Nova Books

This is a great book (as are all Michael Connelly's books). This version is a big disappointment. It is listed as a 1st edition hardbound book - but it appears to be a mediocre quality reprint - with no outer paper jacket sleeve, and a plastic coated hard bound front and back. Save your money and buy it elsewhere.

This is an older work by Connelly (copyright 1995) that I had not previously seen, though I believe I have read all the other Connelly novels. This one begins with Harry Bosch having been placed on ISL (Involuntary Stress Leave) after attacking Lieutenant Harvey "98" Pounds. Somewhat in cahoots with his department-assigned counselor, he decides finally to look into the murder of his mother, a case that had never been solved. As usually happens when long-hidden secrets begin to be pulled into the light of day, all hell breaks loose.

In the end, Harry solves his mother's murder, but a pile of bodies, and Harry's own sense of guilt, make the reader realize that the things we think are necessary for our ultimate healing may instead only add further wounds.

Gave me another great evocative line for my "loneliness" notebook: "Loneliness is the trashcan fire I had huddled around for most of my life." (I'm citing it from memory, so it might not be precise, but it's close enough.)

"Everybody counts or nobody counts" is the mantra that Harry Bosch attempts to live by in this novel, and it almost costs him his job and his life. While on forced leave from the LAPD, Bosch takes up the years old case of the death of his mother. His investigation creates more tremors in the LAPD and the city than the recent earthquake that has destroyed his house. Connelly offers great writing and a great story hear. Bosch's sessions with a therapist reveal some of the inner workings of the investigator who identifies with what may be the last coyote in the hills near his home. This is one of the best from Connelly.

I will keep this simple. Michael Connelly has never written a bad book (at least that I ever read). However in the near recent past he has been a little under the "top of his game". This book puts him solidly in 5-star territory. If you love mystery with great writing and an exciting, always moving plot--- buy this book!

When the constant snarking from Harvey "98" Pounds becomes too much, Harry snaps and puts Pounds' head through the glass wall between his "office" and the area where the detectives work. Irvin Irving goes to bat for Harry and has him put on Involuntary Stress Leave rather than firing him, and requires counseling. At first Harry is ... uncooperative with this. Then he decides that, as long as he's not doing anything else, maybe he'll finally take a look at the murder of a prostitute that has been unsolved for 30 years ... the murder of his mother. What he discovers is NOT what he expected.

We learn more about Harry in this tense thriller - about his past and his relationship with his mother as well as some surprising relationships that his mother had with other people. Fans of Bosch will not want to miss this one.

This book is very well written, and even better it is true about the island life. My husband and I moved to Anguilla (not because of the book but for a job offer) and when I read the book, I was amazed at how well the Blanchards made it a reality. The book is wonderful and the island is even better, if you get a chance to travel to Anguilla, you should.

This book made me want to quit my job and move to the islands. I love the first-hand view of how difficult that really is when there's no major shopping options or supplies for miles. I can't wait to buy the Blanchard cookbook -- they are true pros!

This was a great book to escape to. If you love cooking and the beach, then this book is for you. Mel shares recipes, tells the tales of changing lifestyles, and paints an incredible picture of the island. I am ready to go pack and have dinner at Blanchards!

Every once in a great while, you might stubble upon a truly captivating novel that is, at times, impossible to put down. Before you know it, you're submerged within it's pages, neglecting the clock, surpassing any predestinated points that you promised yourself to stop at. Bob and Melinda's "A Trip to the Beach" has justly enthralled many readers of prudent taste since first being published in 2000. For an absorbing and mesmeric account of two native Vermonters who inaugurated a simple but distant dream, born on a vacation to the Caribbean. On a whim, they move to a foreign country, and start a restaurant on the tiny, remote island of Anguilla. Entering a world of excitement, frustration, joy, and perseverance to live an anything but ordinary life. This seemingly envious lifestyle proves to be a gigantic undertaking in spite of all it's seductiveness. The romanticized notion of escaping the stresses of a mundanely uneventful New England way of life, only to become a castaway in a distant oasis of a subtropical sunny paradise is simple to swallow but nothing is as easy as it seems. The Blanchards, you will soon discover, can nearly vouch for Murphy's law. Coupled with their persistence and immortal ambition sets the stage for a charming true story and notably enjoyable read.

Stemming from this innocent yet simple vision of opening a small lunch stand on the beach, an ebullient dream quickly turns into an venturesomely enterprise of a posh dinning restaurant serving everyone from wealthy vacationers to renown movie stars. A logistical nightmare, the Blanchards are forced to balance building a ritzy eatery from scarce island materials, importing supplies, while establishing a whole new life in a completely different foreign culture far from the plentiful civilization we've grown accustomed to. Many things we might take for granted prove to be a troublesome liability- even freshwater must be delivered to them on the island. Unlike a Hollywood film or a glamorized Nora Roberts novel, the story of Bob and Melinda `s audacious and adventure filled life in Anguilla is real. A reader will be charmed by the local characters, smell the freshly grilled lobsters, and hear the sounds of the benign calypso music without ever leaving home. It soon becomes easy to transport yourself to their situation, asking yourself, what would I do?

Overall, an authentically inspirational tale of willpower, surmountability, and fortitude in a bold stride towards a deviating but enchanting new life. Some have mistaken the Blanchard's drive and intrepidity as egotism. If your literary appetite hungers for some disgruntled hippies' tale of soul-searching while living a primitive lifestyle in an exotic location, then look elsewhere. If the Blanchards for any instance took the reality of chasing their dreams during such a pivotal time in their lives lightly, they most likely wouldn't have a book to fill let alone embracement of such luscious success. The only melancholic fervor encountered is ending the book itself. If only it were longer!

If you have ever been cornered by an innkeeper or B & B owner whose life contains five minutes of interesting tidbits, but who takes two hours dragging you through a poorly synthesized tale, you've already had the experience of reading this book. To make matters worse, the quality of writing and tone are comparable to a sixth grade essay along the lines of "What I Did on My Summer Vacation."
If you are looking for an interesting book about life as an American in the Caribbean, try Herman Wouk's semi-fictional "Don't Stop the Carnival."

The book was in great condition and arrived super fast. I would order from this seller again and again! The contents in the book are great!

This book makes you think the way we should each day. eye opener and enlightening.

Written by Lynnette Haygood because I was unable to list review under my own account. I found John Maxwell's book "Developing the Leader Within You" a very helpful tool for anyone interested in developing personal leadership skills or trying to bring out the leaders in their employees. Being new to the studying of leadership roles I found Maxwell's concept of everything rises and falls on leadership to be extremely true. I personally feel that this book is going to be a great tool in my future success in the business world. I have always considered myself to be a leader, in every position that I have been in I have always been considered a "go to" person, but always struggled with obtaining that management position. I am currently struggling with the next step in my career as a college student that has years of experience in the same field with the same position. Throughout my reading of Maxwell's book I started to learn valuable lesson in the difference between leaders and managers. I have been able to evaluate more clearly the types of managers that I have had, and have came to the conclusion that I have not had many leaders in my life who have been able to assist me with growing my own leadership abilities. I really enjoyed the way that Maxwell was able to clearly relate his knowledge and experience to real life situations that allowed me to grasp his concepts much easier. I especially could relate to the analogy that he gave in regards to the Sandhill cranes and their distinct leadership qualities and how they rotate leadership, and choose leaders who are able to handle the turbulence and how they all support the leader by honking in affirmation. After reading this book I am particularly excited to take my turn as the leader instead of constantly "honking in affirmation". Great book!

Powerful Attitudes

John Maxwell has outlined the specific traits on what is required to be an effective leader. He then gives you the step by step instruction on how to acquire and adapt those traits. If you read and study leadership, this is book is a must read.

Michael Murphy
http://www.positiveattitudes.com

The leadership principles from John Maxwell are timeless and always work to bring greater insight and rapid change for people who want to rise to a new level of leading others. I wore out my cassette tape player listening to Dr. Maxwell's leadership resources, (at least :15 minutes a day for years), because I realized they were so practical and useful to 'move to the front of the line' as a stronger leader in my personal and professional life. If you want to grow stronger as a leader, John Maxwell can take you there faster than you ever thought possible. Listening to John personally coach you, (he always does his own audio presentations), with enthusiasm and power in his voice will encourage, equip and empower you to achieve greater success.

Good books on historical events usually tell of events before, during and after the occurence. Some much more so than others. What is striking here is how O'nan manages to refer to everything related to Hartford's fire over a fifty year period! Everything is included. We are told of circus fires and accidents back in to the 19th century, circus mishaps in the years after the fire, other disasters of interest, and of the personal lives and fates of those involved. I have extensive knowledge of historic catastrophes, and can attest that nothing of any interest was left out. The author has said the book was a lot of work to write, and this is clear given its detail. There is no other book quite like it.

But the book's strength is also its weakness. So much is included that the writing suffers some. We are constantly introduced to new characters and sub-stories, interrupting the flow, and creating a kind of 'literary turbulence' that is disturbing at times. But don't let this stop you from buying, and reading, this tale of a circus tragedy.

My family is from Sarasota, FL, where the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus had their winter quarters for many years. My great-grandmother on my mother's side used to watch some of the circus kids while their parents trained, and my mom had heard stories about this fire, and then when I was younger, I had heard the same stories. We had known Merle Evans, and he told us about that day.

I had not known about this book until reading about it in a thread on LT, so I thought I would give it a try and learn a little bit more about that awful day. O'Nan presents what is clearly a well-researched, if not always well-written, history about that day, and the events that (may or may not have) led up to it, and the circumstances that followed. After O'Nan introduces each person, he continues to write about these people as if the reader is as familiar them as he is due to his researching them. If you can let go of trying to keep track of who is who (there is a huge number of people involved) and simply read the book and accept the facts as they are presented, you will have a better chance of getting something out of this book. I kept trying to keep straight in my head who was who, but after awhile I simply gave up on this and just read.

Due to the nature of the tragedy, I don't know that it's possible for O'Nan to write this without some sense of sensationalizing the facts, but everything that he writes clearly gets across the horror of the day. The accompanying photographs help you visualize exactly what happened during the fire. The book itself suffers from some writing errors throughout, and these probably could have been fixed with a stronger editing, but they are not overly distracting.

O'Nan clearly researched his facts, and while he tries to present some possible explanations to the cause of the fire and circumstances surrounding it, he doesn't try to present these as fact. He relies on the established facts that have been proven, and draws on these to present the story as best he can. This book won't be for everyone. It was a horrible day, and O'Nan doesn't try to sugar-coat the events or what happened to the victims of the fire. For those that are interested in learning more about the fire, however, this will prove to be an interesting read.

Having grown up in this area, I was very much aware of the fire and it's consequences. But ... nobody ever really wanted to talk about it. This is a very good account. While reading, though, I grew frustrated because I forgot who was who, where in the tent they were, seemed too much space in chapters before they were mentioned again. But then again, that it reflective of what it was like under that big top. Chaos. Where was everyone in your family or party?

Also good documentation of the investigation. Sometimes a little bit too detailed, but then again, that's what investigations are.

O'Nan did well with this book. Too bad more people in that area refuse to read it. Guess time doesn't always heal pain.

I have owned this book for several years and have read and reread it several times. Before picking it up, I had never heard of the fire in Hartford. After reading it, I wanted to find out even more. The best books about historical tragedies and disasters tell not only the story of a single event but convey the mood and atmosphere of the times in which they occurred. Mr. O'Nan does that very well here I think. This is not just a book about a fire but a snapshot of a specific time in American history. I appreciated that he did not shy away from depicting many of the more gruesome details of the fire and its aftermath in detail. To airbrush the details for readers would have shown an utter lack of respect for the victims of the fire as well as the survivors. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning more about American history by studying influential events. The Hartford fire, like the Triangle fire and the Iroquois fire, were great tragedies which created ripples across the entire American landscape. They lead to changes in our values, our workplaces, and our amusements. They are worth remembering, not only to honor their victims but as a part of understanding our American story.

Having read Stewart O'Nan's novel A Prayer for the Dying and loving it, I decided I would give O'Nan the opportunity to tell a true story of life and death.

As a word of warning for those who come after me, if you are expecting a story centered around 5-10 "main characters," you will be disappointed. This is a story about the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944 and in telling that story, O'Nan attempts to tell the story of EVERYONE who was connected to it. It requires the reader to accept a large "cast of characters" who is willing to follow several threads of the "story" at one time. O'Nan's frenetic, peripatetic telling of the story gives the reader a sense of what it may have been like under the Big Top when it caught on fire.

In telling the story of the Hartford Circus Fire, O'Nan also tells the story of "Little Miss 1565." "Little Miss 1565" was perhaps the most well-known victim of the circus fire. She was named after the number assigned to her body at the city's makeshift morgue. The debate over her identify rages on to this day. O'Nan does refute the contention of Rick Davey and Don Massey's contention that Little Miss 1565 was, in fact Elenaor Cook. For more on Rick Davey and Don Massey, you can check out A Matter of Degree: The Hartford Circus Fire & The Mystery of Little Miss 1565.

Whether Elenaor Cook is properly or improperly identified as "Little Miss 1565" does not change the fact that she died in the Hartford Circus Fire. In telling the story of "Little Miss 1565" O'Nan is really telling the story of those who survived the Circus Fire and those who died.

Dick Hill's narration is utterly breathtaking. He handles O'Nan's frenetic narrative with both style and grace. The only quirk in this production occurs in the one instance in O'Nan's narrative is where a dialog is recounted. Rather than using voice inflection to differentiate the speakers, a production effect is used in which the lines of the opposite speaker are slightly muffled as if Dick Hill is delivering the lines with his hand slightly covering the microphone. Otherwise, Hill's narration is flawless.

I've just finished reading this book for the second time and it was just as good as the first time. This is one of my all time favorite Nora Roberts books. It's fun, passionate, emotional, intriguing, everything one could want in a book. Contrary to some of her recent works, in this book the characters are very well developed, to the point that one feels as if they are real people that they will actually miss when the story is over.

The passion between Luke and Roxy is so intense that sparks almost literally fly off the page. While she does take a very long time to finally bring these two together, once she does it is magical! Aside from the relationship between the two main characters, I also love the relationship that Nora creates between Luke and Max. There are a few times when I was almost brought to tears by the poignancy of their feeling for each other. The relationship between Roxy and Max was well done also.

All in all this is one of those books that can be read over and over again throughout time and still be thoroughly enjoyable, although its age is obvious at times throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to any fan of Nora's as it is a great representation of what makes her such a great author.

I am a real Nora Roberts fan but this is not one of her best stories. It didn't keep me guessing at anything. Maybe it was the audio narrator, not sure, but I found myself fast forwarding this one.

I am a Nora Roberts Fan but this has to be one of my favorites. You can feel the love and passion between Luke and Roxanne and it's intense. Some parts made me cry and at times I found myself holding my breathe. If you are a sappy, hopeless romantic like me, read this book.

The first Nora Roberts I ever read, and still my favorite. If you want an introduction to her writing, read this and get hooked!

Not one of my favorites. This book is about magicians and thieves, and I wasn't very interested in the subject matter, but I also wasn't crazy about the characters either. It starts in the past with Max Nouvelle and his young daughter Roxanne as they travel around performing magic. When they happen upon small time thief Luke Callahan, they take him in and make him part of their family developing his skills along the way. The story takes us thru their lives, as Roxanne and Luke grow and discover love while honing their magic and skills in theft.

I'm glad I didn't read this book as my first Greg Iles' book. He's one of my favorite authors and you can definitely tell this is his debut novel. This book needed an editor. It was way too long and redundunt. Mr. Iles repeated himself several times describing characters or scenes. The middle section of the book jumped around to different characters without expanding their depth. The middle part was boring and hard to follow. I love his next books so maybe it was just a first time diaster or maybe it was the topic even though I have a strong history background. Just found this book not to have a point and when it was trying to make one then Mr. Iles did so in a monotonous manner. I wouldn't recommend this book but would recommend his others.

I have only recently discovered Greg Iles' books. On a recent trip to Reno, NV, I finished the book I had, and went to the gift shop to purchase another book. Being a fan of Ann Rule, Grisham, Patterson, Cornwell, Sheldon, amongst others, I am picky about what I read. I picked up True Lies by Greg Iles, only because the selection was limited. I enjoyed it so much, I immediately went searching for his other books. I was able to get a lot of 7 of his books on EBay and I first read Mortal Fear, which I absolutely loved. I then took on this book "Spandau Phoenix" and from the time I started it, I could not stand to have to put it down. It is true that it is a very complicated book, and in all honesty, I cannot say that I understood all of it due to its complexity, but by the time it ends you are utterly drained!! What an experience. It is like a roll-a-coaster ride. It made me go internet searching for overthing I could find relating to the history of Hess, since I was very ignorant of his story. The fact that this book made me want to learn more about the history of WW II and other things is saying something in itself.

The fact that this was his first novel is unbelievable. I still find it hard to understand how he had the genius to write, this book and all I can say is that he must be a truly brilliant person. I wish I could write!!

I am reading The Quiet Game now - great book too - and will read Black Cross as soon as it comes in the mail.

You certainly get your money's worth with his books, unlike James Patterson, whom I also enjoy, but read in a few hours time and am left waiting until the next one comes out, and then you never know anymore if he writes them.

Men will love this book. Some women who are looking for romance and happy endings will not. I am a woman, but I highly recommend it.

I love every other book he has written. This one is completely different. I may not have liked it because it wasn't what I was expecting, but I could not finish it.

I really enjoyed this book and would have given it a 5 rating, but it was about 100 pages too long. The book gives great insight not only to WW II but it also gives insight into Berlin during the time of the Berlin Wall. There were a few characters that were not necessary to the story and plot line, but Mr. Iles kept my attention throughout the overlong book. It was my 1st novel by Mr. Iles but I will definately try another.

Its amazing what you're willing to do to pass time in the desert. Reading was never something to interest me. However, after reading Spandau Phoenix I intend to read more of Iles's work.

WWII has always been an interesting subject for me and this book is just brilliant. It educates and entertains at the same time with a believable story. The book explores the conspiracy theory of deputy fuhrer Rudolph Hess of Nazi Germany and his flight to England. It defines a master plan made by the Fuhrer himself to ultimatly control all of Europe with the help of an unlikely allie. All this and more is revealed slowely as you turn pages and get more indepth of a new secret ploy ran by a ghost from the past.

Whith so many good things to say, I did find some things to fault. There tends to be to many characters to keep track of at times, some of which roles could have been eliminated completely. As another reviewer ponited out, at the end when the character in question is faced with the question, "why?". I expected Iles to explore the reasons from the point of view of a Nazi Character. It was a dissapointment. Then again it could be brilliance not to answer "why?". Whatever happened then, whatever reasons there were, maybe its best for the dead to bury the dead.

I love this book. I think that it is well written and I think that it is written for today's southern woman. I do think it was a bit much on the yhahs. But I do think that it is entertaining and funny. I laughed, I cried, and I loved this book!

As usual Dorthea Benton Frank has out done herself on another Lowcountry novel. It has everything you expect to get when you read any of her works. She really makes you want to take a trip and enjoy that part of the state.

I asked this seller what the problem was in recieving my book. No reply, I was wondering if I was going to recieve this book at all. finally I got it. almost a month after ordering.

This was probably one of the better Dot Frank books I have read. Although, I think this book could have been shorter. There were some slow moving parts in the book that I think can be eliminated without taking anything away from the content. I love the humor and the southern flair. (Unique characteristics of the Lowcountry Tales). This book was about Caroline and her family. Caroline and her mother have always had a somewhat strained relationship ever since the death of her father. When Caroline comes home with her son Eric, after leaving her cheating husband in NY, the relationship starts to mend. And later when Lavinia is diagnosed with a terminal illness, Caroline learns how much her mother really did love her. This is a great book if you are interested in southern settings and tradition. I wouldn't have read all of Frank's books if I didn't enjoy them.

Grab this book and hit the beach for some light relaxation. You'll laugh hysterically the whole way through!

I started with book one and got so enthralled I have ordered all of these books in this series. Love to read her books under the above name and Nora Roberts name also.

I am an avid fan of this series. Haven't read all of them yet but I'm working on it. I liked every single one that I have read so far but I must say I enjoyed this one more than most of the others. Maybe it's the katharsis of the main character when she finally visualises her past or maybe because the villain is another woman, or maybe because I enjoy the banter between characters. All in all I think it's up there with "Naked" the one that launched them all.

I'm giving the book five stars, because it's good despite a few problems.

Julianna Dunne was a fascinating villainess. What makes her fascinating is she actually seduced her stepfather and cried rape to gain sympathy, which is rather ironic as the author is constantly using the fact Eve's father did rape her to gain sympathy for the character. Thankfully, the author also breathed some new life in the tired dream of the red room and the blood that's been shoved down the viewer's throat for the last 12 or 13 books.

Julianna's has returned to wreak revenge on Eve and she's decided the way to pay her back for sending her to prison is to kill Eve's husband, Roarke. I wish they would have taken it to the mat in regards to Roarke being in danger, since Eve saw the instant Julianna tried to give Roarke a poison glass of champagne, so you didn't really feel Roarke's life was ever really that much in jeopardy.

There was also a nice little side mystery of a cold case involving the murder of Marsha Stibbs. I applauded Eve when the ever-annoying Peabody felt sorry for the woman who killed her so she could have her husband and Eve rightfully said the one she should feel sorry for is Marsha Tibbs.

The bad parts of the book regard the inappropriately creepy Dr. Mira and the bootlicking Peabody. I don't know where the author is trying to go with the Eve/Mira relationship, but it doesn't work and she comes off desperate to form some kind of bond with a woman who just isn't that into her. She was practically begging Eve to take her with her when she went to Dallas declaring she could make it all better for her if she did. Eve, however, wanted Roarke with her, as he's the one she's able to open up to about her past. Then Mira went over a bugged Roarke to see how he was feeling. I really think the Mira character needs to be drop-kicked from the series, because she really doesn't work in the capacity the author is trying to go for. As for Peabody, the only thing that makes her tolerable is her relationship with McNabb. She started mouthing off to Roarke in defense of her idol, when he was allowing her equally annoying parents to stay in his house, and if she'd done the same with Eve, she would have been kissing her butt and begging forgiveness, but she never offered one word of apology to Roarke for her behavior. Of course the most nauseating Peabody moment of all was declaring to Eve, "You're my god."

To be frank, with the exception of Summerset, all the characters at one time or another have to worship at the shrine of Eve Dallas. Roarke gets away with it, because unlike the others, he'll also only put up with so much of Eve's crap before he gets fed up and tells her off. To the others Eve Dallas is their own little tin god who they genuflect to on a regular basis.

As a reader, I'd prefer to make up my own mind about Eve, and not have all the characters telling me she's the next best thing to sliced bread.

Still, Julianna, Roarke and Eve make this book a great read. Buy it for them and just skimmed through the butt-kissing when it gets too deep.

While the plot itself might not be an original idea, the spin Eve Dallas et al place on this story makes it 100 percent their own.

When a criminal from Eve's past is released, a showdown between the two former enemies is all but certain. Will Roarke be injured in the ensuing battle? Who will the killer harm to get Eve's attention? How badly does she want revenge?

We all know Eve isn't going to hide. She's not even willing to "play it safe." Typical to Eve Dallas, she meets this challenge head-on in a clash that will leave readers VERY satisfied.

The "in Death" books were published in paperback here until recently... I was able to find a seller in England who provided me with many of the older books in the series in hardcover, and was excited to find this one.

Great Eve Dallas book - I have almost all of them, and love them!

I loved this book, so much so that I've read it more than once. My only problem with it is the ending. So as to not give it away, I won't be specific. There is a lot of meat to this story which makes it very believable, but the ending isn't what I expected it to be and I was disappointed.

This is the 3rd book I have read by Fern Michaels. I liked it a lot. I had a hard time putting it down.

This book was so interesting from the beginning and sad from the start. It has a terrific story line and slyly plotted. While your reading this you'll feel sadness along with happiness. Definitely a novel with a lot of mixed emotions and an excellent must buy must read !!

I am normally an avid fan of fern michaels work but this book was a disappointment!! i felt like there was not enough insight into jessie roland's life as a child when being raised by her kidnapper parents and that also it tended to ramble on at times! There are some parts of the book that i enjoyed but this will not be a book i would choose to read again!

I hated it, It was a fast read but too many plot changes. I never really got to know the characters. It made me depressed that Jessie never found love, its supposed to be a romance novel right????

As always Nora Roberts(J.D.Robb) delivers a great, fast moving mystery. You struggle right along with Eve through the whole book. It's always interesting to see the interaction between Eve and Roake. If the future's anything like this, it should be interesting!

I love this series... you must read it to understand. It's all about a homicide detective named Lt. Eve Dallas and how she goes about solving a case which always seems imposibble to solve at first.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is after a killer who has a flare for romance and murder. He sets the scene with care....pink rose petals, champagne, caviar and sexually enhancing drugs, to make women plyant and willing. The only problem is that he is killing them, and it would appear that he is tallying up bodies quickly. Dealing with her past and all of the nightmares/memories it produces, Eve must battle evil (once again) while juggling her cases and her sexy husband, Roarke. This time, her opponent is both diabolical and creative, and apparently has computer skills (to rival Roarke) and money (apparently the drug, [...], is extremely expensive and hard to obtain) to keep her at bay, but not for long.

We also get another opportunity to see the whole gang, and smile at the all too familiar Peabody and McNab. Fans also learn in this installment, how Louise and the sexy LC Charles got together. I think this is one of my favorites in the series, and loved seeing Summerset, Trina, Mavis, Leonardo, Feeney, Galahad and Whitney again. It was definately a must read

The thing about this and the other in death books is the authors wonderful characters and her ability to bring Laughter into the strangest situations. One wouldn't imagine that murder, mystery and homicide are all that funny but in this book the ugly is tempered with a smile or giggle.

Nora Roberts (writing as J.D. Robb) is a brilliant writer. She's able to weave a tale that entertains, enraptures and imprisons the senses. You are left spellbound by her grasp of storytelling and her expert use of language...

BUT...

This story falls short of many of her previous stories. (And many that came after.) The plot is generic and rehashed. The only originality is the fact that the Casanova tale takes place in the future.

She puts an interesting spin on it, which is why she gets 3 stars instead of 1 or 2, but this is one of the weaker stories in the series if you ask me.