Characters Books

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Characters Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

The Battle for Bond: The Genesis of Cinema's Greatest Hero

Published in Paperback by Tomahawk Press (GA) (2007-08-10)

Author: Robert Sellers

List price: $32.00

New price: $24.32
Used price: $21.20
Collectible price: $130.00

Average review score:

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-08

The book features not one but two villains, but they are so beautifully brought to life you can see their characters in the round, as it were, humans with failings just like the rest of us. One was Ian Fleming himself, who comes across in THE BATTLE FOR BOND as a pop genius like Warhol with a great invention, the James Bond character, and yet a weakness for trampling over the rights of others out of his sense of clubby privilege which is fairly sickening after a few chapters. So when he employs others to help him sketch out a screenplay that will feature his Bond character, he doesn't even think twice about novelizing their joint effort and publishing it under his own name. He had what became the modern equivalent of the old fashioned "droit du seigneur," and the others were just pawns in his game.

The second "villain who's not really a villain" was the crazy swinger Kevin McClory, technically he was used and abused by Ian Fleming but he sure wound up with his pound of flesh didn't he! Author Robert Sellers, the one man who was able to pick up and tell the whole wretched and confused saga from beginning to end, makes you eventually loathe Kevin, even though he started out as the underdog. Kevin was the type of friend than which you'd rather have an enemy, so you hold him in your embrace just so you can see what he's doing with his hands.

The hero of the book winds up to be Jack Whittingham, a venerable and talented screenwriter whom BOTH McClory and Fleming took up, then cast aside. AND his daughter, the beautiful singer and office manager Sylvan Whittingham, who kept all the papers together for forty years and then finally, with the help of a faithful lawyer, Peter Carter-Ruck, brought all the pieces together to tell a strange and disturbing story of genius gone mad. As Sellers points out, the saga of Carter-Ruck is like a Shakespearean tragedy, but the same can be said for the sad and wasted life of Kevin McClory. At the very end of the book there's a great photo of a little girl, Jack Whittingham's granddaughter, Aimi, inspecting with all the unconscious grace of a child, the neatly cared for grave of her grandad. It's in Malta, of all places, an island he loved.

I did not know a thousand facts that Sellers lets on: that Julie Christie was considered for the role of Domino; that Luciana Paluzzi considered Claudine Auger cold and calculating; that Dirk Bogarde might have been James Bond--or Rod Taylor--both of them I guess, not so bad choices. The angry figure of Sean Connery permeates the flavor of the book like a simmering stew of bad feeling that will not go away. He's great, but like everyone else in the book bar the Whittinghams, his life has been misspent chasing money and licking wounded pride.

A saga big as BLEAK HOUSE and as captivating as CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, except for grown ups.

battle for bond

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-02

A brilliant, well researched indepth study of a ongoing war between two rival film companies on the greatest film hero of all time JAMES BOND and the movies THUNDERBALL and NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. Buy it now...because in ENGLAND the book has been through the law courts and consequently has been banned from sale, it will be reprinted minus a few items that caused quite a fuss. So buy it now from amazon usa

For Bond Fans

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-05

Alot of the history of THUNDERBALL isn't new to me but Sellers writes a really entertaining and fascinating bit of history. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it -- in one seating. Great treasure of previously unseen material (Connery scouting the State of Liberty for the never made WARHEAD, production drawings, rare photos, etc). As it has been pulled off the market because litigation from the Fleming Trust (who could they be? Fleming's been dead since 1964, his wife died years ago and his only son died from a drug overdose in the early 1970's) so it is going to be harder to get. Worth the effort!

Piece of the jigsaw

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08

This brilliant book by Robert Sellers has finally unraveled the knots surrounding the Thunderball saga.

Concisely written with fresh and accurate information.

An important piece of the jigsaw in place.

Top Marks!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15

There are many of us who do care to know the true story about Thunderball - have a look at the uk reviews! This is a landmark book and contains fresh information on this fascinating subject. Top marks to author Robert Sellers who tells an unbiased factual story about the origins of the Bond movies

Bed & Breakfasts of Character & Charm in France

Published in Paperback by Hunter Publishing (2001-01)

Author:

List price: $19.95

New price: $1.99
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Average review score:

Wonderful Book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-29

My wife and I have used this wonderful publication throughout France, and highly recommend it. When in a city, we find that it's sometimes helpful to contact the local tourist informtion office, if local B&B's are not shown in the referenced book. In both cases, we've had great experiences using these resources.

MEMORIES THAT LAST A LIFETIME......

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-06

Traveling independently has its rewards! I feel compelled to share some of the B&B's that we have stayed in as a result of this book. When we look back on our trips, we remember the warmth of the hosts who shared their home with us and waved goodbye as we left.

# 359 en route to Lourdes. I felt like I was staying in a doll house. Everything was PERFECT! The hosts were lovely people. The evening meal was excellent.

# 334 just south of Toulouse. The owners will enchant you in this lovely farmhouse. They make sure that everyone has GOOD TIME at the evening meal! English is not necessary! The owner's have hosted guests from all over the world!!!

#386 Normandy. This a a perfectly lovely half-timbered farmhouse. The owners will make you feel like family!

We will be using this guide again for the 4th time this September. So far, I have chosen # 567, #672, #336 and #334 (listed above). I will keep you updated! I always choose B&B's where some English is spoken. I always look for comments concerning the hosts hospitality. You can spend as little as $. and take home memories that will last a lifetime!

...If we can help .... Spain or France???

...julie and gordon foster

The best guide

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-18

"The best guide for the finest kind of vacation." Elle Magazine

Highly recommended

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-18

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

Highly recommended

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-18

Best in Show: A Melanie Travis Mystery

Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Press (2003-12)

Author: Laurien Berenson

List price: $28.95

New price: $38.84
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Average review score:

Fun and Entertaining

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-08

This is my first Laurien Bereson Book and I know I'm starting in the middle of the series. However, I have read reviews of the first ones to know enough of what the characters are about. I made a choice to start where Sam and Melanie are back together. I perferred not to go through all the previous books to get to this point. I will continue on now with the series. I enjoyed all the characters in the book from Aunt Peg to all the enjoyable canine characters. I did get a little bored with the dog show and found myself skimming some of that. I have 2 dogs and enjoy the books with a mystery and the dogs a part of it but am not real interested to all the goings on at the PCA. However, that didn't really distract me from what was going on. I would reccomend this book if you want a light fun read. There is humor, some mystery, a little romance and lots of dogs. The writing flows right along and yet not one you can't lay down and come back to. There are some so suspenseful that you just can't quit reading. This one is a change of pace for me and I did enjoy it. I just finished a whole series by Lee Charles Kelley (dog trainer/detective)and that was a fun series if you're looking for more dog mystery books. His has lots of humor and dog training tips (though I don't fully understand his technique). I just find all of the books with man's best friend in them delightful. Even some of your more suspenseful writers (Nora Roberts, Karen Robards, Linda Lael Miller) have learned that you can lighten the book some by including a dog or cat. I'm looking forward to more of LB's books and reading of Melanie, Sam and Davy and of course all the canine friends. _

A great book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-05

I loved the book. It's a great mystery, with colorful characters. I love the whole series. It's also a fun book, and it's not full of dark or gruesome scenes like some murder mysteries. I would recommend to anybody who likes mysteries.

Murder at the Nationals

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-27

The PCA (Poodle Club of America) is having their annual dog show in Maryland. A national specialty is a huge event that draws people from all over the country. Naturally Aunt Peg is involved in the planning and Melanie is drafted into helping out with the raffle. The two odd sisters that run the raffle are interesting, they have a dog that is a contender for the best in show prize, although another exhibitor will do anything to stop them. One of the sisters is found dead on the grounds of the hotel, and whether or not it is murder is up to the police, and Melanie to decide and solve.

This latest in the Melanie Travis series was alot of fun. The descriptions of a large dog show are right on, down to the snobbish attitude of the breed exhibitors towards the obedience competitors (Terry makes a particularly nasty and inappropriate remark here, but some breed people are like that, thank goodness not all). Melanie and Sam's relationship is touched on, nice to see it back on track. The solution to the mystery is not readily apparent, lots of red herrings. All in all, another great mystery.

Another Champion

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-20

The latest installment of Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis series takes place at PCA, what the cognoscenti of the purebred dog world call the Poodle Club of America's National Specialty. This is arguably the ultimate breed specialty show, and I was thrilled to see the similarities to my own club's version and to see PCA as the setting.

If you're a dog show insider, you will recognize some of the prominent people and sympathize with Melanie as she survives the week at the National (at least I do, our National is beginning to take up 9 days). If you're not, Laurien Berenson gives you enough information to clue you in on the inner workings of a breed club, AKC shows and dog people without turning the book into a primer on the subject. The mystery is a bit simplified, but that's just a quibble because the rest of the story is very engaging.

I'm looking forward to the further adventures of Melanie, Sam, Aunt Peg, et al.

A mystery and dog loverýs delight

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-03

Melanie is leaving her son behind in Connecticut with his father while she and her Aunt Peg travel to Maryland to attend the annual Poodle Club of America event. Melanie is going to show her puppy Eve while her aunt is going to make sure everyone knows their job. Melanie's lover Sam Driver is also going to be at the dog show and Melanie hopes to have some quality time alone with him.

Aunt Peg ropes her niece into helping the Boone Sisters, Edith Jean and Betty Jean into selling raffles. Although the sisters are eleven months apart in age, they look like identical twins. When Melanie walks Eve in the designated area of the hotel, she hears a scream and when she and others look to see what happened they find Betty Jean lying dead on the ground. When the police start investigating, they discover she was murdered but this time Melanie vows not to get involved, a promise that doesn't last the full week of the conference.

There are plenty of suspects who could have wanted the victim dead but readers won't be able to figure out this complex, multi-layered who done it until the author is ready to reveal the identity of the killer. Members of the audience may have fragments of the solution but Laurien Berenson holds back one shocking, unbelievable fact that changes the whole picture and the best part is that the clue is hidden in plain sight. BEST IN SHOW is a mystery and dog lover's delight.

Harriet Klausner

Beware Of The Storybook Wolves

Published in Hardcover by Arthur A. Levine Books (2001-04-01)

Author: Lauren Child

List price: $15.95

New price: $5.50
Used price: $0.32

Average review score:

Just a hoot!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-19

I may actually enjoyed this book *more* than my daughter. It's along the lines of Seseame Street where a few adult jokes are thrown in so that the parents don't get bored. I can't say if it's "her best work", or not, but it got high marks from my daughter (4 yrs old). It's funny and silly and for a girl who's already into Princesses, the fact that the fairy godmother shows up and one of the wolves ends up going to Cinderella's ball instead of Cinderella made a connection with her. The boy really thinks on his feet when confronted with two slobbering, hungry wolves. If you've ever seen Charlie & Lola on the Disney Channel, you'll be very happy with the illustrations. As the story has already been 'nutshelled' in other reviews, I won't go into detail. Suffice it to say, it is a very entertaining story and one that I have given as a gift to other girls (would probably do well with a boy, too, but the cinderella reference makes it lean to a girl, I think.)

I highly recommend this for age 3 and up (oh, you can read it to a 2 yr old and earlier, but I think by 3 they "get" what's going on.)

Other Books smushed in one

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-15

The coolest part of this book for me is when Herb went to hisbook and shook it so the fairy godmother fell out and almost broke herleg. I also liked the title of this book it was very very shiny in thesun. The words were cool too wavy, and wired they were alsosideways. But when you see the nose and that every time you see Herbhis nose looks different. The illustrations for me were perfected. Ithink anyone who is the right age should read this book and if yourtoo small went you grow up you should read it! This book for me is oneof my favorite books that I have read so far. This I one of myfavorite books of my life. I hope you like this book. ....

4 1/2 Someone Let the Wolves Out!

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-15

Like the Jeff Daniels' character in Woody Allen's "Purple Rose of Cairo," the wolf steps out of a copy of "LIttle Red Riding Hood" that Herb's mother has been reading to him. Herb has a love/hate relationship with wolves; like many small fry, he's intrigued with what frightens him. While he can stomach a pictue of a wolf with a pig's tail sticking out of its mouth, he asks his mom to take "Little Red Riding Hood" with her, "because there's a wolf in it, of course." Fortunately, Ms. Child has the mother immediately reassuring Herb, "Herb's mother would smile to herself because she knew that storybook wolves are not at all dangerous.

That would be it, except for that convenient plot device, the maybe-dream (often paired, as it is here, with the one-eyebrow-raised, "Or was it a dream?"). Herb is suddenly confronted with two hungry wolves from his story book, one apparently a novice: "Ooh, can I have his pink toes? They look just like piglets," said Little Wolf. And he tried to lick his chops, but he wasn't very good at it and just ended up dribbling on the carpet.

Herb tricks the wolves with the nick-of-time assistance of a more benevolent character he shakes out of a different fairy tale. As a result, Little Wolf is accidentally inserted into "Cinderella," Big Wolf becomes a caterpillar, and Herb finally gets to sleep--after making sure that no one else can get out of his books. SPOILER AHEAD! The "was it really a dream" suggestion takes place inside, rather than outside, "Little Red Riding Hood." The next time, Herb and his mom read it, there's no wolf there!--"just a tiny caterpillar trying with all his might to terrify a little girl..."

Lauren Child has written a funny and imaginative book, even if, at times, parts of it seemed a little too conveniently patched together. The wolves and the boy get realistic portrayals, and adults might want to check the gullibility levels of their young audiences so that, like Herb's mom, they're sure their storybook villains can't magically harm them. Child illustrates with her trademark stylings: Sketchily drawn lines, an emphasis on facial expressions, ornate design, and wonderful collages that give some pictures a slightly skewed, 3-D effect. In other books, Child's text and pictures also play with familiar storylines, and there's a "Fractured Flickers" sensibility that those books share with 'Storybook Wolves.' While not her very best work, this one will be a winner with kids who like to turn fairy tales inside out.

Fun for adults too

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-27

I expected a lot from this book, from the catchy title and the great illustrations, and it delivered! My two girls, ages 5 and 3, absolutely love it too. The wolves try to be so scary, but they just end up being funny. Out of the many, many children's books I have read to my girls, this is probably my favorite. A definate buy!

Fun with Fairy Tales

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-05

There's nothing little Herb likes more than hearing his mom read his favorite bedtime story. You know, the one with the little girl in red and that horrible, slobbering, hairy wolf. And each night after she's finished reading, Herb makes sure she takes the book with her when she leaves his room. Mom thinks storybook wolves are harmless. Herb's not so sure and he's not going to take any chances. Sure enough, one night just as she's finished reading, the phone rings and his mother leaves the book lying open, turns out the light and runs to answer it. The next thing Herb sees is a couple of really nasty, hungry, drooling wolves that think he would make a good meal. But Herb's thinking fast, opening other story books and shaking out a few characters who might be able to help him outwit these two ugly carnivores..... Lauren Child has done it again as she captures the very real fears and runaway imaginations of the young mind. Her witty, silly text is only outdone by her marvelous and creative collage illustrations and youngsters will enjoy all the bright and busy details. With a surprise ending will have both kids and grown-ups laughing out loud, Beware the Storybook Wolves is perfect for youngsters 4-8 and is sure to amuse and delight everyone in the family.

The Big Silence: An Abe Lieberman Mystery

Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Press (2001-03)

Author: Stuart M. Kaminsky

List price: $29.95

New price: $29.95
Used price: $0.81

Average review score:

Once Again Kaminsky Gives Us a Good Story

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-16

Abe Lieberman is a thin, jewish, sixty year old police detective in Chicago; his wife is the president of his synagogue; his daughter, who is on her second marriage is married to a black pathologist and live in the bay area; his grandchildren (from his daughter's first marriage live with him). His partner is a big ex-football playing Irishman named William Hanrahan; who is divorced, a recovering alcoholic (as is his younger son), and is in love with an Asian woman he wants to marry. On the Chicago force they are known as the 'Rabbi and Father Murphy'.

The cases in this book are not of that much interest, but it is the inter- action of Lieberman and his partner with a myriad of characters from multiple cultures that make this a worthwhile read. Kaminsky is great at getting the nuances of speech and the causes behind the actions of his characters to be so honest and real. A worthy addition to the series.

Good police procedural

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-11

Chicago police officers Abe Lieberman and Bill Hanrahan are partners affectionately dubbed by their peers as the "Rabbi and the Priest". Their latest case involves mob accountant Mickey Gornitz willing to testify against his boss if certain conditions are met. Mickey insists he will only talk with Abe, who was a high school classmate several decades ago. Mickey also demands that his ex-wife and teenage son receive full protection though he has not seem either of them in fifteen years until the informer disappears into the witness protection program. Reluctantly, the Cook County District Attorney's Office agrees.

However, almost immediately after the moment that the Boston cop handed over the former wife and son to Bill, thugs kidnap the duo. When the abduction includes murder, Bill blames himself and not the brass who thought the wife and kid were low priority. As Abe works on a couple of cases and some personal shtick, he tries to help his partner deal with a severe case of depression caused by deep feelings of guilt.

The Abe Lieberman police procedural series is constantly one of the best the sub-genre has to offer. The current tale, THE BIG SILENCE, is an intriguing look at Chicago, various ethnic groups, and relationships. The police investigation is engaging because no great revelation occurs, just hard work. Stuart M. Kaminsky other sleuths (see Rostnikov and Peters) are very good and deserve fan accolades, but clearly neither one holds a candle to the Lieberman books.

Harriet Klausner

Lieberman's tales just become deeper and r icher and better!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-15

What a wonderful book! Virtually every character, small in part or large, transmits that evanescent hint of reality--reality soaked with love, hate, unsavory trade-offs between criminals and cops, between cops and cops (Our televison cops that give most Americans their conception of the police is unrealistically and inordinately distorted--towards the positive, which for us as viewers means cops that are really, really tough with the subtlety of an 100-mile hurricane ripping through a small town. In Law and Order, aren't most criminals one-diminsional, even if depicted favorably, usually when one of the cops or attys falls in love with one of the baddoes. Kaminsky says, "These men are cops; we depend on them, but they are very imperfect, very willing to deal with ruthless, even sadistic criminals, to make the concession that should result in the greater legal and justice good. But putting El Perro's men back on the street is really better than a sharpie who cozens old people. Anyway, Lieberman's novels have improved (the first is the worst and can profitably be skipped, "Lieberman's Folly": but try to read the rest in sequence. Although the plots are fairly discrete, the characters reoccur and we learn more and more about them as we proceed through the books in this series. The characters speak to the heart, mind and imagination that reaches Keatsian goals (if not his genius). This novel has a few main plots--one focussing on Lieberman's partner, his drinking problems, his difficulty in marrying a beautiful Chinese woman (He's big Irish, all the way); another plot strand focusses on Lieberman's difficult daughter, who has basically abandoned her children to Lieberman and his wife--she's remarried, lives in CA, and like so many of us has great difficulty living a life that is not based on depression, obsession with the "cold and analytical"; she blames Lieberman for her problems, but also realizes that his wisdom, his love may be her only chance for happiness (flickers of) and success in marriage with her new black husband. The honesty of the character interactions, their stances and relationships allows us to see characters not as such but as almost Shakespearean, universal, yet individuals that we can palpably touch and, at least partially, understand. This particular novel, of all of Kaminsky's many novels, from several series, sharply, richly, and genuinely etches real people (e.g. Gornitz, Phil Blitzein, Hanranahan, Kearney, Bess, the grandkids and on and on. This novel loves humanity by giving us people and stories, transcending mystery/suspense genre, but working effectively with its requisites, who help us think about life--its joys, its drama, its hypocrisy, its pettiness, and in the case of the dog--a stroke of authorial genious nonpareil--finding a ray of hope in the kindness of a detective, who looks like a weary, somewhat cranky dog (Lieberman), but lights up the lives of so many (sure he's too good to be true) but gives us readers hope that we might make a positive difference and that a life not beset with problems is really not a life at all. Lieberman's insonmia, his slightly acridly ironic humor, his incorrigible daughter and all those criminals, big and small, who make Lieberman's life a means for us to enrich our own. Great book. Also read Russian series and the three Fonesca novels--Kaminsky entertains inexorably, proses beautifully and brings the dectective novel up to a level that only Bill James and Michael Connelly can approximate. Not airline books (Patterson) but still easy to read, and easy to read twice. Read him

A brilliant novel

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-31

Dark, yet humorous. The entire Lieberman series is fantastic (I've read them all) but this one is the best. The plots are complex yet they move at breakneck speed. You really get involved in the characters and their lives. This cop series focuses on the minds and lives of the police, rather than focusing on the criminals. This series is tops. The only other writers that come close are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane and S.J. Rozan.

Lieberman, a character that lives beyond the page!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-19

I love every single book in the Lieberman series but this one is a particular favorite. As always, Lieberman is both worldly wise and all too human, with weaknesses that make him just that more believable and strangely lovable as well.
This time around, Lieberman and his associate, Hanrahan, are trying to guard the ex-wife and son of a mob informant while juggling the daily frustrations of their own lives. While the mystery will keep your attention, what is equally wonderful, to my mind, are Lieberman and Hanrahan, two guys who jump from the pages in vivid detail. Kaminsky is a wonderful writer and I hope more than mystery buffs discover him. He deserves the attention!

Biggie and the Fricasseed Fat Man

Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Press (2000-11)

Author: Nancy Bell

List price: $27.95

Used price: $2.67

Average review score:

Soothing

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-23

If you read mysteries for intricate plots, this probably is not your cup of tea. Plot in the Biggie mysteries is secondary to atmosphere and quirky characters--and the books have plenty of both. Jobs Crossing, Texas becomes very real, and the reader comes to feel he actualy knows the inhabitants.

There is a charm to it all, a soothing feeling. Cozy must have been especially chosen as a name for the sub-genre, just for this series. Oh, there are villains, but they aren't really all that evil. And there are murders, but only for the sake of a plot that can allow the writer to lay in atmosphere and character. I do wish I could have gone home with Biggie (who is really quite small) and J.R. and had a meal with them and played a game of Chinese checkers with Rosebud.

The book is lightweight, to be sure, but so is angel food cake, and I like that as well.

Corny, Colloquial Cozy

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-25

With plenty of stops for chow time (and chow chow) and a policeman whose priority is his pie, this homespun mystery novel (set during the Christmas season) has an accent almost as thick as the gravy covering the body of fricasseed fat man. In Job's Crossing, if the cholesterol doesn't kill you the colloquialisms might. Please note that the term "funeralized" really ISN'T an every day term in Texas, nor do we all talk like this. The charm of grandma/detective Biggie and grandson/detective J.R. almost overcomes the hokey-ness of the time warp they appear to be stuck in. While the local actuarial tables would surely indicate that Job's Crossing could be hazardous to your health, never fear, for Biggie and J.R. will surely sort things out. Gossip, glop, and a spare grandma all garnish this very corny, colloquial cozy mystery.

Big entry in the Biggie regional amateur mystery series

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-08

Biggie Weatherford takes her grandson J.R. to the opening of Job's Crossing, Texas' newest eatery, The Fresh-as-a-Daisy Restaurant. However, instead of enjoying a meal, the amateur detective duo discover the restaurant's owner, Firman Birdsong, has been murdered and stuffed like a chicken to be roasted.

Biggie personally believes that it is her divine right to investigate the murder. She and J.R. soon find several suspects with motives. However, before she can complete her

inquiries, the maternal grandparents of J.R. arrive to take the lad back with them. Feeling that his beloved Biggie is obsessed with sleuthing, an unwanted J.R. runs away, leaving Biggie with two cases to ponder.

If anyone has read the two previous Biggie tales, they might initially feel that their third novel is a repeat. In many ways, it is. However, the story line is freshened up by the crack in the relationship between J.R. and Biggie, and the appearance of the other grandparents. The mystery is well written and built around hoe-down humor and cardiac-giving (but delicious) food. With BIGGIE AND THE FRICASSEED FAT MAN, Biggie remains a big player in the regional amateur sleuth sub-genre.

Harriet Klausner

Murder with gravy on top

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-07

Nancy Bell has whipped up some wonderful characters residing in Job's Crossing, Texas. There is the wonderfully big hearted, but minute Biggie, and her resident 12 year old grandson J.R. and a cast of other fun characters.

Biggie and J.R. go out for a big night on the town, the opening of the town's brand new, all chicken restaurant. The proprietor is nowhere to be found in all of the hustle and bustle, until he is found, served up dead with gravy on top! Biggie takes it upon herself to help her cousin, the local sheriff solve this crime.

During this Christmas holiday season, J.R.'s other grandparents arrive, with intentions of taking J.R. back home with them. The boy is forced to learn about love and loyalty v.s. the value of a dollar. What choice will he make? Is Biggie to busy for him anymore? What would it be like to spend Christmas, or to live with his rich grandparents?

As I detest spoilers I won't give any more plot elements. The sub-plots were all woven together very well. The gore factor was very light. (I will say that it was a murder tastefully done, with a flourish and garnish at that!) I don't recall any strong language or adult situations in the book. With the story taking place in the holiday season, while this book can be read at any time during the year, it may be a nice addition to the holiday reading pile.

Interesting a real charmer

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-16

This is the third in the series bringing readers smack-dab into the grits and gravy lives of Biggie Weatherford and those close to her in Joe's Crossing, Texas. The grand opening of the Fresh-as-a-Daisy Chicken Restaurant and take-out (featuring sweet-and-sour to southern fried chicken) is the unlikely setting of a murder. The body of the owner, Firman Birdsonis found under a table covered in gravy and garnished with tomato and parsley. Biggie, the grandmother we've all wished for, rounds up her posse-Willie May, the best cook south of the Mason-Dixon. Rosebud the handy man-driver-raconteur, Paul and Siles the one man (yes, one man) police department and Jr. Biggies ten your old grandson and they unite to uncover this tasteless killer. To add to the chicken-pot-pie, JR's other grandmother and her ersatz cowboy husband Skinny crash into town to take JR to live with them at their ranch. The reader will eagerly await the next glimpse into Jobs Crossing and the southern-fried charmers Nancy Bill's stories evoke.

Bilge Water Bones: A Luanne Fogarty Mystery

Published in Hardcover by Memento Mori Mystery (2005-04)

Author: Glynn Marsh Alam

List price: $24.95

New price: $17.35
Used price: $14.94

Average review score:

Swamps are not for whimps!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-27

I anxioiusly awaited this fourth in the series of Luanne Fogarty mysteries. I was not disappointed! I think I like Luanne because, unlike me, she is not afraid of the swamps and cave dives necessary for her work as an adjunct diver for the Sheriff's Department. The thought of walking through, or swimming/diving through the areas that Alam describes gives me the creeps. Thankfully, Glynn Alam has given us someone to believe in...someone truly not afraid of the swampy environment and its unusual residents. The short chapters keep you turning the pages as you try to discover the murderer and the reason for the murders. I must also add that the pictures chosen for the cover add a lot to set the stage for the story. I hope Luanne continues to help us understand that mysterious and haunting area near Tallahassee.

A Great Read!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-18

This was another great book by Glynn Marsh Alam. She definaley knows how to create a atmosphere that is true to the swamps and rivers of Florida. Once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down until you find out "who done it". I actually stayed up until 4 a.m. a few nights because I was so wrapped up in the plot.

great depiction of North Florida

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-02

4th in the Luanne Fogarty series, which take place in the northern, swampy areas of Florida. Luanne is an assistant professor in linguistics at the nearby University, but she supplements her living by diving for the sheriff's department in the rivers and caves that penetrate North Florida. Luanne prefers her privacy, like most of the denizens of the swampy area. The mystery begins with the disappearance of a teenage boy whose family is influential in the area. The authorities are searching the river for the boy when they happen upon an old boat - with a skeleton. Suddenly they are working on more than one case. Luanne is trying to deal with her lover from the sheriff's office while at the same time trying to help her former lover recover from a diving accident, which is causing a little bit of tension. Add into the mix a crazy naked lady appearing haphazardly in different parts of the swamp, and you have an intriguing, descriptive mystery to enjoy.

A welcome fourth visit to Alam's North Florida swamps

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-06

"Bilge Water Bones", the fourth of Glynn Marsh Alam's Luanne Fogarty mysteries, builds very nicely on the previous stories, taking the reader into yet another aspect of life in the swamps of north Florida. The characters are well developed and the narrative is wonderfully descriptive of the natural environment as the mystery unfolds. Alam has created such a vivid world that I was immediately transported to the murky and mysterious ways of the folks who reside there.
I enjoy Luanne, an independent, feisty woman who is understandably burning out from her job as a University professor. As a scuba diver working with the Sheriff's Department in her off-time, Luanne is called upon to assist in a growing mystery involving a missing teenager, bodies in the waters, and homeless people who are making a life in the swamps. With her humorous observations that arise as the story evolves and a nice fondness for the eccentrics who live "off the radar", Alam's writing makes for great entertainment with a very satisfying conclusion.

No Bones about it. This is Another Great Read

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-17

Tommy Hanover, teenage son of a rich family has gone missing after a boating accident. While searching for his body, Luanne finds a skeleton with a third eye in a sunken boat. Trying to identify the bones leads Luanne to a mysterious graduate student. What is he up to in the swamp? Who belonged to the bones? And will they ever find Tommy?

I've been looking forward to this book because Glynn always weaves a great tale with wonderful writing. I was not disappointed. As always, the writing is atmospheric, and I felt like I was diving in the springs right beside Luanne. I've grown to love the characters, and it's always nice to spend more time with them. I especially enjoyed the sub-plot of Harry trying to get comfortable with diving again. That's been a multi-book arc that has enriched the series. And you've got to love Pasquin, Luanne's swamp neighbor. The plot seemed to slow down in the second quarter, but picked up again at the half way point and kept moving until the end.

This series combines mysteries, diving, great characters, and captivating writing. Each book in this series should be savored.

Bing

Published in Hardcover by David Fickling Books (2003-05-01)

Author: Ted Dewan

List price: $9.76

New price: $8.98
Used price: $7.07

Average review score:

Bing Fun

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-18

Bing Bunny is a huge hit with both of our sons, ages 2 and 4. "Bing: Get Dressed" served as their introduction to the quirky little bunny and his ever-present pal, Flop.

Their adventures tend to be short and sweet -- Bing and Flop tackle picnics, bedtime and making pictures for daddy, among other things -- and our little guys had most of the dialogue committed to memory after just a few reads. The books are perfect for developing attention spans, and there's a reoccuring theme of staying upbeat in the face of adversity that parents can embrace, too.

If the world were run by toddlers...

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-26

Bing would be a superstar! I never would have picked up this book, but my two-year-old grabbed it at the library and wouldn't let go. This book follows the usual arc of tragedy to triumph as Bing tries to dress himself, and then the unexpected happens -- he pees his pants. Didn't see that coming. Luckily his friend Flop is always calm and non judgmental -- it's no big thing, just take off those "dungarees" and get dressed again. Something about this series really speaks to the toddler, and the three Bing books we now own are perennial favorites. Give Bing a try!

Yup-it's great

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-15

My 2 year old just loves this book, it's her new favorite. It's so fun to watch Bing Bunny get dressed all by himself and exercise his independence. The best thing about this book for my daughter is her excitement as she says "Yup" as they do in the book when they keep asking can you put your socks, shoes etc. on all by yourself-my daughter squeals "YUP" just like Bing. A fun and easy read and a perfect length for toddlers.

It's a Bing Thing!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-04

I wish Bing were as popular in America as Barney is. These books are a hoot and my son just can't get enough of them. I checked all 8 out from the library and had to end up buying them.

Bing is a bunny who interacts with his stuffed animal Flop. The books show Bing learning colors, foods, potty training, etc., all in the course of a day.

Adults will enjoy the '60s vibe of the cars, houses and furniture in the books.

Maybe an animated Bing show in America will make these books as popular as they deserve to be.

Bing!

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-28

The Bing books are adorable! As a children's librarian, I am smitten with Bing and his cute sidekick Flop. The stories are short and concise, with perfect toddler-friendly events like getting dressed and painting a picture. Little accidents happen (Bing spills his messy paint water and ruins his pretty picture in "Paint Day", and wets his dungarees in "Get Dressed") but each story ends with Bing and Flop looking on the bright side, with happy-go-lucky "accidents happen" attitudes. Highly recommended -- A great addition to libraries and homes.

Blood and Rubles

Published in Hardcover by Ballantine Books (1996-02-13)

Author: Stuart M. Kaminsky

List price: $21.00

Used price: $0.84
Collectible price: $30.00

Average review score:

Probably the Stronger Book in the Series since "A Cold Red Sunrise"

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-29

The Soviet Union under Yeltsin is beginning to disintegrate and the people are fearful of what will happen. Day by day there is less respect for the Government, Party and the Police. The ruble buys less every day and the old and war veterans are living on worthless pensions. Criminal gangs are taking over areas and neighborhoods, and nothing gets done without a little money to grease the wheels. Except for Rostnikov, Karpo, Tkatch and Zelach. As always there are three stories involved:

There is a mafia style shoot-out at a cafe, where a German is killed. He turns out to be a middle man interested in buying radioactive material from a gang, that he will turn over to 'third parties'. Unfortunately there are innocent bystanders who are killed and injured, and one turns out to be Karpo's friend Matilde. An American FBI agent,(who is a Russian speaking Black, so that he will blend in better) an expert in terrorism, is assigned to help Porfiry on this part of the case.

Tkatch and Zelach are assigned to find a gang of three young brothers (ages 11, 9 and 7) who have been mugging/killing drunks for their money. They know that they are kids, because every teenager now has a gun. During the case Tkatch is violently attacked by the kids and Zelach saves his life. The trial and court case tell alot about modern Russia.

Lastly, Elena is assigned to a high profile tax case, where first a warehouse full of icons and Russian antiques are found in the possession of an old woman who says that her brother saved/bought the stuff over the years. The house is put under police protection, but the next morning when the trucks come to take away the items, the warehouse is empty. Elena must find out what happened.

As an aside: Porfiry seems to be having a lot more trouble with his bad leg; Karpo is having trouble dealing with the dual loss of his friend and the fall of the Communist Party; Iosef (Porfiry's son) announce to Elena that he is in love with her and wants to marry, while at the same time he has put in his papers to join the Police.

The next book should be very interesting on the personal side.

The audio is a butchered version of the book...worthless.

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-10

As with all abridgements, this version by Sunset is very badly edited, and leaves out significant parts of the book that make it the 4star work it is. Whoever does these abridgements has no literary sense at all.

Colorful Moscow corruption and crime

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-01

Edgar Award-winner Kaminsky's Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov novel resonates with the "new capitalist" corruption and crime of modern Moscow.

Four cases send the inspector's team, augmented by black American FBI agent Craig Hamilton, assigned as an observor, delving into Moscow's seamiest and loftiest environs.

Inspectors Tkach and Zelach troll the slums for the extremely youthful killers of a drunk - only very young killers would have no guns. Inexperienced policewoman Elena Timofeyeva is, to her surprise, assigned to investigate the disappearance (after a tax-police raid) of a houseful of Czarist treasures worth billions of rubles. The enigmatic, dour Inspector Karpo, a devout communist, pursues the "Mafia" thugs involved in a street shooting which killed Karpo's lover. And for himself, Rostnikov keeps the case of the kidnapped capitalist. With Hamilton in tow, Rostnikov grapples with the police methods of East and West, borrowing when it suits him.

The mystery and challenge of survival in chaotic Moscow is as much the focus here as the various plot lines. Politics and bribery exert strong pressures as do crowded homes filled with troublesome relatives and smelling of poor food.

Kaminsky's laconic tone and colorful prose bring the city and its denizens to life - an often bleak and ruthless portrait. His story is deeply absorbing, full of character nuance and irony.

Hardship and angst in Mother Russia...

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-20

Stuart Kaminsky's Blood and Rubles is the 10th book in his Porfiry Rostnikov series, and I enjoy each book even better than the last.

After the communist government has fallen, Russia finds herself in a state of unrest. As a result, crime is rampant and Moscow Special Crimes Investigator Rostnikov and his associates have more than enough to keep them busy. Rostnikov is probing the kidnapping of a wealthy businessman. Emil Karpo is searching for the Mafioso whose crossfire killed his innocent girlfriend. Elena Timofeyeva is investigating the theft of tsarist treasures. And Sasha Tkach and Akardy Zelach are trying to nab three youngsters who are suspected of beating, robbing and then killing men who are walking the streets drunk. Most of the crimes are a direct result of the economic hardships within Russian. Nobody has enough money, people can't feed their children and living conditions are grim. Even the police are not immune to this domestic downturn.

Once again, Rostnikov is amazing in his grasp of the situation and his intuition. But even when cases are solved, the Russian justice system is not a well-oiled machine, and Justine is not always done.

One of the most entertaining aspects of Blood and Rubles is the black FBI agent, Craig Hamilton, who is assigned to shadow Rostnikov. The FBI and the Russian police have very different ideas on crime solving. Russians are also amazed to see a black American who speaks perfect Russian. Rostnikov and Hamilton working together provide for some comical moments.

Kaminsky may be an American author, but he writes convincingly of the Russian condition, including the angst and irony that are a part of everyday life. He definitely has become one of my favorite mystery writers. I only wish that I could read these books in order, as their personal lives progress with each book. Unfortunately, some are out of print and hard to get.

outstanding post soviet russia

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1998-08-23

Most writers of mystery in Soviet Russia are boring without the KGB "badguy" holding their hero back. Kaminsky does a terrific job with the new problems of Russia. Read his series from the beginning as the character development from book to book is worth it!

Blood Sinister

Published in Kindle Edition by St. Martin's Minotaur (1999-11-30)

Author: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

List price: $23.95

New price: $9.99

Average review score:

Another Strong Entry in this Series

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-25

Bill Slider keeps getting better and better and his police crew are also growing and maturing. They are half the fun in these stories. This series should be read in order because the development of the characters is so well laid out from one book to the next. In this book Bill is trying to find out who raped and murdered a well-known journalist. Don't forget to read the chapter headings because Ms. Harrod-Eagles is still in fine form with the puns. Even her titles have hidden meanings which you will discover when you find out who committed the crime this time. There are lots of red herrings and lots of interference by principles in the crime to help keep the murderer a secret until you near the end. Very good series! My only complaint is the way this book leaves the reader hanging at the very end regarding Bill's and Joanna's relationship. Now that Bill's divorce is final, things should be going smoothly for him and Joanna, but that unfortunately is not the case. We'll have to read the next one to keep up to date on that relationship.

cynthia is outstanding

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-20

This gal is the real goods, she delivers. Cynthia has the knack for reconstructed cliches and malaprops. There are lots of chuckles, out loud laughs and guffaws. For some of the fun you have to have a frame of reference, a history, of course, but you will not be disappointed even when you don't know what you are missing. The plot is nicely constructed and the conclusion credible, which is not true of much of the dreck on the market today.

8th in the Bill Slider Series -- Maybe Best Yet!

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-30

I'm so glad I stumbled across Cynthia Harrod-Eagles, a prolific British writer I'm guessing not well known here in the colonies, despite her portfolio of some 30+ books counting both these mysteries and over two dozen historical romances. I've only tried Bill Slider so far, but he's a wonderfully low-profile hero in the style of Dick Francis' leading men: guys you either want to be like (men) or want to be with (women). That our author can get that feeling so consistently over eight stories is impressive, despite plots that are entertaining and often complex enough to bewilder til right near the end.

The series is best read in order, because part of the fun is following Bill's personal life as his somewhat flawed marriage is tested (uncharacteristically for our straight arrow) by a lovely violinist that turns his head. His unattached "playboy" sidekick Atherton has much the same "trouble" and the interplay between these two men makes interesting counterpoint to the thorough police work otherwise on display. Indeed, we have come to know and like many of the precinct's supporting players beside our leading men.

I'm guessing Harrod-Eagles has either real life experience in an orchestra or a close friend in one, because her description of the lives and times of the players, and the politics and "affairs" in the symphony, are right on. (If that's "just" the result of research, I'm astounded!) Maybe best of all, some personal dilemmas for Joanna (our musician) add some real kick to the story, right up to a cliff-hanger ending that can only be resolved in the next book -- hopefully being penned as we speak!

So "Blood" seems to have it all: a mystery and plot that leads us here and there right to the end; compelling developments between Bill and Joanna that make us worry; and story that entertains on almost every page. Sounds like 5-stars to me!!

...Editors need to become better acquainted with Slider

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-21

Blood Sinister should have been a feature for this month. Harrod-Eagles provides another chapter in her top-notch series with Slider, Atherton, and Joanna, characters you will care about - rare in the mystery genre. Strongly suggest readers start with the first Bill Slider book to get the most out of this very satisfying series.

Blood Sinister

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-24

Cynthia Harold Eagles has written another excellent Bill Slider mystery. Detective Inspector Slider must investigate the death of left-wing journalist, Phoebe Agnew, who wasn't exactly a favorite of the police department after one of her stories helped to free an obviously guilty killer on a matter of failed police proceedure. With his side-kick Atherton heading toward some kind of a breakdown, Slider must untangle a web of lies and betrales that lead toward powerful members in Government. On a personal level Slider must also deal with his emotions as his divorce comes final and also with a new twist in his relationship with musician girlfriend, Joanna.

The plotting of this book was excellent and each time I thought I had the mystery figured out, another twist occurred. I look forward to the next one.