he spent time with Russian partisans, and he survived around eighteen months in Birkenau at a time when the average person might have survived eighteen minutes. He had wits; he had strength of character, and, as with most camp survivors he had, as odd as this may sound, luck on his side. The two most indelible images in the book; the gauntlet that the prisoners were continually forced to run at Majdanek, and the prisoners at Birkenau stuffing whole frogs in their mouths due to their incredible hunger. This is a story that had to be told and a book that must be read.

This book was a page turner that I could not put down. It went straight to my heart and I wondered if I could do the same things to survive. Joe's thoughts and actions were absolutely amazing, thinking about my 14 yr old nephew the whole time. Unimaginable acts of bravery and the things he has to overcome just to stay alive. Giving kindness to anyone he could even though it could mean death in an instant. Watching and telling his stories of death all around him and of his family. The work he had to endure, the pain, and the hopes to keep him going.

This book is an excellent read and really opens your eyes to his life and the lives around him.

I bought these as a gift for my grandmother who is a huge fan of some author I can never remember the name of...so as I was searching for his stuff these came up and the reviews claimed to be better than what I was looking for originally. She's read all 4 I purchased and is begging me to find more. The best part was that they are signed copies - nothing I was expecting! This was a great buy!

Bryson Coventry, a detective with Denver homicide, is a flawed individual. Not only does he have one blue eye and one green, he lets himself become involved with Tianca Holland, a beautiful bi-sexual who may or may not have killed her female lover, Angela. However, when three other bodies are found in close proximity to Angela's body, it appears less likely that Tianca had anything to do with Angela's murder. Haley Wilde is just out of law school and brand new at a large, prestigious legal firm. On her first day there, September 5, she finds out that a woman who had befriended her when she worked as an intern the year before has been missing since April. When she hears that two bodies have been discovered and the women had been missing since April, Haley is certain that her friend was probably murdered too. She begins to search for clues at the legal firm that might lead to her friend's killer. She contacts Bryson and feeds him information. Jack Degan's business is securing women for men to kill, and then cleaning up after their male killers. Jack makes good money but begins to wonder if his profession is worth everything he has to put up with, when things start to go sour. Degan begins to yearn for his Malibu ocean home, and begins to think of taking Gretchen, a prostitute he met and has grown fond of, with him as soon as his next job is finished. Bryson Coventry and his female sidekick, Shalifa, work diligently, trying to find a solution as bodies keep turning up. Tianca also keeps turning up the heat in her relationship with the handsome detective as he tries to unravel the mysterious killings.

FATAL LAWS is quite the page-turner. Action comes fast and furious and one is left guessing until the very end...but don't read the end first and spoil things. This is a very gritty detective novel and not for the squeamish, but if you have the stomach for it, FATAL LAWS is a "can't put down book". What I liked about the book is that the characters, though very busy, do have time to take potty breaks, eat and get some sleep. One criticism I have is that the author often uses "me and so-and-so" instead of "so-and-so and I". This use of grammar is acceptable for speaking with friends or from someone with little education, but I think most educated, high-power lawyers would use correct grammar when talking to the police. (I could be wrong). Jim Michael Hansen has written a fast-paced mystery with a surprise ending. The characters are well-drawn characters, some with fatal flaws. I think that FATAL LAWS is geared more for the male reader than female; however, I have friends that like gritty, edgy, gory stories, and enjoy reading about the seamy side of life. Go for it, you might find you are one of them.

Jeannine Van Eperen, Reviewer, GottaWriteNetwork
author of Memory and Desire, Willow Spring and others.

Fatal Laws is the third thriller in Law series.

Hansen is an author with a publishing dream. He is determined to write thrillers without the 'necessary' help from agents or New York publishers. Hansen is showing the publishing world that with a sizzling book and a good marketing plan, viable titles can be written and sold--and a fan following can be achieved.

When a body is found in a shallow grave, Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry, 'catches' the case. During the initial investigation, Coventry finds another body buried not far from the first. A new attorney, Haley Wilde, is quietly investigating the disappearance of a friend. On a hunch, she visits the burial scene of Coventry's case where two more bodies are unearthed.

One of the women who died is linked to the wealthy and beautiful Tianca Holland, who becomes a suspect. Coventry is more than a little attracted to Tianca and as usual, he becomes caught up in her life.

Coventry is a womanizer, but you love him anyway as his heart is always with the victims--and solving the crime is foremost in his mind.

The body count is rising and Coventry and his partner Shalifa Netherwood's investigation of the murders intersect with attorney Wilde's. The race is on to find the brutal killer and prevent more deaths. No one is really who you think they are--and the appetites and secrets of some of Denver's most visible citizens are more than dangerous--especially when they are aided by people without any moral compass.

Hansen has become one of my favorite thriller authors. His writing is crisp and clean and his plots are scintillating. After reading a Law series novel, I find myself checking the doors and windows to make sure they're locked, and I am always on the lookout for a maniacal killer who might be stalking me.

Hansen leaves us with a big question in this novel, and I'm hoping for the answer in an upcoming book. If not, it will be a big disappointment. I can't wait for the next Law book.

Armchair Interviews says: If you want your thrillers to be exciting, entertaining and gritty, the Law series is what the doctor ordered.

"FATAL LAWS is the third book in the Bryson Coventry franchise. In each successive outing Hansen has place Coventry in more demanding situations, both professional and personal. How Coventry deals with the blurring of the lines and his strong moral sense of right and wrong are the hallmarks of this excellent series.

It's early September and Coventry is called to investigate the death of Angela Pfeifer. He meets the beautiful Trianca Holland - a woman who may be involved to be the prime suspect or the next victim. Coventry is spellbound by her beauty and finds it difficult to keep his professional distance, especially knowing that her background is on the edges of normal society. Freshly minted lawyer Haley Wesson is secretly looking into the disappearance of Renee Rand, a lawyer in the firm that she clerked for over the summer before being hired on in the fall. When Coventry's case intersects with Wesson's clandestine investigation, Denver may have a new serial killer on the loose. A series of shallow graves containing women murdered in various brutal ways confirms the suspicions and sets the course for this thirteen day thriller.

Hansen is a master of drawing you into the story early and making you care about his players. At times you may find yourself shuddering as the events play out on the page. Hansen's characters, the tightly plotted story line, the concise timeline, place the reader in the heart of the action. All of this makes FATAL LAWS a must read. One word of advice, read this book with the lights on."

Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry is working what appears to be a serial killer case as corpses appear in shallow graves. However, the problem with this theory is that each person died differently; serial killer typically uses the same MO.

His investigation leads Bryson to the avaricious Degan. This affluent man apparently chooses the victim, whom the predator kills. The case also brings him to Tianca Holland, a woman of interest to him not just because of her ties to the dead. Still none of what he finds makes sense to Bryson as it goes against what is known about serial killers and his desire for Tianca. Yet to have multiple murderers burying their victims in easy to find shallow graves makes less sense than Tianca being a killer, associate, or next victim and where Degan fits is even more complicated as nothing adds up except that Bryson believes somehow this man is being compensated.

The latest Brysan "law" tale is an exciting police procedural in which the sum of the murders add up to be greater than the individual killings. Brysan is at his best trying to determine whether a serial killer or multiple killers are the murderers while also struggling with Tianca whose seductiveness has his blood flow entirely to his lower head. Fans of the the series will enjoy his latest thriller while newcomers will seek previous Coventry investigations (See NIGHT LAWS and SHADOW LAWS).

Harriet Klausner

An uplifting memoir, An Irregular Girlhood in Hitler's Shadow reveals the spirit of a very determined young girl. Raised by a selfish father and a sweet-natured mother during World War II, the author faces many challenges along her path to adulthood. The book is brutally honest, revealing her most intimate feelings, experiences and memories.

Written with warmth and humor, the book has an engaging style that draws you in from page 1 and holds your interest until the last page.

The author's long journey to America begins in Tsingtao, China and ends in Riverdale, New York. Whether Ms. Haldy-Regier reminisces about nature, her pets, friendships or hardships, the reader is thoroughly entertained.

This is an important book in at least four areas:

1. It belongs in collections of books about World War II. One of the perennial themes in the history of WW II was the search for Hitler enemies. Here was one. There was a limited amount that he could do, but in spite of death threats he did that.

2. It is a coming of age story in a time and in a situation where the young lady was dealt a pretty bad hand. Her life was a lot rougher than what we read in other stories of life in our times. Of course her life was a lot better than others in say Dresden, Nagasaki, or Auschwitz.

3. This is beautifully written memoir. Just the prose itself creates word pictures that bring a different world to life.

4. In the Afterward she remarks on the attitude in this country in 1948 when she arrived and today with our country's attitudes towards those of the Muslim faith, and the comments being made by the current flock of politicians regarding Latin immigration.

My only regret is that the author has found it nessary to self-publish this book. It should have been published by one of the big publishers so that a full blown marketing program could have been carried out and more people would become aware of it. It is very difficult for an unknown author to get her book on the shelves at Borders, Barnes and Noble where a large number of people would find it.

My hope is that while this is her first book, that it not become her only. It is a gem of rare quality.

An Irregular Girlhood in Hitler's Shadow by Vera Haldy-Regier is a very touching, deeply honest book about coming of age during and after World War II. However, its appeal is universal, reaching beyond its historical context to describe a painful, anxious childhood in a complex, cruel world. Throughout her youth, the author bravely kept her pain and humiliation to herself and one can only imagine how much she longed for a sympathetic family who understood what she endured. Her father, a complex, despotic man, was shown also to be vulnerable through carefully chosen, insightful words and a forgiving daughter's heart. Haldy-Regier writes well and brings insight and balance to the picture she paints of the Nazi years, lived in China, the family's early years of hardship in America and her subsequent banishment by her parents to Germany.
Lisbeth W., Woodstock, NY

"A book......that wishes to mount the canvas on which a family portrait is painted." Haldy Regier indeed succeeds to do just that and in the process takes us through upheaval, tension and stoic resolution not to let life crush those who travel the road. She paints a picture with tenderness as well as resolution of a family who, like countless others, was dealt a difficult hand and found its unique and creative way of dealing both with challenges that were personal to this group of people as well as those that many German families faced in some shape or form.

The remarkable aspect of this story is in the way it is told. Throughout the narrative it is clear to the reader what a path the author has travelled herself not only in sheer geographical miles but in understanding and coming to terms with her own circumstances over which she had no influence throughout her girlhood. It shows the searching questions the author has posed herself and holds the reader in thrall as s/he learns of the events and the meaning she makes of these events. A book showing the personal development of a human being shining through the fast paced narrative.

This surprising memoir has all the ingredients for a Merchant Ivory multi-episode TV production. A sensitive and acutely aware child, the daughter of an autocratic Nazi ambassador who secretly opposes the Hitler regime, vividly remembers her earliest experiences growing up in China and Vladovostsic in lucid prose which often crosses the border into poetry. The venure proceeds to America via horrific sea voyages, to an idyllic interlude in Kentucky, reminiscent of "National Velvet" with just a soupcon of (gasp) depraved sex. Another sea voyage to Cuba then back to New York,a now thoroughly rebellious egalitarian young lady, tries to defy the upper-class pretensions of her aristocratic father, who has been (double gasp) carrying on an extended love affair with his wife's sister. Her family, having no income, other than what her loving, long-suffering mother earns doing domestic work, struggles at the edge of poverty throughout these tumultuous years. Despite this, the author's father still has the connections to arrange for her and to overpower her vigorous objections, to appear as Miss Germany in a coming out society ball. Then, once again, against her will she is shipped over to Germany to live with a venerable noble family while completing her education. More reluctant appearances at glittering Austrian society balls; being courted (unsuccessfully) by the scion of an aristocratic family: thence back to America, and not yet twenty years of age! (Whew!)

This synopsis seems almost too fantastic to be believed. However the story as it unfolds in compelling, lucid detail, has the unmistabable aura of authenticity. I look forward to (if there is any literary justice in this world), Volume Two.