Connecticut Books

This was our third book. . .wore the others out from use as so few people had ever paid much attention to this "Secret Society".
The Author made reading very enjoyable. Don't see how they can equate Skull and Bones Society with the Christian Principles of Yale though.

Guess it is like everything else that came over from Europe. . .

I definitely enjoyed Alexandra Robbins' other books, however "Secrets of the Tomb" is not a fun read. Robbins is long winded and lacks the narrative that is so entertaining in "Pledged" and "The Overachievers." The book takes a historical perspective that is too detailed and not very direct, creating a lot of build-up for describing a boring society and ritual. Since Robbins was herself a member of a secret society the book is written with an undercurrent of reverance that seems to bar the author from revealing too much.

I thought the book was a little slow in the beginning, as it deeply covers the rise of the secret societies within Yale's deep past. However, the author transitioned very smoothly from subject to subject and captured my interest with every page. The author dives deep into the basis of the Skull and Bones society, including the historical and tremendously ironic history of the Bush family. Very interesting read, with deeply historical and accurate documentation of the society's beginnings, an inside look into the initaition rituals, debunking of myths, and exasperating covering of historical (and ultimately important) American families.

The book has an intriguing cover and title. The introduction was captivating. Sadly, it's all downhill from there -- it reads like the minutes of a long and unproductive meeting.

Apparently, the author has succeeded in recruiting her friends to leave contrived reviews. Of the 28 which rated this book at 5-stars, 15 were anonymous and 9 had this book as their only reviewed work. That leaves 4 people who unquestionably enjoyed it -- the editor, her parents, and boyfriend. The others are suspect.

Secrets of the Tomb is a must read book for all those who research secret societies or fraternal organizations here in America. Robbins takes a historical yet informative look at the founding of this organization. She examines the fabric of what makes this organization a strong respected organization on the campus and a bond that carries well beyond undergraduate years. An organization that set out to be self supporting and has remained so to date. Skull and Bones has changed a little with the time admitting women into the society. It still is at the center of American issues such as (education, politics, and publicity).

Once in a blue moon a trilogy can become a series and continue the story of a fictional world.

This book is not one of those rare times.

I've always disliked Kris, the lead female character, but I could stand her, and I enjoyed learning about Botany and seeing Zainal through her eyes. Not now. Not in this book. A strong woman has become flat and weak and easily swayed. The woman who risked her life to escape slavery on a alien planet and knocked a potential rapist out cold now can't stand up to her stepsons. Zainal, the lead male character, has become dull. What made Zainal so interesting to me was the mystery of the man. We rarely saw his thoughts, only his actions. This book is peppered with Zainal's more mundane thoughts, never anything interesting or his frustration at not being able to search out the Farmers. The other character's, major and minor, have undergone personality changes as well. They're little ones, barely noticeable if you haven't read the other books recently. But I read all three back to back, and could easily tell things weren't quite right.

The flow of the story is another flaw. In previous books different characters POV's were separated into long sections, and rarely switched from Kris's view. In this book McCaffrey makes the novice mistake of switching POV paragraph to paragraph. It doesn't happen often enough to make the book completely unreadable, but it happens often enough that I can't simply slip into the book's world via a character's eyes. It's too jarring.

Not that I want to immerse myself in the book because the plot is horrid. We all know Earth needs to rebuild, and the colonists of Botany plan to help. We also know Zainal, at one point, planned to search out the Farmers. Of the two potential plots available to write, McCaffrey chose the first, and it is a bad fit for the characters. Kris and Zainal were set up as adventurous explorers in previous books. Now they're in sales. The plot of this book is better suited to be an interesting and somewhat amusing subplot of a book focused on Zainal's search for the Farmers.

Overall, I'm disappointed with this book. It has its moments, but I wish I had spent my money on something else and borrowed this one from the library. I won't be reading it again.

This and the other books in this series are very good and a very enjoyable read.

I usually enjoy Anne McCaffrey's writing and I own many of her books. Unfortunately, this book is far below her normal quality. I like all of the Freedom series books less than those in her other series, however, the first three books had intriguing characters and featured an interesting exploration of the dynamics of forming a new society on an alien planet. In addition, the end of the third book worked well as the end of a trilogy. In my opinion, the only topic worthy of writing about further in future books was a greater exploration of the mysterious Farmers. That storyline is not addressed in any depth in this book.

This novel resembles the additional material an author writes to flesh out the characters or the story's world in the first draft of a novel--the kind of material that is usually greatly condensed or eliminated in the final version. There simply is not enough material here to warrant a novel and the material that is here is more observational than narrative. There is almost no direct conflict in the book to move the plot forward and no major character development either. Unless you like reading about coffee and trading for spare parts for hours, I would recommend stopping at the third book. Better yet, read one of her other excellent series instead. I recommend the Pern series for fantasy fans or the Crystal Singer series for readers who enjoy science fiction.

It finishes off the collection I have. So now I can enjoy this books anytime I want to.

I truly enjoyed this book, as this is the second time I have purchased and read it. I have all of Anne McCaffrey's books and enjoy reading and re-reading them.

I could not get into this book. It took too long to get to the heart of the plot.

When I first began this novel, my initial thoughts were "Oh, another period cop drama, ugh". It took me a little time to digest the long line of characters and the unneccessary scenes that had no bearing on ths tory. However, after I made my way through the first 100 pages, I was intrigued. The characters themselves are quite colorful. When I was first introduced to Desdemona, I was entranced. She was spirited, independent, and quite fiery. I liked her.

The only thing I would say about this book is that it is quite GRISLY. VERY GRISLY. Some of the scenes and explosions of blood left my own blood like ice. It was very disturbing.

The part that I would say left me a bit bored was the total and complete void of the thoughts or exploration of the murderer. What was his motivation? Why did he do it? What is the deal? We found out who the killer was, but we knew NOTHING about him. Not a thing. Why did he choose a certain outfit to kill in? **********SPOILER********* Why did he change his dump site location for the body disposal? Why was he dumping body parts at the Hug? What is the reasoning here?

I must say that the last few pages were written SO POORLY. The author was really trying to scramble to explain her reasoning and why she made certain decisions in her scenes and character development. I think the final thoughts of the last character portrayed at the end were jumbled and just wrong. I realize it was to reflect the disorganized and cluttered thinking of a crazed mind. However, it just WAS NOT clear. A VERY poor and mundane ending. I would expect this from a second-rate horror flick - not from a very long novel with excellent scenes.

My last thought it this: If the lead detective on this case was ever so clever, how could he completely miss the real murderer? The author went through such precarious steps to try and set up a LONG list of characters (WAY too long...too much interference). She made an attempt to really try and go in depth into her story. Why not let us into her thought process in making the detective end up looking like a simpleton? It is really quite unfortunate. Plus, the extra characters were really quite superfluous. Lets stick to the main chunk of the story here - please.

Otherwise, not a bad read. I would not expect too much on this one. Its like a roller coaster ride - fun, but it gives you little time to think.

Prior to reading On, Off, I had read six books by Colleen McCullough, namely her series of novels about Julius Caesar. These were all great books, showing McCullough's flair for historical fiction. On, Off, however, proves the rule that just because you're a great writer in one field doesn't guarantee success in another field. As a mystery, On, Off is merely okay.

The main character in On, Off is Carmine Delmonico, a police lieutenant in 1965-66 Connecticut, who is called on to lead an investigation in what soon turns out to be a serial killer. The Connecticut Monster, later known as the Ghost, is a clever killer who is kidnapping teenage girls who fit a certain type: nice, innocent and typically of mixed race. There aren't many clues, but Delmonico does figure the killer is somehow linked to a local neurological institute nicknamed the Hug.

The problems with On, Off are apparent from its long and awkwardly written first chapter which introduced too many characters, almost as if McCullough is running through the whole dramatis personae. After that, things do improve, but the story is never as engaging or suspenseful as most mystery novels. Partly, this is because there is only one other really substantial character, the Hug's manager, Desdemona Dupre, who develops something of a relationship with Delmonico.

While McCullough is obviously talented enough to keep the book from being truly bad, she is clearly outside her specialty. While it is not a complete waste of time, this book is likely to be a disappointment to both her fans and those of the thriller genre.

1/1 Story:
The story was interesting. Very grizzly and compelling, and I really felt for the families of the victims, full well knowing they aren't real people, although in a sense they are. My biggest issue with the story is it really does start to lose momentum. I could empathize with the police, as I felt like I was just sitting around waiting for something to happen as well.

0/1 Characters:
I have a mixed opinion on the characters. Some of them I felt were very well rounded and interesting, some were just reprehensive without any apparent reason for being so, and some were so shallowly developed that I just really didn't care one way or the other. My biggest problem is that I didn't see an obvious motivation behind quite a few of the characters actions. I think the story would have been better had there been fewer characters to develop and keep track of.

1/1 Representation:
Although the title doesn't seem to have any sort of connection to the story until the end of the book, it does fit and I think it was appropriate. The back cover synopsis is a good one, and I don't feel is misleading.

0/1 Readability:
This was the worst part of the book in my opinion. I realize that this is somewhat a period piece, but the language and terminology doesn't serve to enhance the story. I just found it annoying.

1/1 Opinion:
I would reccommend this book, but don't pick it up expecting it to be a "life-altering" read. It is however an enjoyable escape.

I have never written a review before, but if I can stop one person from wasting their money and time on this book, then I will be satisfied.

I have enjoyed several of Colleen McCullough's novels in the past, and I'm an avid detective novel reader, so I was excited to see this book at the bookstore. I can't find it in my heart to forgive the author for ever having this book published. The story was lame, the ending ridiculous, but the objection I have that nobody else has covered is that the grammar is atrocious! I had to reread sentences just to figure out subject and verb. Numerous times there weren't even sentences. The fragments made the story difficult to follow. Did the author need the money? I'm sorry to say she got mine.

I donate my used books to charity to allow the next person to read and enjoy them. I threw this book away.

The author does a passable job for her first foray in the time travel romance genre. I expect way better from her if she publishes her next one. I like the way she plays with the legend of King Author though.

First of all, this book was written in first person, and it really needed to be in third. First person made the language feel awkward and I felt detached from Katy. There were also a lot of flaws with the writing in general. I got so tired of hearing designer brand names being dropped, and it ended up making Katy look stupid and self-absorbed.I wasn't impressed with Lancelot's character. I also hated how everything wrapped up neatly. All of a sudden Guen and Katy are BFF, and Katy gives Guen this ridiculous makeover. I don't even think that chapter was needed. To be honest, I didn't even want to finish reading the book. The only reason I did was because I felt guilty.

I thought the ending was just as bad, and it obviously reads as a sequel--but no thanks. I'll pass.

There is little to be said about this book that other reviews havent touched on, but this is a fun little read. Although I have always been skeptical about romance novels, I have to admit, I could not put this one down. Granted, the character Kat, is positively annoying...but there is an endearing quality to me that allowed me to move past that. I look forward to reading some of Ms. Mancusi's work.

Ever since Mark Twain wrote the brilliant comedy "A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court" both other writers and Hollywood have mined a rich seam of humour from copying the idea of someone from the writer's own time sent back to Camelot.

Some of these have been very good (I particularly like the song "Busy Doing nothing" which came from the first film version) while others have been less so.

Marianne Mancusi's book is definately one of the most amusing of the genre.

The heroine, Katherine (Kat) Jones, an associate fashion editor straight out of "Sex and the City" compelte with $400 Manolo Blahnik shoes, is attending a mock medieval carnival called "King Arthur's Fayre. She manages to annoy a fortune teller who threatens to cast a spell on Kat. Nobody else takes this seriously, but a few minutes later Kat is watching a simulated joust when the lance breaks, and a fragment flies towards her and strikes her on the forehead, knocking her out. She recovers in Camelot ...

Of course there is the obligatory serious of jokes as Kat initially assumes she is still in the 21st century among people pretending to be medieval knights and ladies. But eventually she realises that she really has gone back to a time where decent clothes and shoes, not to mention a decent cafe latte, are more than a thousand years away. How to get home?

The style in which the story is told is a delight, and it is a funny, entertaining romp with a lot of surprises and shock twists. Strongly recommended.

To resolve the chaos created by the hilarious surprise ending, Marianne Mancusi has written a sequel, which is called "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest."

Before I start this review let me say I loved the television show Sex in the City, and I love medieval times and Camelot. Sadly, the two didn't work in this book. I did have several laugh out loud moments, and thought some of Kat's snarky comments were quite funny and appropriate. Still, the book didn't work for me.

While Kat had some good moments, I couldn't empathize with her. Since the book was told in first person, I found getting that deep inside her head made her seem whiny and vapid. It was very difficult to empathize with her as a character.

Secondly, she didn't seem realistic, and the reason why - protection! She's having nightly sex with Lancelot. Lots and lots of nightly sex, and not one mention of condoms or protection. She's there long enough that her birth control pills would have run out, and frankly, considering that she mentions medieval hygiene several times in the book, I would have thought that she would have mentioned condoms, especially since we're given a detailed inventory of what's in her purse. One item (or several items, like tampons) are conspicuously absent.

I tried to like this book. I really did. I wanted to like and enjoy it. Sadly, the protection issue and the fact that many times Kat came across as self-absorbed and shallow, ruined the story for me, and by the time I got to the ending, all that was left was to try and sell the book on ebay and try to recoup my losses.

Although I read a number of books, I do not typically submit book reviews; but this book was so poorly written that I felt compelled to comment. There is no need to repeat all of the negative comments from other reviewers, but they all are very accurate. The characters are poorly developed--not "real" people. Could Tom and Bernie possibly have had the same conversation several times a day every day for the past 23 years? Each character was on the brink of emotional meltdown at all times throughout the entire book; and the metaphors used to describe their emotional state were overworked in the extreme. This was my first Luanne Rice book, and it will, without question, be the last.

enjoyable characters.Luanne realy knows how to write strong characters.I loved the relationship of the family and kept turning the pages in hopes that everything would tuen out good.Spellbinding and captivating you will not be dissapointed

Very slow, boring. I couldn't get into it at all and quit reading it after a few chapters. I gave it to a friend and she did the same.

I just didn't love this book. I was so bored. The story seemed drawn out and so predictable. I pretty much knew what was going to happen before the end of the first few chapters.

I have read hundreds of books and a few of them have been authored by Luanne Rice. Sandcastles has a good plot but it didn't grab my interest like many of the books I have read. At one point in the beginning of the book, I almost put it down not to finish. This is very unlike me. Even if I don't particularly like a book, I will finish it. This book did not have me wondering what will happen next until 3/4 of the way through the book. When a book grabs me, I can't wait to carve out time in my day to find out what is happening next in the story. Sandcastles didn't do that for me. The story didn't flow nicely and got too caught up in the mundane. When I finish a book, I have a sense of loss because the characters exist no longer in that story. I did not get that from Sancastles. Although it had a good plot, it really could have been so much more. It seemed like the book was thrown together. It will be a while before I read one of Luanne's books again. I will definitely pay more attention to individual's reviews for the next Luanne Rice book I choose to read.

Sheila Weller provided a fair portrayal of Alex Kelly, his town, and his crimes. She provided the details with objectivity and still provided the reader with an enjoyable read. I do not believe Darien, the town Alex Kelly grew up in, was unfairly represented. The town and the environment played a key role in Kelly's development and although it is not responsible for its actions, it is one of the more important aspects to his crimes.

Having seen a brother grow up and go to school in Stamford Connecticut and heard all about what goes on there, with drugs, bullying and hazing, etc., the priveliged kids' scene, this book really brought it home to me. I could see it before my very eyes, better than any movie could ever show. Weller provided the results of not only thorough investigation, but also with a writing style that keeps the attention. She effectively gave us a good glimpse into the mind of one of the most evil persons who has ever lived. She illustrated not only how much parential denial there was, but also what a flawed and biased legal system exists in this country.

It's nice for a change to read true crime which is more than just a rehash of reporting picked up from the local newspapers of the time. Weller actually thinks about and analyzes the material while moving the story along nicely. What is the moral of the Alex Kelly story? Monsters breed monsters. How could it be otherwise? The real criminals here are Kelly's parents, with the affluent, and hypocritical town, and the schools right along with them. I feel sorry for Alex Kelly but he is absolutely and exactly where he belongs.

I remember taking a high school writing class where we loaded our stories with big beautiful words that were clearly above the average 9th grade reading level (good or bad, most people read at this level). After all, we were shooting for the big grade, trying to impress the teacher, and of course meeting our minimum word requirement. However, that type of writing leaves the reader reading the same sentence over and over again to try to figure out what the writer is trying to say - such is the case with this particular book (and possibly with this particular writer). This is frustrating to the reader; it just makes you want to scream . . ."Please, just get to the point!". It was strange to me that the writing in the Prologue was just the opposite - to the point, not glossed over with fancy (and boring) wording; in fact it basically tells the whole story.

She may do everything else right in the steps to writing a good book, but she needs to step away from the high school level writing style; she needs to write as if she's have a personal conversation with her readers...quality comes from that.

"Saint of Circumstance: The Untold Story..." is a book for the kind of people who like analytical true crime books. If you want a fast-paced, can't put down book, Sheila Weller is not the author you are looking for. Weller is a highly analytical woman, whose observations are witty, truthful and highly intelligent. The book is at times serious and journalistic as well as fun and gossipy, however, Weller fails to make the story of Alex Kelly come alive. I have read other books by Weller, notably "Amy Fisher: My Story", and her style towards book writing is researching the community that created the person and somehow try to explain how the tragedy that she chronicles comes about. They are good, quality books, but they are not thrillers or don't implant in the reader a desire to keep reading. The style is pretty narrative, and she is not one to recreate scenes. Although her descriptions of the place are pretty good, most of the story is told through quotes from other people. Don't get me wrong, as a soon-to-be published author I can tell you I do this too, but she doesn't make the story come alive. She tells rather than describing the book in scenes so the reader can feel they were there. They are there. If you want a summary of the investigation of Kelly, a profile of Alex himself, his family and the coddled, rich, affluent town (which Weller, in one of her more insightful observations terms "one of the country's last enclaves of genteel elitism") in which he grew up, you'll love the book. If you end up loving the book, you will also like Doug Most's "Always in Our Hearts", about the Amy Grossberg/Brian Peterson case because of it's social analysis. Also, check out the landmark Lefkowitz book, "Our Guys".

I read this book and had a really hard time getting as far as I could into it (I finished two other novels before getting back to this book). I was two or three chapters away from finishing it and I just could not bring myself to wasting my precious time reading something this awful. It has to do with a fat spoiled rotten lady who really has nothing better to do in life but THINK there is something in the basement. The characters were done okay, needed some improvement. Plot sucked, story sucked. I do not recommened this to anyone.

Wow - I got this book years ago and just recently picked it up to give it a read. It started out okay ... really ... but after the first 100 pages the plot really begins to unravel. The plot, horrible, no connection for how you got from the beginning to the end. It gets 2 stars from me because I enjoyed the writing style, as a matter of fact, the writing and charcter development was the ONLY thing that got me to the end! My recommendation is to wait for the movie!

"The Basement" is one of those books that when you finish reading it, you're not quite sure what happened. Ms. Wood has a very good sense of the vernacular and creating flesh and blood characters with believable eccentricities and hang-ups.

The eight friends in this book have been friends for years; they are all rich and seem to have little in life to worry about. The main character, Myra Ludens, has had an unhealthy fear of her basement for years and decides the best thing to do is to renovate it, and hopefully banish all her fears. Even her friends who come over for bridge every week don't like the basement---even after the $30,000 renovation job!

Myra's sleuthing reveals that the body of a woman hanged as a witch in the late 1600's is buried right underneath Myra's basement. The renovator admits later that they even found the woman's bones but didn't want to tell anyone in fear of losing business. (I'm not sure about that one?).

At any rate, Myra is then "possessed" by the witch's spirit or has gone mad, or perhaps even has her own paranormal talents. This is something Ms. Wood never fully reveals, thus leaving the reader unsure of the real reason behind the deaths seemingly caused by Myra's "wishes."

It's got some good points---excellent characterizations, some real suspenseful scenes and a few original twists---but overall, "The Basement" is a novel in search of a better ending.

This novel had a very good plot and the character's and the events were very realistic. But at the end it seems as though the author gave up and just ended any kind of way. The story hyped you up to the max. Goody Redman, the event with the Pastori's and the bees, the assult, eveything. But when you got to the end it seems as though the author said, "SIKE!" and just left you hanging. I believe the author is very creative and I'm sure other works are worth reading, but The Basement should stay in the basement.

Even a $30,000 renovation doesn't stop the chill along the back of the neck and an overwhelming need to escape the basement. The basement was a joke among the bridge club members; they called it the black hole. Even the woman who designed the renovation summed everyone's reaction in a simple word: vile. So Myra Ludens must summons the courage to do something about it. Meanwhile, Myra also attempts to summon the courage to deal with the rest of her life. The neighbors have a noisy, yippy, obnoxious dog that never stops barking from early morning until after dark. The first time Myra attempts to ask her neighbor to do something about the dog, the Pastoris' rude behavior sends her scurrying back across the road. The second time, she finds herself uttering an ominous warning. Shortly thereafter, the man and his dog are dead. As other unnatural deathsfollow, they only have one thing in common; that is, every victim offended Myra. As Mrya researches her house, she learns that the woman named Goody Redman was hanged for witchcraft and buried on her land. Convinced that the spirit of the witch haunts her basement, Myra determines to do something about it. With the friends she grew up with, the other seven members of the bridge club, she attempts to banish the spirit that haunts the basement. The Basement is an addictive read that kept me up in the wee hours of the morning with the need to finish it. The quick pace and curiously detailed characterizations along with a marvelous authorial voice combine to create a tale of horror that both fascinates and repels. While I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending, The Basement is a fascinating read.

Cindy Penn Reviewer

I used this book and found a few great resources through it. I was disconcerted by the lack of research done by the staff, however. One Brooklyn photographer had never shot a wedding before but said she was put in the book because she had done good editorial work that one of the researchers knew about. I used an ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING videographer, Maria Quiroga, whose name I got from the book. Quiroga's prices were TOTALLY OFF in the book, however, and Quiroga had never been contacted by the authors. She was surprised to see her name listed. The book also listed the Chemist's Club, which is a pretty little place, but too small for all but the smallest weddings. Meanwhile, the Yale Club, which is near to it, larger and cheaper was left out. Emphasis is also on high end wedding vendors who are easy enough to find on own's own.

this book was a tremendous disappointment in that it listed fairly standard sites and venues, and was not at all comprehensive. there is nothing here that you won't with a cursory look through one of ny edition bridal magazines.

All marriages should be founded on a wedding by these authors. Funny, funky, to-the-point but stylish, this book is a must-have for the hippest and haughtiest couples to tie the knot in the Tri-State area. And I should know. I've been married three times in all three states! Hopefully, Number Four will be the winner, thanks to Proulx and Hamburg!

Elise & Joan: I bought this book for a friend of mine in NYC and you saved her marriage. It's a long journey from engaged to married and you've put together a thorough "road-map" of NYC wedding resources that eased a lot of stress, saved a lot of time, and reminded people that this is supposed to be fun. Brava!

I thought this book was a complete waste of money! This book mentioned very few reception sites in each state. The reception sites that were mentioned were sites that anyone from the New York area would be aware of. If you're from the NY Metro area you probably won't benefit from this book. I did give "Everything You Need to Know to Have a Wedding in N. Y., N. J., CT" 2 stars because I'm sure it would help someone who is NOT from New York plan a New York wedding.

From the author of a Separate Peace follows a little tale of Yale, New Haven, and romance, with classic scenes including polo horses in dorm rooms. A must read for anyone who has an interest in Yale or John Knowles, but perhaps a little too light for serious novel-goers.

Its a solid story that makes you want to keep reading. One problem is that it has some chronology problems. HIppy beatnicks in the wrong era. But if you want something to read, pick it up.

It is fairly obvious that John Knowles tried to capture the same success of "A Separate Peace" with this novel: New England, war time conditions,adolescent boys, maturity, and school life. But "The Paragon" falls far short of "A Separate Peace." The same emotion is never quite there. Instead, I felt like I was reading the script to a Sunday night made for TV movie. The thoughts of the main character,Lou Colfax,are overstretched and unintentionally humerous. I almost felt sorry for Knowles at one point in the book. He describes a character as being a worn out writer who only had one successful work attributed to his name. I'll give you a little pity John--2 stars.

John Knowles does a good job of developing Lou Colfax' character, only to waste it with a rushed, so-so resolution of this man's troubles in the end. He does present good insights about war, life in New England, and early 20's angst. The various characters around Lou are also very interesting. It was only at the end that I felt let down.

The Paragon is an in-depth look at the life of Yale student Lou Colfax as he travels throuh his sophomore year. Lou is a complex young man who is battling with love and his desire to make chanes in the world. You will become more -tune to the human character and you'll find yourself pondering the ideas of Lou -- most of which ou've probably never considered before! The book also provides valuable insights into the life and times of fifties North Eastern USA.

I am a ghosthunter and can appreciate what Eno has accomplished in his long career. Psychology is the main weapon in fighting parasite cases and negative type hauntings. The multiverse theory is fascinating.

But why was this book so short?

The face in the window on the cover of the book was very interesting.

James Kelly

I have a pretty good idea of what "Spine Tingling" means and it is most definately not "Faces in the Window".It was hard to even keep interested while reading.
Come on now, time to tell the truth so here goes... Do not buy this book not even if it is on sale !!! I'm a person with a pretty vivid imagination and though I looked pretty hard at the cover picture and I guess one could see a nose kind of, sort of. Even in the pictures of scenery it was hard to see anything resembling anything except what I was looking at.. Well, this is my first review and sorry it is a negative one but really , is this person promoting himself or what?

I've been reading ghost stories for maybe 40 years or so, and have experienced a whole lot of paranormal phenomena personally. I don't think I'm that hard to please as a reader, either; if it's a good story, I'll probably enjoy it. And yes, some of the five stories were good. The "pick of the lot" so to speak was definitely the Bridgeport Poltergeist incident. Fascinating account, well documented.

But here's the thing. First of all, the entire book comprises reprinted stories. There's nothing new! OK, if they were all great accounts, then it would be worth it, but at least in my opinion a couple of the accounts were very cursorily covered. The account of Connecticut's Village of Voices for example, didn't impress me at all as solid research. If the photos reprinted are as high quality as the originals I have to say that the "faces" and "dagger" Eno points out are dubious at best. Old stories, not many of them, and some are less than substantial. Here's the thing that really gets me, though. On top of everything else, the total page count is 100, and that's including what I feel to be "padding"; an index, a section on "disappearing ships of New England" (sorry, ships hit by rogue waves aren't ghosts, and even reading the author's review of the occurrences, only one of the disappearances even seemed that mysterious), and a two-page "glossary" containing a grand total of ten words. You get less than 78 pages of actual ghost stories!

Not to be overly denigrating, but I have a very strong feeling I just bought something the author threw together from old research to get a little more publicity and another "book" under his belt. Seriously, there's a reason why larger publishers won't touch a manuscript under 80,000 words, and this has to be barely half that. I'm really not at all happy with this book, and I'd recommend you pass on this one. There are a ton of great books out there on the subject, keep looking.

What a wonderful book, Paul Eno sure knows how to tell a story, He starts off his stories with a slow tapping and follows up with a big bang, I have not forgotten one story in this book, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read First hand accounts of Paranormal phenomena, From poltergeist's to Vampires its all here... A must have for the paranormal genre collector... This is the real thing.... No fiction here...