Jones Books

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to learn good old C. And wow, look at how cheap it is! This book teaches EVERYTHING you will need to know. It even goes into a little C++ intro. But if I were you (or if I could go back) I would skip learning C all together - C++ makes C obsolete.

I love this book. Everything is made so clear and easy to understand even though the book moves at a fast pace and is very specific and thorough. If somebody told me they wanted to start learning C I'ld tell them to get a new revision of this book. The book features helpful does and don'ts that seem to read your mind and present to you the answers to your questions. 5/5 hands down. I'm going to add "Teach Yourself C++ in 21 days" to my shelf because I have strong faith in SAMS. Also don't be intimidated by C and buy a book that includes "beginner" in the title because they won't be advanced enough for any inteligent human. Buy thick books and read those.

This book gives you the very best learners guide and reference book I've ever seen.

This book has captured the perfect method to teach someone the C programming language. Many beginner books are very fluffy, others much to advanced. This book explains everything you need to know in a very simple, and extremely thorough manner. An excellect purchase.

This is the defunct standard for learning C in the quickest amount of time possible.

If you have any previous programming experience you'll find that you'll learn it even quicker. I read the book in 3 days and was already writing programs equivalent to what I was doing in Pascal only 3 days prior.

To Hell and Back, by Gail Kauranen Jones, is insightful, authentic and a teaching tool that helps individuals facing their own life transitions. Gail's journey through her own transitions affect us all; the chapter titles are easy-to-relate to as she shares her own experiences with us: Changing Careers, Becoming a Mother, Parenting the Parents and Coping with Death. I look forward to a sequel on Marriage and Parenting Pre-Teens. I loved the introductory quotes from leading authors in the field of transitions and the "how to tips" that are highlighted throughout the text. A well-written, easy-to-read format, also enhances Gail's ultimate "gift" to reach-out and share her most intimate feelings with you. Her candidness and open invitation to her evolving world makes you want to read more of her ongoing life transitions.

Gail's book doesn't just talk about the feelings and thoughts that we experience during major life transitions; she puts sidebars with very specific prescriptive recommendations on what you can do. I think that's what sets this book apart from many that explore inner struggle. The book is 1/3 deep, personal diary; 1/3 "this is how it made me feel"; and 1/3 "if you felt this too, then do A, B, and C to get through it."

I am impressed with the author's candid, vulnerable, and honest exploration of her own struggles and willingness to expose her own weak moments to others, so that they can learn from them. Only a strong, self-assured person can use their own dark moments as a teaching tool for others. I think Gail has done it well.

After reading this book in just one sitting (for fear of not having the time to pick it up again), I can not wait to pass it on to my friends and family. I have always thought of myself as lucky for not having to deal with hardships or trauma like many of those around me. I used to believe in the mantra, "That will never happen to me." As I have gotten older, things have started to happen to me. I have seen friends lose their loved ones. I have "parented a parent" after surgery and watched as hard working and motivated friends have lost the jobs they thought would last a lifetime. This book not only taught me strategies to deal with these life changes; it also reminded me to live in the moment and appreciate and embrace transition. As I continue my journey through life's expected and unexpected transitions, I will use this book as a reference and an inspiration.

"To Hell and Back" is a must read for any adult in transition. As a Financial Advisor working with clients enduring and planning for career changes, retirements, births, and deaths I see true value in Gail's insights. Most importantly this book helps us understand transition as a process and evolution that is in many ways inevitable. In a rapidly changing world we must learn to embrace change and understand our feelings and role in the process of change. "To Hell and Back" is the textbook for achieving this necessary understanding and the fulfilling life and happiness that is the direct result of building a well balanced career and family life.

Gail Jones takes the reader on a journey through four major transitions in her life: finding vocation, motherhood, eldercare, and the death of her father. The book's title, To Hell and Back, is apt: Jones has been there; the raw emotions of her responses to these life changes permeate her story. She invites the reader to stand with her in pain, despair, loneliness, frustration, and rage. Jones isn't afraid to touch these tender places in courage and honesty. In bringing a light into her own darkness, she shines a beacon for others to follow.

But as she gives voice to the hurt, she also chooses freedom. The richness of the book lies in her story of self-understanding, empowerment, and self-love; her road back is the path to heaven. Transition is a deeply personal and unique experience that offers the opportunity to unfold into wholeness. Jones honors grief as a transformative energy and shows the reader how to take time to grieve and to let go, to face emptiness and uncertainty with strength and make a new life from nothing else but the creative power of love.

While Jones advocates reflection and diving deep into the psyche to process transition, she also warns against isolation and offers helpful advice for building support through community for the journey. While intensely reflective, the book is also richly pro-active and offers helpful advice throughout for creatively dealing with change.

To men: while the book is about a woman's experience, her journey is essentially human and crosses gender boundaries. There is something magical about the disclosure of the feminine that also illuminates the masculine. Read this book as a guide for help with your own transitions and for supporting the life changes of the women in your life.

Christy Miller can't wait to finally see summer-fling Todd again. She plans to spend every moment of her Christmas break in Newport Beach making up for the long months they have spent apart. However, in YOURS FOREVER, the third book in Robin Jones Gunn's Christy Miller series, she finds all of her carefully-laid plans falling to pieces.

Christy wants to spend Christmas morning having a romantic picnic on the beach with Todd, as they had always done during the summer. However, Christy's strict parents are not about to let her on any kind of date until she turns 16, and the picnic becomes much less romantic as it is chaperoned by her younger brother David. The morning proves to be a complete disaster --- her carefully cooked breakfast is destroyed and Todd opts to spend his time surfing with David.

It's not only her parents and their rules that are a problem; Todd doesn't appear quite as interested in her as she had hoped. In fact, he seems to be going out of his way to avoid her. She desperately tries to capture his attention, but each attempt only draws her further away from Todd, her friends and her family.

However, Todd isn't the only one who's been acting strangely. Christy herself hasn't mentioned the large amount of time she's been spending with heartthrob Rick Doyle back home. Confused and jealous, Christy takes a bad piece of advice that threatens her relationship with both Todd and best friend Tracy. At the same time, Christy's relationship with her family becomes even more strained, as she struggles for more independence and learns some well-hidden family secrets. However, a letter from a surprising source may be just what Christy needs to strengthen her relationship with Todd, understand her often confusing family and renew her faith in God.

YOURS FOREVER is certain to please fans of the Christy Miller series. Readers will be glad to have Todd back on the scene following his notable absence from A WHISPER AND A WISH. While not moving as fast as the previous two installments, or advancing Christy's story very much, the book still tackles some important issues about relationships --- especially those between friends and family. It doesn't follow the typical plot lines of a teen novel, and readers may be either pleased with or frustrated by the very unconventional relationship between Todd and Christy.

Still, YOURS FOREVER is an enjoyable read that is much on par with the rest of the series. A surprise twist at the end will leave audiences anxiously awaiting more of Christy Miller's adventures.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

So so so sweet! I will never stop reading Christy, they're so amazing! Christy and Todd are the sweetest, and they're so cute together. You are cheering for them to get together. I love the breakfast on the beach!

This book is so good! I read it about 5 times in a row while waiting for the next book. you just fall in love with Todd and become best friends with Christy. I encourage all girls to read this that are from ages 12 and up. You'll get attached!

This book is so so good, the picnic on the beach,the New Years' kiss, Oh so romatic with a Christian point of view. These are just a few reasons I started reading the Christy Miller series, but my first book was Sierra Jensen series, and from then on it was them and nothing else I don't read any other books but these. Mrs.Gunn I think you are a very great writer but one thing what happened to Paul and Sierra? Please write more or have them made into movies or something. But no matter how you look at it these books rule. Thanks agin Mrs.Gunn

This book rocks! The whole series is great, but this book shows what true do for eachother. Christy finds it difficult to live with the realization that she and Todd are just friends. She soon learns, though, that it's better to have him as a friend. A true friend forever.

My boyfriend bought this book for me 22 years ago and it has followed me around through seven changes of address. I can honestly say that but for this book, I don't think I would have read Crime and Punishment or The Grapes of Wrath. I wanted to be sure I was getting all the jokes. It was funny in 1984 and it is still funny.

To save the Cleavers from the network axe, past and contemporary literary giants pour forth their own "episodes" for the Beave and crew. Everyone's character --including Eddie Haskell--gets fleshed out in ways you'll never see on Nickelodeon. Personal favorites include Tennessee William's turn on Miss Landers and June. Brilliant and absurdly funny blend of high prose and Americana 50's schmaltz. Made me laugh out loud at every read.

When I first read the Dostoevsky episode ("Hey, Wally, do you think it's OK to kill an old lady?" "I don't know, Beav. We haven't gotten that far in civics."), I was in convulsions. This is the funniest book in the history of Western Civilization, even funnier than "The Lazlo Letters," and that's saying something. That it is out of print is some kind of culture crime.

In an attempt to save "Leave It To Beaver" from going off the air in 1963, famous authors submit scripts hoping their influence will persuade the network from dumping the show. Scripts include "Lady Cleaver's Beaver" by D. H. Lawrence, "Beavermorphosis" by Franz Kafka (where Theodore actually transforms into a giant beaver), and my personal favorite "And Thus Spake Beaver" by Nietzche ... "And Beaver descended alone from the house encountering no one, and all at once there stood before him Larry Mondello who bit into an apple. And thus spake Beaver unto Larry Mondello, 'Shared cookies make a friend, not getting in trouble together', and he punched Larry Mondello in the stomach." If you love the Beave and love Literary Parodies, you'll love this book.

Wow -- it's nice to see that there are other people out there who have read this book and loved it as much as I did. I bought the book when it first came out in 1985 and I was in college. I almost peed my pants reading it in the bookstore, so I figured I'd better buy it before they threw me out. I still have it on my shelf, and it's provided countless hours of amusement ever since. About the only books I would consider funnier than this one are George Ade's "Fables in Slang" and "More Fables in Slang", which are sadly almost unknown today. They should really reprint this, because it's as hilarious today as it was almost 15 years ago.

This is the second in a series of 3 and I loved every one. This is the first review I have ever written so it had to be really good for me to make this effort! I have read all of Pauline B. Jones' books except Do Wah Diddy Die, which I am about to start. Every one of these books really pulls you in and makes you want to read more. You can't put them down. I want to say I especially liked this Lonesome Lawman Series, but then I loved them all! So I can't really play favorites. It is very suspenseful & romantic with a little humor thrown in! I especially appreciated the author's humor. Read all of this author's books. You will be glad you did.

Phoebe Mentel (computer handle "Pathphinder") is very good in virtual reality computer simulations. She has gotten so good that finally she is going to do something she has longed for a long time to do. She is going after the very powerful Peter Harding with a little help from Phagan, her anonymous boss and a few other fellow runaway outcasts. But, almost from the beginning and thanks to a very small mistake on her part, things begin to go haywire.

At the same time, Deputy United States Marshall Jake Kirby is chasing the same group for other cyber rimes. He has been called to the scene of the death of one of his fugitives. Ollie Smith is dead and was wanted for a variety of computer crimes and high tech burglaries. Jake soon realizes that Dewey Hyatt, another man he is looking for has been to this same apartment where Ollie died.

Bryn Bailey of the FBI soon joins Jake in his inspection of the scene. She works electronic crimes and gotten a hot tip from the mysterious Phagan. She has been hunting him and he still sends her leads to other problems as well as attempting through cyberspace to romance her. While on level she is flattered and interested, on another level she is annoyed with how he toys with her. He toys with her again by leaving her a computer message in Smith's apartment.

While the computer isn't helpful, they find a couple of clues that lead them to JR's Bar in Estes Park, Colorado. Phoebe's one little mistake has lead them to her doorstep and she begins a cat and mouse game with Jake while at the same time, going forward in her plans for revenge. She has very personal reasons for going after Peter Harding and her hatred will not allow her to back down and change her plans now. Once committed, she can't let go. Phagan also plays his own game with in games and continues to seduce Bryn. Soon, both agents of law enforcement face the choice between their hearts and their jobs as the plan works towards a violent conclusion.

While I have simplified the story considerably, there is no simplifying the results of this book. This is a very good novel with plenty of action and complicated characters. The computer stuff was more of a background level and did not overshadow the plot or storyline. The characters are real and complex and the story has plenty of twists and turns. At 242 pages, it was well worth the read and I look forward to reading more work by this very enjoyable author.

Also the third part of Pauline Baird Jones's "Lonesome Lawman" series is definitely worth reading. We are reunited with old friends, hence fans of Matt, Dani, Jake and Phoebe shouldn't miss reading this novel on any account. Even Phagan is part of the gang again. All in all, a successful end to the saga of the good looking Kirby brothers. Action and fun guaranteed!

Once again Pauline Baird Jones gives her readers a great story of mystery, thrills, and romance. It's little wonder that she's becoming one of the fastest growing stars in the genre!

If you're facing a dull evening and want to liven it up with something warm and fun, pick up Pauline Jones's book. A fast paced interesting read.

Jigsaw Jones was trying to find a missing hamster. I liked this book. I don't have a favorite part because I liked the whole thing! You should read this book, too.

Jigsaw Jones: Case of Hermie the Missing Hamster is a detective novel featuring a wise-cracking PI who also happens to be in the second grade and have his office in a treehouse.

The most reluctant reader will become a dedicated fan of this book, turning the pages for one laugh after another until the satisfying conclusion.

This is a great book with some cute illustrations and it is most definitely not to be missed! Parents, buy this book for your child, and you will have a reader for life.

Bravo, James Preller!

I am so excited to find this series. My first grader loves mysteries, and these are well written. They are challenging enough, not intimidating with the print size, and have great pictures. Those are things that will capture his interest in the first place. They really do sound like a kid is talking. I think the thing I like the most is the choice of words that are used to describe coversations. Most of the books written for this age are "said," "asked," and rarely, things like "replied." This author uses much more interesting, descriptive words. I know that sounds trivial, but as an avid reader who hopes my son will continue to love reading as well, it's refreshing to see someone who takes time to pay attention to the choice of words that show how someone is talking, not just what they said.

I think this book is one of the best books in the world. It's probably my favorite of the first three Jigsaw Jones books. I like Jigsaw Jones because he's funny. He's the best detective in second grade. I'm going to be in second grade, too and it's fun reading about kids my age. I think other kids my age would like these books!

I would like to write areview of a book called The Case of the Missing Hamster. I like to read all kinds of mystery books. This is a book from the series Jigsaw Jones. I liked it because it talked about ways to figure out things. For one, a girl uses her senses because she was allergic to animal fur. I recommend the book to mystery fans. The series includes The Case of The Runaway Dog, The Case of the Secret Valentine, The Case of The Missing Hamster, The Case of The Christmas Snowman, The Case of the Spooky Sleepover, The case of the Stolen Baseball Cards, The case of the Mummy Mystery, and coming soon, The case of the Great Sled Race. Go to your local library and check out one of these books!

I am a teenager,and my mom always wants me to read.For my b-day she went to the Christian book store to find me a book I thought I would like.I really do not like reading.She bought me this book,and now I can not put it down!!! It is the best book I have ever read in my whole entire life!! I have books 1-9 and I am hoping to get more for Christmas.I really hope I do!!!! Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!

These books are wonderful!! I loved them. I can read the series and then start at the beginning and go through it all again!!!

The Christy Miller Series # 1-4 Are totally awesome. I loved them!! They give Christian perspectives on issues that teenage christians fight everyday. It also has twists of romance an tragedy! It is a totally awesome book And Anyone would LUV IT!! If you're a teen, get these books!!!!

My best friend introduced me to the Christy Miller series this summer. I haven't been able to put them down! Christy and her friends go through the exact same things that most teens face. Not only do you read ABOUT Christy, you get inside her head, which can be encouraging because she ISN'T perfect. She's just a normal girl. However, Christy has one advantage - a complete love relationship with a God who loves her more than anyone else ever can and is there to give her strength and courage 24/7. If you are a Christian girl looking for a romance book that will actually bring you closer to God - these books are for you. If you aren't a Christian, I dare you to discover with Christy all that God has for everyone who loves Him.

I first discovered the Christy Miller seris when I was in 8th grade and since then I have grown up with her. She has helped me understand how God works in my life and that he is always there!! This seris is THE BEST for teens and young adults both! I'm now a sophomore in college and the situations and words in the Christy Miller seris and Sierra Jenson seris still hold true. This is a MUST read for everyone!!!

There are numerous attempts at producing illustrated versions of the classic tales from around the world.

The series called "Classics Illustrated" is the definitive attempt at bringing all the great classics to the easy reach of us with beautiful illustrations, in the grand form of sequential art also known as Comics.

It invovled some of the finest artists, and produced a huge collection of stories. These were the results of the dream of Albert Kanter, materialising during the 40s,50s and the 60s, thrilling and educating and entertaining a generation with vivid, simple and beautiful versions of the well known classical tales such as the Three Musketeers, Ivanhoe, The Count of Monte Cristo, Arabian Nights, Robinson Crusoe to name a few.

I remember as a kid, I got hold of a used copy of 'The Salt Mountain' this was part of the Classics Illustrated Junior series, there was something absolutely stunning about it, the story, the pictures, the adventure. it captured the imagination.There was something special about it, which I could not find in any other story book, or series. I wasn't aware what series this was part of, who the publisher was, who the artist was. I was a kid, I simply enjoyed it. not a collector or a history buff. But several years later, when I tried to figure out more about that book, I simply couldn't, until recently the omnipotent WWW helped me learn about this amazing series. I was hooked. I am sure many of us can relate to this, and have a similar tale.

Now to the book.

This is a fantastic chronicle, of the happenings of the Classics Illustrated series, beginning with the beginning, Alber Kanter's dream, it takes us through the publications history of the various stories, and the involvment and influences of the numerous artists invovled in the effort. The evolution of the style and presentation of the books, such as the evolution from comics style to the painted covers etc. are all full of interesting information.

There were several editions, and series... Classics Illustrated, Classics Illustrated Junior, Classics Illustrated Specials, etc and several republishing attemts up until the turn of the century. All of this is detailed in the book with interesting facts.

This book lists all the stories that were published with details about the author, illustrator etc. as much as is available, also the listings from several publishers, and variations.

The book also contains pages and covers from several Classics Illustrated, mostly in black and white. There is a section of about 8 pages in color in special paper.

For the Classics Illustrated collector this sure will be a delight, as it would be to anyone interested in the grandeur of sequential art.

When I was just a boy (many years ago), for a treat to myself, I bought the Classics Illustrated comics. The art work and plot were so engaging that I still carry some of those images around in my mind. Jules Verne's "Mysterious Island" and Dana's "Two Years Before the Mast" and many others were indelibly imprinted on my brain so that they could never be forgotten. Little did I realize that these illustrated novels were real literature, that they would lead many years later to actually reading those works. When I spied the life-sized book "Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History with Illustrations," I could not resist buying this book. When it arrived, I began reading a serious history of the Classics Illustrated publications, their awkward beginning and about the lives of their illustrators, and how the U.S. Postal Service effectively drove Classics Illustrated out of business. (It seems that the post office considered this comic a book and not a periodical.) Colorful images taken from the book abound throughout this edition. It's ironic that this very volume of literature is in danger of becoming a classic itself.

CLASSSICS ILLUSTRATED comprised such a crucial, influential, and above all, entertaining part of my youth that they have never entirely left me, and in fact I still have my entire childhood collection, and then some. The author of this book, William B. Jones, notes that his approach to the subject is meant to be objective in nature; but of course anyone raised on CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED can never be completely objective about them, and time and again Jones' understandable passion for these books seeps through. Nor is it simply nostalgia: when I go back to reread old issues it is mainly for the inherent richness of the storytelling and artwork they contain. Where in all comic book history is there a work so profound and moving as the Norman Nodel-illustrated LES MISERABLES, or as sad and tragic as the Angelo Torres-illustrated TOILERS OF THE SEA? Where is the comic book art that can excel, for its sense of historical time and place and fine drawing, John Severin's treatment of the Alamo and the Mexican War in BLAZING THE TRAILS WEST? Has there ever been a swashbuckling comic book so superbly ALIVE as George Evans' treatment of THE THREE MUSKETEERS? As for THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, I wholly agree with the author that it was never adapted so effectively, in any medium, as it was in CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED. I could go on. This is not to say that there weren't issues that were pretty bad, especially in the early days, and Mr. Jones freely admits this. But for those who are already familiar with this series, and especially for those who aren't, I cheerfully recommend this book as a kind of bible to CI and its several related series. I learned so much that was new to me about the issues, the artists, the editors, and the evolution and ultimate decline of the publishing house, Gilberton Company. The packaging and layout and paper quality of the book is a delight. Bravo, Mr. Jones! And bravo, CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED!

Ever said that line? Then you'll love this beautifully written and lovingly researched book about the history of Classics Illustrated.

Jones manages to evoke the characters of the men and women who contributed to this fascinating niche of Americana: illustrators, editors, publishers, and even its detractors. Interviews were obviously thorough, chapters are meticulously footnoted, and yet it reads like ...well, like an engrossing classic tale of adventure! Pick a chapter at random or read from cover-to-cover... it's consistently a winner.

While occasionally too ready with a disavowal of nostalgia, Jones does not hesitate to reveal his personal lifelong love of the comic book series. Truly, the best works of fandom itself can be so endearing, so contagious with admiration and awe. This book is no exception. Like myself, Jones loved the comics when he was a kid. Just as publisher Albert Kanter intended, as an adult I've managed to read every word of the real Count of Montecristo and War of the Worlds and The Moonstone, but I first learned these vivid and amazing tales by reading the Classics versions. Jones augments my personal appreciation and gratitude in this excellent book.

His work was in-depth and, while certainly using a critic's eye, relatively even-handed when it comes to the series' contributors. Now, reading the book, Jones has even made me appreciate the work of Classics artists whose pages I'd previously disliked.

Excellent illustrations, particularly of rare pages and covers, fill the book. Nice personal photos of the artists and editors are a great touch, seeing as this is a book of both down-to-earth and scholarly sensibilities.

Only fault I can find is that the text sometimes refers to a page or panel or other artwork which is not actually reprinted in the book. It can be maddening, at times, because we want to see exactly what he's talking about. My family's incomplete collection lies in another continent, otherwise it would be nice to have it at hand for referencing these things. Keep yours at hand. The book, I suppose, would be gargantuan if Jones did include these bits. So, by rights, it is an excellent book, and I did enjoy reading it.

From 1941-71 Classics Illustrated comics introduced millions to abridged, comics-style version of literary masterpieces. Classics Illustrated tells of the birth of this popular medium, founded by Russian Jewish immigrant Kanter whose operations saw both the heyday and decline of the golden age of comics. The focuses on artists' creations is particularly involving.

Wow! This was my first book by Katherine Jones. I'm so sorry that she is not around to write other stories. I loved this story about Kayla and Cole. The story was so well written! I will be reading all of her other books in the future.

I am several months late when I read about the death of Mrs. Katherine D. Jones. A tribute will be conducted at the Romance Slam James in Chicago (04/30/08) for one of my favorite romance writers. I am truly sorry to hear of her passing and am shocked to learn that 10 days (05/07/07) after her last blog entry online that she had died on 05/17/07. It's never too late to say a prayer, so Mrs. Jones family will be in my prayers.

The books just keep getting better and better and I love the fact that
Bee & Speights are not teenagers nor are they in there 20's and thirty's they are 40 plus and I like that someone thinks that the marvelously mature still knows romance altho this is the last book in the series and I hate to see it come to a close this book is pulitizer prize material.
It's hard hitting from the very begining to the end. I shall miss the the sec but they will live on in our hearts. And so will Katherine who will be dearly missed in our hearts.

Serious writers of fiction should always savor the initiative taken to be flexible in writing in other venues outside of their areas of expertise. The late author Katherine D. Jones had taken much more than this initiative in her debut book for an upcoming series entitled DANGEROUS DILEMMAS. From the beginning this book is hot! Do we have control over whom we fall in love with? This is a question asked for the benefit of group discussions for this book, but I found the question a perfect lead-in to giving an analogy to this superb page-turning delight. Set in the idyllic location of Hilton Head, South Carolina, this is a perfect backdrop for romance, and a bit of suspense to boot! Let me set the stage for the drama...

Kayla Williams is the owner of her family's successful restaurant where secondary characters and a plan to upgrade is much more than she ever realizes. Complicating things, and surely adding to the plot is the contrast between past and present lovers. David Sutton her ex-boyfriend, whom is adamant and jealous of her aspirations suddenly reappears with an agenda all his own; Cole Lewis, the sexy and alluring patron to the restaurant throws his hat into the ring of romantic interlude. Sexual fantasies notwithstanding, Kayla experiences trials and tribulations trying to deal with the advances of both, while fielding the steady recipient of angst not reminiscent of the wise counsel always given by her erstwhile parents. Headstrong and determined, she attempts to find balance to her quest, and still remain true to her heart. But can she? What price would she pay trying to resolve mind over matter? Who gets the upper hand to her heart, Cole or David? Cole the savvy, owner of Full Flava Magazine, is on a mission and knows a winner when he sees one. Counter to his new found desire is opportunistic ex-girlfriend, Shelia Pickwell who has plans of her own in furthering her career. A calculating alliance with someone close to the both of them proves to be the catalyst that may have a bearing on who gets whom, and why. The dangerous dilemmas that Cole, David, Kayla, and Shelia face are par for this course, just to see which one will have the final score to settle, or run win with.

I truly enjoyed this book inasmuch as most romance suspense novels tend to lean more to the romance side as opposed to adding more mystiques to storylines. The author did an outstanding job in entangling a maze for readers to weave while realizing that his may be the best book that they would read this year. Strong words from me, but then again, I know a good book when I read one! I also loved how her love scenes were real and believable with just the right amount to elicit being there! That element coupled with a good storyline, setting, and back-story lends credence to a story that is sure to delight readers in demanding more of this author's works. I recommend this book for many reasons not expressed therein. Katherine D. Jones in no longer with us, as the Lord has called her home. There's definitely no bias in my prior affiliation as a friend as it is in me giving you just one more outstanding book to your shelves! Read it and know her to be the writer as I did!

Kayla Williams is a successful fast food restaurant owner in downtown Hilton Head, SC. She is a single, sexy woman whose rocky love life with on again/off again boyfriend David Sutton, has gone from bad to worse. She has given David too many chances, but after his disappearing acts, womanizing and drinking become too much, she ends their relationship...or so she thinks. Cole Lewis is much more than a handsome face. The successful co-owner of a hip-culture magazine, he can have his pick of any woman. But Cole has been there and done that. His break up with ex-girlfriend, Cassandra Pickwell, shows him that women are nothing but trouble. He makes the decision to swear off women while he takes the time to work on promoting his magazine. But after one look at Kayla, there went that plan.

This is a spicy, romantic suspense and adventure. Cole Lewis, Mr. Special, is a regular at Williams Family Diner. Kayla Williams now owns the restaurant founded by her deceased parents. Cole is every woman's dream and Kayla is his dream. Both are hardworking, successful professionals; both are hurt and somewhat reserved due to bad relationships; but both are strongly attracted to each other. While the two of them try to develop a loving, trusting relationship their psychotic exes from hell try to run interference. To find love Cole and Kayle must overcome personal obstacles while overcoming Dangerous Dilemmas.

"A Dead Man Speaks" is a top notch thriller with well-defined characters. I couldn't put the book down. It kept me guessing "who done it" until the very end. It was also thought provoking in showing how people are often a product of their pasts, and in order to move on forgiveness is key. A must read! Can't wait for the movie and the author's next book!

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Couldn't put it down once I picked it up. It's a mystery with a message on life, growing, self and other awareness, forgiving. It makes you think and ponder about your own experiences. Looking forward to more books from this author!

A Dead Man Speaks by Lisa Jones-Johnson is not only entertaining, but it has a very important message (unusual for a murder mystery) which the reader experiences as the story comes to a close, although you get glimpses of the message throughout the book as well. Congrats to the author on creating a murder mystery that includes this powerful message within its pages. I won't give anything away I shouldn't. While reading this book I felt like I could get into the hearts and minds of the characters involved because of the descriptive way their stories were told. What I liked most was that the author (Lisa Jones-Johnson) chose to have the reader view the lives of the characters as told through THEIR eyes/perspective and that made me feel like I really got to know the personality of the character on a more personal level. It was brilliantly written on so many levels and through the experiences of the characters raised my understanding a bit on the Civil Rights movement as well which I really appreciated. I highly recommend this book because it is not only entertaining (I couldn't put the book down) but it was thoughtfully written and highly worth my time.

This is hands down the best novel I've ever read. What makes it so? The intention of the Author to not only intrigue and entertainment, which she does most effectively, but her intention to provoke change in the reader.
Not since Shogun by James Clavell, have I been pulled into a novel and forced to carry it with me so I could take advantage of every spare moment to continue the journey. Not since Devil In The Blue Dress by Walter Mosley has a tale of the Black experience captivated me so thoroughly. And never, in any of these reading experiences have I walked away improved from the experienced. I'm talking about a tangible effective transformation based on the experience the finale of the book provoked in me. And do yourself a favor...don't read the end to see what I am talking about. Part of the process I experienced occurred because I resisted the urge to do so and flowed sequentially through the material and thus had the experience the Author intended and created the vehicle to accomplish.
Writing in multiple First Persons, Lisa Johnson gives us both the objective AND subjective experience of the major characters from her novel, an interesting juxtaposition of what we thought we knew from what we observed, and what the characters actually knew from their prospective, which results in a greater understanding of ourselves and what we might need to do to improve our self, as do the two main characters.
I think this book is the point of transition to the next area of literary focus, namely Human Transformation. So if you are almost tired of murder as the focus and subject matter of nearly all English writings in the fiction vain, and plan to stop reading the genre all together soon, then make A Dead Man Speaks your last stop along this road. I think you'll be glad you did.

I am an avid reader - and I love thrillers. I love books by Lee Child and James Lee Burke and everyone in between. This first novel by Lisa Jones-Johnson is very intriguing. And it certainly is worthy of the "in between" category I describe above. Her concept is so unique that at first I thought it might be contrived or the story line would be too obvious. But, happily, I was wrong on both counts. The characters are completely independent of each other- so much so that you will quickly visualize them as they take on their own form and personality. And for a first time novelist the consistency of the characters and the story line is remarkable. You can almost see this story "happening" before you as you read. It is definitely "film" material. The story itself, while simple, is seriously complicated by the nature of the basic theme-- a man unable to "let go" and die is trapped by the need to uncover his murderer and must "visit" those living persons who are involved in the crime to help guide them to the answers he - and they - seek - to solve the mystery.

I highly recommend this book to serious readers. It will "enter" you the same way the dying Clive January enters the minds and souls of those whose help he needs....And you will travel with them to unravel the clues and find the answers to this very fascinating story.