Florida Books

Superbly illustrated with black/white photography and "user friendly" maps, One Tank Trips With Bill Murphy showcases 52 Florida-based adventures that can, quite literally, be taken with one tank of gas in the car, van, truck, or motorhome. From the Pioneer Florida Museum in Dade City to the Mote Marine Aquarium in Sarasota, a wealth of relevant information and "how to" advice make One Tank Trips With Bill Murphy a strongly recommended planning aid for anyone seeking fun in the Florida sun! Also very highly recommended is the new sequel, More One Tank Trips With Bill Murphy (0942084276, ...) which follows the same superbly presented composition of the first book and offers the vacationer with 52 additional fun-filled Florida excursions based on the "one tank of gas to get there and back) that ranges from the San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine to the Florida Gulf Coast Railroad Museum in Parrish. If you are planning an outing anywhere in Florida, begin by browsing through these two excellent travel idea guidebooks by Bill Murphy.

I got this book because I was new to the area - Am I glad I did! It has lots of wonderful places to visit including nature parks that locals didn't even know existed. I have given a copy of this book to all my overseas & out of state guests and they have enjoyed exploring the wonderful area we live in. Does not contain the big theme parks - we all know where they are - but all the hidden and interesting places that are suitable for all ages. A great book!!!!

I've lived in the Tampa area for a year now, and I was under the impression that besides Busch Gardens, there wasn't much to do. Boy was I wrong! This book not only gives great attractions to see in the area, including Pasco & other counties, but it also details things like great restaurants and stores that have been here forever. (Try Pete's Famous Smoked Fish in Clearwater, if you like smoked fish. The mackeral is to die for!) If you just want to get out of the house one weekend, this is the book for you!

I like Bill Murphy's choices for downhome, uniquely Floridian trips to a variety of sights. But if you would like more of the same painted on a bigger canvas, give Real Florida: A Travel Guide for the Passionate Yet Practical (The Budget Romance Traveler series) a try. This friendly book has a great "budget-romance" attitude and spans the state from Apalachicola to the upper Keys. (The author is a Tampa native, too.)

THIS GREAT TRAVEL BOOKS BY WELL KNOWN TV ANCHOR BILL MURPHY HAS SOLD 75,000 COPIES SINCE November. It is well written with 52 great trips to take on just one tank of gas. You will be surprised how many other interesting places has besides Walt Disneyworld!!!!

This book is amazing! I really, truly think so! You will like this book if you love animals, especially dogs, and enjoy reading chapter books. I read this book first when I was eight, then when I was nine, but I think this book would be ideal for people aged ten to twelve. This book is, basically, about a boy who finds a dog whom he names Foxy. She is an abused stray, and cannot be trained. Trust me, this is an amazing book! It would be great if there were a sequel. Have fun reading it! I'm sure you will!

I must have read this book when it first came out in 1984, and it was one of my favorites. Now, reading it again later (for a Children's Lit class), I can see why. It's a bit sad, but a wonderful book.

It is a very good book and has a great ending. My favorite part is when Jeff finds Foxy, after being lost, and fixes her up and makes her happy.

I liked this book a lot. It was sad when Jeff and the dog named Foxy almost got killed in a car accident. It was happy too. Like when he found it. It was also iteresting that the kid Jeff could sneak out of the hospital. This time I actually liked reading it because it was like a adventure.

This was the best book ive ever read deffinetly read this book if u need a good book to read

01.08.06

after reading frances johnson, i wanted to eat a pomegranate. without regret. stains. just like the words that stacey levine keeps writing. words that i cannot forget, that stain my mind. like the seedy fruit i most desire. cannot get enough.

while i read frances johnson, the music of dcfc, the Plans cd, kept playing in my head. two good brain candies, melt into one.
i'm on a diet and it really sucks. think i'll read a book...

I've read this book three times now. It's one of my favorite books. Perhaps it is my favorite book. I'm not certain. In any case, I would rank this book up with Kafka's The Trial or Freud's IOD.

Frances Johnson lives in a small town named Munson in Florida. Her boyfriend is Ray. Ray is good at bicycle tire repair, as well as various other household errands. He's also "overfocused on world history," it seems to Frances.

Much of the novel involves Frances' idea to get a new boyfriend, which is in part imposed upon her mysteriously by her neighbors and friends in the town. For example, Ray's own brother, Kenny, is frequently having talks with Frances in hilarious asides that border on the absurd or the ridiculous. In one case, Kenny even kisses Frances. The kiss is strange.

In any case, Frances will have to decide whether she will attend the annual town dance, where she is expected to meet her match. In addition, Frances has to decide whether she will travel out of Munson to find "chicken-beak" oil for Dr. Palmer.

Dr. Palmer is a rival of sorts to Frances' main love interest, Dr. Mark Carol. Dr. Mark Carol is handsome, but his handsomeness has a dangerous, looming quality. Also, Mark Carol is a stranger to the town, and his competitiveness with the kind-hearted Dr. Palmer makes him seem troublesome.

How does this problem resolve? You'll have to read it for yourself.

Now this book has gotten a lot of hype. Stacey Levine has gotten a lot of hype. Clear Cut Press makes very nice books. Frances Johnson is a very well made book. It fits in your pocket and takes serious abuse.

However, Frances Johnson is a pretty quick read. The language and figures of speech didn't make me think too much, since most of it was pretty obvious. Levine does create an otherwordly atmosphere in the first two-three pages, and on page 10 you're sure she's got you sucked into a vacant pot-boiler. The pacing is masterful. Frances Johnson is a fun read, but the hype led me to believe that it was a masterpiece.

It's not. Just a great read, but not demanding, like Beckett, Kafka and Duras (to respond to another reviewer).

I'd highly recommend this book, however. It should appeal to a wide range of readers.

Thank you,

Frank Sauce

Frances Johnson is a deeply funny, haunting book that obsessed me during the weeks I read it. Stacey Levine's prose is simple, but it leads you in directions you never expect. Like her first novel, Dra__, Frances Johnson seems in a submerged way to be about sexuality, and also identity, individuality, stuntedness, the endless circularity of human feelings. Levine sets her story in a drab landscape and renders it in prose that is often laugh-out-loud funny. Echoes of Kafka's bleak yet empathetic vision are frequent, as are moments of Jane Bowles and possibly Carson McCullers.

Levine sets her novel in Munson, a fictional Florida town where conformity is a mania-the only mania. There is virtually no other energy on hand. So while Frances lives in semi-contented mutual lassitude with boyfriend Ray, she is repeatedly urged by other characters to find someone better, specifically the almost camp figure of Mark Carol, a Hollywood-style doctor bachelor who arrives in town just in time for the biggest event of the year - the town dance. Even Ray urges Frances toward Mark Carol: "Frances ... everyone in town wants you to begin your life in earnest; we both know it's true!"

Levine keeps asking, in the book, `Where will Frances Johnson end up?' We watch Frances crash around in darkness, fall asleep, run from one person to another for advice - do anything but move purposefully forward. Will she sense her real desires, and will she be able to do anything about them? That's the question the book daringly poses - after all, it's a question that confronts all of us - while the story seems to putt around in weird, obscured landscapes getting basically nowhere. I admire the way Levine writes about something real and articulable without articulating it - instead, her narrative emulates the groping that is really done to reach it. Brilliant.

As with Dra__, Levine's vision in this novel gestures toward a larger condition. The conformity that spreads throughout the story like a smothering blanket is emblematic of the torpor of current American culture. To me, this is the most brilliant aspect of a book full of unusual and witty surprises. Like a dream that never ends, the novel continually returns to the image of Frances on her bicycle, peering through fog, trying to reach someone who will provide some clarity. Often, Frances is trying to get to Nancy, an older woman whose conversations with Frances sound like therapy sessions. Nancy's attention enthralls Frances; she wishes at one point she could never leave the older woman's presence. But at another point Nancy makes it clear she has needs of her own, and it rattles the perfection of their relationship. Throughout the novel, the simple act of being with another human is rife with trouble - far from an unfamiliar theme, but rendered by Levine with highly original strokes.

Frances Johnson is stuck: in a passionless relationship with her longtime suitor, Ray; in the small town, Munson, where residents eat hard crackers for every meal; at the edges of her own self which Frances, at age 38, characterizes as neither woman nor girl. Most of all, Frances Johnson is stuck beneath the oppressive infantalizing of a blaring mother who criticizes Frances' wardrobe and relationships with equal verve. This is a simultaneously poignant, hilarious and heart-wrenching tale of individuation with all the sparse, existential humor of Beckett, the off-beat metaphorical imagery of Kafka, and the poetic, textured syntax of Duras. Once again, Stacey Levine shines as one of contemporary fiction's most gifted voices.

This book is an insightful look into the person rather than the wrestling announcer. A lot of his inner thoughts are told through poems and short stories that he scribbled throughout his life, and the accompanying photos were perfectly placed, making this a great read. If you are looking for wrestling material, there's some, but don't go into this one expecting to come away with an education on the business. Nope - you'll come away with a better understanding of who Solie was. Highly recommended.

GeorgiaWrestlingHistory.com

I consider myself unfortunate to have come along in this world too late to experience the greatness that was Gordon Solie. By the time I was introduced to anything outside of McMahon-land it was too late, Mr. Solie was pretty much retired and out of the spotlight. I heard his name many times, and read about him in magazines all the time. The stories of what he contributed to the wrestling business always made me wonder just what kind of man he really was. It seemed nobody ever had a bad thing to say about him. A few years later, through the miracle of videotape, I did get see and hear the golden voice of professional wrestling work his magic. I was so impressed by his intelligent vocabulary and undeniable ability to get a wrestler or storyline over with the fans. I quickly became a fan of Gordon Solie.

So when I found out that Gordon Solie's daughter, Pamela Allyn, had collaborated with her husband, Robert, to assemble a collection of her father's personal memoirs, short stories, poems, and photos, all laid out in scrap book form, I knew I had to add it to my collection of wrestling books. It is a brilliant journey through the life and career (several of them actually) of wrestling's most respected announcer. In the pages of this book you will learn about Gordon's childhood, his early days in radio, his stint in the Air Force, his experiences with an interesting concept known as "Thrillcade", his love of stock car racing, his career as a pro-wrestling announcer, and on top of all that you will read interesting short stories and poems written about various topics that interested Gordon at the time. One particular short story was the opening chapter of a screenplay Gordon wrote that was so suspenseful I couldn't wait to turn the page.

I would like to thank Robert & Pamela Allyn for sharing Gordon's life with me, and with anybody else who picks up this book to read it. I found it to be more than just a wrestling book, but a scrapbook about the life of a truly wonderful man who meant a lot of things to a lot of different people. Included in this book are a large number of never before seen photographs straight from the Gordon Solie collection, bringing his stories to life with illustration. Every fan of professional wrestling will have Gordon Solie's voice etched in their mind forever, and now they can own a piece of his life.....

Rating: 8/10 Recommended highly for anyone who respected Gordon Solie. That's everybody.

Reviewed by Obsessedwithwrestling.com's Brad Dykens

You don't have to be a wrestling or racing fan

to enjoy this book. If you are, you must have

this book. A fine concise history of the rise

of the sports and Solie's contributions. Lot's

of great photo's of celebrities. Don't just

skim through the pictures, read the insightful

and introspective writings of this remarkable

man. Great stories, poems and essays about

real life and feelings.
V. Johnson, Ocala, Fl.

This book is absolutely marvelous. The authors have included so much more than I expected from reading the reviews. The way they have artistically woven prose, philosophy, poetry and photography together makes it very difficult to put down and with every purusal I discover a new and rich insight. *Something Left Behind* will stand as a timeless tribute to the awesome breath and depth of Gordon Solie's talent and character and is an enriching companion to *Master of the Ring*.

I have had this book for about a year now. I have found myself going back again and again, re-reading this wonderful in-site into the life of a true genius of the commentary profession. It is not what you would expect, Mr. Solie had such a full life, such diverse interests, among them of course, the wide world of wrestling. The pictures of all of his interests are riveting. His writings are poetic, intelligent, and reflect the richness of the time he spent with the passions of his life.
I cannot recommend this book too strongly. If you can manage to find a copy, you will not be disappointed. It is a real treasure.
S. Whitten

First, this book is chocked full of Bruce Roberts' beautiful photographs of the lighthouses in this region. The photographs are nothing less than SPECTACULAR! Combined with the revised and updated information on each makes this regional lighthouse guide a requirement you won't want to be without whether you're visiting the region or a life-long resident. The text contains full, rich descriptions of each lighthouse, too.

I have many lighthouse books and all of Bruce Roberts' and Ray Jones' regional guides. I've read them all and used most of them while traveling. I've found them to be first rate, an excellent choice for people who want everything lighthouse between two covers. A joy to look at and informative to read.

There are directions and other info for finding and visiting lighthouses. They do not always show all lights for a given area. The photos are all color. I own 3 of these books. There are not many other guide books out there so if you are looking for guide books these are good to have. Since there are so many books in this series I thought I'd help people find them easier. This is the series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
American Lighthouses
California Lighthouses
Eastern Great Lakes Lighthouses - I own this one
Western Great Lakes Lighthouses - I own this one
Southeastern Lighthouses - I own this one
Southern Lighthouses
New England Lighthouses
Mid Atlantic Lighthouses
Gulf Coast Lighthouses

Bruce Roberts and Ray Jones produce the best lighthouse travel guides available. This one is no exception.

This is a very comprehensive collection of information about the lighthouses along the gulf coast. The photos are wonderful, the historical facts interesting and layout beautiful. And it includes directions to all the pictured lighthouses.

There aren't that many books about Gulf Coast Lighthouses, especially the Western Gulf. This book covers all the lights that are still standing, gives a picture and directions to each one, as well as a short history. It also has some good history in the introductions to each section, and general maps. It isn't an encyclopedia, but a very nice coverage of its subject. I think it belongs in the library of anyone interested in Gulf Coast Lighthouses.

This book will be the most used reference in your possession if you are trying to grow herbs in Florida. I have an herb business, and it has been a godsend. Ms. Brandies has not only explained how, where and when you can grow literally ALL the herbs and spices available, but she has even divided Florida into North, Central & South growing climates. For those of you who have been struggling with herb books written for the Northeast or Texas, this one fabulous book will save you time, money and frustration.

I bought this book for my wife, who is into natural health remedies. She absolutely loves this book. She not only learned alot more about growing herbs, but harvesting them and what to do with them after she has them. She's happy I'm happy.

This book is a great guide to growing herbs, all year long. The fact that it is broken down into the actual different parts of the state is a great help. Being in the herb business for 10 years, it is nice to see somthing so spacific. In Florida, just a few miles means a difference in temps and weather conditions, this book addresses each in its own right.

Herbs And Spices For Florida Gardens, by herb gardening expert Monica Moran Brandies, is specifically designed to help the aspiring gardening grow and enjoy Florida plants that have special culinary, medical, floral, and horticultural properties. Black-and-white drawings succinctly illustrate the methodical instructions and advice, as well as the basic wealth of practical and descriptive information concerning a vast variety of plant species. A handy, no-nonsense reference for everything from simple window ledge gardens to involved and complex personal plots.

I consider this book a must for any Florida gardener's library. The book covers a wide variety of herbs and their ability (or lack of) to withstand Florida's hot and humid climate. Ms. Brandies writes from experience and her knowledge of the the subject matter has been invaluable in assisting me with making a success of my own garden.

If you love all animals, this is a book you MUST READ! It will make you cry, laugh, and at times angry, but most importantly, it will make you stop and think about what happens when humans, money, and animals are triangulated...the animal most usually ends up on the losing side. "Hoof Prints", as well as, Ms. Bowles first book, "The Horses of Proud Spirit", are not only thought provoking, but an education for the mind and heart. And speaking of hearts, Melanie Sue Bowles, and her husband, Jim, must have some of the biggest hearts in this whole wide world! Ms. Bowles is so much more than a rescuer and author...she lives for all the magnificent animals in her care, and because she does, they live, too. I promise, the word, Biscuit, will never have the same meaning for you again! Her books are the kind that you read, and re-read, and re-read for the rest of your life. I suggest buying them both, with a big box of tissues...you'll be so glad you did! After reading "Hoof Prints", and "The Horses of Proud Spirit", I consider myself, HORSE BLESSED.

I very seldom read a book anymore except a magazine article once in a while but for some unexplained reason I felt compelled to order Melanie Sue Bowles "Hoof Prints...". I am so glad I did. I found that this author's words brought out about every feeling and emotion one can have by those who deal with our equine companions. She truly touched my heart with each chapter (even broke it a couple times). It is a book of tears and smiles and a few laughs if you have any sense of hunor. I had barely finished this book when I ordered her first novel "The Horses of Proud Spirit". I would recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, not just horses.

A look at the inhumane treatment of our horses, and the wonderful soul of a rescuer. Stories that will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh and make you cry. This is a look into the hearts of the horses and the rescuers. A must read for all! One of my favorite books. I couldn't put it down. God bless Melanie.

I enjoyed Hoof Prints by Melanie Sue Bowles very, very much. It has a good balance of happy and poinant moments but also contains useful technical descriptions relating to horses which I found most interesting and helpful. The dedication of Melanie and Jim Bowles is an inspiration and this is conveyed beautifully throughout the wonderful storys in Hoof Prints. Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary is a wonderful place.

Melanie, Melanie, your new book, Hoof Prints, is a wonderfully, sympathic journey for all animal lovers. Thank you, thank you, not only for beautiful prose but for the dedication you and Jim are giving. And thanks to all of the wonderful friends who let these horses be who God made them to be: free and happy. Your words have expanded my awareness, broadened my knowledge, and enlarged my compassion for those sweet creatures. Your books have turned my fear of horses into heartfult compassion; now I just want to hug and kiss them! And that's saying alot for this grandma who has kept a distance from any animal bigger than a German Shepherd for many years! Your writing style is easy and a delight to read because it comes straight from your heart - keep it up, gal; only with the next book, please include a box of tissues - for laughter as well as tears.

This book has been such a gift! We travel the intracoastal waterways in Jacksonville/St.Augustine Florida all year long and found this book to be so helpful.

The charts are well organized and very reliable. Only a minimum number of aids were missing or changed in number. Some of the bridge info is a little dated but generally did not cause any navigational problems.

Very usable in it's small page spiral format. Flipping pages as one cruises north or south is easy, and takes very little space at the helm. The annotations indicating marina locations save looking in separate guides when a stopping point is desired. Some obvious side trips (e.g. Banana River) are omitted and would have helped increase usefulness if included.

Great book, you have to have them to run the intracoastal and it's MUCH cheaper at Amazon then in the bookstores - or boat stores!!

A must for traveling the Intercoastal Waterway. A very detailed illustrative set of information to successfully achieve your trip.

This book has a special meaning for me because I grew up in the same town as the author, and have known of his writing abilities for many years.

Jesse Earle Bowden's novel, LOOK AND TREMBLE, presents a vivid account of life in Ring Jaw, a gritty crossroads town in Northwest Florida, during the l940s and l950s. I was struck by the poetic rhythm of his writing, much like the ebb and flow of the river currents he portrays so graphically.

One comes away with the satisfying feeling of watching a boy, Chance Cahoon, grow to manhood in the bosom of a loving family; where he learns about loyalty and love, racism, hate, bullies and cowardice. The town of Ring Jaw is well portrayed, and the characters come alive with all their sterling qualities and damning flaws. One gets to know their kindness and generosity; their cruelty. He brings to mind the gossiping harpies who hate their lives and are stuck in the quagmire of sameness unending, yet are the first to rally when misfortune strikes their neighbors. There are the good churchgoing grannies who organize the cemetery workings and rain disapproval on those who don't attend the yearly ritual. Also, the church dinners on the ground and all day gospel singing under the hand-held fans provided by the funeral parlor.

Chance Cahoon's playmates, Will Buck, Ben Henry Swinnard and RC Hickey, form a tight bond of friendship and share the secrets and ghosts of the river. There is Rattler Ransom, who is rumored to be Chance's father. A rawhide of a man, he is a law unto himself. He keeps his own counsel and is quick to defend that right. The tension builds to near disaster when town bullies, Rooster Reddoake and Hunky Hogan, discover the boys boiling peanuts on the river bank one night and drunkenly attempt to settle grudges against Chance's grandfather, Solomon Chance Cahoon. The low key scene on the river is classic, in the vein of Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD; no heroics, only frightened children who stand their ground against their tormentors, and their strength prevails.

Bowden evokes feelings, memories, of growing up in a long ago age, in a town called Ring Jaw, that still maintains the old values of sharing and caring for their neighbors. His love for the river is an integral part of who he is, and he writes from the heart with the nostalgia and love of a native son who learned all he needed to know at his grandfather's knee

LOOK AND TREMBLE is a book you will want to re-read.

Jesse Earle Bowden's novel, LOOK AND TREMBLE, presents a vivid account of life in Ring Jaw, a gritty crossroads town in Northwest Florida, during the l940s and l950s. I was struck by the poetic rhythm of his writing, much like the ebb and flow of the river currents he portrays so graphically.

One comes away with the satisfying feeling of watching a boy, Chance Cahoon, grow to manhood in the bosom of a loving family; where he learns about loyalty and love, racism, hate, bullies and cowardice. The town of Ring Jaw is well portrayed, and the characters come alive with all their sterling qualities and damning flaws. One gets to know their kindness and generosity; their cruelty. He brings to mind the gossiping harpeis who hate their lives and are stuck in the quagmire of sameness unending, yet are the first to rally when misfortune strikes their neighbors. There are the good churchgoing grannies who organize the cemetery workings and rain disapproval on those who don't attend the yearly ritual. Also, the church dinners on the ground and all day gospel singing under the hand-held fans provided by the funeral parlor.

Chance Cahoon's playmates, Will Buck, Ben Henry Swinnard and RC Hickey, form a tight bond of friendship and share the secrets and ghosts of the river. There is Rattler Ransom, who is rumored to be Chance's father. A rawhide of a man, he is a law unto himself. He keeps his own counsel and is quick to defend that right. The tension builds to near disaster when town bullies, Rooster Reddoake and Hunky Hogan, discover the boys boiling peanuts on the river bank one night and drunkenly attempt to settle grudges against Chance's grandfather, Solomon Chance Cahoon. The low key scene on the river is classic, in the vein of Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD; no heroics, only frightened children who stand their ground against their tormentors, and their strength prevails.

Bowden evokes feelings, memories, of growing up in a long ago age, in a town called Ring Jaw, that still maintains the old values of sharing and caring for their neighbors. His love for the river is an integral part of who he is, and he writes from the heart with the nostalgia and love of a native son who learned all he needed to know at his grandfather's knee

LOOK AND TREMBLE is a book you will want to re-read.

Spellbound. That's what happened to my mind after reading the first chapter of this novel by a country Florida boy, now grown to manhood, and putting words on paper that facinate readers across the world.
Bowden takes actual events from his boyhood memories and fictionalizes them into an overpowering story of murder, terror and ghosts that shadowed his own life, as well as recollections of tales told around the cracker barrel of an isolated country store on rainy days.
The book is a haunting novel of a young man who grew up fatherless in Ring Jaw, and now returns after the death of the man he never knew as his biological father. He encounters spirits from the past that cause him to wonder about his own life.
Bowden has the ability to put words on paper that come alive and take you to the place where he sets the scenes for his story. You see, smell, hear, taste and feel the things he felt when he wrote the novel.
If you like adventure, mystery and a life-changing experience, I highly recommend Look and Tremble.

Set in the Panhandle of Florida several decades ago, this novel gives a gripping account of violence, race and coming of age in a small town. Jesse Earle Bowden, who was editor of the Pensacola News Journal for 31 years, writes with the authority reserved for someone who was there. The story revolves around the secrets of a nearby river that offers up boyhood memories, a headless man, ghosts and, eventually, a modern-day murder. The book is a flashback in time that will appeal to West Floridians as well as just about anyone who wonders how things once were.

I have been a fan of Brenda Strange since the first book "The Burning of Her Sin". I was taken from my Midwest home to the warmth and the sea breezes of Tampa. But Ms. Henderson's latest installment of this series took my heart. From the opening to the unforeseen ending, I was walking with Brenda every step of the way. I greedily consumed this book in one sitting. When I was done I sat astonished.
Thank you Ms. Henderson for giving us Brenda Strange.
Please, please, may we have the next in the series SOON?

I was so glad when The Missing Page was finally published - It meant I got to have another visit with Brenda Strange. The main characters of series I really enjoy are like friends - you really look forward to seeing them again. I was not disappointed with this visit. Brenda is continuing a case she first heard about at the end of the last book. Trying to find a missing rare book. This case has many twists and turns and then theending is a shocker. Please take the time to visit with Brenda and all her friends. You will not regret it.

Tampa P.I. Brenda Strange often finds herself in the middle of weird cases, but even when she's in over her head she never loses hers. Not so for her client, a man in search of a lost manuscript, who is found decapitated. More heads roll as Brenda continues her search for the manuscript and it's author, a magician of the black arts.

Author Patty G. Henderson does not disappoint with this, her third book featuring private detective Brenda Strange. Ms. Henderson dares to go where many writers dare not go by taking readers out of their comfort zone and thrusting them into situations they only experience in nightmares. Now and then she allows you to take a breath, then she grabs you by the collar and drags you to the end of the story, with an unexpected conclusion that will make you gasp.

The Missing Page is a satisfying and heart-thudding read that will make you want to read more about Brenda and her strange investigations. I'll be impatiently waiting for Ms. Henderson's next book in the series.

Private investigator Brenda Strange's cases always seem to start of normal, but you can be sure that they won't end that way. What with living with two ghosts - one who has a crush on her - and attempting to repair her on-again-off-again romance with her lover, Brenda shouldn't expect her life to be average. But when she's contacted by a potential client who wants her to find a missing manuscript, Brenda doesn't expect a string of decapitation murders, a creepy occultist, or a possible formula for immortality.

These mysteries read like an adventure series, with readers left itching for the next installment of the chronicles of Brenda's life. At a relatively brief 164 pages, the reader is sucked immediately for a swift and exciting ride and will be left heartbroken but wanting more. Henderson again delivers a wonderful and thrilling novel that will have readers demanding more Brenda Strange mysteries.

Brenda Strange's new adventure will take her deep into the strange and dangerous world of a man long thought dead who was working on a way to become immortal when he died. When Clifford Satterly calls Brenda from Spain wanting to know how his case was progressing, he sounded desperate and told her time was running out and she had to find the Malenko manuscript and then hung up the phone. As Brenda searches through all the mail that stacked up while she was off work dealing with her mother's death, she is trying to remember what the Malenko manuscript was. She had met Clifford last year at an autograph show in Ft. Lauderdale when he and another dealer, Hilda Moran got into a shouting match over the manuscript. She was interested in buying the manuscript and he claimed that she stole it from him and she was claiming she never received it, in spite of a FedEx signature receipt. So Brenda goes to see Hilda, who once again asserts that the signature is a forgery, who also explains to her that the Malenko manuscript is the last written record left by Conrad Malenko, a Russian occultist who was rumored to have studied under the famous black magician, Aleister Crowley. The manuscript is rumored to have contained a ceremony for eternal life but he disappeared after the Second World War. She then goes on to tell Brenda that there is a curse attached to the manuscript but she doesn't believe in curses.

When her client is found decapitated, Brenda thinks about dropping the investigation but then decides she has an obligation to him to finish the case. And then more brutal killings occur, with all of the victims decapitated but the heads taken. As Brenda digs deeper into the life of Malenko, she discovers that the heads are a part of the ritual and realizes that someone is trying to complete the spell. And this will be a discovery that will plunge her into the worst nightmare of her life and cost her more than she ever thought she could pay. Henderson has once again created a top notch story with an ending so shocking it will take your breath away.