Accommodation Books

This a great book for "go now and cheap" or "lots of toys" cruisers. It covers all the skills you need as a beginner, buying a boat, weather, everything! The only book you need for simple cruising like I did. www.sailingfreespiirit.com

Skip the rest. Read the best. After purchasing several hundred pounds of boating publications I can definitively say, "Save yourself the trouble and buy this first."

I took this book out of the library, then renewed it for a second two weeks and still decided it had so much information I just NEEDED a copy of my own on board. Don't sail without it. An encyclopedia of information.

My husband and I currently own a CS30 that we race and cruise on the Chesapeake Bay. We have been seriously considering moving up to a 37-40 ft cruiser. We bought this book (among several others) to prepare for cruising. It is fantastic. He covers every topic imaginable in an easy to digest format. It is a resource you don't want to be without!

I wish I had bought this book before I bought my newest old boat - my personal survey would have been much more effective.

This book covers so much, so well. Mr. Calder obviously not only has the knowledge but the motivation to really think about what should go into each area. He covers choosing, maintaining, upgrading, and cruising a boat to just the right degree that if you had no other resources, this book would usually suffice. And he does this in such a relatively small book.

America's Best Bed & Breakfast Recipes
I selected this book thinking that Bed and Breakfast establishments would offer great recipes that were somewhat less complicated than normal. I wasn't disappointed.
I opened the book and leafed through a few pages. My eyes stopped at Country Italian Sausage Pie. It was exactly as promised. I served it at a luncheon last week to rave reviews.
I would strongly recommend the book.

Have both books - and they are both much used in our kitchen. I have been able to find recipes for dishes others would not share based on ingredients. The index of foods is probably the greatest thing about this book and directly contributes to the usability.

Absolutely something for everyone in this book - even holiday recipes. Between the two books, I have noticed a couple of recipes duplicated, but not enough to lessen the value of either.

Definitely one to have on the shelf if you enjoy having a broad sampling of American cooking close at hand!

I can't you how many times I've gone to my copy of this cookbook for recipes... it's the one I reach for first! It's like taking a trip around the country without leaving my home! VERY user friendly format, too!

I love the small-sized recipes that many of the B&B's and Inns use... hubby and I are 'empty nesters' most of the year with our sons away at college so there's no need to make big meals or we'd be eating leftovers forever.

This review refers to "The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook"(vol 1) by Kitty and Lucian Maynard....

St Chuck Poolside Jambalaya to North Carolina Applsauce Muffins, Aunt Ruth's Baked Eggs and Cheese to Dorothy's Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Guacamole to Lobster Pie to Salt Lake City Taffy, you'll find the biggest and best collection of regional homestyle cooking from all over this great food lovin country in this fabulous cookbook!

Whatever type of fare you have in mind you'll find something good in these pages. The Manyard's have done all the work. State to State(including Alaska and Hawaii) they have found us some great recipes from Country Inns and Bed and Breakfast's from all over the country. With more than 1700 homestyle recipes you really get your money's worth.

You can go state to state(without leaving home) and try something new and different, or find some of your old favorites that you've been longing for.
There are two indexes to check through. You can check by city, or by food. For a good look at what's inside, the book, click on the 'Look Inside" link to several pages to browse through.The recipes range from meals as simple as Biscuits and Eggs to the more exotic tastes like Veal Scallops with Gorgonzola Sauce. You'll find several different ways of making the most everyday things, like French Toast, depending on what State or Regional taste you're in the mood for that day!

There's an additional perk to this cookbook as well. If you want to get out of your own kitchen and do a little traveling, you will find a little description as well as the addresses and phone numbers for all the Inn's used here, on the pages with their own recipes.In some cases there are nice little sketches of the lodgings as well.

I use this cookbook more than any other in my kitchen. although I haven't loved every single thing I've tried, it is stained and sticky with the remnants of some terrific recipes(some of my favorite pages are in worse shape than others!). Everytime I look through it for a new idea I find one. I love it! You will too.

So have fun, eat hardy and try to get someone else to do the clean-up.....enjoy...Laurie

This cookbook is great !!!! i borrowed it from a friend and never gave it back (bad!!!) but it really is a great source for entertaining. Fanstastic and easy recipes. A good way to impress your friends with your cooking. Also what i like is they usually have serveral recipes for similar dishes so lets say you want to make scalloped potatoes - you can look at them all and then kind of use the info to make your own variation with the pieces of the recipes you think sound good. Also it is good if you are doing theme parties. I love asian cooking we were having a party where i needed to bring an asian salad - they have like 5 different types. and they arent what you would expect. Note this is just not breakfast foods - all types of cooking are in this book and from all types of us regions.

Great book and easy read...I couldn't put it down! I love her entire collection.

I read this entire series and I absolutely loved it. Moved at a perfect pace and I enjoyed the characters. I am a big fan of Terri's novels.

Bethany K. Scanlon
Author of Where's my mate? and Born of the Spirit

This is the fourth book in the Cape Refuge mystery series and completes the story in a satisfactory and fulfilling way. Terri Blackstock is true to her readers, she doesn't "fool" any of us while at the same being able to slip in that quirk or surprise fact toward the ending that keeps the reader turning pages. The Cape Refuge characters are warm, smart and human!!! I have read all four of the Cape Refuge series and recommend them highly; they have a Christian slant that is light and does not preach or come on heavy-handed but is very today.

This book was one of the best books that I have read in awhile. The whole series by Terri Blackstock is excellent. This is the kind of book you can't wait to find out the end but, you hate to finish reading it.
My 14 year old daughter also read it too and loved it. If you are a fan of mysteries and also of romance you should pick this one and the whole series up.

I think this is the most satisfying mystery from Teri Blackstock yet. Without giving away the ending let me just hint that I was totally fooled by the Red Herrings in this mystery. As good as the story line is I agree with other reviewers that the characters drive this story (as in all good novels). The thread of restoration is strong throughout the story and the bond of parent and child is powerful. This is an excellent ending to a very good series.

In a charming Christmas town, with a lovely elderly couple leading the way, the citizens of Christmas Valley are in for quite a treat. Rather than closing, the owners of the town's bed and breakfast have decided to open their doors to strangers...in keeping with the true spirit of Christmas. It is the cast of characters that perhaps they aren't prepared for. Perhaps most interesting of all is the arrival of a young couple in a colorful bus...bearing a striking resemblance to an ancient couple responsible for the very first Christmas.....
Heartwarming...if a tad bit overly so. Perfect, however, for the season.


DYB

I am so glad that I happend to come across this book on Amazon! This story is packed with memorable characters, interesting situations and plot twists.

The premise is interesting--a Christmas themed town--and the crisp writing keeps the plot action going at a quick pace.

If you collect Christmas books, as I do, this will be a GREAT addition to your collection.

Also recommended:

Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--another GREAT holiday book about the impact of seemingly small acts of service.

Great book to read for the holidays. Would recommend this to my girlfriends.

This is definitely a Hallmark movie to be made. The characters are so delightfully described that you immediately form an image of them in your mind. The slow conversion of the community is as magnetic as the coming together of the guests at the bed & breakfast. I am so glad I read this before Christmas because it opened up whole new feelings as well as observations of God working in my life and the lives of others. We all have poeple like these in our midst.

THE CHRISTMAS BUS is a sweet tale by prolific author Melody Carlson that entertains while encouraging readers to embrace the true spirit of Christmas. Edith Ryan is the cheerful, glass-half-full owner of Shepherd's Inn in the quaint town of Christmas Valley (population 2,142). Her husband, Charles, is the local pastor of Christmas Valley's only remaining church. After 25 years, Christmas Valley has revitalized its economy by becoming the "Christmas capital of the world," complete with Mrs. Santa's Diner (don't miss the "Blitzen Burgers") and the North Pole Coffee Shop. Tourism rules.

So it's a problem when Collin and Amy, a young married couple expecting their first baby, roll into town in a psychedelic broken-down bus nicknamed "Queenie" and detract from the carefully-staged ambiance. With no money and the birth of the baby imminent, it's only the kind heart of Edith Ryan that turns the town's hostility toward the young couple around --- and changes Amy and Collin's view of Christianity.

But Edith has her own set of problems. For the first time, her adult children and young grandchildren won't be making the trip to the B&B to spend Christmas with them. In a fit of inspiration, she decides to offer a discounted Christmas package for those folks who need a place to stay --- and people to be with --- over the holidays. The inn soon fills up as it attracts a motley assortment of lodgers for the holidays. Lauren and Michael Thomas are a pleasant, 30-something couple who have problems that seem insurmountable. Jim Fields and his wife Carmen constantly squabble. Divorcée Leslie and her young daughter Megan are a pleasant addition to the cast of characters, giving Carlson a chance to throw in a little romantic intrigue. Albert Benson is an elderly widower who seems to have lost the joy of living.

Myrtle Pinkerton is a crotchety elderly woman who seems to promise nothing but trouble. But, as Edith reminds herself, "this Christmas was about being hospitable to strangers. And she'd certainly never had a guest who was any stranger than Myrtle Pinkerton!" Myrtle seems intent on disrupting the peace of Christmas Valley, from making a scene in the local coffee shop to getting involved with the Christmas pageant at the church. When she decides to add live animals to the program, things threaten to fall apart. Then, when Edith's heirloom porcelain angel disappears, it seems certain that one of the guests has broken or stolen it. Will suspicion ruin their Christmas together? Edith takes her problems to God in prayer, and all ends well, as readers will expect.

The story moves along smoothly, and although most of the characters are lightly sketched, readers will bond with the delightful Edith Ryan and roll their eyes over the cantankerous Myrtle. Yes, there are clichés here --- the Victorian B&B (a staple in faith fiction), the allegorical "no room in the inn" seen before in faith fiction, and the angel in disguise. But in Carlson's capable hands (she's a Gold Medallion and Rita Award winner), the plot line transcends the clichés and is warm and endearing. The pretty page designs and attractive cover make this a natural for gift-giving.

In a season that is too often rife with a preoccupation for material things, Carlson reminds us that one of the true gifts of Christmas is reaching out to those in need, and perhaps entertaining angels unawares.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby.

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

This can be a very helpful starting point for your travel planning, containing useful information about many attractive, special places in Italy. In this modern era, however, it is also important for the reader to leap to the Internet for additional information before making those reservations.

That done, you will discover that there are several potentially disappointing errors in this book, most notably the transposition of the photos for the magnificent Villa San Michele (Fiesole; attributed to Michelangelo) with the Hotel San Michele in Cortona. The former is one of the most beautiful and expensive hotels in Tuscany, standing atop a hillside overlooking Florence. The Cortona San Michele (while quite nice) is a more modest, affordable hotel, on a steep, narrow city street. One can only imagine the dismay for the visitors who arrive in Cortona, expecting the first, and found themselves at the latter! "Certainly doesn't look like its photo, now does it?"

Tighter editing--- and diligent reader investigation-- is essential. But all totalled, a recommended starting point for travel planning, especially if you recall that ancient Roman admonition, "Caveat Emptor!"

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

Rivages have become the best-selling guides of their kind in both Europe and America. Originating in Paris, they set the standard for excellence with their fabulous color photographs, superb maps and candid descriptions of the most remarkable hotels of Europe. Each book also contains a restaurant guide to the country and a color atlas pinpointing the location of every hotel and inn. More than 500 establishments are profiled in this guide.

I'm not usually a guidebook fan, preferring instead to do tons of my own research from a variety of sources. Sometimes my friends ask if I'll plan their vacations for them, because I come across some of the most unusual and memorable places to stay that they've never heard of. This book had such special, wonderful information (and photos!) of so many charming and unusual places in Italy; it truly was a gem of a book. I stayed at several of the places recommended, and they were even better in person than in the book.

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

I have used the book on three road-trips to Italy and it never failed to be very helpful. I have stayed in about ten of the hotels mentioned in it and they were, with the exception of one, very close to the description given in the book. I think it is the best travel-related guide I know.

I used this book in conjunction with information I discovered on websites, travel magazines and books. The places definately had character and charm. More upscale type places (probably not for the backpacking type)and extended lodging options available.
Places listed here were difficult to find in the typical Frommer and Fodor travel books. E-mail, website address, #'s all available in the book. Trusted my instincts and booked several places from this guide and all were EXCEPTIONAL. Would use again

"HOW TO OPEN A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL BED & BREAKFAST: OR SMALL HOTEL" by Lora Arduser and Douglas R. Brown

This book was a fascinating exploration of the intricacies involved with opening a Bed and Breakfast. The authors were able to provide a step-by-step process for the beginning B&B entrepreneur. The book guides you in the decision to own a Bed and Breakfast, helps you decide on a location or to buy and existing B&B.

The authors make a fantastic effort to include real life business information such as how to make your own business plan and laws that will relate to your Bed and Breakfast business. They give you several checklists to help you format your mode of attack when starting your own business.

With a whole chapter devoted to computers this book is cutting edge in the Bed and Breakfast industry. Today everyone needs to have a web presence in order to market his or her company.

Guest are not going to be interested in a business plan. So the authors have developed several chapters on the operation of the Bed and Breakfast. They skillfully guide the reader from decorating, setting policies, what food you should serve, housekeeping, and your day-to-day staffing requirements.

A bonus CD is offered with the book and provides valuable samples of over 30 forms that are needed when starting and opening your own B&B. The CD is simple to use and will save any entrepreneur tons of time.

This book is a great introduction to the world of Bed and Breakfast owning and operation.

As an owner of a Boutique Hotel in Cartagena, Colombia, Casa El Carretero www.CasaElCarretero.com I can say that this book was a great guide. However, the passion for the business is fundamental. Pay attention to the staff and level of service you plan to have in the hotel. That can make or break the business.

If you're planning to open a bed and breakfast as a hobby or with the notion that "you're not really running a business, you're just making profits in your free time," this is not the book for you. This book covers almost all potential areas that you'll need to know to run a professional B&B, and the level of detail will quickly dissuade anyone who isn't serious. That having been said, anyone who does want to run a professional bed and breakfast will find the information invaluable. The forms included on the enclosed CD pay for the book themselves--everything from employment applications to inventory forms, invoices, standard recipe cards, and kitchen safety inspection forms. The book covers all stages of the planning and setup process, including business plans, marketing and promotion, safety, and employees. Particularly useful is the section on marketing, something that most B&Bs that I've known tend to ignore. With a little creativity (and there are lots of suggestions contained in this chapter), your B&B can become part of the very identity of the neighborhood or city you live in, as in, "If you want to capture the flavor of X, go to this B&B!" The only change I would make to the book would be to make the section on writing business plans a more user friendly for those B&B owners who have never opened a business before. Nevertheless, the book contains lots of hardheaded business sense, presented plainly and clearly, with many good examples of existing B&Bs to illustrate the point. While you may not need all the information included when you first open your business, this book will provide you with lots of options for a time when you're able to expand. I recommend this book to anyone seriously considering going into the B&B business as a business, rather than just a way of pouring money down the drain!

I thought Lora did a great job with this book. It is well-thought-out and presented in a manner that the reader can easily grasp. I'd buy this book and "I'm Living Your Dream Life" by Michele Cozzens before going into the business.

The book is packed with valuable information for anyone who has ever dreamed of opening a bed and breakfast. The layout of the book is easy to use and simple to understand. The authors go into great detail on many aspects of the business. It begins with giving the reader a realistic look at the time and effort, as well as, the financial aspect of what goes into starting such a business so that the reader can decide whether or not it will work for them. It has details on everything from how to select a location to writing a business plan. Also has everything you need to know about hiring, laws, and even how much to charge.

The book comes complete with an easy to use CD-ROM which has many samples of business plans and forms needed to run the business. Complete and comprehensive, this book is likely to be a asset to anyone who wants to open a bed and breakfast, whether or not they have experience in it or not. Even those who already own one may want to read this book for new ideas and refresh on some subjects. Chocked full of plenty of information that is likely to be overlooked when first starting a business; this book will help any entrepreneur get their business off on the right foot.

Having worked in a bed and breakfast for several years, this book is sure to clearly help those who are thinking about starting their own bed and breakfast.

It was late, raining and we were starved. We had just checked into our hotel in Verona and needed a good meal to put our spirits back on track. That's when we dug out our little red guide and found a 4 star restaurant within walking distance. Don't let the fact that it's all written in Italian put you off. I have no language skills and found it easy to use and quite indispensable. While it's difficult to have a truly bad meal in Italy, with this book it's amazingly simple to have a positively great one.

Although I am French, I have traveled extensively in Italy. I can say without a doubt say that the Michelin Red Guide Italia is absolutely the best guidebook available. The information is so extensive that even native Italians will find a wealth of information!

All aspects of a trip are covered including hotels, restaurants tourist attractions, road and city maps and suggested traveling routes, among other things.

Michelin didn't get its superior reputation for nothing! It is the most trusted name in travel guides. This guide is just another addition to its superb library.

If you want to stay in lovely out of the way places and eat in good restaurants, here's your book. Instead of relying on the canned list of chain hotels a travel agent has, and taking pot luck at tourist dining places, get a Michelin, make your reservations in advance (figure 4-6 weeks to be safe for any restaurant with a star rating), and you'll do very well for yourself. In my experience, anyplace that's listed at all is quite decent, at least; if a restaurant or hotel is highly rated it is superb. Vacationers looking for hotels should look for places marked in red, which means especially pleasant and peaceful; you'll arrive and say to yourself: "Oh, how lovely."

Hotel and restaurant listings are very extensive and very reliable, and the guide has maps of lots of cities and small towns you won't find anywhere else , with all of the places listed marked on them. Indispensable if you want to travel around and plan your own trip.

The Michelin tourist and motoring atlases (also excellent) mark all of the towns which are mentioned in the Red Guides, so when you're planning your trip once you know where you want to go you can look for places nearby to stay and dine.

Be AWARE that this guide is "written" in Italian -- but do NOT be intimidated by that fact. The essential information is (as in the case of all Michelin texts) conveyed by ideograms or other diagrams (maps, etc.), and the meanings are clearly explained in the multilingual bookmark which accompanies the guide. The information itself is the most accurate -- and most respected -- in the world. Consider that when deciding on how you're going to spend the thousands of US$ that your Italian vacation will cost.

I travel all over the continent and have always taken my Michelin guides with me. There is no better way to treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated. I like to travel in Italia since I have a home off the Amalfi Coast on the Isle of Capri, even though I am French. I live in Provence, the most spectacular place on this very earth, but I do like to see other wonderful places and dine on foreign foods. Italia is good for doing both of those pleasures.I like to fly most of the time, but then you do not get to see the sites close up. Flying is really for getting some place fast. But if you want to take your time and really see Italia, then you must have this Michelin guides in your possession. Since I am French, I don't know every place to go, so this guide always comes in very handy for me.

I've been a fan of PDR for years and years and think she creates the most wonderful characters. She's probably the master of the damaged hero (well maybe co-master with Gayle Wilson). Rarely has she disappointed me. I particularly enjoyed her latest offering because it was in the longer format that category fiction is denied.

This is a story of revenge, hatred, and old animosities made to come right by love, tolerance, reparation and forgiveness. By examining the heart and soul of a man tormented by a crime he perhaps did not truly commit (we are kept guessing), PDR is able to evoke the meaning of true love in both the sexual and non-sexual way. Rhys Hazard is a man who feels undeserving of love and comfort who has the great good fortune to meet a woman who can offer him both and by doing so achieves a level of love and completion for herself. Although events conspire against them, their regard for each other makes them complete.

Excellent story from a much admired author. Please can we have her next one soon?

Well written and touching. I laughed and I cried and at the end felt wonderful!

Read this one, you won't be sorry.

"Beloved, best-selling,romance author, Paula Detmer Riggs will win even more readers' hearts with her absolutely wonderful contemporary, NEVER WALK ALONE for Onyx in June 2003. Ms. Detmer Riggs known for dealing with tough issues in her storylines deftly handles several in this endearing novel. Millionaire mogul, Rhys Hazard decides to help save the flooded small town of Osuma, Washington by expanding his trucking empire there. Not intending to go there himself, Rhys is forced to return to his hometown and relive his tragic past when his trucking foreman is injured in a car crash. Rhys knows all about terrible car accidents since he caused one as a teenager which killed two young children and a schoolbus driver. Rhys was severely injured and sentenced to four years in prison. When bed-and-breakfast owner, Brina Sullivan first meets her new tenant, Rhys Hazard, she is instantly attracted to him despite his physical disability and brusque demeanor. Little does this divorced mother of two know that Rhys Hazard is really Mick Sullivan, her ex-husband's brother and the man responsible for her brother's death years ago. What a rare treat it is to find an author who is able to skillfully blend poignancy with passion. Like the Rogers and Hammerstein song, "Never Walk Alone" Paula Detmer Riggs' novel, NEVER WALK ALONE should become a classic!"
-Patricia Rouse, Rouse's Romance Readers Groups

To many of the residents of Osuma, Washington, the name Michael Sullivan means loathing. Fifteen years ago, he ran a red light, plowed into a school bus, and killed two students and the driver. Although he insisted the bus driver ran the light, Michael was convicted and served time. After his release his adopted father J.T. told him to leave town. An angry Michael never looked back.

Over the years, using the name Hazard, Michael built up a powerful hauling business, North Star Trucks, located in Phoenix. When his dad's company teeters on bankruptcy, he buys the firm to convert it into a northwest trucking firm. However, he is forced to take charge of the transition when his friend chosen to run the show is severely injured in a car wreck. In Osuma, Michael meets his young niece and nephew and the ex-wife of his brother. As the little girl hooks him, he and Brina Sullivan fall in love, but one of the three dead people from his accident is her brother.

NEVER WALK ALONE is at its best when the lead couple deals with their growing attraction to one another somewhat fostered by a little child who showers love on Michael. When the tale spins into a drug running intrigue, the subplot takes away from the heartfelt intensity of the prime theme of can Brina forgive the man she loves for killing someone else she cherished? Still this is a strong contemporary romance that leaves the audience to wonder if time can heal all wounds.

Harriet Klausner

This was an outstanding and emotional story of forgiveness and of learning to forgive yourself. It's about overcoming childhood problems and mistakes and forging ahead to find love and happiness again. It's not just a sappy romance story though, there's quite a lot of mystery, sabatoge, adventure and revenge involved too. I respected Rhys from the outset and couldn't help liking Brina and all the secondary characters (except John, of course). Their story captivated me and they'll remain in my thoughts for days to come.

This and the others by this author are a fun and enjoyable read--highly recommend them and await more.

In his first novel, Time Trial, Derouin introduced his winsome police detective, David Dean, who was house-sitting in the Colorado mountains while recuperating from a gunshot wound he'd sustained back home in Pennsylvania. Since his peace and quiet was soon shattered by a parade of fascinating characters who dragged him into a plot involving an alleged time machine, you might have thought that as soon as that mystery was solved, Dean would have gone home to Pennsylvania and stayed there. But now, in San Juan Solution, here he is, back in those very same mountains. It seems that he liked the Colorado lifestyle so much, he's returned with his new wife, Cynthia, and his father-in-law, Fred O'Connor, to run a bed and breakfast in Ouray. That could easily have been the happy ending of Time Trial, but since it's the beginning of this new novel, we expect more trouble, and we get it. In fact, before Dean's establishment is officially open for business, his father-in-law has already registered two guests, one of whom quickly winds up dead. So even though Dean has retired from police work in Pennsylvania, there's no way that he can avoid becoming involved in this new adventure. Once again, Derouin's characters think fast and talk tough, and Fred O'Connor is as sharp and colorful an old geezer as you're likely to meet anywhere.

Derouin is also an Easterner who moved west, and his love of his new home is so evident in his careful descriptions of the mountains surrounding Ouray that the landscape itself almost becomes part of the plot. All in all, this second David Dean adventure is so lively and intriguing that someday I may have to leave my flatland Florida home and make a visit to Colorado. If I do, however, and someone invites me to take a ride on those winding mountain roads with their breathtaking dropoffs, I'm not going!

Retired east coast police detective, David Dean, is at it again-sleuthing, that is. This time he is accompanied by his beautiful new wife, Cynthia, together with an off-beat ensemble cast of characters led by irrepressible mystery fan, Fred O'Conner, Dean's stepfather. The Deans and O'Conner are the new proprietors of Bird Song, a bed and breakfast in the charming, Victorian town of Ouray, Colorado. When their first guest turns up murdered and the second is missing, David Dean is irrepressibly drawn into a scam that involves a wronged widow, suit-and-tied, pipsqueak attorney, tent-dwelling heir to a fortune and a net-surfing cook with a dog named Brutus. Oh, and a legacy of a hundred million bucks, give or take a million or so.

The reader is drawn into the tale, gently at first, then with increasing speed and complexity, much like riding a carnival carousel, where the painted horses whirl faster and faster. Newer, and more bizarre characters, pop out of the woods and the woodwork with increasing frequency. A crutch-toting, inebriated movie star moves into Bird Song's back bedroom. The widow's fake-French boytoy camps out nearby, waiting to start a new hustle with whichever legally recognized "daughter" gets the millions. And Bird Song fills up with lawyers, heirs and contestants to the will of a man who could not have fathered any of the daughters.

The setting is stunning. And, mystery author Ray Derouin, a part-time resident of Ouray and owner of a toy store there, presents the San Juan country well, giving it a sense of character nearly as strong as protagonist David Dean. "San Juan Solution" is fun read, with lots of action, zany characters and great scenery. It's a good book to curl up on the couch with on a snowy evening.

To me, trying to lay aside an unfinished David Dean mystery is like trying to eat just one homemake chocolate chip cookie. It can't be done. This is Ouray, Colorado author Ray Derouin's second mystery in what one can only hope will be another in a long series. For the reader not familiar with Derouin, suffice it to say he is no stranger to the written word. He has written twelve plays, all of which have won national awards. His first mystery, Time Trial: A Mountain Mystery, has garnered wide spread acclaim. Thus, it was with much delight and anticipation that I received San Juan Solution. I thought his first mystery was wonderful, and it was, but this latest offering is off the scale. The protagonist, ex-Pennsylvania police detective David Dean, is back with a new bride and his indispensable, unforgettable stepfather, Fred O'Connor. The setting is the incomparably beautiful Ouray, Colorado and the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. Dean, along with his wife and stepfather, have just opened a bed and breakfast, named Bird Song, and plan to enjoy a leisurely life far away from the crime ridden east coast. Unfortunately for the trio, but fortunately for the reader, Derouin's magic and diabolic mind begins to weave a story guaranteed to please the most avid mystery fan. It seems the first guest of Bird Song ends up alone at the bottom of a mountain side ravine in his car...strapped in the passenger seat. What happened to the driver? one might ask. What driver? A good question and, well, somewhat of a mystery. This, in the hands of Derouin, is reason enough to read on. However, it seems the second guest is missing and there is reason to believe her life might also be in danger. A coincidence you say? Perhaps, but the rapid arrival of a host of characters all making inquiries into the whereabouts of the two makes for spellbinding reading. Oh, did I mention the search for an heir to a fortune, which may explain some of these coincidences? This is vintage Derouin but better, much better, than anything he had done before. Having lived in the San Juan Mountain area of Colorado I can assure the reader that the setting is authentic. In addition, the characters are believeable and the writing style is first rate. It is not until the last few pages that the mystery(s) are solved and, in his wonderful style, the loose ends are tied into a honeymoon bouquet, so to speak. If you haven't met David Dean and friends, this is your best chance. It is a delightful book.

After fifteen years on the Parkside, Pennsylvania police force, Officer David Dean retires. Almost immediately after that, David marries Cynthia Byrne. With those two radical moves to jolt his equilibrium, David makes it a trio of lifestyle events when he, Cynthia, and his stepfather Fred O?Connor move to Ouray, Colorado where they plan to run Bird Song Bed and Breakfast.

Although the B&B is not ready yet for the public, Fred rents the room of David and Cynthia to a guest and his own room to a second guest. However, someone kills their first guest and their second guest expects to be the next victim. Though the cop can leave the police force, police work never leaves the cop and with a little nudging from Fred, David begins to investigate what happened to his guest.

The mystery of SAN JUAN SOLUTION is fun to watch as it unwinds like the mountain paths that the transplanted easterners trek. The lead trio is a hoot, especially Fred and his ability to manipulate everyone and the support cast provides either trouble or local color to the terrific tale. As with the first tale (see the delightfully wacky TIME TRIAL), R.E. Derouin?s novel pays homage to the Colorado Rockies. Readers will feel as if they are hiking the trail along side of David and Cynthia. Mr. Derouin is two for two with both of his Dean novels being outstanding and a ?tri-quel? needed for fans of the series.

Harriet Klausner