Buccaneer Books

This book is a murder mystery where you know who?s done it all along. Judith Chase is an American writer doing research in London. She meets and falls in love with a British politician, the heir to the position of prime minister. She has some psychological baggage that she?s dealing with, however. She?s a British war orphan who was adopted by an American soldier as a small child, and her politician lover urges her to postpone any research on her British birth family until after the elections, at least. But the sights and sounds of London are all too familiar for Judith and she starts having flashbacks. She can?t put off learning about her birth family any longer and that?s where she gets into trouble.

Much of the plot of the story turns on an invented psychological theory called the Anastasia syndrome, in which personae from the past can connect directly with living people. In the book, this is done through mind altering drugs which result in a split personality. Of course, that?s clearly not how a split personality works in real life, so the story lacks a lot in the area of plausibility. Nevertheless, it is well told and engaging. If you can get past the science fiction foundation, it?s an enjoyable read- -right up until the sudden bizarre plot twist at the end.

I loved this book! The short stories were superb and each held Higgin's special mystery touch. The main story in the book; The Anastasia Syndrome, is about a women named Judith who is planning on marrying the future Prime Minister of England. She is desparetly seeking information about her past because she was found wandering around a small town in England when she was about 4 or 5 and longs to know who her parents were. she goes to a controversial doctor who hypnotises her and helps her recall facts about her childhood, but slips too much of a drug into her system and regresses her all the way back to the 1600's where a vengeful spirit tries to take over her body and take revenge on those who wronged her. The second story, Terror Stalks The Class Reunion, is about a women named Kay who is abducted by a former student of hers whose "crush" has moved on to full blown obsession. I was holding my breath on this one and it was one of my favorites! Lucky Day was my least favorite story. It revolves around a 13 million dollar lottery ticket and the ending was "Ok." Double Vision was excellent! The supernatural occurence was made more believable in this story than in The Anastasia Syndrome. The story is about an actor who wants to kill the director that ruined his "big break" and the plot had me holding my breath. The last story, The Lost Angel, was actually very good. It was a fast moving story and the plot was written very skillfully. This is definitly a must read for any Mary Higgins Clark fan, and the stories were very well written considering that none of them exceded 200 pages. She's done it again!

I've read other books of Mary Higgins Clark before, but I've enjoyed this book of Anastasia and other short stories the most.

In the main story, Anastasia, an historical writer Judith Chase, is engaged to the future prime minister, Stephen Hallet. She is working on a novel though, and is caught up in a lot of other issues along with it. The evil mind of Margaret Carew, dominates Judith, and it is a true mystery as to what is happening within her mind. You really have to read into it to know what I am referring to here, but it becomes very frightening in many places as Judith experiences strange events. The psychiatrist, Dr. Patel, puts her under hypnosis, giving her a drug that makes her regress further into her confusing past.

The other stories in the book, were even scarier yet, than Anastasia. If you feel like a good thrill, read on!

The sories in this book are great reading. This is the 2nd book by Mary Higgins Clark that I have read and I loved it. Having 5 short stories in one book was great for my short attention span. If you do not have a lot of time to sit down and read a whole book at one time, this would deffinatly be a good to read. You could read one story at a time.

My favortie story was the first one, The Anastasia Syndrome. A womans mind is taken over by an evil womans mind from the past. You will never guess how it ends.

The other four stories were very enjoyable reads as well. Terror Stalks the Class Reunion will keep you guessing through the whole story.

Lucky Day starts out as a lucky day for one man and turns out to be unlucky for him and two other people.

Double Vision is a bit of a stretch for the title. You have to read it to find out why.

The Lost Angel is my least favorite but an enjoyable read any way.

MAry Higgins Clark has done it again. This author just can't miss.

I have never read a book of her's that has disappointed and this is no exception. It is a little different in that instead of one story-- it is four little stories. Each one with its own little twists and turns. Perfect short story reading for a commuter or a busy parent on the run!

Miss Mary, keep 'em coming!

I have never seen a book that loses so much with its translation. It's pathetic. You MUST stay away from this book, specially if you have the chance to read the Spanish version. Just an example of pathetic: The value given to treasure found by the Spanish in Mexico in early 1500s, is in US Dollars !!!!!!!!!

Life is way too short. Stay away !!!!!!

This is one of only two books that I always make sure to keep in duplicate. (The other is The Path Between the Seas about building the Panama Canal.) Not only do people refuse to return it (I live where they cannot go out and buy their own), but I might NEED it at any time...just so I can enthuse over it. I've read it twice, and think I may read it again soon. I DO read Spanish, but the English is OK, too, since the Spanish of Diaz is more difficult than what we use now and needed editing badly due to prolixity, redundancy, etc.

Forget political correctness and historical revisionism; read this with an open mind. Bernal Diaz, one of Cortez's minions, was there and present historians weren't. No historical figure gets off easy in this book. The Spanish were warriors and met Aztec warriors. Truly one of the best-written books ever. Though it is in translation, the style translates well into English and is simply riveting. The best Hollywood screenwriters couldn't invent this adventure though I bet it's influenced many writers.

Quite simply, this is an amazing read. An eyewitness account of the Spanish march to modern day Mexico, it spares few details.

Of particular interest is the feud between the two Spanish camps early on and the manner in which it was resolved. Then to top it off, there is the slow and arduous march toward central Mexico, with alliances forged and broken, and diplomatic gestures galore. The account of the what is now Mexico City is breathtaking. Often times, I felt as if I were reading about some kind of world created in a J.R.R. Tolkien story.

I can't recommend this book enough, along with the notes by Hugh Thomas, which I believe provide a fair and proper context for understanding both the actions of the Conquistadors and the Aztecs.

This is one of the best books I have ever read, Bernal Diaz provides in great depth the CONQUEST OF MEXICO and the fall of the Mexica(Aztecs). For anyone interested in Mexican History or the history of the Western Hemisphere in general, this is a must. The chapters are short and easy to read, as well as addicting, especially during the final siege of Mexico. This is a great book to read especially if you're from Zapotlanejo, Jalisco or from Norwalk, California. This book is a great stepping stone on the subject and one should also check out Letters from Mexico(letters from Cortes himself) and Broken Spears(the Aztec account of the Conquest). Orale!

This installment of Richard Bolitho's adventures is a great read.
Bolitho must face mutiny and whip his crew into shape. Can he prevail? Of course, but there is a lot of action along the way. Kent's novels are just packed with action and fighting, so if that's what you want in a naval fiction series, then this is the series to read. The books are also easy to read--not too much jargon and the stories move along at a quick pace.
One other thing that I like about the Bolitho series is that there is a bit more realism with respect to the battles than in some of the other series I've read. No one in Bolitho's posse is safe--many of his closest buddies get blown away. I was actually sad when his beloved cox'n bought it in this one. For some reason, I had just thought he'd be there through the entire series. So, any particular character may be there for a while, but then disappear, only to be replaced by someone else. I guess the navy must have been like that at the time.
Very good read; you'll enjoy it.

Great story of adventure on the high seas. Good descriptions of period naval battles and interesting historical information.

It's a very good book in a very good series. For some reason, it just keeps getting sadder, but I like it anyway. This one's quite so sad yet, but it's getting there. Also, there's an important character with the same name as me, and that's always fun, unless that person dies. Then it's kind of scary. I liked Bolitho better when he was younger, though. He's happier. Read it. You'll enjoy it.

After reading this I agree that Kent's story is better than the Hornblower novels.
But is that saying much?
This is still schoolboy stuff.

You can get just as much action and adventure on the high seas, but well written with real backbone and depth reading the work of Patrick O'Brian.

Do yourself a favour naval history fans and google PATRICK O'BRIAN

From the sound of the spikes on the cement, the movie is authentic. From the opening lines to the end, the book is bittersweet in it's finest form. Running around the field at Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines in 1976, our shortstop, Vinnie Mallozzi from South Babylon Long Island and I, the second baseman would run and without prompting would hum or whistle "The Streets of Larado." The locker room, like the barracks or in our case, our ship, is a place for men, of lessons learned and friendships formed. Before The Natural, Fields of Dreams or Bull Durham, there were Mark Harris' novels and this movie with Robert DeNiro of all people as Bruce Pearson that showed men as they are and maybe more importantly of what they want to be. Don't play baseball much these days, but I still have a bat, a glove and a baseball. What I also do is hum Streets of Larado while on my runs, in rememberance.

My wife checked the book-on-tape version of this novel out for me from the public library, so that I could listen to it as I commuted to and from work. Wow! What a beautiful and powerful story.

We are, all of us, dying. But when we are confronted with that fact, it helps us to appreciate what time we have. Mark Harris weaves this simple idea into a stunning and unforgettable story.

5 stars to the book, and 5 stars for my very thoughtful wife!

This is one that I really hated to finish because I was enjoying it so much. Probably the best sports fiction book I've ever read. I enjoyed it much more than The Natural. The characters seem very realistic. The book manages to be both funny and sad, and it captures the feel of a real baseball season with all the personal interactions that happen between games. Now, I only wish I knew how to play Tegwar.

Bang The Drum Slowly is a must read book for sports fans and an entertaining book for casual readers. The book starts with "Author" getting a call from his friend Bruce. Author finds out that Bruce is diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Bruce tells only Author because he is his only friend on the baseball team. Author feels responsible for Bruce and keeps his spirits up. The team goes through most of the season dysfunctional and barely staying in first place. The team finds out about his illness and rallies around him. Bruce's career is revived, while salvaging the season. Bruce dies at the end of the novel before the season is finished. Bang The Drum Slowly is an enjoyable for all readers. Mark Harris writes the book in first person as the character Author. The book is written sloppy to fit Author's baseball personality. The description, feelings, and visualization are not great, so the book is not for a meticulous reader. If you are looking for a book to entertain you, then Bang The Drum Slowly is a perfect book to choose. Harris does a good job by putting you in the lives of the baseball players. He shows all the different personalities and how the mesh on a team. It is interesting to learn how the baseball players live. You learn about the player's constantly traveling, media, and refraining from bad desires from big cities. As a baseball player, I enjoyed learning how the players I worship live. After reading the book, you learn that baseball was only a small part of it. Harris emphasizes the importance of friendships. He shows how great accomplishments can be achieved if people work together and give it their all. The love in friendships can do great things. Bruce became a great baseball player after every one rallies around him because it improves his self-esteem. Bang The Drum Slowly is a great book because it strongly gets its theme across while making the reader keep the book in the readers hands. YOU MUST READ BANG The Drum Slowly!!!

I first read Bang the Drum Slowly as a high school student and it stayed on my mind for several days after I finished it. In fact, it had such an impact on the way that I saw life that I was more than a little reluctant to read it again, fearing that my fond memories of the book would be spoiled. That kind of thing has happened to me several times in the past, but not this time. Bang the Drum Slowly is still the great book that I experienced the first time around.

In the era before free agency rules made millionaires out of very mediocre baseball players, even all-star left-handed pitchers had to find work in the off season. Henry Wiggin, star lefthander for what was probably the best team in baseball during the early 1950s, the New York Mammoths, was no exception. Henry took to selling life insurance and annuities to his fellow ball players and he became quite good at his sales job. One of Henry's customers was Bruce Pearson, a third-string Mammoth catcher who bought an insurance policy covering his life only to later discover that he was dying of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a disease that was incurable in the 1950s.

Bang the Drum Slowly at its base is a realistic baseball novel told in the words (and with the spelling skills) of a small town boy born during the Depression who had the physical skills to become a major league baseball pitcher. It is an honest look at what goes on off the field and in the clubhouse when athletes spend more time on the road, and with each other, than they spend with their wives and children. There are racial tensions, drinking problems, womanizing and personality clashes that have to be dealt with by management, a baseball management generally interested only in the club's bottom line.

The heart of this story, however, is the bad break that fate has handed Bruce Pearson. He faces imminent death even in what turns out to be the best season of his career. Henry Wiggin, feeling protective of the naïve Pearson, does his best to keep Pearson's secret from team management and their teammates. But when word of Pearson's situation slowly begins to leak, amazing things begin to happen to the New York Mammoths and to Bruce Pearson.

Mark Harris, who passed away just a few weeks ago, will long be remembered for Bang the Drum Slowly, a book that was chosen by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 100 sports books of all time. This book has something for baseball fans and non-sports fans alike and, even after such a long absence, I enjoyed spending time again with Henry Wiggin.

The Buccaneers of America is a great book on pirates! Captain Morgan is discussed in this book. A must read for all pirate buffs!

Exquemelin's account of Carribbean piracy is a classic - it details not only the exploits of a number of individual pirates (l'Olonnaise, Pierre le Grande, Cpt. Morgan to name a few), but also the daily lives of the crew and the democratic nature of a pirate's life in general.

Interspersed among tales of piracy on the high seas (and, often times on land as well), Exquemelin provides a travelouge, vividly describing the flora, fauna, inhabitants and principal ports along the Caribbean. While there are exaggerations, on the whole it provides an excellent first-hand account of life in the Americas when piracy was at its zenith. Highly recommended for historians, pirate fans (and lets face it, who isn't a fan of pirates?), and especially those going to or coming from holiday in the Caribbean. A fascinating read.

This book was very interesting and did not put me to sleep. It kept the history poignant and interesting and did not slow me down at all. As a person who is very into diving and history, the book really enlightened me as to facts about Pirate history that I did not know before. Definitely a must read for anyone who is interested in maritime history or just pirates.

This book was a good account of the violence that ensued when the Buccaneers went in search of gold, liquor and women. It is more of an insider account of violent acts and missions perpetrated by the buccanneers than anything else, but it also gives an interesting description of the pirates (bucs) encounters with Indians, animals, like the cayman and turtles which I found most interesting. The bulk of the history focuses on the warfare between Morgan and the Spanish, and some of the pirate codes and practices that existed among Morgan's men.

Originally published in Dutch, this version is translated by Alexis Brown. The author, Alexander O. Exquemelin (spelling varies widely between versions and sources), provides a first hand account of the environs, history and, to him, current accounts of several of the well known buccaneer captains.

Much of the book is in travel log format and describes the various towns, flora and fauna of the Caribbean, especially locales like Tortuga, Panama and Hispaniola. The author describes various animals and often their suitability as food, such as the differing qualities of the various types of turtles and even manatees. His descriptions of the trees and animals are fairly detailed and the modern reader can often make the connection with current names.

The other focus of the book is a set of narratives of two of the better known buccaneers: Francis L'Olonnais and Henry Morgan. The author provides accounts and opinions of the exploits of these two men and their crews, including the less than admirable usage of torture.

This is required reading for any with more than just a passing interest in pirates (I am somewhat ashamed that it has taken me nearly 8 years to get around to this cornerstone for a true understanding of buccaneers). While the biographical content is limited to just two buccaneers, the basic understanding of the buccaneer lifestyle and environment provide a firm basis for understanding much of what transpired during the 17th century in the Caribbean as well as what was to follow in the Golden Age of Piracy.
P-)

This is Arthur Conan Doyle's second collection of short stories originally published in the Strand magazine. Reading my way through the canon for the first time, I am often struck by how violent and frightening the stories sometimes are, in contrast to the cozy, fireside mysteries I had expected. (Just for the record, it comes as a pleasant surprise.) Within the pages of this fine book, you will encounter a brutal mutiny on the high seas, a sinister case of kidnapping and torture, and any number of fiendish murders, all unraveled by the deductive genius of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle continues to construct fascinating mysteries and shows his more enlightened side with the sympathetic treatment of interracial marriage in "The Yellow Face," which is welcome in light of the occasional problematic references to race in some of his earlier works.

These are some of my favorite stories in the Canon! Silver Blaze includes the memorable line about "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time" ("The dog did nothing in the night-time. That was the curious incident, remarked Sherlock Holmes)". The Gloria Scott may be the start of Holmes career as consulting detective, and in these Memoirs we also have the introduction of brother Mycroft. The annotation by Leslie Klinger on this edition is superb, with diversions into the constant problem of train timetables (Did Watson purposely obscure these facts?). I was interested in her annotation of the difference between American and English editions (for example in "Yellow face" the longer time that Grant Munro was silent in the American Edition was "presumably because inter-racial marriage was unacceptable in America in the 1890's"). The footnotes always help to place the stories in context (for example what is "brain-fever" suffered in 7 of the Holmes stories?) and also detect inconsistencies in Watson's telling. Perhaps my favorite footnote is in "The Yellow Face" stating that actor William Gillette may have been to the Holmes household and met the page "Billy" (Who was played by Charlie Chaplin in 1903!). The few appendices deal; with "Sherlock Holmes the Horseplayer", "The post-graduate years", or "Theories of Mycroft Holmes". The Sidney Paget drawings are always welcome!

What can we say about the literary icon Sherlock Holmes that hasnt already been? Very little, so we therefore redirect our evaluations towards the unending line of dramatizations that even today are still being released. In my humble opinion, these are the best efforts, certainly in pure audio format, of these immortal tales ever to be produced. Merrison may at first bug you as he did me. We are used to a more booming authoritative Holmes. Merrison has a decidedly very small and nasally timbre to his voice. But his incredible acting abilities will quickly win you over. His absolute command of the situations and his sadly all too sparsely employed dry humor; make him as formidable a Holmes as any who have attempted the role. Contrast to Jeremy Brett's somewhat effeminate and decidely dark interpretation of the great detective, Merrison offers a much more genial and personable version, yet one that is no less impressionable than any of his predecessors. But it's the late Michael Williams to me, however, who finally after 100 years of fruitless attempts by actors, displays a true understanding of the character of the narrator, John Watson, and in doing so, makes these productions such a resounding triumph. Watson is all too often seen as a boob, ala Nigel Bruce. Or when not, he is played as dry humorless tagalong. These stories, through Williams's depictions, offer us at last an interesting and complex Watson. As Doyle no doubt intended him to be. Clearly no match for his constant companion intellectually, but as the absolute invaluable assistant to Holmes. Gone are such ponderings as "Why would a genius keep company with such a fool?" Or "Why would such an interesting multi faceted eccentric, befriend a lifeless, vapid man of medicine?" As in all BBC productions, the supporting casts and sound effects, provide true listening enjoyment in the spirit of the golden age of radio.

Although he also wrote several novels featuring the world's greatest fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, it was especially in his short stories that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle perfected the Holmes formula. "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" (published in 1893) is the second of the five collections of Holmes short stories. Along with the third collection ("The Return of Sherlock Holmes"), "Memoirs" is generally regarded as inferior to the superlative first collection ("The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), but easily better than the last two in the series ("His Last Bow" and "The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes"). This collection includes Silver Blaze (usually regarded as one of the five all-time most popular stories in the Holmes canon), but also contains other excellent stories like The Stock-broker's Clerk, and The Musgrave Ritual, and favorites like The Reigate Puzzle, The Greek Interpreter, and The Final Problem. Those who have already enjoyed "Adventures" will certainly not want to miss "Memoirs".

Here's a list of the stories in this collection (with the better stories marked with stars):
**Silver Blaze, 1892 - Often regarded as one of the five all-time top 5 Holmes stories ever, this tale has Sherlock Holmes unravel the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of the prized race-horse Silver Blaze (favorite for the upcoming Wessex Plate), and the brutal murder of her trainer John Straker.
The Yellow Face, 1893 - Sherlock gets it wrong as he surmises that the strange behaviour of Grant Munro's American wife Effie is because her former husband is not dead.
**The Stock-broker's Clerk, 1893 - Just when he's about to start a new job at Mawson's, Hall Pycroft is offered another job copying out parts of a telephone directory for a ridiculously high salary, which turns out to be part of a scheme reminiscent of the favorite "The Red-headed League".
The 'Gloria Scott', 1893 - In a story with overtones of the premise behind "The Sign of Four", the arrival of an old sailor brings Mr. Trevor terror and death, as he is forced to face his past involvement as part of mutiny on the ship "Gloria Scott" while journeying to Australia as a convict.
**The Musgrave Ritual, 1893 - In another top ten favorite, Holmes unravels the strange "Musgrave Ritual" to solve the mystery behind the disappearance of a butler and a maid, and the discovery of bag with rusted metal and pieces of glass in a nearby lake at the home of Reginald Musgrave.
*The Reigate Puzzle , 1893 - While staying with Watson's friend Colonel Hayter near Reigate, Holmes gets to the bottom of the mysterious burglaries at the nearby Acton estate and the Cunningham estate, as well as the murder of the Cunningham's coachman William.
The Crooked Man, 1893 - Colonel Barclay is apparently murdered by his devoted wife Nancy, but Holmes uncovers the involvement of another party who is intimately involved in both of their pasts.
The Resident Patient, 1893 -Dr. Percy Trevelyan is paid to practice medicine in the house a gentleman called Blessington, and when Blessington is apparently commits suicide, it takes Holmes to explain the connection of these events with a gang of five bank robbers.
*The Greek Interpreter, 1893 - Sherlock pairs up with his brother Mycroft Holmes, whose neighbour Melas is taken to a secret location to act as a Greek interpreter in a very suspicious affair involving a woman and man from Greece.
The Naval Treaty, 1893 - Holmes helps Percy Phelps, a former class-mate of Watson, recover an important naval treaty document that was stolen.
*The Final Problem, 1893 - Often regarded as being in the top ten of the canon, here Holmes apparently meets his end in a duel at the hands of Professor Moriarty, "the Napoleon of crime", after Holmes has had his gang arrested and unmasked him as the organizer and mastermind behind criminal activity in London.
- GODLY GADFLY

What a wonderful surprise it was to come across Leslie Klinger's outstanding annotated versions of the Sherlock Holmes stories on Amazon! Klinger's notes are extremely helpful and informative (not to mention entertaining), and the copious illustrations by Paget are a great addition as well. This (and the other volumes, of which Adventures, Hound of the Baskervilles, and Study in Scarlet have been published to date) are a worthy successor to William Baring-Gould's justly acclaimed annotated Holmes from years back, and are, in opinion, a better value and more enjoyable read than the rather dry Oxford editions.

If you are new to Sherlock Holmes, this may not be the most economical way to pick up all of Conan Doyle's work. But if you are a long-time Holmes fan, or just want to experience the Holmes stories in a deeper and more informed way, I can think of no better purchase than this. Very highly recommended!!!

Spenser is summoned by the general manager of the Boston Red Sox and asked to investigate their start pitcher, Marty Rabb. There are some whispers that Rabb may be throwing games and Spenser is asked to provide a definitive answer one way or another. Spenser starts poking around and is soon on a trail that leads him to Illinois, New York, and back to Boston. What he learns only creates new problems and it's up to Spenser to figure out how to help Rabb and the Sox while keeping himself alive and healthy.

Spenser is a smart mouth P.I. who does his best to do the right thing. This may not make him the most original creation in modern fiction, but he's an enjoyable character. The banter is pretty solid and Spenser gets some pretty good lines. Most of the supporting characters were solid and had distinct personalities. The story moved along at a good clip and definitely held my interest.

Mortal Stakes is the third in the Spenser series with thirty-five published to date. This was my first experience with Robert B Parker as an author, let alone this character. It didn't immediately launch itself onto my list of all-time favorites, but I'm interested enough to try another Spenser book. Having said that, I would obviously recommend this novel to either first time readers or established Parker fans.

MORTAL STAKES is the third Spenser novel, and is one of the best ones. The plot involves Spenser being hired by the Boston Red Sox to determine whether one of their pitchers is throwing games. Spenser's investigation leads him to look deep into the personal history of the pitcher's wife, which reveals quite a few skeletons.

I really enjoy reading Parker's prose. The writing in MORTAL STAKES is lean, funny, and always entertaining. His early Spenser books are the best, because the character is still young, fresh and unsure of himself. In the later books, he becomes a bit too much of a self-satisfied superhero for my tastes. My advice is to read the first ten Spenser novels first -- they are some of the best private eye fiction you will ever read.

In short, MORTAL STAKES is a classic novel by one of the most important American crime writers working today. If you've never read Parker, this novel is certainly worth your time, although you might want to read GOD SAVE THE CHILD first to get a bit more background on who Spenser is.

In the 3rd Spenser outing, he is hired to investigate the Boston Red Sox to see if one of the team is being paid to throw some of the games. His investigations take him to some strange places and he digs up some dirt he wasn't expecting - as well as some serious trouble for himself.

Oddly enough, this book left me a bit cold - I can't quite place my finger on why I didn't find this book as enjoyable as the first two. Perhaps it is due to the many places where Spenser waxes philosophical for no particular reason. Perhaps it is the way that clues seem to just fall into his lap. Maybe it is just because I'm reading it at work and work leaves me in a foul mood. Whatever the reason, don't let me cause you to pass up this book; Spenser fans will want to read it so they don't miss out on a minute of this series.

Loved the reality/fiction twist of Spenser going undercover as a writer to get into baseball back rooms and detect from inside the game. The poem introducing this heavenly concept of work overlapping play was a perfect preface. Of course the meaning in those lines from Robert Frost descend into deadly seriousness, beyond a person's job taking him into his most passionate pastime.

It appears that, for Robert B. Parker, the heart of Boston's commerce and culture is baseball at Fenway Park. That is where this author appears to live. And where Spenser opens gateways for Parker's dreams... and nightmares.

To me, Parker seemed happy to be writing this book within this setting with mirrors reflecting mirrors of "plays" within plays that Spenser's opening interviews didn't feature suspects/clients offering delicatessen varieties of The Limburger Reek. The beauty of the baseball scene was captured perfectly, from the spectators in the stands, to the clean locker room banter, to the management organizational structure and press picture, to the sharks feeding among the sacred roots of the game. Even though I'm not into baseball, by page 4 Parker had me hooked into his ambiance. I felt the realism in the levels of the game, felt Spenser's joy (at the outset) to be doing this case.

It seemed to me as if, by this third Spenser novel, copyright 1975, Parker was feeling his oats as an author, had established his commercial appeal, and was really stepping out to write what and how he'd always wanted: Baseball, within the classic framework of detective fiction.

Loved the joked-up titles for his fictional book, off-colored ditties which lead to an appropriate one. I was curious what Spenser would come up with, contrasted to his hokey (as he meant them to be) jokes, and he dropped the head-liner at the precise time and place for effect.

It was nice, as a change of pace, to see Spenser as slightly less of a wise guy and more of a vulnerably happy man eating up the perks of his profession (though his artfully acerbic wit, which I relish, certainly wasn't lacking).

I'm happy to report that this third novel was written in the meaty narrative style of the prior two novels, rather than in the pared down dialogue dance of his later works, though I do not mean to disparage the honed beauty of his later work. Just wanted to enjoy his early, classic P.I. style (with its sensual gourmet touches), wanted to stretch out for a while prior to the sophisticated-dialogue-rap condensing narrative complexity into Parker's signature syntax dance.

I wonder how many novels Parker wrote with the setting and location detail riding equal to or above the dialogue and interview process. I'm going to enjoy the heck out of finding out where/how his style evolved. Would like to also unearth the whys, but I'd have to interview the man to get to that groundwork.

Though writing fictional works is my favorite outlet for my talent (making work into play), when I've despaired of being published right in that venue, I've sometimes toyed with the idea of writing a novel based on facts featuring the development and expression of a talent like Parker's, a full, meaty story showing how his talent was guided and manipulated by whatever factors. Sidney Sheldon's memoirs, THE OTHER SIDE OF ME (See my review posted 1/14/06), does a great job of exposing how his expression was hammered by those jealous of ability expressed well, developed by ungodly hard work with good luck mixed into the bad, endured torture to arrive at a success few could fully comprehend, though his memoirs explain a lot.

Another amazing example of how life's events mold talent is Stephen King's ON WRITING (my review dated 10/13/06). Apparently King is frightening enough that many people seem to pause at least twice before tarnishing his talent in public venues which King might read.

But King and Sheldon's books (those mentioned above) are nonfiction. If I wanted to (or even could) take time away from writing pure fiction (I'm ambivalent about alternate routes for expression, because I'm better with fiction than with fact), I'd like to write factual information into novel form, with a focus on what manipulated an auspicious author's talent into the types of books published under his name, an author like Robert B. Parker.

And, I've wondered if the stalking incidents in HUSH MONEY and WALKING SHADOW (my reviews dated 4/11 & 13/06) were based on actual incidents in Parker's life. I've also wondered if his wife, Joan, is as feisty as Susan was in HUSH MONEY. In the real world, Joan probably wouldn't (for understandable reasons) act out the drama quite as Susan did. But, I'll bet RB and Joan enjoyed the heck out of Susan's scenes taking care of the "lady" stalker. Readers aren't the only ones who live vicariously in novels.

What's fiction for if not to write or read about what we'd love (and sometimes fear) to be able to do in life but, for various reasons of cowardliness, courage, or consequences, cannot.

Returning to the issues and joys of MORTAL STAKES, the above tangent subtly explains why I enjoyed so much reading about Parker (via Spenser) wallowing in his passion of Fenway Park baseball. The above tangent also backs up my reasons for appreciating Parker's inclusion of detail of Spenser's personal and professional daily routines. When an author writes when, how, and what his main character eats his daily bread, that author not only draws that character from its essence, the author draws the reader in from the seat of where we all live at base reality.

Spenser's daily routine actions spread like gourmet-peanut-butter and homemade jam over Parker's pages, following Spenser's exit from the ball park, through the following day. Those scenes were a premium use of narrative space lush with syntax ambiance, all of which effected a perfect set up for the riveting scene of mob-type intrusion into Parker's office by Frank Doerr and back up guy. This type of narrative contrast makes high art, the contrast between a heavy risk scene holding "mortal stakes," coming on after the reader has gotten comfortable wallowing in a character's simple, daily human machinations, a character running through "at home" routines, meandering through "at play" situations involving his greatest passions (especially when the pleasurable addictions overlap his livelihood necessities).

After that stirring of contrasting scenes, the comfy/schmoozing Vs. the risky/riveting elements had welded into a novel I wasn't wanting to end. And, in essence, it wouldn't end until I rolled through over 20 more Spenser novels after this one. Yeah!

(I wonder, how Parker felt chained to this venue for a lifetime. He did successfully manipulate it to express various angles of his literary creativity and ethics development process. Maybe he loved every day of his work as an author. Or did he sometimes want to pull his hair out, scream primal howls, to get out of the detective novel constraints? He did develop other series characters and accomplished those Spenser sidelines well.)

Who would have thought a reader like me, who has absolutely zilch natural interest in spectator sports, would have become cozily enchanted, actually entranced by a novel worked around and within baseball. To be able to accomplish this, heavy-duty talent is required to be firing on all cylinders.

V-rrrrooooooooommmmmmmm.

This is what happens when work is play for an author. Yet reading the Frost poetry more closely, it says, "when work is play for mortal stakes." This play is serious. The work of an author, no matter how glamorous or how fun it may seem, is serious. Should editors open the gateway, then get out of the way? (Until the creation is complete, then offer assistance if/as requested?) I don't know. I'm just a fool full of brain sparks. And, with second thoughts having fizzled, I realize Parker, like Sheldon and King, should write his own memoirs. I couldn't EVEN do justice to a biography on Parker's authorship evolution. I live so far into the ozone of fiction, I too often get my facts wrong.

But, a few questions remain.

How would Brenda and Susan contrast, in fitting into baseball and the P.I.'s life, into the life which is played with mortal stakes? The sparing scenes with each of these female sidekicks were beautifully, sensitively, and thougtfully drawn.

And what of the economic/cultural contrasts dramatized so crushingly clearly here, of lives varying from the clean health of Spenser's personal ablutions and ruminations, to the varieties of physical deterioration and downtrodden, deathly drudgery; from urban renewal edging against City Pimp-ery, to a Heartland Hero protecting the sad sanctuary of "his people" lost to an exhausting poverty of mud and swill?

Of course Parker dealt with those situations with his usual finesse, largesse, and an abundance of duress. Earthy wisdom was also applied with Biblical eyes and teeth, gusto and grace.

Before leaving this book, I felt a need to study the sophisticated symbolism of the "setup" location and situation.

What does contemplation of the scene's description bring to mind?

As did the caring, relishing (reader drool inducing) way Spenser took time to cook for himself, the "setup" setting symbolized what Spenser was defending in a battle no less than a full out war, which involved defending the continued existence of everything he held dear, including his life and the sacred people and parts in a way of life hard won in the US. The setting Spenser chose for his showdown scene also symbolized what was sea creature, at the center of that life, ripping its flesh and eating the people and parts.

In MORTAL STAKES, Parker stepped into the storms of life as we're growing it. He stuck his thick neck out and really said something. Go beyond thought spaces between sentences. This work is such a cohesive whole the undercurrents might be best seen after the last page has been turned. Slowly.

Linda G. Shelnutt

Mortal Stakes, the third in the Spenser series, is wonderful on many levels. It is more than just about baseball and blackmail and a lone wolf PI taking on underworld thugs. It is also about relationships: between couples, between business partners, between a sports idol and his fans and also his teammates. Parker handles all of these relationships well, with the plot twisting down to a somewhat surprising end: the hero is not who you think! Excellent read - I highly recommend.

I particularly liked the feel of this book. If felt like it could have been written when the book took place. I also liked how some plot was nicely summarized rather than drawn out into what could have been many chapters, making a concise complete story. One problem I had was with the action in the book. This is supposed to an adventure but many of the fight/action scenes are scantily described. There was a bit of a lack of character development, but by the end the important players were fleshed out well enough. I thought the psychoanalysis of the characters was good as well, not being overdone as in some books, but there enough to lend some insight into decisions that characters made. Overall this was an enjoyable read.

Captain Blood pales in comparison. This is an Erol Flynn type story with no holds barred. Tougher to make a film on it, but the story is stop notch. I really enjoyed it and was sorry whe the book ended. I wanted more.

The book is a melodrama. The first part consists of the main character wanting to marry a 17 year old girl but her brother objects. Lots of talking. Very little action. A duel is almost literally described as "in a few minutes it was over". The second part consists of a woman urging her husband to dislike the main character. Scene after seen of this.

If you just read the plot it reads like a swashbuckling adventure. But the book expands the drama scenes and barely mentions any action. It is well written if you like melodrama. The characters are not all that deep but they are well written and distinct.

"Captain Blood" is adventurism with lots of action and good character studies. "The Sea Hawk" is also adventure but with far less action and more fascinating character studies. Sabatini invents intriquing thought processes for the leading characters that lead to the unexpected . He is almost as good as Tolstoy in opening up heads. The translation is excellent as the words just flow making it difficult to put the book down.

I find it hard at times to pick up novels written a century ago or so, the language can be archaic, the pace a little slow... Not so this novel. It amazed me how quickly I could adapt to Sir Oliver and his world. The heroes were larger than life, the villains deliciously captivating. I found it incredibly hard to put down. It's just nice to read about a hero that stands for something, a person true to their beliefs. Purists would say Sabatini relies on coincidence to move his plot forward, but the world he creates makes it all believable. If you are hesitant about reading the prose of classic swashbuckling literature, read the first three chapters, I guarantee you'll be hooked ;)

Do not, repeat, do NOT start reading this book late in the evening when you have to work the next morning! You'll be red-eyed in the morning. I could hardly put it down. Our hero, Bolitho, is put in command of a sloop, the Sparrow, and takes on the Americans and French in various places and assignments. There is even a girl. But, thank goodness, she doesn't ruin the story, as the inclusion of so many girls often does to a good war story. Nevertheless, Kent keeps the narrative moving along with plenty of action and adventure. As opposed to some other series, many of Bolitho's officers, indeed friends, actually get killed. So, you never really know what is going to happen in any particular battle.
This is great reading. Of course, it's not a documentary (as some other reviewer pined away about); it's naval FICTION. Whenever anything is put to print or on film for entertainment, that's what it is--entertainment.
And, boy, is this good stuff! Can hardly wait to pick up the next book.

Having started in this genre with C.S. Forester's Hornblower novels and gone on the Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, I was delighted to run across this book as it looked as though there might be a whole new series in the same vein.

What a disappointment!

The prose is awful (particularly his descriptions of places and conditions at sea). Mr. Kent seems not to have spent much time (if any) at sea under sail. His descriptions regularly sound second-hand.

The speech and the thinking of his characters are thoroughly twentieth century, which makes it nearly impossible to suspend disbelief and enter into the supposed eighteenth century world of the novel.

There is a three-year gap in the narrative for no apparent reason. It's a TV-like transition with the words "Three Years Later" floating in front of the ship as we return from a commercial break.

Finally, the historical research is seriously lacking which leads him into some serious blunders. The manners and morals of the time, the politics of the American Revolution, and the regulations and traditions of the Royal Navy are all just a little off in Mr. Kent's retelling. The overall effect of these many (admittedly small) errors is to render the book most annoying to anyone who is familiar with the period.

The lingering sense that the book leaves is not of a recreation of the period but of a low-budget made-for-TV adaptation filmed mostly on a sound stage with an American action film director.

If you're interested in good historical fiction from the age of fighting sail, Patrick O'Brian is still the master. If you've not yet read his 20 volume series, you're in for a treat. If you have, then there's no way you are going to find this pale imitation satisfying. My best advice in that case might be to row ashore and fight the Napoleonic wars on the ground with Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe.

One of my favorite early Kent novels about Bolitho. Good description of sea battles and interesting side adventures of historical interest. This novel and " To Glory We Steer " provide a since of the period and life as a sailor in the English navy. I plan to purchase all the Kent series by this publisher to complete my collection.

With this book my opinion of Alexander Kent soars. This is a terrifically well written novel of small ship coastal actions during the American rebellion. Bolitho has risen to command his own ship and is engaged in many forms of convoy duty under some commanders of indifferent talent or active malevolence. It is a tale of astounding betrayals, and unexpectedly resolute loyalty. The book is two stories in one (as also was the first volume, Midshipman Bolitho), set in 1778 off the East Coast and then in 1781 in the Bahamas, the beginning and end of his time in command of the Sparrow sloop.

This is a masterful story in young command. It presents a remarkable interior look at the development of command, not only in the outward heroism of Bolitho and the contrasting incompetence of arrogant superiors, but of their inner states of mind, and occasionally that of their subordinates in the gut-wrenching heat of battle. We see the minutiae for which a captain is responsible, but especially the burden of command when people will die from the decisions he must make. Also, Bolitho falls resoundingly in love again, this time with an insouciant and manipulative aristocrat, of whom he had best beware! (This minx would make a great continuing character, a beguiling nemesis in the wings.) This is an altogether better and deeper story than its predecessors. It is as full of exciting episodes of bloody action as ever, but contains multiple plot lines and carries an emotional depth that is new.

As the title implies, basically a dark fantasy and horror collection, of consistently decent quality, the highlight being The Small Assassin. A 3.43 average for this book.

Dark Carnival : The Homecoming - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : Skeleton - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Jar - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Lake - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Tombstone - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Smiling People - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Emissary - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Traveller - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Small A55a55in - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Crowd - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Handler - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : Let's Play 'Poison' - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : Uncle Einar - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Wind - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Night - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : There Was an Old Woman - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Dead Man - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Man Upstairs - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : Cistern - Ray Bradbury
Dark Carnival : The Next in Line - Ray Bradbury


I want to feel the wind beneath my wings. Or I'll cry.

3.5 out of 5


Bone chart discovery.

3.5 out of 5


Known freak contents.

3.5 out of 5


Water girl memory.

3 out of 5


"I mean that I won't sleep in no room with no corpse."

3.5 out of 5


Cutthroat dinner.

3.5 out of 5


Dog and death.

3.5 out of 5


Telepathic head help.

3.5 out of 5


Rugrat's gonna get me, maybe I should get it first?

4 out of 5


Accident cycle.

3.5 out of 5


Undertaking revenge.

3.5 out of 5


Defenestrating death kids.

3.5 out of 5


Flying drying zapped.

3.5 out of 5


Unexpected airy visitor.

3.5 out of 5


Not dead dad.

3.5 out of 5


Aunty Death fighter.

3 out of 5


Alive, maybe not, but definitely smelly.

3 out of 5


Chicken choppin' granny stropper monster stopper.

3.5 out of 5


Well dead.

3.5 out of 5


Don't mind the mummies, sleepy girl.

3.5 out of 5


Well dead.

3 out of 5


Don't mind the mummies, sleepy girl.

3.5 out of 5

Anyone with any degree of interest in Bradbury's work should buy this book NOW. Not only is it the coveted & long sought-after Dark Carnival, but it contains a TON of other incredible stuff. Chances are Dark Carnival won't see the light of day after this edition is sold out, so treat yourself to this book. Classic, magical, wonderful stories that only Ray could write. A timeless book put together magnificantly by the folks at Gauntlet Press. Bravo!

Stories receive 5 Stars. Book Value Regarding Asking Price Receives No stars! I ordered this new limited edition book of Dark Carnival. While the stories are some of the best ever from one of our greatest living writers, this book is a complete RIPOFF! When I ordered this book for a whopping $...I thought this book was supposed to be signed by Bradbury and Clive Barker and come with a slipcase and a CD. I found neither signature in the book (no signature page) and no slipcase or CD. Only a printed facsimile of a letter to Bradbury's parents from 1947. I later found out that I would have to shell out another $...for a slipcase and the CD. Pricing an unsigned book with no slipcase at $... on a book that should be priced as a trade edition for about $...-$... is outrageous. Although I love the stories, Gauntlet is overpricing this book, especially when they are misleading as to what customers are actually getting for this money. Of the handful of signed limiteds I own, many have much higher production value for a lot less money. I would hope that more writers would take caution when allowing their books to be published here, and they should know what customers are getting for these signed limiteds. This prohibitively priced book that lacks a lower priced trade edition means that only 700 people will be able to own the book. What about the 1000's of other Bradbury fans?

I've long been a fan of Ray Bradbury. To own the signed edition with the cover of a painting, also by Bradbury, is a treasure. Stories never seen, and won't be again, lie waiting to take you on magical journeys. I say BRAVO to Gauntlet Press for all their hard work in collaborating with Mr. Bradbury to design the book as he wanted it! (Gauntlet works with authors, including Matheson, Bloch. Check them out). This book is the best of Bradbury. Incuded are his doodles, plus the cover pages of the magazines where the stories first appeared. No author can weave the web of magic that Bradbury does, and this book is a testament to that.
If you love his work, don't pass this rare opportunity to enter the magical edition.

For about 45 years I hoped to read, and possibly to own, Ray Bradbury's Dark Carnival. It was through Amazon.com that I found out that a new limited edition was printed in 2001.

After reading some of the stories that were reprinted in The October Country and a few other places, I finally got to acquire the whole thing.

Bradbury and Arkham House were finally cajoled into allowing this new edition to happen, after years of refusal. Bradbury himself has brief introductions to each of the origianl stories. And four more stories from Weird Tales have been added--all very worthy ones. Plus that there are extra pieces at the beginning and end of the book by editor Donn Albright, Bradbury, and others.