Brandt Books

As an avid photographer - and one who has spent a lot of time shooting in EA - these are precisely the sort of images that make me want to grab my camera and rush back into the Serengeti. It's a well selected collection - perhaps not the greatest photographs I have ever seen, but a beautiful selection nontheless. A wonderful departure from the stock "post-card" photograpy that's been pouring out of the continent, and some are so breathtakingly vivid (like the image used on the cover) that you can almost feel the dust swirl around you, and feel the hot African sun on your neck.

It's a beautiful book. Would make an an ideal gift for the nature photographer, and for the nature lover...

This is a wonderful book with some great pictures of the African wildlife. The black and white photos were striking and the book appeals to 3 years of age to 65. It captured the African wildlife that I have had the privilege of seeing first hand on two occasions.

Amazing BW pictures. Very nice and a good edition. Very interesting for all photo-africa lovers....

This is a collection of beautiful photographs. The prints are warm, with good blacks. This made a great gift for our friends that had travelled in Africa.

Nick Brandt's collection of photography is absolutely stunning. His work is much more akin to portraits than traditional wildlife photography. There is an intimacy between Brandt and his animal subjects which resonates in each photo. Page after page, "On This Earth" shows us the humanity and soul of these animals. Brandt has made a brilliant case for why these creatures have the same right to live on this earth as we do.

PI Colton Parker is thrilled when his potential first client walks through his door. After an abrupt end to a stellar FBI career and the terrible loss of his wife, Colton needs a break almost as much as he needs some cash. When Angie Howe enters his office, he can only hope this will be the start he needs to his new career as a PI in Indianapolis.

Angie's boyfriend has been charged with the murder of his aunt, Emma Caine, someone Angie claims he was very close to. She is convinced of his innocence and wants to hire Colton to uncover the truth to clear his name. Colton takes the case and soon finds himself making enemies with cops and dysfunctional criminals as he uncovers shocking revelations behind the death of Emma Caine. Colton also comes face to face with his own personal struggles as he wants so desperately to be the father his daughter needs, despite the pain he feels from his wife's death. No matter what he does, it seems Colton is losing his little girl, too.

For awhile now I have heard great things about Brandt Dodson. Could he live up to the hype? Could this guy really be that good? Uh....yeah. And then some! Original Sin is Brandt Dodson's first novel, and not once is it obvious. This is smart, gritty storytelling that is seldom found in debut novels. Told from Colton's point of view, the plot unfolds perfectly, hooking readers from the opening lines and never losing steam. Dodson effectively incorporates spiritual themes throughout that are relevant and never forced. Colton's spiritual struggles are very real, adding to the complexity of his character. Fans of the PI genre will not be disappointed when they discover this excellent first installment to a great new series.

"Original Sin" is a great novel. It is written in first person, a form that really needs to be done well, and Dodson does it very well. The characters are ultra realistic and the situations seem very plausable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Without giving away plot lines and turns, the story involves a man who just lost his wife. he and his daughter are dealing with it in different ways, and the pain they feel is immense. He also lost his job as an FBI agent (an interesting back story is there) and has started a private investigation business. His case is very interesting! There are many spiritual elements as well, but they are done in a genuine way and not at all "preachy." I found it refreshingly well done.

When comparing this book to the "Joe Box" series, "Original Sin" is slightly better. It is far better than the "Mike Connelly" series. These are all similar types of works, but "Original Sin" is the best of these type of detective novels which I have read. I have ordered the other books in the Colton Parker series and look forward to them.

Colton Parker is a former FBI agent turned private investigator. He and his daughter are on shaky terms after his wife died following a heated argument with him. He's been called on the case by the girlfriend of the accused murderer of a beloved high school teacher. She claims that he is innocent and wants Colton to prove it. At first it seems that all evidence points to the accused but Colton delves deeper and with just a paper clip for a clue he finds a seedy shady world of pornography and sex. Non stop action makes this gritty mystery novel hard to put down.

When I think of a PI, Magnum comes to mind. The Hawaiian shirt with the fancy car going to exotic places in Hawaii and having a fun time. So I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. Well it turned out to be an unexpected awesome read. Normally I wouldn't have picked up this book because it's not in the genre I normally read. However I am so glad that I did. There is non stop action in this book. It's very gritty and I felt like I was watching an episode of Magnum (minus the cheesiness). I really like Colton's character. He's a very good detective and is able to get what he needs out of other people but he doesn't manipulate them to get info. He also cares very much for his daughter even though their relationship is strained. Dodson takes his character into places most Christian novels would never dream of going. Strip clubs are visited. Pornography is exposed. Teachers selling students for sex sales. Web cam shows. Nothing is untouched with this book. But there is nothing graphic and even though Colton's character is not a Christian in this book, he does not want anything to do with these things. He begins to show interest in the faith but the storyline is not preachy at all. This book is really an eye opener that people are not always what they seem. It makes you think twice about people you put your trust in. I was immediately hooked after I started reading this book. It's a definite page turner that you won't want to stop reading. This is a perfect book to give to a guy who doesn't like to read. Highly recommended and I have found a new favorite author.

Brandt's debut is fluid and engaging. Loved it. I will try to read the next one slower so I don't run through his books too fast.

Six months ago, Colton Parker had it all: a wife he adored, a vivacious teenage daughter, a nice home, and a high profile position with the FBI. Now? Colton is a widower, his daughter barely talks to him and she lives with her grandparents, he lives in a run down house in a bad neighborhood, and he's starting a new career as a PI after being fired from the FBI due to an excessive force complaint.

A young woman comes to Colton's office, hoping that he can prove her boyfriend did not kill his aunt. The aunt, a high school guidance counselor seemed to be an angel on earth, beloved by students and faculty alike. The police assume the nephew is guilty because he's been in trouble practically since the day he was born. After doing some digging into the crime, Colton isn't so sure.

While he is dealing with solving this crime, he is also trying to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other every day and not succumb to the desire to shoot himself in the head. How can he raise a teenage daughter when he can barely take care of himself? How is he supposed to wake up every day knowing that the love of his life is gone...And how can he save his daughter who is slipping through his fingers and become a family again?

Can Colton solve this case and begin to rebuild his life with the help of some good friends, family, and God...Or will Colton's demons overtake him?

Christian literature has always made me nervous. However, I thought combining Christian lit with a genre I am already familiar with would be fun, and it was.

My dad passed away when I was 13, the same age as Colton's daughter Callie, in the story so it was interesting to me to read about her reaction to her mom's death. There was a lot that I could relate. It was also fascinating to get into the mind of Colton and learn about his motivations. I found myself wondering how similar he was to my mom. A major theme in the book was about starting over and rebuilding your life, even when you are not sure how to accomplish that task...Also, not letting go of the people around you (and leaning on God), even when you are tempted to end the pain. I would not say that the mystery took a backseat in this story because that was still very exciting. However, this story is as much about the resilience of the human condition. Without hesitation, I would read the other Colton Parker mysteries.

This book is intensely disturbing, gut-wrenching and horrific... That being said, it may sound cliche, but Jeremiah Denton provides an entirely new insight into what our servicemen have endured for our country -- what he went through will hit you hard. I dare anyone to read this book and not come away a changed person in some way...

I was impressed by Denton's horrifying experiences as a POW in Hanoi for 7+ years. He accurately describes the torture he and his fellow POWs experienced for several years before the tides of war slowly changed in the early '70s which lessened the tortures they were receiving. You, as a reader, are right there with Denton in his cell as he learns the tap codes and other methods of communication; how he is horribly punished and tortured for communicating and not cooperating. One has to ask oneself, "How would I have handled this situation?" To be locked in Alcatraz for several years in solitary confinement and wondering how to cope with it...what would YOU do?

I had seen the film of Denton's return in the movie, Dear America: Letters Home from Viet Nam and never really understood his horrible times in the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I do. A treasure of a read to add to any library. The only drawback...not enough maps to put his location in perspective.

Nevertheless, fascinating. In the words of his captors, "Shut mouth. Read book!"

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I have so much respect for Denton and the prisoners of war he was held in captivity with for over 7 years. It amazes me that anyone could survive within that environment. These soldiers helped each other survive under great distress -- even while many of them were in solitary confinement and their story is amazing. This book isn't just a recap of Denton's experience; it contains deeply thoughtful content throughout the book about love, patriotism, encouragement and more. There is much wisdom contained in this book. I learned a lot and highly recommend it to others.

Mr. Denton and his fellow POWs are the very definition of the the word hero. In this book, Mr. Denton tells the story of his 7+ years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam with grace, dignity, and courage. His great love for the United States and his pride in being an American are evident again and again. He endured unspeakable agony and conditions so horrible they are beyond my comprehension, yet he never wavered in his love for his country, his family, and his God. I am humbled and overwhelmed at the sacrifices this man (and many others) have made on my behalf. The despicable act of the California state "leadership" and Fabian Nunez in barring Mr. Denton from speaking before a California Assembly on Independence Day 2004 is reprehensible and disgusting.

Thank you, Mr. Denton! You deserve our undying gratitude.

Here is yet another first rate tale of an American P.O.W. in North Vietnam. The prisoner is Navy pilot Jeremiah Denton, who was based on the carrier "Independence". His A6 aircraft was shot down in July of 1965. Denton spent the following 8+ years in captivity until the general release in the Spring of 1973. The title refers to the torture "sessions" Denton and his colleagues suffered at the hands of their captors. This reviewer has read several P.O.W. accounts. While all are similar in that they demonstrate great bravery and perseverance in brutal situations, each is also unique: WHWS focuses on the military command structures that existed in prison despite rigorous Vietnamese efforts to stymie them. The senior military commanders/prisoners like Admiral Stockdale, Colonel Robinson Risner and others obviously possessed a tremendous pride and strove to imbue that pride in all P.O.Ws. Denton pulls few punches. It startled this observer to learn that not all prisoners always agreed with the "program" and not all P.O.W.s were the best of buddies behind the walls. The author stresses the ubiquitous "tap code" that allowed communication within the prison walls. There is even an introductory chart to tapping! Denton glosses over his 4(!) years in solitary and concentrates on the other 4 years he was free to "mingle" with his fellow Americans. There is a noticeable lack of venom and bitterness toward the North Vietnamese in the text. The reader may suspect that Denton has come to terms with his years in the Hanoi Hilton and other garden spots of the North. WHWS is rated 5 stars with only 2 minor demerits: One is the absence of ANY maps. Most war books gloss over maps but surely the publisher could have inserted one! The other weakness is the appallingly small type in my paperback edition. Those interested in Admiral/Senator Denton's story may wish to verify before purchase how the many available editions of WHWS handle these issues.

I've been a Brandt Dodson fan since I discovered the Colton Parker Series. Now with White Soul, he has another winner. Ron Ortego is an undercover cop working in Miami. His wife wants him home. She's expecting their first baby and believes his place is with her. He's ambitious, though, and he sees this case as a career builder for him. Ron infiltrates deeper into the drug scene and is accepted by Ricardo Estevez, head of one of the most feared gangs in the area. Suddenly, he has good reason to believe he might not live long enough to make it back home.
Brandt Dodson just keeps getting better and better, and White Soul is his best one yet. This one has it all. Recommended.

This is my first Brandt Dodson book, but I guarantee it won't be the last. I was spell-bound from the first page to the last. White Soul is a fast-paced ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way. At times, you think you've got the next action figured out, then Dodson does the unexpected and leaves you gasping in surprise - even shock.

Undercover agent Ron Ortega, our protagonist, has managed to infiltrate one of Miami's most vicious gangs and puts his life on the line. But he faces some irresistible temptations that threaten to destroy his faith. He has a decision to make: do the right thing, or do the desired thing, but as things progress, the difference between the two becomes blurred. As Ron says, "We're all faced with choices at critical times in our lives . . . and then we have to make decisions. There are times when it doesn't come down to a clear black-and-white choice, but more of a shade of gray."

Ron's wife, Libby, is in Chicago, expecting their first baby; Ron is in Miami following his own ambitions and the life he's always wanted . . . if he even survives.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense thrillers. One caveat: It contains rather graphic violence and probably not for the faint-hearted.

This adrenaline soaked read kept me turning pages to the bittersweet end.

Fans of cop-lit should find much to like as they plunge into Ron Ortega's dual life as the undercover DEA agent becomes Ron Acuna, wannabe, and infiltrates the organization of a proud, suave and filthy rich drug Lord. What Ortega discovers will test everything he ever believed in.

Told in omniscient POV with plenty of juicy detail, the novel explores the underbelly of steamy, seamy Florida. However, in a step beyond secular cop-lit, the reader is able to experience the spiritual toll as the lure of money, glitz and power beckon Ron.

I would've liked to see a deeper relationship between Ron and Libby, his wife who is pregnant and alone, but I love character pieces. Those who consume plot-driven novels won't likely share my sentiments.

Warning to the sensitive -- Dodson peppers this work with grit. Squeamish souls may squirm.

Dodson's White Soul explores an undercover's cop struggle with the easy life of "the dark side" as his own family struggles to make financial ends meet. The novel grips you to the very end with some twists along the way.

After clearing a spot for himself on the shelves of mystery aficionados everywhere, Brandt Dodson has taken a break from the world of Colton Parker and delved into the seamy side of Miami's organized crime. To be honest, the cover and title left me ambivalent, and I wondered what to expect. Would Dodson come through again, or break up a string of winning mysteries?

With a double-edged reference to coke and to the human condition, "White Soul" is an apt title after all. I found myself quickly immersed into a shady transaction on the edge of the Everglades. Dodson does a great job setting up the scene and the revelation of his central character. Soon after, undercover agent Ron Ortega is buddying up to one of the major players in the Miami area, caught between the grinding wheels of professional greed and suspicion, as well as personal stress and temptation. The stakes of his undercover gamble are raised when Ortega becomes involved in dangerous situations that underline his precarious position within the crime lord's inner circle.

This is not only fast-paced crime fiction, this is a subtle exploration of a man's soul. Ortega must come to terms with his own weaknesses and determine the line between rights and desires. Is he a good cop? A good husband? Or just one more bad apple?

I don't know if Dodson knows how to write a bad book, and there are certainly no bad apples in his bibliography. He continues to employ terse dialogue and effective action scenes, mixed with a grittiness that never becomes gratuitous. I've been a fan of ever-increasing fervor since Dodson's debut, "Original Sin," and I'm equally impressed by this change in location and character. Dodson has pulled it off again.

In THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, the third book in the Colton Parker Series, Brandt Dodson engages us once again with suspense, murder, and corruption. When Colton Parker is hired to find the illegitimate son of a dying multimillionaire, he is faced with sorting through back alleys, biker gang hangouts, and the offices of a political official in order to get to the bottom of what seems to be a tangled web that has no boundaries.

Colton Parker is a modern-day gumshoe. He uses his tough exterior and dry humor to cover the pain he feels at the loss of his wife and his constant struggle to maintain a relationship with his teenage daughter. There's not a lot of flash or fancy dialogue in this series, just good old private investigative work. Though Brandt hints at Colton's feelings for his former FBI partner, Mary, there is little romance played out in the Colton Parker Series. These novels are definitely geared toward the armchair detective who wants to follow along as Parker pieces together faint clues and barely-there evidence. A great read. Especially for men who want a straight forward suspense novel without getting bogged down with the romance that most women readers prefer.

I loved this book. I have read all of the Colton Parker books through this one. They are suspenseful and very well written. I am looking forward to The Lost Sheep!

Marilyn Fitzgerald
Carlsbad, CA

This new series are thrilling mysteries. Colton, as a detective, does not hold back in getting information from potential witnesses and he's not easily intimidated. Very much nail biting, humorous and action all rolled up in one. I recommend all four books in this series. I'm currently reading the 4th.

"The Root of All Evil" is the 3rd in the Colton Parker series. I liked this one very much. It has lots of plot twists and turns and interesting characters. There may be a bit more violence in this novel than the first two, but it is done in a non graphic manner and is fitting to the storyline.

I recommend this book.

Detective Colton Parker is back for a third time in Brandt Dodson's hard-boiled detective series. Parker is still low on cash, struggling to find a bond with his teenage daughter, and full of attitude. The novel opens with Colton hired to by Berger Hume. Hume is rich, old and dying. In his youth, Hume fell in love and fathered a child, but never married the girl. Now, on his deathbed, Hume wants that long lost son found, and believes Parker is the man to do it. The man he is looking for, Miles Poole, is a thug operating at the fringes of the law and is involved in motorcycle gangs. One particular gang, Satan's Posse, wants Poole, also know as Pork Chop in gang vernacular, killed. Parker faces the problem of letting Hume know he has found his son and not bring Poole's problems to Hume. To make matters worse, Parker finds himself right in the middle of the action when he and his daughter are threatened.

I really enjoy this series, it is easy to read and Parker is a great character, full of tough guy attitude and action yet with a soft heart for his daughter and former co-worker FBI agent Mary Christopher. To me, THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL, struggles in the area of plot. The connections between the bikers and the Hume family and other shady characters seemed confusing at times. The book excels during the personal moments, when Parker has to reconcile his violent profession with the disinegrating remnants of a family life.

Dodson ties up all plot threads at the end and some good things actually happen to Parker for a change. I have the LOST SHEEP (4th book in the series) sitting on my shelf at home and can't wait to read it. THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL is a good book, but probably the worst in the series because of the confusing plot. Of course, with so many 5-star reviews, maybe I was the problem and not the book.

This 10th entry in Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Series is indeed a winner. I have noted how each book in the series seems to get stronger and this is no exception. We also get a resolution to Sarah Brandt's husband's murder which occurred three or four years before the timing of the first book in the series. We also get a keen insight into Sarah's nursemaid Maeve and her intelligence and quickness. We learn that she is a girl that is used to living by her wits, and this stands her in good stead when she offers to help Malloy and Sarah track down the killer of Sarah's husband. I love the way these characters are developing, and I love the stories. The plots are tight and very fast-moving. I truly look forward to the next book in this series.

Loved it. Another enjoyable addition to the Gaslight Mysteries. I just hope Victoria Thompson keeps them coming! These are books to take to the beach or cuddle up with on a cold day.

I've become a fan of this series and I was glad there was finally a resolution to the murder of Sarah Brandt's husband, Dr. Thomas Brandt. It was quite a page turner and there are so many suspects, it keeps you guessing until the end. I was satisfied that there is great progress in the romance between Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy. I was also surprised by who the murderer was at the end. I can't wait to read the next book!

This is one very large suprise, I usually can figure fairly close who the killer is before it is noted by the author. This was not happening is this book. Cant wait for the next in the series, Go Victoria!!!!

Victoria Thompson outdid herself on this book. Finally a Sarah Brandt mystery that didn't reveal itself several chapters into the book. She kept me guessing until the end and now I am anxiously awaiting her next installment in the Gaslight Mystery Series.

I received this book as a gift. What a treasure it has become - great recipes for all seasons, an excellent layout, beautiful illustrations, and simple instructions. It is now the first cookbook I go to!

Absolutely a phenomenonal cookbook! Just purchased on vacation in Cape May, New Jersey at Love the Cook. Gorgeous pictures, wonderful recipes......California at it's best! A real winner...a real find.

I originally received this cookbook as a gift. I was so delighted with it, I subsequently ordered four additional copies to give as gifts. The recipients are still thanking me! First, the recipes are creative and delicious -- fully enhancing the flavors of bountiful, diverse, fresh ingredients found in the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country. (It's hard NOT to eat well in this region!) Second, the cookbook itself is uncommonly successful in evoking this spectacular setting with gorgeous photos, sidebars of interesting sidetrips, local restaurants and wineries, and mind-boggling facts regarding the abundance of local agriculture. Food preparation tips, background information on local food and wine festivals/events, and delicacies such as Meyer Lemons are also highlighted. While it's fun to simply browse through this beautiful cookbook, it's even better to sample the Junior League's trade-mark "home cooking with flair." Full menus are offered here. My personal favorites are the Baja Guacamole, Savory Polenta w/Asiago Cheese, Garlic-Roasted Chicken, Pork Tenderloin w/Apricot Ginger Sauce, and Cherries & Berries Compote w/Crispy Puffed Pancake. The Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars are worth the price of admission all by themselves! I'm not surprised this cookbook is winning national rave reviews and awards. They are very well deserved! It is so beautifully rendered, it puts most commercially-produced cookbooks to shame.

Received this cookbook as a gift and have since given it as a wedding gift... this is my favorite cookbook hands down... has a great layout with nice pictures... recipes are organized seasonally with focus on fresh local food... recipes have interesting combinations of flavors and spices... everything I've made has turned out to be something I'd make again as a staple meal for entertaining or just for the family.

I received this cookbook as a gift. I must admit, at first I found it so nice to look at that it sat on my coffee table on display. Recently, however, I hosted a baby shower and prepared several dishes which were simple yet elegant. Everyone was so impressed--I felt like Martha Stewart without any of the hassle. Another nice feature of this cookbook is that it recommends menus, which is great, b/c I never know what to serve together. This is one of my favorite cookbooks now!

The Line is a well spun story with the most intriguing subtleties. The search for a young girl's identity, her power, and her sense of place are the overriding themes in this delightfully feminist story of a high school girl in a marching band. There is something here for everybody. Courtney has created an endearing character in Lucy Karate who gains her strength and stands up in the face of intimidation. Great job on this work of literature!

I am a sophomore in high school, I am on the drum line, and I play 2nd bass. The Line is the most amazing book I've read. This book captures what being a girl on a drum line is like. It's freaky how much I have in common with Lucy. 5'4" burnett, girl, 2nd bass drumer, I feel the same way about my boys on the line, I feel the same way about the whole 'for a girl' thing. Its so weird, it was partly like reading about me. I can relate to so much of this in the book, except the whole dating two guys at once and having to choose thing.

This is deffinetly my favorite book ever. I love how its about a girl durmmer that plays bass and works hard for evreything and wants to keep going. I love how there are deffinitions to different things at the begginging of each chapter. I love the whole story line, its amazing.

I recommend this book to everyone, drummer or not. It is truely an amazing book. Every time I picked it up I didn't want to put it down, I got so into it.


go out, buy it, and read it!!

The items were easy to order and arrived in the timeframe stated. Very happy with the service and item that was purchased. Would definitely use this buyer again.

THE LINE is a novel for all those band geeks out there. If you are a percussionist, you'll feel right at home as the Forrest Hills High School drum line prepares for a new season of football games and competitions.

Lucy has spent weeks preparing for her audition to be a member of The Battery. Once she makes it, she finds out that being the only girl on the line has special challenges. Especially when the hot cymbal player she's been crushing on leaves no doubt that he's interested in a relationship. Lucy will have a boyfriend to take her to the homecoming dance!

But, of course, it's not that simple. Lucy has also met another guy and can't stop thinking about him. That fact that he's the Captain of the rival drum line makes the situation even more complicated. Is it possible to date two guys from different schools? Should she tell them about each other? What if they find out that they are competitors, not only for Lucy, but on the drum line competition field as well?

Once Lucy opts for truth, she realizes it's not fair to the boys who both want to date her exclusively. Who will she choose? Nevada, the flashy cymbal player from her own line? Or Sam, from the rival line, who liked her even after finding out who she was? Will Lucy find out the secret that has fueled the rivalry between the two drum lines? And who is that mysterious cyber-buddy that's always on-line for her?

The beginning of this book is a little slow starting, with a fair amount of telling. But don't let that discourage you. Lucy will draw you in. The fun tension between the drum lines and the boys will make you want to read on. You will inevitably pick who you want Lucy to choose and you won't be disappointed. It took me back to my band days, those bus trips, the pranks in the band room, and the rush you feel when you compete with high honors. My 12-year-old daughter took this book away from me and read it in a day. She and I agree that this book was a fun read with a highly satisfying ending.

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

Courtney Brandt is quite the up and coming author, writing an entertaining and engaging story that highlights the band world as well as much of the drama during teenage years.

A good read - it'll leave you either reminiscing about band days long ago or psyching you up for the next season.

E.T. 101 is the funniest, most entertaining book I have ever read, bar none! What a comfort and joy to receive this delightful letter of explanation and instruction from Home!E.T. 101: The Cosmic Instruction Manual: An Emergency Remedial Edition

This is a good book for people from realities and understandings uncommon to Earth. Humourous, not to be taken seriously.

I thought, "how interesting, a little book on science fiction". How very wrong I was. This book was written in 1990 according to the first several pages and I must say its prophetic, filled with wry humor and great insights to todays earthly condition.

It was well written, well organized and to the point with very little excess. I see this book similar to eating peanuts: "don't need to eat very many and your full". Its chock full of great stuff and worth more than what it is selling for I must say.

Something I've never seen before... a book about walk-ins and extraterrestrials which is intentionally humorous, witty, and does a good job at it! I wasn't expecting anything other than something solemn and serious about love and light. It's quite good. Although it defines all the terms it uses at the beginning, it still assumes you have a pretty good idea what those things are. The humor isn't as confusing as it could be... it's still way more comprehensible than a lot of New Age books I've read. The book's stance and behavior seems to be entirely different from most New Age books I've read, despite how its goal is evidently the same. (Preparing the world for its upcoming changes, which include heightened vibration, commonness of androgyny, etc.) There are title headings such as "Look Jane, see Spot transmute" and "When in Rome, do as Acturians."

I laughed out loud when I first discovered this little gem in a Northampton, MA bookstore, in the early 1990s. Since then, I've read and re-read it several times. It's language and insights could almost have come from some young tatooed and pierced skate-boarders I have known. Yet the wisdom and humor are on a par with that found in Neale Walsch's "Conversations With God."
Put this on your bookshelf along side Ken Carey's lyrically profound "Starseed Transmissions," and the refreshingly matter-of-fact transcriptions of Lisette Larkin's "Talking With Extraterrestrials" and "Listening to Extraterrestrials." Reading and pondering "101" and these other books have helped me to appreciate why we humans have chosen to incarnate on this planet at this time.

I've read all four books in the series. They're by no means literary genius, but they are a fun, entertaining and quick read. Perfect for a plane trip, a bus or train commute or a weekend at the beach. All four books center around the police investigation adventures of Hannah Sampson, a Denver Police Dept Recovery Dive Team leader turned BVI Police Detective. The story lines mix crimes, investigations, suspects, twists and turns and a little bit of romance. And of course, she always ends up with at least one hair-raising (if not predictable) dive along the way.

And this is a great book in that series. An easy and enjoyable read, very entertaining, and wonderfully written.

UNDER PRESSURE WAS THE BEST BOOK YET. I HAVE ALL OF KATHY BRANDTS BOOKS, DANGEROUS DEPTHS, DARK WATER DIVE, SWIMMING WITH THE DEAD AND HAVE ENJOYED THEM ALL. BUT UNDER PRSSURE WAS FANTASTIC, I LOVED IT. FROM BEGINNING TO END IT HAD ME IN ITS GRIPS AND WHEN I ENDED THIS BOOK I ALMOST FELL OFF MY CHAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE END DROVE ME CRAZY, I WANT TO KNOW IF THAT WAS O'BRIAN COMING THOUGHT THE DOOR AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH HANNAH NOW. I CAN NOT WAIT TO READ THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOVED IT, LOVED IT,LOVED IT!!!!!!!

I was lucky enough to find and read `SWIMMING WITH THE DEAD', the first of this now series of 4 books. Since then, I just waited for the books that followed. This whole series is just full of excitement, romance and surprises. I must say, `DARK WATER DIVE' and 'DANGEROUS DEPTHS' were indeed amazing, but `UNDER PRESSURE' is my favorite book so far. They just continue to get better every time. I am not a big reader and it takes alot to keep me involved in a book. Kathy Brandt is one of those authors that can really get my attention. This book never slowed for a minute. I had a hard time putting it down. The book is amazing and the ending is enough to make anyone gasp! I can't wait to read more from this amazing author that really made me feel like I knew the characters personally.
I am going to read them all over again! I just can't get enough! Maybe reading them again will ease the need I have to learn more about the life of Hannah Sampson. Although I doubt that, at least I can relive the experience of your books again!
Bravo Kathy!!
Keep up the great work!!!

This review really applies to all four books in this series so far.
Kathy Brandt has created a series with all the ingredients required for to-notch mysteries: an exotic setting (the British Virgin Islands) which is entrancingly rendered; a likable, flawed, and belivable hero (or heroine, in this case); and good storytelling. Brandt knows how to juggle suspects, witnesses, etc. without introducing a cast of thousands.
The reader quickly comes to believe in and care about investigator Hannah Sampson and her colorful but realistic supporting characters. I've read each book enjoying both the details of Hannah's world and the adventures of the people involved.
There are only three mystery series which I follow closely. One is Robert Parker's Spenser novels, which work largely based on the characters. The second is Dana Stabenow's Alaskan mysteries, which have a lot in common with Brandt's work in the way they mix setting, details, people, and a dash of humor to create compelling stories.
Brandt's work is delightful, and I can't wait for the next installment.