Illinois Books

This book is the origin of information theory (then called "communication theory"). Explaining measurement of information in both discrete and continuous variables, this historic work defined one of the most important watershed moments in science, and serves as an excellent introduction to the subject.

This book doesn't need any presentation: it is well known by all the scientific community as the "start point" of Information Theory. Roughly speaking, today we would not have cell phones or internet without Shannon's work.
With his fundamental theorem, in 1948, Shannon prooved that it was possible, under some conditions, to have reliable communication. Since that moment, the research on Information Theory has become more and more important and has continued to develop in many different ways.
So, this book is historically fundamental for all those people interested in Communications.

Typically, a paper which defines a new field of science is not the best introduction to new researchers in the field. This is not the case with The Mathematical Theory of Communication. If you are interested in information theory, this is the one and only place to start.

This book is the best technical book i've ever read. It's clear, concise and logic. It explains all the fundamentals of communication theory, a basic for telecom and electronic engineers. All technical universities of everywhere must explain their communication theory subject following exactly this text. Above any other technical book. A gem.

The origin of this book lies in the Bell Telephone Laboratories initiative in researching how wireless and telecommunications can be improved. The problem it deals with is a classic one for electronics, telecommunications and computing - noise vs. fidelity of data transmitted. The solution it propounds is simple and yet so revolutionary that it charted the course of these fields since it was published.

The basic premise of the book is that 'redundancy' or elimination of noise occurs at infinite time. 'Entropy' or shuffledness allows for some noise and produces more information because it requires reconstruction at the receiving end.

The authors support their arguments with simple statistical formulae which explain how entropy and redundancy are inverse of each other.

This book has been highly debated by both the people involved in the fields concerned and the people outside the field.

Most of the debate surrounds the controversial aspect of Shannon and Weaver's definition of information in engineering terms, which excludes issues like relevance, meaning etc.

A great deal of debate also got carried into social sciences and humanities where a new celebration of 'entropy' occured.

This fascinating autobiography is a must-read for anyone wanting a personal view not only of Ulysses Grant, but of his all-too-often ignored and underrated wife. Julia Grant's memoir is an unusually frank and entertaining visit with her unique, delightfully engaging personality--she was a far cry from the rather sour-looking, unprepossessing image one gets from her photographs.

One thing I found particularly fascinating about her book--something previous reviewers have strangely overlooked--is the inadvertent way she reveals not only Grant's many virtues, but his faults as well. Grant's cold, affection-starved upbringing left him emotionally immature in certain ways. Julia's candid style depicts her husband as sometimes capable of being pig-headed, uncommunicative, and remarkably insensitive to her feelings, while his usually charming sense of humor could take on a childishly cruel edge. This warts-and-all look at the man is a refreshing change from the uncritical, unbelievable hagiography found in most contemporary accounts of Grant. In short, this book is a psychological gold mine!

I was thrilled to discover the existence of this book and equally thrilled at the opportunity to see into the lives of the Grants from Mrs. Grant's point of view.

Throughout her Memoirs, Mrs. Grant's love and devotion to her husband and family are apparent. Equally apparent is the evidence that her affection was completely reciprocated. Not highly educated by modern standards, Mrs. Grant's sharp perception provides a unique glimpse into the personal life of her family and the issues that shaped her destiny. She was born the daughter of a Missouri planter, raised among slaves and southern society belles. Yet, during the Civil War, her devotion to her husband led her to become one of the most vocal proponents of preserving the Union among all her aquaintances. Amazingly, she was with the general during much of the war; in St. Louis before Vicksburg and in Virginia prior to the surrender of Lee at Appomatox Courthouse. Her presence helped ease the extreme pressure placed on her husband from Washington demands for quick victory in Virginia.

The memoir also describes the Grant's occupation of the White House during the Grant Administration and the world tour of the Grants following her husband's presidency. Many details describe table linens and ladies fashion of the time, an important concern for a woman of Mrs. Grant's position, but not so for the woman of today. Still, this memoir is a wonderful addition to my library and will be a valuable addition to the collection of anyone interested in understanding the views of nineteenth century women and Mrs. Grant in particular.

I really recommend this book to anyone who likes US Grant or the civil war. I didn't think Mrs. Grant's book would be interesting, but I could not put it down. The way she describes her husband shows a very deep love and attraction for him. I didn't think people of that age were as open with their feelings, but this gal sure was. She was so frank in expressing her feelings for Grant, no wonder he followed her around like a lovesick calf.

She even hints about the physical side of their union, which was incredible since she wrote it 100 years ago. I think anyone would love this book, Mrs. Grant writes well and is quite funny and entertaining. I give this book a solid "10."

Sadly Julia Dent Grant is little remembered in history today and in her lifetime this remarkable and bright woman placed herself so dutifully in the shadow of her great husband that even in her own time she was not given her proper due. Ever a loving mother and wife, Mrs. Grant was also gifted with many other talents: those of the observer, those of the writer, and most of all the gift of a storyteller.

Mrs. Grant's remembrances of her life and half-century marriage to the President cover her happy childhood in Missouri, the early years in the Grant household, her husband's time as a career soldier and later a struggling businessman in Illinois, and take us into the Civil War years as no one else ever has before. She describes her friendships with a number of southern ladies, her feeling toward the Lincoln's (she admired the President yet found his wife difficult, petty, and unstable) and details the private side of number of figures from that period. Most of all she relates anecdotes that capture the courage, acumen and generosity of her husband as he dealt with foe and comrade alike. The Grant she writes of was a fine man indeed.

There is one feature I noticed right off in Mrs. Grant's book and that is her uneven pacing. By this I mean that she dedicates a large amount of space to some events but only a small amount to others, even though one would think they may be of greater importance to history. Mrs. Grant writes as often and in as much detail on the selection and furnishing of her houses as she does on the Civil War. She dedicates scant ink to the (unhappy) Grant Presidency but then allocates fully half the book to a trip to Europe and the Near East her family takes after leaving public life in 1876. I have no real complaints about this, since this recollection by a great woman behind a great man is never boring, and indeed her account of time among the sites and figures of 1870's Europe was a delight in itself, but I was surprised she chose to plot her memoir this way.

I wish both Mrs. Grant and her memoir were better known in the 21st century and I hope this review in some small way might contribute to that.

The most prolific editor of Grant-ology does a tremendous job pulling together Julia Dent Grant's manuscript. I would have liked to have had her get into more depth on certain issues, but what can you do, she's been gone for some time now. This is ultimately an insightful look into one of the more interesting first ladies, and a wonderful source of information about what went into making Ulysses S. Grant.

I've been reading MSR's books from almost the beginning, so when I learned she was switching from non-fiction writing to fiction, I was excited at the prospect, because I had read The Seventh Mesa and thought it was outstanding.

Suffice it to say, my expectations were high because I do have a long history, and I've often read many of the other sources that MSR discusses in her Q&A books and autobiographies.

I felt Ruby was written for the initiate not for someone seeking a peek into the inner mysteries. MSR has hinted a lot in her non-fictional writings about all that she knows. I was hoping she'd fill us in.

Ruby is written in a highly descriptive style, one that I admire and appreciate. I felt like I was there with the characters watching the scenes as if I were watching a movie. The simply message of the book is one that can never be told enough, never gets old. So even though I was wanting something more, slightly different, I've recommended this book to many people with the hopes that it will pique their curiosity to explore the non-fictional offerings MSR has written.

I loved the storyline. I am a little too impatient to get through all of the descriptive passages, but Ruby (the character) was reminiscent of a feminine verson of Sai Baba in the flesh. I loved the concept and really got into the story. Kudos to you Mary for this lovely story.

The wait was worth it!!! Mary pulls out all the goodies in this novel which will bring on the truth bumps.......that is , IF you really know Summer Rain and have read ALL off her books.

This book is worth buying and please ,, give ourself time to digest the story. If you have read ALL off Mary's books, you WILL get where she is at with this one. Love and Blessings to ALL, And to Mary Summer Rain for helping me to awaken to the truth and for being MY TEACHER just by putting her heart into print for the past 20 some years! Lightweaver

Mary Summer Rain is one in a million!!! She has a way of writing that brings her point across so one will never forget it. I have read all of her books, and am a fan of her non-fiction works especially, but "Ruby" is a priceless gift to her readers!!! Mary brings "Ruby" to life in a way that will inspire the reader to question those 'chance' encounters forevermore!

This book, while disarmingly simple in it's premise and style, contains a compassion and grace, that is genuine. It is a welcome return for those of us who have come to be used to the prolific offerings of Mary Summer Rain, only to have her suddenly take a sabbatical. It was an exciting prospect for her to return with a novel, only her second, and I was far from dissappointed. She simultaneously perceives life through the innocent eyes of a child, and the learned eyes of a sage, and the confluence of that sight transmits so nicely into this story of a deeply personal spiritual nature. It is well written, with great thought, and is imbued with integrity and charm from its beginning to its conclusion.

SOX AND THE CITY IS WRITTEN BY RICHARD ROEPER WHO IS ALSO A MOVIE CRITIC ALONG WITH ROGER EBERT IN CHICAGO AND THEY HAVE A SYNDICATED TV SHOW. I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. I AM NOT A SOX FAN BUT AN INDIANS FAN AND I KNOW MANY MANY SEASONS HAVE PASSED SINCE A WORLD SERIES VICTORY. ROPER BRINGS BACK MUCH NOSTALGIA FROM BASEBALL IN THE 1960'S TO PRESENT DAY. I REALLY ENJOYED THE SEGMENTS ABOUT THE 1967 TEAM AND DICK ALLEN. I ESPECIALLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL SOX FANS AND EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT READ FOR ALL BASEBALL FANS. HE DOES A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING IN DETAIL HOW THE 2005 SEASON WENT WITH SOME GREAT BEHIND THE SCENES STORIES. I THINK THE ONE MAIN THING I ENJOYED MOST WAS HIS EXPERIENCES FOLLOWING THE SOX AS A CHILD WHEN WE ARE YOUNG AND NAIVE AND HOPE IS ETERNAL. A MUST READ.

Roeper writes very well for a journalist (ha-ha), and this book was both funny and captured the essence of being a White Sox fan. He takes you through his personal experience of being fan from his childhood in the 1960s to attending the World Series in 2005. The book would be a fun read even if you were not a White Sox fan as Roeper includes a lot of jokes about pop culture such as movies and music, and many of the stories of being a fan are universal regardless of the team.

Fantastic recap of decades of Sox lore! This book was a quick and interesting read, containing trivia, stats, and facts all interwoven with personal anecdotes and memories. Terrific for new or old fans - a must have for all who know and love the Sox!

Thank goodness the White Sox have southside Chicago native Richard Roeper as a fan! The Cubs and other more popular MLB teams have a much longer roster of both author/fans (e.g. Stephen King and the Red Sox) and A-list celebrity/fans (of which the White Sox have none - sorry Jerry Springer, you're B-list). But the White Sox, with their long, interesting history and their amazing 2005 World Series run, needed someone to step up to the plate and deliver what the fan base needs: a book documenting what it means to be a White Sox fan in the four decades up to 2005. Roeper delivers a solid home run, albeit not a grand slam.

Roeper deftly interweaves three main storylines in "Sox and the City": the highlights of the past 40 years of Sox history; Roeper's own personal experiences as a fan attending more than 1000 Sox games; and the highlights of the 2005 season and World Series run. Along the way Roeper provides a personal, often humorous view of the main topics in Sox history: the different Sox teams that have been assembled over the years; what it means to be a Sox fan in what will always (unless the demographics of Chicago change radically) be a Cubs town, including especially the Sox/Cubs rivalry among the fans (which, because of geography is more passionate - at least on the Sox side - than any other intercity major league rivalry); Harry Caray's move from the Sox to the Cubs; Bill Veeck's attempts to generate excitement (and bring in paying fans) on the southside; Disco Demolition Night; the move from Comiskey to the Cell; and much more.

There is so much White Sox history that it is impossible to capture it all in a single volume, but Roeper hits all the highlights. His prose is very accessible, humorous, and direct. "Sox and the City" is likely to become the definitive guide to what it means to be a White Sox fan in the present day.

Why only four stars? Roeper's done an admirable job in all areas of the book except two: explaining precisely what made the 2005 team different than all other White Sox teams, and capturing the excitement and impact of the Sox's 2005 World Series victory on the city of Chicago. Perhaps the latter is an impossible task to translate into words - you had to be there.

All literate White Sox fans should read this book.

"Sox and the City" is a great read for any baseball lover, but particularly White Sox fans. They say that as a baseball fan you are wedded to one team for life, and live and die with them each season. Or to paraphrase one of those east coast baseball fans, baseball is not life or death, but the [White] Sox are!

"Sox and the City" will most interest Chicagosns, of course. But all baseball fans might enjoy it. After all, being a White Sox fan in a city with more than one team, and an ancient generational rivalry (I won't name that OTHER team) is an experience few living baseball fans still know. the annual highs and lows (and finally triumph) that made the suffering all worth it. Only perhaps New Yorkers share the experience (and even the New York Mets are stand-ins for the old Yankees-Dodgers-Giants rivalry).

If you love baseball, pick this one up!

I have read all of the Dearest Dorothy series and they are wonderful. It feels so good to read about small towns and people who care about each other!! Takes your mind off all the awful "wordly" things...

I was very pleased with the promptness of my order. I will not hesitate to order from them again.

Let me see if I can remember what I wrote about another one of these Partonville novels. They are simply wonderful; humorous, entertaining and inspirational. They cheer me up and make me feel as if I'm returning to a charming hometown each time. I hope Charlene finds time to pen many, many more sequels of these lovely families!!!

I've read all the books in the Dearest Dorothy series and have to say, I found this one to be one of the most enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I've loved them all but this one really just had an extra special something. Charlene does an excellent job in character development and great story lines. I am hoping that there will be another book out soon and that Dorothy is a bit more prominant in the next. As always, a great read and a book to make you think about life and all there is to appreciate about it!

Having read each and every book in the series, I had a pretty good idea what to expect -- enjoyable, pleasant and worth the time. What I got was a surprise; it was terrific !!! While the book continues to have the small-town flavor which makes the series so appealing, it added new characters and twists to the plot that made it a bit more "current" and fast-paced.

The characters are well-developed and the story enchanting. If you have read the other books in the series, make sure you read this one. If you are just picking it up for the first time, enjoy and appreciate.

"More Than A Dream" captures the incredible story of a small group of people who take a seemingly impossible idea about how to change urban education in Chicago and, by sheer will, determination and faith, make it a reality. Kearney does a great job of bringing to light the unlikely path to the school's opening, while also interweaving the stories of 4 students and the impact the school has had on their lives. It's a fast-paced read that I had a hard time putting down.

What started as an idea in the early 1990s has grown to become a growing national network of high schools in many of America's toughest urban environments. GR Kearney tells the story of the Cristo Rey Network which started as the small Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago in 1994 and has grown to include nearly 2 dozen schools nationwide. Kearney tells the story from several perspectives, interviewing founding members of the faculty, staff and board of the school as well as weaving tales of students throughout the pages. Kearney himself volunteered at the original Cristo Rey school and lends a perspective that is critical to understanding the Cristo Rey story.

More Than a Dream is a must read for those looking to make a difference, or at least want to read about some people who have, in the lives of thousands of innercity youth in America's urban battlefields.

Building a school, building a future - it's what Chicago Jesuits sought to do when they built a new college prep school for the children of Hispanic working poor. "More Than a Dream: The Cristo Rey Story" is an inspiring tale of an improbable success story of keeping ones faith to keep going despite the innumerable barriers one faces in such an a situation. Author G. R. Kearney should know, as he works as a teacher and a coach at the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School as part of their Jesuit Alumni Volunteer program which Kearney himself helped found. "It's a story that needed to be told," says Kearney. "More Than a Dream: The Cristo Rey Story" would be a grand addition to both Christian and Educational community library collections and for any reader who would seek to learn how exactly this school rose up almost nothing, and how it seeks to help others do the same.

I was given a copy of this book by a colleague whose company employs Cristo Rey students. Frankly didn't think I'd ever open the book until I was stuck waiting for a delayed plane. However, once I did open it, I found I couldn't put it down. The book is about a group of priests who want to start a school for poor kids in Chicago, but it's much more than that. It's the story of an entrepreneurial triumph that will inspire anyone in business or struggling with adversity. It's also a great story of young people working for a better future. I highly recommend this book.

This is an excellent book that outlines the foundation of the first Cristo Rey school in Chicago. The Jesuits created Cristo Rey Chicago in the late 1990's, and now the Cristo Rey Network includes over 20 schools. The Jesuits started the program to provide a college prep high school experience for economically challenged students in the inner city. I teach at the Cristo Rey school in Kansas City, and found this book an invaluable resource to my own teaching / administrative roles. It was great to read about the Jesuit's initial desire that drove them to found the school, and also to read about the logistic struggles they faced in those tough first years. Since it is such an inspiring story, I'd recommend to anyone outside of education as well.

Super book to take in the field with you. Organized by color to make it very handy. The photos are beautiful and large. I know that Illinois is a big state but it was amazing how many native birds there are. If you love watching birds - this is a must buy.

I love this book! So easy to use! You can find the bird you see easily (by color), and Stan gives you exactly the tip you need to tell which bird it is! Plus interesting facts about each bird, and where you are likely to see them, and what they are likely to be doing. And beautiful, clear photos! This is the first of his field guides that I ever bought. I bought several others. I love them all! His field guides really work!

This book was great. My partner and I were having a little bet on what bird we had seen in our backyard. This book has it all for those of you who love to birdwatch anywhere.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the birds in their Illinois backyard. We have learned so much about the birds that come to our feeders. Our children, ages 6 and 2, are now very interested in the types of birds that are in our backyard. Excellent buy!

Like all of the other reviews, I find this book the easiest to use when trying to identify new birds who come to our feeder. One other thing I love about it - it tells what the birds like to eat! So can stock my feeder appropriately.

The authors have provided a visual celebration for nursing! Clearly the parades were really annual public processions, although the narrative and images demonstrate the religious nature as well. The photographs are a witness to the pride and esteem that nurses held/hold for their profession and the tribute paid to nursing by all those other groups who chose to also march as well as the crowds that lined the parade route. This is a real contribution to the history of nursing!

This book is a perfect gift for any nurse, but especially one who is over 50-ish, has any Chicago connections, and who attended a "diploma" school of nursing. It is a completely unbeknownst to me super-cool annual event out of the city's past. The documentation and photos are great. Thus, it's also a great book for a Chicago historian, nurse or not. I happen to be a nurse, and purchased this book for myself. It's nice to know that past mayors of the city honored its nurses in such a neat public way. It's also a view of how nursing has changed. In the days of this parade, practically every R.N. had graduated from a hospital "diploma" school of nursing. Now those schools are virtually extinct (mine closed over 20 years ago), and most nurses are college, community college, or university educated. The evolution of nursing education is another huge subject, but this book gives a great glimpse of the old days of Chicago and nursing in the 10 years that the parade was held.

Chicago's Nurse Parade is a wonderful easy read with incredible vintage photos deplicting this fascinating historical parade. Being a nurse, there is a pride and a wonderful history of this profession.
Hats off to the authors for showing the historical and interesting journey this profession has!
D. Emerick R.N.

A wonderful book. A very creative way to honor the Nursing profession. It is a classic.

The problem was a serious nursing shortage--one giant step in the solution was to have a parade! Initiating an annual Nurse Parade in Chicago was a very imaginative way of raising awareness for a serious problem. With a minimum of text, this visually delightful book explores, through reproductions of documents, newspaper articles and photographs, the history of Chicago's Nurse Parade. We can learn a lesson from the success of this initiative. When we utilize our creative resources (and remember to have fun!), effective solutions can come in unexpected and interesting forms. The authors, passionate advocates for nurses and the nursing profession, have offered a story relevant to us all.

I have to echo all the other five star reviews here, added by Soloways or not. This is a well-written, engaging, moving story of a child's life growing up in Chicago. I read it in one gulp.

I read Divison Street Princess and loved every page. SOloway writes wonderfully, and evokes a certain America magically, she has created a very important memoir.

I feel the book is so important in Americana culture and Jewish-Americana cultural archives, that the book should eventually be entered onto an online Internet site, free of charge, so that readers in the future, and I mean the FUTURE, like 500 years from now, can also read this moving memoir! Also, this would make a great movie in the Barry Levinson vein of Hollywoodiana. The murder of the little girl and the arrest of the murderer would make a fantastic 1950s Chicago movie story, with Soloway's memoir bookending the movie on both sides.

Author Elaine Soloway remembers Chicago in the 'forties as the best of times and the worst of times. Now in her sixties, she presents an unvarnished, microscopically precise yet warm and loving account of growing up in a supportive Jewish family above her family owned mom and pop grocery story in Chicago's Humboldt Park.

The author remembers/reconstructs every detail--how her parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and neighbors spoke, dressed, worried, loved, and argued--as the world of their Jewish enclave was dissolved by the drip, drip, drip of postwar mobility. She notes, "Television, suburban backyards, and supermarkets were draining our close-knit block of its friendliness, its familiarity."

Soloway's excellently written account will bring back the past for those of us who shared the same time and place. For those who did not, it will serve as a valued lesson on how we got from Chicago in the 'forties to the Chicago of today and what we gained and at what cost.

--Lowell Streiker
author of The Old Neighborhood: Memories of a Chicago Childhood--1942 to 1952.

The book brought back so many memories from the old neichborhood. It is a good book for all ages.

I was drawn into this wonderful book by the details of daily life in 1942 as seen, in the first pages, through the eyes of a four-year-old child. And I stayed with delight to absorb that little girl's increasingly acute awareness of family, friends, neighbors, and the urban neighborhood itself, as she grew into her early teens. The way in which the reader comes to know and ultimately care deeply about the parents, Min and Irv Shapiro, and the future of the family is especially satisfying. While the time and the place are unique, I believe that everyone of any age will find something familiar in this lovely memoir.

The huge statue of Superman in Metropolis, Illinois is not a figment of an author's imagination -- it stands in the only city in the country named Metropolis.
This evening, however, it appears Clark Kent's bosom buddy may have murdered one of the town's citizens, now draped (headless) across his arm.
An original idea, well plotted, with great characters.

I would like to thank Ms.Cruse for a well written suspense piece. Reading the book sent me into a spin about the 'Who Done It' kind of thing. Just when you think you have the killer figured out and nailed....the plot thickens. I also like the way she has created characters that face the very things that many people face in life. This lends solidity to the book... a level in which people can relate which allows for a more fluid flow of feelings and emotions. Hoping to read more from Ms.Cruse in the near future.

Lonnie Cruse looked at the Superman statue and thought, "What a good place to put a body." That's how a mystery writer's mind works.

MURDER IN METROPOLIS is the first in a series featuring Sheriff Joe Dalton, a likeable guy and good country sheriff. Cruse knows the rhythms of small-town life, and her characters ring true. In this traditional mystery we get to know the victim through comments and action of friends and family after his death.

The victim is a popular businessman and the sheriff's longtime friend. Was there a witness to the murder? Maybe, if you count Big Ed, the town drunk, who was sleeping (or not) in a nearby doorway. How about the traveling salesman who may have been the last person to see the victim alive? Too bad the statue can't talk.

As the investigation proceeds, an old crime surfaces and carefully hidden secrets are brought to light. In a small town nothing is ever quite what it seems. There's a bit of a twist at the end. Cruse drops a clue early on, but I only realized it after the fact. No matter. I like surprises.

Sheriff Joe Dalton thinks he's simply going to roust the town drunk one morning, but instead he finds a murder victim at the site of the Superman statue in the (real) town of Metropolis, Illinois. He has to get closer to see what is draped over the arm.

Why would anyone want to murder Jack Hatfield, an old friend of Joe's, and a man everyone in town liked? By the way the body and head were positioned, it seems someone has a real hatred for the victim.

Many interesting suspects keep the sheriff hopping and the reader in suspense. Ms. Cruse handles the police procedural and the cozy part of this novel with ease and skill.

Despite the rather grisly opening, this really could be called a cozy police procedural and should please readers of both. Violence takes place off-scene, but nonetheless the reader gets the full impact of the horror of violent death. Ms. Cruse is a skillful writer who's characters come alive on the pages.

A very enjoyable read!

Sheriff Joe Dalton has a problem, namely finding the murderer of his best friend Jack Hatfield, whose decapitated body was hung neatly over the landmark Superman statue in front of the courthouse.
Things like this don't happen in his town and certainly not to one of his old schoolmates. This case was personal and if it took him his entire life he would find out who did it; the quest beings.

I have read a lot of murder mysteries, some have been grisly, some have kept me sitting on the edge of my seat, some have bored me to tears, but this one was different.
The author weaves the storyline around in a way that you very quickly feel you are a member of Sheriff Dalton's town. He does this by bringing in personal aspects of different town members lives, their hopes, dreams, fears and shortcomings. They no longer are just story characters in your minds eye, but through the author's words they are alive. The murder victim Jack, his sister and brother, the Mayor and even Dalton's wife become your neighbors and friends and you find yourself just as determined as the Sheriff is to find the culprit of this crime.
The only problem is that it is your very friends and neighbors who become the prime suspects as two more bodies turn up, a newborn baby and Big Ed, the town drunk and possible witness, who may have been able to shed some light on the crime.
How does the baby figure in all of this? You have to know.

Murder In Metropolis is not a fast paced read, but one that draws you into the lives of the suspects, allowing you to search them for motives and making you part of the crime investigation. I enjoyed that, it was a lot of fun trying to figure out, "Who done it!" The motives for the murders and the ending I promise will surprise you. Very well done. Who would have ever thought! A delightful reading experience.

Final analysis: A well thought out mystery drawing the reader into the very lives of the townspeople, the suspects and the victims themselves. Written in a way that allows you to participate in the investigation, but let me warn you, no matter how much you think you have it all figured out, the ending to this one will surprise you. Excellent read, highly recommended.

Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review