Maine Books

Too over the top unbelievable for a book that was not meant to be. How can we truly believe that Thea would be allowed to go "undercover", find out so much so fast, and then return to "work" after her medical problem - just to name a few of the most ridiculous plot points?

I first read Kate Flora's books a few years ago when they were recommended at my local book store. I missed her first couple of books -- they are hard to get-- but I have read the rest of them. I loved Death by Paradise--it was much better than her previous books. I was very glad to see that she had a new book out. I loved it! Thea, the main character, is great. I love strong female main characters--Kinsey Milhone, Stephanie Plum--and Thea! If you haven't read Thea before--jump right in. I'm glad she's back, and I hope Kate doesn't take so long in between Thea's next adventure!

Pregnant Thea Kozak stands at the altar waiting for the arrival of the groom, her beloved State Trooper Andre Lemieux, to exchange I do. However, instead of her beau, Thea learns that a domestic terrorist cell the Katahdin Constitutional Militia has kidnapped her future spouse. The group demands a trade for an incarcerated member, Jed Harding, who went berserk when the VA rejected his medical claim for his ailing son.

Though Andre's boss and peers prefer Thea stay out of the mess, she has dealt with murder and death before so she insists on participating in the rescue. Andre's supervisor Jack Leonard provides Thea with the cover of a battered runaway spouse Dora McCusick. Thea travels to Merchantville, Maine where she obtains employment as a waitress at Mother Theresa's restaurant. As Thea does what she is not supposed to do (investigate) she begins to learn why Jed prefers jail than the militia as paranoia runs rampant in this part of Maine.

Thea is a powerful lead protagonist who propels the story line forward with her unwelcome involvement yet ironically her soliloquies disrupt the action. Fans of the series will appreciate the lead character that just cannot sit idly by and take notes. Newcomers will need to adjust to this feisty in your face female especially when she provides asides. If given the chance, the tyro will soon gain new fans, as LIBERTY OR DEATH is a fabulous amateur sleuth-police procedural combo that highlights Kate Flora's abilities to entertain the troops.

Harriet Klausner

Thea Kozac just keeps getting better. This is a well written, evenly paced story that brings a new dimension to the story of Thea and her Andre. In the hands of a most skillful author, readers will laugh, cry, despair, and rejoice right along with the characters. Some of the other reviewers have revealed the basic plot. All I will add is DO NOT START this book late at night or you will get absolutely no sleep. It is impossible to put this book down until the end.

Thea Kozak is in her wedding dress and about to walk down the aisle when she gets the news. Her fiance and the father of her unborn baby, Maine State Trooper Andre Lemieux, has been kidnapped by the Katahdin Constitutional Militia. This terrorist, anti-government organization wants to exchange him for one of theirs, a Jed Harding sitting in jail. Thea, knowing she'll never be able to simply watch the investigation from the sidelines, convinces the State Police to let her go undercover as a waitress in Merchantville -- the little northern town now turned hotbed for militia activity -- and see what her ears pick up. But, being Thea, it isn't long before she's not just listening but also doing and has gotten herself in as much trouble as her beloved.

LIBERTY OR DEATH, the sixth book in Kate Flora's series about the educational consultant often turned PI, Thea Kozak, has been a long time coming. And it's a bittersweet experience. Since Flora has always done an excellent job of characterizing a Maine State Trooper, I was disappointed to discover Andre hardly appears in this sequel at all. I understand the plot didn't need him (present, anyway), but I still missed him. Thea herself has toned down some. She's still sassy and in-your-face, but losing her rock seems to have made her more mature (though still willing to throw herself at danger on every other page). The description of the unofficial militia movement is accurate and timely; so is the portrayal of a small Maine town in which everybody's news is everybody else's. Flora tends toward long winded accounts of every thought going through Thea's head, but at least some of the thoughts in this book (contrary to previous enstallments) haven't already been described several times over. And while her writing style never sings, it grows more solid with each attempt. I do have a major complaint with the plot -- the Maine State Police allowing the civilian fiance of one of their Troopers to go undercover? But it does make for good fiction and I certainly enjoyed this latest addition to the Kozak world.

Thea may at times remind the reader of an oversized Nancy Drew, but in LIBERTY OR DEATH she is strong enough to make you both laugh and cry. And want more.

Although I enjoyed most of the book, I would have liked to see a little more research.
Molly seemed genuinely shocked that she had toxemia. This is something that is talked about to all moms to be. The swelling she had would have been on the list of symptoms to watch for. Now, I am sure there will be some women out there that will comment and say, they didn't know about it and not all doctors talk about. Most do. And if yours didn't, you need a new doctor. Also having a baby that weights "almost 5 pounds" a couple of weeks past 34 weeks along is pretty small. Smaller than a baby most likely would be. (Mine was born at 31 weeks and weighed almost 5 pounds.)

Ms Meier might also be surprised to know that the Catholic church does not approve of birth control pills, regardless of what she thinks "most Catholics" do. Calling the Pope some "silly old man in Rome" seemed a little harsh, considering that she has already shown that she doesn't know the teachings of the Catholic church.
And although it has nothing to do with research, it is hard not to comment on the characters hating Moira throughout the book, then loving her. Who does that? She was a vicious witch throughout the book. But by the end they were toasting her with Irish drink.

This book started out strong but once again the ending disappoints. I don't want to give anything away but I thought the ending was ridiculous. Moira and her hubby (forgot his name already) were not likeable and all of a sudden everyone likes them? The reader won't! And come on, the petrified brain? I mean, really! I also thought when Lucy comfronts the killer was too similar to the ending of Trick or Treat Murder. As a cozy mystery I still enjoy this series but Ms. Meier come on, I know you can do better!!!PLEASE.

Old Dan was a popular bartender at his Irish bar where he conned and connived people into lending him things to keep the derelict play going. He'd sought financial help from his actor brother, Dylan, of the Dublin scene. But when he turned up dead on Saint Patrick's Day there in Maine, the unexpected appearance by Dylan who'd come there to direct the play, "Finian's Rainbow", for the local Catholic church's annual celebration. As the story develops, we learn that they are relatives to two diverse brothers who felt cheated by their father. Dylan attempted to turn Old Dan's bar into an upscale restaurant/pub like those on Gay Street. Lucy Stone investigated the background of the Malone brothers for her article in the Pennysaver newspaper. We all know how the Irish are noted for their penny-pitching and temper when mad.

Leslie Meier's 13th has a surprise ending. This one taking place when it did as all of them are portrayed around a holiday like Valentine's Day, Halloween, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day -- plua birthday, wedding and back-to-school. With the shamrock's allure and the Irish music abounding in the play, good luck galore for everyone in the misty moonlight. Even Lucy learns that she will soon be a grandmother, like the villagers of Brigadoon learned to live again. I'm sure Lettie Lane was Irish and would have loved Old Dan. She did love life. Discovering who killed Dan and tried the same on Dylan is intriging and Lucy's involvement was dangerous but exciting.

This installment in the Lucy Stone series is the best one yet. It is obvious the author did a lot of research on the Celts and Irish culture. Set around the St. Patrick's Day holiday, the author gives us that inside look into modern family life and issues that we all face daily. The book hold your interest while Lucy solves yet another murder. Lucy seems more together and polished in this book. She pays attention to detail and sees things the police do not see. This not only helps her solve the murder but helps her save a life. I am already looking forward to the next novel by Leslie Meier. Well done!

I loved the book but I read the Candy Cane Murder which was had a story story with Lucy Stone before reading this book since that this the order they came out...........but story line wise read this book first and then the Candy Cane Murder it takes place Christmas after this St. Patrick Day but regardless it was as fun to read as all her books.

I guess having my picture in this book makes me biased. Regardless of the authors' backgrounds, this book captures many of the truly unique stories on the AT and covers topics normally not found in other thru-hiking books. The pictures alone are worth the price of the book.

I read several of the individual newspaper articles originally written by these journalists and was hooked on the story. When I bought the book I was not disappointed. The photography is marvelous and I love the anthology of the different writers. Each journalist and photographer brought their own perspective and "eye" to the project. I definitely recommend this one, but not necessarily as a preparation to hike the AT. It does a better job convincing you that you want to make the hike.

Bryson does it again. First, the hilarious "The Lost Continent" and now this. Both books cater to those of us with wanderlust. This guy is great and funny. The Katz character cracked me up, especially the whole deal with Mary Ellen. I busted a gut - and wanted to take off on the trail at the same time (I hike a lot). Required reading for anyone I (anyway) know.

I especially found the full page picture (near the beginning of the book) of the three little Chandler girls catching frogs to be very inspirational. If little ones like that can be out there hiking the trail, I sure can get out there and do some! Very nice "coffee table" type book to own.

While working on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, I had the misfortune of running into this group (or at least part of it). They hiked the AT with purely commercial interests. They were a miserable lot. Overall, the book doesn't say much that hasn't been said already in countless other publications. Just go hike the trail and be happy.

"Lively Lady," delivers plenty of the sinewy narrative and strong character development that typify Kenneth Roberts' previous novels, "Arundel" and "Rabble in Arms." But it differs from its predecessors in its compactness. It is like a string quartet compared to those more orchestral works, producing a sound and feeling that is just as powerful if not as loud or lengthy.

Set during the War of 1812, most of the action takes place aboard ship or inside the walls of the infamous Dartmoor Prison. In such close quarters, the narrator's psyche tends to loom large.

The result is a compact novel that, despite its size, really packs a punch. I recommend it.

This book starts off in Arundel where Captain Mason falls for a young girl maried to a older cold husband. The young captain Mason enters the Revolutionry war but is captured and put in Dartmoor prison. After a sucessfull escape he is caught with the young girl by her husband. He sends the man back to Captain Nason back to jail and has his own wife arrested. Captain Nasoon survives a massacre in Dartmoor prison but is realeased and is reunited with the youg girl.

I did not like this book. Not that the book was bad but I do not believe it was good. I'm writing a report on the book and I will try to post it on the internet so I can spare anybody the waste of time in reading this book.

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Don't take me wrong: "The Lively Lady" is a darn good read. I've read enough of Roberts now to know his basic formula: take a stock love story (boy sees girl, circumstances come between boy and girl, circumstances clear up by end of book and boy gets girl), interwine it with gripping battle narratives, and inject oodles and oodles of history into the narrative. Roberts is a good enough writer to always get mileage out of these basic ingredients.

They're all here in "The Lively Lady," but never jell as well as they did in the earlier novels I mentioned. I think Roberts was running out of steam by the time he came to write this, the third installment in his "Chronicles of Arundel" series. This time out, Roberts' narrative pace is in hyperdrive. The book has a third as many pages as either of the first two books, and it shows: "The Lively Lady" reads like a Reader's Digest version of "Rabble in Arms." Characters are described rapidly, without really being developed: the character of King Dick appears all at once as the acknowledged "King" of Dartmour Prison. But how white prisoners in 1814 would have come to accept a black - even a physically powerful and intelligent one like King Dick - as a leader is never really explained, as though racism and slavery didn't exist. Even the history Roberts typically teaches is shortchanged: precious little is said of the reasons for the War of 1812, and the lasting effects of that conflict - a new sense of American nationalism - is explored in a mere paragraph or two. That is in sharp contrast to Robert's superior (and far longer) novel, "Oliver Wiswell," which reads at times almost like a history lecture on the Loyalist viewpoint during the American Revolution.

The love story suffers likewise; we are simply told that Emily falls in love with Richard Nason almost at first glance... but never learn why she is attracted to him, save for a bad marriage.
The relationship seems a bit too obviously contrived for the sake of the narrative.

Still, I have read reviews of "Oliver Wiswell" on Amazon complaining the book is too long and boring; if you want "Roberts Lite" in a condensed version: "The Lively Lady" is it. It's probably the Roberts book of choice who want to enjoy a Roberts book without investing the time to read his better, longer work. I do think anyone who likes Roberts should read this book - you'll enjoy it, but don't expect the same sense of satisfaction you had reading "Arundel" or "Rabble in Arms" if you love history.

Lively Lady's protagonist is the son of two of the main characters in the earlier Arundel books: Arundel and Rabble at Arms. While not as epic as either of its precursors, Lively Lady illuminates a little-known episode of this country's history, when our war against Britain in 1812 (in effect a side-action of the Napoleonic Wars) was conducted at sea largely by private vessels licensed by our fledgling government to attack, capture, and destroy Britain's ocean-going commerce.

Roberts can come across as a bit stodgy and old-fashioned--and certainly not "politically correct"--to modern readers, but if you make allowances for his writing reflecting his times, you'll be richly rewarded with fascinating details and great storytelling.

This novel, first published in 1931, has gone through many editions. It is written in the style of the period, e.g., Errol Flynn type stories. It goes into excessive detail at some points which can make the story drag a bit. In some ways, it reflects a Thomas Hardy type writing style. It is a narrative style as told by the main character. Some parts of the action were borrowed by later writers.

The setting is March 1812 to April 1815. Merchant captain Richard Nason is trading with the British, carrying supplies to the British Army in Spain, and is generally opposed to the war, when he is pressed aboard a British Royal Navy sloop. His attitude changes and (after escaping) he takes a privateer to sea in July 1812 after war is formally declared. Details of sail handling and such are held to a minimum, and much of the story takes place on land. He becomes enamored with the young wife of an older English landowner, Sir Arthur Ransome, first meeting her before the war, then again aboard a ship he captures.

After various adventures he is captured and imprisoned at Dartmoor along with his crew. A major part of the novel is concerned with Dartmoor prison commanded by the evil Royal Navy Captain Shortland. The prison was par for the course for that time period. Similar conditions were found in both Union and Confederate prisons during the American Civil War 50 years later. Deaths from disease were common in active Army and Navy forces, usually higher numbers than battle deaths, and deaths in prisons were undoubtedly higher (smallpox, typhus, etc.). The novel describes the deliberate massacre of American POWs three months after the war ended.

Captain Nason, of course, survives (narrators usually survive), meets the woman again, etc.

Good book and the descriptions are accurate.
If you haven't been to Acadia, this is a good book to get.
Acadia National Park is very big and has a lot of different areas with many options, so this book really helps you make informed decisions.

My wife and I just got back from Acadia. It was amazing. However, this book was useless for planning hikes. It has less information than what you can get from the park hand-out you get. We stayed at the Atlantean B&B and they had a book with a man and his 3 dogs on the front. It was excellent. I did not get the name/ISBM, sorry.

However, we really enjoyed the extended Bubbles, Beehive and Goram (sp?) hikes. The beauty of this area rivals the Rocky Mts.

This guide is a scaled-down version of the longer "Hiking Acadia National Park" by the same authors. Included in this guide are 21 day hikes within the national park boundaries, some of which follow along the coast while others go to the more accessible mountains. Each hike contains directions to the trailhead, an adequate though not particularly detailed map, and a brief but adequate description of the hike. Length ranges from 0.5 mile to 5.8 miles, with the average falling at around 2 miles.

There are a couple of things you should know before purchasing this guide. The book is only 84 pages long and only measures 6" by 4". This small size makes the book easy to carry, but at a cost. Specifically, only hikes on Mount Desert Island are included in this guide, with the rest being left on the cutting room floor from the larger version. So, if you are only planning a few days vacation to Acadia (like I did), this book will probably fit the bill. If you want a more comprehensive guide to Acadia hiking, you will want to look elsewhere.

Second, the term "easy" in the title is relative. True, there are no multi-day backpack journeys described here, and the handhold rock climbs do not appear in this guide, but not everyone in even decent health will be able to hike all of these trails. For example, as an experienced day-hiker with average conditioning, I could have hiked any trail in this guide. However, my 60-something mother would have struggled on many of these trails even though she has no major health problems. My point is simply that not all of these trails are easy strolls on a level path, and I think you should know that before buying this guide. You may still need to choose a trail for your ability, and given the guide's size, your choices are somewhat limited.

In summary, I gave this guide a good rating because I felt that it accomplished what the authors intended, namely a compact guide designed for short-term park visitors. However, depending on what kind of trip you are planning, this guide may not be for you, as I described above. So I recommend that you decide what kind of Acadia visit you desire and then use this review and others to choose the guide that will help you the most.

For a party with kids, this book is just what we needed. The descriptions and difficulty ratings were right on. The directions to the trail heads were very clear (unlike in many hiking guides). Perhaps the best thing about it was the size. The book fit easily into my back pocket. No taking off my backpack everytime I wanted to check the map!

I found this book to be very helpful in planning my vacation in Acadia. I have 2 boys aged 5 and 13 and needed hikes that were doable for the youngest one. He turned out to be the best hiker of us all! This book gave me a good sense of what the trails would be like. We only did easy and moderate and one strenuous one (South Bubble Trail). You will need to buy a more detailed map (like from the AMC) but the trails are well marked. I liked the section on the authors' favorite hikes. We did most of our hikes from their recommends. Don't miss the Wonderland and Great Head trails if you go! Happy hiking.

Of the three books that I purchased on the subject of owning a Maine Coon Cat. This book has the most spectular pictures of these breathtaking animals. The photographer did an outstandling job to catching the image and personality of each animals.

The first half of this book is very good detailing the Maine Coon breed, history and standards. Wonderful photos. The second half fails miserably. It is too generic. It does not go into specific details about this particular breed. It just gives the general feeding and caring patterns which are similar to other cats and other books that I have read. It does not tell you what the ideal weight should be, etc. Another area that it fails is to tell you about a specific hereditary trait which I found out about on the internet: hip dysplasia. So only two stars for this book.

The basic content of this book is generic to all cats, but what sets it apart from others is the very high quality of its pictures.

The reader can get a very good idea of all the background, behavioral characteristics as well as colors and patterns without a lot of further research. Easy reading for the new MC owner but not as complete as "That Yankee Cat," or "This is the Maine Coon Cat."

"Guide to Owning a Maine Coon Cat" starts out strong with a detailed exposition of the various Maine Coon origin theories: the 'Marie Antoinette'; the 'Viking'; the 'Racoon cross'; the 'Lynx cross', among others (I favor the 'Viking' since Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats look an awful lot alike).

The author then spends a good deal of print on the Maine Coon personality and the breed standard and colors. The photographs are beautiful, professional and in color.

It's when we get to the chapters on care, grooming, and feeding that this book strays away from Maine Coons and becomes generic and uninteresting. The photographs deteriorate into advertisements for various grooming and food products. Some show the covers of other books from the same firm that published this book, i.e. T.F.H. Publications, Inc.

Go ahead and buy this book, but buy it for the first 38 pages.

The basic content of this book is generic to all cats, but what sets it apart from others is the very high quality of its pictures.

The reader can get a very good idea of all the background, behavioral characteristics as well as colors and patterns without a lot of further research. Easy reading for the new MC owner but not as complete as "That Yankee Cat," or "This is the Maine Coon Cat."

Home Body is another solid effort from Gerry Boyle. This is the eighth title in the Jack McMorrow series, and I have read them all without being disappointed. McMorrow is a former New York Times reporter who works for small-town newspapers in New England and freelances. He has a knack for putting his nose where it doesn't belong.

Boyle does his usual fine job of keeping the pace moving, unfolding an interesting story, and giving the reader a sense of small-town Maine. I think Home Body, however, could have been 50 pages shorter and not suffered. This series is definitely worth a reader's time.

Boyle's career as a journalist is evident in his novels. The Jack McMorrow tales are as gripping as any crime thrillers and Boyle's work on the streets ensures that his books are authentic and gritty. Read one, you'll want to read them all.
-- Mark LaFlamme, author of "The Pink Room."

This was the weakest addition to the McMorrow series by Boyle. He has produced consistently underappreciated "mystery" novels in the series and McMorrow is a very interesting protagonist, who we the reader have come to know and grow with througout the series.

The novel centers around McMorrow's borderline obsession with a young boy living on the streets named Rocky, and McMorrow's quest to find out why the boy is on the streets and what his story is for being on the streets.

Rocky incessantly appears to McMorrow and then disappears everytime leaving questions unanswered, but Jack (McMorrow) still chases after him. The story is rather slow, Rocky is not a sympathetic character, though at times sympathy is attempted to be induced by Boyle. The characters are not altogether interesting, the story is slow, and we learn nothing of value about Jack, or Roxanne for that matter, except they are expecting a baby.

I think this was just a speed bump for Boyle. He is a great author and I will read whatever he decides to put out next, but for first time readers of McMorrow's exploits, start with another book from the series, any book from the series, because they are all far, far superior to this outing.

Boyle does a wonderful job with setting, providing a real picture of the cities and towns of Maine yet the solitude, which exists immediately outside them, and the cold of winter. You also feel Jack's reluctance to become involved with Rocky yet his inability to walk away. There is a strong element of pathos to this story, but it's still suspenseful and a page-turner.

Boyle shows fine form in his eighth novel to feature wise cracking Maine newspaperman Jack McMorrow. This time out, the tale is more personal, as the action doesn't stem from Jack's pursuit of a hot news story, but rather from a simple act of kindness on his part. Traveling to Bangor, Maine, Jack gives a ride to a homeless teenager he met earlier that day through his girlfriend, social service worker Roxanne Masterson. Because of that gesture, Jack subsequently becomes embroiled in a sixteen-year-old unsolved murder case; he also finds his altruistic motives in helping the teenager being questioned by skeptical police and child welfare workers.

Home Body finds McMorrow at a crossroads in his personal life, as his significant other Roxanne is mere months away from delivering his baby. The book itself is deeply concerned with responsibilities of parenthood, and the inherent difficulties of raising a child, as Jack comes to realize the damage parents can inflict on their progeny through his experiences with the runaways who feature prominently in the book. Seeing their sorry state, and realizing that even the most well meaning of parents often fail to connect with their children, causes him grave concern about his own impending fatherhood. It's amazing how subtly Boyle raises these points amid the often harrowing action of the novel; distracted by the those sequences, and by Jack's trials and tribulations, readers will only realize later that Boyle has also been making them think.

Carolyn Chute is basically an effortless genious. I loved the imagery of the trailers in the woods with their homey curtains. Thank you, Carolyn.

Mrs. Chute has done something eternal. It's as though she has carved the Pieta with a chain saw; a Pieta far more moving, poignant and beautiful than Michelangelo's. Society is only a precarious charade against chaos. Your fine manners and social skills aside; we are these people and always have been.

The characters are all really depressing and it is another one of those styles in which improper grammar and a lack of literacy is used all throughout it. It was the style that goes along the lines of, "It was the store. I stood there. I saw. 'Hey watcha don' thwat ah thing fer?' He sputtered."


I don't recommend it.

This is a highly amusing cacaphony of Maine voices. Crowe Bovery's hands are tatooed with auto grease. He has spent three days with the college kid, Jill Luce. He shows up at the house of his boss. The boss's wife doesn't know Crowe has just lost his wife and children in a fire. Crowe smells like a motor running hot. Lillian Greenlaw is an ex-girl friend of Big Lucien Letourneau, Crowe's boss. Lillian Greenlaw is the second wife of E. Blackstone Babbidge.

Big Lucien has a reputation as a man of gold. At Miracle City Big Lucien lets in trailers. The leaders of the town are concerned the place will turn into a slum. Big Lucien's wife is so pregnant she doesn't attend a tupperware party. An old hippy, former wife of Big Lucien, visits. Hippies have big city accents, great hair, and love the outdoors. There used to be hippies on the property living in tents. Big Lucien's present wife's name is Keezhia. One of his former wives, Maxine, mother of Little Lucien among others, lives in Miracle City, too. Maxine works at the mill.

Patty and Armand Letourneau have a son, Severin. Patty works at a bar called the Cold Spot. People are ordered away from Miracle City. They are in violation of a new code. The back cover describes Carolyn Chute as a literary Diane Arbus. I second the characterization.

"Maxine is alone eating eggs. She has her favorite tape on low, the voice of Waylon Jennings just humming. She swings one cowboy boot in hard happy circles. 'Mmmmmmmmm,' she hums along." This a "manipulation of the English language" that should guarantee Carolyn Chute a position in the forefront of literary achievement? I think not. Her affected unpretentiousness in presenting her downbeat characters in economically wrecked western Maine is excruciatingly boring reading. The self-consciously folksy style brings the Letourneaus and the Babbidge's off as a crew of loutish oafs who, like the characters in "Tobacco Road," sit around in their shacks, crowded with wives, husbands, ex-wives, step-children, half-sisters and -brothers, cousins, uncles, doing almost nothing except occasionally shooting each other's guard dogs and lamenting the depreciation of land value. It's labor trying to plough through a narrative in which nothing happens and most details seem random and aimless.

this book does exactly what it intends to do - accurately describe hikes in the mountains of Maine in a compact manner. The description I needed for the mountain I was climbing was right on, and the book is nice and easy to carry along for reference or for interesting technical reading. If you like Maine and you like climbing, this book is perfect.

This book is necessary if one is going to plan a trip into the mountains of Maine, especially if these plans include Katahdin, or Baxter Peak.

That being said, the one shortcoming which could prove dangerous is the description of Knife Edge. The book mentions how very narrow the ridge is in some places, and the obvious points such as do not attempt in windy or wet conditions. But these are the obvious details one will see posted on the signout board before even entering the trail. However, one point which is not mentioned is the fact that Knife Edge necessitates a series of handholds and footholds across it, especially near the Pamola side, with little to no room for error or else serious injury or death may be the result. I have trekked extensively in Peru and Nepal so did not really have a problem with the ridge (though admittedly it was very difficult), but found myself taking alot of time looking for footholds and handholds much more often than I thought I ever would. The book should describe in painstaking detail this dangerous aspect of probably the most difficult ridge in Maine. Quite honestly, I was surprised it didn't after I got down and reread the part covering Knife Edge. Because of this I am dropping my rating from five stars to three, as this omission could be hazardous to someone's health in the future.

Even with this being said, I would like to do Knife Edge again someday......it was an amazing experience. But the rock climbing aspect of this ridge should be spelled out in the book. This is why most people buy the book in the first place- to get a very good idea of what they will see on the trail.

This book provides accurate technical information about many Maine trails -- distance, difficulty, altitude, location of water, etc. I successfully used the guide to plan several hikes in Baxter State Park. The fold-out maps provided in the pocket-part are worth the price of the book. My complaints are these: (1) the book needs to be updated more frequently, and (2) it really needs a few well-placed photographs of the more challenging trails. For example, although I inferred the Dudley Trail up Mt. Katahdin was steep (based on the altitude and distance information provided), the book does nothing to convey the visceral impact of the view from Pamola Peak down to Chimney Pond Lake. It's dizzying in a way that makes you want to use your entrails for rope. And, that's something you don't want to discover from the summit.

Like other AMC hiking guides in this series (AMC White Mountain Guide, for example), the book includes detailed trail descriptions and top-notch maps. However, be aware that although this guide claims to include "nearly 200 peaks," it does not include every little mountain in Maine (a very big state). Most notably, Acadia National Park is omitted from this book.

Finally, the maps, although excellent, are paper, not tyvek.

This book is an exellent guide to anyone hiking in Maine. It details many trails, from long backpacking trips to short nature walks. Included with the guide are maps that are a valuable resource when hiking in the Maine wilderness. The only downside to the bguide is that it is only published every few years, and trails on private land sometimes change over time. Other than that it is a very detailed, complete guide to hiking in Maine

Linda Hall is a very gifted writer and she writes about very difficult real-life topics in her books. To tell you what topic this book covers would give away the ending, but essentially this is a very good mystery with the discovery of a shocking and sad family secret at the end.

Linda Hall is truly a gifted mystery writer. Margaret returns to her family home to escape a failing marriage and emptiness after her daughter's death. However, instead of a haven, she finds that she must come face to face with her sister's mysterious death twenty-five years before. Her estranged family of aunts, uncles, and cousins all seem to be keeping secrets from her, as do the retarded man and his crazy mother who live next door. On top of this, Margaret also comes across a one-hundred-year-old legend that includes a curse on her house and a ghost who walks the beach at night. Before Margaret can find her peace, she must find her answers. Did her sister die accidentally, as she had been lead to believe? Is her house cursed? Who has been watching her and why? Did God desert her when her daughter died? Hall is excellent at writing multilayered mysteries, and Margaret's Peace is no exception. I could not put it down.

Margaret's Peace is a book that you definitely can't put down. Linda Hall allows the reader to get right into the minds of her characters and know their internal struggles along with the suspense surrounding their lives.

I started reading books by this author as an alternative to secular fiction. This is the fourth I've read and I've decided against reading any more (I'm a little slow). While Hall's writing style is interesting and easy to read, I was disappointed to find incest, murder, premarital sex etc. in Christian literature. There was mention of church and some characters grappled with spiritual issues, but these themes were minor in my opinion. Perhaps I need to leave the mystery genre to find more wholesome topics.
Other Linda Hall books I've read: Sadie's Song, Katheryn's Secret, Island of Refuge

This book was a page turner. I stayed up late several nights, unable to put it down! Suspensful and intrigueing. Great story about the loss of faith and the search for inner peace in the midst of turmoil and hidden family secrets. Linda is vivid in her details of scenery and people. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery.