Characters Books

A top notch baking book that fuses European pastries with Asian ingredients: Imagine the richness of French desserts mixed with ingredients like green tea and ginger? This is a cookbook like no other.

Young Mo Kim began his adventures in baking when he was 17 years old. His passion brought him to pastry arts school. Before he was 30 years old, he opened his first bakery in Seoul, Korea. Currently, he has four bakeries and one cafe. Not only does he teach baking at culinary schools as well as to home bakers, he is also a celebrity chef on television. He is currently the president of the Korean Bakers Association. This is his third baking book, and the first one in English.

Not only are there fantastic photos of the finished product for each recipe, but also photos of each stage of creation, totally over 1000 photos! I find this extremely helpful when trying a completely new recipe.

Young Mo Kim's experience at teaching home bakers is quite evident. He explains the method to each recipe so well, anyone can try these recipes.

Chapters included in this book are: Simple Delights (cookies, pound cake and more); A World of Bread (croissants, scones, bagels and more); Fantastic Desserts (tarts, souffles and more); Cakes for Special Occasions (genoises, sponges, cheesecakes and more); Valentine's Day (chocolate); Holiday Treats (yule logs, fruit cake and more); ingredients; and equipment.

One of my favorite recipes is: Pumpkin Cake. It is very different from what we usually see. The cake is a layer cake with the cake part made of a pumpkin genoise. Instead of a cream cheese frosting, the cake is filled with a pumpkin mousse. It is topped with chantilly cream. The entire outside of the cake is covered in genoise powder and then utilizing a jack o lantern stencil and cocoa powder, there is a jack o lantern on the top of the cake!

Another tidbit about this book is that there are Dream Character characters that offer tips and ideas throughout the book. It's like getting a tiny bit of anime on each page!

For the home baker that is wanting an easy-to-read book that offers new ideas to baking your repertoire. This is a wonderful book!

UPDATE: Winner of a Gourmand World Cookbook Award for 2006 Best Desserts Book in the World on May 21st, 2006.

A COLLECTION OF FINE BAKING: THE RECIPES OF YOUNG MO KIM has recently been selected as the recipient for the 'Best Desserts Cookbook' category from Gourmand World Cookbook for 2005 - and it's easy to see why. Here are luscious-looking cookies, cakes, pastries and breads which pair beautiful professional color photos with a touch of professional style cooks at home can easily achieve. And herein lies the difference between A COLLECTION OF FINE BAKING and most competitors: most baking books are either geared for home cooks and lack professional finesse, or for pros - and lack accessibility by home cooks. A COLLECTION OF FINE BAKING easily straddles the line between pro and homemaker to provide both audiences with tips on how to produce professional results from a home kitchen. It's a 'keeper'.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

I've been a very serious home baker for last 7 years and enjoy baking very much. I'm a fan of this author and own all of his books. His first baking book was published in 2002(in Korean only!). Now, `A Collection of Fine Baking', is a brand new book and it is published only in English. I read from the Korean Daily article about this book and it said that it will be published in Korean sometime next year. I've already tried many of the recipes in this book and results are just incredible! Every recipe shows the step-by-step photos and demonstration from beginning to the ending. It was so easy for me to follow. This book explains each recipes in detail. you'll not make any mistakes when you follow these recipes. I just have to say... it is definitely a five star baking book and enjoying them very much.

A friend of mine bought me this book to prove to me that even I can bake! She is an excellent baker & I would never even try because I was always intimidated by her baking skills. Well, it turns out - even I can bake! This book or should I call it a baking road map helped me so much. The format of this book is great - it is inviting and does not scare the heck out of you when you open it up. Usually I say, I can't do this stuff. But this book is easy to read and understand. Each baking instruction has a corresponding picture to illustrate the steps. When I go through the recipes I feel like I have Young Mo Kim in the kitchen with me - teaching me - guiding me - helping me along the way. The characters were also very helpful providing tips & guidance & very funny at times. A cookbook with humor - what a concept!! I recommend this book highly and will probably give this as gift to my baking challenged friends and family.

My girlfriend bought this book for me after I said I wanted to try baking at home, and I was a little intimidated at first because all of the pictures looked so professional. But as soon as I dove in, I found that the recipes were very easy to follow, and my cakes ended up looking (almost) as good! But more importantly, they tasted phenomenal. The ingredients are always very specific, they don't want you to use just any old kind of flour. But I'm sure you could and it would still taste great! Anyway, I've made about a dozen of the recipes so far with very little trouble (any omissions were my own I'm sure)and I can't wait to try some of those delicious looking holiday cakes. If you love baking, do yourself a favor and buy this book. If I can use it, you can too!

Of all the books I have read I have also found this one the best that I have ever read. I extremly enjoy Brianna's character. Even with all the tradgey that she goes through she finds the courage to stand up for her people and for herself. She hides her feelings and shows how storng she is and that she really doesn't need anyone or at least that is the way she acts. But unfortunately she really needs a strong man to set her free. All I have to say is that if you are thinking of buying this book, buy it, it is definatally worth it.

Quinn Taylor Evans is a wonderful author and she brings the story to life; you are there with them, you are part of them. If at all possible read each book in a row they will overlap into one another and you will travel back in time and you will not be sorry.

Brianna is introduced as a fragile creature and for all intents and purposes she is. But beneath that fragile exterior is a very strong woman. And fortunately she meets, in Tarek, a man who understands strength and her unique gifts. He falls in love with a glimpse of a woman he barely has time to speak to, and arranges things so he has to go all the way back to Scotland, supposedly on a mission for the king, but really to find Her. And find her he does, and claims her for his own.

This book is not a formulaic copy of the first. The characters are their own people with their own minds and their own destinies. I was very happy to finally meet Brianna and enjoyed watching her and Tarek get closer. It is yet another fabulous love story! I'm looking forward to the next sister's story.

Book 2 -Brianna of Scotland, second daughter of Merlin, is a changling who has powers to transform into the creatures of the forest. And only one man can set her free. The bastard son of a Byzantine aristocrat and a Norse sea Captain, Tarek al Sharif, he has come to Scotland to claim lands promised him by William the Conqueror. In order to claim Brianna he must chose between avenging the past and fighting for the future against the dark evil that want to claim the land.

Stunning and for all fans of Camelot!!

This is the second book in the Merlin's Legacy and it is a great addition to this series. This is the story about Merlin's daughter Brianna. She is the daughter of the Mist and she has a challange ahead of her that will change her life.

Tarek al Sharif is bastard born and does not have the memory of family and love but he is driven by the memory of a golden haired girl that helped him and saved his life. He has loved her from the first moment that he saw her and he plans on finding her again.

The path to true love is not a smooth one for these two characters. There is danger in the form of a person that wants control of Inverness and of course "the darkness" is always on the fringes looking in and waiting for the perfect time to cause trouble. Tarek must choose between the love for his changeling bride or avenging his past. The chemisty between the two main characters is great. They don't just fall into bed and thats the end. Their love grows and I feel that is why most people red romance. This book has it all mystical legends, and romance. This is a not to be missed story. It is well worth your effort and time to get a hold of a copy!

This book is wonderful if you are going to get a tattoo of a certain Kanji it has tons to choose from. I use this book almost everyday.. this is by far one of my best purchases.

What a great book! The presentation of multiple styles definitely caught my eye as I fanned through the book the first time; I was hooked! The introduction is very well written, and each page thereafter imparts a wealth of information that is simply a joy to read.

I love "power" words - single words that encompass my thoughts and feelings - and kanji characters are a beautiful way to express them. I found 'Designing with Kanji' in my effort to design my next tattoo. When I did not find exactly what I was looking for in the book, I contacted Leza and she promptly responded with the characters I needed. Great book - great woman!

I have been an admirer for Oriental Culture, and willing to understand Chinesse and Japanese writing. This book is an excellent source which explains a lot of Kanji symbols, and has several notes about interesting facts about it. I recommend it to all people looking to introduce themselves into this enigmatic and wonderful language.
Antonio Sobalvarro

Easy to read, follow, and use right away. Shows formal, modern, flowing, and stylish character sets. Describes the root, meaning, and nature of common Japanese words and phrases. The calligraphy is excellent. I only wish it was longer and more encompassing. Among other things I use this book as a supplement to Write Your Name in Kanji text by Nobuo Sato to write the characters more elegantly.

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

We had recently seen "The Last Samuri" so I was in the frame of mind to learn more about Japanese history and culture. I found this book on the Breakfast table one recent morning. The introduction and explanation of Kanji was clear and concise. This book provided a great beginning to the subject of how a culture influenced a language and how a language influenced a culture. I couldn't put it down for an hour or so. I'll refer to it often.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is a classic among classics. Put into print in 1897, it has never been out of print. Why? Because, it is simply that good. Dracula was written for a Victorian audience with subtle nuances of sex, violence and immorality and not surprisingly what shocked audiences then still appeals to audiences now. All one has to do is look at the proliferation of vampire novels on the shelves to know that. Bram Stoker created a creature so hideous,unnatural and undead, yet so alluring that young beautiful women were unable to resist his call. His very bite is sensual yet deadly. Well done is Stoker's use of journals and diary's from his main characters to build tension and suspense as the novel moves along. The story begins with Jonathan Harker's visit to Castle Dracula and his unfortunate experience with the Count. Through his journal we learn of the Count's plans for the future. His fiance Mina who embodies in this novel, all that is good, waits patiently for him to return home. A mysterious boat lands ashore in England and the Count's plans are set into motion. His unholy meeting with Lucy Westerna, at once sensuous as it is hideous propels the story from grimness to horror as the characters slowly realize what is happening to her. Unbelievably but with the help of Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, they realize that poor Lucy is being victimized by a vampire and is herself at risk of becoming one of the undead. It is Van Helsing who guides the group who is bound together by their knowledge of who Dracula really is and ultimately propels the main characters into the exciting climax between good and evil. Readers may find the stilted language and role of women somewhat off putting until they remember what era it was intended for. As stated before, there is a reason, Dracula is still in print, it still has the capacity to make your heart beat just a little more rapidly and sleep come a little more slowly as you make sure you shut your window tightly against any breeze or whatever will blow in.

While this novel, is, of course, about the Count, it is the ghost busters in the novel that tell the story, even if that is not what they are to start with. Except in the case of the important character in the history and tradition of ghost busting and monster hunting, in Van Helsing.

Dracula is an important enough novel to include from that point of view, here, as he educates and motivates the group of poms and a yank to get down and stakey.

After getting into some The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless (Popular Culture and Philosophy), I decided that I had been greatly remiss in not reading Bram Stoker's classic "Dracula".

Surprisingly, this was only one of many novels written by Stoker, though by far the most popular. It has not once been out of print since it was published. Not a bad achievement, really.

The book is written through documents, and covers a large range of changing viewpoints. Those documents include journals of the main characters, (such as Jonathan Harker), letters, telegrams, newspaper reports, and so on. I thought it strange, but this style of writing works exceptionally well and is a mark of Stoker's ability. It gives a greater air of authenticity to the plot, which is creepy enough, in itself.

The basic plot is a creepy tale of Count Dracula who decides to move to England and start a new "life" there. Buying up properties, Jonathan Harker has to travel to the Count with the papers. What follows is a series of strange and mysterious events that leave people puzzled and wondering. Dracula is hatching his own vile plans for the land of England.

The narrative flows along very well, and keeps the right level of tension. In some places, things just get freaky, but it all adds up to a very eerie and tense tale. This is among the best books of the type I have read.

Set in later Victorian England, the heavy duty sexuality that exudes from the book was something of a surprise. Never crossing the line into crass obscenity, Stoker weaves a sexuality throughout the vampire encounters that is almost palpable and would have been shocking in his day. One can see where the inspiration for Lestat and more modern vampires comes from, (if one had missed the obvious, that is!).

There was one thing that made the book a little tough to get through in places: the dated and very 19th century English. Of course, to change it into a more modern dialect would be verging on sacrilege, but a potential reader would need to be aware of it. Some parts I found a little tough and I had to really think about the meaning. However, in some ways, this added to the charm of the book as the language is actually quite nice for the most part.

"Dracula" is truly a classic, and definitely comes with this reviewer's unreserved recommendation. It is simply a great read and it is a pivotal book for all the immitations that it spawned.

A wonderfully written, original, and wholly different novel. 100 plus years later it is still a great read. Scary as hell too!!

There have been many books that have made impressions on me, especially when I was a young reader - I think this is the 1st horror story I read, and I periodically read it just to be reminded how really cool Stoker's story is. As a matter of fact, I used to keep a journal, in homage to the characters in the book. The movies about Dracula had never done Stoker's book proud - with deference to Bela Lugosi - until Coppolla's Bram Stoker's Dracula - this book is mesmerizing, taut, frightening. And if you are like me, will bring it out every so often and enjoy the experience all over again.
Kostova's Dracula is worthy of Stoker - still keep looking around for a notebook with a dragon burned into the cover...
Read Dracula - it is the classic of classics.

My 5 year old went from scribbling and frustration to drawing a discernible hen in 5 minutes! It has already done wonders for her self-esteem. She now says, "I can draw! This is easy!" She wants to draw everything in the book. I wish I had known about these months ago! I just ordered the whole set.

This book has given my 5 yr old son confidence by helping him to draw simple animals that he thought were too difficult to draw. He has not been as interested in the writing part. It would have been nice if it was like a workbook with blank pages across from each page so he could practice right in there.

I homeschool my kids and I bought this book for our art lessons. This is such an easy to follow drawing book. My kids are ages 5,7 & 10. All 3 are finding it easy to follow and their drawings are so good. I like to do the pictures myself. I like how the next step of the drawing is in a different color, it makes it so much easier. My 7 yr old even sat down with the book by herself and drew a picture without any help, and it turned out really nice. Hope this helps.

My girls, 8 and 4, love this book. I am amazed at how well their drawings come out. Not only are their drawings fantastic but the older girl utilizes the writing exercises and thinks they are fun - unlike other writing exercises.

I am a homeschooling mother and would recommend this book to anyone with children, homeschool or not. They will love it.

Bought this for my 5 YO daughter - it gave her incentive to practice her printing - she wasn't allowed to attemp the drawing part until the writing part was finished.
Basically, each page has three-four sentences for them to copy with a full picture already done above it on the same page. On the next page, the main object of the picture (a pig for example) is drawn with basic shapes in a step-by-step manner - even my older girls love to try to draw them.
I can't wait to get the next book in the series - great idea!!!!

Of all the classic heroes in hard-boiled fiction (Spade, Marlowe, etc.) I've always found Lew Archer to be my favorite. Maybe it's because MacDonald does such a superlative job illustrating Archer's flaws, doubts and shortcomings. Rather than some iron-jawed superhero, he's a compellingly complex person whose battered conscience ultimately makes him more heroic. Many readers consider The Drowning Pool to be the best Archer book and it's hard to argue that contention. If pressed, I might rank The Way Some People Die just a little bit higher, but both books are so good it's stupid to quibble. I haven't read The Barbarous Coast yet, but look forward to diving in soon.. and afterward I might have to revise my opinion regarding Archer's best case once again.

A different Lew Archer here than THE BLUE HAMMER Lew Archer. The tone is in TDP is more gritty and hardboiled. Lew is less the romantic toward the ladies he meets. I like Macdonalds' writing in TDP. A less polished and more direct style has its appeal. There's less psychological development of the characters, more emphasis on plot.

I hesitate to call this a classic because some people consider "classics" as dull and out-dated. And there's nothing dull or out-dated here (well, maybe that paying $10 to be driven from Las Vegas to L. A. is a bit out of date).

Archer's hired to discover who sent his client's husband a letter accusing her of infidelity. Introduced to the family and friends at a party as a Hollywood agent, he is sensitive to the growing tension and explosive atmosphere. The reader knows of course that somebody's going to be murdered, but these early chapters are among the most skillfully written to build suspense that I've ever read.

Written in 1950, the inclusion of a homosexual couple was quite daring although there is not graphic description, and isn't significant enough a factor of the plot to either offend or attract a reader.

Read this and I'm sure you'll find it on your own list of crime classics.

In this skillfully written tale of murder and intrigue, Ross MacDonald manages to "out Chandler" Raymond Chandler. It's Southern California, circa 1950, and hardboiled detective Lew Archer finds himself traversing the same landscapes Chandler's Philip Marlowe does in The Big Sleep, High Window and The Long Goodbye.
The plot of The Drowning Pool is complex enough to be interesting without being convoluted or forced. Greed, blackmail, homosexuality and family dysfunction all play roles in advancing the nicely paced narrative. Thrown in for good measure are seductive women, a number of action scenes and a Lolita like teenager named Cathy.
MacDonald's very descriptive prose is quite effective. And there's plenty of memorable dialogue. My personal favorite: "Your reminiscences fascinate me. May I take notes?"
You'd be hard pressed to find a more satisfying example of noir crime writing. An enthusiastic 5 stars.

A Ross MacDonald is like an extremely well crafted 1950's black & white noir movie. Nothing comes through in it's true color, everything is projected in shades of gray, the action is stately yet never drags, and the characters are all vaguely threatening.

All of MacDonald's novels exhibit certain basic themes--tormented families, buried secrets that fester through multiple generations, environmental destruction, and the brutal contrast between rich and poor. The key to MacDonald's long running success was Archers realism and authenticity, MacDonald's ability to craft complex yet understandable stories, his mastery of language, and his ability to generate a specific atmosphere of threatening suspense on a consistent basis.

All of the above referenced themes are present in The Drowning Pool, which I think is MacDonald's best novel, though The Underground Man is right up there as well.

MacDonald's novels aren't just mind candy-reading him is a literary experience. I believe that is why he was successful in a sort of restrained way. Escapists will not get into these books-they are too cerebral. If you want to your books affect you, MacDonald and Archer are your kind of guy's.

This is a book that you can read over and over and over again, and God will minister something new to you every time. This book took me into the throne room of God, where we had an awesome talk.
Kathy, your annointing and giftings shine brightly in this book. God is all in this book. I can not wait for the next book of this series to be released.

Cathy Heiliger has put into print a revelation of God that shares the heart of the Master and those that encountered Him. I am so pleased that she has done such a great job in writing this pictograph of Jesus and His deciples and the ones that He touches and heals.

What a blessing!

In the more than seven decades of my life, I keep re-learning what poor communicators and relaters men are compared to women. I found that this book was an incredible facilitator in this (for me) most difficult area of life. When communicating with and understanding our fellow human beings is so difficult, how much more so with God.

This book is a real blessing in perceiving the true heart of God and how deeply He cares for His creation. You are a virtual bystander in His relating to the most humble of His people in settings that ring with the authenticity of the age. Although many have been touched with "the issue" in the opening chapter, I felt more involved and uplifted with each ensuing story, culminating with "The Anointing". We are eye-witnesses to what a great God we have.

This book moved me in ways that others haven't, because I was impressed with the people in scripture as fellow human beings. It was my automatic reaction to empathize as it filled in many gaps in my understanding of the featured people. Smooth reading, a natural imagery, historically founded, inspiring and deep, it answered my spiritual quest for "more" . . . Since the ladies I work with have varying beliefs, yet are each in their own way searching for "more" from life and/or God, I think this book will gently enable the experience (and be a perfect Christmas gift). I believe we are desperate for the 'out-of-this-world' God, whom we acknowledge is caring and personal, to enter into our own individual worlds and make them entirely meaningful. This book is a resource God used in my life to do that for me.

Cathy Heiliger is true to her promise and takes us straight to the heart of things. Here are stories simple and profound. As she retells those not-so-incidental encounters people had with Jesus in the gospels, she "fills in the blanks" by allowing us to become those people and feel, experience those aspects of their lives that brought them face to face with the Master.

For example in the story "A Woman and Her Issue" we experience how her "issue" is a beautiful metaphor for the heart "issues" of our lives. Particularly impressive is Jesus' insistence that the woman realize He not only healed her physically, but He continues healing (progressive tense) her emotionally, in her soul. The short studies that follow each story take us deeper and provide us an opportunity to encounter the Great Physician in our own, personal way.

Encounters of the Heart takes us beyond "clever writing," beyond mastery of technique and convention, and allows us the opportunity to enter into the mysterious beauty and healing of God, Himself.

Every Woman in the Bible is an excellent companion reference to any Bible study. The authors not only discuss each specific woman, but also delve into the culture and religious practices of the times in which these women lived. Everyone in my Bible study joins me in recommending this book!

condition geat
recommended if you are interested in the subject
highly recommend

This has alot of women that are in the Bible. It does not have alot of information about them. I was expecting more information on the women.

Every Woman in the Bible is an eye opening book on the use of women's stories in the bible. Richards does an excellent job of explaining and guiding the reader. I would highly reccommend this book for anyone interested in studying women in the bible and how their stories apply to us today.

I received this book as a Christmas gift from my sister-in law and fell in love with it so much that I bought several copies for several of my close friends. All of my friends feel the same way about it as I. It goes into excellent details of each woman's life and is backed up by scripture. The author really does lots of research on each of these women's lives and presents the information in such a way that is neither boring nor documentary-like. I recommend it for all women, not just Christian women.

For the first time Donna Leon brings both Brunetti and his wife Paola into the body of the story at the same time. Dottoria Paola (the future Contessa) has always been determined and headstrong (a barely covered stand in for Leon). She has her own mind and is not afraid to express it. In this case it has to do with the sending of Italian men on 'sex vacations' to Asia, where they have sex with young girls and boys.

Leon does a fine job in tying it into a murder that Guido is working on without doing any silly gyrations. The flow of the story intertwines the two plots but with a deft and subtle hand and it never feels like Leon has added something to 'jigger' the story. All in all a fine addition to a well written series.

Donna Leon now makes Venice her home. In her mysteries, if you know Venice well, you'll have the thrill of rediscovery as she walks you through familiar campos, stroll by the Grand Canal, take a vaporetto to a destination, eat local pastries and foods. Her detective inspector hero is Commissario Brunetti who has a loving wife, two great kids, and a great home life, but is always at odds with his superiors. He likes those Venetian pastries and all the great food and seems lethargic, but he is far from being slow-witted.
In this outing his wife on two occasions as a protest throws a rock through the window of a travel agency that caters to sex tourists. This causes her husband great sorrow and embarrassment, but he is even more aggravated when a murder connected to her action takes place. The book's title is very appropriate to the plot.
In the beginning is the description of a clever game. When the staff attends boring meetings, they play buzz word bingo. When the meeting's chairman says a certain buzz word, they can relieve boredom by matching the buzz word up with specially prepared cards that have the buzz words instead of bingo numbers.
The narrative rolls along smoothly as the gentle, kindly, philosophical Brunetti copes with police work as well as the corruption and inefficiency of the Italian state. Brunetti says, "There are days when I think everything's getting worse, then there are days when I know they are. But then the sun comes out, and I change my mind."
This mystery has a very sharp depiction of the women characters and female psychology. It even has a gun fight. But in general Leon's mysteries have more reflection than action. This is one of her better efforts with a clear cut narrative. Venice is the key setting, but not as much of a character in this book as in some of her others. Little asides about the water damage and dampness in the hallways of buildings makes us realize how fragile the city's infrastructure is. Brunetti is an anti-hero that you come to like because he's an old-fashioned, amiable soul adrift in a society that has, in many ways, passed him by.
Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy
Clawed Back from the Dead

This is an excellently-written and entertaining view of how the balance of world power and influence is likely to change in the coming decades. It presents a sensible, balanced and persuasive case for the increasing influence of emerging countries such as China and India, without in any way creating an alarmist scenario for the future of America.

If you believe that behind every successful man there is a strong woman, then you will love Commissario Brunetti's wife, Paola. She is more than a background character and we learn a great deal about their relationship in another of Leon's good mysteries.

Donna Leon's eighth novel in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series is another crown of glory for this American writer. In "Fatal Remedies," Leon, ever the one to keep her readers' absolute attention riveted to all details, continues her intriguing mise en scene mysteries with sharp focus, clarity of detail, and powerful character observations. This book is well worth the wait.

Leon begins with a new twist: Brunetti's wife Paola has been arrested for smashing the window of a travel agency which she knows arranges sex-tours to third-world countries where Westerners exploit, especially, the child-for-sex trade. This is an issue which Paola finds she cannot permit to go unnoticed, having two children of her own. Like Antigone, her sense of moral outrage at an issue the state does nothing about extends to the point where she takes the law into her own hands. Through her personal crusade, she hopes to call attention to this social canker and, with public outrage she hopes to generate this evil will be halted. She believes that she is prepared to take the consequences for her own actions. It is not so simple, she finds out. Unfortunately, she discovers that her own crusade has negative ramifications for her family and that instead of halting one injustice, she appears to be compounding another by hurting the ones she loves....Brunetti is called back to work and the chase begins.

Brunetti, whose passion for truth, justice, equality, and respect for his beloved Venice, finds himself once again forced to confront moral and legal dilemmas. Leon is at her best and "Fatal Remedies" doesn't miss a beat as the pace picks up, page by page...Leon is not one to dodge social and contemporary issues, as her readers well know from previous books. Her views on environmental destruction (and how the Italian government and its citizens view the subject), social and political corruption, and such social issues as sex-tourism and the importation of former East Bloc citizens to work the local prostitution trade are readily identified. And the author is not timid in her criticism. It's not that she is indicting Italy and the Italians, but that these ills seem to be pervasive.

Leon, an American, lives in Venice and knows the Italians well, but she has lived in other countries (previously she had taught English at an American university at the Vicenza U.S. Army post) and is well versed on contemporary issues. And she loves Venice. Each of her novels tenders her feelings for the Most Serene Republic and readers cannot escape without feeling the life, the very essence of Venice, and her knowledge of that city's history and its ethnic origins make her books ring with a resonance that is real yet we know her story is "only a novel."

In "Fatal Remedies," Leon counts on her readers to assume much (in fact, a first-time reader may be confused by references that are clear only from having read earlier works), which is a shortcoming of individual works in such series; however, as "a part of the whole" this book works well and contains all the ingredients Leon has so successfully concocted in the past. The publisher tells us that she is currently working on a new installment. Shall we count the days?

Great book! Full of suspense and humor. If you like Laurell Hamilton or Kim Harrison, you will like this book.

Private detective Chase Dagger finds an Indianapolis cop and auniversity professor on his doorstep revealing their theory behind arecent series of homicides. The professor beliefs there is an evilthat has been passed down from generation to generation and is at itsworst during a full moon on Friday the 13th. Dagger feels theprofessor knows far to much about the murders and the killer. FullMoon-Bloody Moon is an X-Files style mystery that brings back ChaseDagger for another tautly written, reader-gripping, mysterythriller. Also highly recommended is Lee Driver's debut novelintroducing Chase Dagger and an unusual blend of horror and mystery inThe Good Die Twice (5-3,...). END

FULL MOON-BLOODY MOON is the second in the Chase Dagger series. This one combines mystery and horror in a story about a little known phenomena -- the combination of a full moon and a Friday the 13th. Dagger is confronted by an Indianapolis cop and a university professor who have a theory behind a series of murders. They believe a man has inherited an evil passed on through generations that is at its worst during a full moon on a Friday the 13th. This book pits an evil shapeshifter against Sara, Dagger's shapeshifting partner. As in THE GOOD DIE TWICE, Sara's shapeshifting is the catalyst in this series. And the existence of this evil shapeshifter becomes real when it starts communicating telepathically with Sara. This is a tightly written thriller that will have you looking at a full moon quite differently. To show you how rare the combination is, October 13, 2000, was only the thirteenth time since 1800 that it has occurred.

Author Lee Driver returns with the second in her series starring mysterious private investigstor Chase Dagger and his Native American shapeshifter associate Sara Morningsky and scarlet macaw Einstein--Full Moon Bloody Moon. This entry finds them with a more gruesome case as the bodies keep piling up, but no logical suspect can be found.

Lisa was a really good cop, a quick and accurate shooter. So, it was a real surprise when she was found dead along her regular jogging path with her gun still holstered and with the safety still on. The other surprise was that she was found twenty feet up, stuck in the V of a tree branch. Of great import to this case is the rarity of the combined occurrence of a full moon on a Friday the 13th. The story takes place during the five days leading up to Friday, October 13, 2000, when it is believed that the killer will attain his greatest level of power during the upcoming full moon.

Meanwhile, Chase and Skizzy are also working on a case involving weapons thefts from a local police station. Skizzy's invention of the "Mick," a mechanical spider-shaped surveillance camera, provides much of the intrigue in this subplot, which otherwise feels much like another day on the job.

Things really take a turn in Full Moon Bloody Moon when it is discovered that the killer can communicate with Sara through the telepathy that, until then, the reader had thought that only she and Chase could share. Is the killer a shapeshifter, too? Chase's ability to overhear their conversations causes his pragmatic worldview to begin to crumble. Able to accept Sara as a shapeshifter, because that was how he discovered her, the idea that there are more is almost too much for him. And the closer he comes to a solution, the more it seems that the killer is something that Chase is not entirely prepared to deal with.

The sexual tension between Sara and Chase continues building, with their friends invariably making comments to Chase about questionable situations. These are still some of the most intriguing characters in fiction, and any male reader is undoubtedly going to want to be Chase and want to be with Sara. Their relationship is an engaging combination of sibling and romance that succeeds because of not engendering any untoward feelings whatsoever. I'm becoming as comfortable with these people in just two books as I did Ed McBain's 87th Precinct crowd. I can only hope that Lee Driver exhibits McBain's longevity. Add to that her skill at writing epilogues that make me want to begin the next book immediately (in this case, The Unseen), and what we have is a terrific fantasy mystery series that deserves bestseller status.

FULL MOON BLOODY MOON is the second Chase Dagger mystery; the first was THE GOOD DIE TWICE.

Chase Dagger is back, but this time he will need more than luck to catch a killer that has been around for more than 200 years.... Knowing that Oct. 13th a Friday was not even here yet, the worse was yet to happen.

FULL MOON BLOODY MOON has the same unconventional and fetching characters as THE GOOD DIE TWICE. Einstein the bright red macaw that has a big mouth, Chase's right hand woman, Sara, Simon the mailman who knows everybody's business. Padre and Skizzy are also back as well as some new characters. FULL MOON BLOODY MOON is a ferocious horror-filled ride that will stick with you well after you have finished reading the book. Mixed with sex, violence and plenty of fast paced action. I hung onto every word.

Lee Driver (aka S.D. Tooley ) you have done it again, keep up the good work.