Connecticut Books

Short and Sweet...an excellent look back at New London Counties Storied Past.... the makings for a movie!

The first in an unfinished series meant to be a trilogy, The Wings of the Morning is an engaging historical novel based on actual events that took place in Wethersfield, CT, the author's place of birth. Tryon took some liberties with history, moving some events from nearby towns into Pequot Landing, but Wings presents a vivid, reasonably accurate picture of 19th century life in this still beautiful CT River location. While the names have been changed, many of the characters are based upon real people and the dramatic incidents in their lives (the massacre of his family by a failing farmer, for example). Several of the businesses, such as the seed company, still exist and continue to do a thriving trade. Alas, the only water craft inhabiting the Cove today are of the small pleasure variety - no more dashing seagoing captains - but it's a pleasure to read Tryon's version of life in a thriving inland port. You'll want to proceed directly to the sequel, In the Fires of Spring. (Unfortunately, Thomas Tryon died before he could complete the third and last installment. He was an actor (The Cardinal, Texas John Slaughter) before he returned to CT and became a successful novelist.)

Dayton's book argues that, in terms of courtroom cases, women in colonial Connecticut fared better under Puritan legal ideas than later when the laws became more like those in England. She takes the reader through five kinds of cases that involved women to show the changes in the law over time. Her style is easy to read, and she uses anecdotes about specific cases to illustrate her points. A very unique study, unlike any that I have encountered in colonial American history.

By Edward G. Schultz, author of "Morgan's Mission", "Christmas Stories For Adults" and "Poems For Those Who Don't Like Poetry". I was an avid listener to Bob Steele's radio show for more than 30 years, so naturally I enjoyed his book. But I really believe that any one who appreciates word usage, pronunciation and origin of words will thoroughly enjoy Bob's book.
Before retiring I had ambitions to become an author. I did finally get out my first novel, "Morgan's Mission", a tale based on actual early California history. Listening to Bob Steele all those years and then reading his book, helped me a great deal in my writing. I really mean that! Bob not only inspired me but he also caused me to have more determination to finish the book that I had started. Since then I have published two more books and hope to have another released by the end of 2008.
Another part of Bob Steele's book is a biography of Bob's very interesting life, incidents that occured during his 65 year radio career, (one of the longest of all radio personalities) an insight into his great sense of humor and a sampling of how radio changed during those 65 years. Bob was elected to the Radio Hall Of Fame about a year before his death at age 90+.
Bob's book is very enjoyable reading, and very educational too!

First of all, it's hard to figure out who the heroine is, since there's two of them - Molly and Fran. It seems like Molly is the heroine, then suddenly it's Fran. Then it's Molly again. Even though she's weak and insipid and can't wait to kill herself.

The start of the book is fake, with Molly getting out of jail and returning to a house that somehow was paid for and maintained miraculously for 5-1/2 years while she was in jail. Everything is spic and span, no problems whatsoever, house was never broken into, appliances are all working perfectly, there's hot water, furnace works great, etc. No 3-foot high grass in the yard either, or piles of junk mail or rodents nesting in the house. And of course somehow the utilities are all turned on. Some of this was done by the previous housekeeper, who just happens to be sitting around available with no job even after 5-1/2 years and who no doubt doesn't mind putting all the utilities in her own name, paying the deposits, etc.

The rest of the book was ok, with a kind of convoluted plot that was overall sort of interesting. I never could like Molly though, she was such a weak spineless wimp. Of course, even though she was completely boring and lifeless, everybody wanted to visit her every day and she usually had about 19 guests over. Like nobody else had a life of their own but just existed to worry about Molly.

Anyway, I liked Ms. Clark's earlier books a lot better.

Some years ago I was discussing reading habits with a friend. I told him that I enjoyed Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, P.D. James and a few others. He told me, "I don't read mainstream fiction".

I couldn't understand the man. We were a similar age. I did not consider him to be intellectually superior to me. Why then would he turn away from books read by millions of people?

The answer, I found, lay in the pages of books like "We'll Meet Again" by Mary Higgins Clark. Many times reading this book I was tempted to toss it across the room. The writing was just bad - simplistic, no character development, too many unimportant details such as catalogue descriptions of every bit of clothing worn by every character in the book.

As is my usual habit, I was reading another book while I read this one. That book - "Promise Not to Tell" by Jennifer McMahan - was an enjoyable read. McMahan's book is also a mystery but her book is well written. Her prose is rhythmic and sensory in its detail. If she describes what someone is wearing - "She wore a stained pink T-shirt with the same corduroy pants she'd had on for days." - it is done to help develop a character not just to pad pages.

I will finish "We'll Meet Again" because I find myself unable to leave a book unfinished once I start it. But in the future when somebody asks me what I read, like my friend, I will reply, "I don't read mainstream fiction".

MHC happens to be one of my favorite writer. I find most of her books fast paced, packed with interesting characters and of course a good mystery. Therefore I couldn't agree with one of the reviewer when he couldn't detect any mystery in this book. The story takes place 6 years after when Molly is out of jail on parole. She asks her friend Fran to investigate the murder of her husband. As Fran's investigation progresses, many hidden secrets began to surface. The ending was good too because I couldn't guess who the killer was till the final chapter. In my opinion this book deserves 5 stars.

I have always enjoyed Mary Higgins Clark's books, and this one is a real page-turner. But the audio version is a different story. It is hard to concentrate on the story as so many words are mispronounced. Greenwich, CT is not "Green-which," but "Grenn-ich." "Brusquely" is not "brooske-ly." And "been" rhymes with "bin," not "bean." The list goes on. (And then there is the reader for Sara Paretsky's Chicago-based mysteries who pronounces Chicago Cubs icon "Harry Caray" as "Harry Cuhh-RAY. Sheeshhhh......)

The story centers on Molly, a physician's wife who is accused of murdering her husband. As the story unfolds
thru the eyes of Fran, who is an investigative reporter, the possible killer takes on many possibilities. In the
end, the health maintenance organization, which is rife with deluded egomaniacs, who end up murdering
their Physican colleague, in order to cover up their criminal behavior.
Fran, of course, gets thru the maze of deceit, and exposes these scoundrels. Molly is exonerated, and
Fran gets the scoop, which ends up as a presentation of the truth for her investigative TV show.
As the mystery unfolds, the story captured my interest, and left me with a strong desire to finish the book
in one sitting. I will be reading more of the authors mysteries!

Twain spoils a promising premise with bloated preachifying, colorless prose, and an uneven, nigh-absurdist plot arc.

I have always received the best service when I have placed an order from you. Outstanding!!!!!

With each Twain novel I read, I am amazed at how he can be so funny while packing such astute insights about life. This novel is no exception as Twain strikes the balance between the two again here. The premise for this novel is perhaps Twain's most original idea (when did Tom Sawyer ever time travel?) and the story and characters satisify at every turn. While this isn't Twain's best work, I think that some of his funniest moments are in this novel. I recommend Tom Sawyer as the place to begin reading Twain, but if you are already a fan then this book is a must-read.

The title also happens to be the plot outline. Elements of the plot have been duplicated in countless books, TV shows and movies. Army of Darkness and MacGyver leap immediately to mind. The book is a fantasy, and if haters can set aside its numerous anachronisms (A man from 1900, for example, would never be able to understand the language of 6th century England), it's quite enjoyable.

The novel is considerably more adversarial than one might expect. The main character is uncouth, obnoxious, and a jerk, even more so than is necessary given the immensely frustrating ignorance of the 6th century people. I suspect Twain plugged himself in to the Boss character, and had a good old time writing this one.

The main character is out to get the established Church, not in a no-holds-barred, Philip Pullman way, but in a logical way that recognizes the value of faith while tearing down the humanistic and suppressive political and economic machinations of the Church.

Twain also takes shots at England through the ages, at its historically oppressive caste system and at the English people's long-running love of hereditary nobility.

Commentary on politics and on human nature abound, but A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is still a great adventure story. These two elements step on each other's toes sometimes, but Twain pulls it off.

Clunky title. Great book.

RECOMMENDED

Although I usually enjoy Twain's writing style, and his sense of wry humor, there was something about A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court that was less than satisfying.

Some of the situations that the protagonist gets himself into are "classic" Twain. When the narrator is transported back to the time of Camelot, he begins to speculate about rituals, customs and general style of life. There is one part where the townspeople are convinced that he can perform great magical feats (he actually has Merlin as his rival), and when they corner him about performing one, he has to think of a way to please them or face punishment. He realizes that he can remember when an eclipse is going to come, and there is the way out of his situation. There are many adventures, where the narrator becomes critical of their ways, as a time warp will do. He is a fish out of water in many ways in this new world, not understanding, for instance, their need to have extravagant adventures: "Hardly a month went by without one of these tramps arriving; and generally loaded with some tale about some princess or other wanting help to get her out of some faraway castle where she was being held in captivity by a lawless scoundrel..." Because of his ability to perform great acts, he becomes known as the Boss, and helps to free some poor peasants from terrible punishments.

Maybe what made this less of a story was that it became too "preachy" and filled with social commentary. Although this is what usually makes Twain's novels, here it seemed to detract from the over all story. I was much more interested in hearing about the next adventure, but the narrator continued to rattle on and on about what he felt was wrong with this society. You get the feeling that Twain, not the narrator, is speaking after awhile. In the end, I guess it wasn't really the book I expected it to be. Still, it has its moments, and there are some parts that will have you chuckling to yourself as you read.

I consider Twain to be one of my favorite authors, but this is one of his lesser achievements.

Some have been critical of the author, but keep in mind, she was only a teenager, and it is told from her perspective. I enjoyed the story, and it is a quick read.

Plot: 14 year old chats with older guy on AOL...they meet in person.

Pros: Engaging, quick read, no big words, appeals to teens, adults, parents. The mother and stepfather come off as jerks, and I love reading about messed up folks

Cons: Ending wasn't enough of a "conclusion" for me, I would've liked to know more and was kind of let down.

Other Thoughts: Although the title did catch my eye, it is essentially a lie as no .com figures into the story and the book isn't about a specific web site. The book reads like it was written by a teenager. Granted it was written by a teenager but the writing made me very aware of this fact. While not badly written, the prose is unimpressive

Katie.com was a very good book in my opinion. I think that Katherine Tarbox was very brave for writing about the troubles she experienced when she was younger. I don't know many people that would be brave enough to do that. Me, personally, I would be too afraid. She took on her situation full speed ahead. Instead of dwelling in the past she moved on. She moved on to become a wonderful author and possibly a role model for young girls everywhere. Yes it is bad that she had to experience such a truamatic event, but in a way it just made her a stronger individual. She can know look back at what happened to herself and think, "I've been through that. I made it and just look at me now." Seriously though, many people would just stay in a little whole and not come out for the rest of their lives. Those people are not cowards, they are just afraid that they will be judged for their actions. Katie was judged yes, but she proved to those people judging her that she wasn't afraid of them or the person that helped bring her up to point of her life.

Regardless of the content of this book, the publisher Penguin has deliberately 'hijacked' the katie.com domain from its legitimate UK owner - Mrs Katie Jones.

They have ruined her small online business by deliberately naming the book and an ensuing TV program "Katie.com" even though they knew the domain belonged to someone else. So a hard-pressed mother gets thousands of often unpleasant emails, while the 'heroine' of the book enjoys TV celebrity.

Please don't support this type of greedy commercial behaviour. Buy another book.

This book was poorly written and plain old boring. It's like just sitting there going through a teen girls email inbox. I could do that for free. None of the characters are likeable and you really can't feel sorry for the protagonist.

This was my first Jane Green book and I think it will be the last. I was just looking for some easy reading, fun and maybe a little sarcasm. I did not get any. I finished the book because I was hoping for a twist, a sarcastic ending for a very boring book.
The flaws abound and sometimes the book does not make sense at all.
(A few spoilers...)
Within two pages, after the swapping, Vicky says that the kids are "sweet", then impossible, just to be sweet again and terrible once more.
Even tough Amber loves Richard more than anything and Richard cannot live without Amber, they seem to be able to "make love" only once a week, on Sundays, because Amber goes to bed to read at 9 PM and when Richard goes to bed she is asleep .
There is this constant need for Amber to tell herself that she loves Richard so much, that he is the one and only man in her life. The repetition seemed to hint that she wasn't really sure about her feelings.
I could go on and on but there are so many blunders...
The book is plain boring, the story never takes off.

Jane Green doesn't disappoint with Swapping Lives. As an American who grew up in England, I enjoyed reading both perspectives, though I did sense a little bitterness towards the American characters. Vicky, the English half of the swapping lives, is funnier and more grounded than Amber, the American.

However, they are both likable. The book flows very well and effortlessly moves from Vicky's life to Amber's. Both lives are equally as interesting. I wasn't finding myself wishing to read more about one over the other.

It does take a long time to get to the swapping lives part and then they cut it short. There are some ends that aren't wrapped up well: Jamie Donnelly, Daniel, and Amber's League. Also, the dialogue felt somewhat contrived in parts. A big complaint of mine was the confusion about Amber. She is a big superstar in her community because she is a Winslow by marriage; basically, because it's old money. But they focus on the fact that her husband actually did NOT have any money growing up and neither did Amber. It is never explained why she received special treatment for this faux "old money" and that mattered but her actual roots didn't. I was scratching my head with that one.

I did laugh, I felt the kids' characters were charming: Amber's kids and Vicky's nieces and nephew. I thought it was a good read.

Vicky Townsley is a glamazonian Londoner and features editor at Poise! magazine. She is single, has an amazing flat, wears top to bottom Prada and Dolce, is beautiful, and has a gorgeous boyfriend. To put it in another way, she has the sort of life anyone would envy. Well, Amber Winslow wouldn't mind walking a mile or two in Vicky's stilettos, that's for sure. A typical Connecticut housewife complete with successful husband, pristine suburban home and the almost prerequisite 2.5 children (the .5 is a golden retriever), Amber is bored to death. Suddenly, getting her already perfect home made over by the hottest interior decorators isn't very fulfilling and is it so very wrong that she probably loves one of her kids more than the other? Ugh, if only she could trade places with someone else, someone more... glamorous. Amazingly enough, Vicky is thinking something along those lines, only that her idea of a perfect life consists of the marriage, children and suburban lifestyle that Amber takes for granted so much. In short, they want each other's lives. If only they had what the other one has. Then they would be happy -- right?

I'm sure you get the gist of what the plot, CPD (contrived plot device) and moral of the story is, which just about sums up Jane Green's Swapping Lives. Heck, even the title is predictable. Reading the book was a major chore, but I thought I should finally read it since I'd had it in on my TBR pile for well over a year (the hardback copy!). The problem? In addition to what I mentioned above, neither heroine is particularly interesting, though Vicky is a little more relatable from a single woman's perspective. However, she is not much different from Geraldine (Jemima J.), Portia (Bookends), Tasha (Straight Talking) and Libby (Mr. Maybe). Green seems to shine when writing about attractive Londoner fashionistas with glamorous jobs. It appears that Green was once one of these women (before she got married, had kids and moved to Connecticut, in turn becoming a character like Amber). The aforementioned glamazons seem more fleshed out to me than the more grounded heroines like the one in Bookends (whose name escapes me). But, unlike the others, Vicky wasn't a good enough distraction from the rest of the book. The author's switch from chick-lit to lady-lit means that her novels are no longer as sassy and fun as they once were, and her style now is simply boring. The writing has suffered. There is too much telling and not enough showing both scene-wise and emotion-wise, and the overall story is anticlimactic and pointless -- so many words and papers just to say nothing. Green's novels have never been innovative and unique in the women's fiction genre, but at least they were entertaining. Now they are not even that. The last JG book I read before this one was The Other Woman, I believe, a novel about a horrible mother-in-law. I thought it was okay, but I noticed the decline in quality back then as well. I think Swapping Lives will be my last Jane Green book. I wish her well and further success in her career though.

This sounded like a fun, easy, "chick-lit" type read. I thought it was awful. It took FOREVER for anything to happen and then even longer for the main characters to actually "swap lives." Once they did I thought things might get more interesting, but once again, nothing really interesting happened. Really wish I could get my money back on this one.

This novel had some moments that were greatly entertaining and even interesting at times. The photo of the author on the jacket made me think that she has some personal experience with the "Desperate Housewives" lifestyle. Still, it's a lifestyle that has really been done to death and I found it a bit far-fetched that in her quest to experience the married with children life, Vicky chose Amber's. If Vicky really wanted an accurate picture of married with children life, shouldn't she have chosen a household that was rather more middle class, where the kids weren't being raised by a nanny and where the mother wasn't out buying designer bag after designer bag? How much reality can anyone get from that sort of lifestyle? This particular plot thread was complicated by the fact that the author seems to be condemning the lifestyle but not entirely. While criticizing it, she's also glorifying it. The author really only skims the surface with this issue and I think she'd have been better served if she'd delved a bit deeper and gave some more insight into what made these women behave the way they were.

This goes doubly for Amber. The character was a prime opportunity for Green to dissect what goes on in the head of a woman caught up in this lifestyle but she pretty much throws the opportunity away. Amber felt pretty two-dimensional to me in general. She was symbolic of the woman who comes from nothing, marries for money, and then loses herself in the competition to prove that she is more affluent than the rest, but that's it. The reader never gets a real feel for what's going on in Amber's head, of what her hopes and dreams once were. Green makes her seem mercenary when describing how Amber pursued her husband but then tries to soften this so that Amber doesn't totally sound like a gold digger. It's not really effective and to me it didn't make sense, given that Amber was supposedly ambitious and had her own successful career.

As for Vicky, I also found her to be a rather stereotypical character. The clubbing, drinking single girl really has been done to death and it would have been nice to see a character who broke out of this mold a bit. I could understand Vicky's worry that she would be alone for the rest of her life but she mostly came across as desperate. She was also very judgmental when it came to men and I didn't think this was entirely realistic for a woman who is supposedly so consumed with worry about not finding a mate for life.

All in all, this novel was a pretty typical work of chick lit and I found that disappointing. I read Jemima J several years ago and really liked how Green got into the head of her character. I don't think I'll be in a rush to read more from the author.

I play poker at Foxwoods. I'm glad it exists and that Skip Hayward was successful in his deceptive efforts to build this casino. So I'm biased.
Jeff Benedict does an excellent job of explaining the history of Foxwoods and the tribe that formed it. It is, to be sure, not a complete tale, however, as there are clear gaps in the narrative. The "founder" of Foxwoods, Skip Hayward, clearly has a story to tell about his tribe. It's omission is a glaring one. Benedict explains this by noting that Hayward refused to be interviewed. Even so, I wanted some greater balance in the telling of the tale. It left me curious about the other side of the story.
The bottom line is that Benedict does an excellent job of telling the story of Foxwoods conception that rests dirty and unseen beneath the glitz, the profit and the popularity. he tells it in an engaging and persuasive manner. Now, when I sit for hours playing poker I have something to think about other than the folded cards.

Jeff Benedict, you have done some amazing research in putting your book together. My husband and I, FULL BLOODED NAVAJO INDIANS, even read the bibliography. Completely familiar with government issues, we can see how these non-Indians fell though the cracks to become what they are today. It is embarassing to hear people call themselves American Indian when they are not. Our people have 4 directions, have come through 4 worlds and have 4 sacred mountains, and to that effect, have 4 grandparents contributing to the culture of each of us. Past the 1/4 "blood quantum" one need not be considered a Navajo. The same should be true of all American Indian tribes. If you are 1/16 Indian, you are 15/16 something else. You cannot contribute to our people. You do not know what extreme poverty is like. Your "reservation" is to you a tax-free haven. Whereas ours is also tax free, it is for many a prison of unemployment, alcoholism, abuse and depression. I am not saying that you need to experience these things to be an American Indian, but you do need to understand what many of us come from and live through. I implore Congress to look into the geneology of these people. If these "Pequots" have made a false claim, I hope that they are made to return what they have wrongfully taken.

An absolute tour de force!!

If you really want to see how "our" government really works, you owe it to yourself to read Mr. Benedict's book.

An historical account, full of details and documentation, of how a number of imposters, steadfastly supported by negligent and naive legilators and judges were able to create an enterprise that just boggles the mind.

I dare anyone to read this book and walk away with anything but disgust over how State and Federal governments operate. I defy anyone to believe that the Ledyard Pequots have any right to claim they are a tribe, based on clear criteria described by the Federal Government but never applied in this case.

Kudos to Mr. Benedict on this masterpiece.

As a writer I was at Foxwoods on that day in February '92 when they opened their doors, covering the event for WIN Magazine. As a poker player living an hour away I have been there countless times since. I thought I knew more than most people do about Foxwoods, but this book opened my eyes quite a bit. Is it all true? Or even largely true? I will wait until another "tell all" surfaces to decide. In the meantime this is a fascinating read about an incredible happening, both in gambling and in government. If Benedict writes a sequal, or a new edition of the original, I would appreciate better documentation . . . particularly where he quotes people or tells us what they are "thinking".

When I tell people I live 25 miles from the worlds largest casino they think I must live in NJ or Nevada. No. Right here is Connecticut the Pequot nation has built a facility that is really hard to believe.

This beautiful structure seeps out of the earth and towers over the surrounding hills. It is pretty. It is unique. It is a smashing success. But everyone in CT wondered and now everyone everywhere wonders if this business is legit or not. Jeff Benedict has certainly planted a seed of doubt in this book.

Although much of the book is bogged down with more details than you may want to know the basics are pretty easy to understand. Are they really Indians? Do they deserve what they have? Can it happen in other places? Who knows.

The Mashantucket Pequot tribe has a reservation of some 2000 acres. Twenty years ago this area was woods. But can a group of self proclaimed Indians claim this area and build what has become the largest casino in the world? Yes because they did it. But how it happened will probably infuriate you. A collection of screw ups, political favors, politicians with no sense of ethics and fear of turning down yet another minority group finally got the Pequots what they want.

Read this and other books about Ledyard CT to be totally disillusioned with government on a local and federal level.

Straub has written some fine, atmospheric thrillers. This one was tough to like. The villain is over-the-top evil. The heroine maddeningly endures the indignities of her nasty in-laws and her spineless husband. It was a relief for her to be kidnapped. And the Hellfire Club? Didn't seem to have much to do with anything.

Every fine writer is entitled to lay an egg now and then. I hope this one never hatches and reproduces.

Well, I was convinced by Stephen King's endorsment on the back cover, where he says, 'Dick Dart alone is worth the price of admission'. I'll take King's reccomendations with a grain of salt from here on. Dart was certainly the highlight, and I was looking at my watch waiting for him to appear, because the rest of the book didn't have all that much 'zap' to it. It's a novel that does all the little things right: plot fits together, characterization is competent, prose is okay, though nothing special. It does these technical things well, all the 'platform' things, but never really delivers much payoff. I was waiting for this secret hellfire club to become relevant - maybe Davey's in secret league with Dick Dart and so on - but it's just a chunk of backstory that never really comes into play. Oh well, I only paid $2 in a second hand book store, no great loss.

This was decent, i guess. Haven't read a lot of Peter Straub - only Koko (which I thought was marginally better than this), and his collaborations with the great Steven King (The Talisman, Black House). I enjoyed The Hellfire Club overall, but Straub's dialogue (in this and Koko as well) just isn't completely believable for some reason. And I had a hard time really accepting Davey and Nora Chancel (and Dick Dart, for that matter) as real, fleshed-out characters. Again, I enjoyed the book overall, and if a friend asked me about it, I would recommend it, but I don't think I'll ever regard Mr. Straub as one of my favorite authors. Good story-teller, though; if I was huddled around a campfire listening to him spin some spooky ghost-story, I would most likely be delighted. I'll definitely read more Straub in the future (hopefully more creations with Steven King, who I suspect must handle all the technical guts of their joint efforts: dialogue, character development, etc.). One last thing, not a big deal: how many times in one book do I have to read "..she padded into the kitchen," or "she padded into the living room," or "she padded back into the kitchen," or "she padded upstairs." ugh...quit "padding" around and just walk once in a while. Anyway, if you're thinking of buying and reading the book, I say go for it. i don't think you'll be dissapointed, but I don't think it will change anybody's life, either.

I was hoping Straub would treat us by tossing in a few mentions to Floating Dragon, since the setting in this book, wealthy Connecticut suburbs of New York City, was about the same, but nope, no such luck.

The title of this novel comes from Straub's version of a certain infamous Yale fraternity, only in this case he dubs it the Hellfire Club. The main character here is Nora, a Vietnam veteran and a woman suffering through menopause (no joke). Nora has, at the novel's start, been falsely accused of kidnapping a frumpy loser of a neighbor lady of hers who basically makes the claim up to add excitement to her life. While at the police station sorting through the charge, Nora, is herself abducted by a wisecracking millionaire serial killer called Dick Dart. Dick (it comes clear later that the nickname is not without reason) takes Nora with him on his flight from justice. He brags to her about his life, deeds, how he never makes love to a woman under sixty, even his secret motive for killing a number of rich local women (they were all connected to his father's law firm as clients, and the negative publicity and client-flight should ruin the old man, whom Dick Dart hates). Nora is a shrewd woman who holds her own against the arrogant, oddball Dick Dart, son of one of the wealthiest lawyers in town. She presents herself as one criminal relating to another, and Dart buys her act and is amused by her show of toughness. They drive through New England, steal cars and lay low, have discussions about a Lord of the Rings-like novel they both love, and Nora manages at one point to escape, but since she's a suspect in a kidnapping back in Connecticut, she cannot go to the police.

Dick Dart eventually catches up with Nora again, but she trades some information she's obtained about the secret meaning within the Lord of the Rings-ish book in exchange for Dart sparing her life for the moment. The pair make their way to a famous writer's resort called Shorelands, where Dart enters a comical meltdown stage, takes hostages (a group of women, whom he makes strip naked...a bit lurid Mr. Straub) and.....well...the rather flat novel does finally reach its conclusion with order being restored and everyone getting about what they deserve.

This book would probably never have gotten published by a first-time writer and were it not for the lingering fame of Straub as writer of some fine horror novels back in the day, this wouldn't be on bookshelves now. I know that's a stinging comment but it's true and I'm out of patience with Peter Straub for a few too many lackluster books like this. I mildly regret the time I put into The Hellfire Club (by no means a short novel) and wouldn't recommend it to anyone except die-hard Straub fans or those with major amounts of time on their hands. I know that's a little mean but I think Straub could do better than he has with his books since Koko.

It has taken me a long to enjoy the works of Peter Straub. Or maybe it just took him a while to write ones I like. First, I read his "classic" Ghost Story ... and hated it. Bored me stiff. Still, I decided to give him another try and picked up the shorter -- and therefore more easily experimentable -- Julia. It was more interesting and had more sympathetic characters, but it still was a struggle to get through. Koko was no better, it being more a Vietnam novel than the less-reality-based horror I was used to.

By this point, I had almost entirely written Peter Straub off as an author for me. I was still curious due to his collaborations with Stephen King (The Talisman and Black House) and his pure stature as an author. Then, lost boy lost girl won the Bram Stoker award of 2003 and something told me to try again. I'm so glad I did. However, it's unfortunate that I've read The Hellfire Club this early, because nothing is likely to top it.

On the surface, The Hellfire Club concerns Davey Chancel, scion of the multi-generational family that rules Chancel House, a struggling publisher that is being kept afloat by its ownership of the copyright of author Hugo Driver's Night Journey. Night Journey is one of those books that people obsess over, name themselves after, and gather together to perform their own versions of, and their number includes Davey Chancel and several other characters in the book, including one who came as a complete surprise, especially given how he is written from his entrance on. The history of this book is a major plot point and is so well-described as to make it eminently frustrating that I'll never actually be able to read it.

But it's not long before we realize who the lead character really is. I don't want to give much away, because the ride of surprises offered by Straub in The Hellfire Club was most of what kept me reading. Sure, it reads like gangbusters, but there are a lot of people who can write fast-paced fiction. There are much fewer who can write fast-paced fiction and strong characters (especially female ones) and the most fascinatingly disturbingly-evil-yet-somehow-charming villain since Hannibal Lecter in Dick Dart and weave a mystery all through the pages and keeping bringing new and more fascinating characters into the mix without derailing the whole thing and tie the whole works together in a rocket of an ending that leaves you nearly breathless and wanting to start the whole thing all over again. All of which makes The Hellfire Club a compulsive read that I was picking up in every available free moment. Straub may never top this, but this will certainly keep me reading him in the meantime.