Illinois Books

I was given this book by a friend. I am not from Chicago nor am I a nurse, but I sat down with it and read it from cover to cover in one sitting in an afternoon. I was particularly interested in the time frame of the early 1970's and her descriptions of the various social and political changes going on at the time. I was in secretarial school at the time, and her description of the preciseness of the uniform hemlines and tea time at the nursing school made me think of the white gloves we were required to wear and the "etiquette" of the times we were required to learn. I came away with a newfound respect for the nursing profession and for the challenges she faced. I was particularly stunned to read the current statistics regarding the shortage of nurses in our nation. Karels wrote this book 20 years after quitting the nursing profession. I give her kuddos for the thoroughness of her memories and research.

For anyone who has ever been a nursing student this book will bring back memories, of happy times and stressful experiences. For those examining the historical struggle in nursing education this book provides good insight, not only into the student experience, but also into the larger economic and political domains during the early 1970's. The book is written with intelligence and compassion. Readers will marvel at the endurance and wisdom of nurses and the nursing profession.

Not coming from a nursing or health care background,I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Karel's book. Each chapter was a new vignette that helped me to identify with the challenging,sometimes shocking life of a novice nurse in an inner city hospital. Its full of passion, joy, humor and wonder. I enjoyed it so much that I have encouraged some friends and nurses that I know to read it, and they have all told me how much they appreciated my recommendation.

I received a copy of the original release of this book from a friend and had to order my own to be a permanant part of my library. I worked at Cook County Hospital and was impressed with the accurate depiction of the condtions and atmosphere of this incredible institution at that time. It was not perfect, but I remember people striving to make it so along with the great compassion of many dedicated professionals working wth limited resources.

This book took me on personal journey of remembrance, but I feel it can give anyone an insight into the workings of a hospital designed to serve the most needy in a big city.

Carol's book was just fabulous - I have read it many times and found it very difficult to put down. I am also a Cook County grad,and Carol has done a great job of helping those who were a part of the that experience stay connected. Memories of CCSN will live on forever thanks to her great skills as a writer (as I recall, she was also an excellent nursing student!) All of us who were once a part of County loved and hated it so much and all at the same time. Thanks, Carol, for sharing with all of us who were part of that great time. Mary Jane(Pratt)McWilliams RN

This episode of "...stuff" was better than the first book. The main character and her cast become more developed and the story flows more smoothly. Jane Wheel is unlike any character I have come across. I look forward to more adventures.

Maybe it's because I'm not into antiques and can't understand why someone would want to spend all their time going through and buying other peoples' junk, but I found the whole premise of a "picker" to be silly and boring.

As for the story, I did find the whole thing somewhat confusing with all the saloonkeepers and various characters. It was an easy late-summer read...although I really don't think I'll be continuing with the series.

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a Six Pack to go! o/~
Jane Wheel, Kankakee saloon owners' daughter, former ad exec, Charley's estranged wife and Nick's momma, now antique "picker," sentimental "junquer," and ameuteur sleuth, bought a whole room full of old bar Stuff at a going-to-the-assisted-living-home sale. Included in the Dead Guy's (former Chicago tavern owner Oscar Bateman's) Stuff was a grusome discovery which gives new meaning to the phrase "giving one the finger." Jane has bought herself another bushel of trouble in this second installment of Sharon Fiffer's fun and witty "Stuff" series. The gang from her first foray into the cozy colorful world of collectors and collectables is all here, as well as the, er, "mature" ladies from the old Shagri-La Lounge. Is it true, what she says, that "the jadite is always greener on the other side?" It's MIB: mint in book!
TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer, former patron, Peg's Tavern, Hinckley, IL.

Dead Guy's Stuff continues the story of Jane Wheel (Killer Stuff), an antique "picker" who has made a career of going through old stuff and finding treasures to sell to dealers. However, Jane is not that successful yet because she has a hard time letting go of her finds and she has a tendency to buy memories instead of valuable items, such as Elmira's old schoolwork. Needless to say, Jane is ecstatic when she finds a whole room of 1950s saloon ephemera - just what she needs to redecorate her mother and father's tavern in Kankakee. She loves the Bakelite darts and dice, advertisements from long-defunct liquor suppliers, old bar games, bowling trophies, old photographs and a severed finger in a jar? Jane immediately calls her friend Detective Oh and asks him what she should do. Oh graciously comes over and takes a look, but, while a little macabre, it isn't as if Jane found a dead body or anything. So Jane tucks the finger away in the glove compartment of her car and heads for home to redecorate. There she finds the dead body of her parents' former landlord - with a finger that is almost completely cut off. Jane is positive that there is a link between her finger and the dead guy. Now she just has to find it while dealing with her parent's attempts to keep their past secret, decorating her friend Tim's kitchen for a house show, rooting through the dead guy's three houses of stuff, her mother's kidnapping, her friend's suicide and a fascinating group of little old ladies...

Once again, Sharon Fiffer has presented readers with an absolutely fabulous book. Those who were captivated by her attention to detail and great characters in Killer Stuff will not be disappointed with this follow up. Again, there are great details about antiques and collectibles, as well as fascinating glimpses into small town life in Kankakee. Jane Wheel's associations with her fellow characters are always entertaining and her mother is a real kick. Don't wait for this one to come out in paperback - it is well worth the cost of the hardbound price!

...so I could run off to garage sales and flea markets like Jane Wheel does! That's the hazard of reading Sharon Fiffer's series during the dead of winter. If you've ever been even temporarily addicted to sifting through other people's wretched refuse, you know what Jane's weekends are like, and you know what her house looks like. You might even know the touch of Bakelite, or feel your heart a-poundin' as you thumb through a box of old discarded photos and papers. It may sound awful or silly to the unexperienced picker, but the sights and sounds and smells of this diversion are wonderfully portrayed in these mysteries. In most instances in real life, you don't find EXACTLY the same things Jane does. (Thank goodness!) Read the books; they're almost like being there.

This truly is a wonderful book and the reviews so far have been right on the money but in case anyone's still looking to visit the exhibit, it now resides in The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. I'm privileged enough to work in the Lanzendorf Gallery (as well as the rest of the amazing Dinosphere area of the museum) and I can tell you that it's well worth a visit to see these beautiful pieces.

This is one of the finest dino-art books I've come across to date. Johns collection is by far amazingly complete in regard to his T-Rex's. Beatuful work by all the artists and excellent job of collecting them by John. Highly recommend this book for any collector.

...I had this man's collection! But, short of that impossible dream, this book is the next best thing. John Lanzendorf shares his more than impressive collection of dinosaur art with dinosaur lovers the world over. From some of the better know "paleo-artists" (James Gurney, Mark Hallett) to others I, personally, have only discovered thanks to this edition. It is an interesting expedition to discover the various interpretations of the same dinosaur by different artists; Tyrannosaurus, bulky or lean? Raptors with feathers? Amazing stuff...

"Dinosaur Imagery: The Science of Lost Worlds and Jurassic Art" (The Lanzendorf Collection) photographed by Michael Tropea is a wonderful art collection book by John J. Lanzendorf, with the imagery of dinosaurs that are awe inspiring. Small as coffee table books go, but the art contained within its pages is rather breathtaking.

There is statuary, hanging art, and sculpture all depicting dinosaurs of museum quality artwork of different settings. If you like "dino-art" then you'll truly love this book as you get to see just a fraction of the John J. Lanzendorf collection. Lanzendorf has collected "dino-art" for decades and has amassed quite a collection. I've seen part of his collection exhibited at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois on a past visit to the "Windy City" and it is a sight to behold. This book does a good job at depicting the art in a favorable light.

But, if you ever get the chance to visit the Field Museum and they have the Lanzendorf collection on display it is worth taking a look. This book about the Lanzendorf Collection does an honorable job of displaying the art so the masses can see what is in the collection. There are numerous contributors to this book, far to many to mention ing the short review, but all of notarity. The book has four distinct chapters and they are as follows:

Extinct--but not Dinosaurs
"Fearfully Great Lizards" of the Triassic
Jurassic Art
A Creataceous End to and Lost World

There is an excellent epilogue and related references and credits and contact information contained in this book. All in all, I gave this book the full and strong 5 stars that is deserves for depicting excellent art and presentation.

Well,I did received this book for my birthday,and guess if I was happy!It is probably the best birthday gift I've ever received.
The title sounds exciting and suggestive,and so is the book itself. It features parts of the Lanzendorf Collection,which is the largest dinosaur art collection in the world. This 160-page book features about 20 per cent of the collection,but it is still amazingly much. Of course,it would be impossible to collect all dinosaur art beeing made today,but if anyone did,John Lanzendorf would be the one to do it. His apartment contains only dinosaur collectibles and artwork - no other decorations!That must be a really amazing home to live in!
With this book,I have the option to view some of the work hanging there. Although this book has some pictures of beautifull,triassic dinosaurs and jurassic ones as well,it focuses mainly on the cretaceous period,which is called "A Cretaceous End to A Lost World". And that is may be because most of the really fantastic dinosaurs lived during the mid-late cretaceous. There are a lot of pictures of T-rex,which is particulary my favorite dinosaur,and the most inspiring one in this book. Some of the other amazing dinosaurs featured here are Sinsauropteryx,Carnotaurus,Lambeosaurus,and many more.
It does have some inspiring,peacefull pictures of plant-eaters,although the pictures of theropods are the highlights.
Each artist has their own,unique style. John Sibbick has an immidiate sense of detail,and is one of the best. Luis Rey has a little sense of surrealism in his detailed,a little strange paintings. Mark Hallet has the classical style in dinosaur painting. John Bindon is the master of black/white dinosaur art.
Donna Braginetz always make it feel so real you believe they are really there!
Of course,the bronze sculptures makes a nice addition to the artwork,and they look very real. Must be nice decorations!
Over all,the combination of the artists`s different talents makes this book a wonderfull coffee-table book,and a unique collection of dinosaur art that should be a part of every paleontologist`s or dinosaur maniac`s library. I know it is quite expensive,but believe me,it`s worth every penny you spend on it!It has been very helpfull to me when learning to paint good dinosaurs,and the different talents makes me take little inspiration from every painting in the book.
So,if you like dinosaurs seriously,this is a must-have!No dinosaur artist should be without a copy of this book.

Must rate this volume as the standard reference on the topic. This current edition supplants Ripley's "Artillery and Ammunition of the Civil War." I actually own copies of the original and revised editions. There are a few notable updates, making the second purchase worth the expenditure. While I have found some minor omissions in the listings (particularly discussing some of the poorly documented Confederate gun makers), the authors seem to leave few stones unturned.

Book was not what I expected it to be. I anticipated a thorough study of specific artillery types with color plates and detailed drawings, and with specific histories, usage, success, etc. This is not what I received. It was a hugh disappointment, considering the high price I paid for this book.

A very concise and thorough (almost an encyclopedia) book of the weapons of the civil war.

"Field Artillery Weapons of the Civil War" is the definitive reference work for civil war cannon used in the field. Nothing else approaches its structured grouping and organization of the diverse and confused world of American Civil War field guns. However, this is not a book for everyone since it is quite focused on the specifications, manufacturing origins and methods of the tubes themselves, not on the tactical employment, range charts, the batteries, or the projectiles they fired. (Understandably, many readers will be shocked if they don't realize this before purchase--including me!)

It is hard to over emphasize what a fine job the authors have done in bringing order out of chaos. Their encyclopedic inclusion and explanation of all known types solves many riddles. The complexity and nuances will still require considerable study by the reader to reach a full understanding, but at last it is logically and rigorously catalogued.

The chapter list is as follows: 1. Fundamentals. 2. Federal 6-pounder Guns and 3.67" Rifles. 3. Confederate 6-pounder Guns and 3-inch Rifles. 4. Federal 12-pounder Field Howitzers. 5. Confederate 12-pounder Field Howitzers. 6. Federal Napoleon Guns. 7. Confederate Napoleon Guns. 8. Parrott Rifles. 9. 3-inch Ordnance Rifles. 10. False Napoleons and Gettysburg Replicas. 11. The Small Ones. 12. Boat Howitzers. 13. James Smoothbores and Rifles. 14. The Rare Ones. 15. Too Big for the Field. 16. British Rifled Cannon. 17. Carriages. 18. Conclusions.

The chapters are well illustrated with photographs and schematics of the gun tubes. There are also detailed dimensional specification tables, and some estimated production counts of various types. Following the main text is an extensive set of appendices that serve as a catalog of known foundries, inspectors, designations, foundry numbers, weights, and locations of known survivors,

I highly recommend this work to anyone who wants to be able to identify nearly any Civil War field gun he/she comes across. However, I don't recommend it as a detailed work on the employment of Civil War field artillery--that is not the objective or nature of the book.

Note: The companion work for the heavy artillery is "The Big Guns. Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon" by Edwin Olmstead, Wayne E. Stark, and Spencer C. Tucker. It follows the same format and style, but its availability is limited.

A comprehensive source of information on the field guns used by both sides of the american civil war. Provides each weapon's history and statistics. Extremely informative.

No civil war library should be without it.

An excellent companion to other book The Big Guns by Omstead and Wayne E. Stark and Spencer C. Tucker which covers the big guns of the conflict.

I am an avid Ghosthunters fan (TAPS on SciFi). I purchased this book hoping it would give me specifics about paranormal investigations/haunted locations in Illinois. The book is interesting in that it provides several locations that are reputed to be haunted. However, it is more disappointing in that the book offers no evidence of any investigations or "hunts". In every site story that I have read so far, I see a lot of the word "maybe" and or "perhaps". The author has clearly visited the sites, but has not had any personal experiences himself to build on -- he merely repeats stories he has heard from locals.

I would like to have seen something more from this book -- but it does still make me curious.

I decided to try this book, as I seem to have almost every other book written about ghosts in the Chicagoland area. What I most enjoyed about this book, is that John lives in Ohio. So he was a visitor to our state, while researching stories for his book. It was very well written, with pictures he provided. I enjoyed his writing so much, that his book on Ohio ghosts is in my wish list and I purchased his recommendation on the Indiana ghosts. I also appreciated that he contacted other ghost hunters and referenced them in his book.

This is a fine book about ghosts. What is most important about the author's book is its straight-ahead, honest approach to the topic. His comments and thoughts on ghosts, and their locale, is refreshingly enjoyable. The writing is concise and entertaining. This is an excellent reference on Illinois ghosts. John Kachuba is a first rate writer with a keen sense of the macabre, and he knows how to write about the paranormal!

John Kachuba is really good at telling

the places that he visited. Each story is

fasinating and he gives some interesting history

on the haunted places


~SkUrVy

I decided to purchase this book on a whim and I was pleasantly surprised. Most paranormal location books offer little more than brief historical overviews of each location and then the associated ghost story. In "Ghosthunting Illinois," Kachuba takes a more hands-on approach in that he's visited the locations personally. His book offers some historical information, the associated ghost stories, and interviews with people associated with the location (owners, tenants, parishoners, etc.). Beyond that, he also describes his trek through these locations by expressing how he felt, what he saw, etc. An even more compelling reason to purchase this book is the fact that it's very well written which stands to reason considering the author is a "creative writing" professor. Additionally, the book holds your interest and the chapters are short so it's a great "quick chapter before bed" type of book.

With the exception of Nietzsche, never has been philosophy been so much fun! Mist comes across to me as a romping Borges - by this I mean it is full of ideas and creative, as is Borges, but Miguel De Unamuno seems to have the almost girlish exuberance of the Spanish while the Argentinan stays more alof and academic.
Contemporary philosophy normally involves a trained vocabulary and historical understanding, but De Unamuno manages to make this an interesting story and throwing in bones for us to ponder. I often found myself pausing and chewing on my lip, lost in thought. Oh, and how I laughed! At one point the absent minded main character has fallen is asleep and is called to dinner by his servant. Wondering whether the voice was in his head or not he exclaims: "Psychological mysteries!"
It is a shame De Unamuno is not better known.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. It's about everything and nothing at the same time. It's a tragic love story, a philosophical quest, and a literary experiment all in one. An existential novel about how to write an existential novel! Unamuno's writing is both very funny and deeply insightful, and at the end, he has you questioning whether or not you yourself are alive. A mind-bending work, and one I have read again and again.

" Ni los recuerdos ni los suenos son tan efimeros como la NIEBLA"

This book deals with human emotions, thoughts and fears in a deep, meaningful and funny way. It has a little bit of everything, private conversations with God, the search for the true meaning of life, the quest to find an everlasting love, the fear of facing death, and the hardships that every single human faces during a lifetime.

I read it in Spanish, and I have to say it is one of the best written books I have read so far. Every single word is where it should be, and the story flows magnificently. Im sure that with a good translation this book won't lose its magic in English.

Although it deals with very serious topics, the story is simple, well written, funny, easy to read and with a very unexpected twist at the end...

It simply belongs to a class of its own.

Miguel de Unamuno was definitely ahead of his time. This is a wonderful book, full of great lines you'll be quoting (e.g., "The best mnemonic device is a notebook in your pocket."). The structure of this book is really unique, and the story is so unusual! The main character in the book wants to kill himself and the author won't let him, so the character argues with the author. Very twisted, very mind-bending, very wonderful. The writing is clever, the characters are familiar but I've never met them before, and the style is engaging. I'm off to read more Unamuno!

This is the typical novel that when in schooldays, the Teacher order the pupils to read it. And obviously, you do (or you pretend that you do) without paying very much attention on what you read. Sometimes this novel do not appear in the Compulsory Lecture Program, and you escape from it. This is what happened to me...
Later, a friend of yours (in my case it was my partner) recommends you to go over it again, and you discover a Gem.
There are very little things than can be said about the plot, the characters, the language... because I risk to spoil the whole experience of reading it. But I would not avoid saying that Unamuno was one of the most clever writers that ever existed in my country (everyone has heard of him here), and that in "Mist", mostly all things that worries the Human being, such as love, relationships between men and women, marriage, the Meaning of life, the aim of Literature itself... is within its pages, and that is exposed in a very surprising and entertaining way.
As every Masterpiece, it admits many different lectures and points of view, and it might be a very good piece of literature to be discussed in one of those Book Clubs that are so popular in the States.
Trust me: Read it and you won't be disappointed.

I just got done reading this book.Although I was skeptical at first because I get bored easy.I dont know if it was because I know the authors son or if it was Mr.Courtney's quick wit that kept me glued.I found myself asking the same question,"is Courtney going to ever take this war serious?"Through his faith in God and himself,I believe that is the reason he made it home.What I've learned from this book is that.Lifes a journey embrass it and live life to fullest.I will be keeping this book for my children to read.Thanks Kelly for the recommendation.And thank you Mr.Courtney for my freedom and my childrens:)

The thing that aways amazes me is how many really good memoirs have come out by veterans of WW2. The extraoridnary events that they lived through made such indelible impressions that very similiar stories can be told by countless story tellers and they always seem fresh. This is a very descriptive well written account and the author comes across as the kind of guy you'dove to meet. Highly recommended.

My father served in Co G, 104th Regiment 26th Infantry - a sister company to the author's. He refused to talk about the war. When he passed away in 1990, I found his short written memoirs penned during recuperation from wounds suffered in Germany while in an English hospital. Reading this book alongside his memoirs was an incredible experience for me. It filled in many blanks by being much more complete - yet was absolutely true in time, place, and tone with my father's notes. It was like he came back and finally decided to tell me his stories. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Richard D Courtney's 'Normandy to the Bulge' book is a well done account overall. Courtney was a Pfc with the Yankee Division (26th Infantry) in a 57mm gun platoon. Unfortunately the author does not go into too much detail on the various combat actions he was invloved in but there are a few tidbits I thought you might find interesting.

-The 57mm gun had removable gun shield extensions. He said most folks would take these off after awhile because the extra weight and having them bang around was annoying. They figured the thin metal wouldn'd help much against enemy fire anyway. Might be nice for some divirsity to have a few of your 57mm guns without shields.

-He talks a lot about the 'truck' that pulled the guns. He finally states it was a 1 1/4 ton truck. He never mentions half-tracks at all.

-Every enemy tank he mentions is a Tiger! I can't believe they all were so I wonder if this was just lack of detail on his part, foggy memory, or the old cliche that every American thought the German tank they were facing was a Tiger?!

-He notes the ineffectiveness of the 57mm gun against tanks and how they had to try and get side shots. They relied a lot on the TDs to do the real work. He was with the gun through the very end of the war. He talks about acting as infantry a lot with the guns left somewhere especially towards the end of the war.

-He mentions that the German AT guns were very well balanced and easy to move by just two guys. The 57mm gun he said was very unbalanced and very heavy and awkward to move even with four guys.

My dad was in M, Co. 104th Rgt. same as author. I lost him on Memorial Day 1969 before he ever had a chance to discuss his experiences as I was only 20. I have been searching for people who were there, and in finding this book, it showed me very clearly how proud I am of him. Thank you Richard for sharing this with all of us.

Jane Jeffrey's oldest son is growing up. He is graduating from high school and working part time at a local deli to earn some money. Jane thinks the only thing she needs to worry about Mike is that he be careful while driving the truck she gave him as a graduation present. But when obnoxious attorney Robert Stonecipher is murdered at the opening party for the deli, she's not sure she wants Mike working there. But he insists he'll be okay and Jane relents. When there is a second murder, Jane can't help investigating the deaths even if her boyfriend, homicide detective Mel VanDyne, doesn't like it.

"Silence of the Hams" is yet another great cozy mystery by Jill Churchill. As always, what makes the Jane Jeffry series so enjoyable is not necessarily the mystery but the details about Jane's family life. Jane's kids are growing up as the series progresses and Mike especially has grown. With his father's death he considers himself the man of the house and Jane is learning to treat him as an adult. Some of the best scenes in the book involve Mike, either directly or indirectly. One of those scenes is when Jane buys the truck for Mike. Her friend, Shelley Nowack, is great at wearing down the salesman and it is a very funny part of the book (wish I could take her with me next time I buy a car!) Equally well done is Mike's graduation party which sounds like a lot of fun. Jane's other children, Katie and Todd, are also well written, Katie especially so as she is going through the growing pains that come with being a teenager. Churchill does an excellent job of capturing the little things that make up life in the suburbs. The mystery itself is okay. Parts of it were a bit unbelievable and it's pretty clear from the beginning who the murderer is. But it's still a fun mystery to read.

Cozy mystery fans will enjoy "Silence of the Hams".

Jane Jeffry is one of my favorite mystery series characters; I return to her "world" when I need a reading treat I know I can count on. As many reviewers have noted about this series, the novels feel like visiting a couple friends in their homes. Opening a Jane & Shelley book and beginning to read is as easy and welcoming as opening a kitchen door from a neighbor's back porch and walking right in without needing to knock. You know these two friends will always have at least one shenanigan in contemplation or neighborhood issue to bat around over coffee and snacks or lunch, dinner, whatever.

In SILENCE OF THE HAMS, neighborhood political economics are brewing from the base of a few haughty residents attempting to control the direction of life-and-livelihood of everyone in the area, and the plot pacing is especially natural and seamless as Jane and Shelley's involvement (along with the reader's) in the brew percolates and is intensified by a quickly dispatched murder of the most appropriate character to kill.

As usual, I enjoyed the easy way Jane relates with her kids, friends, and significant other. Loved the entertaining sensitivity in which Jane & Shelley went about getting a new black pickup truck for Jane's son, Mike, and the way he responded to the gift.

The plot in this one has a few unexpected twists midstream, reversing direction, in a sense, then beginning again at an unexpected point. With Jill's seamless scene maneuvering, the twists and abrupt new deals flow like, "Oh. Didn't expect that. Interesting."

There's more deductive-reasoning-detecting dancing through this plot than previous ones; a lot of brain wracking for Jane, Shelley, & Mel stretches through easy-going, daily routine machinations. It feels almost as if this solving crimes deal has now become old hat, yet it's no less entertaining as a perk-along read. The surge in detecting in this offering intrigued me, especially as it was brought to a peak of fun with Jane & Shelly slithering into a delightfully silly tangent of suspects and motives, using formula letters (X, Y, Z, Q, P, S, K). You have to have been there (which you have the option to be, of course, by reading this one). At the culmination of the Gordian Knot of Alphabet bits, Shelly concludes:

>> "I like it, Jane. Mel, we've solved it. You can probably still make your arrest this evening if you hurry." <<

You can probably guess Mel's response, but you might want to read his exact words in reply to this Alphabet/Algebraic Formula discussion after Shelly capped it with the above statements.

I have my own guess guess for what may have brought on this major increase of detecting discussions in this particular novel in the Jeffry series. But, I'm not saying; wouldn't want to spoil your brain racking fun.

I enjoyed this surge of "who done it" conversations in HAM, driven by the intriguingly increased complexity of the mystery machinations; and I enjoyed as well the other novels I've read and reviewed in this series which focused different entertainment draws of a good work-of-fiction (see my Listmania). Jeffry novels have just the right amount of variety of style and venue, along with just the right amount of sameness to keep a (thankfully) long series from getting stale and to continue inviting readers into the story with the comforting feeling of familiarity.

Deftly dealt with, worthy ongoing themes in this novel include community politics around retaining property values, opening a new gourmet deli in Jane & Shelley's neighborhood, blackmailers running rotten personal agendas by using their professional standing to gather dirt from unsuspecting clients, celebrating school ceremonies from hell or from heaven (with Jane's "right-on" guidance on which slants were silly and which were angelic). As usual, Jane & Shelley's opinions hold the prizes for common sense sanity Vs overboard or inappropriate, controlling mania which is out-of-touch with the reality in which Jane & Shelley live with relish and easy-rambling-routine (which is uncannily just like the one many of us work to live in with a slip of sanity).

You won't want to miss HAM if you're raising teens into adulthood in this age of political insanity with gory causes galore (giving unearned glory to the agendas' pushers in the media, school systems, literally permeating every cultural outlet for opinions founded in innumerable pseudo sciences gone amuck). The scenes are so simply right on, in which Jane deals with Katie's toes slipping into the slimy water of band wagon mania, "Don't you CARE about the environment, the X's, Y's, Z's, Q's, P's, S's, K's (in this case the algebraic letters are referring not to suspects, but to various political agendas (causes), all of which contradict the interests of the others.

What ever happened to watching (only) your P's & Q's? Have they been lost in the murky waters of Quantum Physics, where observing a tiny particle of energy makes it dance to your music or become "beauty in the eye of the beholder"? The P's might even "spit in your eye" if you don't "watch out."

Pseudo science continues to slice-and-dice Common Sense in a never ending battle of bumbling idiots using sentimentalism to divert attention from their feathering-of-their-own-nests-and-manias. Take heart, though, Jane & Shelley continually resurrect that beat-and-battered Common Sense Thing, which most humans carry dormant in their DNA. The battle of extracting it from the soul and attempting to execute it begins with the second breath.

Returning to the REAL issues in HAM, here are a few fun questions to answer as you read:

Was the bad guy (the one who was squished under the ham rack on the new deli's opening day) killed before he was killed, or did he die "innocently" of natural causes, THEN get murdered? And what about the second murder, or was it the first, last, and only murder (at least for that week in the Jeffry/Nowack neighborhood)?

In some ways this plot, even as entertainingly convoluted, back-stepping, and back-stabbing as it was, read like a fun & fancy, well-choreographed line dance with each stepper in sensual-rhythmic-synch.

Appreciating An Author-in-stride,
Linda G. Shelnutt

As usual an excellent book!!!!!!! I loved it and highly recommend it to everyone. Hard to 'put down'.

Hams are relevant to delis and lawyers. A lawyer appears under a rack of hams. Robert Stonecipher has made a nuisance of himself in the community trying to shut down people's businesses. Two mothers, Shelley and Jane, are bored with Cub Scouts and school awards assemblies and decide to team up to thwart Robert Stonecipher. Everyone shows up for the opening of a new deli and, as previously mentioned, Stonecipher is discovered under a rack of hams.

Under the circumstances nearly everyone in the community is a suspect until it is learned that Stonecipher died of natural causes. Next his secretary departs life and her death renews the efforts of the police officer, Mel, Jane's friend, to trace the possiblity that some people were being blackmailed by the pair. The solution to the mystery is of the psychological kind and is well done. The women, Jane and Shelley, along with Jane's son Mike, and Mel are delightfully rendered by the author.

Jill Churchill never disappoints. Silence of the Hams continues the enjoyable Jane Jeffries series with Jane and Shelly investigating yet another murder in the wilds of suburbia. If you are looking for enduring literature, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a fun read, this is the right place.

I read True Detective after reading several of Collins' later Nathan Heller books. Collins writes this series as an amalgam of historical accuracy with his protaganist (current private eye, former Chicago police detective Nathan Heller) interacting with the real characters of the era depicted. In this one we are in Chicago and meet the likes of mobsters like Capone and Nitti, crooked cops, grafting politicians, and good guys like boxer Barney Ross and Elliot Ness to balance the score.

Collins knows how to tell a good story. The historical detail is accurate and adds to the feel of the tale. The pictures he paints of the World's Fair, the shantytowns, etc., put you in the book. The plotting is thorough, the situations believable, the dialogue true, and the characters feel real, especially Heller as he struggles to do the right thing in a world full amibiguous situations where "right" can be tough to figure out given the conflicting viewpoints.

To say that the characters feel true sounds odd given that most are public personalities. Yet, a less skilled writer could make them hackneyed and two-dimensional. Here they have depth enough to carry their roles naturally, without forcing situations. You learn enough about each of them to make sense of their motivations and behaviors, yet the story never gets lost in irrelevant details.

When I'm done with a novel of his I feel I've learned more about the characters from history and more about myself as I go through the moral rollercoaster with Heller. And before I forget, there's plenty of humor, sex and violence to keep things interesting.

Read the series, in order if you can. This is one of the best going.

True Detective is the first faction in the Nate Heller PI series-
which I think is in a class by itself;it's a crime that this series hasn't landed-at least as a TV series-forget that,it would make an incredible movie.But I still have a bone to pick with Collins;after the first few novels in the series(be sure to
read True Detective,True Crime & The Million Dollar Wound),just about my favorite real-life character-and Nate's best buddy-real
life Hall of Fame boxer/war hero Barney Ross is used less and less;I could punch Collins for that.

Max Allan Collins' first novel in his acclaimed Nathan Heller series, True Detective, is a stunning mix of fact and fiction. The setting is 1930s Chicago and Collins paints the city of that time with a bold brush. Heller is a city cop who gets roped into a messy situation by his fellow officers. When he ends up killing a man with the same gun Heller's father used to commit suicide, Nathan's own, that's the last straw that leads to Heller quitting the force, despite the efforts of the higher-ups to get him to reconsider.

But working as the president of your own detective agency (called "A-1" so it will appear first in the telephone directory) is by no means boring -- not when your best friend is Eliot Ness and you have connections to Frank Nitti, Al Capone, mayor Anton Cermak, Walter Winchell, George Raft, and a young future actor who goes by the name "Dutch" Reagan.

Collins took five years to research the place and time and this, combined with his immense storytelling skill, make True Detective an immersive experience. The World's Fair comes alive in his hands, as do the characters, who have never seemed so real (even in The Untouchables) as when they are dealing with the fictional Nathan Heller. I plan to repeat this experience soon with the sequel, True Crime, and I think I'm about to become very familiar with the exploits of Nathan Heller.

From the first few words, I knew that Max Allan Collins had written one of the best crime/detective novels I had ever read. Before long, I dropped "one of" and decided it is THE BEST! Characters rise off the pages into "real" life, while the action grabs you and carries you along. If you like the tough, but believable, private eye, this is a landmark book for you. Don't just read it. Buy it!

Collin's novel is the ultimate re-examination of the 1930s private detective. It is full of drama, action, and deep historical context.

Should be required reading for the human race.

This book was one of the most honest and entertaining writings concerning life in the Merchant Marine I have ever seen. Real people giving down to earth accounts of life on a Liberty Ship. I spent nine months in the North Atlantic on a Liberty Ship and as I was reading the book could almost feel the deck (floor) vibrate and roll. I was able to reach the author by phone and was able to thank him for putting their experiences in book form . I would recommend this book to anyone who was in the Merchant Marine, their familly members, or anyone who just likes to read a light entertaining , almost documentary account of life in the Merchant Marine during WW 11.

Three seamen in the Merchant Marine when America was at war were Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston and Jim Longhi, this book's author. Not many people know Woody shipped out with the Merchant Marine in 1943 with nothing more than a seabag, well he took along a guitar, a mandolin, a case of books and a portable typewriter. One might have thought he was going to a concert and not to war, but Woody played guitar, wherever he went, the Grand Coulee Damn or U-boat infested waters. And with fellow folksinger Cisco along for the ride, you can bet the playing on that boat was mighty fine.

Though they had regular duties aboard, Woodie and Cisco were morale boosters and with U-boats lurking, storms raging, seas rough and waves high, they were certainly appreciated. On more than one occasion they saw other ships in their convoy go down, but this page turning book isn't only about the terror of the deep during war, it also has quite a few laughs thrown in. You just won't believe the cooking school bit Woodie, Cisco and Jim had to go through and you'll enjoy all heck out of their shore leaves. Still, war is grim business.

This is a must read for any fan of Woodie Guthrie's or Cisco Houston's. It's also a very good book which reads like fiction, though every word is true. I can't recommend this highly enough, it's a story about America, a story about folksingers, a story you'll never forget.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene

as an ex merchant mariner the book brings back memories of how it was on an everyday basis for three buddies going to sea-details of which you dont hear about normally.Humorous reality.

A sea story to end all sea stories. Thanks, Brother Longhi

If you are a fan of Woody, or Cisco, or both, buy this book before it goes out of print. Jim Longhi served with them on several U.S. Merchant Marine voyages during WWII, and he shows us just how much courage it took to help the war effort in that manner.This may be the closest thing to a real biography of Cisco Houston that fans will ever get. The Woody Guthrie you meet in these pages is a guy who had already achieved some fame due to his record "Dust Bowl Ballads" which came out in l940. Here, in l943, he is still ten years away from being disabled by Huntington's Disease. These three left-wing unionizers (Jim is an interesting man in his own right, though not a real musician) were mostly broke, but patriotic and brave and great morale-boosters for the common soldiers who often traveled on merchant ships across the Atlantic, where u-boat attacks were a continual threat. Torpedoed once and once hitting a mine, the "Seamen Three" were indeed in life-threatening combat situations.This is not just insightful, or worshipful towards Woody. It is often hilarious as well. The depiction of a maritime character called Courtroom Kelly is only a chapter in the middle, but it is worth the purchase price all by itself. Thanks, Jim, for doing this project. Anyone who has read, or who owns, Woody's own "Bound for Glory" or Joe Klein's "Woody Guthrie: A Life" needs to have this book in the collection as well.