Dealers Books

This is a great book! Loved the Outer Banks setting and the characters. Don't be fooled that you know who did it, you will be surprised at the end! Glad I found wendyhowellmills.com for signing information and more! Thanks for this book Wendy and look forward to more of Callie's adventures!

This book has everything! A wonderfully troubled heroine running from her past, a body in the freezer, a killer on the loose and finally a hurricane to top it all off... It kept me on the edge of my seat and I cried at the end.

This was a really an amazing find at a Nags Head book store. It's a perfect read for a summer afternoon "on location" and a great start for the first time author who I met.

I highly recommend this book to all who love a good mystery, great locale and accuracy in detail. The author knows her stuff and it shows. You can almost take the book and drive the Outer Banks with it.

Good job Wendy!

Ms. Mills is herself a manager of a hotel restaurant on the Outer Banks
of North Carolina. She lives there with her husband Eddie. She is the
Edgar-winner author of the Judge Deborah Knott series

This book begins when Callie finds a dead man in the walk in freezer of
the restaurant she manages. Then the story reverts back to 9 days
before this gruesome discovery.

The Chef and Callie are in Sharkey's Bar where the Chef is trying to
convince her there are things missing from the stores of the restaurant.
Chef appears to be very drunk at the time, and maybe taking some drugs
as well. It soon becomes apparent that he is right, and also that there
are a lot of illegal drugs floating around . Callie and the Hotel
manager, Lily, begin a quiet investigation as to how, when, and where
the drugs are being made available. More and more it seems they are
being smuggled in with the frozen seafood for the restaurant, but who
is involved and how is it being done? There is a cast of characters all
of whom could be involved. And when Callie finds a dog and they, Callie,
the dog ,and Ice, Callie's cat, move into the shelter of the hotel
because of hurricane warnings, things begin to build to an exciting end.

The body of Mac, one of the restaurant employees, was discovered in the
freezer, an attempt to push Callie off the roof, and a fast approaching
hurricane as well as the involvement of the dog named Jake will keep
the reader turning the pages.

I thought the action was a little slow at first, but when the body is
found and the suspicions are rampant among all the characters, I got
interested and was surprised at how it all came out. Review by: Ginny Welding

We have vacationed in Nags Head a lot over the last 6 years. I felt like I was right there again. This was a great first mystery. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Callie is a great character. She has a haunting past which by the end of the book she is starting to put behind her. I do hope that in future books she will start to make friends who can help her sleuth.

A restaurant at Nags Head is a great location for a mystery series and look forward to a long running of this series.

Highly recommend this book.

Mr. McCalla's hip-hop soap opera picks right up where it left off. Shantel is disguising herself as Toya in an effort to get closer to Rich's girl Leaya. Major who is now cohabitating with Sparkles is busting shots off at Afta while making the ave red hot for Red October.

If none of these characters sound familiar than you obviously missed out on one of the hottest boooks of 2004, Diamond Drought. Part II Diamond Dynasty does not disapoint. Finally a sequel that answers all the unanswered questions of it's predecessor. Not only are secrets revealed but loyalties are crossed.

Mr. McCalla also expands the roles of some of the smaller cast members from book one. The block hugger Red October and my personal favorite Afta's gun wielding baby-momma Destiny both have more time to shine in part II.

Books one and two alone of the Diamond Series prove that this author is destined for greatness. I wouldn't be surprised to see this book on a big screen in the near future. It definitely jumps off the pages in true cinematic form.

It's been one year since the jump off, which caused the grand opening of Rich's club "Diamonds" to be the grand closing on the same night. Along with a few dead bodies and some wounded ego's, Rich and crew are back in book two of the diamond series, "Diamond Dynasty". Rich continues his war with nemesis Willie. It seems these two are cut from the same cloth, who will overcome the other?
Can Rich and Leaya's relationship stand up in this war against Willie?
Will Shantell ever get Rich into her bed? Has she lost her touch?
Major is wounded, both physically and spiritually...this soldier is lost. He has distance himself from the crew, but deep within he knows, he wants to be back in the fold...damn, he's about to become an uncle!
Afta is about to be a daddy for the second time; but Destiny, his first baby mama, is furious...so much so, she's letting off bullets and she don't care who they hit!!
Brandon has written this ongoing saga with a sophisticated flair. Each page holds an hypnotic essence that will captivate and draw you into the life of this hip-hop soap opera.

Book two of the Diamond Series, DIAMOND DYNASTY, starts with a bang. With Filthy Rich and Willie Green, two arch-rivals still at each other's throats, the camps they represent are consistently put in danger. With both men out to get each other, the empires they are struggling to hold onto suffer.

Filthy Rich is caught up between two women; one for love, one for lust. To make matters worse, his camp has been infiltrated and he can't decipher who the traitor is. The woman he loves has left him, and his drug game is not as tight as it used to be. Too many things going on at one time leaves Rich very vulnerable - and stupid.

Willie Green, the brother of the woman Filthy Rich is in love with, hates the ground Rich walks on. With strategic moves, he's placed more than one traitor within Rich's camp, and is out for blood. His bravado isn't so strong when he's confronted and is almost shot, but the only thing that continues to spur him on is the fact that he wants only one thing - Rich's head.

DIAMOND DYNASTY is definitely a soap opera, but comes off very confusing at times. It's a sequel to the first book, Diamond Drought, and if you haven't read it, you may find yourself grasping for missing information and wondering about some events that happened in the previous story. Jumping right in, the story is written with the assumption that you're already familiar with the characters and certain hip-hop songs. This is a true hip-hop saga, full of deceit, lies, drama and of course, touches here and there on the drug game. Unfortunately, there are a lot of characters and leads to follow, which takes away from the overall context. Before picking this one up, make sure you read the first. You'll need it. Although it may take a little getting used to, don't discount it - the hip-hop saga continues.

Reviewed by Belinda
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

This is truly a hip-hop soap opera. If you like continuous drama from beginning to end , this is a must read for you. Brandon flows with the pen his articulation is awesome if you are a hip hop fan Brandon brings you inside a real hip-hop family. Brandon don't keep us waiting to see who the real Dynasty is.

Once again it's on Brandon McCalla has blessed us with another action pack tale from the hood. When we last left Afta and Major are beefing, Anna is pregnant, Leaya is living in the clouds , Shantel is having troubles with her evil Twin Toya, and a host of other characters are having their share of drama. Will it ever stop "I dont think so". Mr. McCalla has brought us into the real world of the Hip Hop industry exposing us to how it is when drug dealers become rappers and can't shake the streets off of them. Major is struggling with his issues of Monique not being here but also suffering silently from the loneliness of not being apart of the team. Only to find himself in the arms of Sparkles. Rich is running around trying to find a way to get back at Willie. While Leaya and Anna plan for the new baby. Afta is dipping and ducking both Destiny and Major while Prime and Germany blow up on the music scene. Now what can we say about the "Black Erica Kane" aka Shantel or is it Toya. Will Shantel ever deal Rich rejecting her or will she just exploded? Will Afta and Anna live happily ever after? Will Destiny come to terms that Afta has moved on? Will Major find his way back home? And most of all will this end the drama of Rich and Willie? If you need to know the answers to this and main more questions. Run out and get your copy. Cause I'm definitely not lending mine out!!!!!!!!!!!

"Chaos In The Capital City provides a powerful story that is gripping and inspires change."

"Donald Hairston along with members of his crew execute a robbery at a Hispanic restaurant that turns deadly. Igniting a street war that leads to numerous deaths."

"Several members of the crew are injured and killed resulting in Donald and his friends seeking revenge and the cycle of killing continues. It will take the help of a friend to encourage Donald to cease the violent behavior and walk away from crime and temptations."

"Will Donald heed to the warnings or will he fall prey to the violence?"

"This is a great story that provokes deep thought regarding the choices that we make that often times cause chaos in our lives."

Urban Lit meets Christian truths in this over the edge novel about life in the inner city. Donald "D" Hairston is a gang member terrorizing Washington D.C. The gang carried out one simple armed robbery. They didn't know that it would set off a chain of events that threatened to destroy the city, maybe the world?

D was caught in the middle of evil and righteousness. On one side, Satan was pulling on his shirt tail tempting him to smoke weed, disobey his mother, ditch school, and kill innocent by-standers. On the other side, God sent a guardian angel, Ronnie, to instruct D on how to life according to the Word. But would D be able to see the light and life in the Word before the darkness captures his soul?

D. Mitchell does an exemplary job at marrying evil and truth in this urban adventure. The dynamics between good and evil are clearly defined and the line is often blurred as to which one you should seek. It is easy to get caught up in the drama of life without thinking of the consequences when you are not focused on the Word. The story draws you in from the very beginning leaving you on the edge of your seat until that last paragraph. The story ends without tying up all the loose ends which may indicate a sequel. If you love the Lord and read urban lit then this is a must have because the drama is so intense it is hard to believe that this is fiction.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

Donald Hairston a.k.a "D" is a good boy with a fascination with the streets. Always falling for the peer pressure his friends are sure to use against him, D cannot seem to follow the more positive road which always leads him with a ticket on hell's wagon.

After the group of friends mastermind another caper, D runs into an old family friend that is willing to help him get on the right path. Will D finally wake up and open his heart and mind to the Lord, or will his previous actions lead him right in the middle of WWIII?

Chaos in the Capital City is full of action and turmoil, yet has you leaning on the shoulder of intervention and strength. D. Mitchell does a superb job of having you engrossed in the main character's growth, yet not taking away from the supporting characters involvement in the novel. You don't feel like you didn't get to know and understand them. Mr. Mitchell delivered a great debut and hopefully will not procrastinate with his sophomore novel.

Reviewed by: LaDonna

Donald Hairston is an only child living with his mom after his dad's murder in DC. If you were on the outside looking in, you'd be confused. D, as he's affectionately called, has become a product of his environment. Smoking weed, cutting school, dealing drugs, he's more than a little deep in the mix of things, especially where being black in urban America is difficult enough. Now that operation safe streets are in effect, D and his boys have to find some sort of a way to keep the cash rolling in.

A robbery, murder, melee and rabble-rousing set off a nasty racial war between the blacks and Hispanics. D, a warrior in the fast life, is trying to be a better person. As he seeks to find a way out of the world he's descended into, he meets Ronnie, a family acquaintance. Ronnie tries to help D see the faults in his ways. D is combating the Amigos, peer pressure, the police, himself and God as he tries to be a better person.

Chaos In The Capital City is a progressively fluctuating scale aided by drugs, violence, peer-pressure, reprisal and the chance to redeem oneself. Author D. Mitchell demonstrates how thin the lines are between trials, tribulations and a little faith. Oh my, this is such a commanding book. I definitely recommend this read to real readers who can benefit from such a wealth of knowledge. Faith without works is dead.

Reviewed by Geri Edens for Reader Views (7/06)

The first thing to note about "Dealer Wins" by Jon Konrath is that it is not a travel guide. Instead, it should be considered more of a diary or journal of a mad scientist/cynical New Yorker type and his trips to Sin City over a span of nine years. An author of four other books, this is the first Jon Konrath piece I have read. If you love Woody Allen and the whiny New York mindset, you will love reading about Jon's journeys from the city that never sleeps to the city full of sin. While commercials may boast about what happens here stays here, Jon is more than willing to tell the reader all of the details of his journeys to Las Vegas.

Konrath opens the book by telling the reader about catching the bug and why he loves Las Vegas. This mystery prevails as the reader admits he isn't always sure himself why he keeps going back. Ultimately it's the way that Las Vegas does things on a grand scale. Everything is larger than life in Vegas, big hotels, big signs, big food and big value for your big bucks. For New Yorkers with minimal square feet lofts this must seem like heaven yet Jon tends to focus on the negative and the bad aspects of his journeys.

The chapters consist of the numerous trips he has made such as the one on his thirtieth birthday. The author has chosen to routinely return to Vegas over the years around the time of his birthday, January 20th. The author gives extreme detail into his life and goes to great lengths to share his day to day and play by play happenings. He includes everything from the tiniest of details in preparing for his trips the night before to waking up, weather, traffic and an intimate look at his life. Some readers may find this interesting and be able to relate to the author while others may find the details tedious. One thing is for sure, New York is painfully cold in January making Vegas all the more attractive, yet again the author finds ways to make the pluses into minuses.

A note of warning to the reader, the author is a fan of the expletive and drops the F-bomb and numerous other profanities quite often so this book is not for the easily offended. Jon clearly states that this is NOT a how to book about Vegas. He does give general background and historical information about the city including movies that have been shot there, area attractions and several shows he attended. He also gives some general do's and don'ts such as do pack light, do tip, do get bottled water, do go downtown, do talk to cabbies, do read hotel magazines, don't bring your kids, don't use casino ATM's, don't arrive on Saturdays and don't lose all your money.

The author doesn't seem to have a particularly good time yet he continues to go back and was inspired to write a book about his travels. He tends to frequent restaurants like Subway, McDonald's, Denny's and TGI Fridays so how much fun can you really have at these run of the mill restaurants that you can go to in any town? He doesn't seem to be in to gambling or shopping or the nightlife to include the well advertised almost nude shows. And as for the title "Dealer Wins", without doing any real gambling or understanding the ins and outs of how casinos can trick you out of the money you do bring, I am left to wonder what the title really means.

Having been to Vegas numerous times myself and loving all the tackiness and cheesiness, I find myself wanting to read a different book. What I found most disconcerting is that nothing in the 150 pages can truly be coined, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," which seems disappointing given the author is a single man. I would suspect that a single man can stir up a lot more trouble than the author does in this story. If you are looking for a sarcastic, tongue in cheek look at one man's pitiful, oftentimes disappointing travels, then this is the book for you. If you are hoping to read an exciting, juicy look behind the scenes and tips on where to go and what to see then this is definitely not the book for you.

I read a lot of travel books, and I've always wanted to write one, but couldn't get National Geographic to foot the bill for a giant safari or photo expedition through Southeast Asia or whatever else. But I do a little travel, and most of the time, I'll write down a report of what happens, so I don't have to repeat the same email fifty times when I send out the photos to my friends.

I go to Las Vegas a lot. I don't gamble much, but I like the city because it's a place of excesses and also the kind of place where the average working Joe can visit without a lot of money and enjoy that excess. So after a half-dozen of these trip reports showed up on my hard drive, along with hundreds of digital photos, I decided to wrap them all together, write some new essays and articles, and make this book.

I'm no Hunter S. Thompson, but I do love the doctor's work, and tried to weave together a lot of the practical travel stuff with a deeper look at the underbelly of the city, plus my own mental state, in a way that would hopefully be interesting to you even if you don't like Las Vegas. You don't need to be a huge poker fan or a frequent visitor to enjoy the stories and pictures here. But if you have sampled the insanity in your own travels to the desert city, that's good too.

Anyway, I hope you check out the book and enjoy what I've put together. Thanks!

This has got to be one of the most thoroughly researched and ENTERTAINING travel books I have ever read. It has all the stuff you want to know - where to take your friends for a bachelorette party, the more "cultural" aspects of the city, and the low-down on the cheap hotels. It's also an engrossing read with enough personal anecdotes to keep the chapters from droning on like a Foder's or Time Out Guide.

Recently, I took my car to be washed and have the oil changed at an "Auto Spa." The car had been insisting that it needed an oil change all week, chiming at me while displaying the message "CHANGE OIL" on the dash. The odometer had rolled past the magic 15,000 mile threshold a week or two ago. I remember driving along and seeing the 14,999 and almost driving onto a sidewalk while waiting for the three zeroes to appear. We're all hardwired to anticipate these moments, as if they have significance.

I figured the oil change and wash would take a while (it did), so I brought along my friend Jon Konrath's new non-fiction book "Dealer Wins." While the bird crap was being cleansed from my plastic car and the tar-thick oil drained, I read the chapter about how Jon decided to spend his 30th birthday in Las Vegas. He was expecting something big to happen, a defining moment. Or maybe "expecting" is too strong a word. "Hoping"?

At the beginning of his stay, while waiting in line at registration, he spotted an ex-girlfriend with her new husband, also waiting in line. He willed himself invisible. He stayed in a lousy hotel casino and played cards. He saw George Carlin from a front-row seat. He rented a hot car.

Later, he ponders fate. Do you make your own? Or do things just happen? The odometer of his life had turned over and he didn't feel like anything had changed.

Later, Jon buys some land in Colorado and drives out to the middle of nowhere to see it, then decides he'd rather be in Vegas. Another chapter finds him getting wasted and waking up in his trashed hotel room with a busted kneecap and a sink filled with vomit.

Want to know what it's like staying at Circus Circus? The pyramid-shaped Luxor? Jon's been to both, and many other hotels from the strip to the seedy downtown.

All the chapters are illustrated with photos--some touristy, others not.

This reference book provides illustrations of the makers marks that were used by the more important producers of EPNS, old Sheffield plate and close plate in England from 1784 onwards. For each mark, the maker's name, location and the years in which the mark was used are given, allowing these plated items to be approximately dated.

Like another book in the "Dealer Guide" series, English Silver Hallmarks, this book is very clearly set out. As is pointed out on the back of this book, the marks in this book are arranged in two sections: one section for marks based on names or initials, where the marks are arranged alphabetically, and the second for pictorial marks where marks are arranged into groups of similar designs. This arrangement makes if very easy to find what you are looking for.

This book is a must for all collectors of EPNS and similar plated items.

I was disappointed in the miniscule amount of information provided in this book. There are hundreds of marks, but almost no information that is helpful. With that said, I am a beginner, so my opinion might not be the best to rely on, but I would certainly not recommend this book for beginners like myself.

A wonderful reference guide. Within minutes, I was able to ID two pieces quickly and easily. Easy to use and very handy to carry with you to auctions and yard sales. It could contain some more dates specific to makers. All in all, a useful tool for the price!

If you collect English Victorian silver plate this book is a must. It has the most comprehensive directory of English silver plate makers marks I have ever seen. There are also Sheffield Plate marks which could come in handy if you can not decide if your piece might be electroplate or Sheffield Plate. If you collect American plate this book is not for you as there is little info on American marks.

That consummate rascal, Lovejoy is up to his tricks again, producing fake bronzes, collecting writs against him and making love to half the female population of East Anglia. Moonspenders is the name given by the antiques trade to unscrupulous dealers who go on to other peoples properties by night, to locate buried metal antiquities with a metal detector, so when a friend of Lovejoy is found murdered in a field, supposedly gored by a bull, the picture just doesn't make sense to Lovejoy who starts to piece together his own scenario. Throw in a coven of witches, a very rich batty collector, a greedy land developer AND local thugs with murderous intent, and you have another typical Lovejoy adventure, light, amusing and with enough bits about the antique trade to make it more palatable. It's not the best in the series but a good, quick read.

Lovejoy is so much fun and each book is a little gem in its own right. In this one we have weddings, writs, murder and of course antiques. You may think - "A typical Lovejoy romp.". Yes, it is that, but this book is such a lot of fun! It's Lovejoy himself who makes these stories so readable. He is totally irresistable with his thieve's code of honour and his incessent womanizing. He's a scalawag, but such an adorable one. The books are set to a very frenetic pace, and sometimes it's hard to keep up whilst deciphering the English slang "doorarling", but oh, it's worth it! In this book we learn about Moonspenders. These are the people that go out at night with their metal detectors looking for old antiques. And you can bet they don't tell the antiquities people what they find. This book is set in Lovejoy's own East Anglia, and it's not very far from his cottage where all the action occurs. If you haven't read this series, you are missing something, let me tell you.

Lovejoy appears on a television show as an expert on antiques. As a result, he is offerred a job by Ben Cox, director of a Suffolk archaeology trust who is worried about the county being robbed of its treasures, especially ancient bronzes buried in the ground. After Cox and local collector George Prentiss are both murdered, Lovejoy sets out to find the killer and solve the mystery of the missing buried treasures. There are two big entertainments in a Lovejoy novel. The reader learns a lot about antiques, with an emphasis on the fakes and scams, and also meets some great characters. The downside of all this is that the plot tends to get buried beneath the goofy characters and their many antics.

Lovejoy, minds not, creating a beautiful work of art. He has even been know to make an occasional fake or two. However the wholesaling, of rare, national treasures goes against his true love, antiques. Here one finds a gangster, antiques-poachers with electronic gadgets, a TV maiden, a precious Victorian wedding, a little witchcraft, and a few dead friends thrown in. Lovejoy is up to his old tricks of taking on the world , with his loyal barker Tinker, and bevy of beautiful women who cannot resist his charms. Havoc abounds with murderous intrigue, and it is up to Lovejoy to make order of chaos. Done in true fashion,he succeeds.Typically delightful

It is a great book that outlines what must be done.

Prisoner of War is a story which is very Kafka-esque, but with a rich sarcastic humor. It follows the story of a young man from adolescence to early manhood who is trapped in an incomprehensible system of justice.

The book opens with the hero on trial for drug dealing (LSD specifically) and on the recommendation of his public defender, he plea bargains. But, at his sentencing, he launches into a tirade about the American Justice system and why it has chosen to persecute individuals who only want to expand their consciousness. Result 25 years, instead of one.

From this point, the book combines a series of flashbacks and his experience in prison and his attempt to expose the hypocrisy of his imprisonment. For the most part this stylistic tool works well. Though one finds oneself wishing for more details of our hero's past, as various life threads are at times left hanging. Martin also never quite brings the past and the present together in a seamless way. Instead the flashbacks halt and we simply finish the story.

On the other hand this literary trick does provide great insight into how our hero manages to get into the situation he is facing and why he is fighting the system. This is where Martin has captured the subtlety of the Kafka experience. From the innocent first tokes on the sailboat to the more complex and enriching experiences with peyote, mescaline and LSD, our hero's worldview forms. More importantly, he begins to see the insidious erosion of our civil rights in the name of public safety.

Here is the true and frightening message of the novel. Martin pushes the reader past the accepted and normal views of the rules of society and democracy. For those of you who slept through the "Raygun" years, this is a stark wake up call to how American's civil rights have been attacked in the name of a faceless enemy, drugs.

The hero's side splitting tirades about freedom and democracy would be even more amusing if it weren't for the very uncomfortable fact they have a real ring of truth to them. So while the reader is laughing, he/she is looking over his/her shoulder.

All in all, Martin's first work (as I have not been able to find any others) is a fine piece of writing. Throwing humor in the face of a very serious issue, the meaning of freedom and democracy. Although Martin brings this all into focus through America's drug policy, it should cause all of us to give much more serious thought to the founding principles of our country. We take for granted our freedoms and the Constitution, but have lost much more than we know.

Prisoner of War is a story which is very Kafka-esque, but with a rich sarcastic humor. It follows the story of a young man from adolescence to early manhood who is trapped in an incomprehensible system of justice.

The book opens with the hero on trial for drug dealing (LSD specifically) and on the recommendation of his public defender, he plea bargains. But, at his sentencing, he launches into a tirade about the American Justice system and why it has chosen to persecute individuals who only want to expand their consciousness. Result 25 years, instead of one.

From this point, the book combines a series of flashbacks and his experience in prison and his attempt to expose the hypocrisy of his imprisonment. For the most part this stylistic tool works well. Though one finds oneself wishing for more details of our hero's past, as various life threads are at times left hanging. Martin also never quite brings the past and the present together in a seamless way. Instead the flashbacks halt and we simply finish the story.

On the other hand this literary trick does provide great insight into how our hero manages to get into the situation he is facing and why he is fighting the system. This is where Martin has captured the subtlety of the Kafka experience. From the innocent first tokes on the sailboat to the more complex and enriching experiences with peyote, mescaline and LSD, our hero's worldview forms. More importantly, he begins to see the insidious erosion of our civil rights in the name of public safety.

Here is the true and frightening message of the novel. Martin pushes the reader past the accepted and normal views of the rules of society and democracy. For those of you who slept through the "Raygun" years, this is a stark wake up call to how American's civil rights have been attacked in the name of a faceless enemy, drugs.

The hero's side splitting tirades about freedom and democracy would be even more amusing if it weren't for the very uncomfortable fact they have a real ring of truth to them. So while the reader is laughing, he/she is looking over his/her shoulder.

All in all, Martin's first work (as I have not been able to find any others) is a fine piece of writing. Throwing humor in the face of a very serious issue, the meaning of freedom and democracy. Although Martin brings this all into focus through America's drug policy, it should cause all of us to give much more serious thought to the founding principles of our country. We take for granted our freedoms and the Constitution, but have lost much more than we know.

P.O.W. is the story of Sam Wilcox a youmg man from New England growing up in the mid-seventies. It takes him from teen angst and rebellion, to struggling for survival as he finds himself homeless. Flashing between our heroes incarceration, his journey, deeds and the unjust system that put him behind bars. Tales of prison hierarchy are mixed with descriptions of his discovery of psychedelics, drug running sorties and his constant hassling from "The Man". P.O.W.'s writer Ezra Martin combines Ian Fleming action (most prevalent when Wilcox goes south) with Abby Hoffman-style wit and irreverence.

Martin also describes Wilcox's employment at a ship yard building Nuclear subs. He drives home the irony of workers building the source of their own oppression. The image of thousands of workers banding together as one big angry beast making management buckle is also strong.

The climax of the story is Wilcox's bout with the Federal Courts. Having been jailed on drug charges he files suit trying to be recognized as a P.O.W. (Prisoner of War). Make no mistake Martin has a message, he warns that the freedoms given up to local, state and federal government in hopes of gaining some false sense of security and absolving oneself from all personal responsibility will cost society more than it can afford. He still finds a way to deliver that message with humor and a surprise ending that becomes more and more plausible everyday.

Martin brings to light the hypocrisy and corrupt nature of the US's war on drugs an our ill-fated attempts to legislate morality. Unfortunately, in the 15 years since, Martin's P.O.W. concludes things have only gotten worse.

I enjoyed Martin's ability to keep the story moving by his use of flashbacks. I also enjoyed the many quotes that accompanied the story. Of the five or six books I have lying around half read, this is the one I kept picking back up and found hard to put back down. Unfortunately, P.O.W. is so politically incorrect, Oprah would sooner get married without a prenuptial than put this book on her Book Club List.

Looking up Ezra Martin returned no other titles and the publish date on P.O.W. is very recent, therefore I don't know when it was written or if Ezra has any plans for any other novels. I sure hope he does because I look forward to reading more of his work.

I love Jonathan Gash's "Lovejoy" series. I have all the books but one. "The Vatican Rip" is one of my favorites.

We learn to expect anything with our favourite scoundral, Lovejoy. In this book he visits Rome at the very pointed bequest of what appears to be an English gangster. He's supposed to go there to perpetrate a "one of a kind" rip (or steal) of a priceless antique. Lovejoy, as usual runs into all kinds of local trouble - both male and female. Even in Rome he can't stay out of trouble for very long. And as usual, he's broke, and trying to live from hand to mouth (or on the charity of some worthy female). There's a lot of action and a lot of antiques in this book, and I loved it because it's a great caper book!

Lovable rogue and antiques expert, Lovejoy, is forced into participating in a huge scam which involves stealing an antique table from the Vatican museum and replacing it with one of his own making. He is forced into the deal by a "heavy" from Italy who threatens to maim and kill Lovejoy's friends if he doesn't go along with the scheme. This initially involves Lovejoy taking a cram course in conversational Italian, taught on a one to one basis with a beautiful young Italian woman. Lovejoy's adventures in Rome proceed as one would expect and, even if the skill with which Lovejoy knocks up a masterpiece of fake furniture is a bit of a stretch of the imagination, it's still an exciting and fast paced story, full of actual tips on how to mock up fakes and get away with it. For Jonathan Gash fans, it's another wonderful Lovejoy(and friends) read.

This is a great example of the wonderful anti-hero Lovejoy mystery novels. Always at the mercy of whatever female he is "making smiles" with at the moment, he take Italian lessons and goes to Rome to steal an antiquarian piece of furniture from the Vatican. Quintessential Lovejoy, with gangsters, lovers and lots and lots of the lore and lure of antiques. Not to mention great Italian characters and descriptions of Rome as well, in Lovejoy's particularly acerbic style. I'll admit the British slang takes a bit to get used to, but it is a lot of fun.

This book is by far the most comprehensive examination of who Pablo Escobar was and the power he commanded in Colombia.

A very detailed look at the complex cocaine smuggling trade, from the growers in Columbia and Bolivia, right through to the consumers in America. Based on the real life, rise and fall story, of one of the most notorious cartel bosses, Pablo Escobar. One of the few books that has kept me reading through the night!

The price of this book on the secondary market has sky rocketed this year to its current level, $937.10. Yes, the decimal point is in the correct position!

The hardcover was published in the UK in 1995, and the paperback in 1996. I believe around 5,000 copies were printed. The book was generally well reviewed in the British media and both editions sold out quickly.

However, no on-line book seller has yet been willing and/or able to provide me with a convincing reason as to why my book is now fetching such high prices. I am simply told "market forces"!

Flattering at it appears, I find it hard to believe this is the whole story. For all I know, somebody whose name appears in the book dislikes the fact and has decided to put out a buy order!!

So, if anybody has information as to who are the current buyers of Whitewash, or could advise me on how I might find out, I would be delighted if you would take the time and email me at [...]
Many thanks!

Simon Strong

This book is powerful. Strong researches the grip that narco-dollars have on Colombian society. He documents the widespread corruption of Colombian society. Strong traces the growth of the Medellin Cartel and documents American and Colombian frustration battling drug trafficking.

This is the Best Nostalgic New Car Dealership book ever written! As a Baby Boomer I Lived in new car showrooms in the 50s, 60s, 70s to present day. As I was growing up in the 50s and 60s I couldn't wait for the Fall when all the new cars were secretly taken to the dealers awaiting the official unveiling for the world to see. I would be there on Announcement Day collecting car books and studying all the new features each car had to offer for the new model year. This Book allows me to relive those fabulous years and brings back so many wonderful memories. If you are a Baby Boomer and couldn't wait for the new cars to be displayed in the showrooms, this Book is for you! It is the Best book ever written on Car Dealerships loaded with pictures and amusing stories.

This book was great if you're strictly interested in dealerships of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Every photo in the book was not realistic for today's society. I'd have preferrred to have more information on how the dealerships of today are run.

An excellent source for anyone interested in the sometimes strange world of car dealers. Covers the history of car dealerships from the turn of the century to today. Chapters dealing with the design of a dealership and the history of famous and not so famous marques add to the over 130 black and white and 40 color photographs. Well written and fascinating. If you know a car nut this is the Christmas present of the year.