Bean Books

This was a really great book. I'm not a big fan of vampire stories, but Hubbard doesn't go overboard with it. It isn't soley the fact that Ariella is vampire or all about her fighting herself and temptations for blood. She is simply an average girl that happens to be a half-vampire.
Hubbard's character development is fantastic. I was able to get into the characters and relate to each of them in some way or another. Especially Ari and her search for who she is.
I hope to see more of these characters and many more books by Ms. Susan Hubbard.

Ariella is a young girl, growing up alongside a highly smart yet standoffish, father. As she begins to learn more about the life outside her home, she realizes that there is a lot of danger that nobody ever told her about. As she gains a friend, they realize that her father might not be quite who he seems to be...and are vampires even real? Ariella begins to find the answers to some questions, but must go on a search to find the mother she never knew to gather them all.

The Society of S is an amazing novel that I would highly recommend. It's more then just a paranormal tale and is not to be taken as light reading. Susan Hubbard wrote an engaging, intellectual tale that is sure to please many who are looking for a thought-provoking read.


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I've read a lot of vampire books--you could say I'm a bit of a connoisseur. So I appreciate a fresh perspective on the idea, which is exactly what Hubbard's book brings. It centers on 13 year old Ariella Montero--delicate and protected from the world by a reclusive father after her mother disappeared shortly after her birth. It's certainly a coming of age story, though this teenager has a few more things to deal with than your average middle-schooler. She begins to slowly but certainly unravel the mystery of her life, what's going on in the basement of her father's old Victorian, and just who she is and what she is becoming. Intelligently written, it paints a plausible picture of how a modern day vampire could survive and in fact thrive in the 21st century. Filled with loneliness and discovery, it is a very compelling read.

I read "The Society of S" in about 2 days & enjoyed it fairly well. I've seen some people comparing this book to "Twilight," but I feel that "Twilight" is much better. "Society" seems to have been written only to set up the next novel in this series, "The Year of Disappearances," which sounds like it will have a more concrete plot than "Society." This book was good, but I cannot give it 5 stars because it seemed to stop short of a truly fulfilling conclusion. I was shocked when I turned the last page of chapter 19 only to find an epilogue.

The writing was well done & had the same dreamy quality that Stephenie Meyer seems to achieve, but the story held no suspense for me. The first third was the most interesting, & the story tapered off from there. I'm giving this book 4 stars for the quality of the writing, not the plot.

Ariella Montero has always lived differently from anyone else. She lives with her father in a mansion in Saratoga Springs, NY, where she is home-schooled by her father. Her only other contact with the outside world is their housekeeper - she has never had a friend her age. Her father keeps her on a strictly vegetarian diet, saying she has a type of blood disorder, and spends his days in the basement - his lab - with the unappealing Mrs. Root as his assistant.

When the housekeeper decides that Ari needs to get out and meet some young people, she asks permission for Ari to come home with her and have dinner at their house. The McGarritt's noisy world - with several children - is so different from what Ari knew, but she eventually became close friends with them. However, she begins to learn about her mother, and decides one day to go seek her out.

Most of the book is her journey south, and about her discovering her mother and their secret. OH, you want to know the secret? Read the book! It's a really interestingly created coming of age story. I highly recommend it.

Jayne Castle is a super writer, love her books and can't wait for the next one! I highly recommend these books! Just wonderful

Cadence City matchmaker and para-resonator Celinda Ingram meets her match in security specialist Davis Oakes. On the hunt for the powerful relic that Celinda supposedly bought as a toy for her pet dust bunny, Davis must use all of his unique psychic abilities to try and wrest the ruby red object from the suspicious duo, keep his desire for Celinda in check-and keep them all safe from those who will do anything to possess the relic.

Another wonderful addition to the Psy series. Jayne Castle is a wonderful word artist with delightful, fun and interesting stories. This excellent tale reminded me much of Zinnia and Orchid earlier entries to this series. Celinda was a wonderful heroine who saved the day with her dust bunny friend and her bravery. She knew her own mind and was a strong lead character to Davis the hero. I would have liked to see the dust bunny babies at the end. I hope Jayne Castle continues with this series.

Ok, so I love this series so much that I had to stop reading for awhile, because I was dreaming in green, but thats how it goes. The only problem was that I felt the book was incomplete, like there should be a sequel or something...I felt that there are many more problems ahead for these two and that it should be continued with another book....One thing that I loved, was that I got to catch up with the other characters from the other books, that was my fav part, but I really, really wish that Ms. Castle is working on Ghost Hunter #5...I could use some more

I love everything she writes and this is no exception! She is my favorite author no matter which name she writes under.

It sounded creative: humans and pets with psychic abilities and living on another planet, but it felt like a "made-for-tv movie." The book seemed formulaic. The hero and heroine (Davis and Celinda) met, fought and chased the bad guys and ended up in love. I was hoping for creative or witty dialogue which was not there. Nothing surprised or delighted me. The characters seemed like copies of characters from other books. In one scene, Celinda was too whiny for me. Davis was her bodyguard. She had to go to her sister's wedding, and she didn't want him to come. She was complaining about the social awkwardness and everyone asking her questions about him.

CAUTION SPOILER: The violence level was mild. A bad guy died when he accidentally shot himself. Thugs were chasing and trying to kill Davis, but he knocked them unconscious instead of killing them. Other bad guy deaths were told rather than shown.

Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: three. Setting: a time similar to early 21st century on the planet Harmony. Humans had colonized the planet. Copyright: 2007. Genre: paranormal romantic suspense.
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For a list of my reviews of other books by this author, see my 4 star review of "Sizzle and Burn" posted 2-09-08.

This book was a fascinating look into what transpired in the air during the 9-11 nightmare. The authors access to the facts and the real participants made this book one I could not put down. Being a pilot myself it amazed me to read about what it was like to be in the air on that day, sitting in the cockpit not knowing if your plane was the next one to become part of history, and from the military who was tasked to protect us from a unknown enemy. The authors writing flows from the first page till the last plane lands, She really knows aviation and it shows. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is into aviation and even those who are not, just the reading of the facts makes this book a must read.

I found this book to be extremely interesting, fascinating. Fills us in on unpublished information that I did not know. It is a must read for people who study 9/11. It gives one hope that there are actually perople who operate outside of the box in an emergency situation.

With her extensive research, Lynn Spencer has opened the doors to the numerous events that occurred behind the scenes during the Sept 11 attacks on the United States. Ms. Spencer's investigation of the inner workings of the the U.S. air traffic control system, as well as the military's, takes us inside the intricate network of people who control the skies over the United States; the controllers, pilots, and the support staff that all work in tandem to keep our skies safe when we board a plane.
Ms. Spencer begins by reminding us of the early eronious reports of a small plane striking the north tower, and carries us through the buildup to the uncertainty and hysteria that most of us felt as the events unfolded throughout the day. She takes us inside the cockpits of the military fighters, as well as the commercial airliners that were affected by the events of that tragic day. She taught us that the military and civilian ATC do not speak a common language, yet they managed to find a common ground in order to take control of our skies in a few short hours.
It was an amazing story, one that I would have found hard to believe if I had not lived through the events of that day.

This book for me started out a bit slow but I ended up unable to put it down. For me several mysteries were solved - such as the mysterious plane some eyewitness claimed to see by the Flight 93 wreckage - the rumors that there was a 5th airliner that was close to being hijacked (there was - and learn how a quick decision by the pilot probably saved the White House or Congress) -

Learn how the fighter pilots of Otis in MA and Langley in DC had to make some quick decisions and bypass the normally rigid chain of command on getting shoot down authority - how the VP and Secret Service was involved in that decision -

This book was written by an airline pilot who has done a lot of interviews - From the Head ATC guy overseeing ALL US Airspace (and first day on the job no less!) - to the ATC personnel - fighter pilots, airline pilots, Secret Service, and even the pilot of Air Force One.

It is a riveting book that will solve some lingering questions

I highly recommend this book!

I couldn't put this book down. I read it in 24 hours and promptly gave it to friends, who also loved it. It's not as though we don't know what happened here, but it's interesting to see what was going on behind the scenes.

The recipes here are not at all to our taste, too common and almost tasteless. If you enjoy plain high fat food, go for it. I am purchasing the Lorna Sass pressure cooker cookbook (which I borrowed from the library) recipes and methods of cooking things far superior. Have been pressure cooking for 2 months now and gave both books a fair trial. I am giving Miss Vickies book to the thrift store.

The best pressure cooker cookbook on the market. Outdtanding information and solid recipes. 470 pages - Great bargain. I recommend it.

I have only tried a handful of these recipes. They turned out pretty great. However, they are all geared towards manual pressure cookers, NOT electric pressure cookers. The author is pretty clear about the fact that all her recipes are intended for manual pressure cookers and she is even a bit condescending towards those that purchase electric ones. I probably would have chosen a different book had I known that, since I own one of each and would like a book that covers both. If you own a manual one, I highly recommend this book though.

This is a wonderful collection of recipes. Anyone who has a pressure cooker should get this!

I want a complete balanced meal when I cook. This means I use the microwave, pressure cooker, stove, and oven all at the same time to cook everything. I don't usually cook one pot meals. Pressure cookers work great for meats and grains. Brown rice is quick and easy. I tend to use a pressure cooker mostly for meats, soups, and stews. The Lorna Sass books are very nice. The Sass Whole Grain book cannot be beat. I have all of the Sass books but I find I tend to use this book a little more often than hers. I am glad that I have all of these cookbooks. I would probably buy this book first to begin pressure cooking, then get the Sass books. They have things that are not in Miss Vickie's book. Vickie Smith and Lorna J. Sass are the two best authors of pressure cooker cookbooks. If you want vegetarian or vegan pressure cooking, get the Sass books. They are superior for that. For a good first general purpose pressure cooking cookbook I recommend you get Miss Vickie's Pressure Cooker Recipes.

As somebody that knows almost nothing about sports and baseball I went into this book with low expectations but I have nothing but positive things to say about this book. Billy Bean writes with an authority that usually only the most polished writers have. His story is gripping and his sense of self is astonishing especially considering how insecure he seemed to have been in his early life. He even manages to make the sports talk easy to navigate for somebody that has no knowledge of that world. He speaks with clarity and honesty about his struggles of trying to find his true sexuality in the straight dominated world of sports and is rather brave in candid talk of life on a major league baseball team. He allows the truth to be known without bashing other people and never takes a mean spirited low blow at anyone. These stories seem true to life and don't feel exaggerated as other auto-biographies tend to feel at times. I feel that Billy Bean is a very relatable person and that anyone could learn a lesson in humility from his very humble way of talking about himself. This man has a lot of passion and clearly knows how to channel it into a passionate book. I recommend this book to anyone; Billy Bean is a hero and should be applauded for his courage to come out in such an honest, true to self way. This man is a true American hero.

Great story by a guy that wasted a lot of years not being himself to balance his high profile job. he went through lots of the same tribulation I did.

This is a heartfelt story that has not been told before -- a glimpse inside the world of major league baseball from the perspective of a perceptive and sensitive gay man. Billy writes with real passion about the sport he loves, the incredible pressure to excel, and the high personal price a gay man pays for remaining in the closet. He has a lot to say about the culture of professional sports, how players relate to each other both on and off the field, and what it takes to excel in a very demanding job. And for those who are not baseball fans, a useful glossary of baseball terms and slang is included at the back of the book.

GREAT story. I am not a sports fan, but couldn't put the book down once I started to read it.

I think Billy helps to prove that the stereotype that gay men are vain is wrong. Here is a man that could have any gay guy he wants and is more interested in love.

Having to miss his partner's funeral almost brought tears to my eyes. This story right there provides yet another reason as to why we need gya marriage in the US>

Billy Bean played for 3 major league baseball teams (the Dodgers, Tigers and Padres). He was never a star in the majors, but he had a decent career. Would Bean have a story to tell if he was not gay? Maybe, because it seems everyone writes an autobiography these days. This isn't just the story of a gay man. This is the story of a man struggling to discover who he really is.
Bean discusses his childhood, his high school playing days and his years in the minor leagues. While he progressed through life, he always seemed to feel as if something was missing or not quite right. Still he got married and thought he was living the 'right' life.
Eventually and painfully, Bean realized what he was and decided to act upon it, even though he was not ready to go public with everything. Tragically and much too quickly, his first meaningful gay relationship ended with his partner's death due to AIDS.
Bean's story of coping with this loss, while coming to terms with his sexuality is an engrossing story. You can feel Bean's pain. Gay or not, we all go through our own identity struggles. I guess that is one thing that makes Bean's book good. We can all relate to his struggles. Yet, on the other hand, I have no idea what he must have endured, but Bean paints a vivid and often painful picture of his journey. This makes the book a good read for all people.
I won't totally kill the ending, but I will say that it is uplifting and positive.

This book is not a manual on how to start a business. It encourages you to do what you have been dreaming of or a career that will make you happy. It does have insightful ideas! Even though it was not quite what I expected, I found it helpful and boasting my confidence.

Not only am I a LWL member in Los Angeles and am very grateful for Amy Swift and leader Jen Sincero. I bought the book and recommend it to all of my girlfriends that are frustrated in their overpaid corporate jobs. Hard to believe that the almighty dollar does not make for a women's happiness. Ladies Who Launch gives you the courage to launch from within, plan your exit stategy and first and foremost believe in yourself. Like I wrote above, if only this book and this nationally recognized networking group were around when I began my business, I would not have felt so isolated. The growing numbers of women that are choosing freedom in their hearts and their souls versus "working for the man" are and will reap what they sow. Like Alicia Key's sings "I am superwomen, yes I am" The LWL team Victoria, Beth and Amy and all the other leaders certainly are and if their isn't an incubator by you just yet, purchase this book and become a leader in your own area. I thought fashion moved fast, I think Ladies Who Launch might move faster.

This book is a complete re-hash of "you can do it" pop-psychology. It offered absolutely nothing new in terms of real concrete getting things done. The repeated references to "take time for yoga" and have parties to sell your products to friends is annoying.

The surveys and "studies" mentioned in the book are invalid in terms of how they were conducted; no marketing expert or sociologist would give them any credence.

The book appears to be a marketing tool for the author's own business, a franchise of Incubators which cost hundreds of dollars to join. Don't waste your money; the book itself is an advertisement for a poor product.

I found this book to bevery validating of my own journey starting my Business & Life Coaching practice a few years ago. Imagine it, Speak it, Do it, and Celebrate it, are simple ways to remeber the content. I encourage all my female clients in business to read this book.

I found this book trite and a waste of time. There are much better books to consult. The website for Ladies Who Launch is also pretty much worthless, unless you want to read about the success of celebrities and such. Their organization isn't as wide-spread and helpful as they would have you believe.

I didn't find anything that was of help. And as others have mentioned, some of the language in the book was sickening.

I'm just not impressed.

I am the kind of person who finds a great book, devours it word by word and then keeps it so that I can experience it again another time...this is among my all time favorites!

This review is for the Little, Brown and Company first edition, a paperback, published in Great Britain in 1993, 598 pages. Ms. Wood has published 18 novels with another due out shortly. VIRGINS OF PARADISE was Ms. Wood's third BIG novel. Read all about this author at www.barbarawood.com.

VIRGINS OF PARADISE is a long novel that recounts the sociological changes in Egypt from 1945 to around 1992 by tracking the Rasheed clan, a wealthy and initially aristocratic family whose locus is a mansion on Virgins of Paradise street in Cairo. Ms. Wood divides her story into seven parts, each one a significant slice of time in recent Egyptian history, and relates how the extensive Rasheed family fared through the social and political upheaval.

The baseline is set in 1945 when, at the end of WWII, the British occupation disintegrates and the royal aristocrats reign, but there are portents of change. Part two, begins on Black Saturday, January 23, 1952, when a mob destroys mostly British interests in Cairo and continues through July of that year and the exile of King Farouk, which precipitates upsets and tragedy for the Rasheeds. In part three, in 1962, we see how the Rasheeds have coped with the sociological changes under Abdel Nassar. For part four, the plot continues with the intricacies, secrets and crises of the Rasheed clan in 1966/1967 up to the eve of the six-day war. Nassar dies in 1970. Part five picks up the epic in 1973 after President Sadat has made some changes. Here, the story shifts in part to Southern California where Jasmine (Yasmina), born in part one and disowned in part four, is studying medicine. In part six, the story tracks both the Rasheeds in Egypt and the outcast Jasmine in 1980 and into 1981, when President Mubarak assumes control after the assassination of Sadat. The plot gets sticky as the swirl of lives begin to converge and clash in part seven, in 1988. The epilogue, sometime in the early nineties, picks up where the epilogue left the reader wondering.

The western connection in VIRGINS OF PARADISE begins with Alice, a blond Brit who becomes the second wife of Ibrahim, the dominant Rasheed male. Alice and Ibrahim beget Yasmina, who we meet in the prologue as a protagonist. Written in the omniscient, everybody's point of view, there are many protagonists in VIRGINS OF PARADISE. My favorite is Amira, the widowed matriarch raised in the old days when, once married, a woman never left her home. But Ms. Wood takes us behind the veils and lets the reader grasp the values and the frustrations of the Egyptian woman in a changing society.

This is character driven women's fiction at its best. The eclectic cast of female characters, a virtual harem, allows for multiple scenarios, permutations on the plight of woman in a repressive society where she is circumcised at puberty, betrothed without her consent, excoriated if she does not produce a male, and can be discarded by her husband saying "I divorce" three times. The several generations of Rasheed women allow the author to play out a spectrum of solutions to the female predicament. VIRGINS OF PARADISE is an epic portrayal of women coping in a patriarchal society.

I loved this book. Everytime I know a friend who needs to escape into another world, I search the internet to find Virgins of Paradise to buy for her. I read a lot and this has always been one of my favorite books. Don't miss it! It takes you to a different world and when you're finished reading it, you'll wish she had written a sequel.

This novel of soap opera style love, honor and family secrets is intelligently told against a backdrop of Egyptian politics with a feminist theme focusing on the oppression of women in a male-dominated society of centuries long tradition. The rights of women and men in Egypt are drastically different. There is a passage in the book where one woman decrees that women should be informed by their husbands if they are being divorced, informed if they are taking a second or third wife, be given the right to divorce their husbands if they are being physically abused...basic rights that I expect as an American woman. A young woman in the novel dishonors her family by being raped, another because her hymen was broken innocently and she would not produce blood as proof of her virginity on her wedding night.

Amira is the matriarch of the prosperous Rasheed family. The story begins in 1945 and it is Amira's ever-present voice throughout that links the many women and children as their lives unfold through the years until the end of the book in the early 90's. Her husband has died and her son Ibrahim is now the head of the family. His first wife dies while giving birth to his daughter Camelia. Driven by grief and shame for not having a son, he curses God and disappears to Europe. He comes back with an English wife, Alice who also bears him a daughter, Yasmina. Although they want more children, the couple has bad luck with subsequent pregnancies and like many men in Egypt, Ibrahim becomes obsessed with producing male heirs. He takes the drastic measure of claiming the son of a beggar girl as his own. Most of the story focuses on Amira, Ibrahim, Alice, Camelia and Yasmina although there is a large cast of supporting characters.

I was appalled by the lack of rights and limited choices for women. It was entertaining and educational without being overly preachy or political. It was a fairly long book at 600 pages, but I really enjoyed reading it. Recommended.

Barbara Wood's epic tale of the Egyptian Rasheeds masterfully allows the Western reader a glimpse into the lives of a Muslim family and the trials and tribulations that women universally endure as the so-called lesser sex.

The saga unfolds from many perspectives, both male and female. Amira, the family matriarch, married at thirteen and accustomed to wearing the veil and remaining within the walls of her domain on Virgins of Paradise Street in Cairo, retains a secret past locked deep within her that shames her with its elusive mystery, yet at the same time endows her with the strength to rule her family with a loving decisiveness that never fails her. Ibrahim, her son, wants a son of his own so badly, that he curses God and spends the rest of his life wondering if his ill-spoken words have cursed his ability to sire male children. Yasmina, Ibrahim's daughter, follows the mandates her grandmother dictates, marries and has a son, but decides to follow her own heart and become a doctor. Carmelia, her sister, pursues a different path; flouting Amira's old-fashioned ways, she becomes a famous Eastern dancer. Zachariah, the house's adopted son, inherits too much of his biological father's dreamy idealism, seeking the paradise of God rather than its earthly alternative. All the Rasheeds struggle against the times, the old ways, a newer thinking and what they intrinsically know is morally correct.

Wood weaves her family epic with informative facts about the Middle East. The reader witnesses a female circumcision firsthand along with the perspectives of the participating women. The powerlessness of woman within a society where she wields little power outside the walls of the harem is illustrated through the events experienced by most of the women characters. Wood manages to adequately portray these women as religiously fervent and yet striving for personal freedom without being overly preachy. Her research into the Arab world is to be commended---meeting the Rasheeds amounts to exposing yourself to an otherwise alien world.

There are times when Wood repeats herself. One has to wonder if certain parts of the story are written out of sequence and never edited or if Wood thinks that after so many pages have been digested a gentle reminder of what transpired 150 pages back is needed.

Like other such 'BIG' novels, Virgins of Paradise has its predictable moments, but for the most part, it is an enjoyable and not overly literary story in which to delve--especially if, like myself, you listen to the unabridged audio version, wonderfully performed by Brilliance Corporation in a 19 hour format.

This was a gift to my daughter. I think I was into it more then her.

I liked the descriptions of Clarice Bean, her family, friends and school mates. Everybody probably has known such people in their life times.

Clarice loves to read Ruby Redfort ace detective with her detective helper Hitch. Her friend Betty Moody loves the books as well and one day in school, they get an assignment to do a presentation about a book. Clarice at first is stumped for a choice; especially, when Betty mysteriously disappears.

In a stroke of imagination, she decides on the Redfort books and to her surprise she gets teamed up with the class troublemaker Karl Wrenbury since Betty is missing.

Mystery abounds as somebody floods the boys bathrooms, where did Betty go?, who stole a trophy, will the arch-nemesis Grace Grapello spoil the book project, Clarice's mother is acting strange and why is her brother Kurt a stranger to cleanliness becoming clean and talking to people?

This is a good book for a young girl. The wandering style and imagination of Clarice is fun. Especially with the wavy sentences and fun artwork.

If you are reading it; you have to try and imagine the character talking and read the same way! It will add to the story.

Overall it's a fun read. However, I found my girl getting confused at times when the story switched to a passage of Ruby Redfort.

On to the next book!

I remember seeing this book in a book store when I was 6, (think it was barnes and nobel) but I didn't think I would like it. but today, I went to target, and got this book to read now, and also Clarice Bean spells trouble for christmas. GR8 book, luv it!

Halla Eliason
11-7-07
Writing
Book Review


What Mrs. Wilberton is up arms about is that, ``Someone, and I've got a pretty good idea who you are, has stolen the book exhibit winners cup'!''



Clarice Bean and her best friend Betty Moody are doing a book exhibit called Ruby Redford, but when the book exhibit winner's cup is stolen it's up to them to find out who. Is it , Mrs. Wilberton ? Or is it Grace Grapollo?



My favorite part of the book is when Clarice Bean writes a letter to the author of the Ruby Redford books. Patricia E. Maplin Stacy, and Clarice and Betty get a letter back. I like this part because I would know how Clarice felt. I love to read books and I am kind of like Clarice Bean herself.


I gave this book a five star book. If you like mysteries you should read Utterly Me, Clarice Bean by Lauren child. One of the reasons I think makes this a good book is when Lauren Child uses real cloth. I also think what makes this a good book is when she uses real pictures then puts in a little animation. One of the pictures has a hippo wearing glasses! You should read utterly me Clarice Bean.


I think the authors purpose/ moral of Utterly Me, Clarice Bean is you always learn something even when you think you don't.




By: Halla

My favorite book is Utterly Me, Clarice Bean, by: Lauren Child. It's about a girl who has to do a book project and her friend/book project partner, Betty Moody, goes to Russia and tells Clarice about it but Clarice forgets and thinks something bad happened to her since she is missing school. Will Clarice Bean turn in her project in on time? Will she do it by herself? To find out read Utterly Me, Clarice Bean.

Review by C.A.

This was one of the best books I have read over the years. It was very interesting because it tells you a lot about one of her favorite books, Ruby Redfort Runs. It's very funny how she uses "utterly" a lot. Clarice's teacher is Ms. Wilberton. It is interesting how Ruby Redfort has the same type of teacher as Clarice. Ruby's teacher's name is Ms. Disco. Clarice's best friend is named Betty Moody and they both like the Ruby Redfort series. Betty Moody and Clarice do a book report on Ruby Redfort and it's interesting how they learn so much about clues and solve the mystery of the stolen trophy cup.

As a native southern Californian, and the daughter of a foodie, I was able to identify with Madeline, Wesley and Holly. It is a fun quirkly little book. A great beach read.

I heard about this series from another reader of cozies and thought I should give it a try. I really enjoyed this first book. I like Madeline-she's a real person, and the supporting characters are good too. It's a good mystery with lots of red herrings, and many suspects to choose from. Also the name dropping of big Hollywood names doesn't hurt either. We hear mention of Drew Barrymore, William Baldwin and a few others. It's easy to see that Ms. Farmer is acquainted with the Hollywood party scene. We even get mention about very good food, and that's not a bad thing either. I will definitely be continuing to read about Madeline and her partner Wesley in the other books in this series. Thanks to the person who turned me on to this series.

Sympathy For The Devil introduces Madeline Bean, caterer to Hollywood stars. Bean and her partner and best friend Wesley Westcott are catering for a Halloween bash for producer and all-round s.o.b Bruno Huntley.
Before you know it, Huntley is dead on the dance floor. Madeline gets a shock when one of her nearest and dearest is arrested on suspicion of murder. She sets out to prove his innocence and quickly ends up hip-deep in nutty canines, gangsters and scrounging family members - not to mention mouthwatering food.
It's a great cosy culinary mystery, nothing more and nothing less so sit back and enjoy!

I am torn between regret that I've only just now discovered this series, and delight that this means I don't have to wait for the next one to be published!

Madeline Bean is an up and coming caterer in LA, pulling off amazing parties for glittering celebraties. Her latest job is a spooky Halloween bash for one of the least liked producers in Hollywood, a powerful if rather sleazy man with whom both Maddy and her partner have "histories". When the host is poisoned in the middle of the party, leaving her partner as the prime suspect, Madeline finds herself thrust into the role of detective. She also finds herself with plenty of time to investigate with catering jobs drying up-- who would hire a caterer who poisons their clients? Fortunately, she proves to have a real talent for it.

This does not read like a debut novel. The writing is crisp and clean and the story moves along briskly. The style is chatty and there is an abundance of humor and wit. The sense of place is well-developed; not just of geography, but of culture as well. The mystery was well-handled: the average reader won't have it figured out until the end of the book, but won't feel deceived along the way. The characters are amusing and engaging, and even the dislikable victim and killer have redeeming qualities. Plotting is even, with enough twists and turns to keep things lively.

In short, this is a terrific book for those looking to be entertained and amused.

How strange that, though I've been compelled to give almost every type of earned praise in my reviews, this is the first time I've been sparked to give the single compliment most fitting for a culinary mystery:

The opening paragraph made my mouth water.

It featured stuff simmering on a commercial stove, the ambiance of aroma, and a continuum of taste bud appeal carried out in balsamic detail. Yup. That's what I was there for.

Farmer knows how to surge the saliva glands throughout a culinary, and she DOES it! She enhances the essence of "taking a bite of bread," giving detailed, on the tongue descriptions, thereby spreading warm, buttery rapture to the senses, repeatedly interjecting flavors into the plot at just the right intervals. Her yummy scene of making polenta from scratch (occurring 1/3 into the story) was exquisite flavor enhancement, as she stirred with one hand, held the phone with the other, and went through the culinary process with enough detail to cause auto drool, no recipe necessary. Each ingredient and every process was woven into the ongoing action. Diane Mott Davidson, move over a stool at the communal breakfast bar. Make room for another friend.

Not only does Jerrilyn Farmer use all natural culinary draws to their devilish levels of delight, whenever she's not cooking, she packs nearly every scene with heated, jazzy action and well-spiced intrigue. No chance of even a quarter-inch of reader boredom getting within a mile of Farmer's aura.

Maybe Farmer's well seasoned prose should come as no surprise, since she arrived at the initiation of this pilot with a solidified variety of audience-captivation-skills under her chef's apron, as a television writer. What impressed and enthralled me most, though, was the seamlessly easy flowing, flickering contrasts in the plot rhythm and mood.

The opening scenes around the front stage, huge Halloween party for a demon-blooded (metaphorically) Hollywood mogul were intense enough to seat the reader into a race car and throw him against the backrest, sans seatbelt, as the motor roared into a dancing choreography of "let's have a party!" When Jerrilyn puts on a party through her character sidekick, Madeline Bean, she does it BIG, with the Biggest Heads in Hollywood. Obviously and understandably, lots of readers relish the star-struck mystique. While Farmer uses that draw to the Nth degree of perfection, the superstar scenes alone would not have captured me, as I'm not inclined to being "in with the in crowd," given my reclusive, secluded Ivory Tower, cocoon needs.

So, when the party's over and the next morning arrives, I'm welcoming the pace-drop to cozy, ready for the sensual scenarios to begin, luxuriating in the fascinatingly unique, ideal home/office setup Miss Bean has arranged for herself. Being invited to share the intimate details of a character leisurely opening her day, indulging and divulging personal routines, is the strongest ploy of the cozy mystery's ability to allow a reader to let down the hair and begin living in.

Every-which-way, Madeline Bean has pizzazz, class and charm. But, how can such an intense, fast-rhythm-ed woman of extreme competence exude the vulnerable warmth she seems to own in ready abundance? She slips effortlessly from turbo-charged hyper-drive, to curl-up-w/Chamomile tea and sigh into slow molasses. Yet, her engines rev in the wisp of a whim. Her blood should be studied for traces of permanently interconnected gin and rummy. Somehow Maddie's personality allows her an instant slide into any spot on the continuum of pause-the-show or pour-on-the-coal. Many people, even in fiction, can easily become dependent on externally induced uppers and downers to assist in making these transitions, and the to-and-fro flow isn't actually effective with that chemical "aid."

I love the way Maddie gets herself into and out of jams of sonic-boom-paced, risk-factor-rich intensity. Her "getting outta there" brilliance comes forth in such natural, yet ingenious ways, I'm in awe, and I actually begin to relax in the read, even as I skid through the "crapola" she regularly slides herself into. And I mean "regularly." Most cozy heroines stay (through 86% of the book) in the "hometown comfy" mood-and-flow, schmoozing with recurring friends, family, geography and stage, which become addictive habit as the series surges forward. Normally, the action packed push doesn't slide into plot until the denouement scene arrives, heating up like a sudden hot flash to the "slam-bam" stuff (which is all fine with me).

What surprises me in this offering, is that nothing in this book feels "staged" yet all of it is. Every mood and rhythm feels like it could actually be going down just the way it is, outside the book, in MY world, even the outrageous machinations and high-thrill action. The scene of Madeline being chased by 2 bad guys was exquisite action, and her ways of evading and escaping them were simply ingenious. When I say simple here, I mean it in the most efficient, absolute sense of the word, which leaves a person feeling "yeah, that would work. Sure. Why didn't I think of that? How deliciously easy and right."

This is vicarious personified, just for me, allowing me to do stuff I'd never do, never be able to do, but can enjoy in prime entertainment with Miss Bean and company.

Was also impressed with the way Farmer dealt with the budding attraction between Maddie and Lieutenant Chuck Honnett, and with her winding-down, but periodically hot-to-trot, hit-and-miss relationship with Arlo. Jerrilyn has a way with sexuality which is uniquely and surprisingly "right" and refreshing. In contrast, it exposes other novel's efforts to charge up libido and steam windows seem like ... exactly that ... efforts. I hadn't noticed the effort part in many romance novels, until I placed it beside Farmer's ways of subtly titillating the heat without causing the reader to squirm in the discomfort of a Peeping Tom syndrome, chained to a window bearing too much slippery flesh.

This pilot seems to have incorporated and enhanced all the highest ingredients of draw of every cozy series out there, and then added her own subtle, nuance-lush touches. And, somehow I believe Farmer has outdone herself with each book in this series.

Though it wasn't Hollywood which drew me to this literary entre, I'm in, to the end of the ride.

I love a good movie as well as a good novel, and Farmer seems to rule and meld the two. This series would definitely make a fantastic TV run. It would be one of the few I'd watch and read, both (though at different times; I'd want to relish the unique pulls and ambiance of each medium in its separate space of mind and mood ... see my review of THE MEDIUM IS THE MASSAGE to shift from Right to Left brain in a happy heartbeat).

Linda G. Shelnutt

This book is not a wower, but, it's ok. Make sure you read the recipes before going to the grocery store; you'll need to find different ingredients that I would bet is not in the average kitchen.

A very good, detailed book using these items. Perfect for when using emergency supplies. Lots of color pictures and easy recipes.

This book had great reviews. It is thorough. I haven't tried recipes yet but it's a great book.

This book was a real disappointment. There was a number of fringe ethnic dishes with poor taste appeal. Too many of the same types of recipes. Don't waste your time!

We love this book! It has some of the best recipes that we have ever made! It is quite extensive and has broadened our tastes into grains and beans that we have never even heard of before. Finding some of the ingredients was a little tricky at first, then we started to let our fingers do the walking and had better luck finding some of the odd ingredients at the smaller ethnic stores and health food stores than the supermarkets. But definitely call first. It was a hit and miss affair. The absolute best thing about this book was that they include the nutritional value for each recipe which in invaluable for maintaining certain diets like weight watchers. Needless to say almost everything in this book is low in points because of the sheer amount of fiber in them. We LOVE this book!!! get it you won't be disappointed!