Burr Books

The book came on time and i love Karen's books and this is just as good as the rest

If you like audio books, this is a great addition to the wonderful Christian book series of Redemption about Baxter. My wife and I tried this out because she raved so much to me that I thot we could listen while traveling. BUT, with a single person reading it the characters are not defined enough and so it gets confusing to me. My wife had a hard time following this audio presentation as well.
Guess we will just stay with the books which are great!

The beginning of the book and the subject of betrayal, could have been very depressing but I really wanted to know what the title had reference to. Whether this man could have been forgiven and the turnaround. I didn't see how so it kept me involved. I loved all the good references to family,their times together and their loyalty to their daughter and sister. Very surprising ending. I think it was very well written.

This is one of the most intriguing books I have read in recent years. I was attracted to this series because I know of Gary Smalley's work and found it interesting that he would combine real-life counseling and fictional characters. Frankly, I think it was a genius idea because we are having more people read and discover helps for their own lives because they are willing to read fiction when they wouldn't read other books. I love the way that the main characters seek God's leadership before making any decisions and follow his will. God's way is the best way is driven home by having those who willfully disobey what they know God's will to be and suffer the consequences. I simply could not wait even one night to get the following book when I was through with one. Therefore, I went and bought all 13 available books in the series so I would never have to wait.

I am very disappointed with the book. I agree with the original critic - it reads more like a self-help book than a literary novel. The adultery, alcohol described in the book seem very unrealistic and organized to create certain points that the author wants to get across to the reader. I would find it hard to believe if this author has any real understanding of the circumstances that they try to describe in the book.

I loved Tully so I decided to check this one out. I loved it! It grabbed me from the start and it was hard to put down.

I was looking for the book by Belva Plain with the same title. I found this one instead. The first few pages were intriguing, but by the end, I didn't like any of the main characters or care what happened to them

Definitely not the best of the Paullina Simons books! (The best is Tully!) Still good though. It's a shorter read in comparison to some of the others. Necessary read for any PS fan, though.

Paullina Simons delivers a tense, suspenseful story, full of dark undertones and nice plot twists. We meet Kristina and get to know her before her untimely death, helping the reader connect and care about why she was murdered. You feel the frustration and sadness right along with Spencer, the lead detective, as he tries to unravel the lies, half-truths, and explosive surprises that tremor below the surface of Ivy League Dartmouth College.

I am in awe,yet again,of Paullina's writing. This book hooks you on page one- makes you care about the characters and long for more once the book is over. Like other Paullina Simons' books- this is a dark book- don't expect a cheerful, happy ending. Still, a wonderful mystery with twists and turns through the entire book.

Lost and Found was an excellent contemporary romance after so much historical romance. It was well written and fun to read. Enjoy !!

All Cady Briggs knows about a client, Mack Easton, is that he owns Lost and Found, a business on the internet that traces lost or stolen works of art, and has a voice on the phone that makes him her Fantasy Man.

Finally seeing him face to face on a job he hires her to do, Cady Briggs is not disappointed in the man she's been fantasizing about, and Mack seems to share the same thoughts.

But all that is put aside when Vesta Briggs, owner of Chatelaine's (an art gallery) and also her strange aunt, dies in a swimming "accident." Cady, suspecting that there is something wrong in this picture, hires Mack Easton to pose as her "almost fiancee," and help her prove her aunt was murdered.

I read this book in one sitting, and enjoyed it 'til the last page. I read this for the mystery, and was not disappointed. The romance did not play center stage though, so this book may not be as satisfying to readers who read this for the lovey-dovey stuff.

Cady Briggs knew Mack Easton only from the internet. He owned an online company, Lost And Found. He mainly traced stolen artifacts for owners and museums when the owner could not go to the police for one reason or another. Mack hired her as a consultant often since she had excellent connections in the art world. They met face-to-face when Mack hired her to help him track down a stolen antique helmet.

Everyone said Cady Briggs was a lot like her Aunt Vesta Briggs. They both had a fine eye for art and antiques, fought panic attacks, and had bad luck with men! But everyone also knew that Cady liked consulting jobs. She wanted nothing to do with Chatelaine, the gallery Vesta ran. Sylvia, Cady's cousin, was a natural born CEO and was a shoo-in for inheriting Vesta's shares when she passed away. However, one week before Vesta died, she changed her will to give all the stocks to Cady. Vesta made it clear that she was considering canceling a bidding for Chatelaine to merge with Austrey-Post as well.

Cady did not believe Vesta's death to be a swimming accident. Thinking foul play and the concerns Vesta had of the merger, she called Mark for help. He would pose as her "soon to be fiancée", and help track down a killer that she could not prove existed. It quickly became apparent that more than one scam was going on! And Cady was in the hot seat!

Jayne Ann Krentz has often proven to me that I am right to consider her one of the best Modern Contemporary authors of our time! This latest book will take a place of honor among my favorites in my "Keeper" shelf! There is not way I could recommend this book highly enough! *****

This book is a mystery, yes, but it is also playful and cheeky. The subject of the mystery was different, and as I know little about antiques I actually learned that it is a very complex international business. What I loved about this story is the man. Mack, our hero, is the man I want to meet. He takes care of his woman, and her family, and his family. Most times the men are coaxed into the relationship, dragged into the family, but not Mack. He boldly walks right in. He is a mature man with a grown daughter, so why should he act like a confused kid? Nicely done. Cady is no weak woman either. She knows she needs a partner, first professionally, then personally. I liked the way they worked together.

Now, about the ending. The mystery wraps up very nicely and quite credibly. It all made sense to me. But the love story had an epilogue that was a bit too sweet. I like a happy ending, but once again I had the feeling the author was compelled to give us a peek into their future in this book instead of writing another one. Mack and Cady could be Nick and Nora. There could have been at least two more books about this couple with their unique talents and genius friends. What about it, Jayne?

Cady Briggs knows art...what she doesn't know is what to do with Mack Easton, her sometimes boss, sometimes employee. They're looking for some answers, and maybe even a murderer. They're also forming a relationship...she knows it won't be permanent, but there's something different about it, about Mack. She feels like she's found something with him that's she never even knew she was missing...something she'll be lost without when he leaves.

A great story of love and intrigue by a master storyteller.

For those of you who read the chronocles series in the eighties or nineties and reread this beside those books, the author's writing style has matured considerably, but at the same time it appears that they have decided to pad out events to a large extent. In short, this book is not very exciting, although will be a trip down memory lane for those in need of one. There are no cliffhangers in the entire book of note.

Do not read this book unless you are a fan of Flint, or at least Tasslehoff (who isn't?). The book seems designed to give Flint more "screen time" as he doesnt make it to the end of the chronocles series.

I would say this book is worse than anything in the chronocles trilogy, the legends trilogy, or the soulforge. If you have already read those, you will probably better enjoy Dragons of the Highlord Skies, the follow-up to this effort. In short, this book is like an old friend who is familiar, comforting, but possibly not as interesting as you remembered.

This book lives up to the Dragonlance standard in my opinion. It portrays the events that took place between the first two book of the chronicles trilogy (after the escape for Pax Tharkas).

Definetly worth reading if you crave to know what convinced the dwarfs of Thorbadin to shelter 800 human refugees, or if you crave to know how a hammer that has been lost for over 300 years finally resurfaced.

Halfway through the book and am really curious to how this plays out. So far an awesome addition to your current Dragon Lance collections. I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in the main chatacters from the Dragon Lance trillogy

What can one say? This is written by the creators of the Dragonlance Chronicles. The very people that beta tested the original 1st Edition AD&D Dragonlance modules. The very people that wrote the novels AFTER they roleplayed it out.

Most likely this new trilogy was roleplayed out during the adventuring phase and just took this long to be put to paper for the fans enjoyment. I'll make sure I ask Margaret next time I see her at either Origins and/or GenCon and/or Dragon Con.

Oh! And just for bragging rights: Margaret is a great dancer! That dance at Dragon Con a couple years ago is still a highlight of my life!!

Now, many of you may be thinking that I'm biased in this interview. But, I read the original Dragonlance trilogy when it FIRST came out. Yeah, I'm old. Older than dirt. HA!!!! I even played the AD&D 1st Edition Dragonlance modules BEFORE the novels even came out.

What's interesting is that when I roleplayed Raistlin he gradually became "evil" under my watch. I even commented on this to Margaret Weis one of the times I met her.

Anyway, I may be biased, but the Weis/Hickman written Dragonlance novels can't be beat. Pick this new trilogy up if you've already read the others. And, if you haven't read the other novels-- GET GOING!!!!

I gave this two stars just because it's Dragonlance. I loved the original Chronicles and Legends, and even found the latest War of Souls not bad. Soulforge and Brothers in Arms were great too.

There are a couple good moments in the 2nd half of the book. However, the vast majority of the book is painful to read and incredibly ponderous. I thought at first it might be because I'm older now and had outgrown Weis and Hickman's writing style, but then I went back to the above mentioned books and leafed through them.

The curious thing is it's almost as if someone different wrote this novel. It simply doesn't flow at all, and worse, the characters themselves are poorly developed. Raistlin sounds whiny, Caramon is dumb beyond belief, etc.

I have no idea what happened, except two theories: first is that there was some sort of time pressure. Second, Weis has said on message boards that her partnership with Hickman is such that she writes and he fills in the "nuts and bolts," with ideas on the economy, clothing, etc. So perhaps this time Hickman wanted to try his hand for the majority of a book?

Anyway, whatever the reason, after reading Star of Guardians, Legends, Chronicles, War of Souls, DeathGate Cycle, that trilogy with Matthew, Darksword... Dragons of Dwarven Depths is by far the WORST out of them all. Just absolutely painful to try to get through. (even Dragons of Highlord Skies is better, much better written with better flow, although I hate how Kitiara is some lovesick, jealous puppy. I mean, I know she has a thing for Tanis, but please, Highlord Skies was so overdone on that note)

(I'm still glad I bought Dwarven Depths though. Happy to support the authors...even bought that HORRENDOUS DVD knowing I would hate it after the previews... A forever thank you for Chronicles and Legends and hours of pure enjoyment!)

This was a great book - it was packed with information. Sometimes it had a little bit too much detail in certain sections and it got a little bit boring. Overall, it was really interesting and I was glad that it was so well written as opposed to a quick read that leaves you with more questions. Highly recommended.

Sarah Bradford has written a very complete story from Jackie's childhood to her death. There is lots of details about Jackie, as well as her husbands, JFK and Onassis. The book also focuses on JFK's affairs, and how much it hurt Jackie.

Even before Jack died, Jackie was determined to be free from the Kennedy family. To separate from the Kennedy family, Jackie used wit and charm and focused on her children and her own interests, like art.

One of the highlights of the book for me was how Jackie restored the White House. She asked for free donations, like a valuable portrait of Ben Franklin. She enlists the help of experts.Everyone seems willing to help her, because of her charisma and her position as first lady.

I have no way to know how accurate this book is, but the author cites a lot of other books for research. Jackie was a very intelligent and determined lady. It is a shame that she died at only 64 years old.I enjoyed reading it.

My comments concern the narrator of the audio cd who felt that she had to change her voice inflection when she read quotes of various people. She talked in a soft wispery tone when quoting Jackie, however, she continued to use that same voice for any of the females quoted. She then attempted a deeper tone for the male voices. Due to all the voice shifting it was disruptive and the reading did not flow. Since it was a narrative and not a play it would have been more pleasing to the ear if the narrator did the entire reading in her natural voice.

Jackie Kennedy was the closest thing that America ever got to home-grown royalty. Her birth and upbringing in New York City, refinement, etiquette, and Olympian cool ... Jackie radiated a deep mystery that remains. She was iconic in her need for privacy and protectiveness of it. A woman of another era who remains enigmatic and unique in her persona ... an American icon who seems both American yet not typical of the United States. A sophisticate, debutant of the year, equestrienne, well-manner, posh Park Avenue social doyenne who intrigued the world until she died in 1994. Fluent in several language, a writer of poetry, political wife, patron of the arts, native New Yorker, and poised like any Queen in Europe. She wasn't perfect but she was Jackie. America may never see another quite like her.

It was fantastic to be able to grasp a better understanding of the stoic, graceful beauty that was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was great to see the different facets of her personality from political darling to yacht hopping party girl. Her desire to control and veneer everything that happened in her life was inspiring. Couldn't put it down, was consistantly interesting throughout.

David McCullough's book, John Adams, and the HBO special based upon it, sets the stage for this fascinating book. After an interest in Jefferson's administration and its role in the Lewis & Clark Corp of Discovery, my attention was drawn to "Duel", but somehow it seemed to be with a proper context, until McCullough's book John Adams seemed to draw the stage lighting upon the intense figures of Hamilton and Burr. The book is a look at their personalities, but much more it shows the continued fractious nature of the young Republic after the death of Adams. Simply put, if you enjoyed "John Adams", you are ready for "Duel".

This is a very exciting, fast-paced narrative that details the rivalry between Hamilton and Burr for control of the Federalist Party during the early days of the American Republic.

While both men shared an animosity toward President Thomas Jefferson, their rivalry for control of the Federalist Party led them to a dueling ground in New Jersey where Burr shot and killed Hamilton.

I liked this, but I loved Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton and would recommend that over The Duel as a portrait of Hamilton and his times, but this is very well done book that looks at the two rivals.

~Duel: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Future of America~ by Thomas J. Fleming (not to be confused with the Thomas Fleming of Chronicles magazine) is an insightful historical narrative of the tragic standoff between two great American politicians. Burr (1756-1836) was an American politician from New York, Revolutionary War hero and adventurer. Burr served as the third Vice President of the United States (1801-1805) during the administration of Jefferson.

Burr, of course, gained notoriety for his tragic duel with Alexander Hamilton. Burr's mother was a sister of the notable Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards. In the election of 1800, Burr tied Jefferson with 73 electoral votes, making him eligible for one of the Nation's two highest offices and sending the election into the U.S. House of Representatives. After 36 ballots, Jefferson was elected President and Burr elected Vice President. As Vice President, Burr was President of the Senate, and in such role, presided over the impeachment trial of Samuel Chase. The tumultuous election of 1800 revealed a flaw in the design of the electoral college, which prompted the 12th Amendment.

Alexander Hamilton (c. 1755-1804) was an Army officer, lawyer, politician, financier, political theorist and the United States' first Secretary of Treasury. He was one of the two chief authors of the Federalist Papers, but a secret monocrat with prejudices in favor of reviving the British unitary model of government on American soil. After the adoption of the Constitution, he pronounced that no one's intentions were more removed from that instrument than his own. Hamilton's prejudices were in favor of a large central government, a sentiment aloof from most parochial-minded Americans. His personal dealings in politics were subject to the same inconsistencies and ill-principled contradictions. He was unfaithful to his wife, and the intrigue surrounding the affair haunted him until his dying day, and in many ways provoked the bitter contests regarding his honor, such as the feud with James Monroe.

Fleming offers a fact-filled, balanced account of the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, and the background history leading up to that tragedy. It's basically a grandiose chronicling of political intrigue that endured throughout the 1790s going into the 1800s. Burr comes out in a new light, not the supposed arch-villian, but a nonetheless ambitious and manipulative character much like Hamilton. Thomas Jefferson's reputation is beat up too, as he is presented as a shrewd back-scenes manipulator who used proxies to attack his enemies. Hamilton was a paradox in that set the stage for the Jefferson Presidency in 1800 by redirecting Federalist votes. Hamilton apparently loathed Adams more than Jefferson. At the time, the second runner-up in a presidential race becomes Vice President, a role served by Aaron Burr. Federalist John Adams blamed Hamilton for the implosion of the Federalist Party, and regarded him as an "indefagitable schemer."

Personally, I've always found Hamilton to be a disingenuous character. It seems obvious his exploits got him in all his trouble. He was a malicious gossip. He almost provoked a duel with James Monroe by accusing him of intrigue in making revelation of the Reynolds affair. And as Fleming contends, the Burr duel was avoidable, but for Hamilton's continual insults which impugned Burr's honor. Historical evidence suggests Hamilton was just as prone to using his political influence for personal gain of himself and his family. He benefited certainly by his intermarriage with the wealthy Schuyler family of New York.

The Burr-Hamilton duel was between two Hamilton and Aaron Burr on July 11, 1804 in Weehawken Heights, New Jersey, a popular dueling ground below the towering cliffs of the Palisades. There, on that tragic day, Burr shot and mortally wounded Hamilton. Hamilton threw his shot away some suggest. Hamilton died the following day from his wounds at his home, The Grange, in northern Manhattan.

Later, Aaron Burr was indicted by the State of New Jersey for Hamilton's death, and he never set foot in that state again. He lived until 1836, and I think evidence of his supposed plot to sever the Louisiana territory from the United States was lacking in credibility, and more of a ploy of Hamiltonians to tarnish his reputation as all the more treasonous. Not a scintilla of evidence stuck to him on that spurious charge, and he was never indicted for treason.

I empathized with Hamilton if only because of his tragic fate, and the hardship endured by his family, not his politics. His daughter Angelica went insane after the Hamilton's loss of a son. His 19-year-old son rose to his father's defense on November 20, 1801, taking the first step in a tragedy that cost him his life.

On his dying day, July 12, 1804, shortly before his passing, Hamilton said, "I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I look to Him for mercy; pray for me." The Ron Chernow biography recorded this utterance; but Fleming left it out. I think this fact strikes at Fleming's contention that Hamilton was a dyed-in-the-wool deist his whole life.

When an elder Burr was approached on the street by a man who called him a scoundrel, a repentant Burr said afterwards that the man was entitled to his opinion, and paid him respect as he walked off. Fleming could have mentioned that too.

Overall, this is a balanced account. Nancy Isenberg's new book on Aaron Burr echoes a similar theme, but it is far more sympathetic to Burr.

Great book. Outstanding research. Gives a keen insight into the very complex and tormented mind of Burr, while at the same time proving what a key figure Hamilton was in the establishment of our nation. Must read.

A great book on Aaron Burr if you want/need to know more about this Vice President. Tells a sad story about the end of a great American - Alexander Hamilton. Good book to understand what the country was going through at this time of Jefferson.

Books came in timely fashion. As far as the author goes...suffice it to say I have ordered the next books in this series.

In book two, the characters we've come to enjoy and the lives they lead are back. In this chapter Grace is trying to return to normal life but when a report comes in about her husband Dan, that goal is quickly dismissed. But the is only the beginning of what 204 Rosewood Lane has to offer. What about Rosie and Zach's divorce? There are many character's lives we're involved with in Deb Macomber's quaint series about life in the small town of Cedar Cove. As always, her books and story development are top notch. While her characters are fresh, vivid, and full of spunk.

Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou Tino: Best of 2008

Debbie is a wonderful author.

Her books bring you to a wonderful place.

Never received this book from Amazon. Inquired of the sender and they returned my money. Not sure what happened. It had been a month and still nothing had come! Judy

I spent another day in Cedar Cove and I didn't want to come back. I can't get enough of this town.

So many things going on. Where is Dan? He still hasn't come home! Grace decides to get a divorce, since it has been six months. Cliff starts to hang around more. What will happen with Grace and Cliff? Olivia and Jack are dating more. But then Jack's son, Eric, shows up one night with his bags packed. His girlfriend has kicked him out. He says it will only be for a few days, but a few months later he is driving Jack crazy. Jack can't get any alone time with Olivia. Olivia's girls are busy having children, but Maryellen tries to hide it from Jon. Will they get together? Who is the mystery man that showed up at the B & B? Find out all this and more in the second installment of our favorite town, Cedar Cove!!!

Run, don't walk to get it!

This story could have been much better.
For starters Hannah is not my favorite choice of for female heroine name. Brings to mind visions of char women from the 17th century. It's unflattering and doesn't seem to fit with someone who is attractive and talented. I apologize to anyone with that name. But it is just the first thing about this book that is bad. The other choice of character names isn't much better.
Hal is a little hard to read. I seem to be unable to define him. Is he mentally challenged? Is he emotionally challenged? Is he just out of some institution?
I also had some problem with the connections between events. Hall goes on and on with unnecessary descriptions. I could care less what everyone at a meeting is wearing. It had nothing to do with furthering the plot. The descriptions could have been more succinct. Well, just too much detailed descriptions and many are just corny sounding.
It seems like Hall is trying to make a romance between Hannah and Frank. It's a huge leap, since they didn't seem to have anything going on in the beginning of the book. How after 5 years Frank has made no effort to contact Hannah. I didn't get the reason she would have turned to him with the book if they haven't had any contact in that many years. Hall is really stretching it to try and create some hot romance there. I found it kind of creepy that the so called romance is not anything happening or any conversation between Hannah and Frank but by thoughts or conversations of The FBI woman Helen or Hal.
It seemed strange to me that Hannah didn't have any friends. Most people form friendships, have girlfriends, people to pal around with. Being a single parent would seem to be more reason for Hannah to have formed friendships with other single women. She should have had friends from when she worked at the police department, or from when she was in college. I'm sorry but that's just too big a leap of credibility that she would be without a single girlfriend.
I also wondered why she was not having any kind of therapy herself. How could she miss that if her son needed it that she would too.
Overall I'd have to say this book is boring, the characters have no depth. It's over detailed on rubbish. But lacking in good information to connect events. For instance the involvement of the FBI seemed slim at best. The way Hal is described here and there. Gosh, all I can say is this book really was flat.
I need to add that I'm listening to the audio version and Sandra Burr is not the best reader. Not the worst either but the sing song tone of her voice is annoying. And she does lousy at male voices. I've had some trouble following the characters because she doesn't give each character their own voice. But the book is still verbose to the extreme.
This is Sassyvic saying don't waste your time with this book. Look for something better.

This is my first foray into a book by James W. Hall. I found it to be an entertaining read with a couple of really good plot twists. The original premise of the FBI sting seems so silly that I cannot imagine anybody would permit it, but once I got past that part it was a great spring break thriller.

While the villains were fairly interesting, I found myself really rooting for the underachieving FBI agent, Frank Sheffield.

I wonder about the source of Mr. Hall's fascination with Indiana. I'm a lifelong resident of the Hoosier state so I was interested in the fact that the main bad guy comes from Evansville (his bare description of Evansville, even though it is vague, tells me that he's never seen it). Also, his knowledge of Indiana geography seems a bit sketchy since he has the boy in the foster care system in Evansville yet committing crimes in Indianapolis. They are a good 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive apart. Plus, Hall mentions some overweight teachers from Fort Wayne in a bar trying to get lucky with some Cuban lotharios. Yes, my beloved Hoosier state, home to serial killers and desperate big girls...

Despite that, I give this book a final grade of B+.

I listened to the audiobook while driving to and from work. It was entertaining, to a certain extent. It was certainly well read.

Hal Bonner was almost like a robot, at least that's how he was read in the audiobook, talks like a robot, doesn't understand common idioms, and of course doesn't really know what love is or could be, not even sex, actually. That's possibly understandable, in the perspective of his foster-home-in-the-mortuary upbringing, but believable? Too far-fetched. But, hey, it's a novel, right? It's not supposed to be non-fiction.

Okay, so Helen's ex-husband (and Randall's father) has murdered his in-laws, and no one knows about it, except Randall, for how many years? And then the inept fool is caught in an obvious trap, confessing to his wired son in the Miami airport. Believable? No, it's too contrived, but hey, it's a novel, right?

The Senator pushing the FBI around? Well, that part is believable, I guess, I'll trust Mr. Hall on that one.

Misty Fielding? No, I don't believe a young woman, no matter how bitter, would kidnap and kill a little boy. And the business about doctoring the videotape using a 12-year old hacker, well, that's far-fetched, contrived, it doesn't fit nicely as a plot device should fit, if the author is a real master.

The only character I liked in this mess is Frank Sheffield, the FBI agent son of a heroic FBI agent, who appears to lack ambition and live in a sort of Taoist funk, which is precisely opposed to our idea of an FBI agent. Of course, he comes out on top in the end, just as Lao Tse said he would.

Diximus.

First of all, despite what the header for this listing says, this is not a Thorn book; It's a stand-alone novel with new characters. Secondly, unlike Hall's Thorn books, Rough Draft just isn't very good. If you've read most of Hall's books like I have, you're probably beginning to feel like if you've read one, you've read them all. A fine writer in his early years, Hall has now gotten stale and boring. The plot for this book was fragmented and patched together, with a twist ending that just didn't work at all for me. The entire idea for this book seemed like a throwaway, something that Hall came up with at the last minute just to crank another book out. Reviewers make a big deal out of Hall's villians, and they are pretty interesting, but the female villian in this one is just like every other female villian that Hall creates, and the male villian needed more fleshing out to be truly classic. The good guys, however, are so plain and vanilla that I never cared one bit about them throughout the entire book. It was a struggle to get through this one, and I can't recommend it to anyone. For a good read, try one of Hall's earlier books instead.

Hannah Keller, ex cop and Author is being used as bait by the FBI to catch serial killer Hal, who kills people by bursting their hearts with his bare hands. Agent Frank Sheffield, who is unwillingly recruited to help the FBI in their mission ends up antagonizing the rest of the FBI team and helping Hannah Keller. Inspite of unbelievable characters such as Hal and Stevie, a 13 year old computer whiz, the book is a thrilling read.
[...]

A typical Debbie Macomber story. The whole series needs to be read to enjoy fully. A perfect 'rainy day' read.

This is the fourth book in Deb Macomber's Cedar Cove series starts us in B&B with Bob and Peggy trying to solve the mystery of the murder of one of Bob's old war buddies. Much like all of Deb's books this fourth book is loaded with side plots and wonderfully developed characters. We're given the odd couple of story with the Griffins - a newly wed couple. Well, now that I think about it, most of the sub plots revolve around marriage. So just sit back and enjoy the wonderful little town of Cedar Cove.

Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou Tino: Best of 2008

The book was shipped right away to me. I enjoyed reading this book since I'm following the characters. I was unable to put the book down.

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THIS BOOK?
I READ IT IN A DAY AND A HALF. NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS WOULD I ENJOY A "ROMANCE" NOVEL BUT THIS IS BETTER THAN THE LAST.
THE WAY THE AUTHOR INTRODUCES THE CHARACTERS YOU FEEL YOU KNOW THEM. SHE IS AN INCREDIBLE STORY TELLER.
JUST READ AND ENJOY.
LORI S

There just seemed to be too much rehashing of the previous books. If you have been reading this series from the beginning you already knew what Macomber was telling you in the first third of this book.

Cranberry Point finally ties up the story behind Max Russell and why he died at the B&B. Marriages and babies abound and a couple new love interests are sparked. And who would have thought that a dog and bachelor auction would ignite so much.

Besides the repeating of old stories lines, this book hit me a little wrong with the tone of voice of many of the women. I just wish that they didn't sound so whiney and unsure of themselves. Even Olivia, the judge, sounds whiney and at times pathetic. Macomber needs to get back on track and give these women some more strength and backbone.

An excellent essay exploring what myths are, how they evolved and why we need them. Of particular interest is the last section which discusses the corrosive results of modernity's commitment to logos where understanding myth is concerned, and the importance of the novel.

Karen Armstrong has produced an intellectual history of the idea of mythology and its role in supporting religion, philosophy and science. Like in her other books, the former nun has leveraged her deep knowledge and understanding of religion and philosophy to create a thought provoking book on the role of myth over the last several millennium.

The voice over of this audio book was well read, with inflections and changes in tone coming in appropriate places.

I highly recommend this book.

What an insightful and worthy book ! When i first encountered this book,i thought it was a novella on ancient global mythical figures.And i quickly realised that this was not the case.I was pleasantly surprised and read through it in just one sitting.This short history book will become a modern classic among intellectuals and the literati of highbrowed taste.This book is not for casual readers. This is perhaps the best of Karen Armstrong's literary collection. Although, i have not read much by her.This book reminds me,in a 'mythos' sense, of the short book of Marx and Engels' ,'The Communist Manifesto of 1848'.Their 'logos' story is a concise history of the human economic labour value theory.And her story is about a concise history of the human need for spiritual myth-making,that compells humankind to true greater heights.The more society developed,however,the more we humans became estranged and alienated from the surrounding oudoor Nature.With this loss of connection to the good Earth,mankind became more aggressive and less caring about all life over the planet Earth.Many historians and lay-people agree ,that thesedays communism has lost its vision on what backs our quest of better living .We produce products not for the sake of producing it,yet for helping us connect with Nature and sharing our talents with others.Stalin felt that spirituality and religion lowered the productivity of the workers,by fettering them with outdated peasant values.Stalin also felt that with atheistic communism,it would allow mankind to have complete scientific control over Nature.As we see in current news headlines,Mankind is still at the mercy of Mother Nature and her reactions to our building / manufacturing endeavors.At the closing of her book,she stresses the important need for literature and creative people,in our modern ethically bankrupt society.As we see thesedays, from the Hollywood grist-mill,with their crass film product of rehashed mindless destruction and cheap thrills,that has instilled a new warped sense of 'myth-making spiritualism'.A crude Hollywood myth-machine that has ultimately lead to such horrible tragedies, as the Columbine school shooting and the Oklahoma Murrah bombing.If only this book can awaken all mundane readers into turning off the televisions and investing their leisure time more wisely. Through a further pursuit of self-artistic creativity (literature and the Arts), that will connect us with Nature and our destiny ,then i think this book was a sound investment for the reader and one's community.

This book offers an excellent presentation of the category of myth--what myths are, why they exist, what they provide, how they function in society as well as in individuals. It is both clear and concise; in no sense is it necessary to be familiar with the field in order to understand it.

Please be advised that the book is not an anthology of myths. It provides an introduction to myth that would be helpful in a course on mythology, but a collection of myths would also be necessary.

As modernity progressed, most myths were 'debunked'. However, modernity was unable to fill the psychological vacuum created by the negation of these myths. This has created problems for the society. Hence, it is time to reinstate mythology. This is the essential argument which Karen Armstrong makes in this book.

The book is divided into seven short chapters. She first defines myths. She then goes on to analyze mythmaking from the Paleolithic period (20000 BC), through the so-called Axial Age, down to the present times. (Curiously, this division of ages itself may be a modern myth!) She concludes the discussion on mythmaking with a peculiar digression into the modern literature as a form of myth-making, which to my mind is an extremely flat argument, as there is no ritualization surrounding this literature. She ends with a plea for reinstatement of mythology, to help people deal more comfortably with the world.

However, her plea is fallacious, to say the least. Mythos and logos are mutually exclusive - you cannot believe a myth unless you believe it to be true. You cannot have a such a thing as a logical treatment of myths. Therefore, when Ms. Armstrong argues that we should be allowed to believe in myths because it is useful (and not because they may be true), she is either being naive, or being very clever, and politically correct.

It must be noted here that though the word myth is derived from Greek mythos, it also has a parallel in Sanskrit: mithya, which literally means unreal. In Hindu thought, the world as we see it is unreal, and is only a projection of the God (Brahman). The term mythology came to be applied to the beliefs of others, as a pejorative, to suggest that they believed in a falsehood, whereas one's own religious beliefs were based on historical truth. In time, the birds came home to roost, and today there is a wide-ranging intellectual attack on the beliefs of the 'historically true' religions.

Ms. Armstrong's approach is mostly analytical. It is also by and large fair. The text, though dry, is peppered with illustrative myths, and this helps maintain interest.

However, the book also suffers from certain flaws. Firstly, Ms. Armstrong treats most speculations about myths of the ancient (pre-historic people or extinct cultures) as demonstrated facts. Her own speculations are presented as definite statements, rather than tentative conjecture. This is an extremely dangerous approach, and perhaps may create a myth about myth-making itself.

Secondly, her knowledge of non-Western mythology may not be all that reliable. My assessment is based on her understanding of Hindu mythology, which appears to be based on a reading of secondary sources by non-Indian translators. This makes her interpretation suspect and often it drifts away totally from the reality, in a kind of Chinese whisper. Indian tradition repeatedly emphasises that Vedic texts have to be meditated upon in order to understand them. These can not be read or interpreted like ordinary historical texts. Vedic pundits were expected to spend 12 years in learning just one Veda - and there are four of them!

For instance, we are told that Brahman is the power engendered by ritual ceremonies. This appears to be quite confusing. In Hindu thought, Brahman exists on its own - it is not dependent on power released through rituals. Then we are told that in Vedic India, ritual actions were known as karma, deeds. Actually, karma is any deed, of which ritual actions may be one category.

This is a short book, and you can easily finish it in a few sittings. You can also carry it around and read it during a journey. The font is easy to read.

While on this, I would also like to suggest a recent book 'Myth = mithya, A Handbook of Hindu Mythology' by Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik (Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology). This book, provides an interesting, modern perspective on many of the Hindu myths, without being overly analytical or condescending. The book has been available in India since 2006 as a Penguin India publication. It will be available globally in January 2008.