New York Books

People's Magazine heralds Jane Stuart as North Jersey's Miss Marple for solving the case of the missing nanny. Owner of the Kenneth Stuart Literary Agency, Jane has no aspirations to a sleuthing career, but her reputation makes her a crime magnet. When a stranger is murdered, the shocked citizens of Shady Hills expect their local "private investigator" Jane to uncover the truth. Jane has a personal interest in this crime since her son discovered the body and the victim was seen hanging around the inn owned by Jane's friend Louise.

When the police question Louise's philandering husband Ernie, the innkeeper asks Jane to help solve the murder. Reluctantly, Jane agrees to conduct some inquiries although she is becoming romantically involved with the lead investigator. Her professional job also turns complicated when she agrees to handle Goddess, a female Fabio, as a client. However, Goddess' editor is killed during a publishing bash given for another of Jane's clients. Jane realizes she now needs to solve these homicides fast or she will become a media event again.

Life parallels art in this amusing and entertaining amateur sleuth mystery. The author, like his protagonist is a literary agent residing in a small New Jersey village and knows first hand how to deal with authors and publishing houses. This experience is firmly focused in Jane's professional life so that readers have an up close and personal look into the publishing world. Winky, the feline owner of the Stuart family, provides humorous relief from the high-tension environment and will be adored by animal lovers who read this mystery. HANGING HANNAH is a humorous who-done-it that captures the essence of modern day living in a small town amidst the BosWash megalopolis.

Harriet Klausner

Jane Stuart is busy planning her sons birthday party, when the body of a young woman is found hanging from a tree. Dead. By a group of kids playing an innocent game of scavenger hunt. Immediatley everyone turns to Jane, Shady Hills, New Jersey's very own private detective. As a recent story in "People" stated. Much to Jane's chagrin. Before she knows it, another murder takes place. This time editor Holly Griffin is murdered. But not before she can sign Jane up to be the pop star Goddess' literary agent. Before Jane knows it, she's in over her head. What with murder, kidnapping, book parties, weddings, funerals, and cheating. Who would have ever thought that a small town like Shady Hills could be so full of mystery?

I found this book enjoyable and fun, yet lacking in the mystery department. "Hanging Hannah" is more of a book that deals with relationships. Whether it's between Jane and her son, Jane and her boyfriend, Jane and her co-worker, etc. Still, it's a nice cozy read when you've got nothing to do.

This second contribution by this wonderful author outshines the first, if that is possible. I read the entire book in one night because it was so wonderfully written and suspenseful that I could not stop. Needless to say, I was very tired the next day but it was completely worth it. Anyone who enjoys mystery books (I like the Kay Scarpetta series and the Stephanie Plum series) should definitely check out this talented writer. I am anxiously awaiting the third book in this excellent series.

HANGING HANNAH is the second mystery in this enjoyable series. Our sleuth is Jane Stuart. She is a sensitive widow and mother of one. She is also a literary agent, which adds some interesting elements to the story for those who love to learn more about the book business. Winky is her cat. She helps Jane to solve mysteries in the most unusual ways.

During a birthday party Jane is throwing for her son, there is a gruesome discovery. When the mystery begins, everyone reminds Jane that she is the new Miss Marple and expects her to get involved. One of the perks for getting involved is meeting a handsome returning detective. Jane juggles her job as parent, friend, agent and sleuth with more grace than she realizes. She is a strong, nonsense character surrounded by other well developed and yet to be developed secondary characters.

I enjoyed this cozy so much I plan to follow the series in the future. Besides some terrific series characters, the mystery itself was fascinating. It blended in with Jane and other characters lives without loosing ground. It took a turn or two that I wasn't expecting and the ending was a remarkable surprise.

I LIKE BOOK. IT GIVE MORE SUPRISED WHEN I START TO READ IT. ITS A
GREAT BOOK. I TITED YOU THIS BOOK.

That brat Eddie Ryland ruined Samantha's perfect birthday party! Sam is so disappointed, until Agatha and Abigail get an idea! Read about Sam's trip to New York, where she chases a dog, sees a new side of Aunt Cornelia, and learns about women's rights.

This is another in the American Girls series about Samantha Parkington, a (now) ten-year-old orphan girl living with her grandmother in the America of 1904. In this book, it is Samantha's birthday, and a great party for her and her friends is followed by a special surprise; she is going to the metropolis of New York City, to visit with her aunt and uncle, and her aunt's vivacious young sisters. This is a time of learning about new ways of doing things...especially when Samantha learns her aunt's secret - she is a Suffragist!

The final chapter of this book is a fascinating look at growing up in the America of 1904. As always, the illustrations provided by Nancy Niles and Robert Grace are wonderful, and add a lot to the experience of reading this wonderful book. This is another great Samantha book, one that my daughter and I both highly recommend to you!

In this offering of the highly popular American Girls Series, Samantha Parkington learns more about her Uncle Gard's new wife after a new birthday present named Jip gets loose and leads the girls to City Park.

Remembering her strict Grandmother's earlier admonitions to stay away from radical suffragist activities, being caught in the park is a major concern, but Samantha and her cousins are in for a suprise feminist organizing crash course when they learn Grandmary has decided to listen to the lecture herself.

The prospect of American Women voting is no longer exotic or automatically radical, but the book implies connection between the 19th century "first wave" of feminism (suffragettes and reformers) with today's "second" and "third wave" counterparts who are able to enjoy political rights, the real life counterparts to Aunt Cornelia could only dream of using. Instead of being demonized or trivalized, women's political activity organizing on behalf of their own rights is something all women (regardless of age) should become involved in.

Even until the late 1990's, the numbers of American women participating in politics as office holders themselves remained pittably small compared to the percentage of potential elgible officeholders. Reccenty however, the question has shifted from if the United States will have a woman president to when and who that canidate will be.

The book is also notable because it suggests the inevitability of one time opponents eventually embracing feminism themselves as a result of respectful dialouge between both sides. This title technically is a children's book, but the lesson from the encounter between Samantha's beloved Grandmary (who has long expressed sentiments hostile to many progressive reforms) and Cornelia (herself ironically responsible for those same reforms) indicates women of initially different politics can work together and find common ground, if only they listen to eachother's concern's and needs.

I was however bothered the book did not mention women of color this increased climate of mutuality and respect. Although part of this was due to the very real biases of suffragists themselves (glossed over in the book)it also gives the impression of first wave feminists being more guilt-free of bias than they actually were. Having been raised by the same dominant society that freely proclaimed segregation and African American inferiority, these first wave feminists were unware of how it affected their work, or understood and placed potential southern support (whose elected officials were determined to avoid enfranchising black women) above earlier anti-racist committments.

I loved reading this book! It is one of my favorite books because of the details in the story and the pictures. All animal lovers should read this book.!!

My mom read us this book as part of our family reading night. We loved it and were extremely disappointed when she would stop each night. We liked the book so much that we named our dog "Huppy" after the puppy in the story!

This book was my favorite when I was a little girl; I used to read it over and over. It is a funny,heartwarming story of unlikely friendships. Harry cat, Tucker mouse, and Huppy (Harry's puppy)are delightful, memorable characters. A must-read for animal lovers, Harry Cat's Pet Puppy is unforgettable. I can't wait to read it again--for myself and for my future children!!

As a teacher, I have used Selden's " Cricket in Times Square" for years as a read aloud to my students. It was only recently that I began searching for more books by Mr. Selden. Harry Cat's Pet Puppy is delightful. I know my students are going to fall in love with Huppy the poor puppy that Harry found cast on a dark and dirty New York street. Needless to say Harry takes him home to the drainpipe that he shares with Tucker the mouse. Harry and Tucker find that having a growing dog can make life in Times Square Subway station a bit difficult. This book uses tender humor to show that pets can bring wonderful joy and loads of responsibility to our lives. As always, Selden threads all the grand and sometimes terrible emotions of friendship throughout the book. Read and enjoy!

The oracle of Delphi,is all about the pythia or oracle at Delphi.
It describes what Socrates,Plato,Aristoteles,
Demistones and many other intellectuals,how and what the oracle wrote and predicted.
The Oracle sat on a tripod in the inner sanctum of the temple.
The riddles are very interesting in analizing them.There are many stories about the warriors of Sparta.Many remains have been excavated in Delphi at the Temple,however of all the writings only one has survived.
"Know Thyself".
By knowing thyself we go into depth of what who and how we are as a person.
I feel that if you believe in these things,reading the oracle's response is a vey insight of the inner person that we are.
My feeling about the response of the pythia is that she was in a trance caused by sulfur fumes caused by a sysmic fault.The answers were given to her by the intellectuals and priests that were at the Temple.
Plato was one of them.

Lipsey's book gathers together tales and anecdotes of the people who consulted the Oracle at Delphi. He attempts to draw spiritual wisdom from these tales for modern man. His approach is more philosophical than historical or scholarly which makes for a more interesting read than "Classical Athens And The Delphic Oracle" by Hugh Bowden. Throughout the book he makes a distinction between the Delphi of the mind and the Delphi of fact. Every tale is followed by the author's illuminating commentary.

The book delves into such matters as the ambiguity of the oracle's answers. When an answer was particularly cryptic it would be the responsibility of the inquirer to "complete the oracle" by reflecting upon its message and coming to the correct interpretation. There were attempts to bribe the oracle which could lead to a cruel fate. A chapter is devoted to the trial of Socrates who invoked Delphi in his defense. Socrates claimed his philosophical quest to humiliate the wise was a pious attempt to determine the meaning of a flattering message from Delphi. The oracle was asked if there was anyone wiser than Socrates and the priestess replied that there was no one. Other philosophers debated the nature of the prophetic faculty or expressed doubts. An interview with the son of the Tibetan State Oracle provides a contemporary example.

The author favors the assumption that the Pythia entered into a trance to serve as a medium or channel for the god Apollo. Other theories are that the priestess used some sort of psychoactive substance but the legends and myths only mention chewing laurel leaves or drinking spring water. Another theory is that she sat over a cave in a tripod and the vapors from this opening inspired her divine frenzy. There is considerable debate over whether she gave her response in poetry or prose which was then rendered as poetry by the temple poets.

A trance is probably experienced more often than is thought. Most people will not claim to have ever experienced a trance because they have been given exaggerated descriptions that do not match their experience. And too many fanciful claims have been made for states of trance which creates more skepticism than there should be. However, a trance state does bring the mind more closely in contact the spiritual side of human nature. And in a state of trance the mind is capable of greater intuitive comprehension. Although this will not result in prophesies direct from the all knowing gods, it may lead to more intuitive guesses about the course of events than is otherwise possible. Finally, it seems appropriate that the oracles are given in riddles because it is better to express intuitive insights poetically and speak to the soul than to use the language of concrete thought and merely speak to the mind.

This wonderful book transports us back to ancient Greece into the presence of the Pythia, Apollo's priestess at Delphi. Lipsey is a scholar who hasn't lost his sense of wonder, and recaptures for us the spirit of sacredness the Greeks felt as they approached the most famous and important oracle of Western antiquity. This is a superb exploration of Greek spirituality, focusing on the Greeks' effort to understand the will of the divine. The many stories here are always engaging and sometimes totally mindblowing. This book easily wins my highest recommendation.

This book is elegantly written, thoughtful, sensitive, impeccably researched, and thought-provoking. Lipsey is an enthusiast rather than a scholar, but only a mean scholar would resent the attempt to make the ancient oracle live for modern readers. To take a phrase from Lipsey himself, the book is a 'tap on the shoulder' - a reminder that there is more to the world than meets the eye or ear. So Lipsey tells all the available tales of the Delphic oracle as a way of making the numinous world more accessible. By and large he lets the tales speak for themselves, while adding pertinent but not intrusive commentary. Highly recommended for visitors to Greece and metaphysical searchers.

I was very pleased with this retelling of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Donald Cook's illustrations will especially help in bringing the action to life for children. This book offers parents and children an opportunity to discuss the action and what they believe may have been the outcome based on the mysterious ending of the story. As other reviewers maintain, this is a great spooky story for kids.

My son LOVES this story, in all its many versions. Easy reading
(second grade) and lovely illustrations. A must have for those who love to be "spooked"!

This is a children's version of the Washington Irving ghost story. My 7-year-old son read it in one afternoon and loved it. This will get any child reading who is the least bit interested in scary stories. Especially recommended for kids who are a little too young for Goosebumps but desperately want to read them.

A classic, brilliantly written novel. A schoolmaster, and a little town in colonial New York, create a normal, sometimes humerous beginning to the novel. However, as the tale goes on, you hear of the Ledgend of the Headless horseman of Sleepy Hollow. This mysterious, classic thriller will have you sifting through the pages you'll never be prepared for the unexpected, climacting conclusion! A must read for any Halloween fan! Just a brilliant story, hands down.

I have recently discovered this author and have enjoyed every book of hers that I have read thus far.

This book is exceptional. In 1841, the main character, Emma Garret is the owner of Hill House, a boarding house in the village of Candlewood, N.Y. She finds herself ministering to her guests and employees with love and wisdom. She even finds herself in the middle of a family feud when a grandmother runs away from home and lands on her doorstep.

Emma is a widow who use to own the general store before she bought Hillside House. Now she learns thru her lawyer that she might not own it after all. She is quite distressed over this news. This would mean life-changes for her and her guests. She longs to correct this and restore peace to Hill House and within her heart.

I found myself laughing out loud at some of the episodes in this story especially one where something occured on Main St. that left chicken running wild inside and out of businesses, etc.

You won't be sorry if you decide to read this book as you will find yourself in the middle of a beautiful time and place among quaint and colorful characters.

BOOK REVIEW: A Hearth in Candlewood, by author Delia Parr

I've just finished reading "A Heath in Candlewood," by author Delia Parr, I have to say, "Delia Parr has done it again!"

In my ever so busy life, her latest novel "A Hearth in Candlewood" provided an essential escape for my rocket-paced workload. From the beginning to the end, Delia manages to engage the imagination and allow us to enter as a guest in Hill House. The story begins in the small fictional village of "Candlewood, New York" in the 19th century. The main character, middle aged `Widow Emma Garrett,' runs a stately boarding house along with her mother in law, "Mother Garrett", also a widow. Emma is a no-nonsense woman, steadfast in godly principles and family values, doing what's right, even when it isn't convenient. I admire this lady!

The opening chapter grabs you and keeps you right there with `Widow Emma Garrett' as she makes her way through the hallways of Hill House checking to make sure her guests are all settled for the night before retiring her own tired bones. We feel for her as she clasps her tiny sentimental scraps of cloth. We are startled at the sudden sharp rap at the back kitchen door. We scramble along with her to see who might be appearing this late hour of the night. We fought back a warm smile when it's revealed who the late night visitor might be, an adorable `run away grandma' dripping wet from the downpour! It is apparent she had premeditated her arrival at Hill house!

We laugh, we rest, and we worry. We even observe Rev. Glenn's old dog, `Butter' sleep deeply while Rev Glenn whittles little surprises out of candlewood sticks.

Hill House is a peaceful place. `Emma' intends to keep it this way. Unbeknownst to her mother in law, Zachary Breckenwith, Emma's lawyer delivers a heart full of very disturbing news involving the possible fate of Hill House. Emma struggles with keeping life stable and secure as she juggles the responsibilities of her guests, and the fate Hill House as well as those that live and work there. With the possibility of the railroad coming through, anything can happen. And thus, the stage is set for another memorable wholesome adventure in the World of Delia Parr.

I understand Delia has already finished part two and will be spending next summer on the third and final part of "The Candlewood Trilogy."

A final thought... Hurry Delia! Please don't make us wait too long before the next essential escape!

Nita Horn
Staff Writer,
www.RaidersNewsUpdate.com

In 1841 Candlewood, New York, fiftyish widow Emma Garrett owns and operates Hill House boardinghouse. Her reason for living is tending to the needs of her guests including what she perceives is their spiritual and emotional requirements.

Grandmotherly octogenarian widow Frances Leonard flees to Hill House from her nearby residence to escape the loving machinations of her sons. Emma takes Widow Leonard in angering her children James and Andrew, who are already fighting with one another. Now Emma is in the middle of a family feud that could turn ugly at the same time attorney Zachary Breckenwith informs her she does not own Hill House in spite "buying" it four years ago from an executor.

A HEARTH IN CANDLEWOOD is a solid small town Americana tale that provides insight into living near the Erie Canal when that was one of the transportation methods available in the mid nineteenth century. The story line contains two major subplots competing for the lead with the connections between them being the heroine and odious businessman Langhorne; however neither takes the lead so the audience can be left a bit confused as spins occur to both. Still a strong cast led by Emma and a vivid look back at a boardinghouse in mid nineteenth century upstate new York make for a picturesque historical.

Harriet Klausner

After her husband's passing, Emma Garrett realizes that her life as a General Store owner is lonely. Her children have grown and begun families of their own and have moved away. This revelation spurs an impulsive decision to sell the store and purchase a boardinghouse.

For the last four years, along with the help of her mother-in-law and two young girls from town, Emma has run a successful operation. This venture has provided the sense of belonging and social interaction for which she'd been yearning.

Over the years, she has met and befriended many guests. Some, like the adorably eccentric Mitchell sisters have become repeat visitors. Then there is the quiet Reverend Glenn who Emma invited to become a permanent resident after a stroke left him unable to be as independent as he would have preferred.

Everything has been going along smoothly until recently. A new semi-permanent resident has arrived and it's causing a bit of a stir. The Widow Leonard is supposed to split her time between her two sons but a disagreement between them has made things too tense for her. Subsequently, she chose to run away to the boardinghouse. Neither of the sons are too happy about this development, putting Emma in the middle.

To add to this dilemma, an arrogant investor has set his sights on certain properties around Candlewood including one that belongs to Emma. His attempts at persuasion have become rather forceful of late and Emma needs to find a way to stop him once and for all.

Other investors have arrived but their interests are kept quiet from Emma, a businesswoman but a woman nonetheless. She has a growing curiosity both toward this and the argument between the Leonard boys and is determined to get to the bottom of both against the advice of her attorney, Zachary Breckenwith.

As if all of these weren't enough, Emma has received some news of her own that may have a life-changing effect on her and her friends. With all of these circumstances floating about her it's a good thing she has a strong faith in God to get her through it all.

A Hearth in Candlewood is the first installment in author Delia Parr's inspirational Candlewood Trilogy. Set in 1840s New York during the height of the canal building era, it is a tale filled with possibility, small-town charm and even a bit of mystery.

Parr's characters pull the reader into the autumnal backdrop of the community in which they live and keep interest peaked with a perfect balance of drama and amusement. The only difficulty one will confront is having to wait until the second book arrives on the shelves.

I've been reading Himes' stories about Gravedigger and Coffin Ed in order of when they were written (see Wikipedia, if you want a chronology), and this one may be the best yet. The bad guys are extra-eccentric and amoral. The streets are extra-gritty. Grave Digger and Coffin Ed are extra-alone in their fight against it all.

As usual, Himes is better at the first 95% of the story than he is in wrapping up the last 5%. As usual, female characters are, at best, conniving villains or throwaway props. The good stuff is so good that these quibbles hardly matter. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

There are a few things you can depend on in Chester Himes's great police procedurals featuring Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones : colorful characters, distinctive dialect, a fierce racial sensibility, and plenty of mayhem. Meanwhile, the stories are pleasantly devoid of the kind of self-analysis and interior monologue which clutter up so much of modern fiction, even crime fiction. The Heat's On is something of an exception. Oh, there's more than enough mayhem and what with a giant albino junkie, a hunchback dwarf, a pony-sized attack dog, a faith healer, and various and sundry other folk about, there's certainly adequate local color.

But when, first, the detectives are suspended for treating the dwarf a tad too roughly (for instance, he dies in custody) and then Digger is shot and reported killed, Cotton Ed lets his slip show a little. He becomes a frenzied dynamo of barely contained brutality as he tears a steaming hot Harlem apart searching for the cache of heroin that led to the whole mess. This is a terrific entry in the series and is particularly interesting for Himes's fearsome hostility towards the drug traffic which was blighting the inner-city even then. His attitude makes for an interesting contrast with the permissive modern attitude of many black leaders, who decry harsh prison sentences for drug dealers. It's awfully hard to see Coffin Ed, Grave Digger, or Chester Himes arguing that pushers are victims of an unjust drug war.

GRADE : A

Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones are 2 of strongest characters and 2 of the toughest partners in crime fiction. However in this volume of the Himes series they play an almost secondary role. In spite of this I enjoyed the book as much as Cotton Comes to Harlem. Coffin Ed will go to extremes to revenge his partner as he unravels this mystery.

There are a few things you can depend on in Chester Himes's great police procedurals featuring Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones : colorful characters, distinctive dialect, a fierce racial sensibility, and plenty of mayhem. Meanwhile, the stories are pleasantly devoid of the kind of self-analysis and interior monologue which clutter up so much of modern fiction, even crime fiction. The Heat's On is something of an exception. Oh, there's more than enough mayhem and what with a giant albino junkie, a hunchback dwarf, a pony-sized attack dog, a faith healer, and various and sundry other folk about, there's certainly adequate local color.

But when, first, the detectives are suspended for treating the dwarf a tad too roughly (for instance, he dies in custody) and then Digger is shot and reported killed, Cotton Ed lets his slip show a little. He becomes a frenzied dynamo of barely contained brutality as he tears a steaming hot Harlem apart searching for the cache of heroin that led to the whole mess. This is a terrific entry in the series and is particularly interesting for Himes's fearsome hostility towards the drug traffic which was blighting the inner-city even then. His attitude makes for an interesting contrast with the permissive modern attitude of many black leaders, who decry harsh prison sentences for drug dealers. It's awfully hard to see Coffin Ed, Grave Digger, or Chester Himes arguing that pushers are victims of an unjust drug war.

GRADE : A

Jack Kamen is the father of Rick Kamen. Rick has compiled this book full of many family tales that Jack has told him. Jack's life began in the year 1913, above his father's harness shop in Brooklyn. So there are many tales to read of the Depression, World War I (aka The War To End All Wars), the amazing changes in society, medical care, politics, and their not-so-ordinary family!

Jack's generation was the first born in America. His family before had been Russian Jewish peasants who survived the 1902 slaughter of the Tzar's army. But most stories are 1913 and later. Each show humor, shout of family pride, and end with a grin. The author even uses the words his elders used when they told him their family stories, so unusual words are printed in italics when first used and included in the glossary at the end of the book. This will bring back wonderful memories for those who have been around this world awhile. And it will educated those of us who want to know what things were like back then!

***** Perfect for those who love to listen and learn stories from their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents! There is no doubt in my mind that every reader who finishes and closes this book will do so with a warm feeling on their inside, a smile on their outside, and the urge to talk to their elders about their own family history! Excellent reading! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch

The stories told by the author are like poems. In just a few words, they express the immigrants' sorrow, tragedy, strugles and thirst for life, along with their warm sense of humor.

Harnessmaker's Son is a delightful collection of humorous family sagas from the early 1900s. In 2-4 page short stories, author Kamen relates growing up in America with some fascinating tales. He describes early medicine and pharmacies, the changes in cars, life during the Depression, and how some things never change - boys and girls, children acting up, and more. But Kamen never becomes too serious - in fact these stories will have you laughing out loud. And the short-story format is perfect for family or classroom reading. Highly recommended as a gift for elders, teachers (any grade), anyone interested in history or families, your children, or for yourself!

The reader gains a deep appreciation for how far American society has advanced since the turn of the century. Most every chapter/story ends with a belly-laugh! Filled with colorful characters! Picture yourself sitting at a counter and a kindly, old gentleman sits down next to you...and begins to relate the many lessons and stories he has accumulated in his long and illustrious life. You are engrossed and entertained! A wonderful dose of realism and humor. I deliberately read the book slowly because I enjoyed it so much that I did not want it to end. I'm hoping there is a sequel.

Private Investigator Alexander McBee's heroes are TV's Magnum, Mannix and Barnaby Jones. McBee fancies himself a loner, but that comes to an end one evening when he rescues a dog from drowning. McBee takes the mutt home to clean him up and a partnership is born. Herr Schnoodle, as McBee names the dog, has a propensity to solve crimes, and within a short time, McBee's business is booming. Before he knows it, this loner is helping the down and out while trying to figure out why Apple Sally, a homeless woman suffering from amnesia, can't remember her past. But once she does, McBee's intent on saving her from the person who wants to kill her.

McBee is an engaging man who shuns germs and is afraid of commitment, and whose perception of himself changes over the course of the book. Herr Schnoodle is absolutely lovable and rounds out this cozy mystery to perfection. The partnership between the two makes this a fun read, with winning characters and a compelling storyline.

In New York, fortyish Alexander McBee changes vocations from accounting to private investigative work based on a correspondence course, Magnum reruns, and the DNA of his father and grandfather, former cops. He literally picks up a new partner when the lone sleuth finds an injured ugly canine that is a horrendous mixing of a schnauzer and a poodle, who he calls Herr Schnoodle.

With Schnoodle at his side they recover a missing Persian cat, stolen grocery carts, and solve the case of a missing person. However, McBee admits to himself that Schnoodle is the brains of the operation as the dog solves the case though it seems to outsiders that McBee accomplishes the feat. They meet homeless Apple Sally and both are intrigued by her. As McBee's rep grows, reporter Darcy takes a personal interest in him even as he finds himself needing to know more about Apple Sally. Before Schnoodle, McBee had no friends; now hehas plenty, but first he and his partner want to make things right for Apple Sally.

This is a lighthearted private investigator tale with a serious subplot involving Apple Sally. WC Field's theory of not performing with animals or children as they will steal the scene comes through as Schnoodle constantly stars. McBee is a fine person just coming out of his shell thanks to his partner and Apple Sally. Fans will appreciate this humorous detective tale summed up by McBee when he reflects how Herr Schnoodle is the brains of the operation.

Harriet Klausner

Alexander McBee is a New York private investigator who doesn't have much flair or luck in solving his cases. One day, Her Schnoodle, a very unattractive dog, appears by the pier next to McBee who was quietly contemplating on his unhappy life. Alexander rescues the dog and brings him home. Her Scnoodle proves to be a gifted dog who finds the missing evidence in McBee's cases. With his help, the investigator gains confidence and becomes successful at catching the offenders.
The story takes a romantic twist when Darcy, a charming reporter, is sent by her boss to spy on McBee. Darcy's determination to get a story to publish, leads her to find important information on the investigator's friend Apple Sally, a bag lady on the run with a dangerous history. With the help of the reporter, Alexander unravels the mystery behind Sally's past. Throughout this time, McBee also finds himself attracted to both women and in the end he goes for the one he deeply cares for.
P.K. Paranya is an established author, who writes very well: Her novel `Herr Schnoodle & McBee' is an intelligent and humorous story. Moreover, the author portrays the main characters in the most creative way: a bag lady suffering with amnesia, a gifted ugly dog solving mystery cases, a grumpy private investigator with many phobias and an attractive reporter, willing to risk it all for a good story. Overall, the plot is captivating and the reader will find himself trying to solve the puzzles along with McBee and his Schnoodle.
I enjoyed reading this novel to a great extent. I thought it has wit and all the ingredients necessary to make a wonderful and entertaining detective tale. This book is with no doubt a fantastic read!

[...].

Alexander McBee has become a private investigator. He has trained by watching re-runs of Magnum P.I., Rockford Files, and other old detective series on the television. He comes upon a strange dog who becomes his partner. Herr Schnoodle is not the most attractive mix of schnauzer and poodle, but he knows how to investigate.

They begin to get more cases as they are able to solve them quickly. They meet Apple Sally, a local street woman. McBee is intrigued by her, but he can't figure out why. Then there's the beautiful Darcy, the gossip reporter out to scoop McBee's cases.

Soon McBee realizes there is more to Apple Sally than meets the eye. Can he uncover her past without alienating her or letting Darcy break the story before he's ready? Can he keep investigating his cases without letting on about Herr Schnoodle's part, especially to Darcy?

McBee is definitely a quirky character, but that's what makes him interesting. I really enjoyed this first book in this series. I look forward to reading many more. The setting and other characters is well written and I feel as if I've been there and met everyone. I highly recommend this book.

I am giving this book 4 stars because it does not rank among the best books I have ever read, which would deserve a 5 star, but certainly better than a mediocre book which would merit only a 3 star. Amazon.com only gives us 5 stars, so I hand them out sparingly.

I enjoyed this old-fashioned read. I laughed at times, felt sympathy and frustration for Sara, and looked forward to where the story was taking her along with the reader. The story line reminds me of the book "Alias Grace" by Margaret Atwood. I am not about to run out and order the other two books in the Joyce Cary trilogy just yet; but some day when I am book dry I know they are there and I can go back to them.

I have just reread Cary's three novels, Herself Surprised, To Be a Pilgrim and The Horse's Mouth. It is amzing that books written during the second world war should be so secure in their tone about a vanishing England and its history. Cary uses his three entirely diffeent voices - tricky sensuous woman, nervy religious dirty old man, obsessed manipulative artist- better than anyone else i know uses the limitations of the first person to show what we do and don't know about each other. His descriptions of places and things are delicious. Also I shd like to say what beautiful books the New York Review paperbacks are to handle and read. Most people know The Horse's Mouth, and many know Herself Surprised . I'm not sure To Be A Pilgrim isn't the best and most surprising of the three- which is saying something.

My take on Sara Monday is very different from what I'm reading here. I believe that she loved life and indulged herself in its pleasures. At the same time she was a nurturing soul. Read it for yourself to decide about her character. Gulley Jimson is also a great character. The descriptions in this book are wonderful. She describes the sea as being like oven glass one day and the edges of knives another. It is so good that I didn't want it to end, and now I'm going to read the other two books in the trilogy.

Cary's Sara Monday has often been compared--quite rightly--to Moll Flanders, another irresistible, irrepressible woman of highly suspect morals. Sara's odd adventures in marriage and love make for a highly entertaining read, but you should also pay close attention to her observations of her society; for a woman of little apparent reflection, there's very little that seems to escape her notice. All three books in the Gulley Jimson triptych are remarkable, but this one has a special poignancy.