Delaware Books

My 2nd audiobook of Kellerman's Delaware and Sturgis team. First one was RAGE. First of all, the narrator Rubinstein is nothing short of perfect the way he portrays Delaware and Sturgis. I found the book interesting and entertaining from beginning to end. I liked it better than RAGE.
Ending was a little flat but not as bad as RAGE's. I recommend the book.....especially the audio book!

I had a hard time finishing this book. The characters were all created nicely, but the book bored me, the end was just too bland, nothing shocking, and no resolution for the reader. I won't read any more of his books.

Jonathan Kellerman is my favorite author - he keeps you totally interested in the characters & "Therapy" in no exception. He's awesome!

I went in with low expectations. I figured it would just be a time-waster to read on an airplane. But this book was simply terrible. Terrible. My first problem was that it was dull. The second was that the plot was often unbelievable, with lucky accidents happening a bit too often. The third was that the characters were dreadful cliches. And I mean dreadful. The convicts were all bad stereotypes. The cops were all bad stereotypes. The activists at a book reading were all bad stereotypes. The "valley girl" character was a bad stereotype. It's as though he did his research by watching bad movies, instead of looking at real life, finding interesting character attributes, and making each character a real person. Terrible, and inexcusable. Actually, I think my guess at how he did his research is probably right on, because even worse than all of this, anytime he wrote about anything I know anything about at all, he got the facts wrong. Small examples: he talks of convicts in california pumping free weights in prison, but I used to work in a supermax, and California got rid of free weights in prisons. Also, he talks of some stabbings in prison that he says are typical of how murders are committed. I know from inmates that if they are trying to kill someone, they don't stab where or in the way he said they do. Likewise with so many other details. A really really really sloppy book.

When a young couple parked for a little late night loving beside an empty house on Mulholland Drive are found murdered with what appears to be sexual overtones, LAPD Detective Milo Sturgis is stumped. While the woman eludes identification completely, Milo and his consulting psychologist sidekick, Alex Delaware, identify the male as Gavin Quick, a troubled young man undergoing psychotherapy as a result of behavioural changes attributed to a severe head injury he received in a car accident. The chance discovery that Quick's therapist, Mary Lou Koppel, had another patient who was murdered only a year earlier seemed like a coincidence until Koppel herself was found murdered with an MO that resembled the first double killing. The game is on as Sturgis and Delaware track the killer on a convoluted trail that crosses prison reform, group therapy, fraudulent billing and insurance scams, Rwandan genocide (yes, you read that one right) and mercenary killers for hire!

That may all seem a little far-fetched, to be sure, but the story rests on a firm foundation of clues and, as always, thought-provoking analysis and deductions that rely on Delaware's understanding of the human condition as a psychologist. But, unlike "Rage", a story which was a near incomprehensible thicket of psycho-babble, "Therapy" is a straightforward police procedural but set firmly and predictably in Kellerman's well-known psychology environment.

Much of the story is told in the form of a give-and-take brainstorming dialogue between Delaware and Sturgis in which they bounce their ideas about the case off one another. While this technique may prove wearisome and perhaps difficult to follow in a regular book format, Rubenstein's scintillating performance on the audio book presentation brought Kellerman's command of realistic dialogue to life and made this form of story-telling straightforward and marvelously entertaining!

There was also a moment toward the end of the novel that deserves special recognition. Of course, the Jane Doe from the opening chapters was ultimately identified. When her brother arrived to confirm the identification and claim the body, the conversation that he had with Delaware was so bleak, so poignant and so gut-wrenching, it almost broke my heart. Frankly, I've always thought of Kellerman as a thriller writer and I never thought that he had writing at that level in him.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

This is a departure from Kellerman's usual mystery focus. And for those Kellerman fans who love Milo, be prepared for disappointment since Milo doesn't appear. I love Kellerman, but the story here was ridiculous. The ending was so far fetched that it made me yank off my iPod (I listened to the audio version). Character development was poor, but that could be because there were too many characters. Only Elizabeth George can get away with that. The book did not keep my interest and this is unusual for a Kellerman book. It was entertaining in parts, but overall a poor effort. I finished the book only because I'm a devoted Kellerman fan. If your goal is to read all the Alex Delaware books, then by all means read it. Otherwise, tick it off your list and move on.

For me, the biggest mystery in a Kellerman book is how does this man get an audiance for this shlock? I only finished it to see if he could write anything more preposterous in his 19th book than he did in his 1st, When The Bough Breaks. In this quest, Dr. Kellerman has succeeded. It's laughable.

This is the second novel I read by Jonathan Kellerman, and I must admit I've now become a diehard fan of his-after only two novels!
This being an Alex Delaware novel it is part of a series, but you do not have to read these in order-at least I'm not, and I have no trouble knowing his usual characters.
This takes place on an island, without the usual Milo Sturgis that has become Alex's crime solving partner and best friend.
Instead, Alex is on an island, an island that becomes a place of mystery along with its inhabitants. There are mysteries to be solved, and Jonathan Kellerman doesn't let down with the thrilling conclusion. A must read!

Dr. Alex Delaware's new house still isn't finished yet and the lease is up for the little beach house in Malibu, so Alex, his girlfriend Robin and their pooch Spike are about to be out on the street. That's why Dr. Moreland's invitation for Alex to come stay a few months in a tropical paradise to help the old man organize his notes is a very tempting proposition. And since Robin is under doctor's orders to give her wrist a rest so her tendonitis can heal, why not take a little vacation to the tiny island of Aruk?

Thus begins a very tangled web indeed. Alex is really sucked into this one, though. He doesn't even have a choice when it comes to snooping because nothing is as it seems in paradise and Dr. Moreland is fond of games. When murder and mayhem invade the island, Alex's LAPD Detective pal Milo can help only so much from thousands of miles away (but he does try), and it soon becomes clear that Dr. Moreland had ulterior motives for inviting Alex - motives that do not include organizing his notes. The danger becomes very real, though, and Alex does something ... Agh, I don't want to give anything away, but he is forced to do something he is definitely not proud of and he does it in front of Robin, which only makes it worse. MAJOR Angst!

Great, creepy story.

"The Web" is Jonathon Kellerman's eleventh Alex Delaware novel wnd was first published in 1996. Delaware is a psychologist based in LA who earns his living as a consultant - largely working with the courts and the police. However, the action in this book largely takes place on a small island called Aruk.

Alex and his girlfriend, Robin, have been invited to Aruk by Dr Bill Moreland. Moreland, who has gathered a great deal of clinical data in his time on the island, wrote to Alex requesting his assistance in organising and analysing it. Moreland proposes working on the biological aspects of it, with Alex focusing on the psychological aspects. The benefits to Alex include a very nice salary for the duration of the research and, hopefully, joint authorship of a number of journal articles - or possibly even a book.

Aruk is officially part of the Mariana Commonwealth and a self-governing US territory. It is also a very divided island. Moreland lives on the island's leeward side, near Aruk town - the windward side is home to Stanton, a US naval base. The Navy has also blocked the southern beach road, after sailors were blamed by some for the murder of a local girl. This has caused some ill-feeling on the island and has also had a damaging effect on the island's economy. Unfortunately for the Aruk, it's not the last suspicious death the locals will see...

Moreland lives on a 700-acre estate which was originally built by the Japanese and used as their official headquarters when they controlled the island. McArthur forced them out during WW2 and established an American presence. Moreland bought the estate from the government when he left the Navy in 1963 - he had been stationed at Stanton himself. In fact, his former CO is now an influential senator and a possible presidential candidate. Part of the estate now includes Moreland's own `zoo' : the exhibits include a large collection of very unappealing arachnids and a ridiculously large and dangerous centipede. There is also a Banyan forest nearby, which was apparently laid with mines by the Japanese during the war. Alex and Robin aren't the only guests around the house; the others include Jo and Lyman Picker, both scientists. Jo, who works for the defense department, is the reason for their presence - she is on the island to study wind patterns. Lyman, a botanist who works for a wildlife organisation, is a bitter, arrogant and obnoxious man. Moreland's daughter, Pam, is also living there - she has only recently returned from Philadelphia following her divorce.

"The Web" is only the second book by Kellerman I've read - the other being "Flesh and Blood" - and I found this one much better and more credible. However, I wouldn't say it's perfect either. Delaware himself has a tendency to jump to conclusions, desperately clutching at straws in a bid to justify his position. His relationship with Robin is hard to take at times - they make an extremely cheesy couple and some of their conversations can be a little over-dramatic. There's also an occasional bout of pretension, with scientists apparently trying to sound intelligent in front of their peers. However, while I wouldn't call it a classic, it is an easily read and largely enjoyable read.

Pitiful. If you want a book that has no point to it and too many grammatical errors to count this book is for you.

I read Memoir: Delaware County Prison in a few hours. Reginald's story telling was straight to the point and fresh. However, I typically am drawn to books whose main character is at least sympathetic, and I found the author's experience to be extremely unsympathetic. At no point did I, the reader, feel that he was the least bit remorseful for what he did to get himself into this situation.Rather, he was just sorry that he got caught.
We the readers are treated to a rainstorm of tears and homesickness, laced with his quest to find the right guy with the right feet. Nothing was ever right for this poor soul. It was too hot in E-Block, and too cold in the trailers..everything was too nasty and the food wasn't good enough so he opted to starve himself than eat what was given him.
Everytime he was moved somewhere relatively better, he messes it up. There were a few intances where other inmates were trying to use him as their form of "release" and some even took a liking to him, and he used it to get what he wanted. But then, later, he complains that he can't understand why one day, the inmates like him, and the next day they don't.
On the synopsis at the back cover, there is talk of drug dabbling and illicit sex..and I found nothing of the sort in the story. The author's narrative was however very entertaining and probably at times inadvertently so.
Overall, I thought it was a good book; it certainly kept my attention. But, I love to read about people who I feel I can root for, and with him, I felt, "Let him stay his behind in there!"

This Book was very well written ,Reginald Hall takes the reader inside behind prison walls to experience life as he lived it, I really enjoyed this book, my only issue is that The author did not expose how Violent and brutal life behind bars really is, but I guess it was his personal experience that he wrote about,other han that it was a Very Good Book & I recommend it!Im half way thru his other book Smoking Ciggarets and so far it too is very Good!

Memoir: Delaware County Prison chronicles the months Reginald (a.k.a. Reg) has to spend in the prison for committing credit card fraud. The author doesn't give detail of the offense and I'd assume there was a prior offense because he was already on probation and a "detainer" by the probation office is the main reason he's confined for eight months, as opposed to a couple of days. I'm confused. So the question is: What was he on probation for? Was it for committing credit card fraud or something else?

The memoir starts with his initial intake, goes through his perils of being gay and in prison and ends at outtake. Hall speaks of the incidents he was subjected to just for being gay (i.e., attempted rape, gay bashing, and assault). He also brings to light another interesting subject that seems to plague Black men - homosexual behavior while inmates. There were a few instances where Reg noted he had "crushes" on a few "straight" men and one ultimately led to a sexual encounter. However, the person he had the encounter with emphasized that he didn't "go that way" yet he went there with Reg. How scary is that?

Memoir: Delaware County Prison reads like he has jotted down his memory of the incidents but without much detail. It misses the most important element - a plot. To have been written by a teenager, expressing his horrible time in prison, it's cute. The synopsis makes the book seem interesting; however, none of the subjects were touched upon. Had he given detail on his attempting suicide, taking drugs, engaging in other self-destructive behavior, along with "why" he was in prison it would have made for a more interesting read. But for now it's just - cute.

Reviewed by Esther "Ess" Mays for Loose Leaves Book Review

In MEMOIR: DELAWARE COUNTY PRISON, author Reginald Hall painstakingly chronicles his sojourn as a prison inmate. Using a very clear, simple and precise writing style, Hall essentially unveils a story filled with all the nuances, innuendoes and uncertainties of prison life. More importantly, MEMOIR: DELAWARE COUNTY PRISON gives insight into the indignities suffered by an eighteen year old, who also happens to be gay, in an environment where machismo is the dominant culture.

Hall's unobtrusive writing style adds an edge to the story, but this is blurred by his introduction of characters that are often superficial or one dimensional. The story never quite reaches its true potential and often the reader is left with the sense that there are exciting and at times dangerous possibilities lurking beneath the author's straightforward prose, which are never fully realized.

MEMOIR: DELAWARE COUNTY PRISON is a valiant first effort for noted gay rights advocate Reginald Hall. He manages to capture the readers attention with the possibilities the title seems to offer, and it does have its bright moments. The story, however, would benefit from more attention to detail especially in the area of character development.

Reviewed by Autumn
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I liked this book and didn't find the PC-ness overwhelming, frankly. Norma Johnston is all about exploring the way America lives and has lived, and this book is supposed to be a capsule of Americana at the turn of the 21st century. I don't think the religious or ethnic composition of the heroine's friends is at all unusual (or jarring or even noteworthy, actually) for modern times. The mystic, otherworldliness of the ghost story surely isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I thought it was well done, and very touching. While this isn't Norma Johnston's very best work, and I personally like her historical novels better (Of Time and of Seasons, the Keeping Days stories), I think it is one of her better contemporaries. I'm glad to have read it.

I was disappointed in this book. On top of weaknesses pointed out by other reviewers..., the book's Political Correctness got predictable and boring. The heroine blames Whites for the massacre of an Indian tribe, but nothing is said about the massacres American Indians performed on each other. The heroine has a black friend and a Jewish friend and a grandfather "Pappy" and Mom and Dad who are simplistic caricatures. Her dog Max is almost interesting but mostly he just has to be walked at times convenient for seeing The Ghost. All in all: no edge, just bland.

I love this author, especially anything in the Keeping Days series, including the many prequels/sequels. This heroine in this book, Becca Standish Robinson, does have a link to those books - I believe its supposed to be the same Standish family from the books set in Ocean Grove NJ.
This book was good, but didn't measure up to her other works. Some aspects of the book were just odd: take the grandfather, Pappy, who is supposed to be the beloved grandfather. To be blunt, Pappy is a control freak who dictates what the family does. He hides the grandmother's illness until its too late for any family member to return home; be buys a house that the family moves into without consulting the family; etc. Pappy keeps making important decisions and taking control of situations, until the mother and father are reduced to little more than additional children in the family. No one ever objects! Pappy's treatment of other family members -- and the family members passive acceptance of it -- left a bad taste in my mouth.

I really enjoyed this book. I disagree strongly with the opinions in the published editorial review--I'm glad I read the book despite the editorial review's somewhat defensive negativity, because had I skipped it, I would have missed a very good read.

The story is very different from your typical young adult book--it is set in 1999/2000, with the heroine moving from Europe to rural New Jersey after the death of her grandmother. As she makes new friends and adapts to her new home, she learns to come to peace with herself, her family history and the death of loved ones. Along the way, she discovers that she can see the ghost of a Native American ancestor, and ultimately is able to help him find the peace that has eluded him over the years. I found the book to be interesting and somewhat thought provoking, with a very real view of family relationships. Enjoy!

Although there were some weaknesses regarding the character developement of the adults in modern time in this book, the novel's main strength lay in it's vivid discription of the old Pennsylvania woods, and the sympathetic and realistic way in which the Lennape Indians are portrayed. They are not shown as noble savages, but as an actual culture, with faults and strengths of its own. Kip and Maggie, were also very well developed characters. Although the author never outright explains Kip's feelings about the tragedy that occured, they are present throughout the book and serve as Kip's main drive in wanting to run away to the past. This book was very good, and i also particularly liked the way that it concentrated more on indian culture at the time, and not european culture in America, because there are enough books on European settlers, and not enough sympathetic and accurate portrayals of American Indians. This book was a very enjoyable read.

Dark Shade is about a girl named Maggie Gilmour and how she fells into a hole that goes back in time when there was Indian tribes.It was summer when this all happen.Maggie was 16, in school she takes American literature program that will prepare her to study veterinary medicine, like her dad. In class with her is Kip, a childhood companion,who is now a silent presence, ever since a fire that left him scarred physically and emotionally. She follows Kip into the forest near their western Pennsylvania home.Kip fell into a hole Maggie thought Kip lost her. Maggie falls into the same hole Kip falls in and she notices that every thing is differant from the place she was before she fell into the hole.It is a dark forest and there is lots of trees. Maggie founds out she has falling into time. She sees indians tribes and Kip. he does not want to leave the tribe, but Maggie does want to leave and go back home.Maggie finds she must save a Scots soldier of the War and find a way to free her friend Kip from the Lenape Indians, so they cound go home. At first Kip wants to stay, but every thing started getting rough, like war between the Indians and the French. They get away and they never forget that day they fall in time.

The combination of its story about time travel to the French and Indian War and the Indian adoption of a white teen is what led me to read "Dark Shade." Overall, I was a little disappointed in the book, mainly because I didn't like how tentative the main character, Maggie, was about her time travelling adventures. I think it would have been a more intriguing story if Maggie had been allowed to more fully explore the 18th century world she stumbled in upon. Instead she only makes hestitant steps into it. Maggie's tentative reaction is probably a realistic one, but, since time travel stories are pure fantasy anyway, her reaction is not a particularly interesting one. Also I thought the sudden appearance of romantic feelings between two characters, who barely interact with each other throughout the book, came across as tacked on and contrived.

However, "Dark Shade" does have one great strength- the author's wonderfully detailed description of the primeval forest that once stretched across Pennsylvannia. Thanks to Ms. Curry's description, the reader can almost see, smell, and feel that dark, ancient, and never-ending forest. Also the author reminds the reader that people in the 18th century weren't so big on bathing so that their aroma must have been rather pungent.

for someone who is interested in allegory but not well-versed in literary criticism, i found this book helpful and easy to understand. the writing was simple enough without being paronizing and the definitions and examples provided were clear enough for anyone to grasp.

For a work of literary theory, I thought the book very well written. The argument about allegory's ability only to reinforce what we already know--rather than teach us something new, as fiction can--is very compelling.

Greatly in need of a rewrit

I was looking for a more in depth description of plays, rather than fullback goes at #2. How does the fullback get there? I was a little disappointed after hearing so much about Coach Raymond, that he would publish something like this. Anyone can draw up plays.

The book was decent, but I was a little disappointed with how a play, to the right and left side, counts as 2 plays out of the 101. Some good ideas, but it doesn't seem like 101 different plays, because it is not. Terminology is too vague and confusing, and the play names don't seem to give enough info. I would like to discuss it with fellow football fans. Evan Scharf RScharf106@aol.com

Ernest J. Moyne's Raising the Wind represents years of painstaking research into a trope of Western (and particularly English) literature - that of the Lapp (Sami) or Finn witch or wizard. As one who has studied the phenomenon in Scandinavian literature, it was amazing to me to discover how prevalent it was in English-language discourse. Although the text may not be an edge-of-the-seat, keep-you-up-all-night thriller, it is a substantial academic resource and should be read as such. Anyone researching constructions and representations of witchcraft, magic, the Wild Man, the Noble Savage, or the indigenous Other, ought to read and make use of this book.

Raising the Wind is the life's work of Professor Ernest J. Moyne. Indeed, it was not published until after his death in 1976. This book is an exhaustive list of literary references to the use of strings or bags to generate winds throughout history. Many references are given to stories mentioning Manx strings, Scottish strings, Finnish strings and Lapp strings.

I found this to be a real boring book. I had hoped that this book might provide some stories about Finnish or Lapp wizards or folktales, but was profoundly disappointed. So, if you want a book mentioning (but not going into any depth) about the use of string to generate winds, then this book is for you. For anyone else, I would suggest that you don't bother with this book.

Admittedly, this text isn't standard Shakespearean criticism in the vein of critics such as Kott, Brooks, & Bloom, etc. ad infinitum. Rather, in eschewing the 'old wine' critical approach (as well as a highly politicized one), Rozett explores the broader culture of Shakespeare through an extensive analysis of revisions, transformations, and creative supplements of the Early-Modern poet's dramatic works. These instances of "Talking Back," in Rozett's terms, form the history of a fascinating sub-genre dating back to the 17th Century--one that has continued unabated. In fact, much of the material treated by Rozett is contemporary, dating from the mid-1960s through the mid-1990s. Yet, this analysis is but a small portion of the text, and a careful reading will reveal that this history is subserviant to the greater pedagogical purpose of helping students develop and articulate their own interpretations of Shakespeare's plays. As someone who has used the strategies outlined by Rozett to great success in my own undergratuate Shakespeare courses, I can honestly say that _Talking Back to Shakespeare_ has proved a valuable resource.

Do we really need to plow through the obvious . . . again? Did Jan Kott's "Shakespeare: Our Contemporary" not give us the same information years before this? Not the best place to start for Shakespearean criticism, which Rozett obviously hasn't read a whole lot of. Though the effort is a worthy one, please--don't give us old wine in new bottles!

When compared with the American Civil War and World War II, the historical literature dealing with America's role in World War I, is noticeable lacking. Although recent publications have added to the diluted historiography that once consisted primarily of memoirs, this crucial period is a potential gold mine of unwritten scholarship that could shed light on American military policy. In _The Test of Battle: The American Expeditionary Forces in the Meuse Argonne Campaign_, Paul F. Braim evaluates the American performance and combat effectiveness during this, the American Expeditionary Force's (AEF) largest and most significant campaign. Dr. Braim, a veteran of three wars, represents the delicate blending of the academic historian and their brethren in uniform that bring a high level of technical military expertise to the profession. That combination has some drawbacks here, however.The author does not grade the AEF's performance too highly. Among the weaknesses the author mentions are: poor leadership, inadequate training, and inexperience of the American units and command structure. Unpreparedness, a lingering malady of American "citizen soldiers" is the underlying theme here. Unfortunately, Braim devotes only seventy-five pages to the actual Meuse-Argonne Campaign. In the process, one gets the impression that he is placing the Meuse-Argonne Campaign under a microscope applying all the stored technical knowledge and jargon inherent in a modern day military professional. Braim dissects the Meuse-Argonne as if he were refereeing a recent exercise held at Fort Benning, Georgia. The author incorporates way too much hindsight for my taste. The majority of the book, is nothing more than a diluted political overview and massive military buildup that mirrors the work of other historians. Nearly half of its 245-pages is a series of appendices containing graphs and tables reproduced from an original record titled: "Final Reports of Assistant Chief of Staff ... to Commander-in-Chief, American Expeditionary Forces." Most interesting, however, is the table indicating the "Responses of 728 Veterans of the Meuse-Argonne Campaign..." conducted by the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. It is this unique perspective of veterans that adds originality to a study of this type. Generous maps and battlefield photographs taken after the war are faithfully duplicated within these pages. Yet a book cannot be judged by cosmetic make-overs alone. Braim cites poor leadership wracked the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, with particular finger-pointing at Pershing. The author suggests Pershing was afflicted with a myopia which could be called "Battlefield Fixation," and compares this preoccupation to the symptoms of Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. Braim has consulted an adequate collection of published and unpublished sources. According to the results of the questionnaire, the veterans agree with Braim concerning inadequate training, due to "lack of time." The veterans disagree with Braim, however, on leadership. Of the 503 responses to the 'leadership" criterion, 467 veterans thought the leadership in the AEF was "good" noting that the "leaders cared" for the American soldier. It is also noteworthy to mention that Braim sent out queries to a group of the most highly respected military historians in the field to ask their views on this topic. They could not rescue Braim's bout with acute bad prose, however. The author's account is, for the most part, fluid, but contains annoying peculiarities. For instance, Braim repeatedly refers to himself throughout the text as "this author" and sprinkles his prose with contractions and the anachronistic exclamation point. Quoting a well known historian of the period, Braim exclaims, "That's the sum of it! This author wishes he'd said that." When confronted with a debate over leadership, Brain once again blurts out: "If fired upon on this matter, this author will retreat!" This reader had to retreat for some fresh air or get sick. This book had all the makings of a great study. A qualified editor would have made all the difference.

This book is an excellent historical reference on American participation on the Western Front. It provides ample politico-military information, as well as illuminating the reader on other scholarship in the field. However, it does suffer a bit on what I would describe as inferior editing. Basically, I would recommend this book for a serious historian looking for a good entry into American involvement on the ground in WW1. Once you have it and read it, it ought to stay on your bookshelf to help you find and work with other texts. If you are just a buff interested in a little light reading on WW1, go elsewhere.