Browning Books

If you plan to ride or walk in the Southern Arizona desert on a dry, hot June day, don't start at dawn even though it's cooler. Wait til about nine and you'll catch a breeze.

That's just one example of the many sketches of Arizona desert and ranch living you'll find throughout Sinclair Browning's Trade Ellis series. Trade, like Browning, is a real cowgirl and a genuine desert rat. try this: "The brittlebrush and ocotillo had gone dormant, leaving their leaves on the desert floor in an effort to conserve what little water they could suck up. The prickly pear cactus was now as flat as thin battered pancakes and the giant saguaros looked like they'd been fasting". Abbey and Bowden, you got company.

But this isn't a nature treatise - it's a detective novel. And a damn good one. Like Browning's earlier "The Sporting Club" the primary story is based on a real incident. A bull-riding cowboy marries a wealthy heiress almost twice his age. They go camping in the desert, drink a lot, and even though she's a good swimmer, she's found drowned the next day.

That's the real story of Margaret Lesher and T.C. Thorenson and her 1997 death. It's mirrored by Browning's fictional Abigail Van Thiessen and J.B. Calendar. The real story ended in a ruling of accidental death. Browning's wonderful imagination does much more with the fictional version.

After Abbie's death, JB hires rancher and part time PI Trade to prove him innocent. Like any good detective (or lawyer or political consultant) she's never quite sure about her own client. And there's a great secondary story involving Mexican druglords and Trade's ranch foreman and his ex-wife that makes the acion even tenser.

As a whodunit she scores big, revealing as the story unwinds an increasingly plausible list of subjects. She admirably fulfills the basic requirement of a mystery by keeping you mystified to the end. It could just as well be the colonel in the library with the candlestick. If you liked Browning's earlier Trade Ellis yarns like The Last Song Dogs you will like this one even better. She's become a master of this form and is in the front rank of nust western mystery writers, but anybody else writng anywhere today.

This is the third in the Trade Ellis series. In this outing, Trade, a full-time rancher and part-time private investigator is asked to investigate the death of an acquaintance by the dead woman's husband who is soon everyone's choice for number-one suspect. But Trade has her doubts about his guilt.

The first two books in this series were tightly written with strong character development. In this outing, Browning could have used a good editor. By the middle of the book I was very tired of being told how hot June was. While the heat can and should be part of the book, reminding me at every turn that it was June and it was hot quickly became tedious. A good editor might have helped Browning tighten up her writing as well. By about page 283, I was wondering if the book would ever end. It did, but with Trade not taking the necessary precautions for her safety that I would have expected an intelligent woman investigating a murder would take knowing the murderer knows she's investigating and that it is only a matter of time before she puts two and two together and points her finger at him/her.

I really liked the first two books of this series. I am hoping that this is a transitional book - the second-book doldrums saved for the third book, and that Browning will be back on track with book four of the series. This was not a badly written or plotted book, it was, rather, just too long and tedious.

Abigail Van Thiessen is happily married to the man she loves even if he is thirty-plus years younger and sixty million dollars poorer. Her husband, J.B. Calendar, is a rodeo cowboy, which leaves Abigail struggling to ride a horse without falling off. The pair takes off for a camp-out in the Arizona desert, but the vacation ends tragically with Abigail dead and J.B the only person in the vicinity with quite an affluent motive.

J.B. realizes that he is clearly the prime suspects so he hires private detective Trade Ellis to learn what really happened to his wife since he was too drunk to remember anything. The autopsy confirms that the heiress was murdered and the cops arrest J.B. Trade seeks evidence that leads to too many suspects who also benefited from Abigail's death, but no one quite matches what J.B. stood to gain. Adding to her doubts about her client's innocence is J.B failing a lie detector test.

Sinclair Browning paints a beautiful picture of Arizona's desert and diverse culture, from the rich and famous to the illegal aliens. The mystery is fun to read, as the author unveils the puzzle one piece at a time with no one able to guess whom the killer is before Ms. Browning reveals the key clue. This is a fascinating series (see THE LAST SONG DOGS and THE SPORTING CLUB for the other two novels in this series) that deserves a long run.

Harriet Klausner

Rode Hard, Put Away Dead A Trade Ellis Mystery Sinclair Browning Bantam Books 0553583271 PB

Anyone marrying multimillionaire Abigail Van Thiessen would have their motives inquired about, especially when the man is thirty years younger and a poor cowboy. Since Abby married J.B., who is a famous bull rider, she is determined to become a rider to share her love's interest. Taking falls is all part of the learning experience and Abby seems to be taking more to falling than to riding. So when J.B. and Abby go on a riding trip, Trade isn't very optimistic about Abby's upcoming adventure. As the news travel back that Abby has died Trade assumes she must have taken a hard fall. Upon learning from her uncle that Abby's death is suspicious, Trade knows exactly where suspicion will fall. Why else would the young man marry her? According to J.B. he married her for love and no other reason. Claiming to be heartbroken and in need of finding the person responsible for this heinous crime, J.B. hires Trade Ellis, private investigator. During her investigation Trade stumbles on other people who also have motive. Things begin to heat up for Trade and this isn't exactly what she needs in 105-degree weather! Sinclair Browning is being touted as the next Tony Hillerman. I think this is unfair. Her work is amazing and unparalleled to anyone else's. She creates a world so intriguing that it is hard to leave once the book is over. Trade Ellis is a wonderful character with many layers adding to what, in anyone else's hand would turn into a stereotype. Anyone reading this book should also watch for Martin, Trade foreman. He quietly takes over every scene that he is in. If you haven't entered Sinclair Browning's world yet, I highly recommend you do so.

This book is more detailed and longer than the previous two in the series. I enjoyed the character development and the more complex plot.

For animal lovers this entire series is a treat. Trade Ellis has her horses, dogs, and a pig ... and they are family. It is the mixtures of strong mystery, tough female protagonist, western rural flavor, and the relationship with her animals, that make this series fun.

Oddly enough, the dialog and character of Trade Ellis remind me of (a female version of) Spencer. Her thoughts seem so natural.

I look forward to more in the series.

I wanted to know more especific the techniques and fundamentals of the work by the defensive backs.
The book give me a very extensive information on the subject. There are many talents coaches, teaching his experience on the work with defensive backs. It is very useful to any coach that want become more successful.

This is a collection of clinic articles about the defensive secondary. Many are very useful and can immediately be helpful to your coaching. Some of them seem a bit odd and out of place. A coaches' name can do a lot for him. But I would highly recommend this book as it is invaluable to any Defensive or DB coach. If you are a diehard coach this should be in your library!!! Much better than other books out there (ie AFCA Defensive Strategies where some of the articles are very old).

Useful book for anyone, who is familiar with the experts series.. Contains very useful information and inside tips from the various college defensive backfield coaches. You feel yourself as you are in a clinic when reading this book. Well, all the articles are taken from the coaches clinic records, maybe that's why..

Unfortunatelly, the graphics and schemes are not well-prepared.

Whether you want to play progression, true zone, loose man, press man, this book covers it all. It touches on some theory, teaching techniques, and drills. However, it did not address the three-deep zone adequately. Nor did it really address run support. A lot of time in the book was spent addressing corners, but as far as cornerbacks are concerned, they are either good enough athletes to cover receivers or they aren't. Safeties have far greater responsibilities in 2-deep, 4-deep, and 3-deep coverages and in run support. Most of these coaches give safeties a bit of a cold shoulder. But overall, it's still an excellent reference that I recommend.

I thought this book was okay, but for some reason I was not as enthralled by it as "Escape from Sobibor". Maybe this was because I found it difficult to relate to the author of this book so much. It is definitely worth reading, though, for anybody who is interested in knowing about the resistance to the Nazis.

Among the most common questions asked of Holocaust survivors are why the Jews didn't fight back: Why, it is wondered, did they let their families go to their death so easily? The recollections of Blatt, a survivor of the extermination camp Sobibor, in Poland, where Jews staged a successful revolt, addresses these questions in a frank and gripping narrative. Blatt's account demonstrates how the Germans kept Jews in Poland subjugated through random terror combined with promises that the status quo would be maintained if the Jews cooperated. By the time Blatt reached Sobibor with his family, it was too late for resistance. Perhaps the most frightening, and dispiriting, part of Blatt's account is how Christian Poles at times robbed, terrorized, or even murdered Jewish fugitives, such as the Sobibor escapees. A chilling narrative; highly recommended for Judaica collections and Holocaust specialists as well as general readers.

I thought this book was amazing. My history teacher recommended this to me after i read 'man's search for meaning'.
It's an incredibly honest and gripping book on the life of a young man survivng sobibor and the activies around it.
It will definately make you be thankful for what you have and not to take anything for granted. A truly inspirational book.

Mr. Thomas Toivi Blatt gives us a chilling look into what it was like to live and just survive under a barbaric system; one where one's neighbors and friends became their enemies and pursuers in the aim to please the occupation forces of Nazism. Mr. Thomas Toivi Blatt and others like him survived against incredible odds to their survival. It makes one reflect on and cherish each and every day that we live in freedom without the tremendous tyranny that Mr. Thomas Toivi Blatt, his family, and many others endured on a day to day basis for several years. Thank you Mr. Thomas Toivi Blatt for your sincere and honest reflections.

Although encouraging to new grant writers, too much of the book is reprinted information from other sources (web etc.). If I had paid $30.00 for the book and disk (with templates also downloadable from the web) I would have been more satisfied. However, it is not worth the high price.

Bev Browning is well recognized as one of the expert grant writers for non-profits--from schools to arts & cultural organizations to healthcare to social service & government agencies. Her expertise ranges from the Common Grants Applications to federal & state RFPs. The book offers her knowledge in a highly readable, easy to follow format. I have collaborated with Bev on many projects and she is a contributor toThe Distance Learning Funding $ourcebook: Your Guide to Foundation, Corporate & Government Support for Telecommunications & the New Media (4th edition, 1999).

Bev's book provides a sincere grantseeker with the tools neededto write a winning proposal and see positive results. The book takesyou step by step through the procedure and the process for getting thejob done.

As a novice grantwriter I found Bev Browing's book to be the missing link I needed to increase my skills and knowledge. This book has saved me years of " learning from my mistakes". It is straight forward and to the point. Community projects that are funded by grants can make a difference in the quality of people's lives. Bev teaches you how to turn dreams into reality.

Meticulously researched and documented about the bestial crimes visited on the Jews by the SS, Sipo, Orpo, SD and the Einsatzgrupppe, one also knows about the unspeakable, lesser known wholesale massacres committed willingly by other subjected peoples under German occupation (Poles, Ukrainians, Lithuaniana, to name a few). However, after the war in the Enisatzgruppe Prozess, only a few of the responsible SS and Police men were executed, and most were left off scotch free or had their sentences commuted. This certainly boggles the mind as if justice has been, or seen to be done in this most horrendous chapter of European history.

The book is, however, weakest in its concluding pages, when it is surmised, from chronological matches, not documentary evidence, that Hitler, confident of imminent victory in Russia, ordered the implementation of the Final Solution., and that, in order not to incriminate himself, had not laid down a written order for same.

Bearing in mind that Hitler himself signed an order for the euthanasia of the crippled and feeble in Germany, as well as the Kommissarbefehl that ordered the German troops to shoot all Communist functionaries and army commissars on sight, with no recourse to courts martial, the fact that there was no written order for the gassing of the Jews, if that was Hitler's intention, must be out of character of him.

The fact that Heydrich seeked and got from Göring authority for a Final Solution will be hard to explain, if Himmler and Heydrich, as surmised by Browning, had been authorized by Hitler to proceed with full powers the physical destruction of European Jewry in October 41, in expectation of the defeat of Russia.

The fact that more Jews were gassed in the period 42-44, when Germany was clearly on the losing side in a world war would also be at odds with the Browning hypothesis that the escalation and radicalization of anti Jewish measures, from expulsion, ghettorization, mass shootings to gassing, was always tied to Hitler's estimation of his chances of winning the war.

As new written sources from the early 1940s continue to turn up regularly in Russia and in its former Soviet satellites, historians are able to refine the history of the Jewish holocaust. Christopher Browning is at the forefront of this academic work. In his latest book, based on a series of lectures, he has a close look at when senior nazidom actually determined on a policy of destruction. He convincingly argues it was October 1941. There is an excellent chapter on Starachowice labor camp in Poland in which survivor memories and new documentary evidence are shown to be complementary. For those who want a followup to Browning's previously published work, for example on reserve police batallion 101, there is a final chapter in which the author slightly modifies his previous conclusions on the mindset of the killers. I think it is fair to say that this scholarly book is meant for advanced students of the holocaust, or at least those with a fair knowledge of the historiography.

In a six-essay series originally devised as lectures, the author takes the reader deep into the hearts and minds of the men who engineered the Holocaust. As in his earlier work, he argues persuasively and with an army of facts and figures that the decision to eradicate all of Europe's Jews from the face of the planet was an incrementally derived decision. This argument is very much like that made by Gerhard Weinberg in his massively documented history of WWII, "A World At Arms", although Browning's argument is much more detailed and substantiated. Weinberg posited that it wasn't until the Wehrmacht began to have horrendous logistics problems early in the occupation of Poland, Latvia, and Estonia during Operation Barbarossa that they began to think in terms of a systematic and deliberate program of extermination of the Jews.

Until that point the Nazi command had been more favorably disposed toward using indigenous populations as slave labor and working and/or starving them to death, rather than killing them outright. Here too Browning argues about three key issues surrounding the decision to proceed with the Holocaust; first, that the Nazi hierarchy itself was divided in terms of strategy and objectives about the resolution of the "Jewish Question"; second, that it was seen as highly advantageous to the national socialist cause to employ their skills and labor as long as possible in support of the war effort, and finally, that the actual implementation of the fragmented policy was further fragmented and "ad-libbed" at the field level by local commanders or police authorities.

Browning uses a virtual flood of documentation and data to substantiate his various positions, and marshals a convincing argument on behalf of the notion that indeed the resulting mass murders of the Holocaust were more likely the production of a series of small but fateful conclusions made incrementally to solve immediate and pressing logistical and tactical situations the Nazi hierarchy faced at particular moments than it was the result of some long-standing grand and evil scheme to systematically annihilate the Jews. Of course, it is in one very real sense an academic issue, since all of the indigenous Jews (as well as everyone else in the areas of interest to the Nazis along the eastern front in Poland and the Ukraine already pre-designated as new settlement areas for Germans would die at the hands of the Nazi regime. The question at hand is whether it would be through slave labor, starvation, and exposure to the elements, or through more active and murderous intervention by way of the death camps.

One must also remember that there were also large numbers of German Jews being transported both within and without the country to concentration camps. The same issues of intent apply to them, as well. Certainly Browning's efforts here will not end the long-standing debate. It is, however, a critical contribution to informing the direction and future tenor of that argument. This is an important, provocative, and worthwhile book, and one anyone interested in understanding the details of the "natural history' of how the Holocaust actually came to transpire must read to understand the complexities, contradictions, and confusions abounding in both the record and in individual recollections about the time. I recommend this book, and hope it is much more widely read and appreciated.

This is an excellent book that gives you an in depth in formative view of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. I recommend this book to people that are interested in the topic and students, teachers, and anyone else.

These poems were written by Elizabeth Barret Browning for her husband, the poet Robert Browning. They were not meant to be published but they have become her most well- known work. They contain one of the finest love poems ever written, the much anthologized , " How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." and other poems reflecting her love for her husband and her views on life.
The poems are written in a very explicit and clear way,in a style which had great appeal to the common reader of their day. And despite a certain archaic quality in the diction they speak to us today.

Here is one example.
"If thou must love me , let it be for naught,
Except for love's sake only. Do not say,
"I love her for her smile-her look- her way
Of speaking gently- for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such aday"-
For these things in themselves. Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee- and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity 's wiping my cheeks dry-
A creature might forget to wep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake , that evermore
Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity."

The early death of Elizabeth Barrett Browning underlines the intense and tragic quality of her and her husband's great love.

Dover Thrift Editions are the college student's [and teacher purchasing en masse] best friends. While they tend to lack footnotes, they do include thoughtful, decent introductions. Recommended.

I do not like many 19th-century English poets, but Elizabeth Barrett Browning is one that I do. Her Sonnets from the Portuguese are some of the most honest love poems I have read, and the other poems in this selection are a good reminder that she tackled many social issues as well. However, as a dog person, my favorite poem has to be To Flush, My Dog, a tribute to her faithful companion.

These poetry books are absolutely wonnerful to have on your bedside table. It don't make no difference what poetry book just as long as it is romantic sounding. Chicks dig it and will attack like a wolverine after a tuna. EEEHAAA!

Churches are made up of people with diverse preferences in worship styles, communication methods, ministry priorities and leadership approaches. These differences often result in conflict and division. In System-Sensitive Leadership, Michael Armour and Don Browning present a model of eight thinking systems for mapping diversity. Individuals have one dominant system. This system will determine how we solve problems and think about life, while influencing our attitudes and behavior. Each system defines our sense of self, organizes our lives, groups our priorities, structures relationships, gives us a grid to analyze ideas and determines how we respond to innovation and new initiatives. The book's purpose is to assist church leaders in maintaining congregational harmony in the midst of pronounced diversity. Hope is given that the various systems within a church will draw on the other's strengths and live together in Biblically commanded harmony.

System-Sensitive Leadership is a gift to those desiring to understand the mindset of a congregation. It would be extraordinarily useful for a Pastoral Search Committee or a pastoral candidate endeavoring to determine if a pastor would be a "good fit" for the congregation and what challenges a new pastor and his church would be facing in the transition to his leadership. The book would also assist church leadership in the objective of fostering congregational harmony and in achieving effective broad based ministry.

This book provides an excellent owerview of how and why people think and react the way that they do. After reading this book I could better view my own thought process and how to relate to others in a more non-threatening manner. When you understand how a person will react to a given situation you can take the necessiary steps to ease the situation for that person. This book gives you the insight to be able to do that.

"System Sensitive Leadership" uses a model that helps identify the "thinking systems" that determine values within communities. It is the thesis of these authors that leaders of religious communities (congregations) can learn utilize these "thinking systems" to embrace diversity without creating polarization. This book is offers credible theory and great practical application. I recommend it for pastors, seminary faculty, and leaders in the church. It could be of equal benefit for those who lead non-profit organizations.

To say that the church lives in an age of rapid change and increasing complexity defines "understatement." This book deals with how the church comes to terms with the changing ways that its congregation, formerly homogenous in their outlook on dealing with life's challenges, now views the world, the church, their role in the church and themselves as individuals.

While the subtitle raises warning signs to those taught to mistrust "liberalism" and "political correctness" (by use of the word "diversity" for those of you not so indoctrinated), when taken as a whole the book offers a biblically-sound methodology for evaluating the dominant "thinking system" within a church (or any organization) and within individuals, then prescribes ways that the church can respond by re-structuring programs, facilities, and ministries to reach and serve people in meaningful ways. That is, ways that are consistent with their thinking system.

If you feel trapped in a church that teaches rules and regulations without answering your "why?" questions; if you feel uneasy about changing styles of Christian music and worship; if you're uncomfortable in a setting where group leaders encourage you to share your feelings about what the Bible says (instead of just telling you what it says); or if you are leading a church through these questions, this book has much to offer. It will at least help you see why good people can differ so much on what the "right" form of worship and Christian service amounts to

Bingo! I liked this one. Almost as much as "A Tailgater's Guide To SEC Football."
I highly recommend both. Roll Tide!

I am a fan living in Alabama, and you can say all you want about Tennessee being our "historical" rivals, but a Bama's fans most intense hatred will always be reserved for Auburn. That being said, this is an excellent book about our #2 biggest rival and the history behind it. Browning, despite being a Bama fan, does an excellent job of presenting both teams. If you are a fan of either team in particular or college football in general you should find this book entertaining. Well worth the read.

Not a review of this or any of Mr. Browning's works. Just want to pass on that this individual lost his battle to cancer in Birmingham on Thursday, 25 April. When I lived in Tuscaloosa in 1979 - 81 I had the opportunity to read many of his columns and I have read a couple of his books. My opinion of his "Crimson Coronation" remains the same -- it was dismal. But his "Third Saturday in October" was much more representative of his talents and works. It was a very good effort and it is a shame that this writer's talents have been silenced forever. Roll Tide.

I had the unpleasant experience of plodding through Al Browning's "Crimson Coronation" - a one star book only because that is Amazon's lowest rating. I am happy to state that "Crimson Coronation" is not a true reflection of Al Browning's writing ability.

In "Third Saturday In October", Browning goes from the dismal extreme to a very good book. Again, due to Amazon's rating system that does not allow for decimals, the five star rating is a little high but this book is definitely above four stars.

Although Mr. Browning is an Alabama football fan (to my knowledge) this book will be appreciated by fans of both programs. He provides a very balanced reflection on the many games of this glorious series. He reflects the glory days of General Bob Neyland, Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Bear Bryant, Johnny Majors, etc as well as the not so glorious days of both programs.

To me, as a long time Alabama football fan, I consider this rivalry as the biggest for the Crimson Tide. I realize many Bama fans, especially those who live in Alabama, would probably point to Auburn as the biggest rivalry, but I consider Tennessee as the historical rival unmatched by others. Alabama has had more success against the War Eagles and as I started following Alabama football religiously since 1966, I remember the hated Volunteers as being the first team to beat Alabama in October 1967. I have hated Tennessee ever since. Alabama established its prominence in the mid-1920s with trips to the Rose Bowl and Tennessee, under General Bob Neyland (and that is an earned rank from the Army and not just a nickname as Coach Neyland served this country honorably as well as being a very successful football coach), established itself as the first and most consistent challenger to the Tide. Although there had been previous games between the two schools, there had been a lull period before the series picked up again in 1928 (and the book picks up the series with this game) when Tennessee made a name for itself by bumping off the Tide, a feat repeated in 1929. Since then, the two programs have been going after each other full blast every year (except for 1943 when would-be football players were battling a bigger foe for bigger stakes). There have been streaks for both programs and as for the more recent past (e.g., the last five years) Volunteer fans may see Florida as their number one rival. But over the course of more than seven decades, their number one rival hailed from Tuscaloosa.

What keeps this book from being a legitimate five star book?

1. The original book was written in 1987 with it updated in 2001 covering through the 2000 season. I think Mr. Browning should have gone back to update some of the previous chapters. For example, he may refer to Johnny Majors as the "current" coach at Tennessee (as was the case when the book was first written) or Alabama quarterback Robert Fraley as a mere lawyer in Orlando, Florida. Johnny Majors was ousted during the 1992 season and Robert Fraley went on to become a successful sports agent before dying tragically in a plane crash.

2. Pictures would have added much to the book.

3. The book did not include the 2001 season (a seventh straight win for Tennessee - ouch!). The current record is 42-35-7 in favor of the Crimson Tide. I wish Al Browning could have rewritten the results of 42 of the games to reflect an 84-0-0 record for Alabama -- as it should be! ROLL TIDE!

Considering the juvenile embarrassment called "Crimson Coronation", I think Mr. Browning should stay away from fiction. This book is definitely a better reflection of his true ability.

After being away from her family home for eight years, Mariah returns to Henry Island, North Carolina to spread the ashes of her deceased father all over the isle. However, when she reaches the Outer Banks Island, she finds widower Gray Hallowell using the home she inherited from her father. He has a lease so she moves to one of the other cottages, but her odious extended family occupies all the rooms except that normally used by the cook.

Gray is surprised that he is attracted to Mariah because he has been woman dead since his beloved spouse died from cancer while carrying his unborn child, who also died with her. Though everybody wants him to leave, Gray refuses as he promised Mariah's dad that he would investigate the boating accident that killed the man's wife. He refuses to quit because he cannot believe how nasty his deceased client's relatives are. As he and Mariah fall in love, he revises his quest to keep her safe from a nasty ex-husband and thugs who covet the sale of the island to pay for the debts run up by the heroine's cousin.

Though the extended family is too eccentrically nasty and incredibly selfish so that no one will like any of the adults, fans will be fond of the rest of the cast. Dixie Browning is a fantastic romance writer and UNDERTOW, her first single title release will not be her last as she shows great talent for writing the longer and deeper books. Her characters ring true, her pacing is on target and the story line is fascinating. What more can one ask from a book?

Harriet Klausner

Maria returns to her family home near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina after her father?s death, discovers it occupied by a lease-holder who refuses to leave, then finds herself falling in love with him as, together, they try to solve a crime.
An entertaining mystery romance.

I loved UNDERTOW. Dixie Browning juggles two mysteries, one a generation old, the other contemporary, while building attraction and sexual tension between the two main characters, Mariah Henry and Gray Hollowell. Mariah is one of the Henrys of Henry Island, near Cape Hatteras, NC. She returns to her family's island home after many years away to scatter her father's ashes. Her relatives have secrets that threaten her life, her beliefs, and her future. Gray Hollowell, a cold-case detective with an SBI background, is investigating the death of Mariah's mother 27 years earlier. He must keep Mariah alive while he solves both mysteries, past and present. These two people have each overcome extreme personal losses, and have a strength and maturity in their growing relationship. The character development in this book was exceptional, for primary, as well as secondary characters. Orestes, the old man of the island, came to life for me, as did several of the family members. I love the setting of this book, and I believe that most people could relate to it. I give it my full recommendation.

Undertow is the perfect beach book--and if you can't get to the beach, it's almost as good as the trip. The subtle suspense grabs you on page one and won't let you go until the end. Great atmosphere. Look for romance and a mixture of characters, good and bad, but each so real they'll stick in your mind long after you finish this book. This one rates 5 stars in my book! From a reader in North Carolina.

For someone to use if they are planning to venture into the world of web commerce

The author presents a sensible, detailed, savvy discussion of the rationale for online business and offers a load of online resources to help get a business up and running on the Web. The book is well-organized and easy to read. In my opinion, it is a very good introduction and readers who are relatively new to business online will benefit the most from the book.

Very few established businesses have really grasped the potential of e-business. This book provides a valuable guide to the business reader of the importance of the internet to the future of business. I also liked the guidance on international trade for starting businesses. The accompanying GIN Website is good as well.

The author presents a sensible, detailed, savvy discussion of the rationale for online business and offers a load of online resources to help get a business up and running on the Web. The book is well-organized and easy to read. In my opinion, it is a very good introduction and readers who are relatively new to business online will benefit the most from the book.