Characters Books

This is definately one of the best Maisy books my 19 month-old owns. (Or should I say, I own-since I love them all!!) Great colors, and great pulls/pop-ups. My son loves to say "Shhhh" on the last page as Maisy is going to bed.

I'm on the third copy of this book - the first two were eaten alive by my children. :)

If you are the parent of a young child, you probably know who Maisy is. She's a mouse with a duck, a squirrel, an elephant, and a crocodile for friends. Why the crocodile isn't trying to eat the others is beyond me, but that's life in Maisy's world.

Both of my daughters love the Maisy books; there's something about their simple stories and colorful pictures that even appeals to adults. The books are short and easy to read. But, the stories are never obnoxiously simplistic, like so many other books for small children.

This is a lift the flap book in which the childen are lifting flaps as Maisy prepares for bed. Believe it or not, this book helped convince one of my daughters to brush her teeth, which is frquently a battle in our house. This is one of the most fun Maisy books to read to your children. One caution, the kids might get a little aggressive with the flaps and tear a few, resulting in the purchase of a new lift the flap book (in our current copy, Maisy's tooth brush has bit the dust).

Maisy is on the way to bed. She has to do a few things before she can snuggle under her covers. Follow Maisy as she gets a drink, uses the potty, washes her hands, brushes her teeth, puts on her pajamas, reads a story, and goes to sleep.

Flaps and tabs on each page make each step fun and interactive for young children. Day turns to night in a window, the toilet flushes and toilet paper pulls out, Maisy brushes her teeth, and her storybook has several pages that children can see.

Ever the gentle, sweet mouse, Maisy is a beloved friend children love to see. The tabs and flaps add to the fun, although children who haven't mastered fine motor skills are likely to experience a little frustration when tabs don't work right or flaps pop off. The toilet seat flap popped off the page while my young daughter played with it. I anticipate an easy fix with the help of our gooey friend "Elmer."

For children who love Maisy and flap/tab books, MAISY GOES TO BED is a definite winner.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
10/20/2006

This is a very cute, sweet book to read at bedtime. All about a little girl mouse & her bedtime preparations.

I have read several of her other books but this one was the most enjoyable as it was all about libraries and mystery books that are rare and collectable. There are few books where the murder involves a library so that alone sets this book apart from others. Another plus is the author's style and voice which is quite nice and she writes well. Characters are brought alive too and while many of them reappear from earlier books, still one doesn't need to have read them to enjoy. Karen is a young prof hoping to get tenure and coming from a very poor background so she identifies with students who also have an uphill struggle and this book has one like that. The cop romance doesn't take center stage and it rang true to me also with the questions about each other that both of them present. This book is a keeper for my small collection of favorites.

I won't try to summarize the plot of this book as it has been well done by earlier reviewers. But I do want to recommend it for all that it has - academic setting, a hot-shot mystery writer character, sort of a Kinsey Milhouse, both as author and character, interesting info about the world of books, especial books in libraries, a frightening but lovable dog, romance. I love Charlie and got very nervous that Karen was going to blow the good thing she has going. I've read all of this series and enjoyed them all, but this was the first one that I sometimes found myself laughing out loud. I fervently hope the series will continue.

While this is much better than a lot of other mysteries on the market, it simply isn't as good as the other books in this series. Neither the characters nor the plot are that well developed and unless you've read the other books in the series you won't understand or appreciate the characters. Dobson's treatment of the heroine, Karen Pelletier, also departs from past portrayals -- her motivations are unclear, she inexplicably goes from disliking 1 of the main characters to becoming best friends and worst of all, Dobson has Pelletier acting like a typical dumb female illogically fighting with her boyfriend-cop. Its really too bad. I fear this series will be one that I lose interest in it goes on -- much like the Stephanie Plum series.

It seems that some rare books are disappearing from the local college library. Meanwhile, our intrepid tenure- seeking lady professor meets with a famous Lady Mystery Writer, and her very large dog, suitably named TROUBLE. And a conference is to commence on WOMEN IN MYSTERY FICTION. So the Prof must escort the famous hard-boiled author to this conference. Meanwhile, a dead body appears in the library, which puts a damper on both the college and the conference. In the burgeoning field of academic/lady sleuth mysteries, this is among the top! So if you're a mystery fan looking for great laughs (mainly at certain academic pretentions), a good mystery, and a colorful cast of rogues and do-gooders, you can do a lot worse that reading this one!

I decided to characterize The Maltese Manuscript as an adventure tale because I've come to realize that Ms. Dobson's "mysteries" just cannot be characterized that way. She telegraphs who did what to whom much too clearly to see her books as mysteries. Sure, they are dead bodies, missing persons and stolen goods, but those are really just a backdrop for the comic action in this fine novel. Think of The Maltese Manuscript as a Stephanie Plum-like adventure involving libraries, academics, feminists and detective fiction authors. For long-time fans of the series, the romance of Professor Karen Pelletier and police Lieutenant Charlie Piotrowski is in full flower in this book. The complications from that romance remind me of many fine episodes of I Love Lucy. I hope that Ms. Dobson continues in this vein in future novels.

The Maltese Manuscript is the fifth volume in Professor Joanne Dobson's series about Professor Karen Pelletier. In Quieter than Sleep, readers first met the professor. Doctor Pelletier found herself pregnant as a teen in high school, and dropped out of her plans to go to Smith to marry her truck driver lover. After a difficult pregnancy and marital abuse, she put her life together to raise her daughter as a single Mom while pursuing her academic career. Finally finding love with a cop in New York, she abandoned him to follow her desire for a career to settle at tony, elite Enfield College in New England. Arriving at Enfield, she became the new kid on the English department block sharing responsibilities for 19th century American literature with an aggressive, pompous womanizer who wanted to discuss more than literature with her. She found herself attracted to all the wrong men, and attracted attention from men she would rather avoid. Ah well, back to those term papers! In The Northbury Papers, the professor had an unusual stroke of luck that made her career prospects much brighter. In The Raven and the Nightingale, she made an important literary discovery and explored the nature of originality. In Cold and Pure and Very Dead, the author explores what makes literature significant and finally develops the love interest between the professor and her police lieutenant sparring partner. The primary appeal of the series is that Professor Dobson has created a memorable character who will resonate with all those who question pretension. Increasingly, the other characters are becoming memorable as well.

Those who liked Quieter than Sleep, The Northbury Papers, The Raven and the Nightingale, or Cold and Pure and Very Dead may not like The Maltese Manuscript as much unless they like the series mostly for its characters and academic-spoofing humor. This book is a strong departure in style from the earlier books. If you think you would like a thinking person's Stephanie Plum, then The Maltese Manuscript is probably for you.

I recommend reading Quieter than Sleep before this book because the characters and the context won't make as much sense without having read that book first. Otherwise, you may find this book to be a four-star read.

This book is almost a spoof and delivers on the very promising sense of humor by the author that was hinted at in Cold and Pure and Very Dead. I was reminded of Hoodwink in the Nameless Detective series by Mr. Bill Pronzini.

Enfield College is planning a Women's Studies conference, and noted crime novelist, Ms. Sunnye Hardcastle, has been hired to speak. That invitation makes the conference high profile, and shifts its focus onto feminism in detective fiction. Ms. Hardcastle reads the topic of Professor Pelletier's talk, and orders her driver to head for Enfield. Ms. Hardcastle wants Professor Pelletier to help her research her next book. Ms. Hardcastle's entrance is a memorable one:

"The door to my office opened, and a dame walked in, bringing Trouble with her. The dame was Sunnye Hardcastle, celebrated crime novelist, and Trouble was her dog, a big Rottweiler with teeth like boning knives." The obvious reference to the classic noir detective fiction style is very cleverly and humorously done. The fun continues throughout the book. The language of academic studies about women provides constant sources of humor throughout the book.

Because of their connection, Professor Pelletier is assigned to be Ms. Hardcastle's escort during her visit for the conference. During the conference, a dead body is found in the library, the manuscript of The Maltese Falcon disappears, a student and her ward disappear, and Ms. Hardcastle becomes a suspect. In the background, the library has been losing its detective fiction to an unknown thief for some time. When Charlie Piotrowski takes on the investigation, the potential for humorous mishaps explodes. Charlie tells Karen to keep out of the investigation. Miffed, she responds by withholding evidence and driving him up the wall. Can their relationship survive these strains?

As I finished the book, I found myself wondering how I can cleanse my own writing of jargon that is impenetrable and off-putting to the general reader. Specialists, beware of hiding your expertise with stilted language!

Ok I purchased this cookbook for one recipe and that was the Green Bean recipe but ended up loving the entire cookbook. It is the same cookbook at the "Cooking With Mickey II" so don't but both of them, they are the same page per page, word for word. I found out the hard way.

You will find quite a few recipes from the Grand Floridian and if you have ever eaten there you know everything is excellent. Several of the restaurants they feature are no longer around like the ones from the Disney Village now deemed the Disney Market Place so you are able to recapture a taste that is no longer around.

Even King Stephens Banquet Hall has a few recipes and we all know that is now Cinderella's dining room now. It is a good book with tons of delicious and savory food. The deserts will make you go wild.

I would recommend this book for people who can't cook and people who can. They are all simple and easy to prepare. Most are made with simple ingredients you have readily available in your kitchen, so no running to the store for something weird or special.

I have often heard that Disney served up some of the best cuisine around. This book proves that it is true. This book has a wide variety of recipes anything from simple to complex, and american to a vast amount of ethnic dishes. Recipes are easy to follow, and turn out well. If you want to bring the taste of Disney home, or impress your family this is the way to go.

Although I have visited both Disney Theme areas on both sides of the country I have never eaten at the many restaurants, my food experience has been like many of us who just grabbed a quick hamburger and fries while on our way to the next ride. However, when I recieved this book as a gift I was pleasantly surprised. The recipes were easy to follow and came out tasting great. Now I only wish that I could go back the parks and the resorts to taste the food first hand, so I know what else I could make out of the book. Whomever gets this book I am sure they will enjoy it just as much as my family and I have.

If you are as big a disney park freak as I am, you love to eat your way through them! This fantastic book may be a few years old, but all the recipies are fantastic! Make sure and try the Chichen & Leek Pie from Great Britain in EPCOT!!!

Okay, so "gourmet" may be a bit of a stretch but `Mickey's Gourmet Cookbook" does hold some very, very good recipes, and it's a must for Disneyana collectors and fans of Disney period.

The over 350 recipes include beverages, breads, appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts and sauces. There's a Shogun dinner from EPCOT Center sparked with ginger and mustard sauces.

Chocaholics will relish the Chocolate Amaretto Mousse from the Disneyland Hotel. Apropos from Disney's Caribbean Resort are crunchy Caribbean Sand Bars filled with nuts and chocolate chips.

If your kids are picky eaters - try dishing up some Disney and see what happens.

- Gail Cooke

What a great book! I was anxious to read Miscue and I wasn't disappointed. If you love reading a book you don't want to put down, this is the one. I began reading Miscue one evening, and didn't put it down until I finished it. Great work, Glen!

I am looking forward to Glen's next book!! I am not a big reader but I loved Miscue!! I found myself falling asleep and still wanting to read, "just one more page"!! Great book!!!!!!Good work, Glen!!!

Having read Miscue twice and being a discerning fan of mysteries of every ilk, I feel qualified to say that Glen Allison's first book deserves a place on every bookstore's best-selling mystery/thriller shelf. Excellent writing coupled with fascinating characters make the book a stay-up-late-to-finish-it-even-if-I-have-to work-tomorrow kind of story. In spite of his problems (or maybe because of them) Al Forte is a guy you just have to root for. Miscue is an enjoyable read and, hopefully, the first of many Forte novels.

Wow, what a ride. I have read this book twice already and still weeks later, I find myself wondering what case Mr. Forte is working on now. All the characters seem so real, that I find myself thinking about them. This is a great MUST READ! Thank you, Mr. Allison. I can't wait for the next book!

I took Miscue to Hilton Head Island and found myself lost in the sounds of the waves and the twists of fate for Frank Forte. This quick adventure kept me entertained and wondering what Forte would come up with next. The plot thickens as Forte's character comes out into the open and the mystery of the murderer/kidnapper is revealed. A great read for any beach!

Excellent as with all of the Miss Marple stories by Christie. I was disappointed a little because I thought I was getting a collection of Marple stories I did'nt already own. In fact, the book begins with the Tuesday Club Murders (which is already on my bookshelf). This was an error on my part because I should have checked the book out in more detail before purchasing. Still, a good collection to buy if you don't already have the stories in separate books. Besides, we Christie fans never tire of rereading about the exploits of her most famous detectives.

This short story collection is wonderful! Twenty delightful stories featuring Miss Jane Marple solving difficult cases. Miss Marples sharp observations, her spunk, wit, and intelligence shine through in these tales, making clear why Agatha Christie has created one of the greatest female sleuths of all time. If you're a fan of Christie's or Marple's, you can't go wrong with this colleciton.

Quick response, book in good condition. there was a printing defect with the book, but it is still OK.

The words quoted above appeared in a short story by Agatha Christie called "The Four Suspects." They were not spoken by Miss Marple but by "that well-groomed man of the world, Sir Henry Clithering," retired now and residing in St Mary Mead or nearby, but "until lately Commissioner of Scotland Yard." The words were addressed to Sir Henry's new neighbour, a certain Miss Jane Marple. There is EVERY reason to assume that Miss Marple agreed.

An earlier reviewer quoted a short passage from "An Autobiography" by Christie. I shall quote a little more extensively from the same source: "Miss Marple," wrote Dame Agatha, "insinuated herself so quickly into my life that I hardly noticed her arrival. I wrote a series of six short stories for a magazine, and chose six people whom I thought might meet once a week in a small village and describe some unsolved crime. I started with Miss Jane Marple, the sort of old lady who would have been rather like some of my grandmother's Ealing cronies--old ladies whom I met in so many villages where I had gone to stay as a girl. Miss Marple was not in any way a picture of my grandmother; she was far more fussy and spinsterish than my grandmother ever was. But one thing she did have in common with her--though a cheerful person, she always expected the worst of everyone and everything, and was, with almost frightening accuracy, usually proved right...."

Later, she added, "Miss Marple was born a the age of sixty-five to seventy--which, as with Poirot, proved most unfortunate, because she was gong to have to last a long time in my life. If I had had any second sight, I would have provided myself with a precocious schoolboy as my first detective; then he would have grown old with me."

The first sextet of magazine stories were published in the late 1920s but did not achieve the dignity of book publication until 1932, two years after the publication of "Murder at the Vicarage," the first novel to feature Miss Marple.

The 1932 volume contained the first sextet of stories mentioned by Christie in her autobiography, plus a second sextet and one more story to provide a satisfactorily ominous title for the collection, "The Thirteen Problems." (In the US, the book appeared--less happily--as "The Tuesday Club Murders.") Christie wrote seven more short stories for Miss Marple. They all are included in this volume. The later stories are good enough, but Miss Marple had so grown in stature that her true milieu was the full-length mystery novel.

I suggest that special note be taken of the tenth story, "A Christmas Tragedy." This story represents a sea change in Miss Jane Marple. In all prior appearances she had been a mere device, a voice through which the author could resolve her little puzzles. With this story, the fully developed, elderly, tough as nails, knitting Nemesis of the novels emerges.

These twenty stories are competent, if not brilliant. No-one, least of all Agatha Christie, would call them literature. They are amusements, clever puzzles set to dialogue. As such, most of them are splendid. There are a couple of minor misfires, one in which the solution to a coded message is in English when by the logic of the story it should have been in German, another in which Christie chose to emulate the mechanically-oriented stories common in those days among the works of her less-talented contemporaries. A classic Christie work incorporates some deceptively simple example of what might be called mental sleight-of-hand. Stories that depend on gimmicked mechanical implements and the like seem somehow beneath Dame Agatha's dignity.

Reading these stories quickly demonstrates that Agatha Christie was born one of nature's great re-cyclers. Dame Aggie had a strong tendency to ... ahem, quote from herself when a good plot was involved. For those who would put a more positive spin on the simple facts, then it might be said that within these stories may be found seeds that later sprouted into full-length mystery classics such as "A Murder is Announced" and "Murder Under the Sun."

The collection, I was surprised to discover, was dedicated to Leonard and Katherine Woolley. Sir Leonard Woolley was a great archeologist who famously excavated the ancient city of Ur in Sumeria, a land that would one day come to be known as southern Iraq. He became a media superstar when he dug down through the artifact-laden soil of Ur to find a very thick layer almost entirely free of man-made remains, and beneath that yet another layer of artifacts. Woolley attributed the break in the artifact layers to an extensive flood--or as he suggested a bit prematurely and the newspapers shouted loudly to all the world, not a flood but The Flood. When the shouting was at its height, Christie was already a world-famous author and an enthusiastic traveler. She visited the dig at Ur and stayed on for some time to lend a hand. There she met and fell in love with archeologist Max Mallowan, whom she married in the same year that she published "Murder at the Vicarage."

Doubtless, anyone who has slogged this far is wondering why I've wandered so far off-track with all this biographical blather. The reason is simply that I am astonished to see Katherine Woolley's name in the dedication. When Christie arrived, Lady Woolley was very much in residence at her husband's archeological site. She regarded herself as Queen of all she surveyed and she went out of her way to make sure that the upstart mystery novelist knew it. Christie got on with Leonard Woolley, but she simply could not abide his wife. In one of her novels, she made a perfectly obvious caricature of Lady Woolley into the murderess. When she transformed the book into a stage play, Christie slyly converted her novel's villainess into her play's comic relief.

This collection of the twenty Marple short stories are, as I've said, not literature themselves, nor even necessarily vintage Christie. Nevertheless, they are clever, entertaining and an invaluable memento of one of the great literary characters of the Twentieth Century.

Five stars for Agatha, for Jane and for St Mary Mead.

"Miss Marple insinuated herself so quickly into my life that I hardly noticed her arrival," Agatha Christie wrote in her posthumously-published autobiography (1977) about the elderly lady who, next to Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot, quickly became one of her most beloved characters. Somewhat resembling Christie's own grandmother and her friends, although "far more fussy and spinsterish" and "not in any way a picture" of the author's granny, like her, she had a certain gift for prophecy and, "though a cheerful person, she always expected the worst of everyone and everything, and was, with almost frightening accuracy, usually proved right."

Although Christie herself considered Miss Marple her favorite creation - preferred even over the prim and proper Belgian with the many "little grey cells," of whose exploits she occasionally tired and whom she brought back again and again chiefly because of her audience's undying demand - there are only twelve Miss Marple novels and twenty short stories: while no small feat in any other author's body of work, just over one tenth of the lifetime output of the writer justifiedly dubbed The Queen of Crime.

This compilation unites the twenty short stories revolving around St. Mary Mead's elderly village sleuth, beginning with the canon of originally six and, after an expansion for republication in book form, later thirteen stories which, in addition to the novel "A Murder at the Vicarage" (1930) introduced Miss Marple to the world; a series of unsolved problems told by her guests one Tuesday night, to be followed by six further problems narrated during a similar gathering at the home of village squire Colonel Bantry and his wife Dolly, about a year later. In attendance on those two nights are a number of people who make recurring appearances next to Miss Marple; first and foremost her doting nephew - thriller novelist Raymond West - and retired Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Henry Clithering, as well as village solicitor Petherick, and of course the Bantrys (who will move center stage, much to their embarrassment, in "A Body in the Library," 1942); furthermore Raymond's new flame, artist Joyce (later reincarnated as his wife Joan), a doctor, a clergyman, and a well-known actress. Later stories also feature appearances of Miss Marple's niece Diana "Bunch" Harmon, married to the vicar of Chipping Cleghorn, a village not unlike St. Mary Mead (see "A Murder Is Announced," 1950), St. Mary Mead's Dr. Haydock, several maids called Gladys, as well as Inspectors Slack and Craddock and Colonel Melchett of Melchester C.I.D. and village Constable Palk; and of course the usual cast of other unique characters, many of whom could just as well figure in one of the elderly lady's "village parallels," those seemingly unimportant events summing up her knowledge of life, on which she unfailingly draws in unmasking even the cleverest killer. Avid Christie readers will also recognize certain other character types, plot snippets, settings and other features here and there; for Dame Agatha was known to draw repeatedly on devices she found to have worked before, and she tended to use her short stories as mini-laboratories for elements later expanded on in novels. Caveat, lector, of premature conclusions, however, for Christie was equally known to throw in a little extra twist in such cases: what is a real clue in one instance may well be a red herring in another and vice versa, and one story's innocent bystander may easily be the next story's murderer.

"The Thirteen Problems" (1932, a/k/a "The Tuesday Club Murders"):

"The Tuesday Night Club:" Sir Henry Clithering opens the evening with the case of a woman's mysterious poisoning by arsenic.

"The Idol House of Astarte:" A man inexplicably dies after a costume party's nightly excursion to a pagan temple.

"Ingots of Gold:" Raymond West tells about a treasure hunt, sunken ships and murder on the Cornish coast.

"The Bloodstained Pavement:" Joyce and the case of a drowned wife in a Cornish watering place called Rathole.

"Motive vs. Opportunity:" Mr. Petherick's tale of a will that mysteriously vanishes from its sealed envelope.

"The Thumb Mark of St. Peter:" Miss Marple's story how she quashed rumors about the sudden death of her niece Mabel's husband.

"The Blue Geranium:" Opening the second round of mysteries, Colonel Bantry's narration about a prophecy involving death and three uncharacteristically blue flowers.

"The Companion:" Two English ladies go on a holiday in Tenerife, but only one returns home alive.

"The Four Suspects:" Sir Henry Clithering's account of the murder of a retired secret agent.

"A Christmas Tragedy:" Having failed to prevent a murder, Miss Marple is all the more eager to unmask the murderer.

"The Herb of Death:" Mrs. Bantry's gifts as a storyteller, a serving of sage and foxglove, and a charming young girl's unexpected death.

"The Affair at the Bungalow:" Double-dealings, charades and mischief on stage and off, just outside of London.

"Death by Drowning:" A village girl "in trouble" finds a desperate solution - or does she?

From "The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories" (1939):

"Miss Marple Tells a Story:" Miss Marple assists Mr. Petherick in the case of a client accused of having murdered his wife.*

From "Three Blind Mice and Other Stories" (1950):

"Strange Jest:" A rich iconoclast's final joke - at the expense of his heirs?*

"Tape-Measure Murder:" Miss Marple's knowledge of village life and human nature (once more) corrects the all-too straightforward path of Inspector Slack's investigation of an elderly lady's murder.*

"The Case of the Caretaker:" Dr. Haydock's story about a rural rascal, a poor little rich girl, an old estate and its grumpy caretaker.*

"The Case of the Perfect Maid:" Domestic service and burglary in a Victorian estate-turned-apartment building.*

From "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" (1960):

"Greenshaw's Folly" (republished in "Double Sin," below): A reverse-locked-room mystery at an eccentrically-built country estate.

From "Double Sin and Other Stories" (1961):

"Sanctuary" (first published 1954, a/k/a "The Man on the Chancel Steps"): The last secret of a man found dying on Chipping Cleghorn's church steps.*
_______________________________

*Republished posthumously in "Miss Marple's Final Cases" (1979).

The Moon Riders is an excellently written story about a young woman warrior, Myrina, and her involvement in the historic Trojan Battle. I thought the plot of the book was exciting as the tragic events from Homer's Iliad slowly unraveled. Cassandra, Paris, Helen and other characters from the Iliad were seamlessly interwoven with the fictional characters of the novel. Myrina and her friends and family felt real in both their behaviors and emotions.

After reading this book I did a little research on Cassandra -- a character from the Iliad I knew almost nothing about. After reading various stories about her, I felt that author Theresa Tomlinson did an excellent job of merging a mythic two-dimensional character into a believable three-dimensional person.

I also appreciated the Cast of Characters listed at the back of the book. Some of them were obviously fiction, some were obviously from the Iliad, but some were from other Greek writings. For example I had never heard of Penthisilea from the heroic poem by Quintus of Smyrna. I'm glad Tomlinson used other ancient Greek sources for her characters. After reading the reading the author's note -- it was very apparent how much she enjoyed the research and writing of this story.

A compelling novel, the Moon Riders will make readers feel like they are getting a glimpse inside the world of the ancient Greeks.

The next book in this two-part series is the Voyage of the Snake Lady.

I loved this book almost as soon as i started it. It starts out when Myrina is just 13 she joins the rank of the warrior prestiess the moon riders. Then as she is leaving she discovers the Trojan princess Cassadra (whom she befrieaned early in the book.) has stolen away in her bag, this is the starting point for the adventure, soon myrina is tangled up in the Trojan war. This Book is very well written, and is the first book that ever made me cry. It is a story of strong female charcters, first love, friendship, war, adventure, heartbreak, and beauty. It is a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat begging for the sequal. I high recommened this book!!!

Another great book by Tomlinson. Emotional and inspiring. She captures femininity and adventure so truthfully. Her characters are honest and real, easily relatable to.

Although the writing in the book is nowhere near as proficient as 'The Forest Wife', 'Moon Riders' is definately worth the time. At first I thought I was going to love the book, but when I started reading and got bored with it's slowness I was sure that forcing myself to read it would make me hate it. Guess what? It was well worth getting passed the boring stuff, because it all adds up in the end. I was amazed with the story, and utterly fell in love with it. Well worth the effort.

Theresa Tomlinson shows an amazing understanding of how stories and mythes grow and shape. For intance there is the young princess Cassandra who ,in greek mythology, was loved by the sun god Apollo who granted her the gift of prophesy,but she turned away from him. He could not take away his gift so he made sure she would not be believed by makeing everyone think she is insane. In THE MOON RIDERS Cassandra was promised to be a priestess at the temple of Apollo but left to become a moon rider,she did have the gift of prophesy but everyone thought she was just jelouse of her elder brother so she was not believed.
There are a lot of mythes in this book yet the all seem like real events that grew to become mythes.
This is a wonderful book which has a lot of research in it and it may be this which enables her to write so vividly and compellingly or it may just be the fact that she is a very strong writer.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but if you have an interest in greek mythology ,as I do ,then it is a must.

The subtitle of this book could be "Love Is All There Is." Yet the characters in Mourners struggle without love. In the absence of love, they become brittle, unhappy, and bitter.

Like Nightcrawlers, this novel is about the three detectives in Nameless's agency, Nameless, Tamara Corbin, and Jake Runyon. Nameless is dealing with a suddenly cold and remote Kerry, his wife. Tamara Corbin is in agony over her lost boy friend. Jake Runyan is still in mourning for his second wife and in emotional pain due to his estrangement from his son, Joshua.

They are asked to trail a successful investment manager, James Troxell, how has taken to ignoring his work and his wife. It soon becomes apparent that Troxell is addicted to attending funerals and visiting grave sites. What's that all about?

The answers reveal some very dark secrets that are not easily brought to light for safe consumption.

You'll be haunted by this book and its powerful references to the noir tradition of detection. You'll also feel closer than ever to the characters in the book as you share their hurt through reading about their pain.

At the end, you'll come away with a deeper appreciation for the good things in your life. You won't want to trade your life with anyone in this book.

I always look forward to the release of a new Pronzini book. This one did not disappoint.

Mourners is Bill Pronzini's thirtieth entry in the Nameless P.I. series which has a bust in the Pantheon of P.I.s. Nameless (now going by "Bill") is probably in his 60s, married to Kerry, and has an adopted daughter Emily who is growing up too fast. His awkward fatherly "sex talk" with her is a classic scene. Yes, Nameless as a family man reveals a gentler, funnier side -- the result of mellowing age. In this case, the affluent financial consultant James Troxell attends all funerals of women who've died violently (thus the book's title). Naturally Troxell's wife is alarmed and hires Nameless to find out just why this erratic behavior. Nameless soon uncovers a women's brutal murder and her distraught sister. The P.I. firm's other two workers, Tamara Corbin and Jake Runyon, inject the subplots of their personal lives. Tamara is getting over her old boyfriend. Runyon does much of the heavy detective work, and his sections give the story its gritty, hardboiled flavor. The prose remains lean and vivid. I've read enjoyed reading all the titles, and Mourners is as good as any.

"Mourners" is the 30th Nameless Detective novel by my favorite mystery novelist, Bill Pronzini. Lynn Troxell hires the agency to find out why her husband, James, ia acting strangely. Nameless finds out that Troxell is attending funerals of women who died violent deaths and putting flowers on the grave of Erin Dumont, a young woman who was raped and murdered. Is James Troxell a murderer or someone who witnessed Dumont's murder? Jake Runyon, the agency's operative also helps in the investigation. While Nameless works on the Troxell case, Runyon looks for Erin Dumont's murderer to help her sister Risa Niland whom he meets at Erin's grave. The title refers to many people and situations. Troxell is mourning people who died a violent death because he witnessed one as a child and probably also saw Erin Dumont's murder. Jake Runyon continues to mourn the death of his wife Colleen. Tamara Corbin, Nameless' partner, mourns the loss of her relationship with her long-time boyfriend, Horace. Risa Niland mourns her sister's death. Nameless continues to mourn the death of his former partner, Eberhardt. There is also a serious situation for Nameless' wife, Kerry. This situation will have to be dealt with in the next novel. I was a little diaappointed in "Nightcrawlers", but I didn't ralize why until I read "Mourners". In "Nightcrawlers", Tamara and Jake were the focal characters and Nameless played a minor role. In "Mourners" he is back as the central character and that makes this novel a return to form. "Mourners" is highly reecommended.

The "Nameless" agency team knows about separation and death. "Nameless" friend and partner committed suicide, Jake Runyon's wife died of cancer and Tamara's love has moved to Philadelphia. The agency has been hired, by his wife,to follow James Troxell. Rather than another woman, they find he is attending the funerals of women who have been raped and murdered. At a cemetery, Jake sees a young woman who reminds him of his late wife and who's sister was a victim. What is Troxell's connection to these victims?

Pronzini is such a fine writer. He takes, what could be, a basic mystery and layers it with text that deepens and enriches the plot. On the top level, this is a very good mystery. It leads the reader on a fascinating trail finding out exactly what the object character is up to. The sense of place, dialogue and suspense are all very well done. You become involved with all the characters and care about them. Even the minor, and somewhat unlikable, characters are ones you recognize. On a second level is the story of grief and mourning; it's many forms and the impact it has on various people's lives. I can't' say enough about this book. I am ready for the next in the series, and determinedly looking for the ones I'm missing. If you've not read this series, even with a few slight misses, start at the beginning and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!.

My two-year-old loves many of the "Mr Men" books, and Mr Happy is one of his two favorites (Mr Quiet being the other). I love reading this to him as well. In this book, Mr Happy in Happyland stumbles upon Mr Miserable and teaches him to be happy.

Roger Hargreaves' story is short, simple, and easy for kids to follow, with just enough alliteration to make it fun. His pictures are bright and bring the story to life.

My son so loves this book that every time he sees a "smiley face" he exclaims "Mr Happy in Happyland!"

I read this book and all the other Mr. Men books to my children 30 years ago. My children loved them and now so do the grandchildren.

this is the best piece of literature i have ever read!!! simply marvolous

His jubilant expression welcomes you into the world of Mr. Men, and no one -- NOT EVEN MR. MEAN -- can occlude Mr. Happy from enjoying his day, nay, HIS LIFE.

Perhaps you are low on happiness? Perhaps you seek meaning in a world of war and sadness? Mr. Happy is for you. Will he make you happy? Perhaps not. Yet he will teach you the ways of the happy man, and that is all you can ask of a Mr. Men book. They are small books that tell a small story, yet somehow, they are more vast than the ocean.

call me heathen, or anything. But you don't need the Bible. This book makes me tear, it makes my cry of joy because I feel proud to be human. Proud to be Happy. I am glad that we as a race made a piece with so much hope and jo. This, in my humble opinion, is the single best piece of literature ever made.

It really is just Life. Joy, just plain, simple, happy joy. I will always keep this book with me. Im confident that it is the single best way to live a nice, drawn out and good life. So simple of a lesson, such a primordial concept is woven into this book, it really is the one true good book.

And really, to everyone under our bright star, I wish a sunny trees and rolling grassy fields under kind yellow sunlight.

My life is attributed to the Sun, Joy, Life and Mr. Happy

These books are great! I can remember 20 years ago when I was sitting on the floor of my 2nd grade class in Illinios, my teacher would read these books to us!!! They are really cute and I recommend them highly!!

Back in college I got a job as a summer janitor at the local elementary school. One of the things I had to do was clean up in the library. I took this time as an opportunity to catch up on some reading... in the form of the Mr. Men series. Mr. Tickle is a great book about a man who likes to tickle. If you like to laugh, this book is for you. If you like to tickle, this book is for you. If you are a mean spirited and grumpy person, perhaps you should try another book

Mr. Tickle makes you laugh WILLINGLY.

I know, I know. You are saying, "But I don't like to be tickled. And I don't want my children to feel that tickling is socially appropriate."

I had similar reservations before approaching Mr. Tickle, but I ordered it anyway. Mr. Tickle gets his just rewards, let me assure you, but in the meantime, he seduces readers into the world of Mr. Men. He does not just Tickle the people in his town. No, that is more...Sesame Street (The Tickler, The Man Who Starts with the Letter T, Volume 13, I think, of The Sesame Street Library).

Mr. Tickle helps the people of his town BOND TOGETHER. He is that slippery sort of antagonist who acts as a protagonist. Britain called for a hero, and Mr. Tickle answered the phone.

But BARELY #2.... (Mr. Strong being #1). For a while this was #1 though. Mr. Tickle is the hilarious story of a tickle (you didn't know that there was such a thing as a tickle did you?) on an adventure though town causing mayhem by tickling everyone! This is also a trip though memory lane for daddy as I grew up in England reading Mr. Men books. My copy of Mr. Tickle looks like in went through a war zone, lol.
The best part of the book is the game my son invented by asking me to tickle him every time someone in the book gets tickled. And by the last page he's ran of the bed hiding and giggling. You'll understand if you've got the book, it's got a GREAT ending!
If your kids like Mr. Men books and you don't have Mr. Tickle, what are you waiting for????

I loved reading this book to my grandchildren. Even my husband was listening and enjoyed hearing this cute story. I shared it with my neighbor and her grandchildren wanted her to reread it over and over. Little Miss Mischief mentions Mr. Tickle also in the story and a great follow-up book to go along with it. All of the Mr. Men books are great fun to read, and I will keep them on hand for any little one who will sit still to listen to me read it to them. I enjoy the stories as much as the children do.

This whole series is delightful. Mrs. Jeffries and the Feast os St. Stephen is just as entertaining as the previous installments of this series. I recommend this series to read. You'll enjoy it just as much as I did. It's humorous and delightful.

I have read all of the books in the Mrs. Jeffries series and could not wait for this one to come out in paperback. I was wondering what would happen now that Smythe had gone to Australia and left Betsy in England. Because I'm an impatient person I went to used books and got it at a discount. It was worth every penny.

I have been following the lives of the people at Upper Edmonton Gardens for some time now, and I really enjoyed this book. It is a Christmas cozy, and that alone would make it fun for me, but the story is a good one. I find that these stories keep getting better and better. In this book Mrs. Jeffries and her Inspector are trying to solve a murder of one of the gentry. The murder occurs about two weeks before Christmas, and Inspector Witherspoon is under some pressure to have the case solved by Christmas. It's a complex case with a real twist, and even Mrs. Jeffries has difficulty with it at first. This is a truly deligtful little book with all the wonderful characters that are like friends to me now.

Another great mystery from Emily Brightwell. Only wish new books could come out more frequently. Easy to read at one setting or evening.

Yuletide preparations abound in Victorian London. One celebration is the party Stephen Whitfield is hosting for a few select guests. How rude-the host didn't make it through dinner. He fell forward into his soup, dead. Now six guests are suspects, including a sister-in-law, boyhood friends, and a romantic interest, but who would want to kill Stephen?

Each with their own special connections, Mrs. Jeffries and her below-stairs friends and fellow workers secretly help their employer, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon, solve his latest murder. He can use the help. Christmas is just around the corner and his superiors want the murder of wealthy Stephen Whitfield solved before December 25.

With Witherspoon's nemesis Inspector Nevins waiting in the wings to see him fail and each lead exonerating a suspect, everyone must work harder at pursuing leads and solving the murder.

Emily Brightwell uses slight of hand to build intrigue from the beginning of the story. She skillfully weaves leads throughout the book. The challenge is laid down before you, but are you capable of solving the mystery before Mrs. Jeffries or Inspector Witherspoon?

Humor and romance aren't forgotten during the course of the book. In-depth descriptions of the people and places of the Victorian Era set you firmly in each scene. A pleasant surprise was the spacing used to introduce characters and their traits.

Armchair Interviews says: This is the 23rd book in a delightful series of cozy mysteries. Come, join the search and solve the mystery before the feast of St. Stephen.