Leigh Books

This is the mystery of the death of old General Fentiman at the Bellona Club. Did he die before or after his sister? Her will either leaves the grandsons fabulously wealthy or leaves most of the money to a young female relation, depending on when he died. Peter is asked to try to determine the death time, although everybody deplores how "unpleasant" the whole thing is - the death itself at the club, the prying into the General's business, the need for Peter to even ask members of the club questions.

It's beautifully written, clever, and has a depth of characterization of even the most minor characters that makes you feel you know them. The mystery and its resolution are satisfying. Sayers never skimped on writing with a great level of detail but I've never been bored by digressions and peripheral plot lines. Peter's time spent with Marjorie Phelps is an example. Her taking him to a party does forward the plot, but by their few conversations and the meals they have together we realize the Marjorie loves Peter, he doesn't love her, yet wants to be friends. A very nice little subplot.

One thing I've always liked about this book, having read it perhaps half a dozen times, is how it describes men who've been through The Great War. What they came home to, how they were expected to hide their problems, how they were so fragile after such horrific events, especially if they were at all sensitive or badly wounded. George Fentiman, grandson of the old General, is a case in point, while his brother, Robert, took pot shots at rats in the trenches, laughing all the time.

Peter's own trauma from the Great War is alluded to but not gone into detail, but serious Sayers fans know that he was almost buried alive and through most of his life suffered from his nerves.

All in all a very beautifully written novel. One of my favorite Peter Wimseys.

I had a bit of a problem with Ian Carmichael's reading of this book. I had a hard time differentiating the characters, and only because I've read it so often was I able to figure out who was saying what among the upper-class accents.

I'm really into audiobook (and book) mysteries -- I've heard/read hundreds. This one is in my top five and I listen to it over and over. Magnificently performed, Lord Peter Wimsey is at his best here and the reader does a fine job. If you love a good Christie-type English mystery, leap on this one as fast as you can. I cannot say enough good about it.

When an elderly gentleman, ensconced in a winged back leather chair close up to the fire and apparently reading the "Times", is found to be dead the word for this event, occurring as it does in a respectable London club in the 1920s, is "unpleasantness". When Lord Peter Wimsey investigates further and discovers that the death is actually murder, it is still not proper, in the Bellona Club, to abandon the euphemism "unpleasantness". Thus is established the tone and the subject of Dorothy L Sayers' fifth work of detective fiction, written in 1928.

Readers of "Golden Age" detective fiction will find the usual wit and polish in the writing and a central idea for a crime that derives from nice points of logic and a specialized knowledge of anatomy and medicine. Somehow these strengths, together with a preponderance of dialogue, also account for the book's weakness. It lacks atmosphere. After describing the opening scene in the Bellona Club with great care and effect, Miss Sayers rarely thereafter gives a thought to sketching in details of time, place, action or surroundings.

So this is one of Dorothy L Sayers' books that will always provide me with entertainment and rich enjoyment, while making me aware that it does not quite provide everything I ask of great detective fiction.

Lord Peter Wimsey has planned on spending a quiet Armistice Day, just stop by the Bellona Club, reminisce with some old friends and then a quiet memorial dinner. But since this is Lord Peter Wimsey, the aristoctratic amateur sleuth, (and this is a mystery novel) a death soon occurs. The deceased is old General Fentiman and since he is ninety his passing is rather sad but not surprising. Not at all the sort of thing to arouse Lord Peter's notice until the exact time of the old General's death becomes a matter of vital importance to his heirs, one of whom is a friend of Lord Peter.

As Wimsey looks deeper into the matter he becomes involved in the art world, a jilted lover, domestic tension and even receives a proposal. Of course he unravels the mysteries in the end, bringing the guilty to justice and protecting the innocent.

As always with this series the glimpses into Lord Peter's world are as entertaining as the mystery itself. We are treated to visits with Inspector Parker, Bunter, and Marjorie Phelps and if those names mean nothing to you, you would probably do better to start this series with one of the earlier books. For fans of the series this is a definite must read.

Lord Peter is at his best in this mystery novel which gives us 21st century dwellers a view of English post WWI culture, specifically the Men's club. In the process of untangling this convoluted mystery, Lord Peter touches on some of his own issues regarding his military service and some resulting psychological scars.

Despite all this, Lord Peter chases the criminal with class, wit and ridiculous humor. He never takes himself too seriously, and is always charming--even when the stessed out subjects of investigation lash out at him.

Lord Peter has two perennial sidekicks--Bunter, his perfect butler, and Parker, the police detective. Both of these men are excellent at their trade and balance Peter's ridiculously good humor with sedate and serious good sense. Peter is a brilliant intuitive which contrasts with his piercing deductive mind. Bunter has good insight into human character and Parker has dogged determination and the abilty to integrate diverse evidence.

Despite the sometimes dated language, Sayers has the knack of writing an engaging and suspenseful mystery as well as taking us back in time to simpler more gracious times.

Enjoyable short stories that heat the blood. I liked every one, and will re-read them.

I thought this book was awesome! Not for the faint of heart, these stories are HOT HOT HOT!

NAUGHTY GIRL by Carrie Alexander

For Estrella Ianesque, the daily bus ride to work has been improved ever since road construction began along the route. There's one working, covered daily in dust, sweat, and pure male that's driving Estrella's hormones through the roof. When her boss, Eve, has to go out of town for a week, she leaves her spiffy little red Miata convertible in Estrella's care-and not a moment too soon. She plans on using that car to get some up close and personal views of her jack-hammer using construction man, and showing off her assets in the process.

When Jesse "Drum" Drummond offers to help out the damsel in distress with the stalled Miata, it doesn't take long to realize a few loosened wires caused Estrella's car to stall. Calling her on her ruse, he's surprised that she admits it-then boldly waits for him to make a move. But Jesse doesn't take her up on her offer, not there at the construction site, but later in the evening he finds that he can't stay away from the sexy and seductive Estrella.

Soon passions are soaring and inhibitions are lowered for this straight-laced woman who just once wants to do something naughty, and the man who had been determined to stay on the straight and narrow.



WANTED: ONE HOT-BLOODED MAN by Pamela Britton

A little over a year ago, Breanna Miller was raped by her fiance. All ready betrayed by the man who supposedly loved her, Bree suffered further indignities by the police, who believed the rapists claim that the sex was consensual. Now afraid of sexual intimacy, Bree does the only thing she can think of-she'll travel back to her hometown and the one man she ever totally trusted, former high-school flame Trent Walker. She'd broken his heart when she'd left for college and never returned, but Bree is sure that he's the one man who can fix her sexual problems.

For Trent , seeing Bree again is a slap. At once excited by the possibility that her blatant proposition holds and still hurt over the way she left him all those years ago, Trent isn't sure what to do. The thought of sleeping with Bree still excites him-until he finds out why she's come home, and how he fits into her picture. Trent 's willing to help her overcome her sexual problems, but he's not at all sure that a few nights in Bree's bed is ever going to be enough.

As sparks fly, trust is renewed, and healing begins, this is a short story you're not soon to forget.



HAVE MERCY by Susan Donovan

Winifred Mackland is sure she's on her way to her own personal doom. A screenwriter who is half-way done with her latest masterpiece, which just so happens to be a piece of crap, Win has no idea how to get the juices flowing on this last installment of her trilogy. Her agent, Artie Jacobs, has promised the producers that Win will have the screenplay finished in four short weeks, and to insure that she does, he sends her off to his cabin in the Berkshires to reacquaint herself with the things that seem to be missing in her work-heat, passion, and sex. Unbeknownst to Win, there's another person up in the Berkshires that Artie is hoping will be the inspiration she needs.

Vincent "Mac" MacBeth has come to the Berkshires to clear out his father's cabin and get it ready to put on the market now that the older Mac is living in an assisted living home. With his overseas adventures and risk of being shot yet again in the course of his work, the younger Mac has no need for a permanent residence. But when Win Mackland comes moseying by looking for inspiration for her character's latest storyline-sex, sex, sex, and violence-Mac finds himself undeniably attracted to the passionate screenwriter.

This is a funny story that had me laughing out loud at how Win used Mac as her personal muse, and the steamy sex scenes didn't bother me either!


RENO 'S CHANCE by Lora Leigh

Raven McIntire has spent years fantasizing over Reno Chavez, her brother's best friend. She's wanted him for what seems like forever, but even though she's sure she could have him, she hasn't allowed herself to take the chance on loving him. Reno is a Navy SEAL, and his dangerous job prohibits Raven from acting on her desire. Unable to risk her heart on a man who could die in the line of duty, she comforts herself with her daydreams and thoughts of what-if.

Reno has always considered Raven to be his woman. At first, she was too young for him, being only seventeen when he first met her. But Raven is a grown woman now, and he knows that she desires him. He's determined to prove to her that the passion they could create together is worth anything, and that risk of losing someone you love isn't enough of a reason to deny yourself love.

A short, sassy, and extremely sexy story, this is a trip into learning to love despite the risks involved.

The first Tempting SEALs is the novella "Reno's Chance", and is really quite a wonderful story of a beautifully drawn alpha-alpha U.S. Navy SEAL, Reno, who is attempting to claim his woman, Raven, a woman he's known all her life, but a wary woman who observed her parents' unhappy marriage. Dad was a SEAL (like Reno) and Mom hated it, leading to destructive arguments each time he went out on a mission, missions that grew longer and more frequent as time went by. One day he didn't return -- alive, anyway, and her Mom spiralled into a deep depression. Raven was terrified of losing Reno to death, and her reaction to that terror was to push Reno away; she needed to protect herself. However, Reno had never lost a campaign yet...

Note to those who have read "Dangerous Games" but not yet read "Reno's Chance": Like all Lora Leigh stories, this one is very sexy, and Reno is most definitely an alpha male and is quite dominating in the bedroom. However, Reno, unlike Clint in "Dangerous Games", is not a Dominant, so if BSDM is not your cup of tea, you can safely read this story.

The second Tempting SEALs is Dangerous Games (Tempting SEALs, Book 2); the third is a novella in Real Men Do It Better (Tempting SEALs, Book 3); and the fourth is Hidden Agendas (Tempting SEALs, Book 4).

Roxanne Pierce

I bought this book for Lora Leigh (a fave erotic romance author) and Susan Donovan (a fave contemporary romance author) and neither of then let me down. I enjoyed both of their stories. I had never read anything from Carrie Alexander but I enjoyed her story as well. I must say that I was a bit surprised at Ms Britton's story and found myself not enjoying it at all.

First up is Ms Alexander's story of Estrella and Jesse. Estrella has been lusting after a guy working on a road crew in the neighborhood where she works. She's a maid for a wealthy female executive and when her boss goes out of town on business, she borrows her car, her clothes and her apartment in order to lure the hot road crew guy into her bed. Jesse sees through her "car trouble" ploy immediately but decides to see where this whole farce will go. If she's a rich lady looking to play, why not play along? Well, what he finds is a woman full of contradictions and obviously, as he discovers, not what she seemed. I liked this story. Sure, the plot is contrived but what I really liked were Estrella and Jesse. It's rare to find blue collar leads in romances and here we have a Latina and an ex-con who are both trying hard to build better lives for themselves after past mistakes. I found it refreshing, enjoyable and, of course, steamy!

To be honest, I more skimmed than read Ms Britton's story of a woman who had been raped by her fiance who is looking to get her sexual footing back. She returns to her home town and to the guy whose heart she broke in high school. He's the only guy she trusts to help her recover her sexual self. Of course he is all too willing to comply. Yuck. I thought she was incredibly selfish and he put up with way too much. And I feel I must warn readers of her other books who may not expect it, she does push the envelope with a rather torrid girl-on-girl scene. Not for me.

Susan Donovan is one of my fave authors of contemporary romance and this is another of her fun, amusing and sexy stories. Win is a screenwriter who has hit a slump but still has a deadline to meet. Her agent sends her off to his cabin in the woods to get her inspiration back. Fully knowing that some of the appliances may not be in working order and that her neighbor Mac, a capable and hunky Navy SEAL on leave, is nearby to fix anything that goes wrong. Anything. Will he agree to be her muse? Sexy fun!

In Lora Leigh's story Raven has had it bad for Reno for years. They both know it just as she knows he's been crazy about her as well. He never acted on his feelings because she was too young at the time. He joined the Navy, traveled the world, waiting for her to mature. Now he's back, home on leave, and the waiting is over. He and Raven will finally act on the mutual attraction that sizzles between them. But when feelings intensify can Raven get over her fears about his being a SEAL? She saw what it did to her parent's marriage, can she deal any better than her mother? Intense, hot and emotional. Classic Lora Leigh.

I picked up this book with a bunch of other older Harlequin novels and I'm so glad I did - what a find!

Lee Phillips and Trevor Templeton have been friends since college. They're part of a crowd that have known each other since college - Susan (divorced and unhappy), Peter (looking for true love) and Katy and Ben (a couple that the others use as a measure of the perfect couple). Lee has never been successful with romance and Trevor is not looking for anything serious. So Lee decides that the perfect solution would be if they were "friends with benefits."

There are so many good things about this book. The dialog is great and the story really starts off with a bang - none of this - let's wait a chapter or two before we get to the heart of the story. The first line of the first chapter has Lee asking Trevor "Why aren't we having sex?" and the fun starts from there. You care about the characters (such that I searched out and am now reading Scent of a Woman which is Susan's story.) And as many of the other reviewers noted, the elevator scene is a hoot - I literally laughed out loud.

No, it's not as hot as many of the Harlequin Blaze. But it's one of those stories that was just fun to read, made me care about the characters, and is going on my keeper shelf.

Favorite scene with Lee-
The elevator scene.

Favorite scene with Trevor-
Having lunch with his mom.

Together-
Finally telling each other I love you and proposing.

What did you like about Lee-
Her sense of humor and her wildness, esp. in the elevator.

What didn't you like about Lee-
Keeping the baby secret from Trevor.

What did you like about Trevor-
His love for Lee.

What didn't you like about Trevor-
That he didn't want to marry because of his parents.

This book was pleasant. I wouldn't classify it as a blaze either, but it was a quick read.

Lee Phillips and Trevor Templeton had been friends since college. They both have good careers and nice homes, but out of loneliness, Lee decides to proposition Trevor. She believes that they can become intimate with no strings, but Trevor doesn't want to risk his friendship with her--not that he isn't tempted to have sex with her because he wants to and eventually does. The agreement was for good sex and definitely no love, but can they stick to their agreement?

-- you'll no doubt like this story of two friends about to take the next step in their relationship.

Trevor Templeton & Lee Phillips have known each other for years, part of a college group that also includes Katy & Ben (friends, then married), Susan(divorced) and Peter(looking for his true partner in life). The six have been there for each other through thick and thin and although Led and Trevor entertained private thoughts about what it would be like to become intimate with each other, they have not yet taken that step. Until Lee not only broaches the subject but pretty much pesters Trevor into going along with the plan. Not that Trevor needs to be pestered much.

The rest of the story chronicles the trials and tribulations inherent to such an undertaking. At times, the other 4 friends seem to be more of a hindrance than help and they tend to get in the way, but their hearts are in the right place. And the scene in the elevator is so truly memorable that it alone is worth the price of the book.

I've read many of the Temptation Blaze line and "Hot and Bothered" wasn't has 'hot' as I'd come to expect. But readers looking for a good way to spend a day's reading won't be disappointed.

I've read dozens of Blaze books, and this is my all-time favorite. Jo Leigh has created two characters who are VERY believable. Her quirky personality and his long-time affection for her land them in the sack. Their first time together is very well written--her hesitancy, his devotion make for a dynamite read. The chemistry between the characters is sizzling, but also lends itself to some hilarious moments just by virtue of who the characters are. The first scene provides the perfect preview for these two characters......"So why aren't we having sex?" she asks. "Because we're in the 'no boffing' section of the restaurant?" Witty writing.

This has helped my husband negotiate jobs, and it has helped us negotiate with each other on what we want to accomplish with our family. It gives great examples and simple steps. It is clear and a quick read.

This book is a good balance of academic/research reviews and an even better practical guide for improving your negotiation style.

This was the text in a grad level class I took, and I'm glad the prof chose it! This is a great read for anyone that wants to learn how negotiation affects all aspects of your life as well as for those who want to improve their negotiating skills!

The book has many excellent points, but is written in a manner that will bore you. Several of us in class have three books to read, and this one is the least interesting. I still would recommend it as a good textbook, but only if used as an additional resource to "Getting to Yes" and "You can negotiate anything". Between the three you'll stay interested and the overlap will reinforce.

We used this book in our negotiations class and actually found Getting to Yes to be more useful. This is one of those textbooks that I have written about in other classes that has a lot of common sense in it but it actually makes thinking about negotiation harder than it really is. The book could easily have been shrunk from 430 pages to about 150 pages. The book actually presents too many things to think about in a negotiation that you end up becoming confused about which strategy to use or how to play defense. Of course, like any book some people might like it but I know myself and other classmates did not find it that helpful.

Oh, wow! I LOVED THIS BOOK! I know, I know...it's been awhile since my last review...but summer = freedom! Now, I'm reading again, and I picked the best book to read!

"Perfecting Kate" was an eye-opening book. Like Kate, I feel like I have flaws. I've had guys tell me that I needed to fix or change this or that. So I got what she was going through, totally.

And even though the Kate in the book wasn't real, she felt real to me, and it was like I was right there in the story with her.

At the beginning, I thought, "Oh, this is just another one of those boring books my mom likes" (no offense, Mom!). But, I was OH. SO. WRONG. It turned out to be so much more.

As I kept reading, I had hope. Maybe my life might turn out like Kate's did in the book, except...oops! Almost spilled the ending there! My bad!

I guess maybe God has my life planned out, all mapped out for me, kinda like He did with Kate. I've just gotta listen, not ignore Him, and follow Him when He calls.

So if any of you are reading this right now and are like me and Kate, listening to the guys that pick at you and want to change you, and are NOT listening to God...

...you need to read "Perfecting Kate". It will open your eyes to a whole new perspective on things.

Till Then, Hold My Place For Me,

KT

The book all around was cute and fun. But one of the characters I had a problem with. Beau. He was considered one of her friends. And he treated her horribly!! I mean he went too far with teasing. He constantly insulted her about her looks. At one point he tells a customer though she's not pretty she's a good artist. I found him irritating and did not like him through out the entire book. No wonder Kate had such a low self-esteem. Over all, I liked this book considerably as long as Beau wasn't in the scene. And fortunately he wasn't in every one. You probably would still enjoy it, once you get past him.

Kate Meadows is a wonderfully gifted artist that brings creativity and wonder to all of her projects. Despite an already full schedule, she is selected for a make-over with her housemate Maia, and she takes on transforming the burn unit for a local hospital. Having decided to "embrace singledom," Kate finds herself the object of two handsome men's affections. Will the makeover be effective? Will she complete her projects on time? Will she end up with a romance, or will everything fall flat?

I must admit, I actually won this book from the author quite a few months ago and just picked it up the other day to read. Boy am I glad I did! Kate and I could be twins as far as our thoughts go. Her journaling mirrors her chaotic life--which is what so many of us live from day to day. Her reflections and promises to God about spending better quaility time with Him remind me of my own thoughts and prayers. If you've ever felt that things needed to change in your own life, then THIS is the book for you! The humor interspersed between the tense moments of realization, make this a MUST READ!!!!

Kate Meadows is a strong Christian, a successful artist, and just getting over a bad romance. She's sworn off men. In fact she swears off them at least twice a year. Then she meets Dr. Clive Alexander, who wants her to paint a mural for the children's burn unit. Sparks fly, as the two clash over almost everything. Kate has better luck with Michael Palmier, make-up artist to the stars. He says he loves Kate, but every time she sees him he hands her a different business card from a different expert who can make her look better. He wants her to have the gap between her teeth fixed, removed a mole, highlight her hair, change from glasses to contacts. Where does a girl draw the line?
Most of us would like to change something about the way we look, so it's easy to relate to Kate. Without being preachy, Tamara Leigh drives home the point that God loves us just as we are. A very entertaining story, clever and fun.

Tamara Leigh has done it again! Great characters, a fast-moving plot, and an inspirational message. Leigh's writing is packed with humor, page-turning entertainment, and characters you would love to have as a best friend.

"Imperfect" women of all ages will identify with Kate Meadows -- and fall in love with Dr. Clive Alexander. I identified personally with the final scene, which celebrates families created through adoption.

I was looking through the shelfs of my local library when I came across this book and I decided that I would take it home not intending to read it I have some free time because I had read a title from this author. When I finally got around to reading it I was hooked I knew that after I finished I would have to read the other Soldiers Of Fortune books.

This audio book, of Diana Palmer's Soldiers of Fortune, was extremely well done. It was abridged effectively, without cutting out too much of the detail from the actual book. It was paced quickly and did not drag out at all. The narrator did a marvelous job with the reading. I would recommend this audio book to all Diana Palmer fans. It's a great listen...even if you've already read the book!

This is such a wonderful book! I fell in love with all the characters and their stories but especially "Dutch" and Dani's. Palmer's tried and tested formula of young virginal dowdy woman with handsome rich and bitter man wary of love works brillliantly here. Such a lovely story with great plot twists, secondary chracters and excellent writing. Won't go into too much detail, don't want to spoil it but have to say no one delivers a hearwarming story like palmer.

I love all of the Soldier of Fortune books - my favorite one is Diego's. This book is worth buying just for his story, but the other two or great, too. This is a great deal because you get all three of the mercenary friends' stories in one book. I highly recommend this!!

this audio is based on diana palmer's first book titled "soldier of fortune" and not her combination book titled "soldierS of fortune" which includes "soldier of fortune", "the tender stranger", and "enamored" books. so if you order the audio, note that you are only going to listen to the book "solder of fortune" . With that in mind, the audio book was good listening. If you like reading diana palmer, you will definitely will like this one.

I'm a huge Lori Foster fan - loved it! Sam and Ariel's story is still my fave.

I'll start by confessing that I AM NOT a Lori Foster fan, and I always think hers are the weakest stories in the Bad Boys anthologies. This book was no different. The sad thing about Foster is that her short stories are actually better than her full novels. I also thought Morgan Leigh's "Last Call" was incredibly stupid, with an awful plot and boring characters. Erin McCarthy was the best of the lot. No, it was not great literature, but at least her characters were compelling. Bottom line: I'm glad I checked this one out at the library.

I loved this anthology, Lori Foster, Erin McCarthy and Morgan Leigh wrote fun, sexy novellas that are the perfect thing to read by the pool.
In GOOD WITH HIS HANDS by Lori Foster, Pete gets back what he has dished out to his brothers. He is good friends with his next door neighbor Cassidy McClannahan, but things get steamy quick, when he finally realizes the woman he has been looking for is right next door. Ms Foster is the author that started me on reading anthologies in the first place, and GOOD WITH HIS HANDS is a good example as to why.
In MISS EXTREME CONGENIALITY by Erin McCarthy, CJ White and Wyatt Maddock fight like cats and dogs all the time. CJ even goes so far as to put in for a transfer but before she goes
Wyatt proposes spending one night together to get each other out of their systems. Will one night be enough?
I loved the sparks that flew between CJ and Wyatt in SMART MOUTH and I was so happy to see them get their own story. CJ's son is also a adorable and so is her mom.
In Morgan Leigh's LAST CALL, Tess Braeden has just moved to Justice, North Carolina when she inherits an old farmhouse. But when she arrives she finds that her house is slated to be demolished to make way for a new firehouse. She has tried time and again to get an appointment with the mayor but he has ignored her requests. Tess gets the suprise of her life when she realizes that the hunky mechanic she just locked lips with is the mayor Fletcher Graham. LAST CALL was so much fun and I just fell in love with Coop the bartender. If there is any justice, Coop will have his own story soon.

Good With His Hands by fav Lori Foster was very enjoyable with believable characters who were fun and easy to like. The secondary characters were also interesting; the descriptions of Cassidy's parents are, I think, reminiscent of everyone's parents. This was a fun, easy read with sweet characters and a warmly satisfying ending. Miss Extreme Congeniality by Erin McCarthy offers a fun look at the lives of two FBI agents who secretly wanteach other. CJ White has an autistic son that her co-workers don't know about and an ex-husband who left them because of the handicap; she is wary of letting any man too close. Wyatt Maddock wanted all of CJ - her body, her love, and her son, to be a part of his life. Hot sex and tender dialogue bring these two characters together - a very pleasing read. Last Call by Morgan Leigh is a real steamer! Hot characters who knew what they wanted and weren't afraid to go for it, until a misunderstanding comes between them and threatens to keep them apart. Love does prevail in this charming story; I found myself wishing for more pages when I reached the end. These three very talented ladies have done it again with a very enjoyable anthology that was fun and easy to read. Kudos!

Anthologies are a great way to 'sample' an author and see if you like their writing style without buying a full length book. If you liked the other 'bad boy' anthologies, you won't be disappointed with this one. Foster, McCarthy and Leigh's contemporary shorts are very entertaining and full of steamy love scenes. A great way to spend a lazy afternoon.

For anyone interested in Foster's story of Pete Watson, his brother's Gil Watson is in the Bad Boys To Go book and his other brother Sam Watson is in the Bad Boys on Board book.

Great book! Wonderfully photographed and illustrated. Thank you Maurice Childs for going the extra mile to present beautiful photography. Leigh Leshner does a great job of describing the different types of plastics, identification tests, vintage designers, current modern designers, how to collect, and price guide. There is only one negative that I could possibly say about this book. I wish they had put more history included with the photographs such as the designer and manufacturer (if known), year made, and any other pertinent information. I especially liked knowing more about Judy Clarke, Jim Foltz, Ester & Ron Shultz, Karen & Howard Kronimus, Jackie Weeks, and others. A must have for your library!

This book is a must if you are into collecting Art Plastic Jewellery including plastic ,celluloid , bakelite and lucite.There are beautiful large coloured photographs on every page with descriptions and a price guide. Lots of chunky bracelets, dog brooches, mah-jong bracelets, animal pins, fruit jewellery etc. Very useful if you are into collecting vintage and modern plastic jewellery but also just a lovely book to look at!

I own all the books in Leigh Leshner's series and cannot fault Leigh for showing off great photos, great jewels and intense information. Leigh has done an excellent job with all of her books. Cannot wait to see what she has next in her jeweled magic hat. I hightly recommend all of Leigh Leshner's books. She gears them for various types of collections and you surely won't be disappointed.

"Collecting Art Plastic Jewelry: Identification and Price Guide" by Leigh Leshner is informative for the novice as well as seasoned collector. The author seems to convey a keen balance between old and new plastics to give the reader ample knowledge of both. I particularly liked the price guide; it is a good gauge for individuals new to the market. I thought the photos were very well done. Thank you, Leigh.

Leigh Leshner's "Collecting Art Plastic Jewelry" is a fascinating look at today's plastics artisans. Modern designers like Jackie Weeks, Judith Evans, Jim Foltz and Judy Clarke--excluded from other bakelite and plastic jewelry guides--are well-represented in this clear and interesting book. There are sections on vintage pieces, history and types of plastics as well as the requisite price guide (which seemed more accurate than other guides for this current market...), but it is the photographs and the info on the new generation of artisans that make this book a winner. A must for the serious and the casual collector.

The do it yourself nature of Dark Shadows was a big inspiration for low budget independent filmmakers.
The fact that it reached millions and broke all the rules of daytime television was an historic achievement.
It's equally paradoxical that it was budgeted at $70,000 a week by a corporation like ABC television yet the effects are frequently underground and amateur looking which I love. One should keep in mind that all the other network soaps at the time utilized an in-house organ for cheesy music while Dark Shadows featured pre-recorded orchestral music composed by Robert Cobert. This music was integral to the success of the series.
Superb acting, set design, writing, makeup and music mixed with awful acting, clumsy camerawork, terrible fight choreography and bizarre mistakes made the series unpredictable and exciting. It was at times accidentally avant garde especially during the Adam and Eve creation of life plotline. Viewing old episodes can be addictive.
The fact that it entered people's living rooms 5 days a week enabled an audience identification and intimacy that was powerful.
The book has good photos. Behind the scenes commentary and writing by Sam Hall and his son made the Dark Shadows Companion book a better read. The writers of the series deserve alot of respect for the inventiveness and ingenuity they showed. This Almanac book could have used more in depth analysis. It was a quick read.It's mostly minutea for hard core geeks. Alot of obscure factoids that don't particularly enlighten or matter. I wanted more, but that's the nature of Dark Shadows.

I can't say enough about this thoroughly written and researched almanac. As a young child, I watched Dark Shadows and became a fan, although I didn't always follow the plot. It left such a deep impression on me that when our local PBS station aired episodes in the mid to late 1980's, I became an avid viewer. After PBS stopped airing the serial, I thought all was lost. I've been renting the DVD's and this Almanac has been invaluable to me. It's filled with the history of the show and it's many actors. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of this series!!! It's a must buy!

I'm relatively a newcomer to "Dark Shadows," fell in love with it from the start, and have been catching the episodes on the Sci-Fi Channel ever since. It was wonderful to learn about the history of the show from these two books. The technical aspects of the show fascinate me, and much info is supplied on how the show was made, etc. There are character/actor lists and descriptions, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, tons of interesting trivia, bloopers list (it's fun to see the mishaps that happen on camera - the show was done live-on-tape...), some great photos, and all kinds of interesting info on the show...

Any "Dark Shadows" fan would enjoy this book, as well as "Dark Shadows Memories" which provides a complete episode list and lots more memories from several members of the cast.

It's awesome that original actors from the show, such as Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker, put together these books on "Dark Shadows" - it makes them that much better! :)

I found this book to be very interesting with lots of trivia and tid bits about the show, its creator and its actors. It also contains many pictures of its cast over the years. I highly recommend this book to any Dark Shadows fan!

When I was a young lad, I used to run home from school to watch Dark Shadows, that most excellent Gothic horror television program that ran from 1966-1971. Though the show has been off the air for many years, I never forgot my fondness for the show. Now that it is available on tape and DVD, I am back into it. My pleasure was made complete when I got a hold of a copy of this book.

This book contains everything I could want: interviews, pictures of the cast and settings, a list of characters, a list of actors, a list of storylines, a timeline of the story, a timeline of the show itself, and so much more! I would love to list everything that is in this book, but it would take me far too long! Suffice it to say, this is a great book, and a Must-Have for any fan of Dark Shadows!

Hi. I read some of the book when I took Professor Kahn's Mktg 101 class. (for those of you in the class, not much was on the test about this book). Anyway, although it was recommended for "Anyone who shops" I shop practically everyday and grew up shopping often at grocery stores, but did not find the book to be a good read. I consider myself relatively well educated in business related literature as I took the class during my senior year at Penn's Wharton school. There seemed to be too much academic information which distracted me from enjoying the book and getting a lot our of it. For people on Prof. Kahn's level of marketing expertise this book is likely to be very useful, but it is not as useful to undergrads in Marketing 101 or to the general population.

First off, let me state that this is by no means a book meant for light reading. It was assigned to me as part of Professor Kahn's (the author) Introduction to Marketing lecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Although not the primary text used in class, the Grocery Revolution provides a comprehensive view of the grocery business. It thoroughly discussed the marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion). Although the book covers everything very well, it tends to become very repetitive, with the same examples cited over and over. Also, there is a huge presence of numbers and percentages from various studies that become overwhelming after a while. The book, however, does provide a very good view of the whole marketing mix in one industry. It is a good book to use as an example for a concrete view of the basic marketing concepts.

As someone who has spent 30+ years living in the world that the authors describe, I found it a good outline of how the grocery business works - from a marketing point of view. The primary value of the book is in the breadth of its coverage, its readability and shortness. I have personally purchased at least a dozen copies to pass on as orientation material for my senior staff who may benefit from more of a big picture of the world they are working in, as well as specialized consultants for our firm that need to understand our milieu. None of these people would read the longer, more comprehensive tomes. So this book fills an urgent need for some of us practitioners.

Barbara Kahn is a marketing professor at Wharton but I hear only because her husband Robert J. Meyer is also a chaired marketing professor in the same department. She wrote a "quantitative" dissertation for her PhD but Kahn actually is a touchy-feely behaviorist who works on variety-seeking behavior, a very trivial topic in marketing ignored by all serious researchers. She knows nothing about quantification by her own admission. She also says her dissertation was written entirely by her supervisor and not by her, my Wharton friends tell me. This background, or rather, the lack of any background, is reflected in her book. The book falls seriously short of its promise and reads like an alphabetical soup. Don't waste your money on this book when there are much better books available on amazon.com. Better still don't waste your time on this book. It's an IQ-reducer and will leave you dumber and more confused.

This book is divided into two parts, one on the state of the industry, and one on consumer behavior. In the first part, the authors do an in-depth analysis of the changes in the retail industry (the move towards discounting, the responses of small grocery retailers to Wal-Mart-style companies, the changes undergoing the supply chain of suppliers to the grocery industry, etc). In the second part, they delve into the available research on consumer behavior, dealing with issues such as store layout and comfort (smells, colors, space, etc). A very solid book, very dense with information.