Carr Books

My preferred emotions include excitement, passion, surprise, and humor. The emotions this book elicits are grief, sadness, comfort, warmth, pleasant romantic feelings, friendship feelings, and some oohs and aahs when babies are born. It feels more like a human relationships story than a romance novel, but there is a strong romance. There is a lot of time spent on various characters in the community which is interesting. The two main characters are grieving for people who died in the past. Jack grieves for fellow marines who died in battle. Mel grieves for her husband who was murdered in a convenience store robbery. Much of the story is about Mel's grief. She finally is able to move beyond it and love someone else by the end of the book. Reading this is like spending some pleasant time in a community. I'm sure there are many readers who would enjoy this stroll, but it is not my preferred kind of book.

Story Brief:
Mel is a nurse/midwife, whose husband was killed a year earlier. She wants a change from Los Angeles violence. She sells everything and travels to a remote small town (600 people) in the California mountains. Jack retired from the marines and runs the only restaurant/bar in town.

CAUTION SPOILERS:
Jack is 40 and has never wanted to marry. When he sees Mel, he is immediately attracted to her. She plans to stay only a few days to watch over an abandoned baby. While she is there and without her knowledge, Jack spends time, energy and money to fix up a cabin for her to live in. It was one way to tempt her to stay. I liked that part of the story.

I enjoyed Jack's patience and attempts to win her love throughout the story. I also enjoyed the scene near the end with Calvin holding a knife to Mel's throat, and Jack coming to the rescue.

Story length: 378 pages. Sexual language: none/mild. Number of sex scenes: 4. Length of sex scenes: 3 scenes (2 pages each) 1 scene (5.5 pages). Setting: current day Virgin River a small town in the California mountains. Copyright: 2007. Genre: human relationships fiction and contemporary romance.

I could not wait to read this book based on the reviews here at Amazon. What I read was a very predictable story that I felt had been done before. Mel was a likeable heroine and so was Jack her love interest. The story I had figured out by the first few chapters. This book is easy to read and for me just light fluff. I did not love or hate it. It just is not worthy of all the 5 star reviews on Amazon.

Oh Boy! this book really hit the top! Great Charaters - Excellent plot - just clean up the language - Hell! is still a four letter word and it works.

Melinda Monroe, 32, widowed and still grieving.
Mark - her husband was a victim of a robbery gone wrong.
Her sister, Joey - very protective.
Doc Mullins - in his seventies, and needs help then little Chloe shows up.
Hope McCrea - donates a cabin for Mel to live in, trouble was, no one cleaned it up.
Mel is used to spending money. Actually she has money.

Jack Sheridan, 40, unattached and staying that way - until he met Mel.
He has 4 very beautiful sisters - Brie,32, his baby sister is a lawyer.
Charmaine - his mistress new the rules but she still hoped Jack would return to her.
John "Preacher" Middleton, 32 - he helps Jack run his bar and grill - he doesn't talk much. He just showed up 2 years ago and stayed.
Rick, 16 - he has been under the watchful eye of Jack and Preacher since he was 13.

The Marine buddies Jack commanded:
Zeke, a fireman from Fresno, married - Mike Valenzuela, 36, a cop from L.A. - "Cornhusker" Corny for short, a firefighter from Washington State, married - Josh Phillips, a paramedic from Reno, married - Joe Benson, an architect from Oregon - Tom Stephens, a news helicopter pilot from Reno, married - Paul Haggerty, a builder from Oregon. They came together specially for Jack - 'Mel was fascinated by the way the men talked about their wives with lusty smiles and glittering eyes'.

The cast of characters of Virgin River:
Cheryl Creighton - has a drinking problem and a crush on Jack.
Connie & Ron of the Corner Store and their 14 year old niece, Liz and Connie's best friend Joy & Bruce, he delivers mail.
Carrie & Fish Bristol - Doug & Sue Carpenter - Lilly & Buck Anderson, rancher

There are more: Dr. Stone - June of Grass Valley - that drug grower - the skrewball that wants Doc's drugs - the vagrants in the hills -

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --m - this is definitely a keeper to be read again.

Nurse Practitioner and Midwife, Mel Monroe, leaves the fast pace of Los Angeles hospitals and crime behind. Widowed 9 months ago, she can't face the pitying looks of her colleagues anymore and feels she needs a drastic change in order to heal.

Accepting an offer as an assistant to a Doctor in a picturesque little town in the mountains, she sells her house and most of everything in it, packs a few clothing items and heads to Virgin River.

When Mel arrives, she finds that the pictures she was sent are not quite representative of the town or her house as it looks today. Stepping out of her element was difficult for her and to arrive to find her house in such horrible condition only makes Mel realize she has made a huge mistake. She stays the night with the intention of heading out the very next morning. But when she discovers a baby abandoned on a doorstep, she decides to stay a little longer.

When town bar/restaurant owner, Jack, fixes up her place, she decides to stay even longer. Jack becomes her best friend and she starts feeling things for him she never thought she'd feel again.

I dove into this book with gusto after an Amazon friend recommended it so highly. She was right, it is great and I am rushing to finish this review so I can hurry and order book two, Shelter Mountain (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 2). This would easily have been a 5 star book to me as the characters are colorful and wonderful, the setting unique and beautiful, and the storyline engaging and fun. I would have rated it 5 stars had it not been for some very awkward dialogue and a scene at the end that was way too over the top for me.

The side characters are just as interesting as the main ones and I can't wait to read more about this mountain town. There is so much going on with Mel and we get to watch her resolve her past, live in the present, and make steps towards a promising future. Touching and entertaining. Enjoy.

Cherise Everhard, July 2008

Recently widowed Los Angeles native Melinda Monroe needs something to take her mind off her grief. Answering an ad for a nurse practitioner/midwife needed to assist a doctor in a small town seems like just the thing to help Mel forget about her troubles. So she sells her house and her clothes, gets rid of her husband's things, and drives up into the mountains of California to Virgin River--her new home. Mel knows what to expect from small town life. A more restful pace in her work. Clean air and quiet time to herself. And best yet, a respite from the violence and despair she sees every day as a nurse in one of LA's biggest hospitals. But Virgin River turns out to be more than she expected, and she soon learns that small towns have drama of their own...

Former marine Jack Sheridan is the proprietor of Virgin River's only bar and grill, and one of the only single, attractive men in the small town. When Mel shows up in his town, Jack's neat, orderly life is suddenly turned upside down because he finds himself instantly attracted to her. Jack has always been the sort of guy who eschewed forming attachments with the women in his life--for his sake and theirs. But when Mel comes into town he can't help but fall for her. And suddenly convincing this city girl that small-town life is a good idea becomes his sole mission...

Virgin River is the first in a series, followed by Shelter Mountain (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 2) and Whispering Rock (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 3). This book reminded me instantly of the Gilmore Girls, which I love, with its small town charm and close-knit relationships. Mel is a grieving woman when she shows up in Virgin River, and she's using the town as a means to escape her past. When she shows up, however, she quickly learns that it's not going to be that easy. The doctor that she's supposed to assist is a crotchety old man who doesn't want her help, the cabin she's been promised rent free is falling apart and covered in dust, and the quaint small town that she's expecting is really quite empty and not as endearing as it appeared in the photos. She has to learn to look past her original perceptions and see this town for what it can be. And Jack is a guy's guy. He likes fishing, good scotch, meeting up with his boys, and running his own business. He's not looking for love, and he has a woman in the next town over who satisfies his physical needs. But when Mel shows up in town, he realizes that maybe falling in love is something he should aspire to, and he does so--quickly--with Mel. At the same time, he respects her past and the fact that she's grieving and is willing to stand by and wait for her to ready to accept him.

This book was endearing and touching. The supporting characters were just as interesting as the hero and heroine and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. If you like books about small-town life, or enjoy the Gilmore Girls (with a slightly more dark and twisty edge), I think you'll enjoy Virgin River.

Normally I get bored really fast with most contemperary novels with all of their bed hopping but these characters and the plot have depth - not like the marshmellow kind with two main characters constantly ending up in bed.

The only down side is her attempt to use the fricking language and our Lord's name [not allowed] Is she trying to immulate the men who don't know how to espress themselves?

Once again we have a great cast of characters with Mel and Jack Sheridan continuing their roles and not overshadowing John "Preacher" Middleton, at 32 - I like the bond between Jack and his Marine buddies.

Paige Lassiter is 29 and has a 3 year old son, Christopher - neither one of them see a scary brute of a man in Preacher - in fact Chrishopher doesn't take too much time to bond with the man.

Mike Valenzuela is introduced more fully as he is invited to recuperate in Virgin River after being shot in the line of duty and he askes Mel for help in rehibilitation of his muscles. He still hasn't gotten it altogether.

Mel is pregnant then along comes Rick's girl friend - she is 15 and is pregnant - almost a tragedy - great scenes of maturing and growing up.
Brie, Jack's baby sister is brought in to help Paige as she is a lawyer.

We learn more about Dr. John Stone and June & Jim Hudson [from the Grass Valley trilogy] Fiesty old Doc Mullins is still around.

Now who is this mysterious Dan that keeps showing up -- undercover maybe??
Will he get his story?
He suddenly appears and helps locate Paige and her ex after Lassiter kidnapps Paige. He wants to use her as bait to draw Preacher and Jack into a trap. [grin - they whupped Lassiter].

Oh What A Story! Most Excellent, except where she needs to clean it up.
Pure entertainment etc.,
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - the whole trilogy - Great concept.

This is my first Robyn Carr book and though I didnt like the book very much, I wont let it discourage me from her other works.

Shelter Mountain is about Paige Lassiter who walks into John "Preacher" Middleton bar on a rainy night with her 3 year old son and she is covered with bruises. As Paige tries to get comfortable with living in the small town, she is still wary that her husband will file reports about her leaving town with her husband. When her husband shows up in town to get her to come home, he beats her in the middle of the street, causing to her to lose her unborn baby which he intentionally wanted to abort. As time passes, she divorces her husband and feelings between Paige and John start to develop beautifully and surprisingly time conscious.

The story between Paige and Preacher is a very beautiful story, for this I will not lose faith in Carr's books, however, I never read the first book of this series to know everything that happened in it from the second book. There is so much talk and mention around Mel and Jack that it consumes a majority of the book. I felt like screaming shut up with these two already, they already had a book and now they are taking up another book. It was ridiculous after a while. I love sequels and I like happy endings, but this book drove me crazy. For that reason, I give it two stars.

I would rate this book more than 5 stars if I could. The characters of Preacher and Paige were so well written and along with all the ancillary characters, made this such an enjoyable read. This was my favorite of the series.

John "Preacher" Middleton is a former Marine who works as a cook in his buddy Jack's bar. Preacher is used to being alone--his parents died when he was young and he's never had a serious relationship. In fact, one of the reasons he enlisted was to get a band of brothers who would be like his family. Because instinctively Preacher knew that he would end up alone. So he takes comfort in his friends, in fishing and cooking in the small town of Virgin River, and in reading books and looking things up on the Internet. It's not much, but it's his life, and he's content. That is until the night a woman with a bruise on her face and a split lip walks into the bar, cradling her young son in her arms. Instantly every protective instinct in Preacher is aroused and he wants not only to find out who did this to her, but to make sure he never gets the chance to do it again.

Paige Lassiter stops into Virgin River after getting lost on her way to a safe house for battered women. She has just fled from LA with her son in tow after being viciously beaten by her husband. This isn't the first time Paige's husband has raised his hand to her and she knows it won't be the last. That's why she has to get out. For herself. For her son. And for the baby she's carrying. When she stumbles into Virgin River she has no idea the type of protective instincts these men have and that they will do anything to take care of her and make sure that she's safe. But Paige has a hard time trusting people and it will take everything Preacher can do to ensure that she's welcome in their small town, that they will look out for her no matter what, and that she can have a life as more than a man's punching bag.

Shelter Mountain is the follow-up to Virgin River (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 1), a novel about a small town that helped a broken woman put the pieces of her shattered life back together. Shelter Mountain is the same sort of story, and it's just as poignant, just as well written, and just as engaging. I'm not the type of person who cries when I read. I can watch Titanic (10th Anniversary Edition) and Love Story without tearing up. I'm just not a watering pot. But this book had me in shambles at least twice, and just hoping that there would be a happy ending. Which is the beauty of romance. Of course there was.

Preacher was introduced in Virgin River as the strong, silent type. He was the sort of guy who was always around, but who didn't have to say a lot to get his point across. He seemed like a loner, but a guy who was happy with it. And he was. Until he met Paige. It was like watching an avalanche the way this small, battered woman broke down the walls around his heart. She taught him how to feel, how to want more, how to be happy. He loved her son, protected him, taught him that all men aren't bullies and real men don't hit. I kind of fell in love with him a bit for it. Ok, who am I kidding. I fell in love a lot with him for it. And poor Paige. Jeez, it's hard for me to think of a more broken heroine. She endured the abuse and tried to make it better. And she did what she could to stop it. She had restraining orders, she'd left her husband before, and she had called the police. It didn't work. She was willing to resort to losing her identity to protect herself and her child when she found Virgin River and I was so happy that she did.

The Virgin River series has, thus far, been filled with dependable, strong men who protect their family and friends with all they've got and kind, empathetic women who just need a little support. I've loved it so far and look forward to grabbing the next book in the series, Whispering Rock (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 3).

The Virgin River Series:

Virgin River

Shelter Mountain

Whispering Rock

A Virgin River Christmas (Nov 2008)


Robin Carr's stories unfold smoothly. Never boring or pointless. Never totally predictable. Surprises throughout. Always emotional and realistic. Before you know it, you realize that you've read half the book without stopping. You can truly get lost in these books.
As I mentioned above, this is definitely a sequel. It is the second book of the series. The first book, "Virgin River", introduces you to a lot of the characters for "Shelter Mountain". There are a couple of important characters who are newly introduced in "Shelter Mount", but the majority are already in your heart from the first book.

So... if you haven't read "Virgin River" yet, don't ruin this book by reading it first. Become a part of the Virgin River family with book 1, then come back for "Shelter Mountain".
Here is the link to the first book:
Virgin River (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 1)


For those whom have already read "Virgin River":

Quiet, shy, and with a heart bigger than his 6'6" height, John Middleton is affectionately known to his friends as "Preacher". While his marine buddies ran off to drink and use women, he stayed behind to honor the values his mom taught him as a boy. Now, in his early thirties, Preacher is happily running Jack's bar. Jack has moved into his new wife's cottage, leaving an empty apartment over the bar.

Late one night, just before Preacher closed the bar for the night, a woman came inside. Soaked from the pouring rain, and carrying her sleeping 3- year- old son, Paige is desperate to find a safe place to spend the night. Preacher immediately notices her bruised face and split lip. He offers to let her stay in the upstairs apartment for as long as she needs. As a man who tends to frighten women and children with his size, tattoos, earring, and bald head, Preacher wishes he could have a family like this woman and her child. He can't understand how her husband could have abused these blessings. Knowing he could never hope to have a woman like Paige for his own, Preacher commits himself to seeing her freed of her abusive husband. He'll give everything he has to help her make a new start, then he'll quietly let her go when she is ready to move on.

Upon first meeting John, Paige is intimidated. He's much larger than her abusive husband. If he were to get angry, he could do far worse damage. Once she realizes that he has a big soft heart, she knows she can't stay in Virgin River long. Her husband will come after her. When he finds her, anyone who helped her hide will be at risk. Somehow, John keeps convincing her to stay a few more days or weeks. Before she knows it, Paige and her son have become a part of the Virgin River family. There is not a single resident in the tiny mountain community who will not offer to help shield her.

Preacher has it bad. Not only is he head- over- heals for Paige, he has come to love her son as his own. Little Christopher is happier than he has ever been in his young life. He has a giant best buddy who spends a lot of time reading to him, playing with him, teaching him to cook, and keeping him and his mommy safe. Christopher never wants to leave John. Paige can see what a blessing John is in both their lives. How many men would take the time to make a new leg and sew it on a little boy's ragged teddy bear? She has found a miracle man in John Middleton. Now she only has to teach him how beautiful and worthy he is.

Paige's threat has come to Virgin River. Now she has no choice but to either flee or fight. With John, Jack, and all of their friends behind her, Paige is ready to stand up for herself and Christopher. For the first time in years, she sees a bright future. One that she is thrilled to spend with John. When the law can't protect her, her new family will. John has claimed Paige and Christopher as his own. He won't let his woman, or his boy, be harmed ever again. Whether it takes lawyers or guns, Preacher will keep his family safe.


Aside from all of this, you will get to read the continuing story of Jack and Mel. Their first child is born. They build their dream home. And they surround their loved ones with unending support.

Rick and Liz's story continues as well. This is one of the most emotional relationships of the series. Two teenagers are forced to become adults much too soon. Rick, being raised by Jack and Preacher for the last few years, is determined to do what is right.

Jack's youngest sister, Brie, faces some harsh twists in life. Mike, one of Jack's former marines, has faced some very hard times as well. The two become friends. Their friendship is leading up to the third book in the series:
Whispering Rock (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 3)

So many great and tragic things happen in "Shelter Mountain". Yet it all fits together into one flowing story. After reading "Shelter Mount", I'm even more attached to the characters than I was after "Virgin River". I can't wait to read Mike and Brie's story.


Here is the whole series of links in read order. There are three more Virgin River books scheduled to be released in early 2009.

Virgin River (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 1)

Shelter Mountain (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 2)

Whispering Rock (Virgin River Trilogy, Book 3)

Coming next: "A Virgin River Christmas", scheduled for Nov. 2008

This book was recommended so highly by a good friend that I made reading it one of my top priorities. My friend insisted, "This is the best book I have ever read." Considering the fact that she belongs to a few book clubs and we both share the love of reading, I took her at her word and ordered the book from Amazon.com. Within a very few pages, I was totally captured by Robyn Carr's fantastic ability to develop her characters.

The women of a writer's group come together to honor the final wishes of one of their dear friends who died suddenly. Each member of the group is completely different from one another and they each have unique circumstances and challenges to face. I was totally captured by the story. I almost felt like I was reading four books in one... and what a great read it was! I loved the book from beginning to end and I highly recommend it. The theme of the story is the fact that friends can help you through any situation and with a combined effort you can become a better person. 5 Stars for Robyn Carr's "The House on Olive Street."

GET INTO IT......BUT LOVE THE OTHER STUFF I HAVE READ FROM HER.

I just finished reading this book for the second time (and for me, that's saying a LOT)! It's just wonderful, well written. I was so absorbed with the story and the characters, it was as if I was there with them. Crying with them, rooting for them, laughing with them. The story was very believable and showed how women can empower themselves and each other. This was not sappy, or soap opera-y though. Just great women's fiction. If you like this, I'd suggest Five Fortunes by Beth Gutcheon, another wonderful women's fiction story.

Honestly, I had a difficult time getting into the book for the first few chapters, but suddenly I was hooked and by the middle of the book I couldn't put it down. The characters are all so complex and you find yourself really pulling for them all. Like other Robyn Carr books, I find that The House on Olive Street gives a well-rounded picture of many different characters and their lives. It is not just centered on one or two major players. Definitely recommend.

Brilliant set-up--4 friends get together to finish the novel of their friend who died. This is by turns side-splittingly funny and heartbreaking. Each woman is someone you know well--the bestselling star novelist, the struggling paperback romance writer/underappreciated housewife.... They leap off the page. Pure entertainment in scene after scene. Can't wait to read her other books.

Sometimes it is good to revisit a favourite novel or to watch again a film that always brings you pleasure.

J. L. Carr's exquisitely written novella A Month in the Country was first brought to my attention in 1987 when I saw the film adaptation at the cinema in London. The film affected me so profoundly that I went out the following day to buy the book and what immediately struck me was the fact that there were only one hundred and five pages to it. The concise nature of this story does not reflect upon the depth of the prose and, in fact, the author imbues every line with description and dialogue so wonderfully rich that the length of the work is irrelevant.

The book is rich with characters and atmosphere. There is a gentle, bucolic peacefulness and a kind of restrained beauty as the idyllic summer unfolds. But it is the final scene (both in the film and the novel, although they are treated differently) that never fails to take my breath away.

Carr writes: `We can ask and ask but we can't have again what once seemed ours forever - the way things looked, that church alone in the fields, a bed on a belfry floor, a remembered voice, a loved face. They've gone and you can only wait for the pain to pass. All this happened so long ago. And I never returned, never wrote, never met anyone who might have given me news of Oxgodby. So, in memory, it stays as I left it, a sealed room furnished by the past, airless, still, ink long dry on a put-down pen. But this was something I knew nothing of as I lifted the loop and set off across the meadow.'

This passage never fails to tug at my heart; the acknowledgement that there are certain moments in time that have passed and will never again be recaptured. It is one of the very few pieces of fiction that never fails to blur my vision by the final line and, for one so cynical, that is no mean feat.

If you have never read this spellbinding analysis of love and art then I suggest you buy a copy immediately. This beautifully crafted and understated story of ordinary people, places and experiences is a treasure to be revisited time and time again.

I really enjoyed this book. It says so much - the beginning of the end of the UK class system & sexual repression; as well as how people dealt with the horrors of the Great War.

The main theme of this charming novel is how important it is to understand the irretrievable passage of time and to savor the good times that come along. The narrator tells the story of an enchanted summer he spent in Cornwall uncovering an ancient painting in a country church. He looks back upon this time (1920) as one of the most wonderful, important periods of his life. He meets several villagers who make an indelible impression upon him and pleas with us to appreciate our own little "months in the country"--those days when things are going well. Such a good, kind, fully-alive character. I was moist-eyed by the final pages (it's a very short novel) and didn't want it to end. Sweet, powerful, and as lovely as a summer day in the country.

This is one of those works of art that falls into a category of its own. Carr's writing is impeccable and it took on a magical quality where the past and future were perfectly brought together through the voice of the protagonist Tom Birkin. I'm on my fourth reading of it.

If you have seen the movie you will love the book.If you have read the book then you will love the movie.1920 England has slowly climbed out of the Great War and many are still finding their way in the aftermath of it all.Tom Birkin is an art restorationist who is called to the North English town of Oxgodby in order to uncover a 500 year old painting in the the nave of the village Church.There he is met with the most unusual likeable and unlikeable characters who are there to help,hinder or confuse Birkin during the hot summer months as he tirelessly and obsessively works to reveal a Judgment Scene that will play as the key to unlock his troubled heart and soul.J.L Carr's book is extremely intimate and personal,told more from the thoughts and observations of Birkin than dialogue from supporting characters.The 1987 film version is incredibly accurate and is extremely good in bringing out the subtleties of the book.I highly recommend both.

I have been in the herb plant business for 28 years, and find this to be the best general reference for herbs, especially for customers. I took it to farmers markets, where I was a vendor, and customers could look up recipes, cultural intructions, soil and growing tips, plus the wonderful color pictures. This book has always held a prominant spot in my herb books library. Sidebars--such as "chefs' tips","soil requirements",etc. One of the best publications from Rodale Press. (Multiple contributors.)

A truly informative herbal book. The uses for herbs are endless. I enjoy the quick reference this book provides.

I love this book. Not only does it tell you all about the herb it tells you what food it go's well with. I bought this book for my daughter when she started to grow her own herbs.

This book has almost every herb you can think of with sugesstions on how to grow them and use them. It's awesome.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs is the best of the bunch. It gives a bounty of information on each of the many herbs listed: origin, uses, cultivation, lore, and much more. The illustrations, both drawings and color photos, are superb. The book does contain errors; it says, for example, that sassafras extracts are carcinogenic. But on the whole this book excels.

"The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes" is one of the best volumes of Holmes pastiches by writers other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is primarily due to its highly accurate recapturing of the characterizations of Holmes and Watson and of Watson's narrative voice. Perhaps not unexpectedly, many pastiche writers are less successful than Conan Doyle's son Adrian in recreating these elements, and even the younger Conan Doyle slips up once or twice.

A couple of the stories co-written by John Dickson Carr feel slightly inauthentic. "The Wax Gamblers" is a dull, weak story which concludes with a sequence that attempts, not entirely successfully, to give a new dimension to Watson's character. "The Highgate Miracle", while enjoyable, is far more comedic than any of the elder Conan Doyle's sixty Holmes tales, resorting to the Dickensian technique of using humorous names such as "Cabpleasure".

Halfway through the writing and serialization of the "Exploits", Carr was briefly taken ill, causing Adrian Conan Doyle to write the final six stories by himself. These tales are more uniformly faithful to his father's style than the first six. Unfortunately, the plot of every one of them, to a greater or lesser extent, is painfully similar to that of one or more of the original Holmes stories by the author's father. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself sometimes recycled plots -- compare "The Red-Headed League", "The Stockbroker's Clerk", and "The Three Garridebs", for example -- but never in six consecutive stories.

The most spectacular example of this borrowing is "The Deptford Horror", which is a patently obvious reworking of what may well be Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's single most famous and highly-regarded Sherlock Holmes short story. And yet "The Deptford Horror" is also one of my two favorite Holmes stories by writers other than the elder Conan Doyle. Why? Perhaps I find "The Deptford Horror" even more viscerally frightening than its source text. Or perhaps I'm swayed by the fleeting and yet powerful moment at the story's climax that acknowledges the strength and profundity of Holmes and Watson's friendship.

Skip the final two-and-a-half pages of the final story, "The Red Widow". Here Adrian Conan Doyle indulges in sentimentality utterly foreign to the style of his father's Holmes narratives. This book's best tribute to its two main characters comes, not in the twee excesses of its final paragraphs, but as they face an unimaginable horror together in an upstairs bedroom of a rundown house in Deptford.

I just got this book recently and I love it. It has the Conan Doyle flavor which I really like. I would highly recommend this book.

The stories in the Exploits of Sherlock Holmes carries on the great tradition of Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Conan Doyle. The stories are written by Adrain Conay Doyle and John Dickson Carr with great accuracy for the Victorian period of time. And the stories captures the relaionship between Holmes and Dr. Watson. The addition of great plot twists to the stories makes this book a must have addition to the Sherlock Holmes' fan library.

Among these pastiches, several would have found a place in the actual canon, because of their accurate settings-language-plot and structure. Only if there were more..!

There is a long and honoured tradition among mystery writers and fans of the Sherlock Holmes tales of writing one's own mystery. This can take one of several starting points - to take a detail in the canonical stories and develop it more fully (there are a lot of dangling pieces in there), to take the characters of Holmes and Watson (and perhaps others) and involve them in completely new fictional scenarios, or involve the characters in actual historical events. Adrian Conan Doyle, youngest son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, teamed with veteran mystery writer John Dickson Carr to produce a series of short stories developing themes that came out of the official canon of 56 short stories and four novels.

The background information tells us that these stories were written at Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's own desk, so there is a sense of tactile succession from the official stories to these extra-canonical offerings. Well written, they sometimes lack the same smooth character of the better of the official stories (but then again, some of the official stories vary from the high standard of the better of them to a great degree).

This collection of a dozen stories picks up on details out of 'The Speckled Band', 'Silver Blaze', and many others. One of the glories of the Holmes canon is the in the details - those who love the stories spend hours reading and re-reading to catch new ideas and insights, and will likely be thrilled with the way in which Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr have worked in many pieces here.

Half the stories were written by Adrian Conan Doyle himself; the other half were written as a collaboration. I think this is an excellent volume as an extra-canonical addition to the stories. It maintains in good faith the same character of Holmes, Watson, Lestrade and others from the canon; while putting them in new situations, it does not create new personalities or identities or quirks about them, which sometimes prove distracting in some offerings.

The typical fan of Holmes will be pleased, and those new to Holmes will not be misled, and likely be inspired to further reading.

Outstanding! The only word to describe this 10 year in the making heart felt project. Cynthia took her time and did painstaking research. The fruits of which got her on the top best books for 2007 in the Chicago Tribune.

Back in Febuary 2007 I was waiting on a train in Chicago. I happen to be reading the Tribune. I recognized this book from the listings. Partly because myself and my wife are mentioned in it.

I bought and read the book last summer. I have over 50 books on hate groups. This book stands out above the rest. Thank You Miss Carr.

Brad Thompson
afoundryrat2@yahoo.com

This book is poorly written and extremely hard to follow. She takes a subject, which could have been extremely interesting, and just completely muddles it up. I'm not sure if the book is an investigative report or a memoir. Either way it fails. There are no maps of Marion or Indiana included in the book, the characters come in and out of the book in a confusing manner, and after trudging my way through 3/4 of the book I'm still not sure as to what the author's point is. It would have been infinitely more interesting if she would have committed to researching her family's history and relating it to the lynching in 1930.

When another reviewer from our review team said she found it difficult to get through Cynthia Carr's, Our Town: A Heartland Lynching, a Haunted town, and the Hidden History of White America, I decided to take it on. Carr, a journalist, was surprised to learn her paternal grandfather was among the bystanders in the infamous picture of the lynching of Black men in 1930 Marion, Indiana. She set out to find out the role her grandfather played in this story and in the process, learned her family history and the secrets surrounding them.

Carr went back to the town of her childhood summers, the home of her father and grandparents, Marion, Indiana. In this Midwestern town, she found not only the shame and stigma on its reputation because of the lynching, but that the state of Indiana has a long racist history. The Hoosier State has a reputation for lynching; surprisingly not only were Blacks lynched, but Whites also. Combine that with the fact that Indiana had a strong Ku Klux Klan presence with remnants of that history still evident today.

Carr delved into a detailed history of the Ku Klux Klan and Indiana's role in advancing that organization. Not only was there fear of Black people having equal status but there was that age-old stereotype of the White man's paranoia of Black men raping their lily-white women. The film, Birth of a Nation was produced in the spirit of the nation's obsession with Black men running amuck and tainting White America's landscape. The author conducted several interviews with residents of Marion and the surrounding area, most notably, James Cameron of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1993. Cameron was a survivor of that lynching after he and others participated in a robbery that left White people dead. Cameron opened the Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee in 1994 not only to promote racial conciliation but as a way of healing himself.

Carr also interviewed members of her family in order to find out just how involved Grandpa Carr was in Klan activities. Actually, his involvement was not a surprise; it was more common in the 1920s and 1930s to be a member than not; more or less akin to a social club. However, equally imperative was a secret hovering over the family which drove Carr to apply all of her investigative skills to root it out. Her aunt Ruth was her ally in uncovering the indignity Grandpa carried to his grave.

The history and details in this book were exhaustive and at times dense. I began to see what my colleague meant when she said it felt as if the author was justifying her grandfather's membership in the KKK. This book started out as an article in The Village Voice; I am inclined to believe this could have been a three or four-part series, but being a genealogist and knowing how important family history is, I understand Carr's need to impart that to the readers. Of course, she had a black friend who encouraged her to explore her grandfather's Klan connection; "These are the stories white folks need to tell." This book is compared to Edward Ball's Slaves in the Family and Diane McWhorter's Carry Me Home in the tradition of Whites writing about their families' past actions to atone for the sins of their ancestors. I would recommend to those who are interested in Indiana history and Ku Klux Klan history; that was certainly accomplished.

I am from small town Indiana and black. Raised in southeastern Indiana during the 1960's and 70's, I was not aware of this lynching until I first saw the photograph in my early 20's. I thought it took place in the south and found out only later it was Marion.

Carr's book is an important one and this country should appreciate her hard work researching this incident. The book itself was hard to follow. Much of the time I was going in circles. The book is probably to long, especially the parts with the recent klan members. I had little to fear from the klan growing up, possibly because they were so pitiful. I can't understand why she made them so important in the book. The real story was the early klan in Indiana.

When she wrote about the Sheriff, Archey, I did enjoy that since it seemed he had solid facts and dates on his rise and triumph. Overall an important subject, but could be streamlined and organized better.

tedious, repetative and annoying. the book was really a search for who were members of the Klu Klux Klan in Marion Indiana in the 1930's and who are enrolled today. the whole book goes on and on endlessly in minute detail with a speculated history of the KKK in the midwest. it is not the story of the lynching and the people involved. within the first 30 pages, Carr sets up the a framework for the mystery "who was my grandmother?" which tempted me to slug through this endlessly detailed book - a question that is never addressed. while i did find the facts about the KKK in the midwest interesting and truly surprising, the actual information contained would be better suited to a 3 page magazine article.

Grace Valley Trilogy - Series 1 - #1 Deep in the Valley - #2 Just Over the Mountain - #3 Down By the River - Series 2 is the Virgin River Trilogy.

I love the characters: from Grace Valley, California.
Dr. June Hudson, 37 - her bioligical clock is ticking - probably from delivering too many babies for other couples.
Elmer "Doc" Hudson, 70 - June's father and semi-retired.
Jessica Wiley, 20 and strangely dressed works in the clinic office.
Charlotte Burnham is the practical nurse and a bit sour.

Dr. John Stone, 40 - well to do - married a second time to Susan with a 6 year old daughter - ex-wife trying to ruin his life.

Oh Yeah! Chief of Police Tom Toopeek, 37, married Ursala with 5 children. His father is Lincoln Toopeek married to Philana - Native Americans.
Tom is a very close childhood friend of Junes - has 15 year old daughter, Tanya - 14 year old son, Johnny.
His deputies are Lee Stafford, 30 and married - Ricky Rios, 30 and married. Ricky's mother is part of the quilting bee.

Gus Craven, 40 is abusive to his wife, Leah,33, a Grace Valley native and their children. Oldest son, Frank is going to cause trouble.

Judge and Birdie Forrest - the Judge doesn't want to see Gus again in court or else. [seems like June had a high-school crush on their son, Chris].

Sam Cusslar, 70 - has the gas station and when he isn't pumping gas he is out fishing.

Jerry Powell is the county's psychologist and head shrink and June needs him to go with Tom and her to the Mull homestead [more like a shack] up in the mountains. Clarence Mull carries a gun like all of the mountain people.

And wonderful, eccentric, Myrna Mae Hudson, Doc's sister who raise him when their parents died some 68 years ago. Myrna was 14 and Elmer was 2 at the time. She never married until her 40's to Morton Claypool, who just walked away and disappeared one day 17 years ago. She has been writing Gothic novels about wives who kill their husbands and bury them in the back yard.
When the people asked what happened to Morton she just smiles and says she doesn't want to discuss it.

Oh yes! and there is Burt Crandall and his wife Syl who own and run the bakery. The police, June at the clinic and a couple of others get free coffee and a baked goods from Burt.

And June was held at gun point when asked to tend to a wounded man, that is when she meets Jim.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED [and I normally want more action] but this trilogy is one of the best out - followed by the Virgin River trilogy with June and John making appearances - then we have, coming in November - A Virgin River Christmas -- more to come.

I havent gotten to the rest of the series yet, but I will tell you that this book mainly focuses on the craziness of this small town in Northern California and its small town doctor - June. Its very 'Robyn Carrish' and a very comforting read. I laughed a lot and even shed a tear a time or two. What it does not focus on is romance (its a small element of the whole book). I think it should be characterized as more chick-lit vs. straight romance (I'm hoping the romance develops more as the series continues)

Trust me, if you've enjoyed Robyn in the past and the VR series you will enjoy this. Its been so long, I kind of forgot how much I love her writing.

Simply put, you will never want to leave Grace Valley. If it was a real town, I would move there. The characters are amazing. They are not perfect, they are not super heroes - they are real. You worry and wonder about each of them. I hardly ever re-read book but I know in a few weeks time, I'll be heading back to Grace Valley!

After reading the Virgin River series, I couldn't wait to read the Grace Valley series. What a difference. I do not recommend the Grace series. They go from slow to standing still. I was so bored reading this trilogy. Save your money. Also, for me, there was way too much doctor and nurse and cop stuff. If I have to read the name Tom Toopeek again I will scream.

This was a very good intro to the rest of the Grace Valley series. Dr. June Hudson is a town unto herself almost. So much spousal abuse. Would have liked to see her match up with someone more accessable as she deserves some happiness after all the work hours she puts in. She has her emergency room in her Jeep. Always on call, her work is her life, the town her extended family. I am writing this after reading the whole trilogy and you should read this before reading the others. It is a very heartwarming series and well worth reading.

A must read for senior managers wanting to justify the long term commitment of moving towards business process oriented architectures.

Also a great source of inspiration for the ones that, like me, need to constantly educate customers on the benefits of BPM and Business-Process-oriented information platforms.

The core of the book is about the rebuttal of an article argued that IT was not longer a key differentiator. Through the book, they introduce BPM and are able to prove their cases. More than ever, IT is a source of strategic competitiveness to the organization.

Concepts discussed in this book:

*Time is moving responsibilities from IT to Business Analyst. The same happened with the Spreadsheet and now it will happen with the Business Process.
*Enterprise will have portfolios of business processes constantly analyzed for performance from different angles
*BPM is not automation since human interaction can not be automated.
*Processes cast in stone (CRM, ERP, etc) can be as much of a liability as an asset.
*BPM is to IT what CAD/CAM is for manufacturing
*IT shouldn't be the owner of the business process.
*BPM is digitizing the process as data was in the 90s
*IT will become a provisionary of Business Processes

As anyone who is responsible for strategic IT planning can tell you, it's a new dawn in IT these days - especially as IT spending relates to improved business efficiencies and the bottom line. While Carr's HBR article is a simplistic and flawed interpretation of where IT is heading, Smith and Fingar present a well thought and presented, point by point analysis of, not only what is wrong with Carr's misguided vision, but also solutions offered by new directions in IT of paramount importance to strategic corporate management. A significant element of my company's competitive edge came from developing advanced business processes, so we are already up to speed on the directions towards business process management espoused by Smith and Fingar. I do, however, know of many examples of companies and organizations that might be looking for excuses to minimize their IT expenditures due to problems with previous flawed IT strategies and execution. For those companies, Carr's article might provide the perfect justification to retrench. This book, on the other hand, is for forward thinking strategists who are looking to optimize and innovate to maintain and improve their efficiency and competitive edge.

Smith and Fingar present an interesting monograph on the current state, and future possibilities, of IT.

Their premise is that IT, as we know it is over, Business Process Management (BPM) represents the next wave of corporate computing. They do a good job of defining IT but never do they adequately define BPM. We are told what it isn't; it's not data, it's not hardware or software, and it's not Web services. But what is it? It is loosely defined, first, as a value-chain that encompasses suppliers and then as the white space between the boxes on an organization chart (referencing Rummler's terrific book on managing process).

Regardless, I believe they make a valid argument. It's not how many servers you have, it's about how you're using the data and applications to make money and trounce the competition.

But Carr also makes valid arguments, after all, who screws things up like IT? Who would think that in this day and age we still have runaway IT projects and projects that lack business value? There is a dearth of business sense among IT managers and there are too many business managers who find computers a mystery and abdicate business decisions to IT managers.

At times the book becomes strident and takes on the spirit of a manifesto. The section on IT investments, and how they're going to soar again, references a science fiction writer and talk show host as sources. Later on, Smith and Fingar lament that Carr's article will destroy economic growth by giving CEOs justification for withholding IT investment. Perhaps the silver lining here is that vendors will offer products and services that add business value and IT and business managers will have to make solid business arguments to justify purchases.

What is implicit but not explicitly stated in this book or Carr's article is the importance of governance: businesses must articulate strategy and align IT with that strategy. Organizations must select and manage IT projects as business projects managed by capable and IT savvy business leaders and business savvy IT managers. This will distinguish those firms that can effectively utilize IT resources from those that cannot.

The examples and solutions within Fingar and Smith's book clearly illustrate that the future of business process exists within a framework that reaches beyond the box that now defines IT.

For any one that wants a glimpse into the bright future of e-commerce and the marriage of IT & Business, this is a must read.

Having browsed through both sides of the story, i have to say that Howard Smith and Peter Fingar do an excellent job bringing the importance of business processes to the forefront. In the systems of tomorrow, business processes will play an important role but that role has to be supported and realized by a sound architecture. IT in this context will be important but will perhaps assume a slightly different flavour.

You must be looking for the truth if you are reviewing items like this one. History is a vast subject and you can chose to read a whole library on it or read this book to waste less time. There are plenty of good writings in regards to this subject but not many are condensed and to the point as Carr's research. Read this book in conjunction with the bible and you will not regret it. In my opinion Carr is to history research what Shakespeare has been for the English readers, a written monument. Buy this book read the bible and enjoy truth to set you free.

Please somebody buy that reviewer some books and send him a few links so that he smartens up and may retract his utter nonsense.
The Rothschilds are one of the most powerful elite bloodlines in history. Just read Fritz Springmeier's book "Bloodlines of the Illuminati" which is free online if you use google correctly. There is no getting around that Adam Weishaupt set up the Bavarian Illuminati on May 1 1776. It's a fact. Jews have nothing to do with the Illuminati or Masonry? Again, someone send this negative reviewer some books and links. The Rothschild line is Jewish; so there you go. That's just one example. And see my review of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion for a short cast of Jewish characters doing the bidding of the Illuminati throughout history. Even if Mayer Amschel did not write out what would later become the protocols, I would not be surprised of Theordore Herzl actually wrote them as the Zionist Congress in Basle since Herzl was backed by the Rothschilds.
Not only that but the Rothschilds had been the forces behind Zionism long before Herzl came on the scene. To confirm this, one must read David Icke's books "ATTSSYF" and "TBS."
But if he does not wish to shell out the money yet, he can find for free on the internet David Icke's essay, "Was Hitler a Rothschild" and Arnold Leese's essay "Gentile Folly: The Rothschilds." David Icke's essay recommends and quotes the book "Two Rothschilds and the Land of Israel" and I suggest that reviewer pick it up and learn something.
As for the pyramid and the all seeing eye, these are in fact Illuminati symbols. The pyramid symbolizes the structure of who rules the world and the all seeing eye is that of the Egyptian god Horus; or the eye of Lucifer. Icke's research into Africa and Credo Mutwa reveal the all seeing eye is in Africa too and it represents that of an alien race called the watchers. This was put on the back of the American dollar bill in 1933 by a Freemason President, FDR and there are 33 degrees of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry; yet more symbolism.
For a final installment on symbolism, consider the name Rothschild itself. Mayer in his Frankfurt banking house hung a red shield over his door with an occult Hexagram on it. As Fritz Springmeier explains, "Mayer Amschel Bauer was a well-off coin trader in Frankfort. In front of his house hung a sign with the family's symbol, which was a red hexagram. The hexagram (also known as the Seal of Solomon, the Magden David, or the Star of David) is very occultic. It is used today as the symbol of Israel, but It is not ,,Jewish." In his excellent book THE SIX-POINTED STAR, O.J. Graham explains that the hexagram was used in the ancient mystery religions...Through the promotion of the Cabalists and the Zionists it has become the symbol of Jewish identity, although the occult circles know better. The Bauer's use of a hexagram as their family sign points to their involvement in Jewish Cabalism. In fact, the six-pointed star was so significant to them that Mayer Amschel Bauer decided to adopt it as his new name - Mayer Amschel Rothschild (Rot-schildt = Red Shield). I believe this was done to identify his family with occultism."
David Icke also explains this briefly in is Was Hitler was a Rothschild essay. I caution this negative reviwer to do some research before he further insults my intelligence and that of others.

A good description of this book might be (Mentioning what history do not mention). For it deals with biggest events of the world since the late of the seventeenth century until the second half of the twentieth century.
The author, as shown in the ninth chapter, was a commander in the MI5 before 1916 and then transferred to the naval force, then to the Zionist office after a recommendation from (Weisman) the former president of Israel.
This book didn't get a wide acceptance among the public, because Zionist facilities waged a war on it and categorized it under the anti-Semitic category of books. This is clearly understood since the author reveals a lot of hidden facts that - and read very carefully now - that (SOME) of Jewish profiteers were controlling almost every important change in the course of history.

We do not accuse the Jewish people ,Jews were - and always continued to be - a vital and donating factor to humanity , just remember that Elie Metchnikoff,Albert Einstein ,Glenn Gould , Leonard Bernstein , Isaac Perlman , and the list can go on forever , these noble guys were Jews and were -at the same time - a pride for the human race .

This very fact can really purge some sick twisted (claiming-to-be) Jewish warlords that considered themselves(humans) and looked at other people as (Goyim) (a Yiddish word that means non-Jewish and is very offensive since it consider the goyim to be at the same level of an animal).

So is this an anti-Semitic book?!

it is actually if you are the type of people who judge on a nation by the acts of the few ... and Zionists or illuminaties call them whatever u want ( different facades of the same coin ) by no means are Jews ...they are a ( dogma ) of their own ...

Conspiracy theories are very popular these days . you can get the tag of a ( paranoid ) easily by adopting one of them .
I believe that reading history well and contemplating into it would really enlighten the true nature of politics ... they say ( cherchez la femme ) , I say ( look for the profiteer ) ... of all changes and major conflicts during contemporary history who reaped all the benefits ?
The answer - if not known to you yet - is clear in this text.


Want to know your enemy?

If yes, read this book

Written in the 1950s this book is an exposure of the new world order from a right wing Christian viewpoint. Yes Carr gets some of his facts and opinions wrong. He also throws around terms like "Illuminati" way too much for my tastes. Another fault is being a Christian he attributes most of the worlds problems to a certain naughty fellow named Satan and doesn't understand that Christianity is also a tool thats used by the new world order to control and brainwash the masses. However unlike most of the current writers and people who research and write about the new world order Carr is not plagued by political correctness. In other words he is not afraid to say the "J" word. He also understands that all roads lead to a handful of oligarchal banking and business families. Carr shows how these elites created communism, fomented wars, funding both sides of virtually every major conflict going back to the days of Napoleon, increasing their wealth and power in every instance. This book is not perfect but its still a classic in the field and a must read for doing research on the new world order.

The book offers the illuminati game plan and the history of their getting involved in World Affairs. It also speaks about a Third Word War between Israel and the Arab world, in which the US would side with Israel. This was BEFORE the US became the top Israeli ally and before Neo-cons started talking about WWIII (between Hamas and "islamofacism" and the "forces of freedom"). It is the best book on the subject. The New York Public Library keeps its copy in the anti-Semitic books section and a reviewer of this book has made the same charge. What Carr says, however, is that the GREAT MAJORITY of the Jewish people, as opposed to a VERY small group of Jews and NON-JEWS ALIKE, are innocent. In fact, he says the Jewish people are the GREATEST VITIMS OF THE ILLUMINATI. Nor does he deny the holocaust. He claims that it was knowling brought on by the iLLUMINATI (a group of NON-Jews and Jews) along with WWII to further their plans. You do not have to believe this, and I do not buy all that is in the book, BUT LETS SAY WHAT IT IS IN TRUTH: NOT Anti-Semitic