Characters Books

Jill Churchill's mysteries are great. Jane Jeffry is the friend we all want to have.

Jane Jeffrey's oldest son is growing up. He is graduating from high school and working part time at a local deli to earn some money. Jane thinks the only thing she needs to worry about Mike is that he be careful while driving the truck she gave him as a graduation present. But when obnoxious attorney Robert Stonecipher is murdered at the opening party for the deli, she's not sure she wants Mike working there. But he insists he'll be okay and Jane relents. When there is a second murder, Jane can't help investigating the deaths even if her boyfriend, homicide detective Mel VanDyne, doesn't like it.

"Silence of the Hams" is yet another great cozy mystery by Jill Churchill. As always, what makes the Jane Jeffry series so enjoyable is not necessarily the mystery but the details about Jane's family life. Jane's kids are growing up as the series progresses and Mike especially has grown. With his father's death he considers himself the man of the house and Jane is learning to treat him as an adult. Some of the best scenes in the book involve Mike, either directly or indirectly. One of those scenes is when Jane buys the truck for Mike. Her friend, Shelley Nowack, is great at wearing down the salesman and it is a very funny part of the book (wish I could take her with me next time I buy a car!) Equally well done is Mike's graduation party which sounds like a lot of fun. Jane's other children, Katie and Todd, are also well written, Katie especially so as she is going through the growing pains that come with being a teenager. Churchill does an excellent job of capturing the little things that make up life in the suburbs. The mystery itself is okay. Parts of it were a bit unbelievable and it's pretty clear from the beginning who the murderer is. But it's still a fun mystery to read.

Cozy mystery fans will enjoy "Silence of the Hams".

Jane Jeffry is one of my favorite mystery series characters; I return to her "world" when I need a reading treat I know I can count on. As many reviewers have noted about this series, the novels feel like visiting a couple friends in their homes. Opening a Jane & Shelley book and beginning to read is as easy and welcoming as opening a kitchen door from a neighbor's back porch and walking right in without needing to knock. You know these two friends will always have at least one shenanigan in contemplation or neighborhood issue to bat around over coffee and snacks or lunch, dinner, whatever.

In SILENCE OF THE HAMS, neighborhood political economics are brewing from the base of a few haughty residents attempting to control the direction of life-and-livelihood of everyone in the area, and the plot pacing is especially natural and seamless as Jane and Shelley's involvement (along with the reader's) in the brew percolates and is intensified by a quickly dispatched murder of the most appropriate character to kill.

As usual, I enjoyed the easy way Jane relates with her kids, friends, and significant other. Loved the entertaining sensitivity in which Jane & Shelley went about getting a new black pickup truck for Jane's son, Mike, and the way he responded to the gift.

The plot in this one has a few unexpected twists midstream, reversing direction, in a sense, then beginning again at an unexpected point. With Jill's seamless scene maneuvering, the twists and abrupt new deals flow like, "Oh. Didn't expect that. Interesting."

There's more deductive-reasoning-detecting dancing through this plot than previous ones; a lot of brain wracking for Jane, Shelley, & Mel stretches through easy-going, daily routine machinations. It feels almost as if this solving crimes deal has now become old hat, yet it's no less entertaining as a perk-along read. The surge in detecting in this offering intrigued me, especially as it was brought to a peak of fun with Jane & Shelly slithering into a delightfully silly tangent of suspects and motives, using formula letters (X, Y, Z, Q, P, S, K). You have to have been there (which you have the option to be, of course, by reading this one). At the culmination of the Gordian Knot of Alphabet bits, Shelly concludes:

>> "I like it, Jane. Mel, we've solved it. You can probably still make your arrest this evening if you hurry." <<

You can probably guess Mel's response, but you might want to read his exact words in reply to this Alphabet/Algebraic Formula discussion after Shelly capped it with the above statements.

I have my own guess guess for what may have brought on this major increase of detecting discussions in this particular novel in the Jeffry series. But, I'm not saying; wouldn't want to spoil your brain racking fun.

I enjoyed this surge of "who done it" conversations in HAM, driven by the intriguingly increased complexity of the mystery machinations; and I enjoyed as well the other novels I've read and reviewed in this series which focused different entertainment draws of a good work-of-fiction (see my Listmania). Jeffry novels have just the right amount of variety of style and venue, along with just the right amount of sameness to keep a (thankfully) long series from getting stale and to continue inviting readers into the story with the comforting feeling of familiarity.

Deftly dealt with, worthy ongoing themes in this novel include community politics around retaining property values, opening a new gourmet deli in Jane & Shelley's neighborhood, blackmailers running rotten personal agendas by using their professional standing to gather dirt from unsuspecting clients, celebrating school ceremonies from hell or from heaven (with Jane's "right-on" guidance on which slants were silly and which were angelic). As usual, Jane & Shelley's opinions hold the prizes for common sense sanity Vs overboard or inappropriate, controlling mania which is out-of-touch with the reality in which Jane & Shelley live with relish and easy-rambling-routine (which is uncannily just like the one many of us work to live in with a slip of sanity).

You won't want to miss HAM if you're raising teens into adulthood in this age of political insanity with gory causes galore (giving unearned glory to the agendas' pushers in the media, school systems, literally permeating every cultural outlet for opinions founded in innumerable pseudo sciences gone amuck). The scenes are so simply right on, in which Jane deals with Katie's toes slipping into the slimy water of band wagon mania, "Don't you CARE about the environment, the X's, Y's, Z's, Q's, P's, S's, K's (in this case the algebraic letters are referring not to suspects, but to various political agendas (causes), all of which contradict the interests of the others.

What ever happened to watching (only) your P's & Q's? Have they been lost in the murky waters of Quantum Physics, where observing a tiny particle of energy makes it dance to your music or become "beauty in the eye of the beholder"? The P's might even "spit in your eye" if you don't "watch out."

Pseudo science continues to slice-and-dice Common Sense in a never ending battle of bumbling idiots using sentimentalism to divert attention from their feathering-of-their-own-nests-and-manias. Take heart, though, Jane & Shelley continually resurrect that beat-and-battered Common Sense Thing, which most humans carry dormant in their DNA. The battle of extracting it from the soul and attempting to execute it begins with the second breath.

Returning to the REAL issues in HAM, here are a few fun questions to answer as you read:

Was the bad guy (the one who was squished under the ham rack on the new deli's opening day) killed before he was killed, or did he die "innocently" of natural causes, THEN get murdered? And what about the second murder, or was it the first, last, and only murder (at least for that week in the Jeffry/Nowack neighborhood)?

In some ways this plot, even as entertainingly convoluted, back-stepping, and back-stabbing as it was, read like a fun & fancy, well-choreographed line dance with each stepper in sensual-rhythmic-synch.

Appreciating An Author-in-stride,
Linda G. Shelnutt

As usual an excellent book!!!!!!! I loved it and highly recommend it to everyone. Hard to 'put down'.

Hams are relevant to delis and lawyers. A lawyer appears under a rack of hams. Robert Stonecipher has made a nuisance of himself in the community trying to shut down people's businesses. Two mothers, Shelley and Jane, are bored with Cub Scouts and school awards assemblies and decide to team up to thwart Robert Stonecipher. Everyone shows up for the opening of a new deli and, as previously mentioned, Stonecipher is discovered under a rack of hams.

Under the circumstances nearly everyone in the community is a suspect until it is learned that Stonecipher died of natural causes. Next his secretary departs life and her death renews the efforts of the police officer, Mel, Jane's friend, to trace the possiblity that some people were being blackmailed by the pair. The solution to the mystery is of the psychological kind and is well done. The women, Jane and Shelley, along with Jane's son Mike, and Mel are delightfully rendered by the author.

If you had a short time to live what would you do? This book has Silver Surfer answering this question in an introspective yet melancholy story. Taking place on Earth, crossing the universe and ending back in his home planet, this book raises questions about mortality, responsibility, and facing ones' limitations.
Too many times people say comics are for kids and there is no substance in the medium; but with this book not only are the nay-sayers proven wrong but it can sometimes show that comics can surpass visuals shown in movie and emotions expressed in books.

This is a piece of Literature that breaks down all assumptions of what a "super-hero" is. I am not at all ashamed to say that I cried a little at the end of this book. It is an amazingly powerful story told in amazingly vivid and arresting artwork. When I was a child, i loved the "idea" of Silver Surfer, but now that I am older and can presumably deal with more a more mature telling of a story, I have a newfound admiration for what Stan Lee started with Norrin Radd, and what is continued here in "Requiem." Surfer comics continue to be some of the bravest and most moving pieces of art in main stream comics.

The Silver Surfer is my favorite comic book character and this is my favorite story featuring him. Requiem has a lot of emotion. You really feel what the Surfer is going through. The writing is amazing. The art is amazing. This book is amazing. Stop what you're doing and READ THIS BOOK!

I really enjoyded the art of this book, and the story is the best way to say goodbye to a great, tormented and interesting character.

The Silver Surfer was one of Marvel's most under-used cosmic superdudes... He was also one of the most difficult to frame dramatically, and had a history of disappointing storylines, which may help to explain the motivation behind this Death-Of-The-Silver-Surfer mini-series.

Part of it may have been that he had a bit of a "Superman problem," since he was so super-ultra powerful compared to the rest of the characters in the Marvel universe -- indestructible, able to alter reality, faster and mightier than nearly any foe he could encounter. Initially, writers dealt with this by focusing on the soap opera-tinged alien-in-exile theme (after Galactus banished him from space and forced him to stay on the planet Earth) and later, when his banishment was broken, by sending him out into the stars where he could encounter all kinds of trippy, cosmic stuff. In between, there was his run as a more or less conventional super-hero in "The Defenders," and many random cameos in various space sagas. But for whatever reason, the Surfer never really clicked and the folks at Marvel decided to have him go out with a big bang in the four-part series, "Requiem."

Although I've considered myself a Silver Surfer fan, I have to admit I wasn't really wowed by this book. It felt rushed and there was just too much crammed into its pages, too many plot-points and too many marks to hit. (Perhaps a fifth issue would have helped?) Also, the tone was too melodramatic and too monochromatic -- reverence and awe for the Surfer; maudlin sorrow at his inevitable demise.

What was missing, more than anything else, was a sense of the cosmic majesty that the Surfer could experience. We are given this sense of wonder by proxy, when the Surfer zaps Spider-Man's wife and gives her cosmic consciousness and lets her trip out on the universe for a while, but the Surfer himself never basks in the beauty of the stars, which is something I imagine he might do, were he flying off to his own death. When he returns to his home planet to die, he simply goes from Point A to Point B (with a detour to end a pointless space war on the way). Personally, I would have enjoyed an entire issue just devoted to having him cruise through the cosmos, glorying in and saying goodbye to the unimaginable beauty that only he had the opportunity (and soulfulness) to appreciate. It would have been a nice artistic note to strike, but, alas, the moment has passed. As it was, this series felt functional, but little more, not unlike the late-1960s stories in his own short-lived series. And, I suppose, that is as fitting a tribute to this character as any. This book is worth checking out, but I wish it could have been more. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain book reviews)

Skeleton Crew, Connor's fourth volume, is the best Lindsay Chamberlain forensics story yet. It benefits in focus by occurring on a small island 5 miles off the Georgia coast, where University of Georgia Athens has a luxurious archaeological project underway to raise a sunken Spanish supply galleon--in dangerous competition with lurking privateers who think it was a homeward bound treasure ship instead. The archaeology of the dig is realistic, with normal procedures and lab techniques actually contributing clues to the modern mystery of suspicious attacks, disappearances, or death. A set of maps helps make the excavation, as well as the adventure, intelligible. Lindsay's fascinating specialized contributions on bone analysis (given with a light touch) actually are focused on the intriguing parallel story of a newly discovered journal written by one of the sailors actually on that ill-fated galleon. That unusual old account, too, has its mysteries, ones gradually resolved during its translation while also becoming entwined with the solution to the modern puzzle. This plotting of two stories, one ancient one modern, each informing the other, is a happy device to animate dry archaeological detail that Connors first used in vol. 2, the memorable Questionable Remains, to equally great effect. And you get two stories for the price of one!

Still lighter in touch than Cornwell's Dr. Scarpetta, Connor's skeleton detective has a number of serious adventures, a spectacular hurricane danger, and many osteological discoveries recreating the lives of the departed. These are stories of character and Southern customs, as well as leisurely unfolding mysteries. It is wonderful to see Connors becoming a skilled writer. Her villains are still a bit obvious, but then again they are often red herrings! I am also so glad Lindsay has dropped her fading beau of the first three novels, Derrick. Their relationship was becoming an annoying distraction, a romance cliche, dysfunctional, and detracting from the image of Lindsay as an intelligent independent woman. Instead we now find Lindsay growing a mature relationship with a Native American antagonist from a previous book, and it is a real contribution to the development of the plot and our interest in these characters. In addition, Lindsay has a new boss--hopefully to become a series character--who adds his slightly devious and moneyed machinations to help speed the plot along. All in all these books are ever more fascinating reading.

This is another can't-put-it-down mystery from Beverly Connors. Her trademark has become the telling of a story within a story. In this case greed over a centuries old treasure leads to death. The moral; murderers may change, but the motives remain the same. Get this novel and you will find yourself voraciously reading the entire Lindsay Chamberlain series and begging for more.

Lindsay Chamberlain, in her 4th outing, is has been assigned by the new head of the division at the university of Georgia to assist in the excavation of a site on the ocean floor off the coast of Georgia. It is the site of a sunken Spanish galleon that was headed for the New World. John West, a friend of Lindsay's from a previous book, is risking his construction company on the safety of the cofferdam that encircles the site.
Lindsay's research reveals, from a diary found, a survivor. The diary is slowly translated, allowing the readers and the characters glimpses of the passage while they uncover the clues from the sixteenth century - of murder!
The diary reveals clues that provide Lindsay with suspects, which, of course, almost gets her killed - again - by modern-day pirates and natural disasters, as she tries to solve old & new murders.

Having read the first five (hoping there will be more to come) Lindsay Chamberlain novels, I have to rate this one as my favorite. Connor had me imagining myself out there in the coffer dam with the crew! The intertwining of the two mysteries works better in this than in Connor's previous books, and I was hooked on both stories. The maps of the galleon and the dam were quite valuable in getting a sense of placement, but they did give away a little more than I would have liked to know going in to the story. Reading these books makes me consider changing my major from English to Anthropology! My only problem with Skeleton Crew was that it ended too soon!

I hope that Beverly Connor has more Lindsay stories to tell and that her publisher has the foresight to print and release them!

In 1558 a Spanish galleon headed for the New World with supplies for the Spanish colonies was damaged in a storm and sank off the coast of Georgia.

Lindsay Chamberlain, an archeologist from the University of Georgia, is called to help excavate the site believed site of the ship. They are excavating on the ocean floor inside one of the largest cofferdams ever built for archeology. A cofferdam is a round structure that keeps the ocean out of the excavation area.

Francisco Lewis ("Lewis") is the new head of the Division of Anthropology and Archeology at the University of Georgia. John West is a Native American and friend of Lindsay Chamberlain. His construction company designed and built the cofferdam.

A diary is discovered that is believed to belong to one of the passengers that survived to tell of the ship's voyage and destruction. Harper is translating the diary while the excavation is ongoing. As they discover skeletons in the shipwreck, Lindsay uses the translated diary to help identify each skeleton. She draws what she believes the person would have looked like from studying the skull.

Various accidents as well as 2 murders plague the archaeology project. Only a few select crew members are aware that they are also searching for a possible 2nd ship that was supposed to have sunk in this same area full of treasure. They especially have to try to keep this information from modern-day "pirates" also
searching the waters.

There is lots of tension between the archeologists and the biologists who were on the neighboring island and have been displaced due to this project.

Lewis asks Lindsay to help solve the murders so that the project won't be jeopardized.

I enjoyed this book. I've never read an archeological mystery before so I learned alot about archeology along with enjoying the mystery.

I found the charactes to be likeable and very real. Many times I felt as if I was there with them.

I look forward to reading additional books in this series.

The Friends of the Ruston Book Club hereby request Amazon.com to remove your racist review of February 12, 2008 by Constant Reader, currently in prison here for hate crimes. This novel firmly upholds human rights. Three Black ladies in South Carolina manage to overcome their poverty. What makes this novel so brilliantly different is that they are able to do this in such a hilariously unexpected manner by becoming international celebrities! Anyone who really has read this book would already know this.

Glad to see Vancouver's dragqueen 'Miss B Ramage' got arrested again after she tried to disrupt Mark Reed's booksigning Aug 8 in Vancouver! GREAT BOOK--we LOVE Corinne, Elfrieda & Bessie Adams--they have to be the most hilarious characters of the century!!

The year's most brilliant whodunit & the year's most ripping story!! Totally unexpected, we're particularly intrigued by the exciting, delightful lives of the Cormier family!! As the local critics are saying, "A goldmine of entertainment."

The world's most timely novel regarding your US PRESIDENT's TORTURES!!!!! (#1 with smart people everywhere.)

This book rocks. To enjoy it you need to read it, not just a brief description of it. Who's doing the film and is it really starring Jeff Donovan and Alex o'Loughlin?

I read the other three books in this series a few years ago and just got around to picking up a used copy of this one. And I'm disappointed -- not in the story, but that there's no more Sierra!

I don't know why the author stopped this series. I've read her other books and while they're good, they can't hold a candle to this series. The characters, the storytelling, the mystery -- everything put together makes it a book you don't want to put down, and a series you don't want to see left hanging when there's still so much story to tell.

Bring back Sierra!

Sierra Lavotini is a great character. This is a wonderful series. I have them as a keeper on my shelves. The striper and the cop were just becoming a great couple. I was so looking forward to their relationship developing! And the loose ends that this book has----so many unanswered questions!

I wish that Nancy would finish this series _ I know that there are many other readers that have the same wish. Looking forward to the rest of Sierra's story!

Fantastic. Nancy, you have outdone yourself! I did not think I would ever find a series I loved as much as the Stephanie Plum series, but you have changed my mind. I liked the first book, but as the series continued and the writing improved and the characters developed, I was hooked beyond hooked! Please Please Please write another Sierra novel!

I love this series of books. My only concern is that I have not been able to find any new books in this series since this book was published. Try reading these books in public and you'll get funny looks because you can't stop yourself from laughing. Does anyone know what happened to this series? I truly hope that there are more coming.

The Sierra Lavotini series is a must for anyone who has NO LIMIT when it comes to taking a GAMBLE on a well-written, smart and funny romantic suspense. Here's the DEAL: Sierra is an UNDERDOG amateur detective who happens to have a TOP PAIR, a real stacked DECK, and strips at a HOUSE with a GUNSHOT STRAIGHT when it comes to murder. Sierra, unlike the other exotic dancers, doesn't FOLD when it comes to solving the murders; she ANTES up, which RAISES the Panama City Police Department's frustration in solving the crime, especially a FIVE CARD STUD detective named John Nailor. I'm not BLUFFING when I say take the CHANCE on STRIP POKER; it's a SURE THING that you'll hit the JACK POT...the ODDS aren't against you.:)

"Teaching Virtues" adds to our understanding of the connections between the teaching of virtues and the practice of moral reciprocity within community. -C.A. Bowers, Professor of Education, Portland State University and author of "Educating for an Ecologically Sustainable Future" and "The Culture of Denial"

Here is an educational approach that honors the interconnectedness of the world and helps our young people engage it with wisdom and integrity. The result is a refreshing perspective on character education. -Ron Miller, author of "What Are Schools For? Holistic Education in American Culture" and publisher of "Paths of Learning Magazine"

This book offers a new but ancient perspective on teaching virtues. Like the American Indian people who practiced it for thousands of years, it does not allow us to separate character from content, and by this, makes it possible for us all to "walk the talk." -Sunita Gandhi, President-Worker, The Council for Global Education and Dignity

With clarity and directness, the authors provide an inspiring and practical guide for teachers to infuse character education throughout the curriculum. Their framework adds much needed meaning and integrity to learning and honors the creativity and wisdom of each teacher. -Rachael Kessler, author of "The Soul of Education: Helping Students Find Connection, Compassion and Character at School"

I read this book with much interest. The topics addressed here are of great importance for educational practice, and hence, as the authors rightly emphasize, for the larger society. They approach the issues of character education from a variety of directions, including a highly suggestive American Indian perspective that has been far too little understood in our culture. "Teaching Virtues" is a stimulating and thoughtful contribution. -Noam Chomsky, Professor, M.I.T., and author of "Language and the Problem of Knowledge" and "Manufacturing Consent"

Love, love, love this book! PJ is one of my favorites new writers. Her characters are well thought out and you can't help feel for Louis. I'd love to see how the character of Susan Outlaw evolves. She brings a new element to the series and keeps Louis on his toes.

I loved this book -- Louis is my hero and I like the fact that the books take place before DNA fingerprinting - it makes it so much more of a mystery than just sending in a sample of DNA to the lab. These authors know how to mix atmoshpere and mystery - I can't wait to read their next book!!

I admit it--I do not usually like female mystery writers. I also do not usually like books written by committee (in this case a team of two sisters).

I picked up 'Thicker Than Water' on the basis of a recommendation I read on one of Amazon's lists. I am glad I did. Parrish's books, with the exception of the first, are published as paper back originals. If ever an author deserved hard cover treatment, this one does.

I am also wondering about the lack of professional reviews of the Parrish books on the Amazon site. I wonder why this author is not getting the attention she (they) truly deserve.

The series has a mixed race protagonist, Louis Kincaid, who, like the best of the fictional detectives, is conflicted about almost everything in his life. The books are set in the 1980s before DNA and widespread use of computer technology. Smart move.

'Thicker Than Water' is rich in character development and sense of time and place. It is as well plotted as anything currently on the mystery best seller lists.

In this book, the horrific 20 year old rape and murder of a beautiful young girl may be the key to solving a present day homicide. The man convicted of that murder, and recently released after serving his time, is the prime suspect in the current slaying.

Kincaid believes that the thoroughly unlikeable Jack Cade, the man convicted of the rape and murder, may in fact, be innocent. He forms a shaky alliance with Susan Outlaw, Cade's court appointed attorney.

This book is filled with fully developed characters. Even the bit players have been created with great care. The childhood friend of the murdered girl is one of the most touching characters in the book.

I think the Kincaid series has great potential.

Buy these books.

Read them.

Recommend them to your friends.

Talk them up to your local booksellers.

Kincaid deserves hardcovers and a publicity team working on his behalf.

P.J. Parrishýs ýThicker Than Waterý is the fourth Louis Kincaid and second set on Floridaýs West Coast. It is terrific.

Louis Kincaid is a refreshing protagonist with a deep sense of honor, principal and integrity who looks for those traits in others.

Since the legal system may not always get it right, sometimes Louis Kincaid nudges justice a bit just to make certain.

Upon release after serving a twenty-year rape sentence, Jack Cade is accused of a murder that occurs shortly after his return.

Cade is a vile man, but Louis Kincaid picks him up as a client. It appears the two crimes are related---but Cade may have been set up for both of them.

Suspects abound---with twists that seem to absolve everyone you suspect

As the odds against Louis Kincaidýs quest mount he shows more determination in seeking the truth.

Wonderful pacing holds you to the final chapter before you realize whodunit.

Louis Kincaid continues to grow as a character, the supporting cast is robust and the Florida setting is appropriately steamy.

This is the first of Parrish's books I've read, but I've already ordered two more.

First off, I loved her protagonist, Louis Kincaid. He's damaged, which makes him interesting, but he's also possesses a deep streak of morality, which makes him heroic. On top of that, the plot is well done and nicely layered. Then there's the Florida atmosphere, which is great. Being a Florida girl myself, I can't tell you how many authors get this wrong. But Parrish does a great job. As I said, I'm ready for the next one.

Patricia Lewin, Author of BLIND RUN, OUT OF REACH, & OUT OF TIME

THUGS AND KISSES

Odelia Grey is back at it -- this time a former high school popular/bully dude is murdered at their 30th class reunion, Steele is kidnapped, and Odelia can't keep her nose out of this business -- so, what's new?

Odelia attends her high school class reunion, not really wanting to attend. She has horrible memories of her prom and all of those memories come rushing back at her on reunion night! Everyone from her past is there, and even though these high school buddies have aged, some have not matured! Later at the reunion, the high school bully is murdered and Odelia is off and running.

To make matters worse, Steele, her sexy, nasty, aloof supervisor at the law firm is missing. No one seems to know where he is and Odelila is assigned to round up facts and hopefully Steele! Yet another crime she MUST get involved in -- much to Greg, her boyfriend's, dismay!

Join Odelia, also now known as the CORPSE MAGNET as she tries to locate Steele, tries to figure out who would kill Donny the bully, trying to keep Greg happy while keeping her life true to her heart, and meeting up with a group of hired killers! She also renews friendships with some high school friends and also with some high school people she never would consider friends. Devin Frye is also back -- is his interest in Odelia more than professional? Read this great book and find out!

The action NEVER stops and readers will not be disappointed in this third book. Number four will be released (not soon enough!) in 2009.

Ms. Jaffarian has a new fan, ME! I highly recommend this exciting, funny, action packed, fast paced series. Reading in order is a must --

TOO BIG TO MISS
THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL
THUGS AND KISSES

and coming soon

BOOBY TRAP

Ms. Jaffarian is a fresh new voice in the genre of mystery and humor. Check them out! I read all three of them in a row in less than a week and never once tired of any part of these books. I wish I had another stack waiting for me!

Thank you and enjoy!

Pam

I have read Sue Ann first 2 books & anxiously await her new book every year!
Her books are very enjoyable & fun. They are also very realistic & celebrate human diversity! Thanks Sue Ann...

Sue Ann Jaffarian does it again with this third offering in the Odelia Grey series. With two mysteries to solve and her love life in a confused jumble, Odelia manages to keep her wits about her (with the help of a Thin Mint or two) as she works to resolve them all. A real page-turner!

Reviewed by Wendy Cleveland for Reader Views (5/08)

What can I say about Odelia Grey? She is a sassy, plus-sized paralegal turned amateur sleuth in Sue Ann Jaffarian's "Thugs and Kisses" which is the third novel (following "Too Big to Miss" and "The Curse of the Holy Pail") in the Odelia Grey mystery series. In this installment, Odelia attends her 30th high-school reunion (replicated as their senior prom - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) where the class bully, Donny Oliver, is murdered. Everyone known to Donny becomes a suspect, even Odelia. Not being able to let sleeping dogs lie, she begins her own investigation despite being called a "corpse magnet" by her boyfriend Greg. In the midst of this chaos, her boss Michael Steele suddenly disappears without a trace. Knowing that this is not like him, Odelia finds herself ,with the help of her old high-school friend Sally Kipman, (who has her own grudge against Donny) investigating both of these mysteries. Are they linked? Why is everyone suddenly becoming a suspect? These and other questions make for a fast and furious read until the very end.

Ms. Jaffarian's first person writing made Odelia Grey's wit and sassiness fun to read (she has killer cravings for Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies). Everyone kept telling her to keep her nose out of things, but she always wants to know more. This stubbornness put her in danger with contract assassins and tangled love relationships including her own. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. The fact that she ended each chapter with a cliff-hanger made you want to keep on going to see what happens. Even though there were a lot of characters to keep track of, I loved how everything came together in the end; some tragically, some not. Enough said.

Even though Thugs and Kisses" was the third novel in the series, I found it easy to identify with the main characters. I will definitely be reading the first two books so that I can find out how Odelia became so interested in amateur sleuthing. This novel is highly recommended to those interested in a fun, suspenseful mystery. You will not be disappointed, and will become an instant fan of Odelia Grey as I am.

I loved this book, could not keep my nose out of it. Sue Ann Jaffarian has a way of putting a story together that makes it impossible to put down. I love Odelia Grey, I love her boyfriend, I love her best friend, even her jerk boss... what a great story! I almost missed a day of work, just because I wanted to finish it. Keep them coming Sue Ann!

Sharan Newman's To Wear the White Cloak pulled me in and held my attention through the story so well that, when it ended, I wanted more. She portrayed a realistic family living in France in the time of the Crusades, with all their problems, and how they related to one another, in a way that my modern mind could embrace; yet the setting and events were authentic to the historical period. I remembered and mused over the characters' words and thoughts long after I closed the book.

This book is quite different than the previous books in this series. For one thing, it's actually quite humourous and although there is a murder, it happens sometime before the book actually begins. The dead body of what appears to be a knight of the crusade is found by Catherine and Edgar in their Paris home after they've been away for a year. The scandal from that, as well as a lot of rumours that are going around Paris about them causes them to set out to find first who the knight was, and then to determine who killed him. This book is peopled by a lot of characters, and that can be confusing, and there is a lot of unrelated action going on, so it gets a bit disjointed at times, but it is funny, and that is very different for a Catherine LeVendeur mystery. Ms. Newman's research is still very extensive, and her two main characters are just as likeable, so not a bad addition to this series.

After reading this book, I am dying to get the next in the series on my nightstand. Sharan Newman's books are so engaging in their plots, well-crafted subplots, and details of medieval life that you almost hate to finish one. Her works are intelligently written and addictively interesting. Four stars, no question.

I couldn't wait for this latest installment of Sharan Newman's series featuring the clever and clumsy Catherine and her stalwart spouse Edgar, set in the 1140's, this time back in Paris. Just as with her previous novels, I was more than satisfied. I discovered Catherine and Edgar in "Cursed in the Blood" just after our return from Scotland and the north of England this summer, visiting castles of our ancestors dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, primarily. Newman has such a thorough grounding in the history of the time and yet she has the ability to bring her characters to life. I raced through all of her previous novels in the series, except for the next to last one--on order!--just prior to this one, "To Wear the White Cloak". In this latest story, Catherine and Edgar were shocked upon their return from what seems to have been a dangerous and difficult journey to Germany to find a very dead (and moldy!) Knight of the Temple locked inside her father's home. The well-educated twosome have to counter the suspicion that quickly falls on their family, as before, by solving the murder themselves. This is accomplished while they deal with the everyday issues of raising their family in health and safety, establishing themselves financially, and even struggling with moral issue of birth control. You will do yourself a favor if you begin reading Newman's books--go back and read the others--if you have an appreciation for this time period and for an excellent mystery. (Note to fans of Ellis Peters: finally, someone to (almost) fill her shoes)

Newman just kepts improving with age. How she manages to come up with all these new settings, people, and situations is beyond me. Each book can stand on it's own, but I'm happy to have read them all in order to allow me to see how each character in the story has changed and matured.
I hope this series never ends!

This review is for this particular edition.

I love that the first three (and argueably best) books of the Vampire Chronicles were combined with sleek and well designed cover art. The cover was actually taken from the short-lived Broadway musical, 'Lestat', and this was made as an obvious merchandise tie in. It was nice to see, nonetheless.

It's of a much better quality than the mass market paperback versions and a better deal at $13, since each mass market edition will cost you about $7. The book itself is rather heavy (about 4 lbs), so if you have weak wrists it may be a struggle for you to hold, but text is large and easy to read, the ink does not smudge like the mass market editions do, and the pages are thin and smooth.

If you're contemplating 'plunging into the stream' (the words that the Vampire Lestat himself 'lives' by) by giving Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles a try, than buy this particular version. I can't recommend it enough.

Anne's collection is by far and wide the best I have ever read concerning vampires. Far from your run of the mill dime story vampire stories, these books will sweep you off your feet. Blending our love for vampires with a spiritual side that is to be highly commended, I have never been so impressed with a set of novels before. Dont stop with these either! Her next book, Memnoch the Devil is a triumph as well.

I got this book with only knowing about the moive Interview with the Vampire. When I started to read the book I couln't put it down. All 3 of the books are the same way. I like The Vampire Lestat the best. In The Vampire Lestat she goes more in to the history of vampire. Then with ending that will make you want to read The Queen of the Damned right away. The Vampire Chronicles is one of the best series out there. If you havn't read it you are missing out.

to be honest i have read all of annes published works dealing with both the vampires and the mayfair witches and i believe these three books (interview, lestat, and queen of the damned)were what made me keep my interest in them for as long as i have. it is her way of story telling which ensnares the imagination in us all. to be completely honest if you are going to read these three be prepared to be spending more money in a few months to buy the rest of the set.

sort of in response to a review posted prior. without getting into much detail it is expanded more on in her other books but the gist of it is that while akasha was undoubtedly the oldest and first of all vampires they centuries of her slumber made her weaker than mekhare (i believe that is the correct spelling and if not i dont have time to fix it). it is explained out that the longer a vampire stays awake and feeding the faster and greater their powers grow to be. in any event it is a work of fiction one doesnt need to over analyze it to enjoy the book for what it is.

Anne Rice revamped the vampire-horror genre with the publication of "Interview with the Vampire," a supernational drama from the vampire's own mouth. It became an unexpected hit, and spawned a series of sequels that came to be known as the Vampire Chronicles. The first three books of the series are compiled here, and arguably remain her best.

"Interview With the Vampire" is the story of Louis, a grieving young widower and plantation owner, whose life is turned upside down when he meets the charming vampire Lestat. Lestat offers him a way out: become a vampire. Louis accepts, but once it's done, he finds that vampirism is more than he bargained for -- especially for his conscience.

"The Vampire Lestat" takes a totally different tack, showing us the world through the enigmatic, charming Lestat's eyes. After years of dormancy, Lestat wakes up in time for the early MTV years of the 1980s, becoming a rock star in the tradition of Ozzy and Black Sabbath. And like Louis, Lestat relates his long life's story -- how he became a vampire, his wanderings over the earth, and his investigations into the origins of vampirism itself...

"Queen of the Damned" builds on that research. Lestat's metal music has caused quite a bit of mayhem -- but not this much before: Akasha, Egyptian queen and mother of all vampires, has reawoken from her comalike sleep. The lesser vampires are having strange dreams, some are being murdered by the ruthless queen. Apparently she wants to kill virtually all men. What is more, Akasha has taken a shine to the roguish Lestat himself...

Vampiric autobiography is a given in Anne Rice's bibliography -- she has plenty of bloodsuckers telling us about their lives. But Lestat and Louis's were not just the first ones, but perhaps the most compelling and rich, especially since the two had such radically different viewpoints -- including of one another. Is Lestat a heartless fiend, or a roguish good-craving bad boy? I'd lean towards the latter, to be honest.

The first two books are quite personal -- one is Louis recounting his own miserable life and un-life. Then we get Lestat, a radically different viewpoint, a guy who enjoys his un-life even more than his mortal existance. Finally, there's an epic view of all vampires, throughout history, from the ancient Egyptian queen to the modern biker vamps.

Despite the more controversial recent novels, Anne Rice's first Vampire Chronicles are often reckoned to be modern horror classics. Rich, intriguing and far deeper than you'd think vampire fiction would be.