Nevada Books

At first I didn't know if I was going to like this book, but all of the sudden I was just sucked into it. This book does not end like a normal book you would read, it isn't one of those books that you know how it is going to end, it kept me sucked in until the very end. And it still seems like it should have another sequel.

"Grizzly" is one of those books-- if it's hot you sweat, and if it is cold you need a blanket. It makes you feel like you are there. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the way the characters talked. The thing that made it difficult to read was the slang.

Will Reed was the reason this book was so good. Will fought for what he believed in. Sometimes he fought the Americans and sometimes he fought the Mexicans, but no matter what side he was fighting for, Will fought for the rights of everyone's freedom.

When I read this book I just couldn't put it down! I don't like frontier books but this one was just amazing. It teaches you a very valuable lesson and will have you hanging on every last page. The ending is to die for! Everyone should read this book!

Luis Mejia - Desperation is a deep and certainly scary work of fiction which gives way to a general sense of message through it's thoughtful scenaries. Among the King universe Desperation is unconventional, although it gets quite refreshing for it's style. It captures the crudeness and strambotic sense of the desert, the mystic power always present in his paranormal fiction, the storyline is easy-going and lineal (which gives the plot a witty sense), and the reader can be excited by the All-American characters King writes with such a dark sense of anti-humor. Apart from this factors usually present on Stephen King's work, it's impossible not to think that, even for King, the work shoud've been better crafted; while the storyline is understandable, it hits into common and even incredilby predictable boundaries; clutches of plot pieces are wrolngly scattered on through (Eg: the survivor lady which gets to the cinema and the impossible to connect section's of David Carver's past) and specially the quick and running ending, which is worst portrayed than the length of the whole novel. By all means, at the end of the novel, take a great time to think about the deepness of the messages so wonderfully expressed on the novel; the merciless aspect of God (the "hole" Desperation represents, the destiny God carries out on David and even the rest of the connecting survivors), the crude appeareances of stereotypes, and how evil and goodness are balanced. Be prepared to read an unconvential King novel, all gotten into the bloody side of the desert and the terrible perspectives of loneliness in towns and it's only connections.

This was the first Stephen King book that I ever read. I saw it at a 2nd hand store and figured for $5 I couldn't go wrong. Well I have to say when I opened it that night after work I could not put it down! This book was amazing! The intese details paint a perfect picture. Definately a good read.

Once again a novel about the classic battle of good vs. evil, but King (as usual) does a good job of coming up with original material. This keeps the reader involved, as the suspense comes from trying to figure out just what/what the bad guy is and what he wants.

That said, even when writing a horror book about the unreal, it is not justifiable to throw all logic out the window, and sadly King forgets logic in both the details and the overall plot.

For instance, in one scene a main character is looking at a WALLET-sized photograph and is able to clearly identify not only three men, and the baseball cap that one of them is wearing, but also the name of the club on a sign behind them. If this isn't bad enough, it should be mentioned that the photograph is 30 years old. (I guess they don't make photos like they used to.)

Flaws in the plot are also clumsy: in another scene hero David makes another one of the main characters empty his pockets to make sure that the guy isn't carrying any "evil rocks". But when does he do this? Not after another lady is found with evil rocks, when it would be logical. Instead, the pockets are emptied in fact much later: RIGHT AFTER David declares that this guy has had a "change of heart" and is now certainly on the good side.

Most embarrassing is the overall theme. All through the book, the main characters all determine that "God must be cruel" to let so many people die in the town. But on the last page of the book, it is once and for all decided that "God is love". What happened during this time for the main characters to change their minds? The evil guy decides to let the main characters escape, but God commands them to destroy the evil guy, which leads to the death of 2 of the main characters in the process.

Flaws aside, overall the book is entertaining. However, in between the action, King for some reason has some of the narrative recounted by hero David (who tells the background story after seeing it in a vision) rather than just having flashbacks in the story. This leads to a book that would be equivalent to a fast-paced action movie that is inexplicably interupted up by 10-minute sequences of dialogue.

This book concerns a number of travellers trapped by what appears to be a maniac cop, in a mining town called Desperation, and their attempts to escape.

As Stephen King books go, I did not think this was one of his better ones, but was a pretty good read, nonetheless. I felt the characters in the story were reasonably good, and kept you interested in them, for most of the time, anyway, as it should be pointed out, that this book is slow moving in parts, by this author's standards.

The main drawback, I felt was that the whole 'Tak' thing was weak, and got slightly boring at times. It also could have been explained a bit better.

Above all, the book is poorly written. The plot is formulaic and forgettable. The author's attempt to be suspenseful and scary fell flat. I'm not a Stephen King reader but I was sorely disappointed by this book.

In Bringing Down The House, Ben Mezrich tells the true story of a group of MIT students who count cards in blackjack. The story focuses on Kevin Lewis, and how he came to be an expert card counter. At no time is this story dull or boring. It will keep you into it until the very end. The story itself is unbelievable, which makes the book even more amazing. Mezrich does a great job of describing the thoughts and actions that each student took during the book. He also does a good job on showing each character's growth and development during the book. Kevin starts off the story as a shy Asian kid who is not happy with his job at the lab. Once his friends Martinez and Fisher show him the amazing world of counting cards, Kevins life turns completely different. The Las Vegas highlife and huge amounts of money turn Kevin into a completely different person. His change during the book is smooth and very believable. This is the kind of book that you will pick up and wont be able to put down. It's an easy and a very fun read. It will show you a different side of Vegas and a different side of Blackjack. Mezrich shows how difficult card counting really is and how much hard work it is to master it. Kevin and his team went out nearly every weekend to Vegas to count cards. Their lives in Las Vegas completely overshadowed their lives at home. Not only did the team spend almost every weekend in Las Vegas, but they had to keep their double lives secret from all their family and close friends. The team counted for over a year. Spending that much time together, there must be some problems they encounter. If you read this book I can guarantee you that you will not be disappointed.

Looks like Ben Mezrich can join the ranks of James Frey, Dave Pelzer and Kathy O'Beirne, who write fiction but call it non-fiction. After reading this book I decided to do some online research. Didn't take long to find this comment in Wikipedia "In 2008, Boston magazine and The Boston Globe investigated the accuracy of Mezrich's non-fiction, identifying occasions in his blackjack books where scenes were invented out of whole cloth." Very disappointing to discover another best seller that is so fabricated yet purports to be telling the truth.

Not sure what to say. There might be a kernel of truth to what happened, but it certainly didn't happen as described in this tripe. Anyone who falls for this sure is naive.

I didn't understand why the book said the F word so many times. I know that it is based in Vegas, but I just don't think that it was necessary and got very annoying towards the end. It also makes me hesitate to recommend this book because I don't want to offend anyone and them thinking that I didn't mind the crude language.

After I read the book I looked up the story on the Internet about what happened with these MIT guys and I was annoyed to find that most of the stuff that was in the novel was untrue or exageratted. I just wish he wouldn't of made up some of the stuff in the book. I am sure it would of still been interesting if he told the truth of what the students did.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well this book was written. Ben did a fine job of capturing, in words, what the MIT counting team experienced. In doing so, he brought the reader into the lives of the players and into the rush of the game/scam. This book will keep you turning the pages until you're done. Make sure that you set aside a few hours of uninterrupted time to read this book in its entirety. I read this book long before the movie came out and I want to say that the movie does this book an injustice. You're better off owning this book than owning the movie. This is a must read for thrill seekers and for the modest of gamblers. For ten bucks...you can't go wrong.

This is another fast paced, well written crime novel from Michael Connelly. In this story about a Las Vegas casino scam gone bad, Connelly tells the main story while he gradually fills the reader in on "the rest of the story" (to quote Paul Harvey). This technique really adds to the effect.

One of the most interesting aspects of this crime drama is that virtually everyone is "bad." Only one law enforcement officer appears in the entire book, and that is almost a cameo. It is literally bad guy v bad guy all the way with lots of bloodshed and plot twists throughout. Of course, some of the bad folks (Cassie and Leo) are actually quite likeable, and the reader tends to pull for them and forget that they too are criminals. But then again, when a thief robs a thief, is it really a crime?

Anyway, I thought this was an excellent story masterfully told. "Lincoln Lawyer" is still my favorite Connelly novel, but this is right up there.

Unless you feel like you have to read every novel by Michael Connelly, this one you can skip.

Void Moon is a crime story that will teach you more than ever wanted to know about how to do a hot prowl (steal from someone who is sleeping in the room). Detailed sections explain how to take a lock apart so that it doesn't lock (but seems to be locked), crawl through the HVAC conduits, and install remote cameras to steal the combination to a safe. I know you've always wanted to know those things. As a bonus, you'll also learn how to do some simple sleight-of-hand magic tricks. Just to be sure you don't get bored, Mr. Connelly also teaches you about astrology (the "void moon" reference). Have you got all that?

All those details aside, Void Moon is a story about parolee Cassie Black who sells expensive sports cars for a living by playing up to "overnight geniuses" who have just signed with the studios for big bucks. She used to do hot prowls and misses the excitement. Suddenly, something shifts in her life, and she decides it's time to make a big score. The rest of the book describes her pursuit of that score and what results. Along the way, the plot deals heavily in synchronicity to reinforce the theme of "fate" in our lives.

Cassie Black is an appealing character is a story that has more unpleasant parts than pleasant ones. This story is perfect for those who like to be pessimistic by expecting bad things to happen. Her nemesis turns out to be an unusually unappealing psychopath. Here's where the story becomes drenched in unnecessary evil and gore. Yuck!

Although somewhat entertaining to read, this story by highly recommended Michael Connelly just misses success. A narrative slow in progression with a weak background story. Nice to see a female lead in a caper. Interesting note- one of the characters in Void Moon is mentioned in Michael Connelly's excellent book "City of Bones".

to please. Everyone LOVES Harry Bosch and we can NEVER get enough of him and his adventures. This takes us away from Harry and the result is just as pleasing. Cassie Black is an ex-con trying to go straight. She is lured back into a final caper and things go very bad. Character development is good and the plot gets your blood pumping. We will all have more Harry soon enough. Great Summer Read!!

Cassie Black is a thief and an ex-con, currently on parole, working at a car dealership selling Porsches to the heavy wallet brigade in Los Angeles. To say more about Cassie is to chance spoiling the novel because Cassie's history and the background story is the driving force behind what she has become. Michael Connelly is stingy with the details as he masterfully holds the suspense at unbearably high levels and feeds the reader only enough bits and pieces of Cassie's background for her current behaviour to make sense. Suffice it to say, that she can't handle the straight life and needs one more score -a monster payday that will allow her to retire and disappear to parts unknown.

Her target is a high roller at The Cleopatra, a Las Vegas casino that has seen better days. The ninja style high-tech caper is wildly successful but Black is aghast when she realizes that her haul is easily ten times what she was expecting. "It is possible to steal too much!" Clearly she has stepped into the middle of a mob transaction and she knows that the Cuban mafia will pursue her to the very ends of the earth to recover their money and to kill her as an example to all who might presume to get in their way.

"Void Moon" is a fabulous diversion from Connelly's wildly successful Harry Bosch series and works magnificently as a stand-alone novel. Connelly's description of Black's outrageous theft right under the noses of the casino and hotel security safeguards is positively breathtaking. You'll never sleep well at night in a hotel again! Her characters are thrilling - Thelma Kibble, the corpulent, black parole officer with a heart made of a wonderful combination of soft, warm putty and ice, cold steel; Jack Karch, the ruthless, psychopathic investigator who's on the casino's payroll but will do anything to take the money for himself; Vincent Grimaldi, the self-centered casino director whose neck is in a very tight noose unless he recovers the stolen money; and, of course, Jodie Shaw, the beautiful little girl around whom Cassie's life and the entire plot ultimately revolves.

As usual, Connelly's dialogue positively sings with hi-fi clarity and realism! His characters leap off the page with depth and believability! And the plot sizzles from one page to the next through the entire length of the novel. I was grateful to reach the end of the novel so that I could actually take a breath. I think I was turning purple! Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

This was my first contact with the writing of Mr. Coban, and I started reading the prologue while walking from my mailbox, into the kitchen and on to my favorite chair without lifting my eyes from the pages. The book was fast paced, interesting and had a thousand quirks and turns. I felt sorry for the protaganist, wished him luck and was happy with the final outcome. It was a book I could not put down until I turned the final page.

I was really into this book until the end. I get very annoyed when a book is exciting and suspenseful and then in the end beyond belief. My big question at the end was how did Sister Mary Rose know where the daughter was to contact her in the first place. (I had guessed who she was early on.) Maybe I missed something along the way - I did go back to see if I had, but could find nothing.

I definitely enjoy Coben's style and wit. However, this is the second book I have read of his where the ending just didn't stack up to the overall book. However, I might try one more, as he is an entertaining writer.

A thriller that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't disappoint. Characters and situations that are gripping and engaging. Not a classic by any means, but a good fun read if you are into thrillers.

Harlan Coben has yet to disappoint me. The Innocent is really not an overly complex plot, yet at the same time it offered depth that really kept me interested. The characters have complex personalities and the plot twists, as with all of Coben's books that I've read, continue to surprise the reader.

I had heard Harlan Coben's name for years in book chats, but had never read him until this book. Since the voracious readers that I chatted with in years past had spoken of Mr. Coben reverently, I must admit that I was disappointed in the first half of this book--this was just not the caliber of writing that I had been expecting.

While the writing may not have been as strong as I expected, Coben's storytelling was good. "The Innocent" is a dense, multi-layered mystery involving a large cast of generally-well-drawn characters. I really liked the main character, Matt Hunter--a good guy who was at the wrong place at the wrong time when he was young and ended up in prison. Coben uses this good-guy-with-a-bad-rap theme as a major thread in the story, especially when Matt and his wife Olivia try to move back to Matt's old neighborhood and are met with prejudice due to his past.

Like most stories of its ilk, "The Innocent" requires quite a suspension of disbelief--there is some really wacky stuff going on that I sometimes found difficult to take seriously--but, all in all, it is a satisfying story. The last 100 pages, in fact, were outstanding and I was able to end the book on a MUCH higher note than I started it. Given that the book was 500 pages long and I thought only the last 100 pages were great, I wished that the book had been edited down to a tighter 350 or so and maybe it would have been an overall more enjoyable experience.

Being a Preston and Child fan, I picked up this book wondering what Child's solo effort would be like. I wasn't disappointed. This was a very good book with it's share of horror, suspense, intrigue and gave the readers lots to puzzle over. It was nice to have a break from the P&C Pendergast series of books and Child delivered.

Hard to stay with this book. I have read all of the other books and this one seemed to drift.
Really liked the idea of the theme park and all of the detail. Someone should build a theme park like Utopia.
The ending was very predictable but fun in a way.

What can I say? I was somewhat disappointed by this book; it is not up to the usual standards of the author [but it IS an earlier volume in his output, etc/].

Lincoln Child is one of my very favorite authors ever and this book was superbly written with action continuously all the way through. I strongly suggest all books he co-wrote with Douglas Preston and his other two solo books, Death Match and Deep Storm. This man is one of the most super-talented and gifted authors today. This book takes place in an amusement park which is a little different than his other books but with his wit its probably more fun than actually going to an amusement park.

Amusement parks, explosions, and carnage, what more can you ask for? Sure, I wasn't enamored with any of the main characters - I thought some of the back story on the main characters was superfluous and a bit trite, but I admit I really liked a lot of the side characters. They were written perfectly, with just enough background and personality to make them interesting (yes, even the robots!), but not so much you felt info-dumped on. And while I do like romance, I thought it was out of place in this book. I felt a little forced and stiff, and I don't think the storyline would have suffered without it.

Still, I have to admit that with all its flaws, I still very much enjoyed reading it. As action novels go it has the perfect blend of bad guys, mystery, and outright carnage. And despite all that goes horribly wrong for so many of the guests, it made me want to visit that theme park! The descriptions of the rides were incredible; I just wish we'd been told more about some of the other rides shown on the map at the front of the book.

Unlike some of the other Preston/Child books, there was no element of the supernatural - this is more of a straight techno-thriller. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good action-packed story, and to all fans of amusement parks.

Yes, this is a more gruesome and difficult book to read than any thus far in the Irene Kelly series. But, it was one that I found myself compelled to read. The level of intensity never let up. Oh maybe there would be a short lull where the intensity went from 10 (out of 10) to 8, but then its right back up there again. And never, til the very end of the book, did I feel completely secure that all would end well enough.

Its a brutal read, there's no questioning that, IMO. But its so very well-written and the new characters (and several we've come to love) are so interesting. The storyline requires the reader to pay attention at all times. This is not a lazy read. It's an intelligent, sometimes painful, but definitely compelling and entertaining book. There was a sense of accomplishment (and some relief) when I finished it.

Much like a roller-coaster ride, its can be horrifying, but strangely exhilarating, too. Read it and find out for yourself.

[***** = breathtaking, **** = excellent, *** = good, ** = flawed, * = bad]

... heroine is stranded in the wilderness with the serial killer. Longer review at ImpatientReader-dot-com.

Don't miss one of Jan Burke's Irene Kelly stories. They are wonderfully crafted and hard to put down.

I read this book on the strength of its Edgar Award, and while I thought it was a very good book, I would not say that it was "not put down-able" since it took me a solid two weeks to read...meaning that I put it down a lot.

Here is the basic premise, longtime Jan Burke protagonist Irene Kelly and a notorious serial killer are included on an expedition bound for the burial grounds of one of his victims. The serial killer is actually allowed out of prison to lead this expedition. The expedition includes a dozen (plus) forensic experts, forest rangers, and sheriffs/guards. Enough of a security force that one would assume they'd all be safe. Bad assumption, the whole expedition heads south rather quickly and that's what the rest of the book is about.

Jan Burke has a real knack for turning out memorable phrases and she has the requisite plot twists that maintain a good interest level.

Recommended for all mystery lovers. I certainly enjoyed the book and based on that, will go back and read some of the books that came before Bones.

In 2002, my brother gave me a gift certificate to Amazon.com. I decided to shop for some books and stumbled on Bones by an author I had never heard of before. The premise of the book sounded good and I decided to take the plunge and buy it.

This started a love affair with Jan Burke and everything she has written that lasts to this day. What an amazing storyteller. I have read them all, loved them all and of the hundreds of books I have read, hers are some of my treasured few that I keep to reread again and again.

Bones is still my favorite of hers and can stand alone as a great book even though her character Irene Kelly stars in books before this one. The plot was really good, the character development amazing - I really came to know these people and care about them - and suspense was terrific. Overall, the book was really fantastic and a truly great read.

Nearly twenty-five years ago, this book was on my "required summer reading list" when I was a student transitioning from ninth grade into tenth. I vividly remember loathing the experience of slowly plowing through this book. Even the old version of the cover, with the yellow background and dangling noose, brought back the memories of spending nearly an entire summer loathing this novel. Ever since then the title held a place in my memory as the single most boring, painful reading experience of my life.

Fast forward twenty-five years, and the other day I found myself with a few spare minutes in the local library, looking over authors like Dickens, Steinbeck, and Melville, and my mind wandered back to required reading lists. I had remembered the title THE OX-BOW INCIDENT, but not the author, but after a quick search "Walter Van Tilburg Clark" flashed across the screen, and I again cringed at the recollection of that name. I went to the shelf out of morbid curiosity, and the paperback was jutting out. I picked it up, read the first page and thought, "I'm going to give this another try. There must be some reason it was on my reading list."

I read it in three days, staying up until 1:30 in the morning last night to get to the end. How can a book can go from being one of the worst reading experience of one's life to being one of the most enjoyable? I am convinced more than ever that some books should never be on required reading lists, but should rather be discovered and enjoyed when you're at a place in life where you can appreciate them. Enjoying this once-hated book so much all these years later has made me want to go back to the other books from those days and give some of them another chance. (Maybe THE JUNGLE won't be so dull now that my primary focus isn't trying to impress girls. Maybe THE GREAT GATSBY is worth another look. Will BILLY BUDD hold my interest, I wonder?)

This review says more about me than about the book, but if there is anyone out there who, like me, was forced to read classic literature before they were ready for it, don't be afraid to go back to even your most hated high school reading experience and give it one more try. THE OX-BOW INCIDENT is a great novel. There's a sentence I could never have imagined writing even one week ago.

I'm sorry, I just found this book just a bit short of silly. And I am a western fan. The character development was shallow and the story line predictible while at the same time unrealistic. If you want a book on philosophy there are ones that are much better.

The inhabitants of a ranching community get up a posse to go after a band of rustlers who are thought to have stolen cattle and committed a murder. The small number of men who try to act reasonably and thoughtfully are easily swept aside by those who are ruled by their passions, leading to disastrous results.

Walter Van Tilburg Clark is a wonderful writer who has produced a powerful novel that succeeds in every way. His simple, evocative language brings the Old West to life. His characters speak with distinctive, authentic voices. Most importantly, the novel is very astute about mob psychology as it depicts the ebb and flow of the men's passions through the final tragedy in the pitiless morning sunlight to the aftermath of guilt and regret. This classic story still has much of value to say about the danger of retribution unchecked by law.

THE OX-BOW INCIDENT is a classic tale. It also is a classic Western, and because the Western is so central to American culture, THE OX-BOW INCIDENT surely is more important -- more "classic", if you will -- for Americans than for others. To be sure, at times the writing is somewhat dated, but that "flaw" is negligible. The cast of characters (at least 20) is very finely drawn, with only one (the uncouth town drunk Monty Smith) tending overly towards a stock portrayal. By and large, the psychology underlying the characters is astute. And there is some very fine writing of scenes, especially the one a quarter into the novel of the weather changing and the storm coming on. But the reason to read the novel, even if you have seen the movie, is for the story. It was powerfully presented in the movie, but is even more powerfully presented in the book.

My one and only complaint or reservation has to do with the last chapter. It is superfluous. I suppose that the two additional deaths contained in that chapter and Davies' "confession" tend to make the book more of a Greek tragedy, but that's not really necessary: this is a quintessential American tragedy, and it doesn't need any retribution or retrospective moralizing.

An aside on the subject of lynching, which is at the dramatic center of the book. Like the Western, lynching is a peculiarly American phenomenon. It is a blot on our history, but one we should remember, not repress. The best book documenting the horrors of lynching in America -- a book that should be much more widely known and circulated -- is "Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America."

Off hand I can only think of a few Western novels that have transcended their genre to become classics, and share with the world what all great art does; that being a universality of it's story and relevance no matter when or where. Shane, The Searchers, The Lonesome Dove books and certainly much of Frank Norris and Cormac McCarthy's work. I know there is more than these, but I am not a constant Western reader.
Having said this, The Ox-Bow Incident joins that bunch, as a compelling novel of hysteria, aggression, moral confusion, the Outlaw spirit, American masculine relationships and the folly of vengeance and vigilantism.
While other reviews may describe the story, I'd rather point out that it is a fairly simple one, simply presented and concluded. What stands out though is the characters and the depth to which Clark creates them. Sure there are standard cowboys, tough and grim-faced, but most of the characters suffer, whether in confusion, drunkeness, cold, moral despair, aimlessness, boredom or even arrogance, bullishness and myopia; territory I don't associate with Western lore/myth.
The lesson of The Ox-Bow Incident is timeless, and most important today, whether it be on a schoolyard, in gang territories, our criminal justice system itself or geo-politcs.

This book was really well written. took me a few minutes to get the hang of how they lines go. it was really a great book. it was very interesting til the last few pages. if it was up to me i would like a different ending on the book. other than that it was a fantastic book and i would reccommend it to anyone who enjoys a book they cant put down.

I really enjoyed the first 478 pages of this book. For me though the ending just didn't do the story justice.

If you are a religious person, and you can't believe how Pattyn's father treats her, or how their pastor thinks, you may cringe a bit. I know I did. Even though it is fiction. I couldn't believe some of the things. I loved it despite it was disturbing. I loved the relationship between Pattyn and Ethan. I'm glad she found someone. I wish that Pattyn would've put up a fuss, and demanded she stayed with her Aunt, when it was time for her to go home. I love Mrs. Hopkins work. I am anxiously awaiting "Identical" which is due out August 26th.

another great read from hopking... i have loved everything she has writen. stories that are good and could be real..very realistic hitting on real life issues

I started reading this book last night and I just finished it 90 minutes ago...I could not put it down...I instantly fell in love with the characters (well not all). It may not leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, but it's a great read.