Characters Books

I've been a fan of Modesty and Willie since the books first came out, and I was a loyal reader of the strip in the London Evening Standard for many years.
If you like action novels, with unusual villains, fast-moving scenes, and plenty of tongue in cheek humor, Modesty Blaise is the girl for you, and 'Modesty Blaise', the first novel in the series, is a good place to start.
After writing non-fiction for many years, I turned to fiction in 2003, and my first novel 'Snides' is available on Amazon. As a gesture of homage to Peter O'Donnell, I created an action duo, John Pilgrim and Sally Brandon. They're not straight copies of the originals and the best, Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin, but I've tried to hit their target of plenty of action, with a little humor.
I own the complete series of Modesty Blaise books, and one of them is always on my bedside table. I must have read them all dozens of times, but I still keep re-reading them!

Tony Walker
Scottsdale, Arizona

Modesty Blaise is the perfect woman. That is if the perfect woman is a different sort of beautiful, witty, funny, sophisticated, terrifyingly focused and a lethal killer without commitments.

If you like your superheroes or thrillers to be up close and personal, you need to read O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise. There are gadgets, guns, and impossible missions, not to mention hand to hand combat poetry.

In this book, Tarrant, of the British Secret Service, has a problem. He wants Modesty's help, but really has no leverage, except to play on how much she cares about Willie Garvin. The reasons why are revealed.

He does so, and they go into action. A very dangerous situation, and they must be captured by a ruthless man named Gabriel, to stop a diamond operation.

I became an instant fan from the beginning pages of this lst of a series. Modesty and Willie are fascinating, likeable characters with almost superhuman powers between them. They fight the evil doers of the world and win against all odds. The strong, fast moving plot is deeply satisfying with unexpected twists and turns. Even though it was written over 40 years ago, the characters are still fresh and compeling. Modesty can hold her head high in the world of superwomen who break rules when necessary for the greater good. A winner for both male and female readers!

Modesty Blaise started life as a cartoon strip, but O'Donnell then put his creation into novel form, and did a superb job in both formats. This is the first novel in the series, and introduces the setting and most of the main characters.

Modesty Blaise is a former refugee and survivor of the terrible disruptions caused by the war, and as a child drifted across Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the company of an old professor. She had to be tough to survive; but her companion instilled in her a strong moral code. She took over a small criminal gang and built it up into a powerful criminal organisation infused with that moral code--they never touched drugs or vice, and occasionally co-operated with the police and intelligence services to help clean up such crimes. She retired a wealthy woman at the age of 24.

As the novel opens, Modesty and her friend and former second-in-command Willie Garvin are finding that retirement is boring and adrenaline an addiction they cannot shake. Sir Gerald Tarrant, the head of British Intelligence, exploits that addiction to recruit them for an intelligence operation for which they are peculiarly suited. What follows is a thrilling caper novel pitting Modesty and Willie against a bizarre criminal mastermind. Tight plotting and wonderful prose make this a very entertaining read, with a unique pair of heroes. It's wonderful to see Souvenir Press reissuing the novels, making them available again to both a new generation of fans and those with fond memories.

It is hard to say whether the Modesty Blaise novels or the Modesty Blaise comic strips are better, but the lucky reader doesn't have to choose. Read both. The comic strips have been reprinted by Titan Books, Ken Pierce Books, Manuscript Press, and in Comics Revue magazine, and now the novels are being reissued. Also highly recommended are the books Peter O'Donnell wrote under the pseudonym Madeleine Brent.

The subtitle of this book could be "Love Is All There Is." Yet the characters in Mourners struggle without love. In the absence of love, they become brittle, unhappy, and bitter.

Like Nightcrawlers, this novel is about the three detectives in Nameless's agency, Nameless, Tamara Corbin, and Jake Runyon. Nameless is dealing with a suddenly cold and remote Kerry, his wife. Tamara Corbin is in agony over her lost boy friend. Jake Runyan is still in mourning for his second wife and in emotional pain due to his estrangement from his son, Joshua.

They are asked to trail a successful investment manager, James Troxell, how has taken to ignoring his work and his wife. It soon becomes apparent that Troxell is addicted to attending funerals and visiting grave sites. What's that all about?

The answers reveal some very dark secrets that are not easily brought to light for safe consumption.

You'll be haunted by this book and its powerful references to the noir tradition of detection. You'll also feel closer than ever to the characters in the book as you share their hurt through reading about their pain.

At the end, you'll come away with a deeper appreciation for the good things in your life. You won't want to trade your life with anyone in this book.

I always look forward to the release of a new Pronzini book. This one did not disappoint.

Mourners is Bill Pronzini's thirtieth entry in the Nameless P.I. series which has a bust in the Pantheon of P.I.s. Nameless (now going by "Bill") is probably in his 60s, married to Kerry, and has an adopted daughter Emily who is growing up too fast. His awkward fatherly "sex talk" with her is a classic scene. Yes, Nameless as a family man reveals a gentler, funnier side -- the result of mellowing age. In this case, the affluent financial consultant James Troxell attends all funerals of women who've died violently (thus the book's title). Naturally Troxell's wife is alarmed and hires Nameless to find out just why this erratic behavior. Nameless soon uncovers a women's brutal murder and her distraught sister. The P.I. firm's other two workers, Tamara Corbin and Jake Runyon, inject the subplots of their personal lives. Tamara is getting over her old boyfriend. Runyon does much of the heavy detective work, and his sections give the story its gritty, hardboiled flavor. The prose remains lean and vivid. I've read enjoyed reading all the titles, and Mourners is as good as any.

The "Nameless" agency team knows about separation and death. "Nameless" friend and partner committed suicide, Jake Runyon's wife died of cancer and Tamara's love has moved to Philadelphia. The agency has been hired, by his wife,to follow James Troxell. Rather than another woman, they find he is attending the funerals of women who have been raped and murdered. At a cemetery, Jake sees a young woman who reminds him of his late wife and who's sister was a victim. What is Troxell's connection to these victims?

Pronzini is such a fine writer. He takes, what could be, a basic mystery and layers it with text that deepens and enriches the plot. On the top level, this is a very good mystery. It leads the reader on a fascinating trail finding out exactly what the object character is up to. The sense of place, dialogue and suspense are all very well done. You become involved with all the characters and care about them. Even the minor, and somewhat unlikable, characters are ones you recognize. On a second level is the story of grief and mourning; it's many forms and the impact it has on various people's lives. I can't' say enough about this book. I am ready for the next in the series, and determinedly looking for the ones I'm missing. If you've not read this series, even with a few slight misses, start at the beginning and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!.

This another installment in Bill Pronzini's Nameless Detective series, called that because the lead detective's name is not divulged. The books typically take place in the San Francisco Bay area, and this one is no exception.

James Troxell attends the funeral of a young woman, who died violently, but Mr. Troxell has no connection whatsoever with the woman. Then he attends another funeral, again of a young woman, who died violently. Again, he has no connection with the woman, and the two women have no connection with each other. Mr. Troxell's habit continues, with as many as three funerals per week. A serial mourner?

The rest of the time, James Troxell led a successful, seemingly content life, with a good, lucrative job, and a caring wife. Except, Mrs. Troxell, her friend Sean Casement, and her lawyer, were becoming increasingly concerned about James Troxell. He would miss whole days at work, and disappeared two evenings per week, for several hours. The obvious suspicion was that he was having an affair, and Mrs. Troxell hired a private investigator to find out. Of course, it was the Nameless Detective, and his new assistant, Jake Runyon.

As they watch and follow and explore the past of James Troxell, Nameless and Jake discover Mr. Troxell's strange "hobby," but can find no evidence of any connection to any of the women, for whom Troxell attends funerals. But, they do discover, eventually, why he is driven to attend these funerals, and that discovery leads to a murder investigation, and another investigation altogether.

When Bill Pronzini writes, the characters are not cardboard cut-outs. Troxell is a strange man, burdened with something, and gradually crumpling beneath that something. His wife is very caring and bright, but possibly somewhat naïve. Nameless is a hero-type, but not because of any particularly extraordinary trait, save for his doggedness. Jake Runyon differs from Nameless in a few ways, yet they are also birds of a feather.

One of the main side-stories in Mourners is about the wife of the Nameless Detective, Kerry. Nameless and Kerry are very much in love, are very open with each other, and have adopted a teenage girl, Emily. But, Nameless and Emily have both noticed that Kerry has become irritable and guarded, and she does not look well. She denies any problem, or gets evasive, but it is not getting better. The unraveling of this personal mystery adds a human touch to the story.

Another side-story is about Tamara, the detective agency's technical investigator. Tamara follows money-trails, digs into records, and finds evidence via the computer. But, she has also shifted into a chronically grumpy mood, and will not discuss it, or even admit to anything being there to discuss. Kerry and Tamara are dealing with very different issues, but bother are realistic characters struggling to cope with problems that many people encounter.

Overview: Bill Pronzini's Nameless Detective novels are quick reads, as they are fast-paced. They feature a good mixture of quiet suspense and action sequences, with credible, three-dimensional characters. Mourners is a good example of the series, and its mystery is not run-of-the-mill. Did the main character do anything wrong at all? Why is James Troxell behaving this strangely, if not out of guilt for a horrible deed in his past? Will Nameless and Jake Runyon get to the bottom of it all? If something awful did occur, will the culprit be identified? And, what is wrong with Kerry and with Tamara? These questions do get answered, but only after a lot of digging, but that digging never gets dull or plodding.

-- Chris McCallister, author of Coming Full Circle

What a miserable life our Frost leads!

However, I don't feel sorry for him, because I know everyting will be all right with him in the end of the story.

I like happy-ending stories, and so I like this seiries of Inspector Frost.

This is my first Frost book and I'm an immediate fan. I've watched all of the TV series and loved them and am now enjoying the book too. The TV people have cleaned him up quite a bit physically and cleaned up his language too, as they'd have to in order to pass the censors but he still makes a wonderful character. The dishevelled, grubby, newly widowed Frost is joined by a new offsider, Det.Sgt.Frank Gilmore, only 24 years old, and totally unable to comprehend how this grubby, crumpled older man could possibly be the crack policeman that he is. As usual, the always fussy and inept Police Superintendent Mullett is always there to exasperate Frost, who does his job expertly, but in his own unorthodox way. There are two separate cases taking place, one the serial murders of old age pensioner women who are found with their throats slashed, and the other being a case of arson and murder. The writing is tight and the book flows seamlessly as the overworked police team from Denton moves in on the criminals. It's a great read which I can't praise highly enough.

Incredible. This was the first Frost book I read after seeing the inferior TV show first. In my opinion it's the best of all five Frost novels, with good mysteries, likeable (and unlikeable) characters, just about everything.

Whether you're British or American, you'll love this book (and the others in the series.) Here's hoping Wingfield writes more!

After reading all the Colin Dexter Inspector Morse books and feeling at a loss as to what could possibly satisfy me after such a delightful and rich reading experience, I was lucky enough to find Frost.Definitely not politically correct but what fun to read ! Great stuff.

Frost is a new series character for me and I will enjoy following him in this series. He is brash, rude, profane, obscene, callous, rough-edged, filthy minded and has poor personal hygiene. Nonetheless, he is also relentless and compassionate. He gets his bad guy and also shares the credit.

Most of the police have the flu and -- of course that's when a whole series of crimes take place, piling up on the exhausted Jack Frost. (Would someone's parents really do that to a child?) meanwhile, his vicious and incompetent superior is looking over his shoulder trying to find an excuse to scrape the Frost out of the force.

This is the first Molly Blume mystery I've read, and I really enjoyed it -- enough that I will probably go back and read the earlier ones, to find out how Molly got to where she is. As an Orthodox Jew, I'm impressed with the accuracy and understatement of Ms. Krich's depiction of modern Orthodox Jews -- it's so accurate, without painting the lifestyle as the source of all ills or the source of all happiness as a lot of other writers try to do.

I'm also looking forward to the next book. There are some hints in this one of Molly's possible infertility, and I really hope the author delves into that -- having her deal with fertility issues and treatments rather than just providing a miraculous baby. It's such an important topic, especially within the Orthodox world. I would love to see how Molly deals with it.

This book is FABULOUS! It was filled with plenty of suspense.
Probably one of Rochelle Krich's best.

Krich hits her best stride ever in dissecting the intricate relationships that exist between teacher and student, mentor and protege, and lovesick, confused teens. Molly Blume comes through again as her imperfect, human self gets personally involved in helping a HS senior save herself from a series of bad decisions.

The Orthodox Jewish world should take extra note of this important book that analyzes, albiet fictionally, the challenges facing the majority of teens today, in varying levels and consequences. There is also a veiled indictment of the tunnel vision that exists among many adults and educators that "its not happening in my backyard".

Kudos to Rochelle for taking on a difficult topic with grace, and with a great plot twist at the end.

I just LOVE all of Ms. Krich's novels! I am in the middle of "Speak No Evil" (been up since 4:30 a.m.!) because I just HAVE know... "who done it?!"

I have enjoyed all of Ms. Krich's novels and am waiting with baited breath for her next one.

Voice performer Deanna Hurst delivers a controlled, finely nuanced reading of Rochelle Krich's fourth episode in the adventures and misadventures of writer Molly Blume. As many know, Blume's Orthodox Jewish faith is very much a part of her life - Krich describes this beautifully and Hurst reads these passages with dignity and respect. Further, it's a bit of a dual performance for Hurst as the story revolves around a missing girl, Hadassah, and Hurst imbues this character's lines with guilelessness and gullibility.

Finding the missing Hadassah is not a job Blume sought, but she feels she owes a friend a favor. Seems the girl may have run off with someone she met on an Internet chat room, but the plot becomes murky with murder when the man in question is found dead. Surely the ingenuous Hadassah couldn't have committed such a crime....or could she?

Takes an expert voice performer to inhabit the voices of two rather disparate characters convincingly, but Hurst carries it off.

Listen and enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

Emerald and Joe are set to get married, things couldn't be better, the two of them are so wildly happy together. But while enjoying an engagement party throw by her friend Harlow, her ex-husband Roy, shows up (thanks to an invite from their son Kip) and rains on their parade. The man can't hold his liquor and reminds Emerald of why they aren't together anymore. After picking a fight with Joe, Roy leaves and the party continues.

The next day while setting up for a barbecue, Joe is shot and rushed hospital. Roy looks to be the only suspect but Emerald knows he wouldn't stoop to murder, attempted or otherwise. During all of this, someone is stalking her maid of honor, Muray, and making sure to shake her up by leaving signs of his "affection" inside her home. It started with flowers and escalated to shattering her pet snakes cages and ripping apart her bedroom and clothing. Is this a match made in heaven or is it doomed to failure?

I can't wait until the next book in the series! It is a page turner.

This was the most delicious final book in her series. I loved the way everything came together at the end, and the darker tone was perfect.

Read the entire series -- it's a definate winner!

I am pleased to write that this offering in the C 'n C series completely exceeded my expectations...and more importantly, made me anxious for more. Ms. Galenorn has allowed the main character, Emerald, to grow into a more realistic 21st century powerful pagan. The previous novels had left me just a bit annoyed with Emerald's somewhat self-centered personality. "One Hex of a Wedding", though, offered some credible glimpses of vulnerability and willingness to reexamine long-held opinions -- just like a real woman as she grows older and, hopefully, wiser. The cast of supporting characters is becoming more fascinating to me, and they seem to have more dimension now. Heck, I even cried at some of the truly poignant moments in the book!

If you've not read any of the previous books, this could definitely stand alone. But do yourself a favor and read the earlier four anyway. If you find yourself, like me, vaguely annoyed with Emerald O'Brien by book three, don't worry -- you'll grow to love her again in "One Hex of a Wedding", a wonderful treat of a novel.

Another great book in the Chintz & China Mystery Series. Emerald learns more about her ex-husband (and why their marriage ultimately ended) while trying to get through the wedding planner's worst nighmare that leads up to her wedding to Joe. Her maid of honor is cursed and stalked, her other bridesmaid is juggling a job and a new baby while her husband is headed off for an extended job on the road, and her daughter struggles with first love. That doesn't even include the family dynamics brought about by the wedding. Even Nanna makes an appearance. Emerald's reactions are real (why does this have to happen when I'm getting married) and fun (when a photographer tries to pair a swimsuit model with Joe for a calendar shoot). Can't wait for the next book!

It is not enough to know WHAT a writer said, we must know WHY he said it, in order to truly understand the work. My opinion is that Mauck the attorney has absolutely NAILED IT, to be quite colloquial. Acts is a poor history, but it is an excellent "elogium" (legal statement of facts required by Roman authorities), and seen as a legal document, we now understand why Luke wrote, and why he didn't write, about various things.
Since reading Paul On Trial several years ago, plus other works, I have written my own (history-emphasized) commentary on Acts and taught it several times in classes. Whether in print or in class, my teaching now has Mauck's Paul On Trial as the starting point and framework!

I am a long time student of the Bible and a lay minister in our church. This book has helped me "conceptualize" the books of Luke and Acts and will surely help me "speed-understand" the points in each book in relation to the larger inspired work and inspired word of God. The book is very well written and if you are reading this review, it should be in your library too.

I am still reading this book, but want to provide a comment. This book is worth the effort to read,study, and contemplate. I agree with all of the preceding reviews. For me, Mr. Mauck's book is functioning like a good brass or gold polish. It is stripping away the grime and tarnish of twenty centuries as well as my own understanding and appreciation of the Book of Acts, cleaning and polishing it right down to it's original design details and shape. I am now seeing things in Acts and the Gospel Of Luke that either I never was aware of before or have always wondered about but didn't know more. This book is wonderful because in its way, it reveals Christianity as it is, a uniquely radical, powerful phenomenon that is supernaturally guided and fueled, not the pervasive, almost ambient cultural Christianity that we all tend to take for granted, for good or ill.

I found that this is not a book that can be read quickly, it is more like a text book that I could only take in smaller portions in conjunction with going through ACTS in a small group Bible Study. I would like to know who the people are that are slamming this author, I would really like to know their arugments against his theory, because this is very powerful stuff, Canonization of the Bible speaking...not even Chuck Missler or Hal Lindsey thought of this theory before Mr. Mauck.

I simply can't think of a reason why anyone would doubt his theory that Luke wrote what has become to be known as Acts as a defense of Paul and the earliest Jesus/Gospel followers...and he pulls the book of Luke into the same theory, although the title doesn't mention this fact. At a minimum, Acts should have been titled "Acts of the Holy Spirit", more so than "Acts of the Apostles", as many refer to it. But now after reading this book, Acts should be retitled in all new pressings of Protestant Bibles to more reflect this book's arguments.

This will probably be his only book, unless someone un-earths some new letters or documents in an archeology dig in the middle east that were written for the same trial-type cause. This was a job well-done, by someone who gets it that we worship the Jewish faith fulfilled. God Bless.

I read this book about 2 years ago, and am still fascinated by its premise and the well-reasoned approach used to support that premise. Mauck's writing is clear and compelling, and got me thinking about the Book of Acts in a far different way than I ever had before. To the best of my knowledge, there is no other book that treats Acts as a legal document and Mauck's arguments gripped me to read further and revisit the Bible itself in light of this idea.

I am neither a law student nor Bible scholar, just a Christian interested in learning more about my faith. I highly recommend Paul on Trial to anyone who is interested in more fully exploring the early Christian church and Paul's challenges in spreading the Gospel.

It's hard to get my 3-year old son to sit still for a whole book, but these seem to do the trick! The vibrant colors, short sentences and funny humor keep him entertained! They are great books!!

My son, who loves his hat, loves to substitute his name in for Peedie's. We have the entire family of Gossie and her Friends and never tire of them!!!!

My son absolutely loves this book especially the end where Peedie finds his lucky red baseball cap again. He now has a lucky red baseball cap of his own like Peedie.

My 6 month old daughter loves Peedie. She gets so excited when she sees the simple white cover with yellow Peedie and his special red hat. The pages are nice and simple and the story is also nice and short which should fare well for the upcoming toddler attention span! I am looking forward to picking up the rest of the Gossie and Friends books for her enjoyment.

Right from the first two books about Gossie, my grandson and I were taken by Olivier Dunrea's books. They are colorful and uncluttered with simple honest lessons for little ones about sharing with friends and how no one is perfect. Peedie with his little red hat is no exception. I was able to read it to my grandson through our web cams and the pictures showed up beautifully.

Heard this story as a child from my grandparents who were on German background. This story is just like they told it. Beautiful illustrations complete the story that swirled in my head so many years ago!!

Ok.I HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK.I hope that you don`t hurt my reviews for this,but in a way,I HAVE read this book.I am in this play,so I have read this script.And since the play is going to be on Saturday,(5th) and Sunday(6th) and also for the next weekend,I have to read this script over and over and over again.I think that this book is a very good book.In the play I am Miss Applebee but I think that this book is very good it must be.

When I was about seven-years-old a family member gave me a recording, (78s) of the Pied Piper of Hamelin narrated by Ingrid Bergman. As I listened, I could see the characters in my head and never tired of the story.

A month ago I bought the book for my eight-year-old granddaughter who lives about eight hundred miles away from me, because I was afraid with the passing of one more generation, the story might be forgotten.

It is a lovely book, written by Robert Browning more than a century ago. The drawings are perfect, given the dated language used in this book. And the story has a simple message, about honoring our promises.

Sadly, my granddaughter glanced at the book and was clearly not interested. I wanted to read it with her, intending to make clear the English used by Browning.

So, a tale almost twelve hundred years old bit the dust, at least in our family it did.

But if you are a lover of this fable, it is worth your time to try it out on the children in your family. They will be the richer for it.

This book would be a wonderful treasure for the pictures alone. Kate Greenaway, noted children's illustrator, has created a magical world of beautiful children, innocent faces, and romantic, nostalgic costumes. The colors on these pages are breathtaking, and the details (although Greenaway is always faulted for not drawing hands and feet well) are superb. This story is not for very young children, as it contains some troublesome themes. For the older child, perhaps 7+, the story might provoke some interesting post-read family discussions about honesty, trust, and the actual state of the children at the end of the tale. This is even a beautiful book to give to adults, as the messages about human nature can be appreciated on a deeper level.

"Rats!
They fought the dogs, and killed the cats,
And bit the babies in the cradles,
And ate the cheeses out of the vats,
And licked the soup from the cook's own ladles,
Split open the kegs of salted sprats,
Made nests inside men's Sunday hats,
And even spoiled the women's chats,
By drowning their speaking
With shrieking and squeaking
In fifty different sharps and flats."

Robert Browning (1812-1889) first published his poem "The Pied Piper of Hamelin, A Child's Story" in 1842, based on an old German legend which may or may not have had some basis in historical fact. Browning was a serious poet; even in a poem filled with playful rhymes written specifically for children, he did not "dumb down" his language, but expected his readers to do a little work in understanding some of his "big words."

Kate Greenaway (1846-1901) was one of the most famous and popular illustrators of children's literature in the latter part of the 19th Century. She had grown up loving Browning's poem, and shortly before his death she requested and received his permission to republish it accompanied by her own illustrations. This edition was initially published in 1888 under the imprint of George Routledge & Sons, which was at that same time in the process of splitting between Routledge and Frederick Warne. Starting in 1889 all subsequent editions carried the Warne imprint. The book continued to be popular, and Frederick Warne has issued reprints from time to time, well into the late 20th Century. This Warne edition is not in print at present, but used copies with various reprint dates are available from Amazon Marketplace sellers.

However, two different reprint editions are currently available, each with the complete original text and illustrations, and each presented with loving care from an eminently respectable publisher, in well-made but modestly priced editions. The Dover reprint (ISBN 0486296199) is full-size, in a sturdy paperback; the Alfred A Knopf/Borzoi/Everyman's Library reprint (ISBN 0679428127) is part of their Children's Classics series, in a very sturdily constructed hardcover with sewn sections that will not crack with use, but the page size is somewhat smaller. Both are beautiful books, and either is an excellent value.

As noted in the Editorial Reviews above, there have been other editions of "The Pied Piper," with different illustrations, and at least one seems to have been issued with the poem itself "retold" to make the language simpler; neither of those reviews is discussing this original version. Some readers may prefer one or another of these different versions. But anyone wanting to stick with Browning's original full text and Greenaway's original charming, muted and subtle illustrations should choose between the Dover or the Everyman's, or visit Amazon's Marketplace sellers to look for a copy of the Frederick Warne.

Once again Martha C. Lawrence delights her readers with a good, solid mystery. Elizabeth Chase returns in this fourth installment of the psychic detective series. After losing her fiancé at the end of the last book - Elizabeth is unsure as to her feelings on returning to the life of a private detective.

She is summoned from her slump by a fellow PI and asked to help out on a particularly odd and gruesome case. A murder and scalping has taken place out on the Temecu reservation at the casino being run there. The body belongs to casino owner Dan Aquillo and the supposed murderer is locked in jail and her lawyer needs Elizabeth's help as the case does not look as simple as it seems.

Elizabeth uses her psychic abilities to aide her in the case but as always, it is her fine detecting skills that really do the job. Thanks to the help of her newfound friend Sequoia, Elizabeth not only learns more about the case but she is also able to do some serious soul searching of her own.

Who killed the casino owner? Could it really have been the accused Bill Hurston, a former doctor and gambling addict who was in way over his head, or was it his ex-wife? What about Dan's nephew Wolf who has strong feelings against the casino? Or someone from the political group that is fighting against the casino? Only Elizabeth can find out and the reader enjoys every minute of the plot.

This is a great addition to the Chase series as not only does the reader get what they are used to when it comes to great plots and writing, but we get to see some major character development here. This series looks to be a good bet for the long run. I can't wait to see what trouble Chase gets herself into next!

Once again Martha C. Lawrence delights her readers with a good, solid mystery. Elizabeth Chase returns in this fourth installment of the psychic detective series. After losing her fiancé at the end of the last book - Elizabeth is unsure as to her feelings on returning to the life of a private detective.

She is summoned from her slump by a fellow PI and asked to help out on a particularly odd and gruesome case. A murder and scalping has taken place out on the Temecu reservation at the casino being run there. The body belongs to casino owner Dan Aquillo and the supposed murderer is locked in jail and her lawyer needs Elizabeth's help as the case does not look as simple as it seems.

Elizabeth uses her psychic abilities to aide her in the case but as always, it is her fine detecting skills that really do the job. Thanks to the help of her newfound friend Sequoia, Elizabeth not only learns more about the case but she is also able to do some serious soul searching of her own.

Who killed the casino owner? Could it really have been the accused Bill Hurston, a former doctor and gambling addict who was in way over his head, or was it his ex-wife? What about Dan's nephew Wolf who has strong feelings against the casino? Or someone from the political group that is fighting against the casino? Only Elizabeth can find out and the reader enjoys every minute of the plot.

This is a great addition to the Chase series as not only does the reader get what they are used to when it comes to great plots and writing, but we get to see some major character development here. This series looks to be a good bet for the long run. I can't wait to see what trouble Chase gets herself into next!

I've been a fan of Martha Lawrence ever since her first book, following her psychic detective, Elizabeth Chase, around the zodiac from Murder in Scorpio to the current Pisces Rising. Her gutsy detective, Chase, combining sound detective skills with her psychic gifts, sets out to discover the murderer of casino owner, Dan Aquillo. Along the way she encounters one of Lawrence's most compelling characters, the Native American shaman, Sequoia. Lawrence introduces the reader to some fascinating Native American lore, as she combines a taut, thrilling tale with tantalizing psychic phenomena. Combining suspense with New Age is rare, but fascinating. The only other book I can think of that does that successfully is "The President's Astrologer", which interweaves an exciting political drama with the world of astrology.

As a Southern California-based mystery writer, I have been genuinely impressed by Martha Lawrence's works. Many people initially react to Ms. Lawrence's psychic detective as a silly gimmick. As created by Ms. Lawrence, Elizabeth Chase is a fully-realized and realistic character. In this fourth outing,PISCES RISING, Elizabeth is mourning the death of her lover, and she becomes involved in investigating homicides that occur on an Indian reservation. Gambling issues play a major part in this novel, as does Native American beliefs. Ms. Lawrence tells a fine tale with a swiftly moving plot and fabulously drawn characters. Another winner for Martha Lawrence.

I just love entering Martha Lawrence's world, and I so hate to leave it! This one is her best yet, and the others are terrific too. ( I'd recommend reading them all chronologically.) I applaud her gutsiness as an author in doing away with appealing characters in situations that realistically might call for that. (I'm reminded of T. Jefferson Parker doing the same with Tim Hess in The Blue Light--a very interesting and appealing character.) ... was a real loss, I felt, but it's clear that she has even better characters up her sleeve.. I'm particularly drawn to the Sequoia character in this book. Wish I knew someone like him.

Her ear for dialogue is unerring...I'm a stickler for fake-sounding conversation and I can't find remember a false note being struck in any of her books. Wish you could write faster, Martha!

When I went to introduce my preschooler to Winnie-the-Pooh, I bought the big book with the complete stories and poems. It didn't take long for me to figure out that it wasn't quite right for my 3-year-old. Reading a story out of the original works takes a good 15-20 minutes, which is more than one can really expect from a preschooler or toddler. Also, the original Pooh is a bit like Sesame Street, in that there are phrases and indeed entire sections of the stories that adults will find amusing but which will just go over a child's head.

And yet, I didn't want to break down and go the route of the Disney-fied Pooh books, with their cartoonish illustrations and watered-down plots and characters.

That's why I was so pleased to find the Easy-to-Read series. There are six easy-to-read titles from two publishers. They are:

Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees
Pooh Goes Visiting
Eeyore Has a Birthday
Tigger Comes to the Forest
Christopher Robin Leads an Expedition
Pooh Invents a New Game

Each book is based on one chapter from the complete works. These little books are divided into four chapters, although it should be no problem to read one from start to finish in one sitting.

The print is large and well spaced, and there are ample illustrations (the original drawings by E.H. Shepard) on every page spread to keep little eyes engaged in the story. Most important, the editor has removed most of the passages that aren't so kid friendly and has simplified the stories without giving them a Disney style candy coating. One could read the original story and then the easy-to-read version and get the same basic plot; when going from the Milne works to the Disney versions, the same is certainly not true.

I didn't give these books five stars because the editor retained some language and dialogue that may be a bit confusing for children in the intended age range. Nevertheless, these books are a wonderful introduction to a classic cast of characters for the preschool set.

This is our very first book on tape. My son is five and listened intently to every word. I can't wait to go on vacation and have him listen while we are in the car for 4 hours. The reader is very clear speaking. I am not able to talk while this is playing because my son really wants to listen to it. He loves to be read to. I wish I would have discovered this sooner!

What a refreshing change to hear Pooh in his native tongue! I am a great fan of Disney movies but Pooh is something special in this wonderful audio version of the timeless stories. My 5 year old listens to this tape all the time!

My 3 1/2 year-old son and I absolutely love this cassette on a number of levels! The acting is great: lively without being over-the-top, convincing without being melodramatic. The cast brings out the humor of Milne's writing beautifully. I have to admit that I was not a Milne fan before purchasing this; I just didn't 'get' it. After listening to this cassette, I realized why: Winnie the Pooh is marketed here in the U.S. as an early childhood character/series. But it's not. The stories, the humor, the characters, and the language all are aimed at children about the age of Christoper Robin, who must be atleast 5, *and* at their parents. Ie there are elements that a child would never get, but I do, and so both my preschooler and I understand at our levels. Other fantastic aspects: great sound quality, sound effects, choice of stories. One point: Because of the British accents and idioms, this products works best for a patient and interested child. Also, for the preschooler (such as mine), it required that I listen with him the first few times until he understood the storyline well enough to follow without me. But don't let this discourage you. From the start, my child enjoyed the different voices (especially piglet) and sound effects. The subtlety only means that he doesn't get bored with it -- after even the 30th time.

This little book is an exact reproduction of Chapter 2 in the original book, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, with illustrations by Shephard. All the charm of the original, in a perfect size for reading to littler kids, who can feel satisfied at having been read "the whole story."

This little book is part of a series of 10 such Pooh books published by Dutton.