Nevada Books

I enjoy all of the Midnight Louie mysteries. I love cats and if you do too, you will definitely like these books. Makes you wonder what our cats really do on their own time!

Petite PR pro Temple Barr is chagrined when she fails to get her annual invite to submit skits for Las Vegas' annual Gridiron show - and not much happier when she gets a grudging request from the sleazy Crawford Buchanan for some help with the finale. But she can't resist - fabulous show stopping skits are her special forte. And she comes up with a winner.

But soon after her script is submitted, strange and threatening things start happening, including a boobytrapped stair rail that sends Temple and her signature high, high heels hurtling down a flight of steps. As the new PR person for the Crystal Phoenix Hotel, in charge of transforming the place into a casino that reflects family values (a tough assignment for Vegas!) this earns her a phalanx of fabulous Fontana brothers as bodyguards, much to her chagrin. There are at least nine Fontanas, all large and given to picking up petite Temple, who is not only sensitive about her tiny stature but accustomed to operating on her own - with a big assist from Louie. But Louie is also an independent operator and rarely interferes with Temple's routine. The Fontanas - who are a united family personified - overhelm. (But entertainingly.)

Meanwhile, neighbor Matt Devine sets off in search of his stepfather, Cliff Effinger - but he gets a late start. Before the PI he hires can give him his first clue, the body of Effinger falls onto a blackjack table from the casino ceiling. Soon Matt is under suspicion by Lieutenant CR Molina - who is also unhappy that Temple and Devine have discovered her alternate identity as the sultry cafe singer, Carmen.

Biggest problem - Matt is asked to identify the body and can't. He hasn't seen Effinger since the guy deserted Matt and his mother many years before - and time and the netural changes that death wreaks have rendered him not quite recognizable.

Matt wanted the satisfaction of getting some kind of revenge on the cruel stepfather - and instead may be in trouble without having the chance to act.

Suspicions of mob activity abound, especially given the content of Temple's skit, which alludes to the former dominance of the Mafia in Vegas history. But the show must go and - and does, despite a giant heist at the casino down the street that draws any police protection away from the show's arena.

But leave it to Midnight Louie - largely absent from Temple's apartment these days since he is avoiding the petite Caviar, who claims that her true name is Midnight Louise and that she is sworn to get revenge on her dear old dad who deserted her at birth. (Shades of Matt Devine - although Louie has wisely kept his name from his alleged offspring so far.)

Louie has been hanging around the periphery of the Crystal Pheonix keeping an eye out for his dear roommate. On a tour of the dressing rooms he finds a mysterious hidden door that leads to a set of tunnels that suddenly make the dangerous doings that have surrounded the show so far quite clear. Louie manages to lure Temple to the tunnels despite the fact that her big skit is due to begin in moments - and a wild chase through the underground begins - culminating in a crowded ride in a UFO and a grand entrance onto the Gridiron stage by several assorted criminals, hoofers, actors, the fabulous Fontanas, Temple herself. Finally, to huge applause and yet more media attention - Midnight Louie, the hero of the hour steps down from the top of the UFO and into the spotlight. (He can't help it - he simple attracts those cameras.)

The plot is fast paced and filled with tension - and enough comic relief to keep things going. But all is not fluff and fur here. Underneath the entire book is the pervasive theme of family values - those that the Crystal Pheonix wants to display, those that Matt Devine was deprived of because of his stepfather's cruelty and those that Midnight Louise feels that Louie failed to show her family.

The Pheonix comes through - and Louie and Louise come to a wary truce. Only Matt Devine is left dissatisfied - except for a new and blossoming relationship with Temple - and the acquisition of Midnight Louise as a roommate of his own.

The most charming thing about these books is not the fact that Louie speaks - but what he has to say. He talks tough - but he speaks sense, and always has a message that goes surprisingly deeper than one would expect from a mystery of this sort.

Not only does this book contain an immense amount of information about the gorgeous and fascinating state of Nevada---but it is all presented in a personable, idiosyncratic, witty and winning style. As with most guidebooks, you'll probably be interested in reading only those sections relevant to a planned trip. But the book is so informative and fun, you might find yourself---as I did---reading sections about areas in Nevada you have no plans to visit. Highly recommended.

Amusing and useful, well-laid out with honest reviews of both wilderness areas and the glitter gulches--I have used this book for several trips to Nevada and it is indespensible

With brevity and charm, Hauserman shares his thorough knowledge about local and regional cross-country ski areas. (There are 13 between Mt. Shasta and Yosemite.) Anyone yearning to get out there on skinny skies - either as a novice or as a veteran looking beyond the everyday workout - should buy this book. For beginning skiers, Hauserman breaks down the complexities of this oft-misunderstood sport and tells where to get more help on the web or at local ski shops when you need it. For veterans, he provides ski maps, directions, resort highlights, activities and even a little natural history. The chapters and guide entries are straightforward. During his two-plus years of field research, Hauserman explored thousands of kilometers of trails and ate in every resort restaurant (for research, of course!). He checked out local lodgings and interviewed managers and local skiers. The end result is a book that clarifies details and whets appetites for the best of the Sierra Nevada's groomed resort terrain.

Living in North Lake Tahoe for over 33 years cross-country skiing has become one of my great passions. In the winter months I spend four to five days a week skate skiing for fitness and pleasure. After all this time I figured I knew just about all I needed to about the ski areas in and around my home, but was I wrong. A short time into Tim's book I had already gathered new information and ideas for some exciting excursions both close to home and a day trip away. I would recommend this informative, fun book to both experienced and novice cross-country skiers. Also, if you have thought about cross-country skiing but haven't had the chance to try it, this is also the book for you. It will help you make some good decisions on where and how to start this great sport. Now, get out there and have some fun!

A sly fictional account of the good queen's holiday in Jamaica and her improbable adventures there. Lavishly illustrated with whimsical drawings of the black-clad queen kicking up her heels. A delight.

I was intrigued to read an obituary of Routh in the Economist (June 17th, 2008) and wasn't surprised to learn of his reputation as a eternal prankster. He was, it seems, star of the British version of Candid Camera in the UK. In later years he moved to Jamaica and took up painting. The Economist obit described his style thus:

"He painted nuns driving racing cars and flying balloons, the pope windsurfing, Mona Lisa naked or smoking. His favourite subject was the aged Queen Victoria, on an imaginary trip to Jamaica in 1871, doing the hula-hoop or the limbo dance, riding a zebra and driving dodgem cars. He could have found a more prosaic explanation for the missing three months of her reign. But he preferred, as ever, the shock of the absurd, and the sense of the detached voyeur intruding on private space."

Endearing illustrations of a tiny, white veiled Queen Victoria cavorting with courtiers the color of midnight accompany a tongue-in-cheek description of a monarch on a risque holiday adventure. This charming picture book is a wonderful addition for anyone who collects memorabilia from Jamaica.

FYI: This book was published in an little different form under Nevada Jade. For Desert Rose, Ms. Chaikin revamped and added to the plot but the story line and characters are similar to those in Nevada Jade.

I loved this book. Linda Chaikin is one of my favourite authors. She takes you to the Old West 1859 to Nevada where Virginia City is booming with silver. Annalee Halliday's father had struck it rich there! Annalee couldn't wait to tell her mother the good news. As the Hallidays travel from California to join him, they became trapped in a fierce winter fighting for survival. Marshal Brett Wilder is also searching for Jack Halliday...but not for the same reason. He is commissioned by the governor to arrest Jack Halliday for a murderer of a card dealer and for crippling Brett's father's arm who was a great surgeon. He rescues Annalee and her family from death. Annalee fights her attraction for the handsome lawman and her illness. She tries to deny the fact that she is not strong but her Lord could use her to have an impact on other people's lives. A great and wonderfull story about a young woman and her feelings of worthlessness and heartbreak and a handsome Brett Wilder who struggles with showing justice and mercy to the people who ruined his and his father's lives. I have news for everyone who likes this book. There is a sequel and it's called "Desert Star" and is due to be published in January!

What a find! This is a great book--49 poets, from 1-17 poems each, averaging maybe 7 each, written 1930-1990. These moving, vital, contemporary poems stand on their own without a Nevada connection. A quote from the editor, Shaun T. Griffin: "My motivation at first for editing this anthology was an undefined desire to see Nevada poets represented in more than passing form. But now...it is because of the poetry itself that I edit this book. The poetry made the journey worth the coming home." By Adrian C Lewis: THE CHICKEN BLUES/Outside his room the rain/sizzles upon government roofs./Inside, he fries chicken thighs/and tries not to spatter his unmade bed./Whispers circuit through the smoke./Tiny faces dance in the grease/and leap to his hand/to sink their teeth./Faces of all the women who cooked for him./He still lurks in the shadows of their eggshell skirts/and if he is fragile in his solitude/and scrambled beyond measures/of good, white taste/it is because of reasons he has yet to manufacture./He is the master of excuses./He will quite drinking tomorrow/he has said for twenty years/but then again, maybe he won't." Run, don't walk....

This book captures both the sad and the joyful. In the desert, the mountains, and the worlds of relationships. Moody and precise language make this a great read. Spend some time with it!

For the general reader, this book is an excellent overview of the tragic events of the Donner Party which have become an American icon. Though a work of fiction, the story is carefully researched and the fictional elements have been kept to a minimum. Since the rescue of the survivors in 1847, the actual events have been sensationalized and mythologized and this book does much in presenting the reader with what is known to be fact. To many, the Donner Party is shorthand for cannibalism but that is but one aspect of the ordeal experienced and not at all the most crucial one. Frankye Craig does an admirable job of filling us in on the day to day miseries and tribulations of the expedition which began even before the fateful mistake that took the Donners and their fellow travelers into the Wasatch Mountains and across the Salt Desert which made for fatal delays in the journey. Aside from the physical hardships along the way, Frankye goes into the social breakdowns which occured as a result of those hardships. Included also is the minutiae of day to day living while traveling with a wagon train on the way to a country that was itself semi-mythological at the time.

With regard to the final days of Tamsen and George Donner at the meadow where they were trapped, archaeologists Kelly Dixon and Julie Schablitsky, have confirmed Frankye Craig's version since this book was written. The one bone recovered among thousands of fragments which was thought to conclusively show evidence of cannibalism at the site turned out to be that of a horse.

There is a reference list at the back of this book for those who wish to pursue this story further but for the casual reader this book contains the basic facts as we know them to be at present.

The book was wonderful, I could not put it down. I thought about the Donner family during the day at work wondering what thier next adventure was going to be. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

We purchased this book in preparation for a vacation in the area of Reno, Tahoe and eastern California, and it was a gem. We visited many sites we would not have known about except for this book, and had a great time. Out thanks to the author for writing this very useful book. We recommend it to anyone.

This book is one of the best travel guides that I have ever used. There are so many historical landmarks and places of interest along Highway 395. This book encourages the reader to stop and visit. If time doesn't permit, it stimulates your curiosity and imagination. Ginny Clark uses her many years of travel on Hwy 395 to pass on her love of this unique area. This book has been loaned out to more people than any other book that we own. In fact, I am thrilled to find it on Amazon so that I can order it as a gift. Highly recommend!

An excellent survey of rock art that fits the pictographs and petroglyphs into a social and psychological model based on native american interpretations of meaning. Detailed listings and directions to more familiar sites will no doubt increase visitation but the presence of people interested in preservation will hopefully deter those only motive is to deface places of beauty and wonder. Whitley's academic background enhances the book and it has appeal to informed readers and those just discovering rock art.

This book cuts through the clutter of previous rock art meanings and uses the wisdom of the native americans to describe these symbols. I enjoyed reviewing his descriptions of the sites I have already visited and learned the locations of many more. Complete directions, maps, and contacts for each site are included. This is an excellent resource for people who love rock art!

Christina Nevada is a Godsend. She gets down to the many factors that cause eczema while keeping the average lay person in mind when describing the science behind it all. She teaches you how to modify and supplement your diet and lifestyle to fight eczema from the inside AND out. We've never had so many choices for treatment.

There is A LOT of information to take in. Try not to feel overwhelmed. You get more out of it each time you read it.

Christina has done a fabulous job of research and health ideas. Thank you so much, Christina!!! It has so much information and is a big help for anyone with this condition. Who wouldn't want to be healed? Buy this book!