Archer Books

I remember doing a search quite a while back for French Life (or something similiar) and found this book right before it's release. I immediately put it on my Wish List and kind of forgot about it.

A few months later, I found it again (going through my list) and decided I didn't want to spend $35 for this book so after much waiting it became available thru inter-library loan.

Let me tell you that I am so glad I was able to get it this way rather than pay for this overly-plush, terribly written book. Such a letdown..boring writing with heady photographs.
You will not learn anything new about the French in this book. It's the same thing: French style, food, politeness, slow pace, etc. And I got really sick of the author's constant referrals to her olive farm.

Best book on French style: Veronique Vienne's French Style: How to Think, Shop & Dress Like a Frenchwoman...magnificient OOP book but absolutely worth the inflated price.
Best book on French cuisine and life: Robert Arbor's Joie de Vivre.

Don't waste your time with this one. You'll just be paying for padded fluff.

If you don't have the time or money to go to Paris, this is the next best thing. The photos are dreamy and really wonderful. Put on French music, poor a glass of wine and your there!!!

I've always had a fascination with anything french! Oh I loved this book so much and intend to read it again and again! BEAUTIFULLY DONE! BEAUTIFUL WRITING...I hung on every beautiful word!....Photography couldn't have been more spectacular! I feel closer to France now more than ever!

This book is just devine. It will inspire you to take risks, uproot your life and follow your dreams. Vicki and her husband David fell in love with a farmhouse in Provence while holidaying, and have lovingly restored the house and surrounding acreage. The house is truly beautiful and I now have Provence on my list of places I must visit soon. What is interesting is how she made this her new life, learnt a new language, gives us her viewpoint of the French and way of life. What living in France is like to someone who is not French but has chosen it as their new home.
Vicki also covers Paris - I am thankfully going there next year!
The photography, thanks to Carla Coulson is spectacular,and this is a beautiful book.
Vicki also shares a list of shops in Paris and in Saint-Remy-de-Provence she recommends, plus movies, books and music that have have inspired her love of all things French.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us Vicki.

I have never read anything so utterly pretentious -- how wonderful that Ms Archer found this paradise and, at untold cost, restored it brick by brick, stone by stone, using the best local craftspeople,artisans, antiquarians and the like (and who all, along the way, became her new best friends)-- and telling us in the most mundane style how lucky she is to be able to sit and watch the olives grow while also tripping off to Paris or London (her now home).

Her ultimate coup, it seems, and which Ms. Archer proudly tells us she has received, was recognition,by the French Security person at the airport,of her HERMES BERKIN handbag. He informed her that she had bought the most perfect item in the whole world, made with utmost craftsmanship at Hermes-- and she has the privilege of owning it! MON DIEU!!!

Luckily, I got this book from my local library and thus have not added a centime to her rather full coffers. SAVE YOUR MONEY! BETTER TO DONATE IT TO A WORTHY CAUSE!!!!

Out of all the Mindwarp books by Chris Archer this was the best and was a great ending to the Mindwarp series. I aslo thought that the book had a great plot to it and always kept you going, it was like I couldn't stop reading this book and I have to say that out of all the books I've read that this is the best book ever.

The way this series ended it needs an 11th book, some things could have changed in the book like Ed Beister wouldn't be crazy and maybe their Alpha parents would still live with them or turn up mysteriously.they would absolutely have to still have their powers I haven't for a second considered them not having their powers. The problems with no.10 would be a)it's all Toni and those of us whose favourites aren't Toni would still be wondering what our favourites were thinking about whether or not they still had their powers.b)it took you out of the OMG Ash Jack Todd and Elena could die setting.c)It went through Toni wondering whether she was Toni when we all knew she was.there's probably alot more than that but i'll leave it there.Maybe a reason why Chris Archer didn't finish it with them having their powers for sure was because he didn't see how,logically they could, but they were exposed to the meteor, so I don't see how, logically they couldn't still have their powers.Overall the book dragged out on you and didn't tell you about their powers and you were worried and in suspense until the end when they did't tell you, I felt disappointed.This is the only book that didn't make me feel like I just had to read the rest of the series. I've been trying not to be too harsh so I'll say It's my least favourite book in my favourite series.

One reason why I liked it was because it had a happy ending, which made me feel satisfied. But one reason I didn't like it too much was because I felt like it was written in a hurry, and it was a pretty diluted ending. Like, totally abstract and not really complete. I don't think Chris Archer tied up all the loose ends, but it was an okay ending to the series.

This is a good book! Toni Douglas wakes up in a hospital, and is told that she is someone else. Everyone else tells her that she will remember who she is, but is everything as it seems?
Read this book to find out. This book doesn't leave you with a definite idea of what will happen to Toni & Co, but some times books are better that way.

This book was very good, and I would recommend it to anybody who is the fan of the Mindwarp series! However, after reading it, I felt as though it left me hanging. Everyone else has given a synopsis, so I won't waste your time, but know that I DO recommend this book to anybody who is an avid reader of the mindwarp series (even though it wasn't my favorite.)

On the positive side, Mr. Archer is to be commended for being an unconventional and adventurous traveler. He stays away from the typical tourist haunts and shows us a South America rarely seen by Fodors and Frommer, much less by the A-list queens who won't venture outside of the discos in Buenos Aires. Alas, he was not well-served by his editor (or did he even have one?). The book reads too much like hundreds of blog postings pasted together. Entertaining at times, yes..., but blogs are usually worth a 10 minute read, not five hours worth. I was disappointed that Mr. Archer did not delve more deeply into the characters of the persons that he met on the way. Everyone, including Mr. Archer's long time boyfriend-ex-boyfriend are mere caricatures. I am afraid that this was a squandered opportunity.

This fast-reading non-fiction portrays the author and and his companions in a two-year odyssey, traveling seven countries of South America. These fast-reading encounters are narrated with rare insights of a personal nature along with the attractions of the land, back-packing on a shoe string.

The sights of these Latin countries are presented with a refreshing, unusual point of view. Most episodes are humorous. Some are not-so-pleasant, even downright frightening. I enjoyed the book thoroughly.

Made me laught outloud!!! A great journey trought South America and the life of Jesse Archer. Looking foward to read more colums and books from him.

How many times have you resisted the urge to just take off when you felt trapped, frustrated or bored with your life? Jesse Archer didn't resist. He took off for South America and stayed almost two years. This hair-raising, often hilarious, and heartfelt book is a startlingly candid account of his intrepid travels and uproarious escapades.

Everyone should read this book for its vivid and sometimes appalling vignettes of what life is like for people living on the margins, out in the Amazon, way up in the Andes or in some urban barrio. Archer didn't just observe the life from a tour bus. Because he was traveling on a shoestring, he lived it. And there's a double journey in the book: the wild travel adventures across the South American continent, and also a wild journey of the heart.

But the book is far from being all third-world misery and messy personal emotions. As I said, it's both hair-raising and hilarious. Ever had a live alligator hauled into your boat? And wait `till you read about Archer's impromptu striptease in front of the toilet paper lady.

If you're not going to actually break free from your own life and light out for the hinterlands, buy this book, and travel along with Jesse Archer. He's such a good writer, it's the next best thing.
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I loved this book and read it non-stop. I started reading it while I was on vacation in Miami - I was reading it before going to bed, near the pool, in the pool.... I would finally stop reading and feel like I'd been in another place - it would take a few seconds to get my bearing. Fun, smart stories with an overarching story throughout the book. Highly recommended.

Candace Robb has read and researched medieval history for many years, having studied for a Ph.D. in Medieval and Anglo-Saxon Literature. She divides her time between Seattle and the UK, frequently spending time in Scotland and York to research her books.

York is very close to my own home and many of the places mentioned in the Owen Archer books are still there to be seen and of course Archbishop John Thorseby is mentioned in the records of York Minster. All this adds spice for me and helps me to picture the time and events that took place. This is the second novel in what is proving to be a captivating series.

It is the middle of the 14th century in England and in the city of York the people are dying under mysterious circumstances. There is a common thread to all of the death, they have all taken herbal remedies dispensed by Nicholas Wilton, whose apothecary shop lies in the shadow of York Minster, one of England's most beautiful offerings to the glory of God. Nicholas is a most respected apothecary, surely he would not make the mistakes that are proving fatal?

Owen Archer, one time Captain of a group of Welsh Archers, with a knack of being able to unravel mysteries is dispatched into York to try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I liked the mystery very much, it wasn't so much who killed who as it was about why, what was the mystery and motivations. I found it very suspenseful and I enjoyed the characters tremendously -OK Lucie U Bro Wulfsten were tolerable- Owen, Bess, Thorseby, Magda & the Summoner all thought were good well-developed characters. I liked Owen very much and will read the next book in the series asap.

I have enjoyed Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series very much, and when I first discovered this book, I thought I had found another wonderful mystery series.
I am sorry to say that this was a major disappointment.
The plot, the mystery is weak-actually there's no mystery at all-the villain is too conspicuous from the start.
I did not think much of character development either.
Does the author have to remind the reader of the protagonist's attraction to the opposite sex that many times?

And Magda Digby, the character that seems most real to the author-does she have to talk like Yoda?
Lucie Wilton-the female protagonist-is so good and beautiful that it gets irritating after a while.
Archdeacon Anselm is too much of a cliche-
Really, no redeeming features at all .

I have enjoyed the Owen Archer series since a patient of mine suggested the books. This is my third venture into the 14th Century and the first of the series. In Apothecary Rose the author introduces most of the main characters: The Archbishop of York and King's Chancellor Thorsby, his spy/sleuth Owen Archer, Owen's apothecary wife Lucie Wilton, the infirmarian Brother Wulfstan, the mysterious healer Magda Digby, and the helpful neighbors and local pub owners Bess and Tom. With this work, the author sets up the personalities and histories of her characters, their new relationships, the format of this and succeeding stories, and introduces the main players on the historical stage of the time.

Like Ellis Peters (Brother Cadfael) with whom she is often compared, Ms Robb has a good handle on the mystery story as set in old England. She keeps to the story, but insists that it remain as historically accurate as she is able to make it. As she points out in one of her expositions on writing historical fiction, she attempts to produce a work that is as true to the time as possible, taking liberties only where there is no data and where her theories are at least plausible. Ms Robb is a professionally trained historian shy of a PhD only by a dissertation, and seems to have a feel for her time period of choice. She creates a realistic ambiance without burdening her readers with more information than they need to visualize the setting and characters.

One of the interesting facets of this story is the clear understanding that one gains of the social life of the times. The author is able to recreate the intertwined nature of church and secular authority. She also makes it clear that, no matter how we feel about religion, the religious, or God today, the early Europeans, in this case the English, were often quite serious about their beliefs. Even the very ambitious churchmen, like the Archbishop, who were involved in political intrigue, plot and counterplot were not totally lacking in belief. Why this might have been--and in fact why it is less so now--becomes more apparent when one is placed in the precarious setting of the Middle Ages.

Another of the things that the author is able to put across for the reader is that much of what is taken as "unfounded," anti-science herbal remedies today, have a long and respected history behind them. The apothecary underwent a lengthy training period or apprenticeship before practicing his/her craft, much as a modern pharmacist does today. Furthermore, there were specialties in the health care world of the time, just as there are today. In a world before antibiotics, much of what these people could do to heal and to relieve suffering was impressive. It may not measure up to today's standards, but the technology and economic wherewithal for modern medicine did not exist at the time and in fact still doesn't in many 3rd World countries.

Very impressive work. It might make a good introduction to this period in history for students.

I truly enjoyed this book and plan to read the entire series. It was through a romance review site that I first encountered a review on The Apothecary Rose. Frankly, if it hadn't been for the romantic element, I might not have read it. I felt the interaction between Owen Archer and Lucie made the story more interesting, but there is very little romance, per se, compared to what you would find in a romance novel where a lot of emphasis is placed on a physical relationship.

There is a mystery, but not centered on who-done-it because that's pretty easy to figure out. The mystery revolves around the "why", which to me can be just as enjoyable as guessing the "who". The medieval time period was fasinating to read about and also enlightening. Some of the characters like Magda Digby, Archdeacon Anselm, and Nicolas Wilton were unforgettable. Where some would look as if they were unfit for society and without wisdom, and others whose chosen field of service showcases their piety, readers will immerse themselves in the good and evil of these characters. Choices, during this period, was not so much based on moral decisions, but what was more expedient or best for the King and/or the Church.

Thus said, Owen Archer is someone you don't want to miss. The next one in the series is The Lady Chapel. I hope it will be just as titillating.

Detective Lew Archer is hired by the Blackwell family in Bel Air to investigate a deadbeat artist/playboy set on marrying their daughter who goes by the name of Burke Damis. Mark Blackwell suspects he's "One of those confidence men who make a career of marrying silly women" and is trying to get his hooks on a half-million fortune. Is Burke Damis who he says he is? Why was Quincy Ralph Simpson killed by an ice pick? What is the significance of the black-and-white hearse?


This is my personal, favorite mystery of all time. I have read this book no less than four times throughout my life and it inspired me on the road to mystery writing. Ross Macdonald weaves a complex Freudian twist in The Zebra-Striped Hearse not explored by Chandler and Hammett. It also examines the, then generation gap. Indicative of Ross Macdonald books, the California coast and sea are woven into the story and paint a serene backdrop against the moral turpitude of the plot.

If you have not yet had the pleasure of picking up a Lew Archer mystery, this is a fine one to start with. Although I think MacDonald had written a dozen books before 'Zebra-Striped Hearse,' they all stand alone very well.

What's so great about Archer books is that they really feel like a good Chandler or Hammett. I often wonder what Hammett would have come up with if he had taken Sam Spade and concocted a long running series ala today's writers. A high complement, in my opinion, is that Lew Archer pretty nicely fits that bill.

However, though I can go on and on about how great these Archer books are, I can't help but think that Macdonald often fails to take his books that extra step. If you compare any of Macdonalds books to say 'The Big Sleep,' it is apparent that the Archer series comes away as pretty flat and 2 dimensional. That might be something to think about as you work your way through the series. And because Macdonald took so many liberties with Hammett and Chandler... never truly finding his own voice... and at the same time failed to match these authors at their best, I can't bring myself to give any of Macdonalds books five stars.

I am sure that you can see the essence of the plot here by skimming this web page. One thing going for it is some nice convolusions on the authors part that will undoubtedly keep you wondering exactly what is going on til the very end. I just had to get my two cents in above and complain about some apparant, though in the long run, very over-lookable deficits. This is a great book. Enjoy it. Think about how one mystery writer feeds off another and adds to our currently thriving lexicon of contemporary writers.

Ross Macdonald was in top form when he wrote The Zebra-Striped Hearse. I found this engaging Lew Archer mystery to be an incredibly compelling page turner of a novel.

The narrative begins with ace PI Lew Archer being hired by Mark Blackwell, a wealthy, puritanical, ex-army colonel. Blackwell's daughter Harriet has taken up with a penniless artist named Burke Damis. And quite naturally, Dad does not approve. So he hires Archer to look into Damis' background.

Archer's subsequent investigation takes him to a number of different locales in California, Nevada and Mexico and proves to be quite fruitful. He learns a number of disturbing things about Mr. Damis, including the fact that Damis is not his real name.

But that's only the beginning. Archer and the reader eventually learn that nothing is at it appears. As the suspenseful plot unfolds, a hidden web of intrigue, deception and family dysfunction is skillfully unmasked. And ultimately, the multifaceted plot all comes together at the stunningly effective conclusion.

The Zebra-Striped Hearse is a prime example of Ross Macdonald at his very best. An enthusiastic 5 stars.

"The Zebra-Striped Hearse" initially published in 1962, is the author's tenth book, one in a series of Lew Archer mysteries, described by The New York Times as "the finest series of detective novels ever written by an American." One of the California-set Archer series, "The Drowning Pool," was made into a movie starring Paul Newman as the Archer character, renamed Harper for the film. The American author of the series was Ross Macdonald, Californian, who wrote in the great hard-boiled tradition of Los Angeles noir, following on the heels of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. (In fact, at one point in this book, we appear to have a dead lady in a lake, which would have to be considered a nod to Chandler's "The Lady in the Lake.") Unfortunately, there will be no more entries in the Lew Archer series: Macdonald passed from the scene years ago, if memory serves, suffering from disabling Alzheimer's disease that prevented him from writing while he still lived.

"The Hearse" opens with what appears to be a variant on the Cinderella story: rich American princess wants to marry, stepmother stands in the way. Although we quickly learn the union is more harshly opposed by the girl's father, the moneyed king. And the would-be prince is a bounder, handsome man with artistic pretensions, shady past, too many women in his life. Then, as this is a mystery, the bodies start showing up, though later rather than sooner, as some of us prefer. But it's a tight, reasonably complex, absorbing story, well-told. The opening even foreshadows the ending, as was always the rule: Macdonald was an able writer. However, in coming back to reread this book after many years, the most striking thing about it was its close adherence to what I always considered this author's formula: all the bad things happening in the open here and now grow out of bad things done secretly years ago.

Macdonald was also an excellent descriptive writer and he's left us an indelible picture of the Los Angeles of his time. Adults drink and smoke heavily-- the author describes smoke-filled rooms such as would never be tolerated in the LA of today. Beach bums have to watch their pennies. The city's smog is battened down upon it by clouds, as if they were "the lid of a pressure cooker," an item most readers today will not know. Orange County, today a series of famously wealthy television-worthy suburbs, was then a rural place where they grew oranges: Macdonald calls it Citrus County. He describes the now world-renowned home of the movie-making elite, and other elites, Malibu, as a "straggling beach town," and mentions the "shabby fringes" of Pacific Palisades, a location where you'd be hard put to find anything shabby today. In sum, it seems that, whether he aimed to or not, Macdonald also produced an abiding picture of his home town over the years.

The bad news about this wonderful novel is that it is not Ross MacDonald at his very best. The good news is that it is still far better than most mystery novels that have been written. Of the three great masters of the American hardboiled detective novel, MacDonald never achieved the brilliant prose style of Hammett and Chandler, but neither of those two came close to the meditations on the vagaries of the human soul that MacDonald made his subject over and again. All of MacDonald's novels deal with the consequences of original sin, of an evil that seems to be greater than any individual human being, an evil that constantly threatens to overwhelm human beings when they least anticipate it. Frequently, we discover in MacDonald that, as in the Old Testament, the sins of the fathers have been visited on the second and third generations. Often in his novels, the roots of the crimes of the present lay twenty or thirty or forty years in the past. In this novel, Lew Archer at one points explains to his client, "The past is the key to the present," thus stating explicitly one of the fundamental principles underlying all of MacDonald's fiction. Ironically this novel extends less into the pass than almost any of his other novels. One of his truly great novels such as the incomparable THE CHILL or THE INSTANT ENEMY will extend decades into the past, which MacDonald brilliantly links to the present. Often one gets the sense that MacDonald's is revealing the secret history of his character's lives. This one does as well, but instead of going forty years into the past, he goes merely a few years.

I loved the locales of the novel. Although I wish he physically described the areas Archer visits, MacDonald was always more of an ethicist than a sociologist. He was always less interested in communities and the way society worked than in the way that humans worked and how the decisions they make ripple down through the lives of other human beings. Thus he visits Lake Tahoe, but there is a kind of timelessness to the area he described. In reading Chandler, on the other hand, there is often a deep consciousness of the character and nature of the places where the stories occur. These technique benefits both authors, by providing a concreteness to Chandler's stories that is often missing in MacDonald's, while lending a sense of timelessness to MacDonald that is impossible in Chandler. Most hardboiled writers have tended to follow more in Hammett and Chandler's footsteps than MacDonald's, though James Ellroy is one notable exception.

Though this is not one of MacDonald's best novels, it is still exceptionally enjoyable. It is also one of his least typical. Some people survive you anticipate meeting violent ends (the body count for his central characters is usually quite high). As always, he unrolls his plot skillfully. The characters are all vividly drawn. And unlike many of his other novels, there is more than one unexpected twist at the end. This is as fine a place as any for any newcomer to MacDonald to start, and any MacDonald veteran who has not read it certainly should. It may not contain the glories of his great masterpiece THE CHILL (which more than one critic of the genre considers to be the supreme novel of the entire detective genre), but it is nonetheless a very fine book.

I love these books and have read everyone now. This one is as a good as the others. I am glad that Owen has finally returned to Wales for a time. Brother Michelo's growth is fascinating.

I agree totally with the reader who wrote that a simple list of characters would have helped. I too, thought the names were very confusing, Dafydd, Dyfrid, the dogs names so close to the men's names...ahhh. The names were also very long. I found myself having to go backwards to read to figure it all out. It was more work than enjoyment. I have read about 5 other Candance Robb books and I enjoyed this one the least. The others were very good.

How do I rate the best thus far in a series of 5-star books?!?! If there were more stars, this book would get them from me. I read it in one day, devoured it like Belgian chocolates. What can I say? I loved the journey through Wales, the pilgrimage. It was great to meet Martin the Fleming again (Jasper's old friend). Sir Robert and Michaelo were wonderful. Tangwystl, yes what a beautiful name. It was fascinating to find out Owen's feelings upon revisiting Wales, crossing the Severn, meeting up with countrymen and family. The author does a phenomenal job of characterizations. The bard Daffyd was fascinating, as were his friends Cadwall and the two dogs. Great books, all of them so far, but this is my favorite. I've been to Wales and this book captures the mystery perfectly!

Spring 1369, Owen Archer, one-time soldier and spy is out recruiting archers for the Duke of Lancaster, but he is also on a mission to find out whether the Duke's own steward is betraying him to the Welsh rebels. Trouble goes before them and a body in the Duke's livery is left at the city gates.
All of Candace Robb's novels have great appeal to those interested in the medieval period and this one is no exception. Owen Archer is a believable hero and the area of York in which he lived is not too far from my own home which lends a extra dimension to the novels from me.

I think this is my favorite so far of the Owen Archer series. It certainly gives one much to think about. Although A Gift of Sanctuary takes place in Wales and lacks the Archbishop's Spy Owen's charismatic wife, Lucy, the apothecary, it does expand on the characters of her father Sir Robert D'Arby and of the Archbishop's secretary, the mercurial Brother Michaelo. These are characters with which the reader has become familiar in earlier works. When the elderly knight and the irritating brother are thrown together as companions on pilgrimage to a sacred site in Wales and travel with Owen who is on a mission for the Duke of Lancaster, the reader has the opportunity to know them better. Both individuals grown in depth throughout the story, adding human interest to the story of murder and love betrayed. Indeeed, the story focuses as much on the development of these two people as it does on the mystery itself.

Haunting too is the tale of Owen's long separation from his family and of the many changes that are wrought by time in one's absence from home. In the years during which the action takes place, travel is a dangerous pursuit undertaken only rarely and then usually for religious or commercial reasons. Most people had not travelled more than a few miles from their home. For Owen, who left home years before to become an archer for the Duke of Lancaster, returning home to Wales is a bitter sweet experience at best.

Interesting too is the reintroduction of the poet Chauce--he appeared in an earlier story as well--and of a Welsh bard (with whose name I am unfamiliar). Both add some comic relief to the story, especially Dafydd ap Gwilym who plays a wise fool throughout. I took a class in Middle English, reading Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, when I was working on my MA in history, and although I struggled through the unfamiliar and vaguely familiar words of the poetry, I never learned much about the man himself. Robb's recreation of his personality, while it may not be perfectly accurate is probably not far from the truth.

Again the author provides an interesting summation of the history of the period, including the political climate of the Welsh-English frontier of the 14th Century.

I loved this easy and quick read. The characters were people we all know and love. The feelings were ones we all feel too many times in our lives. I am trying to get my book club to read it, just for fun.

Forty years old Cecilia "CiCi" Dupree feels much older than her age. She recently filed for divorce from Bert, but believes she should have killed him and buried him at the sacred canine peeing ground after seeing him kissing a neighbor's daughter barely older than their teen. CiCi just took her widow mom Belle out of the Parkview nursing home to live with her and her college age daughter Erin.

However, the three generations of females under one roof cause an overflow of estrogen that drives the one pulled in the middle over the edge. Using lists to keep track of the demands by her mom and her daughter, CiCi knows that being the SANDWICHED generation leaves no time for her. Yet she wonders if she would have it any other way as the women find they have different needs, different desires, and different perspectives yet share the need, desire and perspective of loving relationships.

The family drama is told by rotating perspectives that reflect the background of the individual women as they tell their side. Whereas CiCi uses a first person narration, Belle sends letters to her deceased spouse and Erin uses instant messenger and email; this technique highlights the differences between the three generational females yet also shows their common bond. Though somewhat disruptive and requiring a reader adjustment, Jennifer Archer scores a bull's-eye with this insightful relationship drama.

Harriet Klausner

I loved this book. The dialogue is so believable, right on target. Each woman was someone I wanted to meet, and each, through her own narrative, made me laugh, cry, and sympathize. Plus it was a real hoot when the author poked fun at "bodice ripper" historical romances with "Penelope's Passion", the book she read to her mother's senior reading group. It's also nice to see older adults portrayed as sexually active, when too often they are stereotyped as doddering and passionless. No matter where you are in your life story, pick this one up. I would also recommend Taking Back Mary Ellen Black, also part of the NeXt series. Take warning, though, that that one has very explicit sex (in case you don't like that kind of thing).

Unique and very funny! Nice to see some writers willing to take chances and this one is a hit. The use of email and letters to move the story lines along is unusual and very effective. The stories of the three women, mother, daughter and grandaughter are funny and poingnent; illustrating the struggles of growing up, getting smart, and accepting age gracefully with spunk and humor! Can't wait to read her next book!

Don't let this book fool you. It is a great read whether you are male or female. You do not need to be a fan of romance novels. (which this is not, but the Harlequin label may fool some) A fun read with lots of "real" moments. You will pull for these characters. You will wish you could pick up the phone and call them up and and share details of your life with them. You will wish they were your friends and neighbors.

Wayne's stroy on my goodness! There was so much emotion in that story. Both of the lead characters had a lot of issues to deal with. It was very well written. I liked the element of mystery in the story as well. I love stories with kids in them and Melissa was funny and adorable. I can seem myself reading this story over and over! I give it 5 stars! I cannot wait to see what other stories that he comes up with. Devon's was good and had it's funny moments.

I just bought this book today and all i can say is wow. I have not read a book this good in a long time. The fact that it is a romance book written by men was also a delight because it shows just how romantic a man can be. However, my all time favorite was Capture the Sunrise...too good beyond words. Its a well written story about two people who learn to trust and learn to love again. I couldnt put it down untill i was finished.

Capture the sunrise; wow strong emotions in this book - Wayne Jordan writes just as well as any female romance writer. His hero and heroine find their way to each other cautiously - Taurean, a man not afraid to show his emtions whether it be passion or tears and Alana having to deal with her fears. Melissa the kid was cute without being syrupy sweet and as for Blake - totally insane. And as for Barbara a real West Indian 'auntie'. I never felt compelled to visit Barbados before only been there in transit but this book changed my mind.
The other book well I give it 3 stars I also could not see the attraction - the heroine seemd to fly off the handle so easily. Why expect a guy she just met to declare a serious commitment just cos he bedded you a few times - get real woman!

"Capture the Sunrise" was a very good read. Taurean was a well developed character and it was a pleasure to experience. I could feel him exhale once he spoke to Alana about his guilt. I have been asked to do the same thing his brother asked of him and made the same decision that he did. Thank goodness I didn't experience the same results from that act of love.
I also enjoyed the well researched and executed back story of Alana and her daughter. It was nice to see her take time to heal herself after the years of abuse she experienced. It was realistic for her panic about starting a new relationship after rediscovering herself. The character interaction in this book was well paced and the ending was satisfying. I loved little melissa. The child-like innocence and wisdom to discern which adults were trustworthy after life with her dad speaks of the resilience of children. I thought more would be said about Alanas childhood in Barbados; but maybe that will be addressed in the coming installments of the "Buchanan Brothers". .......

"Dark and Dashing", I found very uneven and confusing. I couldn't figure out why Maurice was attracted to Conneca since everytime he tried to engage her attention she would fly off the handle. There was too much introspective thought and not enough dialogue between the characters. At times it seemed as if it was write by numbers; (insert name here, give fashion info there, feel emoition here.... etc.) They were contemplating their futures without interaction. ????? I liked Lee and Nadine though.

In the enticing novella SLOW MOTION, readers are introduced to BET Publications' first male Arabesque romance authors Wayne Jordan and R. Barri Flowers, writing as Devon Vaughn Archer.

Capture The Sun by Wayne Jordan takes us to a little cottage situated on the enchanted beaches of Barbados where Alana Smyth-Connell and her daughter are hiding out from her ex-husband. However, they are not alone. Taurean Buchanan, in need of solace from the outside world, is also there. His brother has offered him the use of his vacation house for a few months. Unbeknownst to Tauren and his brother, his sister-in-law has also granted Alana use of the cottage. Although they decide to make the best of the situation, the instant attraction between them will cause some problems.

In Devon Vaughn Archer's Dark and Dashing readers are introduced to Conneca Sheridan owner of the Sheridan Seaside Inn. While at a charity auction to promote literacy, one wrong move causes Conneca to offer the highest bid for renowned author Maurice Templeton. After a night on the town followed by a passionate kiss, Conneca makes it clear that she is not interested in a relationship. Maurice, however, has other plans. Deciding to stay in town for a few more days, he tracks Conneca down and makes a reservation to stay at her inn. What follows is a fairy tale romance, until Maurice's ex-wife/writing partner shows up.

SLOW MOTION is a well-written book with two tantalizing tales of romance. Jordan and Archer have penned wonderful stories. The storylines, characterizations and plots were on point. Each page flowed from chapter to chapter without missing a beat. Highly recommended, SLOW MOTION is a novella that will be enjoyed by readers for years to come.

Reviewed by Pamela Bolden
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

I have the omnibus edition containing the first 3 Rogue Angel novels. Though I have read GOLD EAGLE books for more than 20 years, this series is a little different than the customary action adventure of Mack Bolan, Stony Man, Able Team, or Phoenix Force from WORLDWIDE.

If GOLD EAGLE follows their normal pattern, each book in this series, which now stands at 13, with #14 out in September, 2008, and #15 out in November, 2008, each book will have a different author. The style and tone may differ book-to-book but the overall theme will remain the same. With Joan of Arc, archaeology, and savvy Annja Creed as the topic of each book, GOLD EAGLE has a winning combination and series here. Although this 2nd book is not quite as strong as the 1st, it is still a very well written book with a very interesting topic. And one of the main questions everyone interested in Solomon's Cup must address is what use will be made of the cup if it exists, and if it is ever found. At book's midpoint, Annja is unsure what is to be done with the cup.

Much action exists in this book, but GOLD EAGLE's success is known and based upon literally hundreds of past action adventure novels. And with my omnibus carrying the label 'science fiction' they can pretty much make Annja larger than life. And in mentioning omnibus, this is the first one that I know that GOLD EAGLE has ever issued.

While I do not see this series as strong or popular as the Mack Bolan series, which now stands at 357 books plus, Rogue Angel will have at least 15 books, probably more.

If you care for GOLD EAGLE books, action adventure books, or just plain science fiction, then this series of books about an intelligent, capable, and brave female archaeologist may be for you. Won't hurt to try.

Semper Fi.

This is not as good as the first book, and Anja Creed rapidly hops from continent to continent at ridiculous speed, almost.

The ultimate goal is Solomon's Jar, thanks to some usenet help. It may or may not have demons in it. Along the way, she runs into one of her usenet correspondents, who turns out to be a decent bloke, rescuing her at one stage after a bitch fight with a crazed Brazilian supermodel.

She is a bit less than forthcoming about how she gets out of all her physical confrontations.

"I don't believe in superheroes...but you'd look smashing in a cape and tights." Is the quip her new friend Aidan comes up with.

Mad cultists and the Russian mafia make appearances.

With the huge outpouring of this new genre of mixed genres in the supernatural/occult/romance/fantasy-sci-fi we have Gold Eagle's Rogue Angel series, written by two of the best writers that Gold Eagle has in their store of writers, Mel Odom and Victor Milan. Both are respected writers for the past 20-years-plus, having written for several publishing houses and giving us everything from post-holocaust action/adventure to excellent sci-fi & fantasy series.

Mel Odom wrote the first one and now here we have Vicor Milan lending his tremendous talent in the 2nd book in Annja Creed's continent-jumping latest adventure, searching out a jar that is known to be holding demons locked in a jar.

In Victor Milan's well-known and great style, we have a very exciting beginning with Annja running from a group of mercs through the Amazon jungle. What then ensues is a continent-spanning adventure from the Amazon basin to Amsterdam to Egypt and beyond, filled with everything from demon-possessed baddies to Russian mafia hit-men to magical swords that slice and dice the reader through pages of exciting fun.

It is no wonder why this series has taken off like wildfire! And with two of the most respected adventure writers onboard, readers have tons of fun and exciting reading experiences in front of them.

But in regards to this particular novel, my husband and I thought that even though it was a solid entry, and Milan wrote Annja as a newly-grown adventurer not yet used to loads of bloodshed, we felt some elements of the reactions to her bloodletting were not wholly believable. We know in such novels you must suspend belief, but when Milan did write her abhorance to her killing, it was like after the third battle sequence or so.

Being martial artists, my husband and I like to read an author who knows the basics of hand-to-hand combat, therin creating more believable action sequences that make the reading experience that much more enjoyable. Milan does that.

But we had to wonder why Annja Creed doesn't get a license to carry a gun, since a hidden magical sword isn't as good as an AK-47. After being chased and attacked by so many bad guys, hopefully in future volumes she will learn this lesson.

Great work, Mr. Milan! Keep up the high level of suspence and adventure.

This is a good follow up to Destiny in the Rogue Angel series. I enjoyed it enough to buy the next few books in the series and am on book 4, The Chosen, now. I hope Alex Archer keeps up the good writing because I have the first 8.

Annya Creed is an archeologist who now wields the mighty sword of Joan of Arc. OK, don't get turned off yet. Yes, it sounds a little bizarre, but it's so well written, and seemingly well researched (I haven't fact checked, but everything sounds plausible) that the story moves along quite nicely. There's adventure, exotic locales, danger, sword fighting, romance without all that gratuitous sex that seems to creep into everything nowadays. The focus is the story, and the story is a lot of fun!

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Annja is still reeling from the news that she is the chosen successor to Joan of Arc herself in the quest for good triumphing over evil but she can't rest. Rumors abound that the fabled jar of Solomon has been found... the very one in which he trapped all the demons after using them to build his temple. Now Annja journeys across Europe to get the answers.

Several others are also interested in gaining the jar however, and the power it presumably gives to its owner. There is a British cult who wants it to return the world to how it was before humans sullied it. A popular televangelist longs to use the jar to instill himself as a global leader of religion. And the Russian mob wants it for their own unknown reasons. Who will find the jar and what will they do with it once they acquire it? Annja will do whatever it takes to preserve it for the great archeological find that it is.

I'm loving the Rogue Angel series! While I'd have liked to see a little more in each book about Joan of Arc and the reasons for Annja's ties to the sword, I'm enjoying the books for the thrilling adventures they are. Solomon's Jar is yet another fast paced adventure ride through the life and times of archeological expert Annja Creed. Action starts immediately and never lets up until the end. With a variety of enemies also on the trail of Solomon's Jar, each with their own lust for power driving them in different ways, we are kept guessing as to what will happen next and who will get in Annja's way this time.

Annja is one tough cookie and there's no messing with her. However, she has a softer side too that peeks out every now and again which does a great job of preventing Annja from being the stereotypical action-adventure female character. Most of them are hard and cold but not Annja, she has a heart and isn't afraid to reveal it sometimes. This is best evidenced through some of Annja's relationships, especially the romantic one brewing between Annja and Aidan Pascoe who is hunting down the jar for his own reasons.

I love the audio productions of the Rogue Angel series. I have a very strong impression in my mind of what Annja and company are like that may not be as clear through just reading the book. As if there wasn't enough intensity already, the sound effects up the ante, adding quite a bit to the story. My only complaint is that many times the sound effects are overdone and so overpowering that I can't even make out the dialogue between the characters. This was disappointing as I wanted to hear everything that was being said.

I look forward to the further adventures of Annja Creed so it's a good thing I have every single book available in audio already. This means I can move right along into the next book.

It's completely shocking to me that if you go into a superchain bookstore these days - (I'm not writing about Amazon, which will usually get it for you if it's in print) but you know the stores I mean, - if you go into them and browse the mystery sections, Ross MacDonald is barely represented. Shocking, because he truly deserves the William Goldman NY Times quote that graces the covers of most of his books: "The finest series of detective novels ever written by an American." His Lew Archer novels truly are among the best we have, and although all eighteen aren't equally as great, they are all usually a cut above the rest of what's out there.

I cut my teeth on Chandler; and his three excellent Marlowe novels, The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely, and The Long Goodbye, are beautiful, superlative books. Hammett's got The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key, and Red Harvest. But MacDonald will keep you engrossed through eighteen incredibly plotted, almost always puzzling, hard boiled mysteries that surpass in some respects those six mentioned novels, and most anything by any later writer. Even after you're on to his method you'll still find it hard, if not impossible, to decipher the resolutions to his mysteries before he presents them. Black Money may not be equal to MacDonald's best, which are unmatched by anything in the genre, but the chances are good that its plot and mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.

. . . then perhaps this would have been the form the "The Great Gatsby" would have taken. Another dreamer who lives his dream, consumed and ultimately destroyed by a grand ambition.

Just about all the Lew Archer/Mcdonald mysteries have a very nice South Cal feel, circa 1950-1970, interesting characters, often university types, and tormented families with skeletons hidden in the closet. Lost relationships, long past deaths, and folks who do not seem to have a murderous streak, are featured in about all the Archer books. So for a smooth and interesting ride through these parts, one can do a lot worse than reading R. Macdonald. Why only 4 stars? Because there is a formulaic tendency where the books seem very similar, and somewhat dated. And the characters and circumstances are not really fleshed out like many current mystery masters. Even so, you can never really be disappointed with an Archer, just as you always know, and cannot really be disappointed, say, in a Starbucks CoffeeShop experience, and I mean this in the best sense!

Of all of Macdonald's books _Black Money_ is the best. Although its solution does not shock as does the one in_The Chill,_ the novel has none of the sentimentalized affirmations that some of his others, including _The Chill,_ do. Macdonald's themes are the inescapable persistence of evil and the pervasive corruption of the American ideal. Here they acquire added force because the style is even more restrained than usual.

Without quite reaching the status of icons, the characters in _Black Money_ nonetheless achieve a stature that makes much contemporary writing seem small and narcissistic. It is emblematic of this grandeur that the detective figure fades in importance as the plot moves toward its genuinely tragic conclusion.

Veteran private eye Lew Archer finds himself hobnobbing with the country club set and an academic type or two as he wends his way through this very engaging mystery. Hired to investigate a mysterious stranger who claims to be a wealthy French aristocrat, Archer manages to uncover a number of diverse yet interrelated scandals and crimes dating back a dozen years and more.
The intricate plot unfolds against the backdrop of a quiet suburban town just to the south of LA, with a short sojourn to one of Las Vegas' less reputable casinos. There are a number of interesting characters and the well crafted narrative twists and turns in some very intriguing ways. Moreover, Macdonald's smart, insightful prose makes Black Money compellingly readable.
Ross Macdonald was in top form when he wrote Black Money. Read it, it's a real page turner.