Michigan Books

Once again, i find myself saying that each new Amos Walker novel is the best one yet. I simply cannot understand why estleman is ignored by the "mainstream" mystery audience nor why he isn't regularly on the NY Times best seller list. He is my very favorite in this genre and that's saying a great deal, as i read every agatha christie by age 14, love patricia wentworth, dorothy simpson, ross macdonald, john D macdonald, michael connelly, eliz george....know basically all the authors carolyn hart mentions in her books. i just read a review of another book where the auther was compared to chandler and i keep wondering why said author isn't compared to loren estleman/amos walker. Loren Estleman is THE true heir to raymond chandler. My mother loves reading amos' one liners to my father. I can't wait til the next amos walker comes out. There simply aren't enough superlatives. The plot in this stretches way back into the past, similar to many ross macdonald books. which is just fine.

Loren Estleman is one of the grand old men of mystery writing, right up alongside Lawrence Block these days. Estleman, as far as I know, rarely makes the bestseller lists (Block's finally broken through) but among detective novel fans he's one of the best-known writers of his generation, turning out novel after novel in a series that is one of the best and longest-running in the genre. Amos Walker is a wonderful creation, a tough guy who's physically not that imposing, a wisecracking detective who's not above bending a law or two, an investigator who's pretty quick on the uptake but not quite as smart as he should be.

In the current entry (the 17th) Walker's hired by an elderly woman who used to run one of Detroit's whorehouses. She's dying, and she wants her only son to have her ashes when she's cremated. She duly passes, and Walker finds the son hiding in Canada to avoid prosecution for indiscretions he committed when a young man in the 60s, that involved bombs and the deaths of his two co-conspirators. When Walker delivers the ashes, the son decides to hire him to find out who killed the son's father, a flashy black boxer from the late '40s, and soon after is killed by someone under circumstances that lead everyone to believe it's somehow connected to the death of dear old dad.

From there the plot goes on, with mobsters, a moll, an upright cop and a decent and polite Canadian private eye, a bitter old mother, and an aging newspaper reporter. Estleman keeps the plot skimming along wonderfully, and the solution, while logical, isn't obvious (at least it wasn't to me) regardless of what anyone else says. I enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it to most anyone: it's a very good murder mystery.

I'm a huge Loren Estleman fan and particularly love the Amos Walker series. While I'm tempted to give this lower than 4 stars, I can't because in spite of its flaws it's still a good read. Walker is probably one of the most enjoyable hardboiled PI characters there have been and Estleman is a great writer. The major flaw with this book is that the "whodunit" isn't a mystery. It's fairly clear early on, the only mystery is the why, and that's not terribly fascinating. I recommend reading any of the other Walker mysteries first. You should be invested in the series before picking this one up.

A simple assignment--delivering a dead madam's ashes to her adoptive son--turns out complicated and dangerous as private investigator Amos Walker investigates. The son, a Viet Nam era fugitive, is surprisingly easy to track down, especially when Walker calls on a retired FBI former client. But, ashes delivered, the son has an idea that he'd like to hire Amos to track down his father's killer--a murder that happened decades earlier, in an era when black fighters were definitely not supposed to date white entertainers.

When Walker's new client is killed in an airport hotel--a hotel behind all of the screening devices of modern anti-terrorism, Amos knows that the past has re-emerged. Especially since Walker was set up as a suspect.

Walker mixes with a tough county police Captain, his retired FBI buddy, a couple of gangsters in town for what looks like a setup, the gangster's beautiful girlfriend who looks to Walker for help escaping, and the aging witnesses to the long-ago shooting. Whether in style, gangsters, or murder, everything old is new again--and Walker has to move quickly to stay alive himself.

Author Loren D. Estleman delivers an exciting hard-boiled mystery. Walker, with his stuborn commitment to finding the truth no matter who gets in his way, is a classic retro figure himself. Interesting dialogue, fascinating introspection, Walker's cynical but true observations on life, and high suspense and danger, along with Estleman's compelling writing, make RETRO a fast-paced and hard-to-put-down novel. If you like hard-boiled private detective thrillers, RETRO is definitely one you should check out.

How appropriate to have a thriller based in Detroit read by a Detroiter! Veteran voice performer Mel Foster can summon many voices yet in this reading he returns to his roots. He sounds just like a Michigander, and a tough one at that.

Estleman's creation, Detroit detective Amos Walker, can handle almost any situation. He's seen a lot in that city pierced by Belle Isle and rimmed by the upscale Grosse Pointes. Yet, he's not at all prepared for what's in store for him following the death of Beryl Garnet.

Beryl was really something before she went to the great beyond. She was a madam who would make the contemporary Heidis seem inept. She enjoyed a lengthy tenure in the Motor City and made a small fortune.

However, the lady has one last wish: she wants Walker to deliver her ashes to the son she hasn't seen in a number of years. Her plea is that she wants her son to know that he's always been in her heart.

Well, Walker does have a soft side, so he goes in search of Beryl's offspring. The young man is soon located in Canada; he's a draft dodger. He need dodge no longer because shortly after Walker finds him Beryl's son joins his mom in the heavenly kingdom.

Of course, Walker is a prime suspect in this murder. Obviously, Walker has to find the real killer in order to clear himself. For this smart Detroit detective that doesn't sound like much of a challenge - until he discovers one more killing. This time the victim is the father of Beryl's son. Now, mother, father, and son are perhaps traipsing about the clouds. But, it's not at all heavenly for Walker here on Earth.

- Gail Cooke

"Voices of the Lost and Found" has to rank as one of contemporary fiction's top short story collections, that all-too-rare blend of master craftsmanship and totally compelling fiction. Each story hooks its reader from the first sentence to the last period - and far beyond -- into edgy mini worlds, each so different it's hard to believe the same person created them. The insights into human relationships, delicious surprises and downright entertaining storytelling make for powerful reading. I found myself slowing down about halfway through the collection - because I didn't want to hit the point where I had no more stories to read! It's the perfect gift for those who treasure short stories with power and zing.

Reading the stories in Dorene O'Brien's short story collection, Voices of the Lost and Found, is akin to having a carnival worker assure you that there's nothing to worry about, even as he grins menacingly watching the car you're sitting in enter some dark tunnel ahead. I skipped around as I often do in a collection of shorts, and was wrapped up in a blaze of tension right off the bat, immersing myself in Riding the Hubcap, a tale of two young men on the run from a rural Michigan city after a string of robberies. The characters in Voices are from many walks of life, young and old, black and white, and it only adds to the rich layering present in O'Brien's prose. But even if you start at the beginning, you'll be rewarded with great storytelling. Ovenbirds will pull you into O'Brien's way of writing instantly, as you agonize for the outcome of the life of a young mother who was once the captive victim of a misogynistic killer deep in the Catskills. O'Brien's voice, while so unique, is typical of Michigan's many hidden jewels. That is to say, it's there for everyone to discover, right under one's feet, but sometimes it takes a little luck to unearth it. The roller coaster ride her yarns takes us on is worth the price of admission.

If you haven't read Dorene O'Brien before, be advised: This is one of those anthologies where you will read one story or maybe just one page of Ms. O'Brien's writing and you will know that twenty years from now, you will remember where you were. She is that good.
You will know you are witnessing something special. Another reviewer used the word virtuosity. I couldn't agree more. From the unexpected endings to the diverse voices, from the edgy settings to the incredible empathy with the human condition, Ms. O'brien articulates her stories with absolute virtuosity.

The voices, attitudes and personalities of every character in every story are so different, it's difficult to believe all of these stories are written by one person. O'Brien's writing is breathtaking and her imagination is downright astonishing! A wonderful collection of short stories.

The woman can write. There you go. The stories in this collection are clever, insightful, and each one is memorable in its own way. If you appreciate good ideas and a style that complements each story rather than overwhelming it, this is the collection for you. Think Raymond Carver. Think Edgar Allan Poe (without the obsession about being entombed alive). A terrific assortment of stories that are even better on a second reading.

Where No Gods Came is a true coming of age story: the brave Faina McCoy navigates the dangerous waters of the adult world with all the spunk, know-how, and hope she has in her heart. O'Connor's vivid prose lets us deeply into each character as the story slowly winds/unwinds through the year. A must read book.

This has got to be the fastest book I've ever read. O'Connor's ability to attract and capture the audience's attention does not falter once. Written from three different perspectives, you see humanity in real terms. This is an exceptional story of survival that I hope everyone has a chance to read. Bravo, Sheila!

Exquisitely written with excellent character development. You will embrace Faina in your heart. A poignant and memorable read. Looking forward to O'Connor's next novel.

A treasure of a book. O'Connor masterfully depicts the coming of age of young Faina McCoy -- at once tough and fragile.

No detail is wasted. No emotion goes untested.

O'Connor's tale of a youth exposed to the fallout of the her damaged family's reckless life choices, keeps you on the edge of your seat, fervently hoping that Faina will emerge with a happy ending to her story.

O'Connor's attention to detail allows us to immediately identify and sympathize with Faina. The author deftly depicts the cruelty of throwaway comments by those around Faina, the pressures of wanting to fit it with other preteens and having to shoulder (literally) the frailties and flaws of the family that makes it impossible to fit in anywhere. And she does so with gut-felt truthfulness and gritty accuracy.

Don't miss this wonderful novel.

This is the story of Faina, a young girl sent to live with her mother and sister, neither of whom she has ever known, while her father takes a job on an Alaskan rig to pay off gambling debts.

Faina starts off charmingly naiive, but is quickly immersed into the tragic world in which her sister and mother live. In different ways she becomes a magnet of salvation for both mother and sister, both of whom seek redemption and freedom from the choices of their past. It is truly a compelling read -- a simple story of a girl suddenly thrust into a highly unstable environment. There is not a hint of fakeness to the book. You almost want to reach out and wipe Faina's tears away with a Kleenex.

This is not at all the type of book that I usually read, but I would highly recommend it.

I am very happy with this book overall. I have to agree with what others have said about the layout. It is easy to identify the birds that you are seeing without having any prior knowledge of birds. The only bad thing that I can say about this book is that it is printed in China. Would be 5 stars otherwise.

I love this book. I had one of North American birds that I was using, but it's nice to have a book that narrows it down to Michigan. It also gives a lot more information on each bird than the book I had. The descriptions and pictures are wonderful. I would have liked to see pictures of both male and female (not every bird is pictured that way), and would have liked to see pictures of immature birds, but overall this book is exactly what I was looking for.

I've used (and abused) a number of bird books over the years.... and tend to carry a veritable library with me on my forays. But I've been frustrated by most of the identification guides available today. I know they can't be perfect, if only because birds themselves vary so much, but surely they could be just a little better. This one is. I hope Lone Pine Press and Mr. Black expand beyond the Michigan edition. In the meantime, I though, I won't have to carry such a library into the woods. "Birds of Michigan" will suffice by itself.

I agree with the other two reviewers' comments. This book is very easy to use, proving much information in a concise yet digestible way. While it provides a lot of detail, it does not do so in a tedious way--this is a field guide that is actually READable! It is very user-friendly and has helped me clinch idenifications of even rare migrants due to the written descriptions which do not overwhelm the field guide. Large, accurate drawing of the birds are supplemented with written descriptions emphasizing the field marks. The maps are on the same page as the birds, which can help narrow down birds in the field more rapidly. This has been a helpful local supplement to my National Geographic & Peterson Field Guides. I also recommend Stan Tekiela Birds of Michigan book & CD set and Peterson's Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R)) (Audio CD)
by Richard K. Walton, Robert W. Lawson, Roger Tory Peterson.

As a child I enjoyed seeing a flash of color flitting among the leaves, listening to bird song, and even sneaking up upon a nest of hatchlings to watch their antics; but with age, I developed a deeper appreciation for the birds in my home state of Michigan. Ultimately I ended up spending hours flipping thru books trying to find the best bird guide for me to use. AND this book has proven to be the best of the best! This guide easily helps me in identifying the birds I'm looking at by providing a clear colored pic for EVERY bird, giving the length and width of each bird, info on feeding habits and habitat(s), and areas for best viewing/finding. In addition the book goes one step better and even tells you what species are similar and how to make sure you have correctly identified your find. Heck, the size of the book is even spiffy since it's light enough to not be a hinderance in your backpack. The only fault I have with the book is in its description of the call/song/or voice of the birds - they try, but, for example, the song of the common house wren does not sound like "tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi oodle-oodle-oodle-oodle" to me. But then I'd be hard pressed to write down exactly what it DOES sound like!

This book is very well written and the description of battle and encampment life is very accurate. I loved the beginning of the book, the Battle of Shiloh, and then the flash back to the prior 6 months. I had a hard time putting the book down, and the ending was brilliant. Bring on the sequel!

Set in 1862 during the American Civil War, The Boys from Kalamazoo by t. J. Johnston is a fictional account of the famous Kalamazoo Sharpshooters. Lending a vibrant freshness to a yesteryear world of American history peopled with the heroes, villains, ordinary soldiers, and citizenry who fought and died in the toils and turmoils of a bloody civil war, The Boys From Kalamazoo is entertaining, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and quite vivid in its portrayal of a war-torn America.

The Boys from Kalamazoo is a very good book. It provided a vivid description of what happened during the beginning of the Civil War. I am 12 years old and I was never interested in historical fiction until I read this book. I didn't think it was possible to like a type of book so much after reading it only once. My dad got this book for me and he read it too. T.J. Johnston is a very talented writer and I can't wait until he makes another book.

Johnston covers the less historically focused Western Theater of the American Civil War with the same battle detail and accuracy as Bernard Cornwell covers the Eastern Theater in his Starbuck Chronicles. Johnston captures the true essence of the men that fought and suffered in the Civil War. As with all U.S. wars, ordinary young men who were farmers, shopkeeps, mill operators, etc... from small towns across the country like Kalamazoo, MI did extraordinary things. A great story set in accurate historical context, I hope there's a sequel!

Highly recommended! The book is well balanced providing interest for Civil War fanatics, and an enjoyable easy read for those just looking for a simple but action packed story. For historians, and Michiganders in particular, it provides an entertaining drama to supplement the factual course of events for this band of home grown sharpshooters. The battle scenes are brought to life without being overly gruesome and the fast paced action moves you quickly from event to event. It has the feel of a TV mini series and leaves you wanting to carry on with the next book - bring on the sequel!

A timeless classic, though set against a World War 2 backdrop, this tale is a must read for anyone looking to disconnect from today's hectic pace and re-connect with a time when things were far less complicated. The lessons learned by the boys during the course of the novel, about themselves, friendship, and diversity to name a few apply as much today as they did when the story is set. A must read for the entire family, leaves you with just one question: when do we get to see this on screen?

I had forgotten how the world looks through a 10 year old boy's eyes. Cottonwood Summer is a refreshing and entertaining book with a blend of mystery, humor and boyhood sleuthing. You will find yourself immersed in the lives of Jase and his best friend Danny as they go about their day to day adventures in small town America during the period of the end of WWII. If you like reading books saturated with swear words, you will miss them in this definitely "G" rated material. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel.

A wonderfully readable tale of life in small town America in 1944. Filled with adventure, mystery, laugh-out-loud humor, memorable characters and heartfelt moments. Cottonwood Summer is a fun and entertaining read!

Why is Bill Cosby an excellent commedian? ... no filth! Why is Gary Slaughter an excellent story teller and author? ... no filth! Just plain ol' family values at its best.

Hardy Boys have nothing on Danny and Jase. We can't wait for the next in the series. My kids turned off their video games for this. Bravo!

Cottonwood Summer documents author Gary Slaughter as a master at creating loveable characters and an engaging story-telling narrative style enriched with humor and originality. Cottonwood Summer is a mystery with Nazi spies, nasty POW's, undercover moles, small-town values, and Gold Star mothers who will never see their sons again. Irreverent, touching, and a reader involving story, Cottonwood Summer is one of those novels so easy to pick up and so hard to put down. And when it is finished, sends the reader to do an Amazon.com author name search in hopes of finding other stories by this undeniably talented writer.

This is such an easy read and so common sense. Not a quick fix, but very healthy and applicable theories.

Has good info for newbies to fitness and seasoned vetrens. Also it is an easy read. YOu can get the majority of the book read in one night. One Negative is the last few chapters are more wordy than nessasary.

As a Fitness Trainer, I was amazed at the wealth of good/valuable information this book provides. I had read it originally 10 years ago, and teach many of my clients the principles Mr. Bailey describes. Use this book as your guide to weight loss!

After reading this book, I know why all those diets I've tried failed. I was so happy to finally find someone who understands the special dietary needs of women and who could thoroughly explain away the diet myths out there. It is one of the most helpful books I've read in years.

I am fed up with the magazine image American women are sold. Thin is being sold as fitness. Covert's tape helped me to affirm my belief in fitness, not just appearance. And another thing...has anyone else noticed that on the cover of most women's magazines you are given teaser titles on how to loose 10 pounds fast, and than in the bottom corners, pictures of cookies and 19 layer chocolate cakes?

This guide is as inspirational as it is informative. Includes many odd bits of information (catch and release sections, no fishing from bank areas, areas too deep or too narrow to fish effectively) that would be very difficult to find out other than from hard experience. Very informative as to what fish you can expect to find in certain sections of streams -- I could go on and on. But won't. Just buy it!

This is an outstanding book. Jim Bedford writes a clear, easy to understand guidebook for the masses, not just the elite. I have read many guidebooks and this is in my top five. His research is exhaustive and knowledge extensive. If you plan to dampen a fly in Michigan you need this book!
Rik

Being fairly new to fly fishing for trout, I was looking for some help in where to go and what to use so I would not have to start from scratch. Jim has obviously been there and done that. His tips, techniques, and sites are outstanding. This book is a must for anyone getting started and a great asset to those who are looking for additonal information. Thank you for sharing your experiences in such a great book.

This book is includes all the streams, rivers, and waterways of Michigan, with information on what fish are in them, seasons to fish, lures to use, and other information. I found it to great not just for the information it has on the fish, but on all the other stuff- how to get to the best spots, things to watch out for, noise/distractions around the river, ease of access, etc. Using this book, you will have a realistic picture of what the fishing experience is going to be like.

This book is a great guide to the many rivers I have spent time on in Michigan. It is not going to put you on the honey-holes, but it will provide you with good maps and the right strategies to have a sucessful day on the river. It also provides area business #'s, which I have found helpful on several occassions. Jim Bedford knows what he is taking about. Great investment.

What a book. Mulhauser really taps into the psyche of our generation. Through his characters Mulhauser is able to express highly distinctive human emotions against the backdrop of hilarious/tragic circumstances. A must read for anyone interested in the social dilemmas and conflicts faced by todays generation. I'll be on the lookout for future works by Mulhauser as he looks to be a star in the making! Buy this book now, you won't regret it.

This book is a fantastic collection. The interaction between the characters and their northern Michigan setting was captured phenomenally well. I found the enitre collection funny and entertaining, primarilly because the characters and situations, though compelling, remained believable.

This first book by Travis Mulhauser is fantastic. The stories are thick with tender humor, nuanced human understanding and descriptions of a geography that becomes a character in itself. They read utterly without pretension or self-consciousness, like lived experience. The author has a real ability to understand the interior world of a wide range of characters, and to present it in high-definition dialogue and action. "Brothers" is the perfect, chilling end to this collection, as it makes eerily familiar the transformation of lost hopes into misguided action experienced by so many of the characters and so many of us.

I really enjoyed the book..The short stories were just long enough to get the feeling of the characters..I grew up in a small town in the midwest and I felt like I was reading about my own experiences. I laughed and became sad throughout the entire book. I loved how the stories discribed different aspects of the community. Very good book..I can't wait until Travis writes another!!!

I agree with the earlier noted reader reviews: Mulhauser's short stories and novella are entertaining with dialogue that quickly brings the reader into a rural resort region's service-industry economies of finance and spirit. Having recently read Hemingway's "Nick Adams Stories" (circa 1923-1938), set in the same northern Michigan area, I was intrigued by some similar themes used by both Hemingway and Mulhauser that have apparently survived the past 70 or so years: social and financial tension between the seasonal "resort" population and the "locals;" the local boys who made it big via sports or other celebrity (Hemingway frequently used prize fighters while Mulhauser utilized basketball players and rock stars); shady criminal characters and skirmishes between the story's hero and the law; young (mostly) men learning truths through the "school of hard knocks;" and the cleansing beauty of the lakes, streams, and woodlands. That said, I found Mulhauser's work the more enjoyable of the two!

In a moving and tender but topical and fresh manner, Shelly Beach's novel, Hallie's Heart, is first and foremost an inspiring story. With real and lovable characters and contemporary situations, you'll laugh as well as cry as Mona and her teenage niece, Hallie, confront the past and strengthen the bonds of family relationships. Sideline characters will win your heart too. Not just for teens, this is today's Christian fiction with a message for everyone. Strongly recommended for women of any age.

Most weekends find flame-haired Mona VanderMolen scouting for rare finds. A former teacher who quit her job after a family tragedy, she's been the owner of Stewartville Antiques for eighteen months now and is finally learning the ropes. But life isn't easy in the antique business. Dealers often outbid her at auctions, and things are tight. Someone has already offered to buy her out. But she's a fighter, and she intends to make it through the tough times.

Mona's dire financial situation isn't her only problem. Her relationship with her beloved fifteen-year-old nice Hallie was shattered eighteen months ago, thanks to Mona's sister. She blames Mona for the accident the family's still reeling from and refuses to allow aunt and niece to see each other. But that's about to change. Hallie has plans her mother and Mona know nothing about. Can Mona get through to her niece with the love and forgiveness she so desperately needs? Or will that tragedy that shook their family take them both down for good?

Mona's quirks (like her peanut M&M cravings) make her believable and real, and it's easy to understand why niece Hallie is drawn to her. The single, fun loving woman isn't concerned what people think, either of her appearance or actions. Hallie herself is painted as the slightly cliched rebellious teenager at first, but it isn't long before we see her in a different light.

The theme of forgiveness is gently and convincingly woven through the pages of this contemporary story. Some of the dream sequences were a little hard to follow, but Beach's sprinkling of imaginative phrases (my favorite: "It's hot enough to gag a maggot.") and characters you'd like to call your friends make up for some mild first-book-itis.

Overall, Hallie's Heart is a touching family story and a refreshing debut novel.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for TitleTrakk

This is a very good book. I love the humor that is interspersed in Shelly Beach's writing about everyday life. She delves into pain and God's healing in a gentle and loving way through her characters. I am eager to read a sequel. I highly recommend Hallie's Heart!

It was fun to read of places where I am from in the central Michigan area. I would recomend this book to anyone as a refreshing break. I enjoyed it and feel that she did a great job writing it.

Hallie's Heart is a refreshing story of a troubled teenager and a loving Aunt who reaches out to help Hallie in life's situations. Written with suspense and beautiful verbal articulation; a novel which depicts God's forgiveness and love. Hallie's Heart calls for another episode!