Delaware Books

Zane Grey's second novel about life along the early American western frontier. Drawn from personal family history, he captures the brutality and the compassion of the early pioneers and the Indian nations that they were dispossessing.

Lewis Wetzel "Le vent de la mort", (Death Wind) is a prominent figure in this book. Wetzel is a genuine historical personage and is accurately portrayed as both a guardian to the border settlements and the Indian hater and killer he was known to be.

The book follows the life and adventures of two brothers Jim and Joe, Jim a Christian missionary and Joe a gregarious newcomer to frontier life. Wetzel always known as a loner, develops a friendship with the young man Joe and trains him in the ways of forest woodcraft. All the while Jim struggles to strengthen and protect the already established Morvian Indian mission. All of this set against the intrigue of Indian politics,war and the rampaging murders and kidnappings of the white renegades Simon and Jim Girty.

Although an historical novel, Zane Grey uses the various characters and happenings as a vehicle to give us a clear picture of the sentiment surrounding the precarious daily life for both the defenders of the Indian nations and those who acted as the American border rangers.

Read this book almost twenty years ago and this is one novel that made its greatest impact on me. Made me a Zane Grey fan. Lost my first copy so I ordered another one. Still find it a great read.

From a book such as this I want two things: first, to get to know the historical characters personally and intimately, to achieve empathy with their world view and their values sufficient even to feel that I could engage and interact with them; and second, to find surprises in their use of the English language.

By prudently selecting and meticulously editing the journals included therein and by preferring narratives to inventories, Booth has satisfied what I wanted. (As for the hermeneutics and reconciliation of geography, maps and written descriptions ... well, ok, I'm glad he belabored that material but I'm gladder still that he grouped it such that I could skip over it. It's pretty dry.)

The journal keepers do reveal themselves. They are like us and they are decidedly not like us. The boy who recognizes, matter of factly, his mother's scalp on an Indian's belt ... the Indians who did not kill prisoners except by prolonged torture ... the criminal Indian tracked down by revenge minded tribesmen meekly submitting to execution ... the white man observing captive (from childhood) white women who exhibited the behavior and mannerisms of Indian women and then made the truly giant leap, thinking that perhaps Indian children if raised by white families might grow up to be just like the whites ... the Moravians who cast lots for decision making and interpreted the outcomes as divine intervention. These are just a few.

Having read a history of the OED (The Meaning of Everything by S. Winchester) just before this book, I was on the lookout for surprises (maybe not to another, but to me). From the 1760-1780 time period I wasn't expecting to read the missionaries' complaints about the Indians "boozing." I should have expected to read that lines of march were often "Indian file," but I guess I thought that was a dime novel affectation. It isn't. Then there was the diarist who wrote that provisions could not be had "for love or money." And there are other treats to be had, if you relish this sort of thing.

This is one of those books that should be more than read; it should be savored. When you finish it, snip out the pages and boil them in a kettle and make yourself a tea from it. That is how much you will like this book.

This beautiful book is filled with many wonderful maps as well as early western journals desribing the first explorations of the Ohio Country by white settlers and their encounters with the many native tribes that called Ohio home in the mid to late 18th century. Including such important accounts as Christopher Gist, who was the first white man to chronicle his explorations of the Ohio wilderness, John Heckewelder and David Zeisberger, the famous Moravian missionaries who founded a number of Christian Indian towns in eastern Ohio and who help support the American cause during the Revolution in the west, Col. Henry Bouquet, the leader of a military expedition into Ohio in 1764 to help put down Pontiac's Rebellion, as well as many others whose explorations and contact with the Indians proved valuable to posterity. Early maps are compared with modern versions to try to locate a number of vanished Indian villages in a way never done before, thus providing a new perspective on the locations of modern roads and cities to their old Indian counterparts, particularly in the areas around modern Coshocton at the Forks of the Muskingum River. This area was also the site of the ill-fated Fort Laurens, the first American military installation in the Ohio Country. This is a wonderful reference book and is highly recommended to anyone with an interst in Ohio or frontier history.

Being an enthusiastic amateur treasure hunter myself, in years past, I diligently read each and every volume of Mr. Terry's exhaustively researched works. Although I found some the information erroneous or far from exact - for instance many locations cited as "ghost towns" are FAR from being one - there are so many intriguing stories of legends, factual evidence & stories of past recoveries that any true TH'r will be enthralled. Treasure hunting is supposedly America's fastest growing hobby: it's uniquely enjoyable for the adventure, historical aspects & healthy outdoor recreation. And when you really find something decent...Boy Howdy!! Not as easy as it sounds, though. To be a professional TH'r, one has to have patience, applying oneself with the perseverance of a detective: because that's what it takes to be successful. Exhaustive research is the key: going where people gathered long ago (old picnic grounds & abandoned schoolyards, for instance) will be beneficial for coin shooters who are after more than modern coins....for me, finding modern coins was a complete waste of time & energy. Going for the gold? Go where it is KNOWN to be & be creative: the better your equipment - i.e. a decent detector which finds gold & common sense makes this a most fascinating hobby. For some, it's a life's career. Good luck!!

Found this to be a very interesting paperback book for anyone dreaming of treasure hunting/finds. But, I wish it was updated. I'm sure there are more interesting things about Florida. Not all of Fla. treasure finds are in the sea as this book notes. Worth reading.Open anywhere and begin reading.

This is a sad story and I feel horrible for the Fahey family, but Ann Rule totally overdoes it. Deborah McIntyre was NOT the victim. And Ms. Rule continuously goes on and on stating how beautiful she was when she so clearly is NOT (sorry I just have to say that). Tom Capano is a disgusting individual. Ann Rule gets so carried away trying to explain away Ms. McIntyre's mistakes and Ms. Fahey's mistakes that it takes away from the story. She didn't have to. To read about the case, Summer Wind is much better.

I, wanted to read the book to see if there were additions to the DVD version. Very Intersting Reading.

Enjoy!

Ann Rule delivers another of her thoroughly researched and grippingly written tomes in the tale of Thomas Capano and Anne Marie Fahey.

This reviewer, True Crime afficianada, and regular Ann Rule reader, recently discovered a gem of a Made-for-TV movie Ann Rule's And Never Let Her Go. But even with its runtime of 3 hrs 20 minutes, it is not long enough.
Adam Greenman's teleplay adaptation of Ms Rule's book leaves out a lot and might leave the non-reader watcher befuddled and confused. For example, the torrid tawdry Capano/Christine affair is barely hinted, although it was a focal point of the book, the trial, and fodder for the tabloids.

So, get the book and the movie. Read the book this week, then, this weekend, make a nice cozy fire and settle in to watch a wicked good movie of the Evil that Men do.

/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

Like most all of Ann Rule's true crime novels, this was absolutely absorbing. Very thorough research made for an indepth reading about the lives of everyone involved in the case, everyone except - Kay Ryan Capano, the wife of the murderer. Throughout the whole book, I found myself asking, "What about Kay? What did she know and when?" I suppose it isn't the fault of the author if it is because Kay wouldn't grant her a real interview, but I just found it to be a major missing component of the story. I finished this book feeling so angry with the narcissistic Capano family.

Tom Capano is a rich, successful, EXTREMELY egotisical, affluent pyschopath that murders Anne Marie Fahey, the young woman he was having a secret affair with. This man had a wife, who had the good sense to 'get out'. He also was involved(at the same time) in another affair with a woman who became so manipulated by him that he actually tried to frame her for Ms. Fahey's murder. She was so under his control, that he seemed to really believe, she would take the fall for him. Although, she was not involved, this mistress came to know he killed Anne Marie. After he was arrested, this mistress continued to visit him in jail. She well knew, he tried to frame her, but was still trying to "hang on". Believe me, I've had my bad moments, but self esteem that low; I cannot grasp. That type of mentality, I do not understand. It is an engrossing tale. Anne Marie's family was so forthcoming with interviews, that you could sense their real love, strength, and closeness. When they realized Anne was missing, they searched out and uncovered her secret affair with this man. They pieced together what happened, and despite their grief, would not stop until, Tom Capano was brought to justice; very affluent though he was. The only problem I have with Ann Rule, is her tendency to make victims out to be so saintly and innocent. This beautiful young woman certainly didn't deserve this monster--but she did choose him. She kept her affair from her family, even though they were very closeknit. Her family truly loved her. I sure her brother would have read her the "riot act" if he had known, She realized this too, that why she didn't tell him. She knew Capano was married. She made a mistake many women make, but unfortunately he was psycho. The hard fact is she was not without responsibility for putting herself in the position to be butchered by this man. At one point, she had broken off her relationship with Capano and found a young man she could have had a future with. Capano stayed away. One day at work, Ms. Fahey discovered her car wouldn't start. In a moment of weakness, she called Capano to come and pick her up and take her home. It was a momentary lapse, or maybe she was confused. Sometimes, you break up with someone because you know they are not good for you, but part of you still wants them. I believe Capano thought she was interested in re-establishing a relationship with him when she called him to pick her up.
He set out to woo her with expensive clothes and dinners. When he realized she really didn't want him back, I really believe, he felt she was toying with him. He could not comprehend, she really wanted someone else. I can also mentally envision, egotisical Tom's thought processes when he realised, she really did not want him any longer: Who does this B**** think she is? I'm Thomas Capano, nobody plays with ME! Nobody messes with ME!--and lives another day. He snapped and killed her. It was disturbing. I wondered if she might still be alive, if she had stayed resolute and not contacted him after she initially broke things off. She had a beautiful spirit, you can see it in her photographs. So sad.

To put it short, this book was terrible. The story was contrived, the ending unbelievable and trite. About halfway through the book, Mr Kellerman discovers the word "sojourn" and uses it about fifty times in the span of three chapters. You know, there is more than one synonym for "trip" or "visit." I read this book ten years ago when I was about fifteen, and still remember it as being the second worst book I've ever read. I'll stick to Atwood, Lansdale, and Palahniuk. Kellerman can stay on the shelf.

I'm intoxicated with Alex Delaware, but this novel with new heroine Petra Connor left me dying for more! Billy Straight, 12, is another character I'd like to see Kellerman follow in more novels. This boy made me at times shake my head at how sad it is for a 12-year-old to be so worldly, and at other times want to wrap my arms around him for the naivite he also displayed. The boy seemed to vacillate between a young boy and a 30-year-old. His genius in hiding out only made Kellerman's genius at characters more prevalent.

The morbid description of violence gave the story more color. The reader believes she knows who the killer is to the very end -- and then is surprised by the real culprit! What a ride!

Kellerman is just a master of characterization. Calling his books "psychological thrillers" is like calling a flying saucer a quarter. Kellerman's expertise goes beyond the average psychological thriller.

When I ran out of light reading, I found BILLY STRAIGHT. BILLY STRAIGHT became my first Jonathan Kellerman novel. I can make several points that would be helpful for those who are seeking a good story.

In some respects, BILLY STRAIGHT is a "Stairway to Heaven" novel. It starts off slow, almost painfully slow, gradually builds up and explodes with action at the end. Over the years, I have learned that some great novels are start painfully slow - a characteristic which can drive me to stop reading. Many times such slow moving storylines evolve into my favorite stories. Thus, I have disciplined myself to read seemingly boring novels in hopes that the progression will change. Such a shift in tempo generally happens with delightful results.

I like a storyline that seduces me to forget my environment. I can get so involved in reading; I forget who I am and what I should be doing. Occasionally, it is nice to forget what I am supposed to be doing. At times, BILLY STRAIGHT offers that level of forgetfulness. Other times, it doesn't.

I like a novel that creates pictures in my mind. Sometimes authors have such a mastery of the written word, they create pictures in my mind which makes the reading experience like watching a movie. Yet, good books are always better than good movies. Good books have more to see! At times, BILLY STRAIGHT offers that picture-creating quality. Other times, it doesn't. It is one of the most uneven novels I have read.

There are numerous better novels. However, BILLY STRAIGHT outnumbers the inferior novels. In the end, BILLY STRAIGHT ain't bad and I don't regret reading it.

BILLY STRAIGHT is a standalone book by Jonathan Kellerman that does not feature his usual hero, Alex Delaware. Although I consider myself a big Kellerman fan, I was pretty disappointed with this effort.

As another reviewer pointed out, BILLY STRAIGHT has an oddly disjointed quality. This novel contains a very large cast of characters, and Kellerman keeps switching the point of view with every chapter. As a result, none of the characters end up being that well developed. Indeed, much of the cast consists of stereotypes and cardboard cut-outs -- the Russian gangster, the adorable kid, the redneck trailer trash, and so on. I also didn't find Petra Conner, the detective heroine, to be that interesting a character either.

This book also has a rather stale, predictable murder plotline, and I was able to predict the killer's identity pretty easily (there is a rather obvious red herring in this book). In the end, I just didn't find this novel to be particularly original or compelling.

Jonathan Kellerman is a good writer, but BILLY STRAIGHT is a stylistic experiment that didn't really work for me. If you've never read Kellerman before, my advice is to read his early Alex Delaware novels like WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, OVER THE EDGE, and SILENT PARTNER. They are far superior to this subpar effort.

I love Kellerman's Alex Delaware series, but this one is not a part of that series. This one features Detective Petra Connor, who is a homicide detective in LA and has worked with Alex and his friend Detective Milo Sturgis in the past. (Alex does make a brief appearance, though).

Petra is an interesting character - she's an artist as well as a detective - and several other detectives are nicely fleshed out as well. It's a cool story about the brutal murder of a TV Star's ex-wife. Twelve year old runaway Billy Straight is the only eye witness to the murder and we follow his fearful flight through the city as well as the police investigation and how wealth and fame obstructs the investigation. It's a twisty plot and, while I had figured out who the killer was by the end (the very end), I wasn't SURE, so it's a bit of a surprise.

The narrative style kind of threw me with this one. The Alex Delaware novels are told in the first person with Alex telling the story - my favorite kind of narrative. This one jumps around from first person POV as Billy to third person limited from different character's POV. It was not particularly difficult to follow, as each chapter has a consistent point of view, but it was a little disconcerting for me and that's the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. Oh, that and a cutsie bit at the end I thought the story could easily have done without.

Overall, it's a tense story as poor Billy is pursued by perverts, the killer, the police and anyone out for the reward.

The CD Abridged version:
I have no idea how Lindsay Crouse has won multiple awards...maybe as an actress she is excellent. However this Audio version is dreadful. What a waste of money...I refuse to listen to any more of this drivel....Shame on you Random House, there are so many fabulous actor/'s out there why pick one who is so dull?
This opinion is mine, and if you have enjoyed listening to it I applaud you.

Through the lens of LAPD detective Petra Connor we watch Isaac Gomez, ultra-smart twenty-ish PhD candidate police intern learn about life and love in that clueless but creative way that is typical of twenty year olds. Luckily Isaac is a quick learner, although his active mind and libido land him in some awkward and surprising situation vis-a-vis the older folks he's engaged with. The central mystery is also intriguing - there is plenty of sleuthin' goin' on as well as character development, plus true love pops up in the last pages - a satisfying ending...with a future. Possibly better than Delaware/Sturgis!

Petra Connor again stars in TWISTED, after BILLY STRAIGHT and a bit part in an Alex Delaware novel, A COLD HEART. She's an interesting character with enough emotional depth and history to draw most readers in. The ensemble cast backing her, including her love interest and a 22-year-old genius that loves working in the murder field, offer a lot of possibilities too. Although the abridged book is a good listen, read by Lindsay Crouse, the emphasis seems to be more on Petra's person life than either of the two murders she's investigating. TWISTED misses the mark on presenting a thrilling whodunit.

Jonathan Kellerman is the bestselling writer of the Alex Delaware novels featuring a child psychologist who consults for the Los Angeles Police Department. He and his bestelling wife Faye have started writing together, and their son Jesse is a rising star in the novel trade.

TWISTED has two mysteries going at one time. Petra is called to the scene of a mass shooting and struggles to put the pieces together as to who the unidentified girl was and why she was killed. In the meantime, her brilliant understudy, a 22-year-old college professor named Isaac Gomez, comes to her with what he believes is a serial killer who's been striking every June 28th. The book takes place in the month of June, so another killing -- if Gomez is correct, and he is -- is right around the corner. The novel's strengths are in the showcasing of Petra and Gomez's personal lives outside of the murder investigation.

However, the novel's weaknesses are the lack of pursuit, to a degree, of the murders. While Petra puts together a fairly good case against the mass murderer who killed the teenagers, the serial killer case seems to come together more as luck and out of left field. There was no opportunity to match wits with the author because you don't get to see all the cards.

Lindsay Crouse reads the audiobook and does a fabulous job of keeping the pacing and the narrative tension in play. She's a reader I'll definitely be looking for more from.

TWISTED will satisfy Kellerman fans, but isn't the best place new readers can discover this author. It would probably be better to read BILLY STRAIGHT or A COLD HEART first. That way you'll see and understand more of Petra's history by the time you pick up TWISTED.

Not a very good book on any level. Not horrific, but overall really lame. A whodunit that you could never predict, because there was nothing to predict. It's like the author wrote the book and then when it came time to publish it, chose a character at random that 'did it' and wrote the last 10 pages. So save yourself some time, read the last few pages and make up your own adventure.

I loved this whodunit! It is intricately plotted, has well-fleshed, interesting characters, and presents the reader with enough twists and turns to satisfy any mystery junkie. This well-written, intriguing mystery is sure to satisfy the armchair sleuth.

The book centers on Hollywood homicide detective, Petra Connor. Fans of the author will be familiar with this character, who takes center stage in this book. Even more interesting is Isaac Gomez, a twenty-one year old boy genius from the wrong side of the tracks with political connections who has a crush on Petra. He also has a theory on which he is basing his dissertation for his PHD. having to do with patterns of homicides. With Gomez interning in the Hollywood Homicide Division, lucky Petra pulls the short straw and is assigned what she has perceives to be babysitting duty with Gomez.

When Gomez finds a repetitive pattern in a series of unsolved murders that, at first blush, seem to have little connection to each other, he presents it to Petra, who is initially reluctant to give it credence but is sufficiently intrigued and decides to explore Isaacs's theory. In the meantime, however, she is trying to solve the murders of four teenagers who were seemingly gunned down in cold blood. Unfortunately, the witnesses turn out to be less than helpful. Isaac, to her complete surprise, turns out to be actually helpful as his computer research skills rise to the fore.

Added to Petra's already full plate, however, is her worry over her lover and former partner, Detective Eric Stahl, who is part of a homeland security detail currently in the Middle East. The socially immature Isaac to is also suffering his own personal angst, as he wrestles with his burgeoning libido and tries to find his place in the world to which his genius has opened doors, while not losing sight from where he has sprung.

The homicide of the four teenagers is intriguing, but nothing compares to those pattern homicides upon which Isaac has stumbles, as there is, indeed, a serial killer on the loose, and it is up to Petra and Isaac to stop the killer before the killer kills again. This particular serial killer is one of the most intriguing I have ever come across. Although the mystery surrounding the serial killer is very cleverly plotted, it is one that the most discerning of armchair sleuths could solve and have a great time, while doing so.

This book results from a study of several American companies trying to determine the patterns which make them consistently successful. It covers in detail eight timeless common basic principles which make companies great. Highly recommended! If you like this book you will also like "Built To Last" and "From Good To Great".

The beginning of the cd was ok, but then the quality got progressively worse. Do not buy this product.

I bought this CD beleiving it to be the audio version of the book which it is not. It's a recording of a presentation by Tom Peters. The presentation is still useful in that he highlights some of the key findings and his observations of studying US corporations but I still feel I now need to buy the book.

When it's Tom Peters, it's not the content that matters, but the enthusiasm that you gain from it. I highly recommend it. Other books which I love: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Eightstorm: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers.

I believed I would receive an unabridged audio version of the best selling book. This CD seem to be from a lecture. Plus it is copied from a cassette, since it states "turn the tape over." Do not purchase

I liked this book because it had to deal with a lighthouse on Fenwick Island in Delaware during the Civil War in 1861. I don't like the book because Amelia's parents fight a lot like the father is from the north, and the mother is from the south so they have dirrerent opinions, and views. Also I didn't like it because the characters and the setting are not very descriptive; ike the mom, dad, grandpa, and grandmother don't have names or what they look like or how they dress.

I think the worst part is when Inspector Howle talked to Amelia's father and said that she shouldn't be allowed to be an assistant lighthouse keeper because she was to young. Like I said in the first paragraph, when the parents argue is when the book gets sad, and that all she wanted was for their family to be together. Its also kind of sad when her mother wants to leave the island.

The setting is a little island off of Delaware. The characters are Amelia, mom, dad, grandpa, grandmother, and Oda. The conflict is their parents are always fighting. The conflict is Amelia's parents divorce because during the whole book the parents are always fighting. (...)

A Light in the Storm is the story a young teenaged girl, Amelia, and how her family is slowly torn apart. Her personal problems slowly begin to outweigh the importance to her of the Nation's issues, when her mother sides with the Confederacy, and her father's loyalties lie with the Union. A good book, but a bit confusing and difficuly in some parts.

Amelia Martin lives on Fenwick Island with her parents, and her father is assistant lighthouse keeper. Amelia does more than what is usually expected of a lighthouse keeper's daughter, and she is so good at her job that the head of the lighthouses paid a visit to the island just because of her.
But life is hard for Amelia. Her parent's don't get along, and she is stuck between the two sides of the civil war. Her mother is for the south, and her father is for the north.
When Amelia's best friend is called off to war, can Amelia survive the war in her own heart?

This book is really good. If you like stuff about the civil war, this book is for you.
I felt so sorry of Amelia. I mean, her parents' divorce one of her friends' dies and another one goes off to war. But Amelia was strong, and she didn't let her troubles get the best of her. Now that 's what I like in a girl.

This story of life in the border state of Delaware at the first stirrings of the Civil War contains many themes: the importance of human life, feminism, and the difficulty of keeping things together. Amelia's job as a lighthouse worker both helps and hinders the story. The metaphor of lights in lighthouses as those who help keep things together is good, as are some of Amelia's writings about her daily tasks, but others slow down the Civil War part. Well-drawn supporting characters and a likable lead contribute to the enjoyment of this book, but it isn't quite good enough to be worth five stars.

This is the first Dear America book I have read and for the most part I really enjoyed how they give you a glimpse into what it was like to live back then. It brings up interesting issues sometimes only glossed over in the history books and makes it more personal. However, two things bothered me: First was the fact that Amelia's parents got divorced. Not just separated, but actually legally divorced. I know the Civil War tore people apart, but actual divorce was very rare during that time. Also, I didn't feel like it was really the Civil War that tore Amelia's parents apart. They don't really discuss it other than that Amelia's mother does not agree with Lincoln and gets angry whenever the subject is brought up. For a fair portrayal of the time, the book should have done a better job representing her mother as someone to sympathize with as well, instead of that she's always in the wrong.
Secondly, the epilogue at the end was completely upsetting. It talks about her Uncle and his common law wife like it was a common occurance! I'm sorry, but back then, a common law wife, especially to an African American was just not so easily accepted. Also, it states that Amelia and Daniel marry and then separate! Come on! Amelia is the source of light and hope through out this book and then she separates from her husband too, for no better reason than he wanted to move west??! Besides once again setting up this kind of relationship as normal for that time period, it completely undercuts and the sincerety and strength of Amelia and Daniel's relationship as set up in the diary.
This book has some great points and wonderful characters but it is ruined by the end.

I believe this book was written in 94, well thank God Kellerman has come a long way since then. I can't say I would or wouldn't recommend the book. It definitely wasn't great, it drolled on, much too detailed. Why in Gods name do I need to know that there were polka dots on the mans tie? Word fill - thats all it was- to make a fatter book I suppose - its a publication thing - word count and so on. Or he had a great idea for the book and had to have filler, cuz the general idea without it was too small for a grand novel. It was a good idea for a story, just way too drawn out, too much filler and crap mentioned that didn't have anything to do with the story or how it played out. I had it pegged who did what and why, so it was sort of predictable, but still good enough.
Kellerman has defintly come along way from this. If this is your first Kellerman read, don't bother 'til later, after you've read others. Enjoy some of the others and you'll see how great Kellerman really is. Billy Straight and Monster were awesome. If you did read this as your first and only Kellerman and then gave up on him - don't - keep going. Its worth it.

enjoy
heidi, avid reader
poe to patterson
iwannabaduck@yahoo.com

While I haven't read many of Jonathan Kellerman's novels featuring Dr. Alex Delaware (a child psychologist who does consulting for the local police, and often ends up playing detective), this one is best.

The title, which I understand, after reading the book, might be a mistake, as it suggests themes that are not in the book. The book starts with Dr. Delaware being asked to evaluate two little girls, whose father is incarcerated for killing their mother, as the father wants visitation with his daughters, while the deceased mother's family opposes the idea. Then, he begins receiving very strange threats, including a tape of screaming and someone chanting about "bad love." As Delaware, and his police-liaison and friend, Milo Sturgis, investigate, they begin to uncover connections between an increasing number of unsolved murders, with a seminar, years earlier, being the connecting thread. And, the investigation indicates that Delaware is on the killer's hit-list.

The characters are well-rounded, the plot is complex, there are some genuine surprises, and, unlike Mr. Kellerman's "The Clinic," I did not feel that Delaware and Sturgis had suddenly come up with a few new, and crucial facts, right at the end, that enabled them to solve it. Jonathan Kellerman does go too far, in my opinion, in describing everyone and everything, in great detail, thus slowing down the pace, but the story, in "Bad Love," overcomes this.

A friend of mine gave me Bad Love to read when I spent the night at his house and was looking for a book. I started it, and took it home with me. After almost finishing it, I called him and said I really didn't like it, at which point he started laughing and told me both he and his wife thought it was horrible, and they gave it to me as a gag! They couldn't beleive I got as far as I did.

I like fiction, and even meaningless pop-fiction like Patterson, Stephen King, Grisham, etc., so I'm not a literary elitist. Bad Love is without a doubt the worst work I have ever read. I am shocked that people have given this garbage 5 stars. It's poorly written, has a bad plot, and....you know what....its not even worth going on. I am only writing to warn others. Avoid at all costs. You would be better off shaving your head with a cheese grater than putting yourself through Bad Love.

I was actually disappointed with this book. I judged the book by the cover and I liked the overall appeal of the cover and the headlines, but as I read it went into so much detail that I would forget what I was reading. It took me about a good month to finish it but it wasnt worth reading 500-600 pages... lost count. But it was not worth waiting getting to the 30th chapter to wrap it up and get to the point. For me, there wasnt much suspense. Overall it kept me occupied and now I'm starting a new book.

I really enjoyed this one. Dr. Alex Delaware - child psychologist/police
consultant - is in real peril and it's possible even his pal Detective
Milo Sturgis can't help him this time.

It starts with a package in the mail - a very disturbing cassette tape
that sets Alex on edge. But then, it becomes apparent that he's being
stalked and with therapists dropping like flies, Alex is afraid he may
be next on the list! It's a real twisty-turny plot that kept me reading,
but there are so many names, I couldn't keep everyone straight. Alex and
his girlfriend Robin are really put through the ringer by this stalker
as the little harassing escapades get more and more intense - more and
more violent - more and more deadly.

There's a new addition to the cast - an adorable little stray dog named
Rover/Spike/Barry ... Love that dog! Hope he stays around. And it's
interesting to see just how well connected Milo is - he has friends
everywhere.

I very much enjoyed Coming into the Country (though it rambles in places), so I looked forward to listening to The Founding Fish on morning walks. What a disappointment. The audio version is read by McPhee, who unfortunately does not have a pleasant voice. The book tells one heroic fishing story after another--only I just don't get what's heroic about killing fish. I've got to stop.

Gift for my husband, who is fascinated. He loves the book!

I've read plenty of McPhee, and liked it, but this was my favorite. Two reasons: 1) as a vertebrate biologist, I find fish even more interesting than rocks, canoes, and archdruids. 2) I used to live a half mile from the Delaware River, where much of the action of this book occurs.
McPhee mixes biology, history, personal (fishing) experience, and even cooking to create a synergy that's greater as a whole than the sum of its parts. I loved it. As always, the writing is crisp, clear, and crafted and the research is both broad and deep. McPhee's stuff is always about details, so people who want a breezy overview don't like him--their loss.

I can't help but shake my head in wonder at some of the negative reviews of this book here on Amazon. First, it seems ridiculous to criticize a BOOK for the way it's read aloud on the audio version. Second, anyone who can use the phrases "poorly worded" and "John McPhee" in the same sentence is, it seems to me, nuts. Finally, those who criticize the "preachy animal-rights" stuff (about 5 pages of the whole book) are clearly doing so only because they disagree with what they seem to think he concludes; McPhee gives his opinions on some controversial topics, and he backs them up with his reasons...this is not "preaching." I believe these critics fail a reading comprehension test anyway. McPhee is thoughtful and open-minded on the subject, and, unlike these critics, he tells you the sources of his research. He is well aware of the apparent contradiction between enjoyment of "playing" a fighting fish and admitting that fish feel pain...it's all right there in the book. In the end, McPhee is unwilling to give up his favorite pastime but concludes that it is less cruel to kill and eat his catch than to release a damaged animal to die slowly when out of his sight. If you're going to argue with that, you're going to have to provide your own sources and detail your own thought processes...McPhee does.

Anyway. In MY opinion, a great piece of nonfiction. Your mileage, of course, may vary.

This book is a classic about the American Shad. It covers fishing for shad, it''s biology, it's life cycle; just about everything about shad is in the book. Exciting to read and very informative. It's only deficiency is that it is not indexed- Joe Zaientz, Haddam Shad Museum.

I've never fished & have never wanted to. Who knew I could get so interested in finding out more & more about shad? But I enjoy John McPhee so much I'd probably pay good money to read what he has to say about watching paint dry.