Archer Books

Archer writes about the art and science of wrestling; the ways in which it is a sport and performance art neatly wrapped together. It still doesn't answer the question: If there is a God, why is there poverty & baldness?

After reading about this book from world famous editor of Wrestling Then And Now, Evan Ginzberg, I was curious enough to see if it was hype or really a great book.

Well, it is a great book. If you are a mark or kay fabe (not in on the inside goings on) then this book may bore you or educate you in a fascinating sort of way.

Evan is so right, that if a star like Tanaka who once sold out arenas, and later got into films,...if a guy like that can die and not hear a mention of it anywhere; just find out from an email a few weeks later that what was bigger than life had died quieter than the night, that a book like this can reach that part of your mind that remembers and does not want to forget.

This book also has many photographs in glorious black and white. Not only a great item for yourself, but certainly a fine choice for a gift item as well. Years ago promoter Evan Ginzberg wanted to tag team with fellow star Roddy Piper, but that was never to be, and this is all for the best because now he serves a much more important function such as running a fabulous wrestling magazine, and promoting great books like this one. Thanks for tipping me off to a great book. EG is RP. There is a rumor that other volumes may yet come in this line, perhaps with a special section on Sgt. Slaughter. And I for one, can't wait for another book as great as this one.

Professional wrestling is a part of the American Culture like baseball, basketball, mom and apple pie. Theater in a squared circle is a look into the "sport" many people either love or hate. The book delves into and tries to uncover the mystique of the sport.

Read along through the 450 pages and see how professional wrestling got it start. Take a look at the who's who in the sport from the past to the present. The book is laced with photos and stories of those who have made their living at a sport that most believe is fake.

You'll uncover the real inside story about people like Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Ric Flair, Killer Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser, Dusty Rhodes and so many more. You'll be treated to a whole new look and a totally different side of the wrestling profession.

Along with the stories is appendices filled with past wrestling singles and tag team champions, a list of wrestlers real names and a listing of the true identities of those masked grapplers. The book is tailor made for the true wrestling fan and the price is meager. Archer has scored a pin fall with this book!

As a fan of old time wrestling (i.e., 1970's), I was very much looking forward to this book, with its promise of stories on stars from yesteryear. What I got was a three hundred page tome devoted to obscure figures like Mike Lano and Louie Spiccoli. Fine people all, I'm sure, but hardly seminal. A previous reviewer, in a glowing five star review, stated effusively that the book gives the lowdown on Sammartino, Morales, Kowalski, Flair, etc. Only Kowalski gets any major coverage in what is, admittedly, a very good and entertaining piece(Kowalski's recollections of the massive Haystacks Calhoun's defecatory dilemmas are both hilarious and gruesome). Hardly any mention of the great managers of the past, Albano, Blassie, and The Grand Wizard of Wrestling (now that was a character)or the great lady wrestlers is made. Archer admits the limits of the book himself in an epilogue, but these lapses, and others, are still inexcusable.

Avoid this one if you're looking for a truly in-depth study of the sport's reigning personalities. That book has yet to be written.

As a relative newcomer to wrestling (I say relative, because I used to watch my sweet, gentle grandmother stand up and curse at Haystack Calhoun on Saturday nights!)I found this to be a very fun and informative book about wrestling and the people who participate in the sport. It's a great book for anyone wishing to learn a little more about the sport. Loaded with great photos and even a bit of art!

Cat O'Nine Tales (And Other Stories) (Large Print)
Archer is a master at writing. I always enjoy his books. Look forward to more in the future.

The stories are entertaining, well thought out, well written, and they hold the readers attention. This book has all the elements which make it worth reading.

Its a good book to have at work. The short stories are easy to read

I wish I could say that Jeffrey Archer's collection of short stories Cat O'Nine Tales was another wonderful bit of his writing. I wish I could agree with the other Amazon reviewers who believe that this book is a worthwhile read. Unfortunately, I can't. Archer's supposedly true tales of crimes and capers is one of his weakest books.

The title itself is rather misleading: in full, it is Cat O'Nine Tales and Other Stories, which implies it's a collection of either nine tales or it has a story within called Cat O'Nine Tales. Neither is the case; the only way that "nine" fits it is that nine of the dozen stories were related to Archer during his prison stay. Of course, with a collection that focuses on the duplicitous, perhaps the title is appropriate.

The twelve stories are centered around people who intend to make off with money or, in a couple cases, try and stop others from taking theirs. For example, in the first story, The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office, an old couple intends on stealing money to make up for what they lost when investing in a business venture (which is reminiscent of Archer's early novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less). In Don't Drink the Water, a businessman attempts to avoid the financial losses of divorce by killing his wife with bad tap water. In It Can't Be October Already, a homeless man undergoes his annual ritual of getting thrown in prison for the winter to enjoy the shelter and food.

The big problem with almost all these stories is that they are not very interesting. Most of the stories end with a twist of sorts, but most of the time these twists are not all that great (the one exception is The Wisdom of Solomon). Like all Archer books, this one is readable, but unlike most of them, this one is rather boring.

I was first introduced to Jeffrey Archer with an earlier collection of his short stories (I believe it was Twelve Red Herrings) and became an immediate fan. Since then, I've enjoyed most of his books, whether they've been novels or story collections. Cat O'Nine Tales, however, is the exception and should be a disappointment to Archer fans.

Jailed in 2001 after having been found guilty of perjury, "Lord" Jeffrey Archer spent much of his time while incarcerated listening to the stories of his fellow inmates, and after adding his own embellishment to each, committing them to paper. The resulting "Cat O'Nine Tales is a delightful collection of another twelve adroitly plotted short stories guaranteed to keep you amused with their portrayal of characters who are shrewd, resourceful, creative, inventive, and wily. These same adjectives might be said to apply to Lord Archer himself whose "tales of unexpected conclusions" always bear witness to his pre-eminent talent as a story-teller.

His previous short story collections like A Twist In The Tale - Twelve Short Stories and Twelve Red Herrings as well as his novels (my personal favorite being Kane and Able)have always provided this reader with much pleasure. As for this smorgasbord of morality (or if you prefer...immorality) tales, I once again find myself drawn to certain stories. "Don't Drink the Water" is a cautionary tale which shows us that even a seemingly infallible solution to ones marital problems can have dire consequences while "Charity Begins at Home" deliciously explores one mans ingenious solution to achieving tax free financial security.

Adding to the appeal of this book are the amusing and engaging illustrations of Ronald Searle. They possess a guileless charm reminiscent of Shel SilversteinA Light in the Attic (20th Anniversary Edition Book & CD). The unerring simplicity of Searles' drawings coupled with Archers versatility and veracity are sure fire winners.

This is one of the best Archer Mayor books and I have read them all. My only disappointment was in the ending where I was left to wonder about the final fate of the characters in the subplot. It was hard not to wish for a better outcome because 2 of those characters were written so sympathetically as to give hope that second chances are possible. Was Joe honest with Nancy or leading her on? What happened to her after all was said and done? Did Mel receive just punishment or remain a threat able to haunt Nancy even from jail? When character development is done so well, a bit more closure is important. Looking at the other reviews, no one else seemed to feel shortchanged at the ending so I am no doubt a minority. I agreed with another reviewer about hopefully getting rid of Joe's previous long term relationship. Most of the women the "heros" get involved with seem to end up being a royal pain. It's good to dispose of them so the guys can have another interest, but they never seem to learn. The next one is usually just as bad.

Some mystery writers like to limit their work to a particular city. Archer Mayor's character, Joe Gunther, used to be confined to Brattleboro, but now that he's been promoted to the VBI he ranges throughout all of Vermont. Many large cities probably have more murders in an evening than the Green Mountain State has all year. Mr. Mayor is forced to dredge up evil flatlanders from New York who drift into Bennington and commit mayhem.

I am quite familiar with Southern Vermont, and read this novel with keen interest. Congratulations to the author for his careful recreation of towns, streets and buildings. Everything seems accurately described and his directions are perfect. (I can think of a couple big-time mystery writers who are very casual about geography- streets misnamed, directions backwards, etc.) Of course, no Vermonter would tolerate an author who didn't know the quickest way to Wilmington.

Joe Gunther may lack some urbanity, but he is a shrewd investigator with an appealing laid-back style. Archer Mayer's prose continues to sparkle. He's not on the P.D. James level, but certainly as good or better than most of those famous guys.

I loved the book as I have enjoyed all of the books in this series. I am originally from the southern Vermont area and feel Mayor does a splendid job of describing the weather, the terrain ,the locals and the "flatlanders" who infiltrate and others who are up to no good. The cast of characters is consistant and Joe Gunther is portrayed as a real human being. There is not a lot of action per se in this particular book but Mayor sets a mood piece much like Donna Leon in her observations about Inspector Brunneti in Venice. It is a wonderful armchair read and I didn't want to put it down until I finished it.

Archer Mayor's Joe Gunther mysteries are always well written, and full of interesting (and realistic, as far as I can tell from occasional ventures to Vermont) local color. I'm giving this a full 5 *'s because two traits that had bothered me somewhat throughout the series are abated: First, Joe is in at least temporary remission from his self-obsessed, on-again-off-again long time significant other Gail. (Why can't New England mystery guy's find girlfriends that don't make your teeth crawl -- think Spencer's Sarah Silverman, and Roxanne in Gerry Boyle's Jack McMorrow series.) Second, unlike so many of Mayor's books, the action and mysteries don't revolve around bad guys from out of state or country.

The book has two threads of crime. First, Joe (who works for Vermont's fictional major crimes outfit, the Vermont Bureau of Investigation), drops in on what seems at first to be the "natural" death of Michelle Fisher, a corpse seemingly at peace and leaving no clues other than a missing cat. There is an obvious suspect, her dead husband's father who wants her out of the house he owns, but no obvious cause of death. Second, we follow the career of three smalltime South Vermont lowlifes, the hapless Ellis and Nancy and Nancy's brutal and dominating husband Mel, as Mel's penchant for violence escalates. Joe also goes to bat for longtime colleague, chief medical examiner Beverly Hillstrom, who is threatened with blackmail and political revenge, and they even advance to first name basis (astonishing as that may seem to long term readers of the series).

Mayor expertly tugs at our heartstrings as we follow multiple threads of love/relationship, as well as our whodunnit logic as we try to anticipate what's going to happen with Mel's posse and to figure out what happened to Michelle. The resolutions of both threads, as well as Joe's resolution of Beverly's problems, are satisfying and surprising. Altogether the best read in the series for some time.

In my quest for serious mysteries Mayor ranks near the top and it's a pleasure to find one I haven't read. Several strands this time including the end of a longterm relationship Joe has had and the possible beginning or change with a doctor he respects and worked with for years. The team looks into a possible suicide or murder and ironically this leads to the second crime involving drugs and small-timers trying to make it big and plus a sad love affair that ends with a bang. The Vermont scene is well described and the characters including the less important ones all come alive. I'm looking forward to more.

I've been working through this book for a while now, and overall the material is presented in a decent format. For the most part you can pick the topic to work on (ie. Menus, Dialog boxes, etc) and focus on that chapter to learn it. For someone like myself who needs a point solution (very specific app with very narrow GUI requirements) this works well.

However that said, one thing that is driving me nuts in this book are the bug-ridden examples. I've been through quite a few chapters now, and I've come to the expectation that its not a question of -if- a given example has a bug, but where it is located (since it almost certainly has one or more).

To give an example I just read over the Modeless dialog example in chapter 11. It starts off having you throw down a dialog and a bunch of controls, without exactly telling you what IDs to give them (after a while you get used to this, because the author does this a lot). Its important because by the time you get to step 7 in the example you realize that the ellipsis button should have an ID of IDC_FILEOPEN if you want your function call to line up with the demo (again not such a problem since you can change the IDs at anytime - but I'm just getting started). At step 10 you get to enter in a global function (huh? what the heck happened to the class?). Moving on - Step 12 has you adding in member variables to a class which won't exist until step 13. Yeah good job there. Step 19 has an erroneous structure definition. And to top it off, steps 21 and 23 have you add message handler functions without actually telling you how to map them in the message map. Whew! and this is just one example program. Typed in exactly as the steps in the book describe, this example compiled with something like 20+ errors. Fixing the structure and the map problems (which required downloading the code off the website to figure out what to do), eventually got it to work.

Overall I think the content and the way the material is broken up is good, however this book needs a complete overhaul and proofing on the examples.

As another reviewer pointed out, it has a lot of errors in the code. If you just follow the instructions you would most probably not get your code compiling.

Author omitted many things that you need to know. He states, for example, "create SDI project" in step 1. In step 10 or so you find out that you had to give it a specific name which he failed to indicate in the beginning. Same with IDs and so on. Author also fails to give the code for the header files and you just need to think what each variable does (and still write the header file code, of course) or download the solution from the web.

Also, author asks to call the function with one name, and in the code he changes the name to a different one. Adds confusion.

Enriched information on the MFC, ATL framework, plus some extra knowledge on .Net, ATL Server, COM+ etc. It can be treated as the extra references on the development of the above technologies stated. Look for others if no experience before.

I got this book as our development team was moving from Visual C++ 6 to Visual C++ .NET and I wanted to get a little ahead of the game. I had read and heard that VC++.NET was significantly different to VC6 so I decided to go for the Bible from Visual C++ .NET Bible as I've always like the bible series from Wiley.

I was definitely not disappointed.

The book covered all aspects of Windows C++ development from menus in MFC to creating dll's. The main area I was interested in was ATL and I'm glad I got this book before I switched to VS.NET. ATL development has changed significantly in VS.NET as attributes have been introduced. VC.NET Bible give an excellent overview of ATL in VS.NET.

I haven't read this book in its entirety, but it's one book that i'll definitely have near my machine in work. Topics are easy to find, and all chapters explain how to do something and why you should do it in a certain way.

Well worth the price.

This is a regurgetation of C++ and MFC. .NET and managed C++ are only briefly addressed. There are better books.

Spider-Man has always been my most favorite comic-book super hero (in the Marvel universe). This book has confirmed for me just why he's my favorite. This time, the web-slinger is against an implacable foe who can't be so easily disposed of because he's successfully convinced nearly everyone that he never was the Green Goblin. Worse, he strikes at Spider-Man and his alter ego with impunity, given that if Spidey tries to do anything about him, then he'll be seen as a criminal and Norman Osborn will get away clean. The dilemma he presents Peter with is diabolically clever: Either take the opportunity for financial security and leave behind his responsibilities, or continue being Spider-Man and possibly jeopardize his current position at the Daily Bugle. I was really rooting for Spidey to take down Osborn after he secretly poisoned Mary Jane. All in all, this is a very satisfying novel.

I really enjoyed this book. The story wasn't earth-shattering, but what really made the book for me was the writing. Busiek and Archer made the characters very real and interesting. For the first time I felt that I really had a sense of what it would be like to swing through New York on web lines or see the world through Spidey's mask.

True to Spider-Man's legacy this book wasn't about the hero as much as it was about Peter Parker. Also, I thought it brilliant that the villian in the book was Norman Osborn and not really his alter-ego, the Green Goblin.

I enjoyed the detective-type efforts that Peter went through to figure out the case. The books seemed as much of a mystery as it was an action story. I'm glad that I read it and would definitely recommend it.

The book was very good. But if you knew anything about Spidey than you would know Norm's behind the Rat Pack...

I, like a lot of Spidey fans, think Peter Parker is a pretty smart guy. But, up until the very end, Parker is made out to be a no-brain super-hero who can't stand up to the intellect of his opponents. But hey, Norman Osborn ain't no fool, and he is depicted in the book as one of Spidey's greatest foes. And in this, I think Busiek is right on the button. But still, I think Peter is depicted all wrong for most of this book, but I guess he comes out alright in the end.

Something as played out as the Spider-man/Goblin wars has always been a plotline for novels, and this one is no exception. The problem is that sometimes they get stupid. How could the Green Goblin get unmasked as Norman Osborn, "come back from the dead," and all he does to get away with it is lie? Oh, come on, how stupid are the people in these books? Note: the last two sentences don't tell anything about the book, just the history before it. Now as for the book itself, it does okay with the plotline. The story begins as a group of terrorists called the Rat Pack spring a reign of terror, not even Spider-Man can stop it. Meanwhile Norman Osborn is running for mayor and his Green Goblin persona seems to have resurfaced, leaving Spider-Man on edge. But that's only the begining of this attempt at a thriller. I say this because one big problem is the plot is way too predictable. You know what's going to happen before it does. Plus, another problem is that it's not very thrilling; Spidey stays on edge the hole book and doesn't actually fight the Goblin until near the end. They also add extra little parts here and there, which have nothing to do with the overall story. Yes, despite all I said, I still give it 3 stars, but only because the writing quality is pretty good and I like Spider-Man novels. Otherwise, the plot just isn't that good.

First of all, I love this series. The first three books were awesome! Dispite the fact that it is written by two ghostwriters (Victor Milan and Mel Odom)the character of Annja Creed is very complex and interesting. I was looking forward to reading this story, but quickly became bored.
If one could ignore the typos, the action was good, but the storyline was a little difficult to follow. No sooner would the character discover some piece of information - boom - she was flying all over the place to investigate what she just learned. The problem is that there was no thought process for this kind of progression. Annja doesn't think - she just acts - leaving the reader to figure out what is going on. There was no plot leading up to the sudden change in setting and no transition or reason given for all of Annja's sudden moves around the globe. The reader is just supposed to assume that Annja would just go chasing a lead without weighing her options or even thinking about her next move. I thought that was really unrealistic, especially for a female heroine.
If men want to write a story with a strong female character, then please give us more to read then just fast-paced action. Yes, action is good, but it would be even better if the reader knew the reasons behind the rest of the plot.
At the end of reading The Chosen, I found it was rather average for one of the Rogue Angel novels. Hopefully the rest will be better.

I've been into this series from the first book and am enjoying it more and more with every book. I'm pretty much hooked now and enjoy every adventure Annja has, even though I agree with others, "Alex Archer" really needs a good editor.

I've enjoyed this series from the beginning. To me it's an action adventure in line with the likes of Indiana Jones. I like that the lead character is female and takes care of her self. I enjoy the fact she has to reconcile some of her own beliefs to what she does now. All in all I have found the books to be a fun romp mixed with historical issues that pique my interest to go look up the real story.

I started seeing typos on page two and it only got worse from there on in. Hire and editor or at least let someone check your spelling before printing the book! As for the story, the action scenes were very good and entertaining, but the plotline seemed to jump all over the place and dragged in places. I can't believe there are this many books in the series, can't imagine wanteing to read more than one of these...

Annja Creed is an archaeologist, who loves to explore ancient sites to dig for artifacts and thereby piece together the past, separating myth from reality. But, there isn't enough money in that to support herself. She gets a job on a television show called, "Chasing History's Monsters," and they pay her to go all over the world, tracking down sensational stories from the past, so that they can present the stories in a tabloid-like manner. When in southern France, trying to track down the Beast of Gevaudan, Annja found the sword of Joan of Arc, that was the sword of Saint Catherine-de-Fierbois. As this series (this is the fourth book) has progressed, Annja has gradually discovered how possession of the sword has enhanced many of her abilities, while she has tried to figure out what her role in life has become, as the heir-apparent to Joan of Arc.

In this story, The Chosen (Rogue Angel, Book 4), Annja investigates a series of mysterious events taking place in the deserts of New Mexico. Two unusual phenomena are occurring: There are sightings of the Santo Nino, a boy who suddenly appears, helps people avoid disaster, and then disappears; very unusual beasts are being sighted, and this escalates until several deaths occur. Also investigating these unusual events is a Belgian Jesuit priest, Father Godin, who is one of the last remnants of the Holy Inquisitors, and whose mission in life is to seek out heresy and unmask it for the fabrication he hopes it to be, or to battle whatever real demons he might really encounter. Annja and Father Godin meet, and it takes them a while to figure out whether they are allies or enemies. Father Godin has heard rumors about Annja's sword, and initially sees her as a pretender spreading heresy and fraud. Of course, when he finally must accept the reality of the sword, and judges her to be a worthy wielder of the sacred relic, things begin to go smoother (i.e., . he stops trying to kill her). Meanwhile, Annja experiences several close brushes with death, that appear to be assassination attempts. By who? Ah, that is an interesting question.

Is the Santo Nino real? Is the Santo Nino a manifestation of the Christ? What about the monsters? Are they real, or just the products of overactive imaginations? Once the bodies start to accumulate, the reader (and Annja and Father Godin) know that something real is happening, but are they demons, or the results of some misguided experiment? Will either of our heroes survive to find out?

This series is written by Alex Archer, but the quality varies somewhat, and it might just be that "Alex Archer" is a pseudonym used by several collaborating authors, writing in rotation. This particular book, The Chosen (Rogue Angel, Book 4), lists Victor Milan as a contributor, as did the second book in the series, Solomon's Jar (Rogue Angel, Book 2). The "Rogue Angel" books that have Mr. Milan listed as a contributor, seem to have a bit more emphasis on big action scenes, often with plenty of martial arts fight-scenes. The Chosen (Rogue Angel, Book 4) certainly fits that mold, and there is less focus on Annja's growing identity as the heir of Joan of Arc and learning to use the sword (you see those patterns when Mel Odom is a contributor). In The Chosen (Rogue Angel, Book 4), Annja almost seems to take the sword for granted, as does Father Godin.

The Chosen (Rogue Angel, Book 4) is a good adventure story with strong elements of suspense and mystery, plus some supernatural horror. The supernatural horror elements in this story remind me of George Chesbro's The Beasts of Valhalla (A Mongo Mystery), although Chesbro developed those elements better.

While the Joan of Arc aspect is not as developed as I would have liked, I did appreciate how the mystery of the Santo Nino is not completely clarified or solved. I will not divulge what comes of Father Godin, but I found that aspect disappointing.

Despite several elements that were not optimally developed, I still enjoyed the story, and The Chosen (Rogue Angel, Book 4) kept the series moving forward, if not quite at the same level of quality seen in the Alex Archer - Mel Odom collaborations.

Excellent addition to her medieval series which is very evocative of the era and place, to me. Fine storytellng and character continuity from book to book about Owen Archer and the mix of political situations and villany that is sorted out on several levels throughout the book.

Having read and enjoyed the other Owen Archer books, I want to concur with the previous reviewer who found this book disappointing. I found it extremely disappointing. With the exception of the wonderful character of Magda the Riverwoman, all the main characters are too old, too sick, too depressed, or too self doubting to be credible in their problem solving ability. Lucy's whining in particular becomes very tedious. The plot is also weaker than usual. Its seems to serve mostly as backgrund for expoloring the angst of the chracters, and the ending leaves a major puzzle piece unanswered. Perhaps it's time to retire the series unless the younger characters like Jasper and Alisoun can be developed to pick up the slack and without such religious and emotional baggage.

Owen Archer is called on by William of Wykeham, bishop of Winchester, to keep him safe. To appease the family of a man killed while being held prisoner in France, Wykeham returns the knight's heart. But a fire in Wykeham's house, a servant severly burned and a body of a dead woman, has Archer fearing for his own family's safety. While Lucie Wilton battles her own demons. Robb writes intricate plotted mysteries set in 14th century England by reading one you will become hooked.

I love the Owen Archer series. However, I was a bit disappointed in the latest book after having read and loved the last one in which he travels to Wales.
The Cross-Legged Knight was very dark and depressing. Owen is unhappy and unfulfilled, Thoresby is old and depressed, Lucie is sad and depressed. Jasper's character was utterly unused as were Bess & Tom Merchet & Brother Michaelo (OK he spied a little).
I usually finish one of Robb's Owen Archer novels on a thrilling high, smacking the book shut with utter satisfaction. This time it was not to be. I can't help wonder if the author was distracted away from Owen's tales by her new baby, the scottish medieval series.

What I disliked most about this one aside from the dark and depressed atmosphere was the dangling unresolved question of how did the murderer and victim know each other. I felt betrayed by the author, who's never left me the reader like that before.

As I only live 20 miles from York where most of these books are set, I can perhaps visualise better than most the area of England the books take place in. Many of the streets of York mentioned in the books are still there and of the course so is the Minster.
Owen Archer the lead character in the book is a Welsh longbow man who works for a high church dignitary and spends some of his spare time helping in his wife's apothecary shop. He is called upon by William of Wykeham, the Bishop of Winchester, to help him with a serious problem. I myself am interested in this period of English history and the author's authenticity cannot be questioned and her excellent story telling is spellbinding. I cannot recommend her books too highly.

The mystery to me is me. Why don't I like this book more than I did? I'm really not sure. The writing is okay, the story is cohesive and interesting. I think it must be in the characterization. This is the second of Archer Mayor's books I've read (the other is 'Skeleton's Knee') and I have the same problem, whatever it is, with both. I'm never really gripped or fascinated by any of the characters, I find myself not identifying or relating to any of them. I think I can see why there are fans of this series, and yet I don't think I'll ever be one of them (even though I still have 'Borderlines' waiting on the TBR stack). Wille Kunkle's backstory just doesn't move me the way, for example, Crais's Joe Pike's history touches me. The action scenes don't awe me in the way that a Lee Child shoot-out does. The mystery and the way it unravels doesn't intrigue me in the way that, say, Arnaldur Indridasen's mysteries do. If a book in Mayor's series was the only book I had to read on a transatlantic flight, I'd read it and be grateful. But I'd always think I probably should have packed something else to read.

I read this book solely because it was highly rated here. "Riveting"; "solid"; "white-knuckle action"... That was my first mistake. My second mistake was to continue reading after I realized how poor it is.

Folks, how are you so taken in? The action here is childish; barely comic book standards. The hero "runs forward under a hail of bullets, careless of his life, making every shot count" - while he's running?!!... I'm laughing again as I write this. His opponent is hidden and stationary, but of course misses every time and is killed. He was doomed anyway, since beside being invulnerable the hero has a pistol of unlimited capacity, evidently borrowed from the movies. Shell casings "litter the area" (from a police revolver?). This particular bad guy lasts just long enough to gasp out one key word... Is this riveting? White knuckle? No, it's 1940's pulp.

The hero is another major problem. Since he's terminally unfriendly and abusive, with nothing to offer anyone either personally or in the mystery, the plot can only advance by having EVERYONE give him EVERYTHING he wants for NO REASON whatsoever. The peak of this inanity is when the notoriously vicious top bad guy drug lord simply tells him, gratis, exactly what he needs to know to attack the drug lord's organization! That entire scene is idiotic.

Then there's the endless psychological commentary. Mr. Mayor is evidently trained in this field (as he certainly is not in writing or in arms) so we get reams of it. Encounters go like this: "He saw her, and wondered why he hadn't thought A before, but realized it was because he truly felt B, although that was probably a reaction to C, since as a child he had been D, so rather than say E, he merely muttered F. She could only reply G, despite her desire to explore H, because she knew I, and understood that to reveal J would only drive him to K, which was too close to her L..." and on beyond zebra. Some hack thriller writers pad their books with recipes and meal descriptions; Mayor opts for psych and travelogue.

These aren't the only serious faults, but I've spent enough time trying to warn you. If you read this book anyway, you won't care about the plotholes, stereotypes, overdone tough guy talk, gratuitous Vietnam vet background, etc.

I would give the book 1.5 stars because there ARE worse authors in this field (Iris Johansen comes immediately to mind). But Amazon doesn't allow that, and the existing rating is far too high. So it's 1 star. I'm also going to discard the other Mayor book I picked up on spec. Fortunately, our town recycles.

After thirteen Joe Gunther series novels, it is understandable that Archer Mayor might want to do something different. While many authors would ditch the old series and write something totally different, Archer Mayor decided to do something a bit different. Instead, he decided to devote a novel to the complex and enigmatic character often seen in the Joe Gunther series known as Willy Kunkle. For fans of the series, this is a fantastic development as the back-story on the very complex character of Willy Kunkle is finally revealed completely. For those new to the series, this is not a stand-alone book and as such should be read after reading the other novels in the series. While it could be read independently, to do so would ruin a large chunk of the series as these events are commented in this novel. These factors also make this very enjoyable book difficult to review without committing the same folly.

Newly installed as a Detective in the recently created Vermont Bureau of Investigation, Willy Kunkle receives a call that drags him back into a past that he thought he had left behind. The New York City police have found his divorce papers in an apartment rented by a woman who apparently died of a drug overdose. The investigators want him to come to New York and identify the body and handle all the usual details.

After identifying the body as his ex-wife Mary, Willy begins to nose into the case. Driven by guilt and anger over the past and present day events, Willy treats her death as his own to investigate. He spots inconsistencies with the story he is being given by the local Police and those are reinforced when he physically investigates the crime scene. Then, he begins to backtrack into her life and as he does so, not only must he confront various things from his past but he must also deal with a complex changing case that the local Police should not have been so quick to solve.

To say more in greater detail about this novel would simply blow this book as well as most of the series for any reader. This is a fast, intense read that answers a lot of questions about the character as well as providing a complex mystery. There are constant twists and turns that move the book steadily forward and the back-story is nicely woven into the novel. For fans of the series, this novel is a real treat and one that should not be missed.

Another great Archer Mayor book. However....I do belive he gets a little bit redundant with Willie Kunkle...we all know he's been down and out and keeps blaming himself for his own faults, but Archer doesn't have to remind us of this every time Willie meets somebody new, or gets into a new situation. I don't really belive that Joe could have saved a man that was so down on himself all these years....granted Joe "understands" Willie, but there comes a point....anyway, I also think the NYPD would have pulled the plug on ol' Willie. However I really enjoyed the story and am lookling forward to many more from Archer Mayor....(actually I like Joe Gunther...)

Of course, I know Archer Mayor; he is from Vermont and writes detective stories about cities and places I know. But I also know and have worked with Archer's brother. The best part of Archer Mayor's books is that he is such a great writer. He keeps us on the edge of our seats, so to speak. We are not certain just what will happen next. And, in "The Sniper's Wife", we now go to New York City and find new people and places to love.

Willy Kunkle, newly promoted to Detective in the Vermont Bureau of Investigation, receives a call none of us want to get. His ex-wife has died and the NYPD Blue is asking him to identify her. He drives to New York City and goes to the morgue first and identifies her, then to her apartment where he goes over everything. He finds not much but a mess the police have left. He finds a few pictures and keepsakes. He cleans the apartment as his ex-wife would want it. He remembers her and why they split. Willy was a drunk and beat his wife once and she left him, as she should. She became a junkie, but had cleaned up her act. He did not believe that his wife committed suicide as described. He believes that this is murder.

Willy goes on to meet the NYPD police and reads his ex-wife's record. He starts his investigation, but not without calling on his boss, Joe Gunther and Willy's new girl, Detective Sammie Martin. Thus his friends can deal with the NYPD as he goes about finding who murdered his wife.

This is a wonderful story of love and redemption in a different setting of murder and police work. Archer Mayor has given new life to Willy Kunkle and set us free from Joe Gunther for a few pages. This is as exciting a novel as any and so well written. Highly recommended. prisrob

This is a fantastic book and an easy read. It bridges the gap between any basic principles of economics course and a more advanced micro theory text. A lot of the math its shed off, so if you are looking for hard core formulas...it might be a good idea to read something else or read this in combination with a more mathematically oriented book. Some chapters are engaging (like the one on the importance of Altruism) and overall the author delivers well written microeconomics reading.

A must for who is genuinely interested in UNDERSTANDING and ENJOY the basis of neo-classical theory. Better than any other other book!

I'm studying out of this book for my intermediate micro course. Simply put, the text is good (but unremarkable) for what it is: a no-nonsense bridge between the usual undergraduate principles course and graduate course in microeconomic theory. However, I can't help but feel that Frank skims off too much math in the name of accessibility. This won't help the reader looking to go further in the subject, i.e., grad or b-school. This would be okay if the appendices packed the math, but this isn't the case: the appendices are on-line at the publisher's web site, which pretty much means if you want to follow the math, you need to be near a computer. A somewhat "mathier" text, that I highly recommend, is the latest edition of Varian's Intermediate Microeconomics.

As of late, microeconomic and macroeconomic theory has been incorporating social, psychological and social-psychological theory and concepts into the fold. This makes sense, for the quantification sans-psychology (social psychology) of analysis has been poor.

This author is well-versed in this area and articulates well the concepts which are important. However, as my colleagues have stated, the book does leave much to be desired in the mathematical-sense.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Judgment, Choice and Rationality (defined).

This book should be included in undergraduate curriculum.

Five stars because it accomplishes what it was designed for (non-mathematical approach to microeconomics).

Regards,
Tyler Markowsky

It's rare to find a text as enjoyable to read as Frank's in any subject, let alone microeconomics. The reader looking for the standard calculus-based, mathematical approach to micro should look elsewhere (Jehle and Reny is a great place to start). That's simply not the point of this text--the point is to provide the insight behind the models, as well as to promote critical thinking about the shortcomings of the traditional assumptions economists make. This text, combined with Jehle and Reny if one desires rigor as well, provides FAR more than any other single or multiple text combination available.

"Ghosts", while not as famous as Ibsen's "A Doll's House", is clearly an interesting piece of writing. Nobody denies that. It is an interesting book to analyze, it's a quick read, but very deep, and it leaves a very strong impression on you.

"Ghosts" is in a sense, like "A Doll's House", about something that while still frowned upon today, is much more acceptable. In "Ghosts" there is the theme of the "sins of fathers", and the father's sins are brought to light. Mrs. Alving has been keeping secrets for a very long time, and here is where, through her ghosts, she reveals them.

Well, perhaps it's not as simple as that. The plot is intriguing, the plot twists are surprising, and the ending is disturbingly good. Ibsen created a fascinating story and masterpiece when he wrote "Ghosts", and it's absolutely superb. I highly recommend reading this play to anyone, especially if you liked Ibsen's other works.

Note: I don't suggest buying this play alone in a book like this, though. You might as well buy a book with several of Ibsens plays for the same amount of money, and then you'll get "A Doll's House" too.

Though Ibsen is a little bit dated, more so than his successor, Knut Hamsen, he is still one of the greatest minds to come out of Norway and is arguably the father of the modern drama - and also to some extent, the father of the modern novel. He initiated the style which was later taken up by Franz Kafka, Henry Miller (Tropic of Cancer), Roman Payne (Crepuscule). Ghosts is a quick read. Dover Thrift Editions makes the price definitely worth it. A must-read once in your life. Highly recommended.

I chose this book to read and analyse a couple of years ago. It seemed to have simple meaning, but the more I tried to analyse, the more outstanding I found the book, and far from simple.
Helen Alving is a widow and is keeping a secret. One day she tells her friend Manders and he's quite shocked. It all has to do with some money from her dead husband that she doesn't want her son to have. Oswald, her son, comes home from abroad with very sad news. He is ill, and there isn't a cure for him. When Mrs. Alving is told that it was most likely inherited, she tells her son the secret too, and that changes his view on his father. As the book goes on, the intriques grow bigger...
Ibsen is probably more known for his play "A Doll House", but this one is just as great. He was very critical of the society and most, if not all, of his books often has a somewhat hidden story where he debates social matters and also morals. He use symbols and mostly contrasts to give the play a certain atmosphare and meaning. I believe this is one of Ibsen's greatest plays and strongly recommend it to anyone.

I chose this book to read and analyse a couple of years ago. It seemed to have simple meaning, but the more I tried to analyse, the more outstanding I found the book, and far from simple.
Helen Alving is a widow and is keeping a secret. One day she tells her friend Manders and he's quite shocked. It all has to do with some money from her dead husband that she doesn't want her son to have. Oswald, her son, comes home from abroad with very sad news. He is ill, and there isn't a cure for him. When Mrs. Alving is told that it was most likely inherited, she tells her son the secret too, and that changes his view on his father. As the book goes on, the intriques grow bigger...
Ibsen is probably more known for his play "A Doll House", but this one is just as great. He was very critical of the society and most, if not all, of his books often has a somewhat hidden story where he debates social matters and also morals. He use symbols and mostly contrasts to give the play a certain atmosphare and meaning. I believe this is one of Ibsen's greatest plays and strongly recommend it to anyone.

Although Henrik Ibsen is the first great modern dramatist, his play "Ghosts" ("Gengangere") bears a strong similarity to ancient Greek drama, where the "tragic flaw" of the protagonist lives on in his children. However, in this story the curse on the Alving family has a medical basis. Published in 1881 but not performed until the next year because of its controversial subject matter, "Ghosts" deals with the impact of congenital venereal disease on a family. "Ghosts" strongly reflects Ibsen's desire to attack hypocrisy and conventional morality and caused even more of a furor that his previous drama, "A Doll's House."

Helen Alving is building an orphanage as a memorial to her late husband and the night before the dedication she confesses to her old friend Parson Manders that her husband had been a "degenerate," and she is building the orphanage using her husband's "dirty" money so only her own money will pass on to her son, Oswald, who has just returned from living abroad. But then Oswald confesses he has a debilitating, incurable disease that the doctors believe was inherited. Even from beyond the grave, the "ghost" of Captain Alving ruins the life of his family. Mrs. Alving has to confess her husband's past to their son, destroying the young man's idealized view of his father. Knowing he is dying, Oswald wants to seduce the maid, Regina, so that when he enters the next stage of the disease she will give him poison. Oswald does not care that Regina is really his half-sister, and in the end it will be his mother's decision whether or not to give her son the poison when Oswald begins to have his attack.

The ending of the play constitutes a Rorschach test for the audience, with Ibsen refusing to let them off the hook. "Ghosts" is probably the Ibsen drama that relies most on symbolism, from the heavy use of light/dark imagery to the purifying aspects of fire, to the obvious symbolism of ghosts. Consequently, I think this makes "Ghosts" one of the easier plays by Ibsen for students to analyze. Final Argument: Reading Ibsen's plays in order has greater benefit than usual when reading the works of a single author. If you read "A Doll's House," "Ghosts," "An Enemy of the People," and "The Wild Duck," then you will see the playwright struggling to find a play that will reflect his deeply held beliefs and also find widespread critical and public acceptance. The relationship between each set of plays in the progression becomes insightful, as Ibsen either extends or reverses elements of the previous drama. For teachers of drama there might not be a better quartet of plays to study to show the growth of a major dramatist.