Boone Books

The Bootlegger's Daughter is the first in Margaret Maron's Debra Knott series. The entire series are great reads but the first one is superb. Wonderful character development(which continues)tantlizing mystery and a great introduction to North Carolina history for one of those many "come here's" hoping to better understand their new home.

This is the first of Margaret Maron's books about Judge Deborah Knott. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading but the story quickly had me hooked. Maron is an excellent mystery writer and I'm in the process of reading all her Deborah Knott mysteries.

Margaret Maron's BOOTLEGGER'S DAUGHTER won every award for mystery fiction and is the beginning of the Deborah Knott series, with one prequel BLOODY KIN. Set in a fictional place near Raleigh, NC the story explores family, politics, homosexuality, and a cold case of murder.
The pace is slow of a modern mystery, but the reader has time to explore some fascinating characters and setting. A very strong beginning for an experience writer who has returned home.
If you've read others in the series, come back to this one because it is Margaret Maron at her writing best. Though I'll admit to admiring her NY characters more than I do Deborah, just a matter of taste not quality.
Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

I read some commentary on this book in a craft book (Don't Murder Your Mystery [Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book]) and was eager to read a book that won four major/important awards for mystery fiction. I was not disappointed, but neither was I blown away. Overall, this is solid launch to a mystery series with an engaging protagonist. The sense of place - the South, with a capital S - is as strong as the protag's characterization. The plot and clues are thoughtfully and carefully considered - the reader will not feel betrayed by the conclusion. The minor complaints I offer (for the mass-market paperback edition) include poor copy and line editing, the introduction of so many characters that keeping track of their roles in the story becomes something of a chore, and a small handful of rather implausible situations made necessary for the plot's resolution.

This was the first novel in the Judge Deborah Knott series. After reading other novels, and also the short story collection, I went back to this one which establishes the main character's start as a judge. The novel reflects the changing attitudes in the south, and the changing economy. Positions on the bench had been reserved for WASP men. Deborah is fed up with the attitudes of some of the judges she encounters while working as an attorney in their courtrooms. A position is coming open where the encumbent is stepping down. She decides to file for office. Her strongest opponent turns out to be a black male candidate. So how will people decide when confronted with a black man and a white woman, neither of whom would have stood a chance in previous history?

Deborah has many things working against her. Besides being a woman in what had been a male dominated profession, her father was a notorious bootlegger, but one with connections. Her election campaign runs in parallel to her legal career as she becomes involved in a cold case. An 18 year old woman wants her to investigate the death of her mother, murdered when the young woman was an infant. The case had never been solved.

The murder case is disturbing. There are people who do not want it reopened. She is assisted by a childhood friend who is the chief deputy in the sheriff's office, especially after another murder occurs (see the latest novel "Hard Row" to see how that relationship develops). There are some surprising revelations and a surprise ending to the case.

About her desire to be a judge - well, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Her father knows where some bodies are buried, and he can play hardball when he wants to.

As of this writing, Boone has probably lost a billion since the oil/gas markets have crashed and his BP Capital hedge fund has dropped some 60% this year. This is a man who bets big, levers up and generates spectacular results when he's right and awful results when wrong. However, the fact that he's lost so much this year shouldn't be a reason to gloat or a reason to dismiss this book.

His is an inspirational story in that his most dramatic success and probably his most daring plans have come at an age where most people are content retiring and sliding downhill. His description of physical exercise as crucial to his spirit, energy and mental health should inspire seniors that it's never too late to go for it.

The reviewers who criticze his ego are off the mark in my opinion. He is constantly crediting others with helping him be successful, but in the end, if an 80 year old man can still accomplish what he has in the past decade, that man has the right to boast a bit in my book even I don't see much of that here anyway.

Finally, perhaps the most important part of the book is the end where he presents the Pickens Plan. Many have criticized the plan as self-serving or pure self-enrichment. While there may be some truth to it, I feel the benefits of adopting the plan far outweigh the negatives and if an octogenarian who is extremely philanthropic benefits in the process, so what! He admits in the book that he likely won't be around when his plan would yield real economic benefits for him, but the benefits to the country in terms of diminishing our dependence on oil purchased from countries that do their best to undermine us every chance they get will last far into the future. Boone will be long gone by then, but what a legacy he would leave the country. Is your envy so all consuming that you'd rather see the country bankrupted than seeing a man make another billion or so which will probably all go to charity?

I for one hope that Boone lives to see his plan adopted in full.

I decided to take a look at this book after I heard how much he lost recently in the market. I decided to buy the book because it's pitched as a life filled with challenges and comebacks, which I think is what most entrepreneurs and investors faced. T. Boone Pickens did not disappoint. He takes us along on a fascinating journey, filled with obstacles and triumphs. I learned a lot and was thoroughly entertained.

I also noticed a review here for The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book and decided to buy that book as well. I really enjoyed it and would like to pass that recommendation on to you!

T. Boone Pickens began at age 11 delivering papers, mowing lawns and pumping gas in Oklahoma to becoming chairman of the BP Capital Management hedge fund. He invested a mere $2,500 into Mesa Petroleum and built it into one of the largest independent oil companies in America and then overcame a time of personal difficulties by taking an investment fund of $3 million and turning it into $8 billion in just a few years. That's why

I picked up a copy of Boone's book The First Billion is the Hardest and read it from cover to cover with close attention and fascination.
In his book, Pickens presents his plan for America to become energy independent as well as detailing his life of improbable triumphs. The book provides an inside view of his oil and gas career, of mergers and acquisitions, of his dealings with CEOs and investment bankers, and on his personal management style.

On energy, Pickens makes the argument that the U.S. cannot drill its way out of our current crisis but must think our way out. In discussing energy solutions, Pickens stresses that crude oil is not used only for gasoline, heating oil and jet fuel but for other important petroleum products such as plastic, synthetic fibers, fertilizers, ink and many more products. For that reason, even if no foreign oil went to energy uses we'd still be beholden to the Middle East. Pickens wants to replace at least a third of gasoline demand with natural gas to reduce our foreign oil bills by 16 percent annually.

The book contains 11 chapters on the author's personal insights and experiences, including his insights on energy, and one chapter on his energy plan. While some readers may scoff at the author's folksy personality and "Bonneisms" the fact is that T. Boone Pickens has 60 years experience in the energy field - experience that gives him credibility and suggests we should listen closely when he speaks.

The book also provides an interesting peak into how Pickens spends his money - a philanthropic approach to use his money to perpetuate helping others. In fact, the author shares his intent to give away all of his money and how he will do it. But before he could give away as much he has, Pickens first had to earn his fortune and The First Billion is the Hardest is a fascinating and compelling story of how that was done.

By Darin Manis
CEO and Founder
RJ & Makay
[...]

This book was both an easy and fast read. Plain speaking conversational writing style. Provides a nice introductory overview of who T. Boone Pickens is, where he came from, what shaped him, his business experiences, and ends with the promotion, explanation, and justification of his Energy Plan. Being an autobiography, in addition to the expected successes, I was surprise to see that he freely admitted some of his bigger mistakes. You may, or may not like the man, but book is definitely worth the read if you are interested in finding out about the man, and his energy plan. After reading his book, I am even more committed in supporting his energy plan.

I've been a huge fan of Boone Pickens since the early 80s when he unlocked shareholder value at Gulf Oil and other sleepily managed oil companies. I even bought shares in Mesa Petroleum and I've mentored someone who works closely with him.

But, Lordy! He loves himself just a little too much.

This slim book is written in first person as though into a tape recorder with scant evidence of any editing. It's a quick read and after a couple of chapters you are already past his Mesa days. It dwells instead on his BP (as in Boone not British Petroleum) days. It also is full of wind and gas on his Pickens energy plan.

Frankly, I don't need to read a commercial on his energy plan, but I'll grant him a pass on that. It's the overall tone of the book that gets to me. There's way too much tooting of his own horn. I have to wonder if he was a middle child or something like that happened to starve him of attention.

It certainly is a quick read and you could polish it off on a longish plane flight. Still, it pales by comparison with the much longer but brilliantly written and insightful "The Snowball" on Warren Buffett.

this was a truly spectacular book, I am amazed to see it in mass market paperback and now out of print. This is certainly not a typical mass produced fun but forgetable thriller...It is absolutly careful and tight in every detail, Kate Morgenroth shows amazing control- complete intellectual genius free from the temptations of cliche and laziness, or any sort of moral indulgance. This is simply amazing.

This is the type of book that grabs you and takes you for a heckofa ride! A young widow who gives up on life and puts herself in a senior citizens home - The bad guys come in to cause some terror, and she says "Kill me first" -
The characters are vivid and the climax of the book leaves you breathless!
One of the must reads for suspense/thriller fans!

I agreed with many of the other reviewers, both positive and negative. This is an unusual book, and it is hard to tell if some of its characteristics are flaws or good aspects, such as the author's tendency to provide almost no description of places or characters.
In general, it is powerful and in many ways quite well written.
I do agree that there are some plausibility problems. The worst involve the CIA. The CIA is forbidden by law to operate in the United States. Now, obviously there are some gray areas here. (I was always annoyed when I went to scientific conferences and saw people who I knew worked for the CIA with badges that would say, "John Smith, Department of Defense". I thought they shoulnl'dt misrepresent themselves this way. On the other hand, its not hard to figure out who they are.) But no agent shows his CIA credentials to the local cops and expects to get anything. The local cops know the law. They're likely to call up the FBI and report them. Similarly, nobody with a federal ID goes to CIA headquarters and is allowed to roam the halls causually looking for someone. I've been to CIA headquarters, in the company of federal employees, some with very high security clearances, and we were very carefully escorted to where we had to go. Aside from being generally paranoid, the CIA is very suspicious of other government agencies--I've been in meetings with CIA and NSA people, and they fight like cats and dogs.

I have to admit, I wasn't really expecting much from this book when I purchased it among others in a book store on a visit to Australia. Having recently read it, I was compelled to find out more about the author to see if there were any more books by her. Unfortunately, as of this writing there are none. The book itself grabs you by the throat with it's extreme accounts of numerous heinous acts by the main antagonist, Mercer. He is portrayed as an intelligent, cunning and quite disturbed man. When he runs across the other lead character, Sarah, he is caught offguard. She is not what he expected and the events that follow forever change him. The FBI agent advising the local police after one of the incidents in the story, Agent Tresler, leads a breathtaking chase after Mercer. Tresler gets well acquainted with Mercer and we discover that Tresler is quite good at what he does but the bureau was not his first aspiration. You will soon find out why he is able to fathom Mercer's actions and thoughts so accurately. He even predicts some of the events but without any hard evidence to back up his hunches, he doesn't get much backup. Mercer is unpredictable to a fault, but as the story unfolds you begin to understand him in subtle ways. The ending is a bit of a stunner, but you may find yourself cheering at the results or deeply disappointed, either way you will have difficulty putting this down once you start. I would emphasive, however, that this is not for the faint of heart as the unflinching portrayal of the events that transpire are quite jarring.

I finished this book almost at one sitting, and when I asked myself why I liked it, the first reason (perhaps not unexpectedly)was because Sarah is my age, still attractive and sexy (I try!) and reacts exactly as I hope I would should such an unlikely situation ever occur. So many of today's fiction heroines are feisty twenty somethings, but some of us out there older than that still have lives. It was interesting that the author's photo shows quite a young woman, and since this is her first novel, I wonder whether she had a role model in mind when she wrote this, or a hope for her own future. The plot is a little farfetched - it seems unlikely that even with the degree of ineptitude sometimes demonstrated by law enforcement agencies that someone with Merec's history would not have been apprehended by now. And also, given the way he treats his team, that anyone would want to join him. I agree with some reviewers that it has some elements of writing for a screenplay, but I didn't read it that way. More that it was fast paced, with good characterisation and a real need to turn the page.

Great book. Go find it and read it and think about it for weeks, I have. I find myself going back into the book, reading a chapter here, a chapter there......What an awesome book, I wish I would have read this when i was in high school....If I where an english lit teacher or philosophy prof. this would be manditory reading. I guess since I am originally from spokane that I can relate to this story in certain ways, but then again, I think so can alot of people, but not everyone unfortunately. You will know once you read this book.

In the book Vision Quest, there is a story of growing up, preparing to graduate high school and to become self-reliant. The author Terry Davis used a great metaphor for life as the sport of wrestling. He kept referring to the intensity of losing weight and practicing to the struggles of life and how we must all overcome them.

If you have seen the movie, by the same name, then the book might disappoint you as it did me. The book ends at the beginning of the big match between Louden and Shute, whereas the movie keeps going and finishes the match. This is where the plot seems to just drop off in the book, there was so much rising action and then it just STOPS and then the book ends. This was very frustrating, especially when the book was going great and Louden was getting everything he worked for, his life could not have been better. On the other hand having the book just STOP, it allows the reader to finish the story however it feels necessary.

The theme of maturity and coming-of-age is definitely apparent when Louden talks about his Senior Project and how finishing that he will have completed every challenge High School has offered and he will be ready for whatever comes next, which is college in his case. The theme is only of Louden but also includes his friends and girl friend, Carla. Carla was a hitchhiker making her way across the country when she tries to buy a car and ends up being a houseguest at Louden's home. She grows and becomes a fully responsible woman by the end of the book, which a lot of the credit is given to Louden. I believe this is a great book with a bad ending, but judge for yourself.

This book not only helped me become a writer, it confirmed that there are folks out there working in each moment to be the best people they can be. I've carried the protagonist, Louden Swain, with me every day of my life since I read VISION QUEST in late 1979. And I'm glad for it.

When I came to VISION QUEST in my mid-twenties, I was striving to connect with a life I could care about. I was not a reader, other than the few older novels I was required to read in freshman comp. and American lit. classes. For me, VISION QUEST was revelatory in teaching me that American literature was not something of the past: it didn't die with the likes of Fitzgerald and Steinbeck and Hemingway. Even more important (more enriching) to me, it showed that it was possible to write books and stories that would be accessible and relevant to (and resonant in) many people's lives who would not otherwise be interested in reading. What's more, VISION QUEST helped me recognize and honor the connections between my life and those of others around me. You can't ask for more than that from a book.

And it's not something you often find. For these reasons and others, VISION QUEST is a novel to honor and to celebrate.

The life that Louden Swain lives in this book was something I could indeed recognize as A LIFE! Louden was awake and alive to the possibilities. This was a theme I was (and remain) passionate about pursuing in my own life and work. I hope that I've done an OK job of making that happen.

Davis Miller, author of THE TAO OF MUHAMMAD ALI: A FATHERS AND SONS MEMOIR and THE TAO OF BRUCE LEE: A MARTIAL ARTS MEMOIR

"Vision Quest", like "The Catcher in the Rye", is a novel about adolescence, in the hero Louden Swain's own words, about the "short time he's got left to be a kid."

He's a high-school wrestler who's dropping weight for a match with the state champion but also someone who tries to fill his life with things to do. He reads Kurt Vonnegut novels and med. school textbooks and gets pissed off when the colleges he visits only ever let him talk to the jocks and coaches, rather than the professors he's read about.

Looking at "Vision Quest" now, I realise it is a much funnier book than I supposed when I first read it twenty years ago. Then I was about the same age as Louden and the things he said seemed to make perfect sense. Nowadays, I can appreciate Davis's irony and the perceptiveness with which he makes Louden very much a teenager in his understanding and world-view. My favorite Louden comment is his straight-faced philosophising that, "having a girlfriend is not all fun and games. There's responsibility in it too."

I think the reason VQ is enjoyable and bears re-reading even now, is that it does so many different things very well. Davis covers male bonding, boyfriend-girlfriend relationships, parent-child dynamics and student-teacher struggles. He also captures Louden's dual-nature, as he switches from moments of seriousness, squinting into an uncertain and potentially dangerous future, with Louden's sudden reversals into kiddish playfulness, as he stuffs his team-mate's mouthguard down his shorts.

As well as capturing the atmosphere of the wrestling-room, literature is also a recurring theme. We are told about the novels Louden reads, his English class assignments and his graduation thesis. There is even an analysis of James Agee's "Knoxville Summer 1915". This is is done so seamlessly and with such relish that it made me want to run out and buy these books too.

For me, this a rare example of a completely successful novel. It has not dated (except for a kind of 1960s wonder over racial equality) and Davis has a sharp ear for the dialog, name-calling and absurdity of teenagers. It takes wrestling as a starting-point but is startling in its lack of violence or agression. Rather, it is tender, humorous and poignant, gaining its power from the clarity and truth of its depiction of adolescent life. Terry Davis succeeds in making us care about Louden and Carla, who end up seeming much more than mere fictional characters. Novelists of any stature can hope for little more.

This is one of the most real-world inspiring and beautifully understated pieces of fiction that I have read. The protagonist, Louden Swain, is a 17-and 18-year-old who is doing his very best to become the best (the most alive, capable) person he can figure out how to become. It's durned good to see such a life as Louden's promoted in a fine piece of writing instead of the maladjusts we often find in contemporary, "cool" literature. Although Vision Quest is listed as a young adult title, the writing transcends that genre. This is not so much a book for adolescent readers (although they'll likely enjoy it) as it is a fun read for adults who powerfully connect with good novels. The ending: it's downright perfect. The wrestling match between Louden and his opponent is not the point of the story. The journey of becoming is what matters here.

This book is a such a mess, but if you love the series, it's better than nothing.

It's a shame that the authors, who obviously love the series, spent all the time to write the book but didn't bother to have it proofread or copyedited. It is replete with typograhical/grammatical errors, and incomplete sentences for which they should be ashamed. The episode synopses are particularly bad.

There's a lot of good information in there, but it's frustrating to wade through the very bad writing.

Take a pass on this one and wait until someone writes a real book on HGWT.

What a shame!

THE HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL COMPANION is a magnificent book. Focusing on the radio and television program, and a chapter about the HGWT collectibles. Interview with Johnny Western is included. Behind-the-scenes trivia with memories from Hal Needham, Peter Boone, cast and crew. Have Gun was created by Sam Rolfe and Herb Meadow and produced by Frank Pierson, Don Ingalls, Robert Sparks, and Julian Claman. There were 225 episodes --- Perhaps the only genre more popular than private eyes in television's early years was the western, so it's probably not all that surprising that someone soon came up with the idea of combining the two --- Have Gun-Will Travel ranked in the top five almost immediately and after that trailed only "Gunsmoke" (1955-1975/James Arness) and "Wagon Train" (1957-1965) for the rest of its run.

A complete episode guide for all 225 television broadcasts with titles, air dates, writer credits, cast lists (who played who), music credits, director credits, production credits and plot descriptions! The same treatment is given for the radio program of the same name with additional material such as the dates and times when each episode was recorded as well as broadcast!

A lengthy history documenting the formation of the television and radio program, with memories from the cast, production crew, directors and much more!

All of the HAVE GUN novels and collectibles based on the western program are documented and pictured in a fascinating chapter.

Emmy Awards, Neilsen ratings, a list of Boone's other television credits and John Dehner's too.

Foreword by Peter Boone.

The authors point out errors that today are still found on the internet. While some readers may find this book too thick for their money, griping that pointing out errors isn't necessary (or mistakenly claiming there are errors in the book), the authors point out the origin of those errors and back the correct information with verified proof.

One critic said that years after buying this book they found the spine and binding falling apart. I have had my copy for more than 5 years and turned to it often. It is not falling apart. But good books do wear out on occassion so if I can paraphrase that critic, my only complaint is the book is not hardcover because the corners of my book are getting worn.

This book, which was written in 2000, examines the TV program and the life of the actor who brought Paladin to our small B&W screens. We baby-boomers fondly remember the days when Mom said, "If you get moving and take your Saturday night bath, you can watch "Have Gun-Will Travel." The authors reassure us that Richard Boone was no phony. Paladin's gruff, yet compassionate, personality was in reality that of Richard Boone.
The authors' research is impressive, and the bite-size stories make for interesting reading. There are summaries of each episode, trivia, numerous quotes, and many black-and-white pictures.
My only quibbles are that the book needs a page index for quick references and that some of the photographs have the washed-look of being run off on a copy machine.
With a little searching, you can still find a reasonably priced edition. It is a Must-Have for Have-Gun fans.

"Have Gun, Will Travel" is one of the greatest series of all time. It's a shame that this book about the series wasn't written by someone who was familiar with the English language.

OTR Publishing presents - "THE HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL COMPANION" --- In 2000, a trade paperback book entitled The Have Gun-Will Travel Companion was published, documenting the history of the radio and television series --- The 500-page book was authored by Martin Grams, Jr. and Les Rayburn --- From 1957 to 1964, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL aired over the CBS Radio and Television Network with huge ratings --- Considered by many as one of the best television westerns ever broadcast next to "GUNSMOKE" --- "HAVE GUN" dramatized the exploits of a man name Paladin, whose gun was for hire - for a steep price --- Paladin was also a man of culture, West Point educated (he served as an Union officer in the Civil War), literate, with a taste for fine food and clothing and the theater --- He dressed like a dandy and made his headquarters in the ritzy Hotel Carlton in San Francisco --- His calling card featured a picture of a paladin (the white knight in chess) and the inscription from which the show drew its title: "Have Gun, Will Travel...Wire San Francisco." --- The theme song, co-written by star Richard Boone, even became a hit single.

On the surface, dapper, black-clad PALADIN was just a high-priced gun-for-hire, but in reality he was actually a sort of troubleshooter and private lawman-for-hire (a private eye, if you will), often sent out into the wilds to places where there was little, if any, law --- Have Gun was created by Sam Rolfe and Herb Meadow and produced by Frank Pierson, Don Ingalls, Robert Sparks, and Julian Claman. There were 225 episodes --- Perhaps the only genre more popular than private eyes in television's early years was the western, so it's probably not all that surprising that someone soon came up with the idea of combining the two --- Have Gun-Will Travel ranked in the top five almost immediately and after that trailed only "Gunsmoke" (1955-1975/James Arness) and "Wagon Train" (1957-1965) for the rest of its run.

THIS BOOK INCLUDES:
1. A complete episode guide for all 225 television broadcasts with titles, air dates, writer credits, cast lists (who played who), music credits, director credits, production credits and plot descriptions!
2. The same treatment is given for the radio program of the same name with additional material such as the dates and times when each episode was recorded as well as broadcast!
3. A lengthy history documenting the formation of the television and radio program, with memories from the cast, production crew, directors and much more!
4. All of the HAVE GUN novels and collectibles based on the western program are documented and pictured in a fascinating chapter.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Chapter, Title and Page Numbers)
INTRODUCTION - 8
THE HISTORY OF HAVE GUN - WILL TRAVEL
PRE-PALADIN - 11
HAVE GUN - WILL TRAVEL - 34
WHERE PALADIN RETIRED - 118
THE RADIO SERIES & EPISODE GUIDE - 144

THE TELEVISION EPISODE GUIDE
SEASON ONE - 207
SEASON TWO - 253
SEASON THREE - 299
SEASON FOUR - 342
SEASON FIVE - 388
SEASON SIX - 433

THE EMMY - 468

NIELSON RATINGS - 469

HAVE GUN COLLECTABLES - 470

APPENDIXES - 483

BIOS:
Richard Boone
Date of Birth: 18 June 1917 - Los Angeles, California
Date of Death: 10 January 1981 - St. Augustine, Florida

For fans and collectors alike, authors Martin Grams, Jr. and Les Rayburn with a Foreword by Peter Boone --- "In the books there's a name for a man like you. A Paladin. That's a gentleman knight in shiny armor, and all armed with a cause and righteousness and a fine pointed lance and yet a mercenary --- A man who hires out for gold. What was your price, my noble Paladin?" --- You've read the Richard Boone biography, now read the book about Have Gun - Will Travel! Over 150 actors, writers, directors, production crew have been exclusively interviewed for this project! --- Did you know that Paladin once graced the cover of Time magazine? --- Did you know that John Dehner, radio's Paladin, was previously an animator for Walt Disney studios, and drew scenes for Bambi and Fantasia? --- Do you know all the details about the 30 years plus court case regarding the Rhode Island mechanic who claimed he created the Paladin character---and took CBS to court? --- you know the not-so-happy story why Sam Rolfe, co-creator of HGWT, left the series during the middle of the third season? --- You can learn all these and many more when you purchase your copy of The Have Gun- Will Travel Companion, from Amazon --- This book also includes--All 106 radio broadcasts, including official script titles, plots, complete cast lists (who played who), rehearsal and recording dates and times, writers, directors, etc. --- All 225 television episodes, which includes the same information stated above --- A chapter documenting (with photos) each and every HGWT collectable! --- All summer reruns and mid season preemption's are documented as well! --- At the present time, there has not yet been a publication that has listed every episode with correct titles and air dates --- Many have not even listed all 225 broadcasts! --- The authors have gone to great lengths to finally straighten out all of those errors --- This book will finally offer the definitive broadcast dates, titles and production information --- Includes exclusive interviews --- a "knight without armour in a savage land." Boone, as Paladin, brought a sense of dignity and weight to the role.

"Have Gun Will Travel Theme Song"

"Ballad of Paladin" by Johnny Western, Richard Boone, and Sam Rolfe
Performed by Johnny Western

Have Gun Will Travel reads the card of a man.
A knight without armor in a savage land.
His fast gun for hire head's the calling wind.
A soldier of fotune is the man called Paladin.

Paladin, Paladin Where do you roam?
Paladin, Paladin, Far, far from home.

He travels on to wherever he must;
A chess knight of silver is his badge of trust.
There are campfire legends that the plainsmen spin
Of the man with the gun,
of the man called Pa-l-l-l-l-a-din

Special footnote about the author Martin Grams, Jr. (b. April 19, 1977, Baltimore, Maryland) is an old time radio historian who has written authoritative articles and books on radio, television and films. The son of magician Martin Grams, Sr. and librarian Mary Pat Grams, he was educated at South Eastern School District in York County, Pennsylvania and graduated from Kennard Dale High School in Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania in 1995 --- He worked a variety of jobs from factory labor to banking before settling on a writing career --- Since 1998 Grams has documented broadcasting in the 20th century. "Suspense: Twenty Years of Thrills and Chills" (Morris, 1998) was followed by "The History of the Cavalcade of America" (Morris, 1999) about the Dupont-sponsored radio and television program of the same name --- After "The CBS Radio Mystery Theater", co-authored with Gordon Payton for McFarland Publishers, Grams followed with "Radio Drama" (McFarland), "The Have Gun-Will Travel Companion", co-authored Les Rayburn, and "The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion" (OTR Publishing, 2000), a 660-page survey of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" with a complete episode guide --- many of which are found on the Amazon sites for purchase.

I found myself being transported back in time, as this companion has opened my eyes to see the subject more clearly --- makes you wonder if maybe Randolph Scott who was originally slated for the role could have done just as well --- it can be said without a doubt that Richard Boone not only made Paladin, he was PALADIN --- One of Paladin's quotes: "I don't think you got a very good look at this gun while you had it. The balance is perfect. This trigger responds to a pressure of one ounce. If you look carefully in the barrel you'll see the lines of the rifling. It's a rarity in a hand weapon. This gun was handcrafted to my specifications and I rarely draw it unless I mean to use it. Would you care for a demonstration?" --- Don't miss this one --- now appearing on Amazon and OTR Publishing --- Don't hesitate --- rush out and pick up your copy today --- Great reading in the days and weeks to come --- I guarantee it! --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total: 505 Pages ~ OTR Publishing #ISBN-13: 978-0970331007 ~ (10/01/2000)

In EAST OF A, Russell Atwood serves up a thriller that's witty, funny and rich with atmosphere, as New York City's lower East side becomes a character in this urban thriller, and its protagonist Payton Sherwood takes his place among fiction's best-loved hard-boiled PI's. Fast-paced, and never boring, Mr. Atwood's debut novel is a slim, but satisfying page turner.

Russel Atwood's "East of A," in which the author introduces us to New York City private detective Payton Sherwood, is a well written book that has many of the elements (lonilesness, cynicism, street-wise attitude) that make for great private detective fiction. Unfortunately, it is all put into service of a story that is just not terribly compelling, particularly if it is meant to be the first in a series starring Sherwood.

The plot is fairly straightforward. Sherwood is beaten up by a trio of street thugs when he attempts to stop them from attacking a runaway teenage girl. No good deed goes unpunished, and while he's lying in the street the girl steals his Rolex watch, the only valuable thing he owns. After cleaning himself up, Sherwood goes in search of the watch. That premise doesn't exactly compell one to keep reading, and it was only Atwood's light and easy prose that kept me interested.

The case takes some unexpected turns when Sherwood discovers that the thugs are after the girl because they believe the girl stole a new designer drug from their boss, a wealthy eccentric dance club owner. From there Sherwood encounters a trail of murder and deceit. The New York street scenes are well described and the characters that inhabit them are fairly well drawn (except, curiously, for the girl, who the reader never really gets to know). Unltimately, the story just doesn't amount to all that much, though there is one grisly scene in which two men fall out a high window that is quite shocking and shows that Atwood has potential as a storyteller. He just needs more scenes like that one.

Overall, "East of A" is not a bad novel, just not a terribly memorable one.

As a mystery author with a recently published debut mystery, I am greatly impressed with Russell Atwood's debut novel. His protagonist, Payton Sherwood, is a fresh creation--a contemporary heir to the noir tradition. Atwood captures his story's urban environment accurately, and his plot is well-paced. EAST OF A is a solid urban noir work and a terrific beginning for what I hope will be a long career writing crime fiction for Mr. Atwood.

There's a lot of neo-noir novels out there pretending to expand the throne left them by Hammett and Cain. Most don't realize how closely they're walking in the path of their betters. Only folks like Auster and Lethem are really taking chances and showing things we haven't seen before.

That said, East of A is a good solid read. Despite one horrid, "Got milk"-one-liner, Payton Sherwood comes across an accessible, if not ambiguous crime-solver. Still the relationships Atwood manages to develop between his PI and the swirling group of characters around him builds well.

If you're a big reader always on the lookout for your next book, this is probably one to check out. If you're dipping your toe into this genre I'd go for a heavier hitter--something like Motherless Brooklyn. Otherwise we'll wait for Atwood's next book and hope its even better.

The mystery novel is probably the closest thing we have to a moral x-ray machine capable of penetrating through the shiny, slick surface of a malled-out America to illuminate the tawdry recesses of its darkest inner organs.

Russell Atwood is off to a fantastic start, seizing all of the noir conventions and making them work for a new generation. Payton Sherwood isn't a knight on a white horse. He's just a working stiff trying to get through the day with his hide intact and keep his conscience square with the house.

Noir fiction, the best at least, is a morality play pitting a flawed hero against the temptations of lust, greed, anger and revenge. The characters the hero comes across during his investigation inevitably serve as avatars of these various human frailties. Our pay-off as readers comes when the hero, despite his personal woes, does the right thing, the thing we all hope we would do in his situation, but aren't sure we would.

Atwood seems to understand this emotional dynamic implicitly. What he brings to the table is a fantastic ear for snappy dialogue and characterizations that refuse to divide cleanly into black and white absolutes.

This is a fast read and it's well worth the time and money. Russell Atwood is on his way to a great career as a mystery writer and commentator on modern mores.

The Culture-Wise Family is an eye-opening expose of the ubiquitous influence of mass media and the entertainment industry in the contemporary world. It exposes the phenomenal reach of a toxic culture which envelops everyone, with pernicious effects in particular on youth. Hollywood rules, but this is not an occasion for jubilation. Typical Hollywood productions featuring excessive nudity, vulgarity, sex, and violence now reach across the globe via electronic technology, providing a distorted image of the West, especially the U.S., as the purveyor of filth, moral decadence, sexual perversion, materialism, atheism, and moral-ethical relativism, broadcast via satellites, the Internet, DVDs, movies, MTV, podcasts, etc. into even remote villages in the Third World.

The book's contributors ably dissect the multilayered aspects of today's mass production and mass consumption culture, and offer practical advice to both youth and parents who need to become media-wise and discern what is good from what is tolerable and what is bad by drawing on the resources of a renewed and renewing Christian faith. Parents could use all the help they can get in bringing up children to become responsible, upright, productive citizens. All of us are indebted to the volume's editors-Ted Baehr and Pat Boone-for practical and worldview advice on how to navigate in a world which is not only interconnected but also drenched in cultural artifacts of dubious provenance. Dr. Baehr is well-known for his tireless ministry of raising the level of culture in the entertainment and media industries via his Christian Film and Television Commission and its unique Movieguide. In fact, the book includes a sample Movieguide review of the popular film, Amazing Grace, about the nineteenth-century British abolitionist and reformer, William Wilberforce. For background regarding the movie, there is a fascinating historical-pictorial guide, The Amazing Grace of Freedom: The Inspiring Faith of William Wilberforce, compiled by Dr. Baehr and the film's producers, Susan and Ken Wales.

What is ingenuous about The Culture-Wise Family is that it connects the cultural with the personal, and the personal with the cultural. This has far-reaching implications not only for individuals and families, but society as a whole and its varied constituencies. Among major challenges, the book counsels churches to resist the temptation of the secular culture's Siren call and instead boldly proclaim the Gospel. What may surprise some is the book's implied argument that even non-Christians should support the Christian moral-spiritual worldview as the foundation of Western civilization and its most cherished attainments of liberty, human rights, and democracy. This, in turn, confirms Alexis de Tocqueville's prophetic insight in Democracy in America that: "Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith." In brief, both youth and adults face great challenges in discerning the truth and keeping the faith in a secular world that has forgotten God. The Culture-Wise Family is thus a timely and welcome handbook on how individuals and families can redeem the culture. Reviewer: Oskar Gruenwald, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies

The book has a good idea for its premise, going to Christianity instead of staying with artwork that continues to express violence, sex, and drugs. It needed better editing to take out the name dropping of people like John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, that really add nothing to the argument of the book. It also cites Critical Theory as the source for immorality in the arts, when the better choice of philosophy to point the finger at is Postmodernism. The book could be cleaned up for republication. Just needs stronger editing.

For those of us who work with teenagers, we are aware of the vast influence of mass media in their lives. Most teenagers spend hours a day listening to music, watching television, or surfing the internet. Disturbingly, the messages that stream across the airwaves, through fiber-optic cable, and over Wi-Fi networks often seem to be in contradiction with the values, standards, and norms we are trying to instill into our Christian young people. How should we deal with this?

Ted Baehr and Pat Boone (along with other guest authors) try to answer this question in The Culture-Wise Family: Upholding Christian Values in a Mass Media World. The authors come from the premise that America was founded as a Christian nation (Chapter 4) and that Christians must win the "cultural battle" (157). Ever since the removal of prayer from school, America's social problems and illnesses have grown exponentially (156). Statistics charting the changes in America's cultural landscape from the 1960s to 1990s help support this claim (21). In attempting to turn the tide, Christians who want to "apply biblical principles to all areas of life, and Christ's authority over all things" are left with no choice but to say, "Our goal is nothing less than a Christian civilization" (162). This is the approach the authors take in regard to culture.

The authors assert that the proper interaction of Christians with our culture is to avoid any form of media that does not conform fully to a biblical, Christian worldview. Books and movies like The Da Vinci Code and Harry Potter should be off-limits for Christians. In reference to the media we consume, Christians must always remember that "Jesus, who sits at the right hand of our Father in Heaven and sees all, is watching us, and God is taking down our names" (154). By voting with our pocketbook, those who control the media will be forced to begin producing works that are in line with a Christian worldview.

One of the most helpful chapters in the book is chapter 5, which explains the different ways that children interact with media according to their age and development. It is important for parents and youth workers to realize that children and teenagers do not process media in the same ways as adults because of their mental development.

Perhaps the compilation of authors hurt the book's cohesiveness. The chapters seem to suffer from a lack of flow and obvious thought-pattern. Even within a chapter it is sometimes difficult to see the relevance of some of the author's stories and examples. Additionally, although it is not an academic work, more documentation of sources would be helpful to support some of the claims made in the book.

While there is some value to be gained from this book in regard to interacting with culture, the book suffers from too much sprawl related to issues that have little to nothing to do with helping Christians interact with culture. The book could stand some significant editing or a new title. Too much space is spent hearkening back to the 1950s and waging war against liberals. Readers hoping to find a robust, systematic, and cohesive approach to interacting with culture should look elsewhere.

While there were some good nuggets of valuable information and insight in this book, overall I wasn't too impressed. The book was too long and it seemed like many of the authors writing sections of this book for Baehr were more interested in showing how much they know about a subject and far less interested in passing along anything of value to the reader. Plus, the connection with Pat Boone and what he added to the book told me that the target audience for this book is a much older audience than I would have anticipated - I would think that young parents with younger children would be the primary focus, not grandparents. This book really missed the mark on communicating a clear, concise and consistent message.

However, after saying all that, the book did raise some very good points along the way. The first point made is that children watch way too much TV and are exposed to far too much sexual activity and violence along the way. Parents need to be more discerning and there really isn't any excuse for not knowing what children are watching and listening to these days except for pure apathy. The next point that Baehr does drive home is that parents need to be biblically literate and understand the concept of the Christian worldview as they train their children to be discerning participants instead of mindless consumers of media. Finally, Baehr does communicate that Christians should not retreat from the culture, but prepare to engage.

Overall the book was too long and too complicated for the average parent looking for a resource that will better equip and prepare them to help their children make better decisions regarding media consumption. A much better book that deals with this subject is Leal Arrington's Worldproofing Your Kids.

I have to agree with a previous poster who stated that the book was not cohesive. It seemed that the author jumped around and there didn't always seem to be a logical progression, especially within individual chapters.

That said, I appreciate the general message of the book...our children are watching entirely too much television/videos, and we need to be more careful that what they watch is in line with our Christian worldview and our biblical values.

Overall, I most appreciated chapter 10, titled "Who Stole Our Culture?", authored by William S. Lind. Lind gives the history behind the shift from Judeo-Christian values to politically-correct, cultural Marxist values. He explains that the number one goal of cultural Marxism has been the destruction of Western culture and the Christian religion (including the family) and shows how this has been put into action through gaining access to our institutions - the schools (ie...public education), the media, the churches and every other institution that could influence the culture.

I also thought that chapter 11, "Where Are We Going?", tied together the secular humanism of cultural Marxism with the Muslim advance, especially in Europe. Will the Muslim advance fill the void left in the wake of cultural Marxism? This is certainly a relevant question.

All in all, I would recommend this book to parents (and grandparents!) trying to better understand the pervasiveness of mass media, the dangers to our children, and the evil of the "politically-correct" culture we live in.

LEAVIN' TRUNK BLUES is Ace Atkins' second book in his Nick Travers series following on from CROSSROAD BLUES. Once again we are immersed in blues music lore, legend and attitude as we are taken to nightclubs, are fed lines from blues numbers and left to appreciate the depth of emotion that goes into the blues. At the same time, there are some pretty tense and violent moments as Travers investigates an old murder.

Nick Travers is a blues historian living in New Orleans who works at Tulane University while compiling the research necessary to write his biography of Eddie Jones, better known as Guitar Slim. As part of his all-encompassing interest in the blues he has been sending letters to Ruby Walker, a former blues singer, requesting an interview with her. Ruby is currently in prison and has so far served a 40 year sentence for the murder of her lover and manager, Billy Lyons. She has agreed to speak to Nick and this prompts him to leave New Orleans and head to Chicago. After talking to Ruby and later, when interviewing more old-time blues players around Chicago, Nick gets the impression that there is a strong possibility that she is innocent and has spent the last 40 years paying for a crime she didn't commit.

Nick begins tracking down the old blues artists around Chicago in a bid to find out what they remembered about the night Billy Lyons died. His presence and his line of questioning don't go unnoticed however and it's not long before Stagger Lee gets to hear of him. Stagger Lee is the ruler of Chicago's South Side projects, ruling through terror and an abundance of crack. He is ably assisted by a couple of prostitutes, Annie and Fannie, who are as deadly as they are alluring, a fact that is demonstrated to us a number of times. When Stagger Lee decides he wants Travers stopped, it's these two he sends to do the dirty work.

The story turns into a tense hunter/stalker scenario, with Travers playing the part of both the hunter and the hunted. While he hunts for information, contacting famous musicians and forgotten recording artists, he is unknowingly being stalked by a couple of killers with an impressive track record. Backing them up is the frighteningly imposing figure of Stagger Lee who, like his namesake of legend, is also a man to be feared.

I found that the actual identity of the murderer really becomes of secondary importance as the story progresses, particularly because it is made perfectly obvious who it is so very early on. Instead, it's the tension built into Travers' search that really dragged me in. The reason behind why Billy Lyons was killed dominates our attention too and is the source of a number of surprises along the way.

There are a lot of characters used throughout the book and they ranged from the crazy, off-beat Annie and Fannie who never really progressed beyond the role of killers who wanted to escape the life they led, to the wonderfully captured irreverence of Dirty Jimmy. Jimmy had the demeanor one would expect of an ex-musician who has already seen it all and the harp-blowing little man livened up every scene in which he was included. As for Nick Travers, he is a fine character with the tough background as an ex-NFL footballer with the New Orleans Saints offset by the music geek enthusiasm he displays when he meets the odd blues legend. He comes with just the right mix of strength and vulnerability.

LEAVIN' TRUNK BLUES is a dark, moody story that showcases Chicago's rich history of blues music while providing an enthralling thriller. With the lure of more Nick Travers mysteries to come, I'm sure to be diving into the blues scene courtesy of Ace Atkins in the future.

"Leavin Trunk Blues" by Ace Atkins kept my attention. Especially when I got half-way through. Despite the book's minor shortcomings, the plot and concept are brilliant. I will definitely get his first novel Cross Road Blues. FYI, I love the blues and play sax in a couple of bands. Blues music is an American art form that has many shapes and faces and Ace thankfully, is one of them. Reading the book made me appreciate the blues that much more. The story is based on Ruby Walker, a famous blues singer who was wrongfully sent to prison for a crime she did not commit. When she said, "Iam the Blues," I was hooked. In comes Nick Travers, blues historian and all-around good guy. Whose faced against a famous fictional evil character named Stagger Lee, made to be very real and throroughly hateful. As our hero digs up the past, bodies start dropping. Culiminating into a good read. Peopled with colorful characters you want to know more about. "Leavin", keeps you thinkin.

I look forward to see more from this author. Thanks Ace!

Atkins' story has a nice combination of solid writing, combined
with an engaging and moving story line.
Our hero, Nick, loves blues music better than anything, maybe
even better than his remembered girl friend, Kate, and when
he is given the chance to go to Chicago and root around in
the past, with the expectation of a revealing interview with
a former blues singer now in prison, he can't wait to get started. His trip north not only allows him to have that interview with a former blues great, whose career was cut
terribly short by a conviction of murdering her lover, but it
also allows him to re-united with that warm ex-, Kate.
When he attempts to learn the truth about the death of the long-
gone musician, for which Ruby was convicted, he encounters
one of the most nasty of fictional killers, and he also
runs into obstacles put up, mysteriously, by former friends
and fellow-musicians of the dead blues man.
The obstacles and problems only encourage Nick to further

explore the decades-old murder, as well as the story told him
by the inmate convicted of killing him.
It's a moving and warm story, both intricate and straightforward, and Atkins does a very nice job of combining
the elements of a good read.

As the author said, "Blues is religion" with all the illogic that implies. The deities are a bunch of doped up, drunken, adultorous, murderous, thieving no-goods who spend their lives whining about the consequences of their actions.

They can't sing worth a damn, either.

This is a darker and more complex novel -emotionally and in plot terms -than its predecessor in thr series " Crossroad Blues".
The protagonist is once again blues historian and academic ,the ex pro footballer "Nick " .He is lured by an invitation to interview " Ruby Walker " who,recording under the name "Sweet Black Angel " had scored a major hit record in the early 50's and was seemingly set fair to build a lasting and solid career as a blues singer .She was then convicted of murdering her manager,one Billy Lyons. and given a life sentence ,one she is still serving .In their meeting she insists on her innocence and asks Nick to trace the real killer -no mean feat if accomplished since the crime is over 50 years old.
He begins digging into the past and finds that some of her band members of the time had died in mysterious circumstances but his investigations are hampered and his life threatened when the local drugs lord Stagger Lee sets out to block his investigations .Stagger Lee is not a man to be trifled with -powerfully built and utterly without scruple he uses two coked out hookers with a mean streak a mile wide to enforce his will .
The case is one that unfolds in dark and stagnant backwaters of the spirit and even good guys ,those striving to bring hope into the blighted ghetto world ,are found to be compromised and tainted by contact with evil and moral equivocation.
The plot is worked out adequately but what sets the book apart from its competitors is its atmosphere -the weather plays a key role in setting mood .It is a bone freezing Chicago winter with a wind like a lacerating knife that chills to the bone and numbs the spirit ;the rain slices the air and numbs the spirit -a living counterpoint to the slums and despair which forms the book's physical dimension .
The book is also a love story -a paen of praise and an economium to the blues -and its bitter sweet ending lifts the spirit and says love can endure .
Read it for the mystery elements -they are good -but the blues lovers will get more from the book than will the mystery mavens

A long time ago, my parents and I went to hear McCrumb give a reading at a local college and we were hooked by her storytelling. She shared quite a few of these short stories with us that night and when I re-discovered them in my parents' bookcases over Thanksgiving, I made sure I brought this one home. I love every single one of these stories. They are fun, interesting and reminds me that she is a wonderful storyteller. Sometimes, I feel as if story-telling is becoming a lost art especially since I don't like short stories. They're usually drab, unsatisfying and short. Not McCrumb's. These are wonderful.

Here are a few samples: "Telling the Bees" where a young groom takes his bride to his grandparents' home in the mountains, only to leave the next day to accomodate his very spoiled bride. You could feel her disdain for the ramshackled (but clean) cabin and her poutiness at breaking the heel of her expensive designer boot. You could feel his sadness at time passing and his disappointment that she wouldn't share in some of his fondest memories of growing up at his grandparents' place.

Then there's "Gentle Reader" where an author corresponds with a fan who absolutely loves every single one of her books. There is a twist in the story as she reveals more of her problems to this "gentle reader" and how he helped her out.

These are just two of my favorites ~~ there are stories of a funeral and different memories of the deceased from different members of the family, there are stories of murder, rage, love, passion and leaving or returning back to the homestead. These are just reflections of life everywhere, not just in the mountains. And they are wonderful short stories ~~ real and true to people. They are not drab. They are short (and there were some I wish was longer ...) but they're definitely not like modern short stories where they write to be artistic, not realistic.

McCrumb has already gotten my heart with her other stories and this one cinches the deal even more. It's a great introduction to her writings and it's definitely a keeper in any serious bookworm's library.

1-1-07

Let me preface this review by saying that Ms. McCrumb is one of my favorite authors. I follow her Ballad novels avidly and purchase them as soon as they come out, being both interested in the folk music of Appalachia and having grown up in the area in which they are usually set, upper east Tennessee.

That said, I was overall rather disappointed in this book. The author admits in the introduction that it is comprised of "almost all the short stories" she's ever written, including stories from highschool and writing exercises, and unfortunately, it reads that way. Based on the raving praise I'd read about it, I was all set to go through with a pen and mark in the contents stories that were particularly evocative of the places and people McCrumb often portrays so brilliantly. Instead, i found myself flipping from tale to tale, wondering when i'd get to "the good stuff." Some of the plot twists are cute, and a couple of the stories set in Appalachian settings ("Old Rattler," "Precious Jewel," and "A Snare as Old as Solomon" are examplary) come close to what i expected.

As a fan of Ms. McCrumb, it's somewhat interesting on a scholarly level, since you *can* follow her development as a writer from youth to experienced in this book, and the glimpses of her initial sketchings of "canonical" characters like Sheriff Spencer Arrowood of the Ballad novels and detective-protagonist Elizabeth MacPherson of the eponymous mystery series are of interest to fans I'm sure. Otherwise, most of the stories are a bit too sappy and trite for me to recommend it to the general reader. Instead i'd encourage people to hunt down one of the Ballad novels: The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, She Walks These Hills, or The Ballad of Frankie Silver, perhaps.

The books in Sharyn McCrumb's Appalachian Series are among my favorites, so I couldn't resist her collection of short stories. All are extremely well written. The stories are so varied that it's hard to believe the same person wrote them all. When I got to the end, I wanted to go back to the beginning and start all over again. The book fits my criterion for Superb; that is, I wish I could have written the stories. Even if you don't ordinarily like short stories, give this book a try.

Having previously only sampled 'Highland Laddie Gone' I picked up this book by chance whilst travelling in New Hampshire. Being from the UK the stories which were specifically set within the Smokey Mountians and Apalacians which McCrumb so dearly loves I imagined would have less of a pull than some of the other more 'general' stories. I could not have been more wrong. These tales had a lyrical quality and even the saddest stories held a quite beautiful mysticism. I eagerly await reading more of the Sheriff Arrowood stories.

It is hard to pick out a favourite, but if I have to make the choice I would chose 'Old Rattler' as the best of the bunch. It was one of those stories - a missing girl, distraut mother, wise old man and a sheriff prepared to take a slightly unorthadox route to the solution - which could have been crass, derivative and trodden a well worn path. Instead, I found myself wishing that the tale were longer, I wanted to know more about all involved, I was actually disappointed to reach the end. I hope the other Arrowood books have the same effect.

Unfortunately, there has to be a bad apple in the barrel - there were two actually, but one 'The Monster of Glamis' was just plain silly, the other 'A Predatory Woman' I found disturbing for quite the wrong reasons. This is a very thinly disguised story of a notorious British child murderer, as they say, only the names have changed. I live in the hills not two miles from where this vile woman and her partner did their terrible deeds and the area still bares a significant mental scar. Virtually no-one from this area, or indeed the UK itself would have any problems in identifying the protagonist of this tale. One day she could be released and the ending, whilst it may be the fervent wish of most who know of these crimes, was a cop-out and I felt trivialised one of the most dispicable and memorable acts in recent British history.

From the remainder of my review one can appreciate that I regard Sharyn McCrumb highly. I will certainly read as much of her work as is available in the UK. I truly feel that she has a gift of great storytelling with narrative that is often near perfect. It is perhaps the subject matter she should give a little more attention to.

I know that my heading isn't exactly distinctive, but "excellent" is really the best word to describe this collection of short stories. As a dedicated reader of the Eliz McPherson series, I loved the story about her early days. I also thought "The Monster of Glamis" was intriguing, although a bit fanciful. Anyone who has read her novel Paying the Piper will recognize elements of Cameron and Elizabeth's relationship in the story about the relationship between the American and the Scot. McCrumb's stories about Appalachia are also moving and sincere.Definitely a wonderful book from a great author whose works I will continue to await anxiously.