On The Edge Books

It's a beautiful, inspirational Love Story with a sad ending story from two people with different culture background, the main character of the story has sacrifice her moral and values to win the Love of her Life where she lives in eternity. If Hollywood decided to make a movie of this book I think the perfect theme song will be "LIVE FOR THE ONE I LOVE" by CELINE DION.02/24/2006

Found this book in the airport in Panama, it struck me as something different than the usual tourist adventure informatives. The story is real and reading it you can imagine it all happening to you, a true essential for a writer and Overstreet has done well. He could have used a better editor but otherwise this would be a great movie remains a worthwhile read. Anyone wanting to know the history behind the war that you will not here on CNN or any other bias, should check this out first.

I read this from a friend recently. Is a very descriptive and sad love story. It kept me wondering to the end. It was enjoyed very much and recommend to others wanting to learn about the war to get Noriega.

Recently reccomended from a friend, interesting story, good details but lacks the action and war drama I was expecting. Needed more on the war itself, but otherwise good read.

Rick, March 27, 2008,
Dr. Michael Overstreet R.I.P.
The author of this book was friend of mine. He died in Panama in a car crash(03-25-08), living his life the way he wanted. Thank you for reading his book and the nice reviews. He will be missed amung us all, who knew him. We LOVE YOU, you crazy SOB!!! PS: So have Rum Runner and thank of him and DARE to LIVE what you dream.

LIVING ON THE RAGGED EDGE is a commentary on the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. This was a life-changing book for me in 1986. My whole life had literally collapsed right in front of my eyes. And I also had a nervous breakdown all in the pursuit of success and graduate school. This book seems to advocate living the "Simple Life", knowing God, having a wife and kids, not overdoing work or success. I have received alot of abuse the past 20 years about why I don't go back to graduate school; and the wisdom of this book is part of the reason. I had written to Radio Havana Cuba once and had said that this is a religious book that even Fidel Castro could appreciate! I hear that since then he invited to Pope to come to Cuba to visit.
We do live in an insane money-hungry society that has no values, no philosophy, no religion but the pursuit of the "Almight Dollar"! This ia a major reaqon for why we see American society disintegrating right before out eyes!
It is not deliberate, but I think I see myself as living in the 60's because of circumstances beyone my control. People in authority try to make my life as miserble as they can so as to pressure me into going back to college-this is called persecution.
The amazing thing about our secular achievements is that when we die, we do not get any reward in Heaven for them. Both Solomon in Ecclesiastes and Jesus Christ in the New Testament say that we get no reward in the next life for being a successful doctor, lawyer or businessman. Jesus said to lay up treasure in heaven-good works like charity towards the poor.
Also I noticed that it is God who gives man the ability to enjoy life. And contrary to religious tradition in puritalical America, I have found on my electronic Bible the advice to "eat, drink and be merry"{within moderation, of course.) the phrase occured five times in Ecclesiatstes. God gives the common man and the man who pleases him the ability to enjoy life. The life of the success driven rich man is so full of stress that he may have a fancy meal, yet he cannot taste the food he is eating! You can only live in one house at a time. You can only drive one car at a time. You can only spend so much money in this life because when you die, you won't have it any longer. You can have a house full of adult toys and possessions; yet you are unable to enjoy any of them. I would focus on having a couple of things and being able to use them to the full.
Solomon spoke from experience. He was the richest man in ancient Israel as he was the king. He had all the education a man could want. He had sexual pleasure-a harem of 500 wives like the Sultan of Brunei. He had more horses that he could ride. He had more achievement than he knew what to do with. Yet he couldn't find satisfaction. His advice was to fear God, obey his commandments and enjoy the simple pleasure of life. He found out that sometimes more is less.
In an exotic fashion, I had found out about INSIGHT FOR LIVING while monitoring Trans World Radio broadcasting from the island Monaco to England in 1986. They sent me a magazine promoting the book. I bought it and the study guilde and used them both. I have read LIVING ON THE RAGGED EDGE three times since them. This is obviously a message that God wants me to get into my spirit. And this is actually good advice for all of materialistic, worldly America!
Another afterthought is this. I don't think that joining the Army is the place to go to find God. But I had managed to get away from my home, family, church and social influences in Toledo. I read the Bible independantly and did not often attend church. I had found Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament; yet the message seemed to offend and irritate me at age 17. I think that you may have to go through a few things in life, have a few misfortunes and find a need to look to God for answers in the Bible to really appreciate this book and Ecclesiastes! Ecclesiastes is a book of godly philosphy! Philosophy=the study of wisdom!
This book's teaching is completely compatable with the New Testament and Christianity. St. Paul himelf had once written "Godliness with contentment is great gain"

I read this book about 10 years ago - when I was younger, single, and worked like crazy. It made me reconsider my life and realize that life without God and His purpose is pointless. Even if you choose to deny there is a God and choose to believe in nothing- you can not deny the truths about the purposeless of life and the "race of the rats". No peace or satisfaction at the end of the day. It is funny at times and even may seem depressive and dark too. But there's a lot of light at the end of the tunnel -as you read on.
I loved this book so much that I want to give a copy of it to both of my children (ages 1 and 2) as wisdom or advice for when they come of age. I hope it can impact them as much as it impacted me and will have some insight as to the "race of the rats".

Quick. Name the author who wrote the famous lines, "Vanity, vanity! All is vanity!"

If you said Solomon, the ancient king of Israel, you'd be right. It's the opening refrain from Ecclesiastes, uttered after Solomon goes on the ultimate road trip, searching the world for meaning and happiness. He goes on to describe his journeys and offers observations including, "A human being is no better off than an animal because life has no meaning for either. They are both going to the same place --- the dust." And, "In this world you find wickedness where justice and right ought to be ... If you love money you will never be satisfied; if you long to be rich, you will never get all you want. The richer you are, the more mouths you have to feed." For the most part, the book is a downer.

It would be tempting to skip over Ecclesiastes. To not delve into its hopelessness and wrestle with why it's part of Scripture. But as renowned bible teacher Charles Swindoll points out in his book, LIVING ON THE RAGGED EDGE, Ecclesiastes is as true and relevant and important today as it was thousands of years ago.

"Ecclesiastes has today's world woven through the fabric of every page. Whether or not we are willing to admit it, deep within most of us there is this restless, irresponsible, adventuresome itch. Deadlines and responsibilities grate at us. We find ourselves ready to run --- to escape into the back road of our memories, to travel down the blue highways of life under the sun. 'Surely, there I will find what it takes to fill the void.' Before we are able to crank up the car Solomon's advice brings us back to reality: 'Don't bother, it's a pipe dream, empty as a puff of smoke, lacking in substance. It may look like it's worth the effort, but don't bother, life without God under the sun is despair personified.'''

And that's the catch; life without God is worthless.

Still, Swindoll doesn't blithely skip to that part, spouting platitudes about God's goodness along the way. He doesn't pull any punches in describing the world we live in and his take on life is refreshingly honest as he describes the dissatisfaction, discouragement, and despair so many people feel. We are all living on the ragged edge, as he puts it, and ignoring that fact doesn't make us better Christians.

This book, however, does have insight that can make the Christian life more vibrant and authentic.

"The good life --- the one that truly satisfies --- exists only when we stop wanting a better one. It is the condition of savoring what is, rather than longing for what might be. The itch for things, the lust for more --- so brilliantly injected by those who peddle them --- is a virus draining our souls of happy contentment. Have you noticed? A man never earns enough. A woman is never beautiful enough. Clothes are never fashionable enough. Food is never fancy enough. Relationships are never romantic enough. Life is never full enough.

"Satisfaction comes when we step off the escalator of desire and say, 'This is enough. What I have will do. What I make of it is up to me and my vital union with the Lord.'"

Swindoll is an excellent teacher from the pulpit, in front of a classroom, on the radio, and through his many books (this is one of his best). LIVING ON THE RAGGED EDGE has the potential to be an important wake-up call and reminder for all of us, urging us to seek God's wisdom rather than the wisdom of the world and to embrace the mystery and messiness of life on the raged edge. The edge can be uncomfortable, but the view is amazing.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel

It seems as if there exists no shortage of people that struggle through life believing that they alone have recognized the futility of life. Some wander though life seeking to quell the unquenchable thirst of lasting contentment through any and every means available while others concede to a life of unhappiness or death itself. It might amaze these same tired souls that it has been almost three thousand years since one of the few individuals that actually possessed the resources to explore the possibility of contentment through almost every means imaginable attempted the task and came to the conclusion that temporal existence is indeed futile. This journal documenting the futility of a merely temporal existence is known today as Ecclesiastes, and it presents the only source of lasting contentment. Those that feel alone in their grief and anguish at the reality of a meaningless existence should be comforted by the fact that they are not alone in this realization and that the answer to this dilemma existed prior to the beginning of time itself.

Living on the Ragged Edge presents the book of Ecclesiastes through a lens which might allow modern readers to fully appreciate its message. Swindoll also applies his own life's worth of understanding and knowledge to drawing out what might otherwise remain unnoticed points critical to the essence of Solomon's work. The book of Ecclesiastes is the catalyst of many conversions and Swindoll's contribution might very well add to its potency. The only difficulty that some may have with this work may reside in the thought that it seems to become mildly repetitive as it attempts to tackle Ecclesiastes in its entirety without combining reoccurring themes. This is a great book to pass on to anyone that might feel bogged down by the fast paced, pressure laden world in which we live, as well as to those who have a hard time seeing the point of life at all.

While many Christian books encourage thoughts about God's love and kindness, it's also good to see life as it really is in this world. Swindoll pulls no punches as he describes the emptiness of living to please self instead of God.

Among the many excellent points Swindoll covers are:

1. People focus on the external appearances while God focuses on the heart.
2. God can work through you in mighty ways if you let Him.
3. Wise counsel for those under pressure.
4. The world's movers and shakers are also often the most lonely people on earth.
5. Different world-views and their weaknesses.
6. How to handle the mysteries of life.
7. Excellent counsel on how to get the most out of life.
8. What keeps us from pursuing happiness.

An excellent and highly recommended book, be encouraged and challenged to seek God's wisdom instead of the wisdom of the world!

The author tells these mythic stories with an immediacy that puts you back in the past and then outside of time altogether. The writing in these stores is so rhythmic you can dance to them.

Not as moving to me as it was to the rest of these reviewers, and I bought it on their recommendations. I wished it had been. She has written a very creative creation of a Celtic creation myth using the Dagda. (Celts had no creation myth that still exists today.) She has a very melodic way of getting words onto paper.

The 15 wonderful stories in this book were written with the unique combination of many years of research and stories remembered from childhood (the authors mother & grandmother use to tell her these stories as bedtime tales). This "pearl" of a book dares to go where few other Celtic re-tellings have gone. It portrays the women as equal among their male counterparts in both mental strength and wit, but never in a superior way. And yes, the characters in this book also engage (never explicitly) in that most wonderful of human pleasures--sex!

The colorful stories within the pages of this book will stir the emotions and leave one laughing and crying, angry and joyous, troubled and relieved and always, always yearning for more.

I truly hope that Jennifer Hearth puts pen to paper once more so that we may be delighted a second time around. To you Jennifer Hearth I say BRAVO!

I love Celtic legends, especially stories about goddesses and heroines. Unfortunately, the Celtic legends have been revised, sanitized, and edited over the centuries to the point that sometimes they can seem very dry--as if all the spirit has been sucked out of them.

And then there's _On the Edge of Dream_.

Jennifer Heath draws on the oral tradition of stories handed down by her mother, plus written sources, blending different versions of stories together into an enchanting brew. She doesn't just retell the stories the way we've always heard them, she spices them up, adds a dash of feminism here and there, and breathes new emotional life into them. I cry every time I read the scene where Pwyll, lacking the words to apologize to Rhiannon, simply carries her into the court, the way she has carried all visitors for the past seven years.

You'll especially like this if you liked Caitlin Matthews' _Celtic Love_. Both are collections of old Celtic stories told with new-found emotional "oomph" by women with true bardic talent.

Jennifer Heath has covered new territory within the pages of her most fantastic book. Instead of penning another tired re-retelling of the Christian version of the 15 tales included among the pages, she dared to employ the combination of ten plus years of research with imagination and remembrance.

On The Edge Of Dream spotlights the women of the Celts as equals among their male counterparts, both in their ferocity and their love, but never in a feministic tone. And yes, a couple of the characters in her book actually engage(never explicitly) in that most wonderful of humane motion...sex!

If you're at all interested in gaining a new perspective on Celtic tradition, read this book, you will not be disappointed.

Picking up this teen classic (and I truly believe it deserves that description) again for the first time in years, I was very impressed by how thematically unified and beautifully written it is, with a consistent, elegaic tone. This is writing for teens that holds up even to adult scrutiny. ON THE EDGE is SWEET VALLEY HIGH at its very best. Also check out its sequels, OUTCAST and REGINA'S LEGACY, as well as its "prequels," which include HEAD OVER HEELS, HOSTAGE, and LEAVING HOME.

I loved this book, I just bought it yesterday. I couldn't putit down, it was so full of feeling. The end was very shocking Icouldn't read it with out crying, I knew what all the characters were going though. I lost a friend last year to drugs. This book teaches very good lessons on the dangers of drugs and how takeing risks can be fatel. If you read this book I hope it teaches you something.

Francine Pascals really did herself out this time. I loved this bok. It was so well written! I got so into the book that i felt bad for regina. I felt like i was at the drug party she went to and i was teary eyed when she died. Sweet valley is a GREAT series!

I thought that the book was very good. It showed some good moral values without being boring. The book explains to teens how to deal with problems they face at school and at home. It also had a good storyline that was very creative and realistic at the same time. I recommend this book. It was very interesting and I learned something from this book along with having some fun. It wasn't super boring, and it wasn't unrealistic, either. Things in that book happen. It was fun to read. It wasn't one of those books where everything went perfectly and nothing went wrong. In fact, it was almost exactly the opposite. I like Regina's character. She acts like any other normal teenager. She isn't stupid even though she makes some mistakes. She isn't a goody goody, but she isn't super bad. She's normal. That's what I like about her. It mellows the book out without making it really boring. That is what I like about the book.

While working on a school project, Amy and Bruce start to fall in love, but Bruce is already dating Regina Morrow. Amy is doing everything she can to seperate the two, and it is actually working. When all three of them show up at the Wakefields party, Elizabeth Wakefield knows something is going to go wrong. While Amy and Bruce are embracig together behind a tree, Regina notices, breaks up with Bruce, and goes home crying. After this, Regina's life starts to change. She starts hanging out with Justin Belson, a senior on probation. Justin and Regina get invited to a party. Amy's cousin Mimi tells her and Bruce that Buzz, a big drug dealer, will be there. They try to talk to Regina but she won't listen. She is in danger. What is she going to do?

Reading this book enlightened my view of foreign missions and educated me on the courage and faith that a family like this one has to have to serve God and bring His word into a country many of us would be fearful even to visit. I began the book thinking that I would read a bit daily for a look into the world of a missionary. Instead, I could not put it down and read it within two days intrigued by the story and the emotional experiences between this family and the Vietnamese people they touched and changed.

The missionary in this book gives a wonderful and very personal insight into life in Vietnam leading up to the war. A good history or missionary study book.

This book is awesome. I have read it over and over and it keeps getting better. The author is a gifted storyteller and his writing style makes this book a very enjoyable read. The part at the end of each chapter where he reviews his experiences and draws out the lessons learned was particularly helpful for me. I would recommend this book to anyone.

As the title of my review suggests, this was definitely and interesting read. I really hope that others have a chance to take the time to read this book. With so many accounts of Vietnam from the soldier's perspective, it's definitely a unique view of the war and why someone would voluntarily go and risk everything to help the Vietnamese people. The author himself is a veteran of the Korean War, which most likely helped him deal with so many of the the tragedies, as well as triumphs, of the Vietnam War.

I picked up this book because I've always wondered how missionaries can take their families to such dangerous places, far away from loved ones. This was a great first-hand account of a missionary who did this and the mindset that it takes to risk your life for something you believe in. I actually couldn't put it down. I recommend it for anyone -- christian or not -- because it gives you a personal view of someone in extraordinary circumstances going through very human emotions and managing to come out on the other end a better person for it. It's definitely a must-read.

In 2002 I had the privilege of meeting Charly on a raft trip down the Colorado River. I purchased this book that summer but just now got around to reading it. The old saying "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear" comes to mind.

I am struggling with my life path right now. I know what I have to do, or at least I think I know, but I am fighting myself. I picked up Charly's book and read it this weekend. It reminded me of my happiness that wonderful summer four years ago when we spent two weeks on the river. It also forced me to rethink the struggle going on inside of me now.

I need to align the direction I am going with the feelings I have inside so I can become a stronger person. Thanks Charley, for the wonderful reminder and for the food for thought.

I purposely took a long time to read Dancing on the Edge. Partly because I didn't want to leave this wonderful, serene place and partly because I wanted to enjoy and digest every savory bite. I've underlined SO MUCH and I will keep this book close by to help remind me of its many fantastic life lessons. Charly, thank you for sharing your gift with us.

All of us share this journey, different life experiences, but a common bond. Charly Heavenrich has captured many rich emotions and this book swept me up in it's embrace, much as I'm sure his beloved river captivated him. I have learned from Charly Heavenrich, and his "Spirit Dancer".

Most of us would think of trekking through the Grand Canyon to be an outer journey. Charly brings it one step further by exploring the Canyon as an outer *and* inner journey. Be prepared for the unavoidable inspiration to experience the Canyon for yourself after reading this book!

I was enthralled by Dancing on the Edge. The author managed to combine gripping descriptions of exciting experiences and magnificent scenery with deep and meaningful insights into the human spirit. I do not read "inspirational" books. I find most of them shallow and dull. This one not only inspired, it enchanted. I will read it again and again.

I think this book nails it when it comes to missions giving and receiving. All of us, if we're Christian, whether we are missionaries or not have a responsibility to live in faith with our finances. Loren shows how its always an adventure and always ends in greater blessing when we live on the edge with our finances. Great book!

Loren, in his own challenging way, hits us were it hurts concerning our finances. If you want to know how you can be financially active for the Lord then read this book - You will never be the same again. Many of the illustrations are from Loren's own life which make it even more special and real. For myself as a missionary I was challenged about my own giving and also encouraged about going out to live on faith. God asks for our lives, our money is part of that - read and be challenged. Thanks Loren for a wonderful book indeed.

Bought the book in 1999 and browsed through quickly. I thought I understood what the book was saying but obviously not. I simply did not act upon it. It took God at least two years to get me into the habit of consistent tilting. What God have taught me is money is no small matter. This is where God's testing our hearts before anything greater is given. I pray over how to distribute the tithe. Show you are serious and God will be serious with you. God would love to help you direct where your money goes because in the time of your needs, he will help others direct their helps to you! I strongly feel one way of testing if you are ready for effectively doing God's work is to see if you ready trust God in your fiancee, just like what's demonstrated in this book. I also recommend the book by Robert Morris, the Blessed Life, from Gateway Church at Dallas.

The practical examples in this book of living by faith are extraordinary. Once you've read this, your perspective of living in absolute dependency on the Lord, will surely change.

The book is simple and easy to undersatnd. It brings out clearly that God is in charge. It talks alot about finance but the real mesage is that once you put your faith in God, you will see God working miracles in your live.

Just Buy it, no regrets !

If I had to recommend a book on Revelation and I could only recommend one, it would be this book. This is an expository journey through Revelation. It is an easy and exciting read that is at times very moving. Each chapter is like a great sermon that you would hear in church by a great expositor. Theologically Johnson comes close to G. K. Beale, Richard Bauckham, and Craig Koester, but his work is an easier read than all three of these and the scholarship is every bit as good. Johnson handles every difficult issue in Revelation convincingly. He does not overreact like preterists do to the abuses of dispensational futurism, but he is not a dispensationalist, but he is a futurist. The resurrection and new creation are emphasized and worked out throughout Revelation and not just as a side note or an add on at the end of the book. He not only says that the book is a "revelation of Jesus", but he works that out throughout the book. If you are looking for a great interpretation of Revelation, this is it.

I never thought I would ever spend time studying the last book of the Bible (And I'm a Pastor...). So much of what I have read from "specialists" has left me quite frustrated. TRY THIS BOOK. It has given me an "Aha" moment. Now, I see The Revelation of Jesus Christ as so practical to my Christian Life - I even led my adult Sunday School class - and we all survived -let alone enjoyed it! (I also have a recording of a series he preached/taught that I got from [...].)

Descipleship on the edge is a wonderful book! While a coommentary and thouroughly researched (as one would expect) it is very uplifting and encouraging. It is a pleasure to read it. I recommend it for everyone who seeks to understand the book of revelation!

Unlike most discussions of the last book of the Bible, Darrell W. Johnson does not give a polemic analysis. His attitude toward the book is refreshingly Christo-centric and his goal in writing is to deepen a Christ follower's worship of and obedience to the Lamb that was slain. I personally have studied the book of Revelation for about as long as Johnson has (over 30 years) and I discovered a good number of rich nuggets (i.e., connections) in Johnson's analysis that I had never seen before. Johnson pays close attention to historical and cultural contexts (first century AD) and explores the Biblical precedents for the many images/symbols presented. Although I do not agree with all his conclusions, He rightly emphasizes total truth: Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, contrary to what it may seem, is presently reigning over the nations through His faithful, obedient, and suffering people. Evangelical Christians have erred greatly in trying to understand this book as a "crystal ball" unfolding future events (for example, every time someone sneezes in the Middle East, evangelical prophetic pundits find this "ah-chooooo" mentioned somewhere in the book of Revelation). Unfortunately, this "crystal ball" approach hides the essential thrust of the book - it is an unveiling, a revelation, of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Get this book, study it, and then "see and hear" ringing truth - you will be thoroughly blessed (empowered) thereby.

Darrell Johnson provides some sanity in interpreting the most read, if least understood, book of the Bible, Revelations. In this series of sermons, Johnson makes use of some of the most powerful exegetes of Revelations, and presents their findings in a way that informs and motivates the reader. His work on chapters 12 and 13 of Revelation are worth the price the price of the book themselves. Johnson's popular approach provides footnotes that will lead the reader into more scholarly material that backs up the points Johnson makes.

This is not a book for those looking for a "key" that will unlock future events. It will unlock the "key" to part of what discipleship means in the "End Times". This may not prove as popular to some readers as the plethora of books trying to open up the "secrets" of Revelation, but it will certainly be more conducive to following Jesus.

Patrick R Novak, D.Min., Ph.D.

A must read for anyone interested in Indonesia. Superb historical accounts, on the ground descriptions and skillful storytelling. A classic on my bookshelf! Students love it.

I consider this book as very interesting and easy to read. The author describe the situation in a way that you can feel the situation in a real way. it is a very interesting historic document of the Suharto dictator fall; very interesting for all the people who want to know what happened in this crucial days in the history of Indonesia.

This is a terrific book. The author was in Indonesia at the end of the 1990's, in what was obviously a very tumultuous time for that country. The book is divided into three sections, each of which deals with a different event. The first section deals with two trips that Parry made to the island of Borneo, which witnessed several episodes of ethnic conflict during the 1990s. The author was specifically drawn to the island because of reports that members of a particular ethnic group were not only being killed, but that they were being slaughtered in brutal, ritualistic fashion. Parry not only manages to find people who confirm these stories, but on his second trip to the island he actually sees more direct evidence of these atrocities. The second section of the book deals with the student protests that led to the downfall of Suharto. This was probably my favorite part of the book, because Parry provides such an outstanding analysis of the ideological underpinnings of Suharto's regime. I only wish that he would have discussed in greater detail the financial crash as well as the ensuing involvement of the IMF, as well as the anti-Chinese riots that took place throughout the country. The final section of the book details the author's stay in East Timor, including his meeting with an elusive pro-independence guerilla fighter and his harrowing stay in the UN compound after the independence referendum, when the pro-Indonesian militias were committing reprisal attacks with the blessing of the Indonesian military. Throughout the book Parry manages to infuse the narrative with an impressive sense of drama, such that it often reads like a novel. Parry realizes that he witnessed history in the making, and he does a good job of conveying to his readers the historical import of the events that he relates.

Excellent book, well-written and gripping for the most part. During the climax, I found myself unable to put it down -- something that doesn't usually happen with non-fiction. Spare prose and light touches of very British humor at certain points added to the reading "pleasure," if that's the right word for a work centering on horrific events.

I deduct a star for a bit of exaggeration over the climax. From the way it was built up, I thought Lloyd Parry had been involved in something truly horrific. Ultimately, I found his reaction very male and a bit irritating, rather overdone.

Overall, though, an excellent book. I hope he plans on writing more.

As an Indonesian that lived through the tumultous period covered in the book, I found Richard Parry's work to be very authoritative. He digs deep, more than just facts and statistics. Though not a picture that I want my homeland to be remembered by, I found this to be a must read.

You've already read the plot reports, so I needn't repeat them. I'd rather advise you to put this on the top of your reading pile. Barbara Fister is a writer to watch. She will soon be at the top of the charts. Be the first on your block to discover her. Her protag, Slovo, is one of a kind-a refreshing consideration these days when beleagured cops seem to be so popular. Slovo is real-his baggage is genuine and he takes us on a great ride as he fights to keep his head straight. Val McDermid is one of my favorite authors-she still is-but now Barbara Fister is nudging her over.

The title says it all. Now when can we get a sequel.

Konstantin Slovo just had to get away from the mess his life has become. A Chicago police detective, he and his partner were setup in a trap with Robin getting killed and Konstantin very badly injured. To make matters worse, Slovo's gun was missing from the scene of the crime and he is being investigated to see if it was his gun that killed his partner. Without asking permission, he leaves Chicago for Maine where he becomes involved in another brutal investigation.

Three young girls over the last few months in Brimsport, Maine were abducted, sexually abused, and murdered. Slovo, through a strange set of circumstances, finds the latest body and immediately becomes under suspicion from a town that is on the verge of hysterical erupting. Vigilantes break into Konstantin's room and try to beat a confession out of him, making Slovo all the more determined to find the perpetrator before another child is killed.

ON EDGE is a dark gritty noir novel that is graphic in violence and profanity. One has to feel sorry for the protagonist, a beleaguered honest police officer who has to defend himself from those who want to take him down, which seems to be everyone. The perpetrator is the last person anyone would suspect; thus making this book better than most police procedural novels.

Harriet Klausner

In detective Konstantin Slovo, Barbara Fister has created an interesting off-center character, one whom I hope will appear in sequels. One of the joys of reading mysteries is that of observing someone who thinks differently from the way we usually do, in a way that inspires us to want to observe things more carefully (a la Sherlock Holmes) or to perceive human motivations less naively--and more realistically--than we customarily do (a la any of the hardboiled private eyes). Detective Slovo offers what I found to be a fascinating variation: he has an ability, displayed repeatedly, to adapt himself to the worldviews and emotional concerns and priorities of the people surrounding him, the better to draw out from them, as a kindred spirit, information they'd never volunteer to anyone who wasn't immediately perceived as being on their own psychological wavelength. (I wish I were as articulate in describing this as Fister is in demonstrating it!) It's something we can see him doing after he's already into the process--that is, after he's picked up on the "signs" the other character are giving him, in a way that you or I would have overlooked to begin with. This chameleon adaptation ability is the kind of thing that left me wishing, "Gee--I wish I could do that, and maybe I really _could_ if I were just more perceptive to other people's little signals"--analogous to the resolutions one forms after reading a Sherlock Holmes story. That result, to me, is the prime mark of an interesting detective--about whom I wish to read more. I am not, however, doing justice to Fister's detective in reducing him to this one remarkable trait, for this book is much more of a novel, a literary work with real insights into the dark regions of human character, than your basic "paperback mystery." (By that I mean the kind with the template back-cover blurb of "[Interesting-occupationed character minding his/her unconventional business] . . . but when . . . soon finds . . . caught up in . . . may be the next victim!") If you want that kind of story, this is not it; _On Edge_ is much deeper and grittier, and its "smell" is not that of interpolated recipes to try yourself. We're on a whole different level here, folks. Fister has a genuinely insightful imagination, capable of entering into and unfolding the internal workings of multiple different and believable characters--good, evil, and very mixed--as well as being a skillful plotter who makes all of the many character interrelationships and story surprises unfold convincingly and organically. I very much look forward to future books with the remarkable detective character, Konstantin Slovo, from this remarkable writer.

Traveling while on leave after being injured in the line of duty, Chicago cop Konstantin Slovo finds himself drawn into the investigation of a serial killer who is preying on children in a small Maine town, first by being picked up as a suspect, then being grudgingly consulted by the local PD. Slovo finds himself torn between wanting to help and wanting to get out of town as fast as he can, a decision made more complicated by the wildly varied reactions (suspicion, hatred, friendship, both professional jealousy and admiration) he receives from the locals. In the end Slovo finds that confronting the town's demons is the only way he will be able to move on and confront his own.

I found the writing to be refreshingly "real" and straightforward; all the people have believable reasons for their behavior and motivations, things don't always go well for the "hero", and there are no wild caricatures or stereotypes to be found.

Second book (not a sequel) from author is "In the Wind" (ISBN 0312374917).