Ghost Books

I've had the trilogy for over 10 years now and to me, this is the most vivid and powerful of LJ Smith's writing. I've read quite a lot of books in my life time (thousands let's say) and still this one remains fresh in my mind--and for one reason. Julian.

His yearning for something that was never meant to be his, the very direct opposite of what he is. He was her enemy but he loved her so very much. Like most of the readers here, I wondered what the heck Jenny was thinking in chosing Tom? I know LJ Smith made a good effort at pitching Tom as the right choice but I still don't think anyone could have been better then Julian.

Julian loved Jenny more, and in loving her, became something other then the creature he was born as. He transcended what he was, risked all for a chance to love and for that, he is my all time favorite hero. He was never a villan to me, even when he was being cruel.

I REALLY hope that LJ Smith will write a story about Julian and not make it a young adult or teen book. I think his story needs to be told. I think he deserves a happy ending. Now that she is writing again, I read in her blog that writing a adult story about Julian is a possibility. I urge everyone to write to her publishers and demand it. More then any of her other stories, this is the one that needs to be written.

So overall - loved it! Loved it! Loved it!

This book made me love L.J. Smith. It's so wonderful. It has adventure, love, and excitment! A perfect book for teens and young adults. The whole set is nice because you read straight through. You pick up exactly where you left off. You can't put it down, you want to read and read until you get to the end! You just have to read it for yourself.

And even now that I would technically constitute as a real adult, I still love this book, and all of L.J. Smith's work.

Smith weaves together a tale that is fantastic--in the old sense. Like fantasy--and suspenseful. She creates a Shadow World by taking pieces of legend from different mythologies and blending them expertly with her own ideas.

Her characters, while at first seem a little flat or one sided (Tom the handsom, confident jock; Zack the withdrawn, introvert artist; Audrey the diva socialite), do grow through these three novels, and they become a little more multifaceted. Toward the end, even Julian the antagonist develops some. But most of the character development seems to center around Jenny. Fitting, I suppose, since she is the main character.

Smith does have a problem with tags. Tags, for anyone unfamiliar with the term, is a word or phrase used in association with a character to help the reader remember who s/he is, what s/he looks like, or how s/he typically acts. Tags are great, but when overused, they tend to get distracting, and even a bit annoying. By the middle of the first book, it was drilled into my head that Audrey has "spiky copper bangs" and that Michael runs a hand "through his rumpled dark hair" a LOT. Smith could have improved her writing by coming up with a few different phrases for each character, and alternating between them so the reader doesn't come across the same ones over and over.

I still gave this collection of the three novels five stars because its pros far outweigh its cons. The plots are original and exciting. I read the books maybe once a year, and it's a joy every time. In an age where teen fiction is rapidly turning toward the fantastic, influcenced by things like Harry Potter, L.J. Smith has provided today's teens and young adults with some outstanding literature.

I would be hard pressed to pick one of L.J. Smith's leading guys as my favorite, but Julien was and still is one of the most intriguing leads in all the books I have ever read. This book has it all, romance and intrigue, drama and suspense. But best of all, unlike a lot of the YA fiction that is out there it actually will keep you up at night wondering about who might be standing over your bed. The antagonist/protagonist(because by the end of the book, your rooting for our boy)is a wonderful mix of persuasion and force, and the Shadow race is enough to send chills and goosbumps over every inch of your back. And though the ending is sad and not what you might expect, it is not your same cut-and-dried happily ever after. This book leaves you with that question you always thought after you read a book that really strikes a cord in you "What happens next?"
And I don't know about you, but that is what makes a great book for me. Lets put it this way...the first time I read this book I was fifteen, and I am now 25 and buying it here on amazon. Ten years is a good reference for a book I'd think!

This story attracted me to it at the age of 9 yrs. old, especially since of my love of vampire stories and such which comes from feminine figures drawn towards a dark power and other types of evil. I liked it because the girl "Jenny Thornton" was able to overcome "Julian's" grasp on her. She was able to overcome the evil thrown against her even though at times he seemed unbearable. Even though Julian loved her and tried almost everything to have her...still Jenny was able to succeed by the power of good. This story definitely stated the power of good over evil. In a way, she stood as an example for me: a symbol for all those, especially feminine, to stand up for ourselves in times of unspeakable evil and the "bad" in our lives. I hoped this review proved useful.

im 24, altho i read these books when i was still the intended age.... i was going thru some old things, donating most of what was there, but i loved these books when i was young, so i wanted to read them one more time before i gave them away.... i ended up buying 3 more to add to my collection! morbid, yes! but great stories that keep you hooked, no matter what age you are. if nothing else, the historic side of things makes them that much more interesting

this came to me in great shape and just what i wanted. thank you

I highly recommend the Betrayel because it will tell you the secret about the unspeakable terror that has haunted Fear street for the last 300 years. Its about this girl name susannah goode falls in love with Edward Feir and they both want to get married. But Edwards father forbids him from seeing her so he framed susannah and her mother of being witches and burned them at the stake. William Goode , Susannah`s father , wanted revenge against the feir family so he traveled to every colony to find them. This book will tell all about two feuding who caused terror on fear street for 300 years.

I am 24 years old and I still love Fear Street. I read this saga over 10 years ago and I started thinking about it a few months ago for some reason. I looked in book stores but it was order only, so I didn't bother. Finally my husband told me to go on Amazon and order it. After all, we would be going to the beach for Labor Day weekend and I don't like going into the water, so reading material is a must.

I'm almost done with the first book, and I love it. I feel like a teen again.

I really like this book because of the mystery and the betrayal and also the dark things that happen. In the book there is a example of betrayal between the two families because the Feirs light a huge fire
at the Goodes, house and believe it or not the Goodes and the Feirs use to be friends.

This book takes place in Massachusetts where two families the Goodes, and the Feirs have been in a battle for years.There had been a great fire that had taken two special people away from William Goode. One was his wife Martha Goode ,the other was Susannah Goode, his daughter. Now William seeks revenge on Matthew and his whole family.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery and horror books and R.L Stine books.There is a second book but I have not chosen to read it because it gets slow at the end and they talk about the same things over and over.

Expand your horizons and be blessed, don't wait until you loose an animal friend before reading this MUST HAVE book. The Good News is really Good News after all.

This is not the book to read to your children who are have just lost a beloved pet. You will have to read it yourself and share a few scriptures with them a little at a time. It is simply amazing how no preacher has put this Bible study together before. There are so many scriptures that support evidence that animals have souls and that animals go to heaven. She blew my mind when she quoted John Calvin. I didn't realize there were sermons of his documented. This short book is difficult because of the amount of Greek and Hebrew translation. It was well worth the effort to read it. Every day I pray for Niki's ministry with animals. She put her heart & soul in this book for her beloved Pete the Cat.

I have known for years that my pets would go to heaven when they died. This is the first book I've ever read on the subject that had so many scriptures to back it up. For anyone who has lost a wonderful companion pet, I recommend this sensitive and compassionate book as a source of knowledge and comfort to help you through the grieving process.

This book verified my belief that animals DO go to Heaven. You can't dispute what the Bible says. It's the word of GOD!!

I decided for my review to include a little about this author's other 3 books (as of the time I am writing this) as they are all somewhat related and if you have just lost a pet you may be trying to decide which of them to buy. At a fairly high price per book, you may be torn about which ones to get and not able to afford all of them, so since this book has been pretty well-reviewed already, I will focus more on comparing it with the other 3 to help you decide which one(s) to get.

This particular book is probably my favorite of the four, and if you really want a full, in-depth discussion of animals and scripture, this is the one to get. This is definitely a book intended for Christians that already believe in Jesus and the Bible as an authoritative source, but even if you aren't you may enjoy the information in here. The book is very easy to read and covers the material better than a couple others I read on the subject. Indeed, it includes much more scripture than some others I looked at did, not relying strictly on ones that talked about animals, but using many passages together to show a central message. It definitely would be a comfort to someone who has lost a pet and struggling with thoughts of them being gone forever, although you won't specifically find material on grief management here, you would rely on other books if that is needed. I wish the price was a bit lower, but the value of the information included is certainly worth it.

Her next book, Animal Prayer Guide is one that any pet lover that is a Christian may enjoy. I had some mixed feelings about this book. It has a nice introduction to prayer and how it works, and covers a really nice range of animal-related issues and situations. There wasn't as many actual prayers included as I would have liked though, but many scripture passages, some stories, etc. I had hoped for more "ready-made" prayers from this book, and each subject heading generally has only one prayer included, and the memorial service included is all Bible readings with only a short prayer included at the beginning. Nothing wrong with Bible passages of course, but I just hoped to see more actual prayers included, especially for the memorial service. Still, this is the only book of its kind I've even seen and I did enjoy it and found it helpful in adding prayers for pets and animals in my life. If you are looking for a second book to buy, this would be a fine choice.

Niki's book The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven's Gain is one is intended to cover a wider range of topics on grief and losing a pet, and does that well. A bit of amount of material from "Eternal Life" is repeated in this one as well as from her prayer book (such as the memorial service). If you want to get only one book of hers after losing your pet, and don't care about having a really complete discussion of the "life after death" in scriptures, this would be a good choice. It'd make a particularly nice gift for a friend that has lost a pet, or to offer for sale at a crematorium. If you plan to buy "Eternal Life" though and particularly if you also buy the prayer book, you might find that there's not quite enough additional material in here to warrant getting it.

The last book, Who Says Animals Go To Heaven? I personally didn't get quite enough out of to warrant the relatively high price, but others I am sure will still enjoy it. It's an interesting take on the subject of animal afterlife, but really seems like more of a footnote to "Eternal Life", and probably could have been condensed and included into that book as an additional chapter or appendix. It basically has quotes from a wide range of religious authorities, ministers, etc. (along with bios on all of them), so it may be of interest to someone that may have had a more negative experience with "authority figures" that don't believe in animal afterlife, so as to get a differing opinion, and one strengthened by the amount of consensus shown here. Many of the quotes are fairly old (so not particularly easy for everyone to understand the archaic language) and there's a fair amount of repetition as most of them deal with Romans 8:19-23 in particular. If you are looking for a lot of quotes from famous religious figures that really unequivocally state that animals will go to heaven, you may be disappointed with this, you need to read a bit between the lines to find those sentiments through much of this. It's an interesting sample though that certainly would help strengthen an argument for pets going to heaven and it's clear she's put a lot of research into this. I personally didn't get as much out of this book as the others, but if you really like the discussions on scripture in Eternal Life and are interested in further discussion on the topic, you might want to pick this book up as well.

Hope that helps anyone looking for comparisons of these 4 books and trying to decide which to get. Niki has done a fine job in writing all of these and provided a great service to those that have lost a pet and deserves to be applauded for that indeed!

This is a phenomenal series. I have read itat least 3 times. If you have any interest in vampires, as well as thrillers, read this series. You will not be disappointed. It is most certainly for mature readers, as it is very graphic on all accounts. However, Pike's writing style is phenomenal. When I read this series for the first time, I couldn't put it down and I'm looking forward to reading it again soon. The characters are strong, the descriptions are amazing and it is simply fantastic.

Now, if only they would turn it into a movie or television series. It has incredibly high potential to be done very, very well...

I read this book as a child and it has always been my favorite. I figured... now 22, I might find the books childish in some regard, yet afetr re-reading the series almost 10 years later, I still feel they are the best books I have ever read.
They are filled as much as can be expected with action, adventure, mystery, horror, and some moments of sadness. Rarely do you come across a book that fulfills all qualifications of perfection... but this series does.
Sita is the most amazing character I have ever encountered in fiction. There is nothing she cant do, and the problems that she faces are extrordinary.
Thank you Mr. Pike for the best books in all of existence.

I've read several vampire series, but these 6 books were my favorite. I've read the series several times. It's sad books like these go out-of-print. I bet people would still buy them...I would recommend these books to anyone. It doesn't matter what age you are, you will enjoy these books.

I truly think that this is the best vampire book ever made.
This book is a must have for any vampire story lover! I read this book when I was in 6th grade and omg it literally changed my life. I was a very bad reader as a child but this book opened a door and introduced me to the wonderful stories books could actually tell. Don't think this is just a kid's book because it isn't, its so much more! Everyone no matter what age can enjoy this book and I hope it brings you as much joy as it did to me.

A long-time master of mystery, murder and mayhem, Christopher Pike has been publishing what most people think of as "teen thrillers" since 1985. However, to label Pike's haunting, ingenious stories as "teen thrillers" is to miss what makes his work so unusual, for his stories occupy a strange liminal space between adolescence and adulthood. It is, perhaps, more accurate to say, as Pike himself admits, that he tends to write about teens, not to teens. Either way, he was decades ahead of his time, anticipating the subject matter and themes of today's best-selling young adult writers, albeit with one crucial difference: He is not afraid of copious amounts of blood and gore, and he is not afraid to kill off his creations. Indeed, in Pike's twisted world the only thing rarer than a happy ending in is a middle-age narrator.

Luckily for me, Pike began publishing his famous vampire series about the time I graduated from high school in the mid nineties. During that gloomy, pre-Amazon technological Dark Age, I was already an avid Pike fan, weekly checking the local drugstore for my next literary fix. What made me spend my hard-earned waitressing tips on his slim volumes? Pike was unlike any other writer I'd encountered, perhaps because his stories of teens facing down vampires, demons, serial killers, bloodthirsty aliens, and horrific, supernatural creatures touched a deep psychological nerve. I have forgotten many books over the years, but I have never forgotten Pike's exhilarating, fiercely unsettling stories.

This is especially true of his "Last Vampire" series (there are six books in all), which tell the tale of Sita (aka Alisa Perne) who is the last vampire on earth, or so she believes when we first meet her. An extraordinary being with the experience and wisdom of five thousand years, Sita is neither entirely evil nor entirely good, and as such she sometimes recalls the haunted, melancholy Louis (from Rice's 1976 Interview with the Vampire). She also prefigures such creations as Angel (from Buffy The Vampire Slayer), although she has no problem killing innocents when she is threatened, and Buffy, in that she is appears to be a petite, young, gorgeous blond, but is actually a killing machine of enormous strength.

Pike is a terrific storyteller and his "Last Vampire" series is a page-turner full of bloody chases, gruesome killings, big explosions and elaborate fight sequences. People die. A lot of people. I especially like how unpredictable Pike's plot twists are; Sita's tale starts off at a dead run and doesn't let up until the last sentence. Good luck trying to figure out where it's going; I certainly couldn't when I was re-reading it last week.

However, I also like how he often weaves myth, science, and religion into his stories, and "The Last Vampire" is no exception. One of the best parts about this series are Sita's flashbacks as she remembers key moments from her amazingly long life, especially the day she met God, or, as he was known at that time, Krishna. The Hindu beliefs, legends, stories and myths anchor Sita's tale and make a nice contrast with her experiences in the modern world. In addition, they allow Pike to speculate on spiritual matters, such as the nature of good and evil.

As an adult reader, though, I must admit that some aspects of his writing leave much to be desired. It's true that he does do a good job quickly developing protagonists you care about. Sita is a well-rounded, complex character capable of generosity, compassion, and love, but also cruelty, torture and murder. She is, in the words of Pike, "A lover who hates, a saint who sins and an angel who kills." However, sometimes minor characters are incredibly stereotypical and he tends to rely on types: "the school nerd," "the FBI agent," "the donut-eating cop," "the snuff-film, frozen-corpse-loving homicidal maniac," etc.

After a while such stereotypes just get old.

Also, Pike's prose is, well, unsophisticated at best, and, at times, downright bad. (This is the reason I reluctantly gave him four stars instead of five). For example, his series is full of vile descriptions, such as the following sketch of a serial killer from the second vampire book: "But it is his eyes that are the scariest. The green centers look like cheap emeralds that have been dipped in sulfuric acid and left out to dry in a radioactive dust storm."

Um, what?

But there are worse sins a writer can commit then an over-reliance on clichés, mixed metaphors and over-the-top descriptions. In the end, Pike's imagination makes up for his prose, and most of the time I can ignore his flawed writing because I am so caught up in his exciting tales. Certainly, "The Last Vampire" is a wildly original, breathtakingly suspenseful ride that will appeal to sci-fi, fantasy, horror and thriller fans alike.

Last week I was going through an old box of books and I found my carefully preserved Pike stash. Sitting there in the dusty attic I began to re-read Sita's tale and, although it was early in the morning, I found myself reading into the wee hours of the night. I just couldn't put her story down until I had read the last page. If that's not a testament to Pike's power, then I don't know what is.

65 reviews all giving 5 stars. The author sure has a lot of friends. I don't know about readers though - good luck getting through it if you fell for the unanaimous praise. It is garbage.

Enormous storyline.

I recommend TRIFECTA OF SUSPENSE because this book is included in it and it has a better format. Besides, you will be getting three incredible books in one.

The story is excellent but the format is so much better in trifecta of suspense. I recommend that book. This one is nice to have in your collection. You can't beat this cover.

Cold, dark and disturbing is a perfect way to begin a ghost story. Throw in some love, family, humor and romance and you have a best seller on hand. (If it is done correct and tastefully). The cemetery fence was done very tastefully. You grow more and more attached to the lovable characters in each chapter. The odd events of a ghostly and supernatural matter make it a worthwhile and suspensful journey. I agree with others who loved trifecta of suspense even more than the cemetery fence. It has a better format and two extra hair raising stories.
a great read.

Anyone who enjoys Suspense, supernatural, the unknown, romance and pure excitement will call this story one in a million. Very, very, very well put together. I enjoyed it Immensely.

Helaine and Score travel to the nightmare planet of Zarathan, in search of their kidnapped friend Pixel. It's a place where a person's nightmares and fears become reality, and to fall asleep means certain death. John Peel adds some new twists into this installment in the Diadem series by adding some elements of horror with a little science fiction thrown in. Very well done.

This whole series was a hit, it kept me reading and since it abruptly ends at this book (#6) I've been reading the 6 books over and over again, hoping for a change in heart by the author and a real ending, mind you that not rushing an ending in one book would be nice. Yes it is good for us, the readers, to use our imaginations a bit, but this was a complete cliff-hanger. The imagination/creativity is breath taking, never a cheezy moment. Mainly this book takes the story more towards an fantasy/horror story plot. Pixel is in trouble and of course Score/matt and renald/heliene jump right in to save him.... there seems to be little chance for sucsess.... what will happen?

Fun reading, great characters and an interesting twist at the end! John Peel is a good writer. The next books in the series are to be published soon. (...)

i loved the whole Diadem series so much when i was 10 and i started rereading it again and i still definately adore it even though im now 15. i was so mad when i found that this book was his last book in the series. i really want him to make at least one other book i mean he has to the cover picture still isnt complete. i love these books so much.

The Diadem series has been my favorite book since I was ten years old. I am now fifteen and still remember almost every little detail. To bad he finished the series so abruptly, right?

Then again, he didn't. John Peel has written the seventh book and is still working on book eight. The only reason why the series is not sold in stores is because the publishing companies refuse to publish the new books, saying that it did not sell well enough to make more, and they discontinued the already published ones.

I found a website that has a petition that you can sign to put the books back on the market as well as the seventh and eighth. The site is:

Diadem FanZone--The Book Series Lives On

The Chosen is the first Night World book that begins from the main character's point of view... at age five. It's Rashel Jordan's fifth birthday, and she's celebrating with her mother and best friend, Timmy, at an amusement park. But before the day is over she watches a vampire kill her mother, eat her best friend, and burn her aunt alive.

Years later we find our beautiful dark-haired, cat-eyed girl a sleek, dangerous, and prestigious vampire hunter. Rashel is The Cat, known for murdering vampires all along the East Coast. She joins up with the vigilante team, the Lancers, on a stake-out (pardon the pun), only to find herself fatally attracted to the vampire she's supposed to kill.

Quinn is legendary in his own right; a vampire dating back to the New England years, known to have a black heart and emotions colder than ice. He also happens to be a killer telepath and terribly dangerous, even to hardened vampire hunters. Imagine his surprise when he wakes up after tangoing with two hunters to find himself looking into the eyes of The Cat.

What follows is an intense hunt. Rashel, face cloaked by a scarf, allows Quinn to escape, tarnishing her reputation and even her own opinion of herself. She attempts to make up for it when she stumbles across Daphne Childs, a fluffy bunny of a girl on the run from supposed vampire slave traders.

Rashel is a deeply involving heroine. She's strong, tough, and always prepared. Despite how jaded she is, we see her helping others at the risk of her own life. She even goes head-to-head with Quinn, knowing his reputation. Quinn is just as fascinating. We saw a peek of him in Daughters of Darkness, but he really shines in this novel. His backstory is heartbreaking, moreso when he's betrayed near the end by one of the only people he trusts.

This is easily one of my top three for this series (and no specific location, as my three favorites are so for several different reasons). Even if you pass on the rest of the series, this is one you cannot let alone.

This is a pretty good book. The characters are good. The plot's great. The writing's wonderful. So what's my problem? It should have been longer! Most of the Night World books by L.J. Smith manage to feel complete despite being short. "The Chosen" was different. The characters, their feelings, and their lives were complex. I especially would have been interested in learning more about Quinn. It just felt a bit rushed to me at the end. Actually, that's probably a good thing, that I loved the characters enough to want more. In any case, for the length she had to work with, L.J. Smith did a pretty good job.

As the fifth book in the Night World series, 'The Chosen' improves on all four of the previous books, drawing on deeper themes and ideas than the rest, and setting the scene for this continuing trend in the next book 'Soulmate'.
Rashel Jordan is only five years old when she witnesses her mother being killed and her younger brother Timmy being drunken from by a vampire. Because she's seen the killer and is telling others about what happened he comes after her when she stays at her Aunt Corinne's house, burning it to the ground. Rashel is alone in the world.
At seventeen years old, she is the bane of vampire-kind. Calling herself 'the Cat' she hunts and kills their kind in all of the major cities, and there is a large bounty on her head. At the time this story takes place Rashel goes to the Lancers, a human organisation for killing vampires and joins in with a small group who're watching a warehouse that has been lately occupied by vampires. Their goal is to catch a vampire and discover its reasons for being there - through torture if need be. Among the group is a young girl named Nyala whose sister was killed by a vampire. Yet when the vampire is caught and the others go to scout around, Rashel finds that to her horror she and the vampire - Quinn (last seen in Daughters of Darkness) are soulmates. Letting him go, Rashel finds that she is suddenly wanted by both sides of the fight - the vampires still have a bounty on her head, and the Lancers think she has defected to the other side.
And it doesn't end there. While on the run from both of them Rashel literally runs into a young girl Daphne Childs, who is one of the missing young girls of late. With her in tow Rashel has access to exactly what the vampires are up to. For unknown reasons - though Rashel suspects its the slave trade - girls are being abucted from a club known as the Black Iris by none other than Quinn himself. Rashel's mission is clear - get into the club, become one of these 'chosen' and thus get herself to one of the secret and hidden vampire enclaves. And she'll have to do it by herself...

As you can see, the premise is a fascinating one, and there is no shortage of interesting characters and ideas. Not all vampires are bad, not all humans are good so it would seem, and there are enough twists and turns, suspence and excitement to keep most people interested. It draws on things mentioned from the other books - the enclave is probably much like the ones Rowan, Kestrel and Jade escaped from in Daughters of Darkness, and the password that Rashel uses with the Lancers 'the night has a thousand eyes/and the day only one' is re-used in the prophesy in book seven. L. J. Smith extends more on her idea and the nature of the Night World than previously seen, and several characters pop up that will have appearences in other books - namely Hunter and Lily Redfern.
The 'mission' plot strand gives the book some focus (too often L. J. Smith's work rambles, changes, backtracks or doesn't know where its going) and the pace is fast and never dwindles.

However, there are a few flaws, the nature of which keeps this book from being a 'five-star' novel. The character of Nyala was a complicated and intriguing one - a girl who was slightly mentally unstable. I don't want to give too much away, but for those who have read the books, I felt that she should have perished in the fire. Okay, that's not very nice of me, but a good author should know when to destroy a character for greater impact in the book's progression. But no, L.J. Smith simply *had* to save her, didn't she. She just *had* to have yet another happy, cliche-ridden ending that is so prevailent in so many of her books. To have Nyala has a tragic figure would have been both poignant and heartbreaking - *that's* what we should have come away from the book feeling.
Secondly, Daphne Child's part in the book is pretty implausible. Let me get this straight - she manages to escape from the jaws of certain death and is saves by pure chance by Rashel. And when she is faced with what she got away with, she wants to...do it again? Huh? Yes, yes, she's very brave about going back to the Night Club and letting herself get kidnapped, but come on! - it was just plain stupid. No one in real life would ever do this to themselves. It was the same when Rashel was at the docks and she turned around to find all the girls still there - face it, they would have run like deer.
It also ended very abruptly - we don't know what is to become of Timmy, of the girls, of the enclave...it ends with simply the boat sailing back to the shore. I for one had many unanswered questions, and since each book tells of a totally different couple, they weren't to be found in the next book.
Finally, the use of the name 'Timmy', brought back Lassie flashbacks: 'Oh no, Timmy's down the well!' Unfortunatly this meant whenever Timmy turned up I was plauged by visions of him floudering in water.

All in all however, a good read. One of L.J.'s more suspenseful, darker works. Highly recommended in the context of the Night World series.

But 'Timmy'?...

looking for vampire scum! After a friend and family perish at the hands of an evil vampire Rashel whips herself into killer shape and goes on a rampage as she leads a double life...hunting vampires by night and attending school during the day! All is well for Rashell, kicking vampire butt at night until she crosses paths with a magnetic vampire named Quinn. Rashell finds herself foiling the kidnapping plan and letting Quinn go free!
Their paths then cross again when Rashel goes undercover at a Nightworld night club...
Quinn has no idea the beautiful green eyed girl he meets at the underground club is the same lethal vampire slayer he met that night he was ambushed and then set free by. A determined Rashell wants to be let into a nightworld slave trade and will use all her wiles to get Quinn to let her into the slave trade.
This book has an exsplosive ending! Astonishing secrets are revealed to both Quinn and Rashel. L.J. Smith is my top author and I also suggest Christopher Pike.

This is my all time favourite L.J. Smith book although it is closely followed by Huntress. I loved Rashel's strong character and Quinn was to die for as the vampire guy with no heart. I felt that this was the best written book and the characters were a lot more realistic than in some previous ones. Also nice touch with the flashbacks into their pasts to give them more depth and background.

Rashel kicks butt in her role as the breathtakingly beautiful and devastatingly dangerous slayer of vampires. Ever since she was a kid, Rashel has been picking off evil Night World people and she has never been beaten or caught. Determined to find the vampire who killed her mother, a chance encounter with the deadly vmpire Quinn will change her life.

When she gives him a chance to escape, Quinn realises that this beautiful girl is far from what she seems. Later, they meet again and once again, Rashel is faced with either killing him or letting him escape and possibly ruining her disguise. She lets him go and soon after, he too his faced with the same choice.

Fantastic! Deserves 10 stars! Couple of questions though. Why is it that the humans never seem to want to become vampires? It's not that bad really, from the book description and would solve problems like dying. The best book though!

I first read this book as a boy and I loved it. My 10 year old just finished it and says it is the best book that he has ever read. We read this together and I noticed some details date the story. For example, the Investigators use film cameras and do their research at the library, not on the Internet. Times have changed!! Still, this is a great detective story for boys, may not appeal as much to girls.

The Three Investigators have their first case: to find an authentic haunted house. Jupiter Jones, the intelligent leader, and Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews set out to see if an old castle nearby is truly haunted or not. Built by a silent film star, Stephen Terrell, no one has been able to spend the night in the castle since his untimely death many years earlier.

I first read this book about 30 years ago when I was a kid, and loved reading all the adventures of the Three Investigators, and they quickly became a favorite of mine. Now my 10 year old son and I have just finished "The Secret of Terror Castle," and he loved it, too. We especially noticed how the adventure and excitement was kept up throughout the story. We both agreed that the Three Investigators were much more exciting than the Hardy Boys, having tried to read one of that series without sucess. Instead, we found Jupiter Jones to be far more intelligent and we enjoyed the cleverness of the plot and story. We read the version with Alfred Hitchcock, which I'm sad to see has been changed in most of the books now available.

This is a good series we can recommend for kids who are sometimes reluctant to read, but who enjoy an intelligent mystery.

I remember reading this book when I was young and loved it. Great plotline with great characters and humorous dialogue at times. I started my 7 year old son on it. The first two chapters were slow going for him, but he slogged through it. The fourth chapter hooked him. He wouldn't put the book down for another 6 chapters. Recommended for ages 7 and older.

This book is so much more than a kids book. It was my first introduction to the Three Investigators, and quite possibly the best book in the entire series. The plot is quite intricate, and very intelligent. Adults can read this story and be thrilled and caught up as well, and to be honest, I get out my copy every now and then and visit with Jupiter, Bob, and Pete. The setting in California in the fifties, with Alfred Hitchcock as their mentor, is just perfect. I've read the later updated versions, with all refences to Alfred Hitchcock removed and rewritten, and I just think the original stories worked so much better. There was more of an air of mystery to them, although the stories themselves didn't change. In this book, the setting of an old movie star castle is just right. The writing is sharp, the characters already developed. Everybody at time in their life has encountered a super-smart kid, the one who knew everything. Sadly, the ones I met weren't as likeable as Jupiter Jones. This series is always clever, with strong plots, strong characters. Get these books and enjoy them. Many books aren't this well-written nowadays, especially for the teen-to-adult age range.

Quite a few children's mystery book series have become classics. Most people are familiar with Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Tom Swift. Even the Boxcar Children are relatively well-known. However, Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators were well-written books that offered an intelligent, interesting and more contemporary alternative to many of the earlier classic series. Many people recall the earlier series well, but the Three Investigators series, which Robert Arthur wrote and debuted in 1964, has, for now, largely been overshadowed by the other series and generally forgotten. Fortunately, all of these books are available either from Amazon or from other internet sources.

In this book, the first book in the series, we meet Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews. Jupiter is the intelligent, often arrogant member of the group who has a tendency to be condescending. Pete Crenshaw is typically the muscle of the group. Pete is usually quite fearless. Bob Andrews, who begins the series with a broken leg, works at the library is handles records and research for the group.

In this debut story, Jupiter Jones has won the use of a Rolls Royce for 30 days of 24 hours each. Jupiter has also created business cards for the trio with the auspicious title "The Three Investigators," "We Investigate Anything," and three question marks. Jupiter Jones learns that Alfred Hitchcock is seeking a haunted house for use in his next film. The boys offer to find a house for Mr. Hitchcock if he will introduce their first story; thus the reason the title includes Mr. Hitchcock's name.

Soon Jupiter Jones is on the trail of a home owned by silent movie star Stephen Terrill. When the boys visit the late Mr. Terrill's home, strange phenomena in the house causes the boys to go running from the home, scared to their very bones! The mystery continues to deepen as the boys investigate Mr. Terrill's past the history of the strange house that appears to be haunted for real.

I wondered whether I would like these books as much as an adult as I did when I was a child. My answer is yes. Robert Arthur wrote these stories in a way that treated these three young boys as young adults rather than children. The three boys approach their mysteries with creativity, logic and more than a little bravery. The result is stories that continue to captivate readers.

If you are looking for mystery books for children and you are looking for an alternative to the stories I listed earlier, I highly recommend the Three Investigator series, and the best starting place for this series is absolutely with this book.

Enjoy!

First... let me say that words cannot discribe how the first 5 books in this series have touched my life. They were amazing and even after all these years I think of Sita and the trials she went through.
When I began this book, I was excited to see how they would end it, yet the farther I got into the book, the more outlandish and silly it got.
Lets examine the plot: We first learn that Sita has eveolved as a vampire. She can now read minds and move objects with hers. A vampire with telekinisis! What? She is attacked by creatures with ray guns that can vaporize people by turning them into nothing but a cloud of smoke, like something out of a sci-fi flick. Cheesy much!
After this she goes onto a UFO and travels back in time to save the world from the abundance of negative energy, thus causing mankinds downfall. She spends a majority of the tale in the past, where she meets a Satan worshipping sorceror who trpas her in an invisible bubble with a flesh eating monster. Using her telekinisis she defeats him and returns to the spaceship.
I will say the book is good for checking out the last ten pages. It was actually really sad, and interesting to see how Mr.Pike wrapped up Sita's life.
All in all, I would reccomend only reading the last ten pages. The rest is so ridiculously stupid. This book is no where near as good as 1-5. If you ask me, this was an unnessesary installment to the series. I loved the way the first 5 parts were all tied together... yet this one stands alone and has nothing to do with the others. I just dont get how people can post that this is the best one in the series. Get some taste people.

Dis series is probably 1 of the best books i've read so far! its full of action but is also sad and happy :D... it has many twists and i was really suprised when i was reading it cos the story was not as i had thought!! but it was gr8 and i was full of tears when i finished reading it :'( (suprisingly)..lol.. i enjoyed reading this fantasic book~ ~ but beware cos this is a very addictive book... christopher pike rulzz!!

I love the last vampire series, they are the best books ive ever read. the ending was so good and it made me kind of sad and happy at the same time. the characters were so real and i love the unusual names... sita, lalita and kalika. i love these books and i could read them over and over :-)

I thought that Pike couldn't have written it better. The whole damn series was absolutley amazing. I loved the ending....even though it was sad. It just closed up the series even though I wished he would have made a 7th and 8th and so on......Thank you Pike for writing these books! I really wish I could hear more adventures of Sita though :(

I remember I first read this series in middle school at age 13. I am now finishing college and still am obsessed with this series. It was awesome writing and kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end. It had a great romance and stirred a fire in me. I couldn't put the books down. I recommend this series to any young readers and even the young at heart.

I love the whole series and I recommend it for anyone ages 11 and up. Meg Cabot is my favorite author and this book WOW'd me more than any other book I've read by her! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I read these books a few years ago from the library, When a friend picked them up at a bookstore recently, I decided to flip through them again. It wasn't long before I had to buy my own set and re-read them.

Darkest Hour is my favorite in the series as it introduces some interesting new characters and serves as a pivotal turning point in Susannah's relationship with Jesse. The storyline is very intriguing, and humorous, as always. There is plenty to keep the pages turning.

I recommend this series for any girl who likes her love stories a little more unconventional and less Disney. =D

THIS WAS THE BEST OF THE FIRST 4 BOOKS!! Seriously, my favorite!! From the beginning to the end is amazing and very surprising. I didn't want to stop reading. Im a girl of 13 years old and I seriously recomend the series to grade 7 to up.

My daughter got me hooked on this series and I was surprised at the great writing.

I love this book , and I love the character Jesse. This book is nothing but nonstop action and thrills , and some parts are so sad , and how Suze does to get Jesse back is certainly is unexpected. Although the new character Paul is very intriguing and I like his character , I can't wait to read the next book to find out about him.And I love the ending . Meg cabot really undone herself this time!