Phillips Books

Phil Long has a gift for explaining Christ through down-to-earth stories that really catch your heart off guard. He asks the reader to look at society and culture that is influencing the reader's life every day... and then he challenges the reader to give up all the desires and idols that pull them away from Christ. This quick read will give you a new outlook on what true love (love as created by God) is like and how you can share in that love.

We enjoyed this book so much my husband bought 15 copies for friends and family. It's a book you don't put down until you are finished.

One Trick Pony takes you by the heart and guides you to places you think you've been to, but haven't! From the moment I opened the first page, I became caught up in the stories, humor, unforgettable descriptions of everyday encounters but from a fresh perspective, and I couldn't put the book down until the final page. It simply must be read by as many as possible! Hearts will be forever changed and lives will be enriched.

I am not much of a reviewer so here it goes. This book is excellent.

Ever wonder what it looks like to follow Jesus? Phil Long is a talented writer and a deep thinker who tackles this question. If you don't like reading, it is enjoyable and humorous, if you are an intellectual, it will make you think.

Buy this book.

In the book One Trick Pony, Phillip E. Long pushes the reader to explore one deep, yet seemingly simple idea. He really doesn't have a lot of surprises for the reader in terms of his point. The beauty of Phillip's book comes in how he puts together story after story to illustrate his primary idea, with the intent to grab the heart of the reader and motivate him or her to do something with the information, rather than just have the info as another feather in their cap.

Phillip's book has very little value to the person unwilling to let their heart be moved to living and being differently. However it has enormous value to anyone who is ready to be challenged by a man who has clearly wrestled with his own faith in Jesus and who has come out of the match with conviction that has teeth to it. I would highly recommend this book to anyone willing to come face to face with their own need to start living and loving sacrificially.

Don't read this book when you are hungry. the food descriptions will make you drool. I used this guide when friends from London came over for the weekend. Mouth-watering restaurant reviews and spot-on opinions and advice about Paris. Useful, good value and sometimes very funny. The book also has full sets of city maps and subway guides, and give very clear directions with every listing. I reckon it would be a great read on the train or the plane as well.

Having spent a busy weekend sightseeing, shopping and eating in Lille thanks to this amusing and shrewd guidebook, I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone else travelling in France and Belgium. The book had all the information we needed for using public transport, getting to know the locals and seeing the sights without ever making us feel like hicks or gawping visitors. We will be in Paris this Easter and have already chosen our hotels and at least two restaurants from the same book. Does this guy write about anywhere else? If he knows other cities like he knows this one, I want to read about it.

Laughter and good food make an excellent combination. This book is full of annecdotes and gossipy tips and snippets, yet it also is as mouthwatering as a recipe book. The author reviews restaurants without resorting to fashionable cosmopolitan cliches. Your mouth waters as he remembers succulent sauces and naughty desserts, you smile as he gossips about the waiters and restaurant owners, you want to linger on the salivating detail of every favourote dish and each evocative evening spent in cellars and dining rooms. Yet, when he talks of history, you are as enchanted by the true human nature of kings and artists that he conveys. I love his casual and very individual approach to sightseeing. He can give equal status to a shop selling haute couture for dogs as an art gallery or monument, and he seems to know where all the good stuff is hidden away from the coach trade. I have queued for hours at the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay in Paris, yet this guy knows of a private house with dozens of Monets on view. And best of all he knows where to find the best meals in town without breaking the bank. This book is hot on the practical side of travelling as well. Following his tips, I found out how to travel first class on Eurostar for less than the price of a second class ticket. My only complaint is that this is not part of a series. I travel all over France and Europe and would love to listen to this author's advice on the rest of the country and the continent.

Just returned from road testing this book in Paris and found it to be absoutely spot on. We found ourself visiting bars and cafes and even museums that we must have passed a dozen times before, and discoverting a genuinely local welcome in the big city. The hotel listings are fabulous, the food reports astute and the insiders' perspective is invaluable. I lent my copy to a fellow passenegr on the TGV train home, who told me that the Lille pages were just as accurate. All I have to do now, is plan my next trip at my leisure. Buy this book. You will save the over price on your first day's eating, shopping or partying.
I must have a dozen guide books to France, but this is, without doubt, the most candid and passionate. I never felt as thougb I was being prushed or processed through the tourist traps.

I laughed out loud
It is a long time since I have enjoyed a travel book so much that I laughed out loud. However, I have found myself smiling and chuckling on the metro each day since I picked up this hugely enjoyable read. The author provides us with plenty of invaluable tips on where to go and how to get there, with hundreds of restaurant and site reviews. But the great thing about this book is that everything has been tried and tested by one man, and he is a man with a top sense of humour and a fund of hilarious annecdotes about his fellow diners and visitors. I have worked in Paris for many years and I recognise so many of my favourite places in his stories and listings. Yet this fellow Englishman seems to know of many absolute treasures that have been hidden under my nose for years. I cannot wait to try more of them. I might even treat myself to a visit to Brussels, on the strength of his suggestions. An enjoyable read and a genuine key to any city.

"Peace I Ask Of Thee, Oh River" by Lyda Phillips is the story of a young woman named El Campbell who had spent all of her childhood summers at Camp Nichia and who has now become a camp counselor. It's El's assignment to teach new cambers about Nichia's traditions and rituals, contests and classes - everything from how cabins are assigned to how friends are made. It was going to be the perfect capstone to El's life at Camp Nichia - until Tiffin, the troubled daughter of the state's governor, shows up and El's summer of perfection turns into a constant struggle with this very angry and out-of-control young girl. The first place winner of the 2006 Writer's Digest International Self-Published Books Awards in the category of Children's Fiction, "The Peace I Ask Of Thee, Oh River" is a superbly crafted novel which deftly addresses the issue of teenage depression, suicide and bullying. Journalist, novelist and screenwriter, Lyda Phillips is an obviously accomplished writer with a self-evident mastery of the storytelling arts and her novel should be a part of every school and community library collection of YA fiction.

Little Darlings is a very good, coming-of-age movie about teenage girls at summer camp, and Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River shares many similarities with that movie. The story is presented from the perspective of the camp counselors, who are of high school age, mature enough to deal with some, but not all, the issues presented to them by the girls in their charge. The title derives from a camp song favorite of the girls, but this book for young adult readers is not one that will please overly protective parents. The characters in Ms. Phillip's book are real teenagers that have sex and smoke dope, and their trials and tribulations bring on the real-world angst personified so well in Stephen King's Stand By Me. This is a fascinating tale of teens as they really are. As long as you can read past the misleading title and ho-hum cover, you will find a carefully crafted, realistic story inside that deserves a place on your bookshelf.

Sitting down and reading Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River took me back to my own summer camp experiences, most of which are good, though a few that I had to endure at a day camp aren't so pleasant. But no matter how distasteful my experiences were, they can't compare with the events that transpire in Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River.

One of the things that I admire about Lyda Phillips's writing is that she brings out the inevitability of change, for good or bad. And Peace I Ask of Thee,Oh River reflects how events can unravel that forever altar the way a person interacts with the world, an inevitability that we all must accept and endure, no matter how much we'd prefer not to.

Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River is about El Campbell and her first year as a counselor at a camp she has, up until the time of this story, visited as a camper. Things seem to be going great, and El is looking forward to a summer full of fun and adult antics. That is, until a troubled child named Tiffin shows up. What should have been a summer full of lighthearted cheer slowly tumbles into a nightmare that El wishes she could forget.

The excellent writing style of Lyda Phillips continues to shine through. The story is well told, well crafted, and easy to read. And the only complaint that I can offer up is the short length of the novel. The book seems a bit over priced for 108 pages of story, though there is the option of buying an electronic version of the book.

All in all, I think Peace I Ask of Thee, oh River is worth the price. And it's a book I'll gladly keep on my shelf.

-David Hoffman for Gloomwing Magazine

With this intense and at times disturbing novel, Lyda Phillips once again showcases her talent for voice and bringing characters to life. Certainly the issues it addresses - everything from mental illness to the complexities of friendship to the horrors visited on teenagers given too much responsibility too young - are compelling. These elements are woven in with lighter ones, deftly portrayed without heavy-handedness or sinking into melodrama.

But what really sets this book apart are the people, El and Tiffin in particular. From the first page, they are real. From that first page, you'll keep reading until their story has been told. And when you're done, some of them will haunt you.

Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River
Lyda Phillips
iUniverse (ISBN: 0595361722, $10.95, Paperback)
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, Nebraska 68512

With Peace I Ask of Thee, Oh River, Lyda Phillips proves that her recent novel, Mr. Touchdown, was no fluke. As crisp and wise and well-written as Mr. Touchdown, Peace I Ask of Thee also probes disturbing themes, weaving them in and through the comforting rhythms of everyday life.

In fact, the rhythm of life at Camp Nichia is one of the reasons El Campbell had spent all of her childhood summers there. Now that she was finally a counselor, it was her turn to teach new campers about Nichia's traditions and rituals, contests and classes, how cabins were assigned and friends were made... In other words, it was going to be the perfect end-of-childhood summer.

But it wasn't. Something happened, and instead of El changing her young charges' lives, one of them changes hers.

A wealthy, powerful family deposits their troubled daughter, Tiffin, at the camp, and El's summer of perfection turns into an ongoing confrontation with one very angry, very unhappy young girl. It's not just that Tiffin won't cooperate with any of the rituals and traditions - which she won't - it's that she's weird! Really, deeply strange. So sometimes it's easier to just leave her alone. And that's exactly what El and the other girls do. Whenever possible.

Eventually, El's unexamined, adolescent contempt for anybody different gives way to concern for her disturbed young charge. From that point on, she is in a race against time...trying to wake herself up from the soothing comforts of the cozily familiar, and see what is.

Once again, Phillips has given us a strong young voice. Described as a "normal, healthy teenager," El finds herself dealing with things she doesn't understand, doesn't want, and can't ignore. Hers is the heroine's journey -- down, down, into the depths of her own soul; to make sense of madness, to find meaning at the heart of chaos.

And best of all, the author takes us on that journey, without giving up one bit of the fun and romance and silliness and boredom, and the wonder of one's 18th summer. The tastes and sounds and smells of camp... songs and chores... goofy traditions...and the sweetness of a first summer love... Phillips' obvious love of nature, combined with her exceptional gift for description, let us hike and swim and shoot the rapids right along with El and her friends.

This wonderful story, with its fast-moving plot and engaging characters, will be thought-provoking for readers of any age. It tackles such tough topics as mental illness and the cruelty often displayed by groups against individuals it fears, and it does so in a richly detailed, multi-textured world, as vibrantly alive to the reader as it is to El and her fellow campers.


Susan Marya Baronoff
Reviewer

A great book that encapsulates the philosophical basis behind psychiatry and indeed medicine in general. A must read for all med students!

This book is unlike any other. It represents the accumulated wisdom and understanding of two sensitive and intelligent psychiatrists who were in the position of teaching often skeptical Johns Hopkins medical students. These students are among the smartest and able individuals in the country - most of them were not going into psychiatry and had a variable amount of interest and respect for it. The authors were therefore in the position of presenting their chosen field to a challenging audience.
This book represents their masterful response. Four separate perspectives are presented, Disease, Dimension, Behavior and Narrative.
The combination of creativity and intellectual integrity make it a delightful and worthwhile experience for anyone in psychiatry. The persuasive power of it's ideas make it an essential book for anyone who teaches intelligent medical students or even residents and psychologists in training.

Paul Mc Hugh continues his practice of writing prose that delights and informs .The Perspectives of Psychiatry should be read by every trainee psychiatrist and anyone else with an interest in what are called the Behavioral Sciences .I found it hard to put down .I particularly liked the respect accorded to the phenomonology of psychiatric disorder - something of which 99% of contemporary pscyhiatrists know little and no doubt care less : being preoccupied with risk assessment never helps. The chapter on Schizophrenia is exemplary.The work gets my vote .
James H Willis FRCP

I am currently reading this book for my fourth time in six years. As my clinical experience has broadened, I find the teachings more and more salient. With each reading, I am more impressed by the insight and straightforward genius of this work. This classic by Drs. McHugh and Slavney is a must read for any psychiatrist or mental health professional -- a refreshing and thoughtful reprieve from the "unfounded chatter" of the psychiatric literature.

These perspectives have helped me to learn more about my patients and improve their overall treatment. The theories are laid out in a clear, understandable manor, so the non-psychiatrist may learn. P.S. Dr.McHugh is a gem!

Keller's inspirational writings have blessed my socks off. It is second only to my Bible. No where have I read a better description on shepherding, shepherds and sheep. I have bought a number of these books for gifts for family and friends. Anyone who is hurting, or seeking a deeper more meaningful relationship with the Lord will find help and good answers and guidelines. I cannot praise this book enough, and thank God Philip Keller wrote it.

This is great compilation of several books by Phillip Keller and I highly recommend them.

This is the best book on Psalm 23. I have read almost all the books on Psalm 23 (commentaries, sermons and critical books) in the Bible (and Shepherd Motif/Imagery). I used to feel to hit a wall to preach Psalm 23 for a long time. The author truly breaks the wall to open my eyes. This is one of the first books that I use for discipleship and leadership training for the churches that I ministered for last 15 years. And I have bought a few hundred copies to my fellow Christians to appreciate Psalm 23.
Richard K. Min, Dallas, Texas

This is the best book on Psalm 23. I have read almost all the books on Psalm 23 (commentaries, sermons and critical books) in the Bible (and Shepherd Motif/Imagery). I used to feel to hit a wall to preach Psalm 23 for a long time. The author truly breaks the wall to open my eyes. This is one of the first books that I use for discipleship and leadership training for the churches that I ministered for last 15 years. And I have bought a few hundred copies to my fellow Christians to appreciate Psalm 23.
Richard K. Min, Dallas, Texas

This has got to absolutely be one of the best books I have ever read. What a pity that it is no longer available, except by searching for a used copy. Phillip Keller opens grand new vistas regarding what consitutes a really good shepherd and what being a "sheep" is all about. Many portions of both the Old and New Testament are much more meaningful to me now. I would read this book before I went to bed. It was like drinking a glass of the finest wine. Very inspirational and highly recommended.

The book is EXCELLENT by Catedra which analyzes the 'obra' in detail. Excellent book and great story by Rojas and his crtizers.

A classic Spanish literature story written in the Old Style Spanish by fernando De Rojas. Excellent reading and an excellent story with modern applications.

Celestina is amusing, ironic, and while the prose and dialogue is long and descriptive, it is never boring- I really enjoyed this play. A note to the person who claims to be the author: Celestina was written in 1499, and it is widely assumed the author lived circa the same time. So, congratultions on your 500th birthday. :)

Celestina is amusing, ironic, and while the prose and dialogue is long and descriptive, it is never boring- I really enjoyed this play.

Ante todo resulta incómodo ver valoradas con estrellitas (de 1 a 5) las obras maestras de la literatura universal.
La Celestina forma parte de esa veintena de obras maestras que forman lo más destacado de la literatura en cualquier idioma y de cualquier época. Sin lugar a dudas, la más fascinante, moderna, entretenida y asequible de su época. Una auténtica novela (dialogada) moderna.

Entre sus mejores momentos: la comida en casa de Celestina con los criados y prostitutas, el primer encuentro de Celestina y Melibea, Melibea esperando a Calixto en el jardín, y un final que te deja un nudo en la garganta. Ah!, y por supuesto la sabiduría popular de Celestina.

La comparación con Romeo and Juliet de Shakespeare no tiene sentido. Las dos obras son opuestas. Por otra parte no cabe duda de que La Celestina es muy superior (más compleja, densa, apasionada, humana, personajes más solidos y destacados...)

Cito a Riquer en su extraordinaria Historia de La Literatura Universal:

Cuando Calixto llega al jardín de Melibea por vez primera persiguiendo un halcón y queda herido por la belleza de la joven (escena de caza frecuente en las novelas cortesanas medievales, por ejemplo en el Cliges de Troyes), se levanta un vendaval que lo arrasará todo, lo bajo y lo elevado, el afecto más gratuito y la codicia más interesada. Y el lector tras tanta belleza, tantos primores, tanta poesía, tanto realismo y tras una tan bien conducida historia de unas almas en desasosiego, ve que la tragicomedia de Rojas, a pesar de su declarada intencion moralizadora, cae en el vacío, como Melibea al arrojarse de la torre, porque después de la muerte de los dos jóvenes Rojas sólo deja entrever un "infierno de enamorados"

Every school administrator should take the time to read this valuable, well-researched guide to the problem and solutions to the issue of mistreatment in schools. The authors have made a strong case for student empowerment, and have given school personnel the practical tools to make their schools safer and more welcoming for everyone.

The most important aspect of this book is that the strategies suggested PREVENT mistreatment, thus changing the norms. As a facilitator of adults ordered by court to take anger management classes, I would like to see more of this taking place. That way we are up stream solving the problem rather than downstream picking up the bodies. I have shared much of the information in the book in parenting classes I led. Students found the information extremely useful. To my knowledge several of them did go back to their children's schools and obtained information on how the school was addressing bullying. It's the ripple effect. Take the time to read the book and then make a difference in your community. I'd love to work myself out of a job.

As the parent of a girl who was a mistreated in middle school, I have often wondered what can be done to bring about change for students like my daughter. I know from my own experience, that top down discipline does not provide for a safe school climate. If it did, my many calls to the school about how my daughter was being treated, would have brought about change.
What I have learned from this insightful, compelling book is that by empowering the students, we can build safer schools, from the inside-out, an obvious, and simple solution. Research based and well written, Safe School Ambassadors:Harnessing Student Power, is a must read for Professionals and Parents alike.

I have worked with young people for over 30 years as a theatre educator and drama therapist. The problem of schools being unsafe and uncivil places in which to learn is growing around the globe. In addition to providing a clear overview of the problem, I believe the authors express quite eloquently the key to the solution: youth empowerment. It is through relationship that young people develop their behavioral repertoire and, as is expressed in this book, "Outside-In" approaches that focus on rules, monitoring, and enforcement cannot effectively change the social norms that make it O.K. for students to mistreat each other. Kudos to the authors on creating such a valuable resource.

I'm so grateful to the authors of this book. I've been working with families and youth for almost 15 years and I think this book reflects a clear understanding of the reality in schools across the country, and presents, in a sensitive and intelligent way, a very clear and effective way to create safer schools where our kids can get inspired, empowered, and ready to face an increasingly challenging world. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Bernardo writes a good novel that makes one aware of the cultural traits that make up one culture and are transmitted to another. Also, he writes about the need to hide our sexual orientation when the climate around is unforgiving. Overall a good read, Bernardo lives in New York and has had a chance to experience the Cuban American reality.

I loved this book. I was engrossed immediately into Maximiliano and Delores's love affair, and I too wanted to dance the danzon. Sure, the book was dripping with machismo, but at no point does it pretend to do otherwise.

The book set me on a beautiful dream, and I didn't want to wake up. If you were able to imagine the world of Like Water for Chocolate, and willing not to judge the characters based on any feminist belief system, then you'll enjoy this thoroughly romantic and enchanting family saga.

What does the 'Kirkus Review' know?

This is a story that encompasses the lives of a Cuban family, and during the reading and subsequent re-reading of the story a couple years later, I was struck repeatedly by the desire to be Cuban. Yeah, so the men are stuck in that machismo muck. And there are some phrases that make one squirm. But they're Cuban- an entirely different culture. And a culture that Jose Raul Bernardo brings to such vivid life that I actually felt Cuban while I read it. And for a sheltered little suburban girl, that's quite a feat. My biggest issue with the book was the abrupt and weak ending, but I forgive the author that shortcoming because the remainder of the story was so very entertaining.

From the beginning of the story, where a young Maximiliano and Dolores are described in photographs, I was pulled into the age and flavor of Cuba. I danced the danzon, ate the palomillas and visited the posada. After Dolores marries the butcher's son and is disowned by her father, the young couple is determined to make it on their own. They suffer one calamity after another, and end up moving to the bright lights of Havana, where the story really takes off. One daughter is desperate for love, one son is desperate to have the best wife in the neighborhood, and one son is desperate to be loved and accepted by his family, while Dolores is looking the away from her husband's wandering eye. The book is really about how little ripples in a pond cause big waves on the far shore. It is also about how we can't possibly know everything that the people closest to us are doing, thinking or feeling, that usually only half the story is revealed, usually the shiny half.

This book drips with the richness of Cuban culture, burns with the fiery passion of the characters, and dazzles with the vividly described beauty of the exotic locales.

You'll find yourself hooked from the prologue, as the author introduces his main characters, Maximiliano the butcher's son, and Delores, daughter of a wealthy landowner, and the love that ignites them from their very first meeting.

Turning her back on her family, Delores elopes with her one true love, standing by him through good times, fires and hurricanes, infidelity and adultery, bending like the royal palm trees and then rebounding tall and proud to hold her family together.

The story skillfully weaves its way between the lives of their children - Mani, heir apparent to the trade, who carries on his brawny shoulders the fears and mistakes of the past; Merced the eldest, headstrong and artistic; Gustavo the shy poet and Marguita the youngest. While Merced's marriage ends disastrously, and Gustavo fights to keep his together, Mani remains in awe of the fearsome animals that race down the Street of the Bulls in their last run before they end up on his slab, tenderly and skillfully converted to prime cuts for the waiting and appreciative customers.

Full of local culture, nosy neighbors, steamy seduction and time honored male rituals of honor, this story is never boring, but subtly brings out the strength of the Cuban woman and the importance of family.

Amanda Richards, July 2, 2005

How can one rate this book? What is higher than five stars? A firmament? Well then, this book deserves a firmament.

I have read The Secret of the Bulls not once, not twice, but three times; and each time I read it I find something new in it. I confess that I have been deeply moved by it every single time I have read it, and yet, I have been moved in different places, which I find it strange. I guess I bring the state of my own personal life into the reading.

I fell instantly in love with all the characters, particularly that of Mani, a young boy who is the son and the grandson of a butcher but who dreams of being an artist, something almost impossible in the macho society in which he lives. Like Mani, I also come from a very poor background and yet I am pursuing a life in the arts, so I thoroughly identified with him. We first meet Mani as a boy, and we last meet him when as a young man he discovers what the Secret of the Bulls is all about: Finding your own identity and living your life at your own speed, following your own way, whether other people like or not. You have to read the book to the very, very end to understand what I mean. So please, I beg you to read it, it may change your life. It has changed mine. It has given me a lot of hope, and I always feel great when I finish reading it. The book has made me laugh (I mean, I actually laughed aloud as I read it); it has made me cry several times; and let's face it, the sex scenesýwhich are indeed essential to the story for a changeýwere called steamy by Publisher's Weekly, and WOW! They were not kidding!

A great story told with heart and passion.

A great read.

Truely one of the best books I've read, EVER!! Pick it up, you'll love it!!! An excellent "summer reading" book, hard to put down, I finished it in one day at the beach.

I'm an avid reader and found this one to be a page turner. It is a fast read because you want to know what is happening with the characters.

This is my first book by these authors and I intend to read their other book "Prescription for Greed". Look forward to reading more books from them.

Pat Will

Sounds interesting... I'm buying the Fair Tax Book and i'll buy this one too...

I can't wait to read it..

Chris Bacon

A fantastic, fast-paced thriller that you won't want to put down. This father and son author team really gets you wondering about conspiracy and corruption in the medical world.

If this isn't a page turner I don't know what is... My dog ruined the carpet, and I forgot to take my insulin I was so entranced by this book. I have purchased 12 copies for my friends and when I get paid I will buy 12 more. Amazing.

Private Investigator, Nicholas Tartaglia, is back . . .


Two men burglarize the home of the city's most prominent CEO, searching for a mystical book. What they don't know is, someone is home when they break in. In the flux of chaos, one of the burglars is dead . . . and so is the CEO's only son.


When Tartaglia receives a call from an old friend, he learns that she has just been assigned to represent the man accused of the burglary and murder. With time being of the essence, the defense attorney needs Tartaglia's help investigating the circumstances in order to establish a defense.


In a desperate search for answers, Tartaglia finds himself submerged in a raging river of deception, evil spells and witchcraft. It quickly becomes apparent that getting a man out of jail might be the least of Tartaglia's concerns as he uncovers an underworld consumed by the use of black magic . . . and a plot that scares the hell out of him.

For the first 120 pages this was one of the best books I have ever read. It was faced paced and I became an instant fan of Nicholas Tartaglia. I thought the last 50 pages were a little too unrealistic, even if you are willing to believe in Witches and Black Magic. There were also many (i.e., more than 10) grammatical errors throughout the book. I still give it 4 stars.

Phillip Tomasso weaves a fantastic tale of supernatural proportions in THIRD RING. This book keeps you at the edge of your seat, makes you question what you really believe, and entertains, all at the same time. I enjoyed reading this novel because it had just the right amount of characterization to make me feel like I know Tartaglia (the protagonist) but not so much that it took away from the plot.

Mystery and supernatural fans alike will delight in this novel. If you're looking for something fresh, you've just found it.

P.I. Nick Tartaglia has a knack for attracting cases out of the realm of normalcy. In THIRD RING, what started out as a case of burglary and murder seven months earlier, ends up pulling Tartaglia into a nightmare involving The Talisman, three books titled "Heaven," "Earth," and "Hell." He who possesses all three, possesses unspeakable powers of black magic. Just as in THE TENTH HOUSE, Tomasso expertly blurs the line between real and surreal, and knows how to flush out the dark side in chilling detail. An excellent follow-up to a promising series.

What if you had the power to control good and evil? What if this power came in three parts, and you only had one of those parts? Would you do anything you could to get the other two parts in order to control this power? And what would you do with this power, if you could obtain it?

Gordon Birdie, better known as Whine, and Anthony James broke into the home of Phillip Edwards Sr., one of Rochester's most prominent and powerful CEO's, searching for a mystical book. Both men were not normally thieves, nor had they ever done such a thing before, but getting the book was important and so they took the chance. The house was empty, or so they thought until Phillip Jr., the only son of the CEO, heard them. Upon hearing a noise in the basement, Phillip Jr. went to investigate. Carrying a gun he found Anthony and Whine robbing the safe. In the midst of the confrontation two men ended up dead, Anthony, and Phillip Jr. Whine ended up in jail, accused of burglary and murder.

Lynn Scannella, Attorney at Law, is assigned the case, when another attorney drops it. It is only a few weeks before trial and she has absolutely nothing to go on to defend her client. The only thing she can think of is to call her old friend, and private investigator, Nicholas Tartaglia to investigate and find out what happened, and why, in order to establish some kind of defense for her client.

Whine is giving Nick absolutely no help in finding anything that would help him beat the charges, even though he was not the one that killed either man. In fact Whine figures he is safer in prison than on the outside.

Nick follows up on some of the things that are already known, and soon finds out that there are three books, known as the Talisman involved. After searching for information about these books, what they represent and can do, as well as being warned to back off, which he refuses to do, Nick finds himself up to his neck in black magic, murder, and another world completely involved in the supernatural. A world that totally scares Nick to death.

THIRD RING is a very well written fast paced thriller with more than just a few twists and turns. It combines the occult with intrigue, mystery, murder, and even has a little romance thrown in.

Mr. Tomasso's characters are not only believable, and multi faceted, they are also intriguing. Some you will like, some you will hate, but all will grab your attention and pull you onto the next page.........and the page after that.

THIRD RING will have you questioning any prior thoughts you may have about the occult, or good versus evil. In fact if you had ever doubted there was a thing such as evil, THIRD RING may just dispel that doubt.

THIRD RING is a mix of mystery and the supernatural. A blend that Mr. Tomasso brings off in a smooth, fast paced manner. A manner that truly glides by the reader so smoothly and quickly that you won't even realize where the time has gone when you read the final words.

I definitely recommend everyone read this wonderfully crafted story. It will both entertain and intrigue you.

Mr. Tomasso is a talent we are all going to hear a lot more about, and what we will hear will be very good.

I do believe that after reading THIRD RING you will never look at the supernatural in the same way again. I know I won't. But I will definitely be looking for more out of Mr. Tomasso.