Bartholomew Books

Tar Heel Dead, edited by Sarah R. Shaber is a wonderful collection of mysteries all written by North Carolina authors or authors who are connected with the state.

It must be the water. Is there another state the size of North Carolina that has more authors? This collection of authors, O. Henry (Porter) Maron, Shaber, Braun, Cantrell and Malone to name just a few, represent the finest writers the state has produced.

All of the stories are sharply written. They are concise, crisp, and colorful with characters that are interesting.

The book itself is small and perfect for traveling. Going anywhere and need a good book to read. Tar Heel Dead is for you.

I have really enjoyed these stories by North Carolina Authors. Some have very famous names and some are little known writers. I would recommend this book to all ages. It is a great book to have by the side of the bed. And now I will look up the author's other works for future good reading.

We call Steve Bartholomew "Bart" in these parts. Bart's book is a satire, and a good one. First, there's an entertaining, page-turning story to keep us involved. He's playful, funny, and even a little naughty here and there...all the while making serious points about The Patriot Act, Homeland Security, and The War on Terrorism.

You'll love his anti-hero alter-ego, Bradshaw:

"Now, anyone meeting Bradshaw for the first time might have leaped to a number of mistaken conclusions. One of them might have been that he was anti-technology...Another wrong impression might have been that Bradsaw was poor...Another mistaken impression a stranger might have was that Bradshaw was ignorant and uneducated. That idea would be extremely wrong. Yet another possible impression might be that Bradshaw was crazy as a looon. In this, our theoretical stranger might possibly be correct" (Pp. 13-16)

And, you'll love the ending, taken, as it happens, from one of my favorite childhood stories. Sorry, can't tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy. You wouldn't want me to be in violation of the Patriot Act, now, would you?

Janet Grace Riehl, author Sightlines: A Poet's Diary

This is a delightful read--I found myself thinking about the characters and eager to get back to the book. It moves quickly, the characters resemble folks probably all of us know, and the situations are ones that I feel parallel current events.
It is not controversial, somewhat validating (I've often wondered about things like that..) --Enjoy!
JoAnn A.

The title play of this collection, 'Volpone' is Jonson's most famous play. It is fierce exploration of human greed. Volpone is a great miser who plans to make a bundle by pretending that he is dying , and receiving gifts from his friends who he promises to bequeath his legacy to. His fellow collaborator is his servant Mosca( The fly) who in the end turns against Volpone and tries to , after allegedly inheriting Volpone's wealth, keep him dead. The result of his action is disaster for all parties concerned.
Jonson's strength is in making us laugh at human folly. However his language is difficult and his jaundiced view of character gives, for me anyway , less than full satisfaction.

I came upon this play and Ben Jonson by the back door. I was watching a movie titled "The Honey Pot" with Rex Harrison. His character Cecil Fox after observing this play used the outline for his own purposes. So naturally I have to read the play to see what the movie is mimicking.

I have several copies of "Valpone" (the fox) to compare information on Ben. This is a review of the "New Mermaids Series" I have several of their series. They give you all the background information and any annotation needed. They make the information interesting enough that you feel that Ben Jonson is in the room with you. I am sure some people would not want to be in the same room. I was surprised to find that William Shakespeare acted in some of Ben's plays.

The play is well written and has many levels to it. If it did not have so many footnotes I would be in trouble. It reads like an English play yet has parts that would make Stephen King blush.

Very good for a blind library catalog search of fiction about pirates in the aftermath of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. And for a first novel by Griffin. Decent action, good dialogue, wry sense of humor paces the story following the main characters of the legendary pirate Bartholomew Roberts and his young pressed recruit William Williams, who becomes Roberts' muse and friend of sorts.

Captures the pirate life through the sometimes modern sensibilities of Williams, which might ring false except as our surrogate he speaks and sees for us as we would see.

Ps. They never find the Juliette

I was hoping for fun. What I got was REALISM. Do not expect a happy ending.

This is a book about pirates, their lives, their conquests, their brotherhood and their deaths. It's not a historically precise piece, and it's not going to win a Nobel prize for fine literature. All that aside its a great book to read when you want a pirate book that's less fluff and more adult than a Disney's adaption. It's well written, has a good plot, interesting characters and is unpredictable enough to keep you interested till the end. Don't forget to have some of the Capt. Morgan around to set the mood.

I picked up The Requiem Shark because my favorite author, Guy Gavriel Kay, mentioned on his website that it was on his "to read" pile. I really hope he didn't love it, because if he did, then I might have to reconsider my high opinion of him.

This is the story of Welshman William Williams, a youngest son who is determined to go out in the world and make something of himself. To that end, he hangs out in pubs by the coast until he is conscripted. This doesn't last long, as his ship is overrun by pirates. As the "music" on board, he is commandeered to serve on the pirate vessel instead.

Here is my impression of what follows:
Something bad happens. Williams is sick/injured/whatever. Random character with wacky pirate name is introduced on pg xx. Dies on pg xx+2. Oh, look now Williams is better. But, you know, I just didn't care.

I didn't care about Williams or the captain, and certainly not about any of the characters with two pages of existence. I'm aware that the views I hold on pirates are probably very idealistic, but I don't think my opinions were influenced by the graphic depiction of pirate life. I simply think the author did a poor job of communicating the true personality of his characters. It wasn't that I didn't care about their fate because they were doing piratey things, but rather that I didn't care because I didn't feel that I knew or understood them. It was quite a chore to make it to the end, but I'm stubborn so I persevered.

The only reason this gets two stars instead of one is that things finally start to pick up in the last 80 pages or so. The ending is surprising and admirable in its way. If Griffin wanted it to be viewed with detachment, then he succeeded, though it could've been a lot more affecting if the characters were more fully fleshed out.

Very much enjoyed. Despite nitpicking from some readers/reviewers about the historical and technical accuracy of the novel, I found it to be grimly realistic and engaging. The novel jibed well with the harsh realities of a pirate's life as described by such acclaimed non-fiction as UNDER THE BLACK FLAG, THE SACK OF PANAMA, and FUNNEL OF GOLD. The characters were interesting and believable (if not always well-developed); the crew's adventures credible and entertaining; the plot line was absorbing and flowed nicely; and the last third of the novel, particularly the ending, was wonderfully unpredictable. Not a five-star classic by any means, but certainly one for the library shelf. Recommended for those readers looking for a non-formulaic, historically apt, and stimulating read.

The author produced 3 Hoare books. This is the best of the three.
The style is very good. I originally thought the book had be written in the 19th or early 20th century before I looked into the author.

I would not have mistaken the period if I had first listened to any one of the other two books.

If your going to read the book stop with this one. I dislike vulgarity in my reading and while this one had a little it was at least a background to the story. In the next two it seemed the author meant to be vulgar. Things that would never have been missed are used for no reason.

This is not a bad read. It's not up to the Hornblower, Aubrey/Maturin, or Bolitho standards, but it's worth reading.

For fans of authors writing about the Royal Navy during the early 1800's, this novel (set in 1805) provides a double mystery. First, Lieutenant Hoare is called upon to aid in the defense of a young lieutenant accused of murdering his captain. The Royal Navy is quite willing to hang the defendent, guilty or innocent, in order to close the case and get on with the war. Hoare's inquiries raise questions about the case, including a missing marine. Meanwhile, some mysterious unexplained events are occurring in Portsmouth and nearby areas.

The resolution of the murder case plunges Hoare into the intrigue surrounding the destruction of Royal Navy ships. French agents are exposed, but people have a tendency to die before they can reveal what they know. Hoare makes some enemies, but also finds some new friends (who carry over into the sequel). There is also the young orphan Jenny, and a love interest starts to develop. The novel lacks a map of the area, which would have been useful to readers. There is a short glossery of terms.

Hoare is handicapped from an injury that prevents him from speaking loudly. His whispery voice cannot be raised to the shouts needed to command at sea. The Royal Navy, however, has other uses for Hoare, and his career continues in the sequel.

Perkins had some interesting ideas here. Hoare is a potentially intriguing character: nearly muted by a spent musket ball and constantly having to fight over insults to his surname, he could be something different. And the setting, early 19th century British aquatic, while hardly untrodden, is a good one. The female lead character is refreshingly robust in several senses.

However, this book reads like a rough draft. The plot is that of a mystery, and rather than letting the reader discover the characters and events for him/herself, Perkins lets everything out fast in a rush of exposition. Nothing here unfolds slowly. Scenes which should be dramatic, such as the explosion of a frigate, are so rushed that the reader feels deprived of the opportunity to participate. The author badly needs to learn to "show" rather than "tell". The book has a slight, inconsequential feel, so despite occasional nice touches like Hoare's ship, which the hero gives a different name in every chapter, I cannot recommend it.

According to the useful 3 pages of Glossary at the back end of this book, 'ahoo' or--in utter disarray--is very nearly an appropriate description of the book. It's an entertaining near mish-mosh that couldn't really quite make up its mind as to what it wanted to be when it grew up. It's part adventure, part mystery, part history, very much nautical, and even has a tad of romance to it. The cover calls it A Maritime Mystery. What it did turn out to be, however, is--a very enjoyable read.

When Bartholomew Hoare (and don't make cracks about that--it's a fine old British surname) loses his voice, due to a spent musket ball striking him in the larynx, he is pushed out of the Navy--his only true love. After all, a Captain who can't be heard shouting above any storm or battle, isn't of much use to HM's Navy, regardless of his seaworthiness in all other matters.

Having exhibited some skill at solving puzzles, Hoare is assigned to shore duty at Portsmouth, to find out why ships of the line have been exploding, causing not only loss of ship, but horrendous loss of lives, as well. Patiently gathering up bits and pieces of information, and meeting various personages of the time, Jane Austen among them, Hoare spends all too much time on land, especially on those blasted four-legged creatures he's always despised--horses!

There are several stories here, almost as though the author had first written a batch of shorter stories, then wove them together to make one book-length volume. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable, and prompts one to search out the next book in the series, if only to find out what happens to Hoare and his little gray partridge...

This is a must read of a not too distant time when flying actually was fun and considered by most, exciting. It was a classy affair in the 60's to take an international flight and airlines actually served real fine food- including cherries jubilee flambee! The antics of the stewardesses is a time warp of the free love era and it is hysterical. A must read that will make you long for this bygone era next time you are cattle called onto your flight and forced to purchase "food" on board. Side note: the somewhat mythical "mile high club" began its origins in these very pages.

My daughter was going through her training as a flight attendant and I remembered this book - I read it when I was a teenager. I sent it to her as a surprise. Not only did she love it, she loaned it to everyone else in her class and they all got a great kick out of it. It's just a fun read.

This book was my mothers as a young teen and passed down to me when i turned 13 a few years ago. The book is wonderful, Its one of those books you start reading and dont want to put down thats how good it is.

I've read the whole series and they all are great.
you could read this book over and over again and never get tired of it.

I reccommend this book to anyone.

No juice stories, probably written by people that got married and didn't want to be honest about the life they were used to.
Don't spend money buying this book.....

I picked this up based solely on the reissue cover. I got into it and started wondering who the heck would talk like this, as a woman? Then, about 1/2 the way through, I read the intro and realized this was actually penned by a male who had interviewed a lot of stewardesses. It made me feel better that these weren't real women, but a man trying to sound like a woman.

This isn't a literary work, but it is a great beach read. Don't expect too much, and you'll be thrilled to join these two "women" on their careers. I was born well after the 60's, and it is fun to imagine how classy and upscale air travel was back then. It's certainly a contrast to the budget consciousness of today.

It was definitely a page turner, because I wanted to keep having more adventures in the crazy life of 60's stewardesses. Check this one out and have fun for a few hours.

Not great. Not the greatest mystery plot. And the characters weren't compelling. The details about the plague were fascinating, and the author effectively portrayed its impact on life. I was a bit disappointed when comparing this first in the series to Candace Robb or of course Ellis Peters. But it was good and I will read the next.

Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. Her series of mediaeval mysteries have gained a formidable following. This book is the first in the series and introduces the physician Matthew Bartholomew to the reader. There are now a number of books in the series and they are always eagerly awaited by the author's fans.


Besides practising medicine Matthew is also a teacher at a Cambridge University and his sometimes unorthodox treatment of his patients draws accusations of heresy from his more traditional, but less skilled colleagues.

The year is 1348 and the inhabitants of Cambridge live under the shadow of a terrible pestilence that has swept through northern Europe, crossed the channel and moved voraciously through southern England. As if Matthew had not enough to contend with he is distracted by the death of the Master of the university, an inexplicable death and one that the authorities do not seem to want solving.

When three more scholars died in unexplained circumstances Bartholomew decides enough is enough and begins his own enquiry into the death, but his pursuit of the truth leads him into a complex tangle of lies and deceit that causes him to question the innocence or otherwise of close friends and even his family. On top of all this the Black Death has finally arrived in Cambridge . . .

The black plague is spreading through England and, in 1348, it reaches the newly formed college of Cambridge, decimating the scholars and masters alike. Physician Matthew Bartholomew, struggles to find both a cause and a cure, with his modern ideas on cleanliness and good sanitation being scorned as nonsense by the other doctors at the University. A rash of unexplained deaths occurs at the same time as the arrival of the plague, which gives the murderers a good chance of passing the deaths off as being plague related. It's an interesting topic with the main characters well defined, but I found it to be an unnecessarily wordy book, with points being repeated over and over. I was considering this series to be a follow up to my beloved Cadfael series but...perhaps one more to make sure!

PLAGUE ON BOTH YOUR HOUSES introduces us to Matthew Bartholomew, a 14th Century physician working at the University of Cambridge. Bartholomew, whose medical views are ridiculed by other less progressive doctors, investigates the suspicious death of a high college official, the first in a series of deaths that he soon realizes is connected with a shadowy power struggle between the Oxford and Cambridge colleges. As the body count rises, these deaths become overshadowed by the onslaught of the Black Death, which has been sweeping through Europe and now England.

On the book's plus side, Gregory certainly has an eye for detail; her depictions of Cambridge circa-1348 transport you back to that time. Likewise the characters were fairly well-rounded and I enjoyed Bartholomew.

The book, however, is a long stretch of road, being 402 pages long. I felt some of Bartholomew's endless speculations after each new murder were repetitious. How many times can you read "Could so-and-so be...?" "But then how did...?" "And what is so-and-so's role in this?" before enough is enough.

Frankly I thought the Black Death was a much more interesting subject than the intercollegiate rivalry plot element. Gregory's descriptions of the disease's utter devastation made for gripping reading. I would have much preferred she dumped the Oxford-Cambridge intrigue and focused the story on the incredible impact the Black Death has on a town like Cambridge and the efforts of a 14th Century physician to save the townspeople.

In short, the book has shortcomings but also enough merit that readers should enjoy the story and look forward to the next installment of Bartholomew's adventures.

I had a bit of trouble caring about the supposed motive behind the murders and found it overly complicated. But I did care about the character of Matthew. He is well drawn, interesting and a character I would follow through a series. For me, though, the most interesting aspect was Matt's trying to deal with the plague and its impact, which was beyond imagination. It was a good first book; enough so that I shall read more of the series.

Judging from the high body count in Susanna Gregory's latest Matthew Bartholomew/Friar Michael who-dun-it, 14th Century Cambridge was Murder Central! By the time this tangled tale - which begins with the murder of a University student and the discovery of what appear to be the bones of a saint - is unraveled, about a baker's dozen of the local folk have been knived, bludgeoned, etc. The reader may feel mentally bludgeoned as the murders pile up, the mystery deepens, red herrings surface and sink till the murderer is finally unveiled 490-odd pages later.

To her credit, few authors are as adept at recreating the sights, sounds and smells of Ye Olde England than Gregory. And, as always, the Bartholomew/Michael friendship is nicely done. In this story, Bartholomew is shown to be totally at sea when it comes to the fairer sex, a nice touch that adds a little humor to the story.

As with others in this series though, I feel the book is overly long and convoluted. 'Bone of Contention' is awash in characters, so much so that you almost need a scorecard to keep them straight. And when yet another character is dispatched, you know there will be yet another dialogue between Michael and Bartholomew about "What does this mean?...We thought he/she was (fill in the blank)...if not, then how...," etc. Methinks a few less characters/murders would leave the reader in a slightly less exhausted state at book's end. You know it's a complicated plot when the killer needs 18 pages to explain the preceding events!

In any case, medieval mystery buffs will enjoy the latest outing of Matthew and Michael.

Physician and teacher Matthew Bartholomew is summoned by Brother Michael to the King's Ditch by the Hall of Valence Marie to identify bones found among the rubbish and sewage of the ditch. The Master of Valence is hoping the bones will be from the martyr Simon d'Ambrey in order to make the Hall famous and shower the Hall with gifts and money. The next day, Matthew is called back as the body of a student has been found and, shortly after, the lover of the dead student and daughter of a Principal of one of the student hostels disappears. When riots break out in the town, people die and buildings are burnt, Matthew and Michael sense there was a purpose to it and seek to tie together all events finding out who is behind them.

Gregory does such a masterful job of describing life in 14th century England; I certainly wouldn't want to live there. Gregory's descriptions of the practice of medicine during this time are especially fascinating. But that and her wonderfully dimensional characters, particularly the balance between Matthew and Michael are what make her books delightful to read. The fact that physician Matthew is completely clueless about women and receives advise from Brother Michael adds levity to the darkness of the story. I did feel the plot became overly complicated in this book, but enjoyed the twists at the end.

Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. Her series of mediaeval mysteries have gained a formidable following. This book is the second in the series and introduces the physician Matthew Bartholomew to the reader. There are now a number of books in the series and they are always eagerly awaited by the author's fans.

Besides practising medicine Matthew is also a teacher at a Cambridge University and his sometimes unorthodox treatment of his patients draws accusations of heresy from his more traditional, but less skilled colleagues.

In this novel Matthew Bartholomew, a physician at Michaelhouse College in Cambridge, is called to the King's Ditch, a horrible stinking place that contains most of the rubbish and sewage from the town. Some mysterious bones have been found there, but are they old or new? The following day he is again called to the Ditch, this time because a student has been found dead there.

There is also unrest in the town. Much more than the normal bickering between the townsfolk and the students of the university. There is the disappeance of Dominica, former lover of the dead student and daughter of the well known Principal of a Cambridge student hostel.

Can all these events be connected? Then there is another find in the Ditch, a skeletal hand. It is hailed by the townsfolk as the last remains of a local martyr Simon d'Ambrey. When Matthew find out that on the finger of the gruesome find there is a ring, identical to a pair worn by Dominica and her dead lover, he knows that his teaching duties will have to wait while he attempts to solve the mystery.

This is the third book in the series and Matthew Bartholomew now seems like an old friend to the reader. It was also inspirationally by the author to place the books in mediaeval Cambridge. It just seems to add some extra atmosphere to the books.

The University of Cambridge is in a state of near warfare with the townspeople and the staff and students of the colleges, coming to actual blows and riots occurring regularly. Physician and teacher, Matthew Bartholomew and his friend, Friar Michael, are convinced that the anarchy is being deliberately caused for someone's advantage and, after the discovery of a body in a nearby ditch, which is declared to be the bones of a saint, determine to discover the real reason behind all the trouble. It's an involved plot with dozens of characters..in fact, there are too many characters for my liking, and it becomes a real effort to keep up with them. More murders occur and more of the main players disappear before all is revealed in the final chapter. I don't think that I'll bother with any more of this series as it's too much like hard work and not enough about the pure enjoyment of a good story.

I quite enjoyed the first book in this series, and this title, too, has things to recommend it. But there are problems that make me think the author is getting a little careless or hurried in her writing--the book is much longer than it needs to be; the style sometimes bespeaks hasty composition or at least lack of editing (just one example--the word "definitely" appears three times in three sentences without apparent rhetorical purpose); the plot features far too many nick-of-time and against-all-odds escapes (sometimes within just a few pages of each other); and some of the characters are less than plausible, their believability sacrificed to the demands of story. And while I understand that a 20th-century novel set in the 14th century is bound to have anachronisms, I wish Gregory had avoided some of the more obvious linguistic ones (such as "side-tracked" and "mesmerized").

Of course, it's possible that this book is intended as a parody of historical detective fiction, and I just missed the point.

most of the reviews here are for the book by Coehlo-- a modern fairy tale about "following your heart". THE BOOK ON THIS PAGE IS BY BEN JOHNSON the famous renaissance poet. Someone out there in amazon.com land should fix this!!!

I recently read the early 17th century comedy "Volpone", my first introduction to Ben Jonson. I was surprised by how well Jonson's humor had traveled through 400 years of cultural change. I did have difficulty with Jonson's dedication (several pages), the introductory argument, and the prologue as well as a "Pythagorean literary satire" in Act One, Scene One. But thereafter I found the humor to be natural and enjoyable. I even found myself somewhat sympathetic for the unscrupulous Volpone, Mosca, Voltore, Corbaccio, and Corvino. I immediately hunted around on my dustier bookshelves for other works of Ben Jonson.

"Epicene" was less easy to digest, but was worth the effort. There is a surprising twist in the final scene and I suggest that the reader avoid any literary criticism or introductions to "Epicene" until after your first reading. I had less empathy for the characters in "Epicene" and it was difficult to identify any "good guys". The characters were not terribly disagreeable, but simply dilettantes that had little concern for morality or ethics. The dialogue is more obscure (and more bawdy) than in "Volpone". I found it helpful to first read the footnotes for a scene before actually reading the scene itself.

"The Alchemist" is more like "Volpone". The main characters are unscrupulous con-men; their targets are gullible, greedy individuals. I learned quite a bit about alchemy, at least alchemy as practiced by 17th century con-men. As with "Volpone" and "Epicene", I was unable to predict how Ben Jonson would bring the play to a satisfactory conclusion. I enjoyed "The Alchemist" and I expect that I will read it again. I don't know if it is performed very often, but it would probably be quite entertaining.

"Bartholomew Fair" introduces a large, motley collection of characters that largely converse in lower class colloquialisms that require some effort to master. The comedy was intended in part to be a satire on Puritans and thereby please King James, but it was equally an introduction to the varied individuals that might be encountered at an annual fair. It was not easy to keep track of the many characters and I continually referred to the cast listing to reorient myself.

There are a number of collections of Ben Jonson's plays. I recommend an inexpensive collection, "The Alchemist and Other Plays", publish by Oxford University Press as a World's Classic. The introduction, glossary, and explanatory footnotes by Gordon Campbell are quite good. Begin with either "Volpone" or "The Alchemist" if you are new to Jonson. I hope you are as surprised and pleased as I was.

A comedy that reveals some common traits in Ben Jonson plays. The Alchemist is a crook who, with the help of a woman and a servant, tries to get as much money as possible from anyone who is ready to believe brilliant promises founded on myths like turning lead into gold, or ready palms, or ready the stars and predicting the future, or getting married to some nobleman. It is all a bunch of lies wrapped up in beautiful language that uses a lot of Latin and Greek to make the promises both dim and brilliant, dim in meaning and brilliant in sound. It works very well till the neighbours start complaining about the agitation in the street and in the house, and till the owner of the house comes back and finds out what is going on. But the servant, aptly named Face, manages to get out of the trap by providing the owner of the house with a wife in the shape of a widow that had been brought in to marry a hypothetical Spanish count. She takes the first one that is ready to go through the procedure and it is the landlord. Since she brings a good dowry, this landlord keeps the servant Face in his service. On the other side the two other crooks, Subtle, the Alchemist, and Doll, his woman, have escaped through the backyard leaving everything behind, particularly everything they had been able to get from their gullible clients. Face gets the profit and is purified by his new master. The master of the house easily gets everyone out, all the complainers who do not dare go to a court, especially since they have no written evidence of the tricks they have been the victims of, which would mean they would look like fools. They just drop the matter and go away. Crooks once again work in groups and it is the lowest servant of the band that reveals himself to be more intelligent and swift than his own master, so that he cheats him out of the profit, he manages to get clean out of the business, and he even gets a better position than before. All along Ben Jonson ridicules doctors, puritans, rich people who want to satisfy their ambition for power with quick easy and somewhat magical means. Hence the gullible victims of such crooks are definitely made fun of, though Ben Jonson saves morality in a way by punishing the master crook who loses everything, and yet is immoral because the crook apprentice or helper gets all the profit, hence stealing all the victims of what they had paid or given. Rather brilliant though slightly verbose.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

Ben Jonson, although modern audiences find him difficult to read, played an important role in the development of the English comedic play. Volpone is a dark comedy that explores the twisted world of a con artist and his toady. The play demonstrates Jonson's awareness of the hypocrisy of social situations. Similarly, Bartholomew Fair takes the reader on a tour of the seamier side of seventeenth century London life. Zeal of the Land Busy, a religious hypocrite, still speaks to our generation when questions of religious expression still plague us. Epicene is a gender-bender in which the ideal silent woman turns out to be a man. The Alchemist, although the most difficult of the plays to read, is worth the effort, as it explores the questions of knowledge, ownership of knowledge, and abuse common in today's world.

What's going on? You are all referring to the WRONG BOOK

First Sentence: Peter McGarr stepped out of the laneway into Dame Street, at the end of which stood the granite eminence of Trinity College about a quarter mile distant.

Peter McGarr may have seniority, but he is pushed into a secondary role, and then suspended, during the investigation of the theft of the Book of Kells and two other priceless books, as well as the vicious murder of the night watchman.

I have a real problem with male protagonists who start out by saying how devastated the still are at the loss of their lover/wife, and how long it's been since they've been intimate with a woman, and then promptly leap into bed with someone or, in this case, two someones. It starts the whole thing off on such a false, insincere note for me. That aside, I loved the setting and learning more about Dublin, Trinity College and the Book of Kells. The villains were fairly obvious and there was plenty of violence. it was a good enough read but, as it is the last, or next to last, of the series, I doubt I'll go back and read the prior books.

This is not a bad book, and I only give it a half hearted review because I bought it believing I would get more of a historical thriller instead of detective novel. I know, my fault. The other thing is that even if I had loved the content so much of McGarr's past was given away in this book that I have no need to get the other books since I know their endings already. Overall not a bad book, but I thought the character of Orla Bannon was wasted. She was the best part for me and seemed underutilized, and I did not like the way she was portrayed just before the final act...., you will see what I mean when you read it. As I said, if you like a good detective romp get an earlier McGarr book (good writing, but somewhat dark wit), since you will have the answers to those revealed to you in this one.

I thought this was one of his best McGarr series books. I could not stop reading it.

For those of us who have shared Peter McGarr's life and his many professional challenges as Chief Superintendent of the Murder Squad of the Garda Siochana in Dublin, this novel comes as worthy sequel to Death of an Irish Sinner and a satisfying farewell to McGarr and his associates, with whom we have shared personal and professional tribulations. With the death of Bartholomew Gill this past summer, this series is at an end, though three out-of-print and hard-to-find early McGarr mysteries are now scheduled for reprinting.

This novel takes place two years after Gill's previous novel, Death of an Irish Sinner, in which McGarr and his associates investigated Opus Dei, an extremist Catholic group, and experienced profound changes in their personal lives as a result. Here we see how McGarr, Hugh Ward, and Ruthie Bresnahan have coped with their changed circumstances and how they have continued their lives. We also see the return of Charles Stewart Parnell Sweeney, an Agnus Dei supporter and tabloid owner whom McGarr believes is at the heart of much illegal activity in Dublin. Though this novel is fully able to stand on its own merits, those who have read "Sinner" first will more fully appreciate the intricacies and revelations in plot and character which this sequel provides.

Here McGarr and his squad are called to investigate the theft of the Book of Kells and two other illuminated manuscripts from their hermetically sealed cases at Trinity College. The manuscripts' importance in Irish Catholic culture, the history of the Celts before the arrival of Christian missionaries, and a growing political party called the New Druids, a gang of former IRA thugs involved in organized crime and the torching of churches, are well detailed and dramatically impact the exciting and unusual plot. Skinheads, the tabloid press and its excesses, the growing use of Oxycontin, and the political machinations of Irish politicians add contemporary complications to the efforts to retrieve the ancient manuscripts.

As always, McGarr remains a practical, no-nonsense investigator, willing to throw the niceties of procedure out the window, if necessary, to achieve justice. His loyal staff, familiar to McGarr fans, all appear here, and McGarr's obvious affection for them and for his daughter gives real warmth to this novel. As McGarr, wounded professionally, emotionally, and physically wraps up the case, the reader is left with the feeling that though the novels will not continue, that McGarr will continue to work his way out of difficulties, as always, and that, emotionally, he will be OK. After two years his nemesis has been destroyed, he has made some new friendships, and most tellingly, he has resumed work on his much-loved garden. Though I'm saddened that the series has ended, I'm confident that McGarr will endure. Mary Whipple

Everyone has an inner voice, the voice of God. McGarr's wife Noreen had been murdered two years earlier. There was a theft at Trinity library of two volumes of the Book of Kells. The guard, Sloane, was killed. He had died with a sap in his hand. Raymond Sloane's son had a nose ring. Raymond had had a drug problem. In the end he had given his wife some money to cover having gone into their savings for old age. A bar owner recalls a meeting the deceased had with two people.

McGarr is superseded in the investigation by an officer of the Garda, a Trinity graduate, known as the communicator. This causes McGarr to mobilize his people to work all the harder. McGarr realizes that in one way he has been freed. He does not have to make himself available to the press. McGarr becomes involved with Kara Kennedy the assistant librarian notwithstanding the fact that she is technically a suspect until the investigation ends.

It turns out that the head librarian at Trinity is burdened with drugs and debts. McGarr gets into trouble with the Garda and is placed on administrative leave. The son of the murdered guard is involved in some fashion in the demands for ransom. The chief investigator from the Garda is compromised but with the chief librarian comatose he is not in much danger of having his corrupt conduct disclosed.

Gill was an American journalist and a graduate of Trinity College the book cover discloses. He died in 2002 and wrote this book in the McGarr series about five years earlier. This title has more violence in it than some of the other books in the series.