Stevens Books

Something of a departure from my usual genre of reading but nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is fast moving with more than a few unexpected twists and turns. I found myself picking it up at every oportunity as I wanted to know what happened next and whether Longinus manages to achieve his aim. I am really looking forward to Book II.

I found this book very interesting. It kept my attention throughout, I didn't want to put it down. It definately was different reading than what I usually enjoy. My usual interest is romance or comedy. Steven Maines is a great writer whose book Longinus: Book I Of The Merlin Factor is fascinating! I can't wait to read the sequel.

I was intrigued, yet wary when I saw the title and cover of this book. Would the era and subject matter be more suited to a man? I prefer historical fiction that examines characters' lives rather than posing them solely in their adventures.

I was wonderfully surprised how the author, Steven Maines, managed to so skillfully accomplish each without sacrificing the other.

The story line is unexpected, revealing a unique spiritual point of view. Whether you agree or not with the author's vision, you will be captivated by his ability take a minor character in history and weave a remarkable and fascinating tale.

A great read!

Longinus: Book I of the Merlin Factor is an exciting and intriguing page-turner about the life of Longinus, the Roman Centurion who pierced the side of Christ while he was on the cross. This novel has something in it for everyone as it's an action-packed, spiritual, thought-provoking novel of historical fiction which also has a love-story entwined in its pages. It can be read on several levels but as others have mentioned, once you start it, you cannot put it down. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading book 2.

Longinus: Book I Of The Merlin Factor by Steven Maines was an adventure I thoroughly enjoyed going on! I came upon Steven's book and was not sure I would enjoy it based on the content. Roman Centurion's and the death of Jesus are not topics I normally choose to read. With that being said, WOW, what a wonderfully delightful, compelling journey of a Roman Centurion and many other deeply moving characters. I love when a book captures my attention and does not let me go until I get to the last page...I would highly recommend the book Longinus to anyone who desires to go on a true adventure of finding the mystic within! Bravo Steven!!!!

Golden Hawk
Radio Show Host
Another Reality Show

Nice illustrations, good strong story line. For being such an imaginative story, it's fairly realistic in how to think of solutions, instead of quiting. Very good story for young readers.

Steven Kellogg is an excellent artist and storyteller. This is my favorite of his works. I often wished, when I was young, that my uncle in Scotland would send me a huge tadpole, but my uncle only lived 10 miles away in the desert. Not much chance of that!

This book has a great story and is fun! Children will love the vivid pictures as well as the exciting turn of events! I give it two thumbs up! There are two editions out there, the original, and the second edition which has several different illustrations and a few story differences. I like both, but for different reasons and whichever you get, you'll love it!

Sure, the plot is silly. What do you expect when the premise is that a tadpole caught in Loch Ness turns out to be more than Uncle McAllister bargained for? The Mysterious Tadpole is a rollicking romp, rich in absurdity (Only after Alphonse grows four legs and reaches the size of a Volkswagen does the teacher conclude that he's not an ordinary tadpole.), and chock full of Steven Kellog's usual hilarious illustrations. Grab the nearest child, curl up in a big chair, and enjoy The Mysterious Tadpole.

I loved this book as a child and have loved reading it to my son. He received the 25th Anniversary edition for Christmas and while it's very, very good, it has been rewritten and simply lacks the charm of the original (which I would rate an enthusiastic 5 stars). The story is still wonderful and if this is the only copy you have access to, you won't be disappointed. The original, though, is the best and that's why I have to give this edition 4-stars.

This was one of my favorite stories as a kid, but i forgot the name. i asked every kindergarden teacher i could find if they knew the book about the kid who gets a baby loch ness monster from his uncle and no one had any idea what i was talking about. I'm so happy i found it here because now i can get it for my son to enjoy. This is such a cute story!

There are so many easy recipes (especially for brunch) that usually take less than 30 minutes to prepare. My favorite are the yummy overnight breakfasts -- I can take 15 minutes to make blueberry french toast before going to bed and then just pop it in the oven when I wake up -- a delicious breakfast that didn't take long to make!! Most of the recipes are designed for moms who have a little one on their hip. You only need one hand to make a delicious meal that doesn't take long from start to finish. You can add little touches to any recipe (or change ingredients to your liking) -- it takes the stress out of cooking when you're pressed for time. Great buy!!

I am the mother of 3, and I cook EVERYTHING from scratch. I like the spiral binding. The book is sturdy and the pages stay open. There is a lot of advice in the beginning of the book but I did not find the advice helpful because I've already "been there, done that" and figured it out on my own by making mistakes. The advice may be very helpful to a new mother -- would make a great gift. As far as the recipes go, some are great (Mediterranean Chicken, which is adapted from The Silver Palate) and some are not. There are a lot of short cuts and adaptations from other cook books, which is kind of unoriginal. Some of the recipes I don't get -- there's one for stir fry chicken which consists of buying veggies, chicken and bottled sauce (why buy a cookbook when the recipe is on the back of the veggies package?). And, some of the recipes are not for kids -- my kids wouldn't touch the food. Although this book is good for the one-armed cook, I think that the recipes in my Gourmet (5 Ingredients), Bon Appetit (Keep It Simple, Everynight Cooking), and Rachael Ray books are just as easy and great.

I received this cookbook as a birthday gift over a year ago and it is - by far - the best, most useful cookbook I've ever owned. I was a decent cook (definitely not a chef!) but, over the past year, this book has elevated tremendously my ability to provide delicious meals for my family. My husband even publicly commented about this recently at a party we were attending! I knew I liked the recipes, but I didn't realize that he had noticed so much!

The recipes are wonderful, delicious, and easy to prepare, and even the non-recipe chapters are full of useful information (such as how to stock your pantry). I can't recommend this book highly enough!

I have raved about this cookbook to my friends. I have several cookbooks but the recipes in this one are actually for meals the children WILL eat! Yay!!!! :) The meals are easy to prepare, simple and delicious! I especially love the sections on planning simple get togethers (with specific menus all spelled out) and the slow cooking section. I use this book several times a week and have to say I finally have more selection for what to make for dinner and I'm enjoying the variety too. BUY IT!

I bought this book not for a new mother but for a busy mom, I would buy this book again without hesitation for baby showers in the future.

It is always difficult and challenging to pick up what is regarded as a classic and read through it in a naive manner, not as a specialist but as an amateur who just wants to learn. There are always surprises.
In contrast to the looser Herodotus, his near contemporary, Thucydides sought to record an "objective truth" of the great war between Athens and Sparta, in the 5C BC. He consulted multiple sources and carefully judged what to include and what not to include, ito establish an idea of what really happened. While some of the forms, such as elaborately made-up speeches as a study in rhetoric, differ from what we would do today, he set a new standard for accuracy. THe result is a work of genius, the first serious attempt at writing history rather than merely storytelling.

Reading this is not always fun. There are long sections that are lists of occurences, with references to individuals who appear and disappear without followup. But there are also penetrating analyses of remarkable characters, such as Perikles, Alcibiades, and other great generals, who became reference points to the present day. Thucydides also broached the subject of political science as history - how institutions actually functioned - in new ways, with demonstrations of how the unleashing of passions led to their corruption or distortion. Finally, there are chilling sections with timeless insight in human conduct in war, with the full horror of the breakdown of all order and law.

THis translation is also sufficintely readable, far better than the turbid one I first read in college. THucydides is quite eloquent in this version.

Recommended as one of the great classics of Western literature. It is a work of genius so great that it is still relevant and vivid.

I used this book for an introductory History class. It is a great supplement to the study of the Greek periods. It has a nice glossory in the back for unusual terms, as well as helpful maps. Some of the text is a bit dry, but the reading is not very difficult.

The history of the Peloponnesian is a brilliant account of a classic war that began as a preemptive attack on Athens by Sparta to prevent the domination of the Greeks by the Athenians. The war began in the year 427 BC and ended 27 years later with the defeat of Athens by Sparta. This history however is only up to the 21st year of the war. Although there are several translations of the work I selected the translation by Thomas Hobbes the 17th century philosopher. It is the first done in the English language. Thucydides was a soldier on the Athenian side which in a sense puts a lie to the common notion that it is the winners of war who write history. The war was finally won by Sparta, powerful on land, and an oligarchy with a communal outlook on life defeating Athens with the strongest navy in the world, and a democracy with an individualistic outlook on life. Ironically it is Sparta's eventual mastery of the sea that defeated the Athenians. Whether or not this bodes ill for America remains to be seen. History is not over.

Thucydides relates not only the battles of the war in some detail describing tactics and the individuals involved, but also the strategy and the politics. There is intrigue, treason, broken alliances, and hubris. The winners of a battle rarely show mercy and treason is dealt with harshly with often entire towns put to the sword or enslaved. Among the combatants there is respect for the strong and contempt for the weak. Truces are often held to bury the dead because the dead are respected by all.

Unlike Homer's Illiad written about one thousand years earlier Thucydides does not mention the gods as having a say in the outcome of the war. While religion is a factor it is not a determining factor in the conduct and outcome of the war. One could argue that Thucydides is a secular account of history whereas Homer is a more religious account.

Thucydides should be mandatory reading and study for all white males between the ages of 16 and 18 of above average IQ. The History will prepares them for war and instill in them the desire and willingness to defeat the enemy. It teaches contempt for the enemy which is a valuable attitude in war. Pericles funeral oration to the Athenians is the most inspiring and most moving speech ever given. The resemblance of this speech to the Gettysburg address is obvious and leads one to conclude that if Pericles could inspire Abraham Lincoln in his thinking then Thucydides' History did so likewise and influenced the strategy and the eventual outcome of the Civil War including the period of reconstruction. The contrast between the Spartan outlook on life and that of the Athenians to the adversaries in all subsequent wars up to the present war on terror is striking indeed. There are lessons still to be learned from the Peloponnesian War and woe to those that fail to learn these lessons.

The greatest of all Greek historians was the Athenian general Thucydides (455-400 B.C.E.). Thucydides' classic work, "History Of The Peloponnesian War", provides us with the historical framework for 5th century Greece, a golden age of intellectual achievement and creativity rarely equaled in human history. This history is by far the best account of the bitter war between Athens and Sparta as well as the only surviving contemporary record of the rise of the Athenian empire. Thucydides as a master storyteller does not just cover the battle scenes; he records the great political speeches of Pericles, leader of Athens, and Lysander leader of Sparta with great acumen. He is recognized as the first historian to actually go and get eyewitness accounts, visit battlefieilds and research documents and records. This work took him over 20 years and it shows!

The lessons he teaches about imperial over reaching and unreasonable peace settlements are prescient today as they were during his times. President Woodrow Wilson, read this book on his voyage across the Atlantic to the Versailles Peace Conference and vociferously fought the other Allies in making unreasonable demands of the Germans. Wilson learned the dangers that the world would be placed in by backing the Germans into a corner politically and economically from Thucydides book.

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history. I also recommend you read it with David Cartwright's "A Historical Commentary On Thucydides."

No book has kept me up at night or occupied my thoughts in the past decade more than Thucydides. The story told here is stunningly and disturbingly relevant for any American. Sparta vs Athens seems an allegory for the conflict between traditional America, of our first hundred years or so, and modern, progressive America from about 1900 onward. Its no allegory of course, and the realization that history repeats itself gives the work an importance that no book can match.

I recall in college taking one of those Intellectual History survey courses required of incoming freshman. We were all assigned to read Perikles funeral oration as an example of how like our society Athens was and of course, how noble that likeness made the two societies. We weren't, of course, assigned the entire book, just the oration out of context. When I finally got around to reading Thucydides years later, I thought back to that course and wanted my tuition money back!

Read the original text. Political writers and propagandists of all stripes make reference to Thucydides to give weight to their views. Don't trust their interpretations. Read for yourself and decide. Skip the commentaries and translations and go right to page one of the text.

In my book, "Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins", I devote an entire chapter to the eighth Crusade. The political events of the time, the celestial omens that were seen in the heavens and depicted on coinage of Louis IX and that of his brother Charles of Anjou, combined with the influence of Charles of Anjou on Louis IX, all came together as the basis for the decision by Louis IX to land at the Bay of Tunis for his final crusade.

As part of my research, I read numerous books on the history of the period, and I found that Runciman's book, "The Sicilian Vespers," was especially useful. There were many items of interest in his book that added to my understanding of the history of that time.

Marshall Faintich

Sir Runciman once again delivers informative historical narrative that is thorough and equally entertaining. The political intrigue of the 13th century, involving virtually all of the Mediterranean powers, provide just the detail needed to grasp the causes and affects of the Vespers revolution. Sir Runciman deftly weaves the varied characters and their roles together into the story that pulls the reader in and keeps their attention. There are a confusing array of political players in the drama but Sir Runciman's story-telling style helps avoid confusion and makes the intricate connections required to better understand the period. Very well done and a wonderful addition to any library.

Herein, outstanding British historian Runciman explains in considerable and fascinating detail the story of the Sicilian Vespers, and its profound impact on the history of Christendom. What comes across most dramatically to this reader in Runciman's wonderful account is the love of intrigue and political striving of the 13th century Papacy. Here, we see the several Popes of the period acting as petty Italian Princes in their attemtps to further their own secular power. And the upshot of these attempts came to be a profound weakening of the unity of Western Christendom that ultimately fructified into the Reformation of the 16th century.

Another amazing aspect of the story Runciman herein records is the stunning skill and subtlety of Byzantine diplomacy. At the time, the Byzantine, or Later Roman, Empire was yet reeling from the devastation of the hideous Fourth Crusade. And, yet with little remaining military power at their hands, the Byzantines managed to avert what would have been another disasterous Western "crusade" from destroying Constantinople. Here we see also a natural alliance forming between Aragon, later Spain, and the Orthodox East. One could make a good case that this was also the natural alliance that so frustrated Napoleon's design, when he was harried by guerrila warfare in Spain, and by Holy Russia's Biblically courageous defense of Mother Russia.

We strongly recommend Sir Steven Runciman's excellent work to all who would understand this very important, but little discussed, background to modern European history. God bless.

What an excellent history. It's a careful, economical but thorough recounting of events among a huge array of far-flung characters. It's not difficult to read, but rereading helps fix the cast in the mind. (The index is excellent, but a list of characters would have been helpful, although that sort of user-friendliness would definitely have been at odds with the book's Cambridge gestalt.) Sir Steven is very sparing of analysis and conjecture, so that when he does essay a mild synthesizing comment, it is all the more powerful and organic, having grown from the "objective" account and selections of incident. His final thesis -- that the medieval papacy foundered during this period due to its cautious, conscious decision to eschew centralized surrogate command (through the Hohestaufen empire) in favor of decentralized partitioning (the original balkanization) that fed and inculcated a nationalism that was ultimately much more debilitating to papal power -- is both startling and inevitable. Besides the masterful overarching view of European history, the book also is fascinating and illuminating about Sicily in particular, and its polyglot zealotry.

Runciman's writing is absolutely amazing in this volume which treats of Europe in the mid-to-late thirteenth century. I devoured this book in a matter of days, fascinated as I am with Sicilian history and culture. Runciman gives a fantastic view of the Kingdom of Sicily after the fall of "The Kingdom in the Sun", or the Norman Kingdom based in Palermo. From the benevolent king William the Good to the villanous Charles of Anjou, Runciman presents all of those occurances which led up to the Sicilian Vespers, or the systematic destruction of French power over the Sicilians on Easter Monday, 1282. A must-read for all those interested in the history of Europe in this era.

The making of Rear Windows, The Man Who Knew Too Much, To Catch a Thief and The Trouble with Harry in one book! Through interviews with the key production personnel of Hitchcock and writer Hayes, this book covers each detail of how these films were made. Very recommended.

In 1953 John Michael Hayes met Alfred Hitchcock in the Polo Lounge of the Beverly Hills Hotel for dinner. After indulging in much wine and food with the legendary director, the 33-year-old writer, who was just starting to earn his spurs as a film scenarist after a luminous period in radio, returned home and told his wife he was certain that Hitchcock would never hire him to collaborate with him on projects.

How wrong Hayes proved to be, to the distinct benefit of himself and the great director. Hayes believed he would not be hired since he frankly criticized some of Hitchcock's earlier films. As things turned out, Hitchcock admitted he had heard very little of what Hayes was saying. Instead he focused on his manner, believing him to be glib and confident of himself. They then went to work on their first project together, with Hayes writing the screenplay adaptation of Cornell Woolrich's renowned short story, "Rear Window."

Steven DeRosa takes us on a fascinating journey with a succinct dual biography of the two men, brilliant creative forces with styles in some ways different, in other ways similar, while also showcasing the four films on which they worked during their collaboration. Despite his formidable background and lengthy film experience, Hitchcock knew where to tread and how to back off, giving Hayes plenty of suggestions on settings while providing him with all the independence he needed to place his own brand on his screenplays, particularly the masterful dialogue that made him sought after from the time he arrived in Hollywood looking for work. We learn that Hayes, before working on films, was a smashing success as a writer on the Sam Spade radio series starring Howard Duff and Lurene Tuttle. It was while cranking out radio scripts and being compelled to meet pressureful deadlines that Hayes developed a discipline that led him later to be branded as "Hollywood's fastest writer."

Another fascinating collaboration was "To Catch a Thief," in which the French Riviera settings form a brilliant visual backdrop to a thriller in which Cary Grant plays a reformed jewel thief who is enticed back into action to help the local police catch that period's successor to Grant. Along the way he finds romance with Grace Kelly, who will not that long afterward return to the French Riviera to reign over Monte Carlo with new husband Prince Rainier.

DeRosa provides interesting details on the remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much," this time, 22 years after the original was released, as a spectacular color film. We learn how this film, starring James Stewart and Doris Day,was crafted in a way to utilize the good points of the original version while building upon that success and providing excellent original material.

This book is a rare effort. Scarcely ever does a reader receive such a close perspective on the important relationship between two master craftsmen, a brilliant veteran director and a young screenwriter at the peak of his powers.

This book is about the successful teaming of Alfred Hitchcock and screenwriter John Michael Hayes. Hayes, a native New Englander, and recently a screenwriting professor at Dartmouth, wrote four films for Hitch, including Rear Window, To Catch a Thief and The Man Who Knew Too Much. They worked extraordinarily well together, Hitchcock bringing to the table his mastery of suspense and technique and Hayes his knack for sharp dialogue and strong characters. Predictably, ego, money and a battle for credit soon got in the way and ended their partnership. Steven DeRosa's research is impressive, and his style accessible, entertaining and informative.

Although the book's main focus is on the four films Hitchcock made with Hayes, and on the personal relationsip between the two, DeRosa provides many insights into the director's collaborations with writers throughout his long career. It becomes quite clear that the very nature of Hitchcock's technique, that of planning everything in advance, made him more reliant on writers than he ever admitted. At the same time, DeRosa shows what it was like to be an up-and-coming screenwriter during that era.

In almost stupefying detail DeRosa describes how Hitchcock and screenwriter Hayes conceived, wrote, and produced four of Hitchcock's better films, including Rear Window and To Catch a Thief. Along the way DeRosa tells how Hayes' reputation grew to the point that Hitchcock was no longer comfortable maintaining the relationship. Engagingly written, this is a fresh take on Hitchcock which I thoroughly enjoyed, especially after seeing three of the four on the newly released DVD's.

Besides discovering my kid, he has been an invaluable resource with both his books and his coaching! He makes acting fun and easy to learn for kids! All his books are highly recommended.

This book really helped my auditioning skills. Just learn a commercial each day and you will be ready to book.

Reading this book has greatly enhanced my auditioning skills. After working some of the commercials from this book, I was able to book a national public service announcement! I had the opportunity to train in person with Chambers Stevens and believe he is an acting genius. This book includes all the secrets on how to land commercial jobs and has worked wonders for my career. I would highly recommend this book to any aspiring actor who wishes to master the art of performing a commercial.

When my son started acting he was nervous going to an audition.
The good thing about this book is the author shows you what happens at an audition.
He takes you through the process step by step.
The author's style of writing is very funny. My son and I were laughing and then when he got his first audition we found it happening just like in the book.

I bought this for my son, as well as the scene book for kids, and he hasn't put them down! They're a really good resource for kids who are interested in acting. I've also noticed that his memorization skills have improved since I got him these books. If you have a child interested in acting, I highly recommend both books.

This book is outstanding. Excellent real world examples. Takes readers from top to bottom through the industry. Really geared toward the whole independent/amature film community and how to achieve professional results working within the industry. I highly recommend this book cover to cover.

Being a skeptic, I tested Mark's capsule exercises on a script I was preparing for the IFP Spotlight Award. The results were unnerving - I discovered buried treasure I didn't know I had within my story and eliminated an entire subplot that didn't service the STORY. Mark demystifies the concept of marketing, asking simple, direct questions. By asking "why would anyone want to see your film?" Mark goes past just marketing and addresses the issues that draw people to filmmaking in the first place. When I put the book down, I had a clear vision of the kind of filmmaker I want to be - and a great set of tools to get there.

In the course of making a film, we found this book to be very helpful. It organizes info about the business side of the filmmaking process.

A lot of people throw the title "guru" around, but Bosko's the real deal. As a filmmaker, if you've ever wondered how to: get press coverage, create a media kit, find an attractive title; identify your movie's hooks, locate distributors, exploit the power of the web, get audiences and distribution and actually sell your movie or video...then GET THIS BOOK! Bosko "tells all" in an easy-to-read style that gets the creative juices flowing. No filmmaker should go anywhere near a camera without reading the hard-core, straight-up instruction and advice in this book.

This book is so great! I got a copy after reading a review and it lived up to every claim. The techniques in the book's "Self-Distribution" section showed me how to set up regional sales for a film that otherwise has not made any money up until this point! I can now proudly say that my DVD is available in 17 video stores in Pennslyvania and New York thanks to the tips in this book! Get Bosko's book if you want to sell your film - it is that simple.

Este libro te ayudará a cambiar la rutina de trabajo para tener una mejor condición y mantenerte sana y sobre todo en figura. TE LO RECOMIENDO!

SE ME OCURRIO PROBARME MI TRAJE DE NOVIA... Y ME SENTE A LLORAR ABRAZADA DE EL...
Mi matrimonio era pèrfecto, mi familia maravillosa... y aunque no estaba pasada de peso... ¡NI DE CHISTE ME CERRABA EL TRAJE !
Habia desarrollado una cintura de boiler y una absoluta falta de tono muscular..
Despès de 5 meses con estos ejercicios... ME QUEDA MI TRAJE DE NOVIA... !

COLEGAS ( soy médico )que duermen una horra menos que yo y salen de jogging como perros perseguidos por el antirábico...mientras que yo TENGO MEJOR CONDICION FÍSICA, MUSCULATURA Y APARIENCIA QUE ELLOS...
Se mueren por saber como le hago..pero es secretito: Hago mis ejercicios mientras voy en el coche rumbo al consultorio, cuando esoty viendo a un paciente y hasta hablando por teléfono !
Este libro ES LA BENDICION FÍSICA MAS GRANDE QUE EXISTE !

SENTADA, porque tengo un servicio de proveeduria para el que hago y vendo sandwiches ( muy ricos,eh?), pero estos ejercicios han sido mi salvacion, ya que antes era deportista y cuanod deje el deporte por el trabajo, me comencé a engordar la barriga...

Pues se acabó la barriga, Y NO ME FATIGO !
Vi el resultado en 4 SEMANAS

¡ME HORRORIZÓ VERME SIN ROPA EN EL ESPEJO !
¡QUE'FACHA !
Imposible salir de la casa con un bebé recien nacido... NI tiempo me quedaba...
Mi esposo me compró este libro ( SOSPECHO QUE EL TAMBIEN TENIA INTERES EN NO ESTAR CASADO CON UNA BRUJA!) y 4 meses después, mi cuerpo es el mismo de antes !
Firme, duro y esbelto !

A captivating mystery with a bonus of a wonderful "trip" to my hometown of Ft. Worth. It wove just the right balance of innocence, intrigue and nostalgia to keep me reading until the book was finished! Comfortable, readable writing style. Can't wait to read the next in that series, Grinning in His Mashed Potatoes.

This is one of the best mysteries I have read in a long time. I can not wait to read the rest of the series.

This is one fun book to read. Moseley's knack for off the wall dialogue and wry, sharp humor is evident in this mystery. Honey Huckleberry becomes a reluctant sleuth after a phone call from one of the three Stevens she knows is really a 4th Steven she doesn't know. From thereon out, Honey finds her rigidly organized life as a book seller representative in a tizzy. And now she has about four men in her life---her secret lover; a handsome if dense cop; a smoothly exotic gardener, and an old friend from school who is now a movie director. In the first half of the book, I can't count the times I laughed aloud at Honey's escapades, especially her paranoia and fear about the pantry in her parents' home. I hope I can find some more of Moseley's Huckleberry adventures; I just loved this book!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Holly Huckleberry lives alone in a house left to her by her parents. She lives her life on schedule, with each week of her sales trips to bookstores carefully planned, even down to what her wardrobe will be. Her life is all carefully planned until she receives a call from The Fourth Steven. She already knows three Stevens, each one of whom is an important part of her life. This Steven recites the line from a poem which Holly knows well, and she also knows that she is to respond to him with the next line. It's a game she plays with childhood friend Steven Hyatt, but this is someone else altogether. This Steven refers to a murder, and that's where all the trouble begins. We follow Holly on her travels around Texas, down to South Padre Island where she visits her boyfriend Harry. No matter where she goes, however, Steven's calls follow her. Who is this stranger and how does he know so much about her? Finding out the answer to that is what the book is about and it's an enjoyable adventure.

I picked this book up expecting another ho-hum female PI, and barely enough going on to hold my attention. Instead, I got a real pleasure that i carried around until i had finished it (same day I started). The characters are interesting and a little eccentric, and eccentric without being stupid. The plot is good, but really secondary to the interplay of the charcters. First thing this morning i logged on to order the rest of Ms. Moseley's books. I highly recommend this book