Characters Books

3rd in the Lindsay Chamberlain series, the story begins with Lindsay sniffing through a field looking for a missing art teacher from the university where Lindsay works. Finding the woman is one of Lindsay's few pieces of luck, though, as various household expenses keep adding stress to her finances. On top of that, she's worried about the possible upcoming merger of departments at the university; as a non-tenured faculty member, she could be job hunting soon. In the midst of all this, Lindsay's brother shows up unexpectedly with a truck load of her grandfather's leftover property - crates from a shed in his backyard, a shed of which no one was aware. If Lindsay didn't have enough on her plate, they find a skeleton in one of the crates, and then artifacts are discovered to be missing...and Lindsay seems to be the main suspect.

Lindsay Chamberlain never invites danger into her life; it just happens upon her frequently like an unwanted guest. In this tale Lindsay is in danger...this time of losing her job at the University of Georgia's Archaeology Department due to a merger with another department. If that were not enough to worry her, a cache of priceless artifacts delivered to her by her father is stolen, and all eyes are on Lindsay. Lindsay also becomes involved in the murder case of a long-missing UGA professor whose skeleton is recently found? Friends and strangers linked to Lindsay are either injured or killed trying to help, and Lindsay must put together all of the strewn puzzle pieces before she is next on the hit list.

I have enjoyed Beverly Connor's series for many years; Lindsay Chamberlain is one of the most original and dynamic sleuths to have been created in recent years, and Dressed to Die is well worth the cover price.

Beverly Connor is a jewel of an author who has yet to be discovered by the masses. But she will be. No mystery writer this good can go long without topping the bestseller list. In this installment of her Lindsay Chamberlain series, Beverly does it again with clever twists and turns and sharp writing. She's a smart writer for an intelligent reader. I never read a Connor book without learning something and, quite frankly, that's the kind of fiction I like to read. Buy this book and I promise you won't be disappointed.

I honestly only started reading the Lindsay Chamberlain series because I had read all the Kathy Reichs, Patrica Cornwell etc books. Never did I think that any writer could be as good as thiers. But I am hooked after the first book I had to get the rest. I love the character Lindsay and her interactions with others. How she gets herself in trouble so much cause she cant say no to a good mystery.

Wonderful read and have already recommended this series to other people. Cant wait for her new one Kill Site to come out. waiting in anticipation.

Look out Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs. Beverly Connor's books are as good as anything written by the two reining queens of forensic science. Connor's heroine is a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones. Her books are fast paced and extremely entertaining. If you like archaeology or forensics, or if you just plain like a good mystery, give Beverly Connor's books a read. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

This is a very encouraging and inspirational little book. Read a bit a day to help energize and lift you up throughout the day.

What a great little book. Encouragement on every page. Liz Curtis Higgs is often known for her humor and her "bad girls of the Bible" books. But don't read this thinking it will be laugh-out- loud funny. Instead, Liz invites you to take off your scratchy coat of guilt and discouragement and wrap up in a warm dose of God's grace. By using excerpts from letters written to her by women readers through the years, she answers questions that we all have about our need to be loved, our tendency to hold onto our past failures, our inability to believe that God really accepts and loves and forgives us. Liz tells us her own story and invites us to enjoy the "forgiven life." The result is a simple, easy to read, sweetly written little gem of a book. I've already given away several copies.

I have known that God's grace is enough but the old thinking from growing up Catholic has had such an impact on me that I haven't been able to truly believe it. Liz's book really helped me to get the connection between head and heart that through His Grace I am truly forgiven.
Thank you Liz for speaking to me and so many women like me out there who need to stop wasting His grace and saying that His death was not enough to save us.

This books was very spirit led. I read it with my bible study group; however, on an individual basis it would be very worthwhile also! It is a quick read, with individual chapters divided easily for devotional type reading. I highly recommend this book! Embrace His Grace & Forgiveness!!

Embrace Grace is a little book with a powerful message. It's appropriate for anyone who's struggled with feeling worthy of grace and mercy, compassion and encouragement. Liz Curtis Higgs delivers a message of hope and help for the hurting. She shares her own and others' experiences on the path to not just accepting God's grace, but embracing it.

This is just a collection of Garfield comics you can get off the Garfield website. There isn't even any of the new stuff with Luz and John ending up together.

A great book if you like Garfield. I like the cat and the dog too. I didn't like how the man put the collar on the dog, it was cruel of him.

I have been a long time Garfield fan. While sometimes the strip seems to fall a little short, by and large it stays consistently funny. What I especially have liked about Garfield in recent years is that Jim Davis seems to have really cultivated his taste for the bizarre, so recent Garfield strips have often had a Far Sidian quality to them. This can especially be seen in the recent books, including this one.

I think this is a good book if you like garfield. I like when the dog and garfield dance. I didn't like when the men put the shock collar on the dog,that was mean of them.

While i don't have this book it still souds delightful!!!! After many years Garfield still puts a smile on your face! In this book it celebrates that as Garfield get older he still probaly the same and with his good and funny attitude. so enjoy as many others will enjoy i too!

Rivages have become the best-selling guides of their kind in both Europe and America. Originating in Paris, they set the standard for excellence with their fabulous color photographs, superb maps and candid descriptions of the most remarkable hotels of Europe. Each book also contains a restaurant guide to the country and a color atlas pinpointing the location of every hotel and inn. More than 500 establishments are profiled in this guide.

I'm not usually a guidebook fan, preferring instead to do tons of my own research from a variety of sources. Sometimes my friends ask if I'll plan their vacations for them, because I come across some of the most unusual and memorable places to stay that they've never heard of. This book had such special, wonderful information (and photos!) of so many charming and unusual places in Italy; it truly was a gem of a book. I stayed at several of the places recommended, and they were even better in person than in the book.

"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

I have used the book on three road-trips to Italy and it never failed to be very helpful. I have stayed in about ten of the hotels mentioned in it and they were, with the exception of one, very close to the description given in the book. I think it is the best travel-related guide I know.

I used this book in conjunction with information I discovered on websites, travel magazines and books. The places definately had character and charm. More upscale type places (probably not for the backpacking type)and extended lodging options available.
Places listed here were difficult to find in the typical Frommer and Fodor travel books. E-mail, website address, #'s all available in the book. Trusted my instincts and booked several places from this guide and all were EXCEPTIONAL. Would use again

This Madeline Bean series is a winner. The books are well-written, and in this case, the plot moves swiftly. I find that I'm really getting to like Maddie and her crew. I find that I always get hungry when I read one of these books because the food is always divine. In this one Madeline is working with Wes and Holly to plan a breakfast for 200. One of the guests is no other than the Pope. But stuff starts happening and there appears to be a number of dead bodies found around. When Maddie tries to put it together she finds she has to delve back into history a bit. At least as far back as the Second World War. These books are surprisingly good and quite unique. Definitely this series is recommneded for mystery buffs who like a mystery with a bit of humour and a bit of fun.

After an unexpected windfall at the end of the first book in the series, Madeline Bean and her partners have branched out from catering to complete event management. With the reappearance of Madeline's old flame, now a Jesuit brother, they have the ultimate plum assignment: catering breakfast for the Pope and 2000 of LA's movers and shakers. A mysterious note found tucked into an old cookbook, the inexplicable murders of first one and then another seemingly unconnected members of the clergy, and threats of bodily harm all distract Madeline from the business at hand, however. The deeper she delves into these troubling events, the more sinister the secrets become.

Once again, this second installment in the series is outstanding. The writing is brisk and sharp, and laced with humor. The characters are well-developed and quirky. The heroine is bright, determined, spunky and funny, and the added information about her history is interesting and well-handled by the author. There is a good sense of place; perhaps the geography is a bit less developed than in the first book, but the culture of Hollywood is almost another character here.

So why only 4 stars? There is one major, blatant clue in the first murder that Madeline overlooks, and even later when it occurs to her she neglects to give it the consideration and attention it obviously merits. The progression through Maddy's investigation to the ultimate solution is just slightly and vaguely less satisfying than in the previous book. Ultimately, the balance here has tipped from the mystery to the personalities involved. Nevertheless, it is overall an engaging book, well written and well worth reading.

Continuing with my Madeline Bean theme of late, I read Jerrilyn Farmer's second book Immaculate Reception. This was an excellent follow-up to her first installment with Madeline Bean...

Now that Mad Bean Events has recovered from the poisoning episode of book #1 and have all the money they'd ever need, there's more of a focus on creating events instead of just catering. And they've hit the big time with their first event... they've been asked to do breakfast for 2000 people and the Pope. While there's no problem setting up the event, there are some major issues surrounding it. Brother Xavier, who is doing preparation for the event, was at one time engaged to Madeline before leaving her for his religion. While doing some planning, they find part of a letter in an old cookbook that points to a murder confession involving the Catholic church. The deeper they dig, the more the story points to a major cover-up of an event that happened during World War 2. And when a fellow Brother of Xavier is murdered and Mad is threatened, the breakfast event might just be their last.

As usual, Farmer does a great job with her writing. You find out more about Madeline's background, as well as why her relationships are what they are. 20/20 hindsight (reading this book after some of the later ones), you also get the stage set for some of the material that shows up later. Wes is still somewhat of a mystery, but you get a bit more clarification of his personality here. And I'm impressed how Farmer was able to weave a bit of historical fiction into the storyline.

Great job, and another great read...

This is the second of the Madeline Bean Culinary Mystery series, and this one is just as engaging as the first. Madeline and her colleagues have been slated to prepare a 2000-person breakfast for the pontiff, but they are nothing if not ambitious, managing to take on a murderer, an exhibitionist star, a parchment that may be a confession to murder, and even go out on the town a few times! The characters are very entertaining -- problem-solving Madeline, her omniscient partner Wes, their goofy employee Holly and her Donald (who has just written a successful screenplay), and Maddie's part-time beau Arlo. There is a lot of activity here, a bit of Hollywood name-dropping, colorful portraits of the star lifestyle we love to ridicule, and even a decent mystery. Do yourself a favor and check out this delightful series by talented author Jerrilyn Farmer.

Madeline Bean has just been given the event of the year to cater - the official Los Angeles welcome breakfast for the Pope's visit. Still, this is the least of her worries. First, she's struggling with her feelings for ex-fiancé Xavier Jones who left her to become a Jesuit Brother. Then there's the old letter she finds that seems to be a confession to murder. But who's confessing, when, and why? Then a priest, a friend of Xavier's, is murdered in a TV star's trailer, and things really start to heat up. Madeline is going to have to dig up some old secrets to figure this out before the Pope must cancel his visit to LA.

This is a thoroughly entertaining read from start to finish. The characters are charming and easy to like. The plot flows well with just the right mix of mystery and humor culminating in a perfectly logical and surprising ending.

I can't recommend this series highly enough. Start with the first, Sympathy for the Devil. You will enjoy this entertaining mystery series immensely.

This is a great series!!! Gilbert and Lynn Morris are terrific authors! The plots and characters are so well developed and I am always anxious to get to the next book!

Cheney takes a job in a San Francisco hospital as its first female physician. Despite a few problems that erupt, for the most part she enjoys her job, with occasional outings with her friends. Shiloh meets Bain Winslow from Hawaii, who turns out to be his first real lead as to who his real parents are. Some parts of this book may seem frustrating, while others go very quickly. This is probably one of the most important books in the series (and of course, you have to read them all to know what's going on)!

This is one of the better Cheney Duvall books. It has some loose ends, but those are quickly tied up in #7, which I have read. I love the way Cheney grows in her spiritual walk, even if she does act selfishly sometimes. Read more about this book at the Official Cheney Duvall M.D. web site. Way to go, Gilbert and Lynn!

Once again Gilbert and his daughter Lyn Morris provide us with quality and entertaining piece of reading. In the Twilight, In the Evening is a wonderful example of what a fine writting team that we have in our world. As always it is a pleasure to sit down and read a novel by these two, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed that the last novel in this series was such a long way from publication. For as it always is books in a series leave you in a state of fustration wanting to know what is going to happern. The characters in this story are so believeable that it is not hard to grow to love them and find yourself anxious to know that they are safe and have found the elusive happily ever after. I have spent much time following the antics of Dr. Cheney Duvall and her friend Victoria. Many times i have been moved to laughter and tears by the soulful writing of this father-daughter team. If you are looking for a book that is filled with historical accuracy and an indepth look into the experiences and the plight of the Chinese in Eighteenth Century San Francisco, you will not go wrong with this book. It is an enjoyable read from which you will walk away with a new insight into history.

This is a really good book. with each of the Cheney books, you think you can't get any more climatic, then suddenly You are suprised and left gasping for breath! Book six is taking the cake. can't wait, can't wait! out of the series, Book six isn't my favorite. but it is absolutely necessary background for continuing the series. So much happens with Cheney, and With Shiloh. It's one more step towards finding his family, and One more step for Cheney in trusting God with her whole life, especially her emotions. DON'T READ BOOKS 7 OR 8 WITHOUT READING 6! Please see my member profile for links to the Cheney duvall Message board, and my Cheney Duvall Website.

Years and years ago a "James Bond Encyclopedia" by Steven Jay Rubin came out and considering it wasn't an "EON officially" sanctioned book (stock photos and mediocre writing) it wasn't all THAT bad. I've been collecting 007 books for a long time, many of them from the internet, and came out dissappointed many times but was able to recover from my initial skepticism to buying this new Bond Encyclopedia when I noticed John Cork was one of the authors. He's responsible for the excelent BOND GIRLS ARE FOREVER and the JAMES BOND LEGACY, perhaps the two best Bond books I've every bought.
Well, the JAMES BOND ENCYCLOPEDIA certainly doesn't dissappoint, hundreds of terrific pictures organized by category (movie, vehicles, girls, villains, etc.) include even the most oscure of entries. While a dream come true for aficionados, it's definetly bound to please casual Bond fans also (and who isn't ?)

This book is better than I expected. I thought it would just cover the movie Bond. I was pleasantly surprised to find that is compares things in the movies to the books. Plus it goes into the charecters and devices showing the real to imagined. A great book for any Bond fan.

I enjoyed the book and feel it to be a good companion to another volume by a different author entitled "The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia."

It is full of information with plenty of accompanying pictures, and is divided up by subjects (i.e. Bond Villians, Bond Women, Weapons, Equipment etc.). For myself, since that is also part of the Bond world, I wish it had had a section on Bond bloopers (deliberate or otherwise) which occur in the films.

I did notice that occasionally the pictures did not match the captions listed for them (in "The Movies" chapter especially) in that a photograph would be shown, but the caption did not relate to the designated picture.

Also, in the sidebar section of that chapter where different persons connected with the production side of the movies would be listed along with their professional biographies, sometimes the print was hard to read bacause of the background color it was placed on.

Overall, I would recommend this book.

I consider myself well versed in the world of 007. However, reading this book made me realize how much there is out there that I was was unaware of, The authors have shown a greta eye for detail and completeness. And with a nice sense of humor they have added some new facts that I never knew existed.

A pleasure to read.

If I may wax nostalgic for a moment, I can still recall the very first James Bond movie that I sever saw...actually the first three Bond movies...it was sometime in the late 60's or early 70's and my mom took me and my brothers to the drive-in theater to see a triple feature of Goldfinger, Dr. No, and From Russia with Love...in that order. I know I never made it past the credits of From Russia with Love but man...I loved those first two films! I had never seen anything like Bond before with his cool gadgets and those nasty villains like Odd Job and that began a lifelong passion for James Bond. With Christmas approaching, I cannot think of a better gift for the Bond fan on your list than the James Bond Encyclopedia from DK Books.

I've read a lot of books from DK on popular films and while they are always very well done, they sometimes can be a bit light on material. No so with this book. This book contains over 300 pages filled with information that will test even the most knowledgeable of Bond fans. It is bountifully illustrated with over 2000 photographs and images and traces the Bond history right up to the most recent film, Casino Royale.

As the title suggests it is an encyclopedia but rather than just list its hundreds of entries in alphabetical order it lists them alphabetically by subject. The subjects include: The Bond Style, The Role of Bond, Bond Villains, Bond Women, Supporting Cast, Vehicles, Weapons & Equipment, and the Movies. A comprehensive index finishes things off.

The role of Bond covers the six actors who have portrayed Bond with two pages of biographical information on each actor and a list of the Bond films they starred in. Next up is the section on Bond Villains. This section covers Bond villains from the criminal masterminds Blofeld, Hugo Drax, and Goldfinger; crime lords like Frank Sanchez; muscled thugs Jaws, Odd Job, Mr. Kil, and Tee Hee; and dangerous females May Day, Elekta King, and Bambi & Thumper. The encyclopedia gives the film(s) they appeared in, their current status, characteristics, the actor who portrayed them, and a synopsis of their roles in the films.

No book on Bond would be complete without looking at the dozens of Bond Women played by some of the most beautiful actresses in the world: Terri Hatcher, Ursula Andress, Lana Wood, Eva Green, and Halle Berry. The section on supporting cast members covers all the other major and minor characters in the Bond films from Q to Miss Moneypenny. Each Aston Martin that Bond drove is featured in the section on vehicles along with some of the more extraordinary vehicles like the Bath-O-Sub from Diamonds are Forever and the Dragon Tank from Dr. No. And of course all of Bonds secret weapons and gadgets are detailed in the Weapons section.

The last fifty pages or so of the book covers each bond film in chronological order with a listing of cast and crew credits but rather than provide a synopsis of films you've probably seen numerous times the book instead provides anecdotes on the making of the films with all manner of interesting production notes.

This is a book that is perfect for the die-hard or casual James Bond fan.

Lucia Lucas (born Emmeline Smith) wished the world to know that the recent death of her husband's aunt, who was 83 years old and who had spent the last seven of them bed-ridden in a private lunatic asylum, was "a grievous blow". Suppressed were the facts that neither Lucia nor her husband had hitherto given much thought to the aunt, and the fact that when Lucia's husband last visited the aunt, seven years previously, she bit him. No, the world must be convinced that the death of "dear Aunt Amy" was not a "happy release", it was "a grievous blow", requiring the wearing of veils, the drawing of blinds, and stoically-born, inconsolable suffering.

So begins E F Benson's 1927 novel "Lucia In London", one of six in which the author chronicles the worlds of Riseholme and its social climbing leading resident, Lucia. I say "worlds" because we are presented with two worlds. There is the real world and the world of pretence. Most characters, especially Lucia live in both worlds. What they privately covet, the publically despise. What they really feel, for example at the death of an aunt, they suppress in order to pretend to something more publically admired.

Benson's chronicles are great fun. The pretence, the point scoring, the absurdity, are richly detailed. There's not much testosterone, but there's a chuckle at least in every sentence.

This is the ultimate book for social climbers everywhere - Lucia the Queen of the tiny town of Riseholm goes to London and takes the town by storm.

This is such a brilliant story - absolutely hilarious - full of the beauty of social sycophancy and insincerity. Everyone knowing what is going on except Lucia who is (almost always) triumphant.

When Lucia's husband's aunt dies they are left with a house in London (and when the news is received in Risehome much calculation is doneby everyone based on no real facts at all.) It is up to Lucia's sidekick, Georgie, to wheedle the news out of her about the house in London and the income.

Lucia, who has always stated how she loathes London has now (very reluctantly you understand) decided to go to London for the season. Her departure from Riseholme however has a number of effects - the first being the power vacuum in Riseholme itself, and secondly she really does end up taking London by storm. Even the most vague of acquaintances of hers are treated as close bosom friends and called by their first names and name dropped shamelessly by her everywhere. This goes on till there is a firm group of Luciaphils in London who are so astonished and appreciative of her powers as the Queen of Social climbing that they establish an informal club to help her and to admire her mastery at work.

In Riseholme life does not go on without Lucia, it goes on firmly DESPITE her - everyone is determined to make a success of their village in her absence to show how much she is not at all needed there. There is the museum to establish,and then Daisy Quantock has helped them all discover the Ouija Board and the powerful spirit Guide (Abfou). They spend a great deal of time 'weedj-ing' for signs of what to do next.

If you haven't discovered Lucia novels yet, you must - Benson writes wonderful sardonic stories full of the small, pettiness of village life and its power struggles. This is wonderful light, laugh out loud stuff.

Since the other reviews here relate to the printed version of the E.F. Benson book, I thought I'd chime in with a review that is specific to this CD version read by Geraldine McEwan.

McEwan starred as Lucia in the delightful "Mapp and Lucia" series in the mid-1980s. It's out on DVD now and I highly recommend you snatch it up immediately before it goes out of print. It's one of the very best British comedies ever.

In the series, McEwan establishes what I consider to be the definitive version of Lucia. She is so delightful that as soon as I found out her readings of two of the Lucia books had also been recorded, I bought them -- although I had never purchased books on tape/CD before.

Suffice it so say, I was not disappointed. McEwan is a wonderful reader who brings out all the wit of the books, and I can't stress enough how marvelous it is to hear her once again using her "Lucia voice."

This has my highest recommendation.

Continuing the extraordinary adventures of Lucia, Benson's delightful story is full of the gossip and social-climbing one comes to expect of Lucia. Peppino, Lucia's husband, inherits a fortune and a house in London after the death of his aunt. Lucia has been the queen of all of Riseholme for ages, with her court including her best friend Georgie, an eternal bachelor who embroiders. When she ascends to London, Riseholme is bereft and feeling slighted, but soon they plot their revenge. Unfortunately for them, Lucia conquers London's high society and overcomes all obstacles in her path to greatness. But can Lucia keep up the pace of London society? And does she plan to desert her beloved Riseholme forever? The Lucia series, beginning with "Queen Lucia", is a delicious concoction of maliciousness and snobbery that will convert any reader.

I prefer Lucia in the country, though it is fun to see her get her comeuppance so regularly. Using her best social-climbing instincts and refusing to be embarrassed, Lucia sets out to conquer London and mingle with the beau monde. Soon a secret group of "Luciaphiles" springs up; the social climbers who make up its rank never tire of watching her get into and out of all kinds of trouble.

I enjoy this book very much. I had this book when I was a child and now I have bought it for my daughters so they can enjoy them as much as I did.

I teach Kindergarten and my students love the Mr. and Miss books! They really enjoyed this one. It is a good way to talk about keeping the classroom neat and tidy.

My children love these books.They are fun and silly.And we look forward to collecting all of them.

I am an elementary teacher and I use these books in my class to supplement our Character Ed program (which isn't the greatest). My students love the Little Miss and Mr. Men books. I have to keep them behind my desk and let them "check them out" like library books or they fight over them. The are excellent to use in a pinch if you have a book that pertains to a problem that has developed in class (especially rudeness or bossiness). It is easy to read the book and have a quick class chat about what is going on. I highly recommend all of the books for anyone who teaches, home schools, or children in general. They are a great asset.

We just love these books... my 8 year old reads them to my 4 year old and they just crack up. Of course, there's a good lesson in each of them!

Having read just about all of the Nero Wolfe series, I have to say, this one contains all of the elements that make Rex Stout's detective novels wildly entertaining, without most of the elements that make some of them maddening

In this mystery, the utterly unswashbuckling Wolfe is revealed, in his younger, svelter days, to have been quite a romantic. Not only did he fight on the anti-Imperial side in Montenegro during the Great War, but he adopted and may even have actually sired a young girl.

To his shock, this young Yugoslav maiden--whom he had lost track of--reappears in his life, up to her neck in a particularly messy, intricate affair that may or may not include missing diamonds, a dead body or two, international intrigue, and a bellboy's uniform. For all of the peeks into Wolfe's previously unsuspected soul, he remains as crumudgeonly and as immovable as ever. Archie Goodwin, of course, remains the wisecracking, milk-drinking sidekick, flirting with anything in a skirt and even giving a Nazi agent a black eye just for the fun of it.

The joy of these books is their marriage of the American gumshoe attitude and the British cozy focus on character. Where they generally fall short is their plotting. This entry in the series is, without a doubt, the most successfully rounded out of the lot. Stout manages to keep the mystery truly mysterious, and yet never manages to confuse the reader so thoroughly that s/he can't find the exit. The plot actually ends on the last page--many of the Nero Wolfe mysteries fizzle out, wrapping up a chapter or two before the end, leaving nothing but rumination and grumbling for the final pages. Others seem never quite to wrap up all the loose ends. Here, the conclusion is both inevitable and unexpected--utterly satisfying.

Over My Dead Body is the seventh in the Nero Wolfe series. A young lady claiming to be Wolfe's adopted daughter from Yugoslavia asks for his help with a charge of stealing diamonds but this quickly evolves into a situation where she is suspected of murder. The case frustrates Wolfe no end, it gets more complicated all the while, but of course he manages to uncover the solution by the end of the story.

This book is a prime example of a Nero Wolfe novel. Archie Goodwin is in top form as a wise cracking pain-in-the-neck. Inspector Cramer is present more than a lot of stories giving Goodwin plenty of opportunities for zingers besides the ones he routinely fires at Wolfe. Wolfe himself is definitely out of his comfort zone dealing with the situation of his adopted daughter and this also adds to the potential for laughs.

This is a very entertaining book and I would recommend it for readers unfamiliar with Nero Wolfe as a great place to start or for established fans.

In this Nero Wolfe mystery-one of the earlier episodes-we encounter Wolfe's adopted daughter, who is in a bit of a fix. Wolfe comes to the rescue and along the way, shares little glimpses into his past: his tumultuous youth in Europe; the origins of his suspicion of all women; how he came to adopt a child. In this book, probably more than any other in Rex Stout's series, do we see the effect that women-especially those from the former nation of Yugoslavia-have upon Wolfe's psyche. It's a good read-a good mystery with a great plot-like pretty much all of Stout's works.

This book hits on all cylinders. The plot is excellent, intricate but clear. The characters are well drawn. The atmosphere, New York on the eve of World War II, is almost palpable. The dialogue is perfect. I'm at a loss as to what else to say about the book except, "Read it."

A Britsh undercover agent is murdered at a Manhattan fencing school, skewered by an epee with a gizmo attached that turns it into a weapon sans blunt end. Yugoslav women who are instructors there are possible suspects, one of whom is Nero Wolfe's adopted daughter from his days as an ill advised Austrian agent in the Balkans, pre World War, before we started numbering them. This alone is a startling revelation about Wolfe. Wolfe slender? Youthful? Abroad, outside, involved with people? I was astonished.

As usual, the beer drinking, orchid collecting, erudite, corpulent food lover Nero Wolfe declines, under any circumstances, to leave his brownstone abode with a greenhouse rooftop for his rare flowers. Using Archie, his assistant, as legs, Wolfe solves the baffling case. I knew he would. He's solved all the other mysteries in the Nero Wolfe books I've read.

Mystery fans who have not read mysteries from the golden age (pre-1950) do not know what they are missing. There is no sex to lure the lascivious reader, very little violence, no profanity. What there is (and this book is an excellent example of the sub-genre) is intelligence.
That's a rare commodity in most modern mysteries.

This is, at once, one of the best books in the series and one which translated brilliantly to TV on the A&E series.

Rex Stout decides to deal us a little shock in this one: Nero Wolfe, woman-hater, has a daughter he's not seen since she was a baby. She comes from Yugoslavia to New York, unknown to her pops, and gets into a real tight spot involving murder by "coldymort."

When Archie learns this, he considers resigning on the basis of his boss's morals. You just have to read this one to find out.

Or, again, buy the A&E series - they did a great job here.