Way Books

Gives sound advice for Christian victims of domestic abuse. The author has survived and been set free from horrendous abuse and explains how she did it, with God's grace. Her own story is mind boggling. She discusses the problem of 'addiction' to an abusive spouse well, without in any way blaming the victim. Very helpful.Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence

This book forces open the door on a subject so many would rather avoid than face head on. It has never been acceptable to look away when someone is being harmed, yet we see that attitude all the time when it comes to spousal abuse. Victims of domestic violence are so often misunderstood because of the effects that abuse has on them. Women subject to the control and violent abuses of their spouses lose their dignity, self-respect, and spirituality. They need support from their community, not criticism.
Simply written, this book forces us to take a very honest look at ourselves and how we view (or choose not to see) this subject. It is so easy to pretend and avoid rather than face the ugly truth. This very moving book provides enough clarity to help us all have the strength we need to be honest and ultimately supportive of those who need it most.

I was so excited to find this book. I have a lot of Christian women approach me for advice on what they should do with their abusive husbands. I now have at least a book to refer them too in their time of need. I have written a full review on my website. Thank you!
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art54021.asp

In a day when popular Christian leaders put most of their eggs in one basket where Christian marriage is concerned, and focus on putting the responsibility of making marriages work upon the shoulders of wives, thereby implying that husbands are permitted to treat their wives as they will, this book is sorely needed! "Woman Submit! Christians and Domestic Violence" is a work that tells it like it is, using her own experience of being beaten by her husband and left to die as a springboard to educate readers about the atrocities being committed against women here in the United States, in the land where freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is proclaimed as the inalienable right of all men. (perhaps that's the problem; some men think it's the right of men--not women) Ms Andersen is not afraid to name names, including Dr. James Dobson, to help explain how he, along with other Christian leaders advise wives to return to their abusive and life-threatening husbands, and even explain how the wives are responsible for their husbands' abusive behavior.

Throughout the book, Ms Andersen paints a compelling picture that provides answers to the question "Why doesn't she just leave?" For the Christian wife, besides other pressures like economics and fear for her safety, the pressure--and teaching--to stay with or return to her abusive and violent husband comes from Christian leaders and the Christian community, and all too often even from a woman's church. Considering that in Isaiah 58, God spells out that the fast he will honor is that of delivering people from oppression, it is reprehensible that the church has not been leading the charge against domestic violence, but instead has been perpetuating the oppression of women. Society has had to educate Christian leaders about family violence and appeal to them to do their part to teach against it and stop it. The statistics in chapter 5 were especially chilling. That 1 in 4 women had experienced domestic violence as an adult, and another survey said 50% of women who had been abused never reported it to anyone. This would suggest that 50% of women have experienced domestic violence as adults! I repeat, this book is sorely needed! The church must stop sanctioning wife oppression!

Woman Submit! also goes deeper than other books dealing with the abuse of Christian women. "Keeping the Faith" by Marie M. Fortune, for example does correct misinterpretations of biblical passages, but it does not go deep enough. For a woman who has had "Wife Submit! in everything and no matter what he does" pounded into her head, a writer saying the wife does not need to yield all the time and that the husband is commanded to be nurturing, just does not carry much weight. But Ms. Andersen points out the passage in Proverbs that was so helpful to her. When wisdom enters an abused woman's heart, knowledge, discretion, and understanding will deliver her from the way of the evil man. There it is: God is for deliverance from an abuser.

Thank-you, Jocelyn for obeying God and writing this book. It must have been tough to have to relive the pain of what you went through in order to write it in such a succinct (in that nothing was repeated or wallowed in) yet thorough way (taking the time to write enough detail that we get the picture and to explain Bible words and meanings). I will definitely use your book as a resource in my effort to help women.

In addition to this wonderful and helpful book, please check out Jocelyn Andersen's blog, [...]. The post "A Question of Submission" for example, adds insight about the Ephesians 5 question, and other posts keep us up-to-date on the comments, teaching, and efforts of popular Christian leaders.

Waneta Dawn is the author of Behind the Hedge, a novel. Visit [...] to read chapter one, for information on the damaging effects of non-physical violence, and/or to order.

This book was quite an eye-opener for me. It is the first hand account from a woman who was brutally beaten by her pastor husband. She explains the dilemmas faced by Christians in these situations who believe that divorce is wrong and are willing to risk their lives for those beliefs by staying in an abusive relationship. She does a good job presenting the problem in many churches where the staff seem to focus on getting the wife to not provoke the husband, rather than using church discipline to correct the out-of-control husband. But as the author explains, the abuse is going to occur whether there's real provocation or not. It is the abuser who is the problem, not the victim.

The book gave some excellent guidance in how to talk to someone you think is in this situation and how best to help. Although the material is mostly from a biblical perspective, the advice it provides would be useful for anyone, regardless of religion. For example, I was surprised to find that the trite comments we think are helpful and encouraging, are instead just the opposite. And she explains why women are so relunctant to go to the police or their pastors for help. This book should be in every church library and required reading for all pastors and counselors!

It's a tiny little book, but you will be surprised of its impact. I have been reading several books lately and some have been pretty good, but his little gem is just so realistic and helps one to be realistic in what is possible in a step parent relationship. Great suggestions, a pleasant read.

An excellent book. Good tips/suggestions. I have been reading anything and everything pertaining to becoming a stepmom, and I am also going to counseling. It is hard alot of times, but at least reading the books gives you advice and lets you know your feelings are normal and alot of us are going through the same thing-we are not alone!

I laughed, I cried... in the end, I was greatly encouraged to embark upon the exciting journey of stepparenting.

I would suggest that anyone getting married to (or even seriously involved with) someone with children buy this little gem.

And even though I'll be the official stepparent, I plan to have my fiance read it, too!

You may already be familiar with this little book for stepparents, but if not, you'll want to get a copy for now, and especially for the times when things get tough. It's an easy read with more than 60 suggestions for stepparents who are trying to learn, grow and thrive in their role. Called a "prescription to strengthen your family," the book remains hopeful and positive while understanding the challenges inherent in stepparenting.

The book is divided into three sections: Relating to Yourself, Dealing With Your Spouse, and Interacting With the Kids. The experiences and suggestions in each part are practical and encouraging. You'll respond to the stories with warm familiarity, or you'll wish they could be your own.

A couple of my favorite suggestions include: (1) Learning how to use -- and trust -- your intuition. Here, the authors encourage the stepparent to get to know her stepchildren and then to use that knowledge to improve the relationship and intuitively work through the problems that inevitably arise. (2) Solving problems with stepkids directly. This suggestions points out how much power stepparents actually have in getting their stepkids to cooperate with them. Following the advice here, it will be hard to tell who benefits more -- the stepchild or the stepparent, but it's a great way to approach conflicts for everyone involved.

This book may be lacking in lengthy discussions but it certainly gave me some needed perspective and some positive advice. It reads like a collection of small advice columns... and though this format turned me off when I picked up the book, I soon grew to enjoy it, picking it up at odd moments. I like the positive nature of this book, and it was one of the few I've read that doesn't entirely focus on the "problems" of step parenting.

This is a great book! Many yoga books that I've purchased describe only a few sequences. Others describe only very long (time-consuming) sequences. This book details over 30 sequences ranging in time from 10 minutes to 90 minutes in length. It is organized to make it easy to select a sequence according to different criteria - length of sequence, theme (e.g., "opening"), or body area emphasized. Descriptions of the asanas are very detailed, and each comes with a description of the advanced pose and easier variations. And there is quite a bit of other useful information also, including suggestions on forming your own sequences, illustrations showing the location of various muscles and other body areas, etc.

This book was recommended by our local yoga instructor. The spiral binding makes the book lie flat. I really like the split pages with the practices on one side (very wide range from beginner to advanced) and the poses on the other. Arrangement is very simple and straightforward. The teacher kept this book out as a constant reference--which was a good enough recommendation for me--and she is a certified Iyengar instructor with years of practice.

Yoga Your Way is (by far) the most user friendly and thoughtfully designed yoga manual
to appear on the market. The authors have paid careful attention to detail, insuring that
the information presented is comprehensive, helpful, & presented in such a way that
anyone can create a daily practice to fit his/her unique needs. This is an extraordinary publication, a must for yoga practitioners at every level.

Namaste! I've examined and used a large number of yoga manuals, and I feel sure that you will love this book! Its unique and handily-designed format goes far toward making it the only yoga guide you'll ever need. Ideal for both beginners and experienced practitioners. What you get for the very low price of $12.95 (Canada C$19.95) is incredible! All your questions about yoga are answered by the authors, who really know their stuff. Outstanding photos (from different angles, many in multiple "sequence style" to help you perfect the fluidity of moving poses) with explanatory instructions and pointers make it so easy for you to customize your home yoga practice to your own requirements ... and stick with it!

Spiral-bound split-page format allows easy use and reference for a specially selected core group of "44 poses" (Iyengar tradition, the basis for many yoga styles today) and "31 practice sequences" (varying in length from 10-90 minutes, and ranging from vigorous to restorative). Absolutely excellent, very clear and well-thought-out - yet detailed - explanations and background notes fill you in on every aspect of your yoga practice.

The volume also contains an All About Yoga section, a great Glossary and assorted Practice Selection Charts to help you craft and vary your yoga routine, while ensuring that you get the benefits you desire.

The wealth of information contained here is worth the cover price many times over. Just examine this book at your bookstore - turn to any page and read just a bit - and I think you'll wind up eagerly buying it, amazed at the value. Recommend it to your yoga-loving friends, and give it as an economical gift to your non-yoga-practicing friends to get them started on a beautiful life and health journey! They'll love you for it!

I love this book...very user-friendly. There are so many practices (including the suggesting time for each practice) that you could choose from and several modifications. The explanation and illustrations are clear and precise. If you are looking for a yoga book...consider this one.

Dr. Walker speaks profoundly to African-American women with love, wisdom, and heartfelt concern.

Dr. Walker exemplifies that African-American women can become their best selves while encouraging us to confront personal issues such as depression and low self-esteem, along with modern social concerns like community involvement, AIDS and unhealthy dating relationships. Dr. Walker's voice and spirit can be felt throughout the pages. The reader can feel the presence of a loving bond and sisterhood throughout the chapters. You will finish this book with a new sense of self, less baggage and empowered to deal with and overcome personal struggles.

As black women, we all carry varied roles. From the loving mother to successful businesswomen, we reach out, making a difference in the lives of our friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Sometimes in the midst of our roles, we have a tendency to forget about the key person that truly matters most-ourselves. Before we can truly love others, we must first embrace and cherish ourselves. Jamie Walker encourages this through her book 101 WAYS BLACK WOMEN CAN LEARN TO LOVE THEMSELVES.

Sharing from her own personal experiences, Walker encourages us to engage in activities that will cultivate and nurture our heart, mind, body, and spirit. Whether it is journaling, exploring new hobbies, or visualizing our goals and achievements, Walker issues the challenge to look deep within and not be afraid to embrace the complete package. Black women of all ages will be both strengthened and encouraged as they embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing.

As a black woman on her own personal journey, I found this book to be powerful, very emotional, and moving to read. I felt that the author at times was speaking directly to me, providing the encouragement and strength that I need as I move forward into new horizons. Jamie Walker offers a book that with an open heart, many can and will find healing. As a young black woman, I am thankful that Ms. Walker heeded the call and wrote a book that all black women, regardless of age should read.

Reviewed by Kanika A. Wade
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

101 Ways Black Women Can Learn To Love Themselves by Jamie Walker is an impressively practical self-help guide written especially to aid black women to get in touch with their spiritual side, experience a zest for life, and achieve a personal liberation. Walker articulately and persuasively takes the position that true healing does not come overnight, but rather it gradually evolves over time, once we learn not to look outward for validation and approval, and only when we embrace the love of God. 101 Ways Black Women Can Learn To Love Themselves is definitely recommended as being an unusually powerful, emotionally charged, and uplifting personal improvement and self-help guide.

Jamie is insightful and wise way beyond her years!! A page turner would not describe the inability to put this book down!!!! There is wit and humor in every single passage! No Black Woman's bookshelf should be without this manaual of self worth and respect! Jamie Walker should have been born fifty years ago to impart the deep wisdom given to her. There likely would be less "submissive little wounded healers" in the world! Due to every season being appropriate however, this is the season for this book. The wounded healer or superwoman complex has been long the model of the Black woman. This book debunks the negative images that Black women are given by telling us that we should beleive in ourselves when others do not! Jamie pulls away layers of deception perpetuated by Black women themselves and others, as a child pulls away a scab from a festered wound. Interestingly, Jamie applies a balm to the wound so that it will heal and not reinfect. So significant is the portion of the title that states: A Gift for Women of All Ages. Though apparently geared toward Black women, it is useful for any woman who will open her mind to learning about herself and growing. Take heed Black women! Charity begins at home, and this homegirl from Oaktown (Oakland,California) has rendered us a powerful resource to learn once and for all what it means to love ourselves and to put that love into practice. Knowledge without the wisdom to execute that knowledge, means absolutely nothing! Cheers and many Kudos to the Creator for Jamie Walker!!! She is a gift!!! Thank you Jamie Walker for allowing the spirit to work through you!

I just got a copy of this book, and for one, you just cannot read it in just one sitting.Unless you want to, and once you get this book, you don't want to give it up. You want to read and re-read,underline, go back and think. Ms Walker's book is very long overdue, and such a great guide. It doesn't deal with just regular issues like going back to school and loving yourself. It also deals with Childhood Sexual Abuse(which she sadly experieced),Celibacy, dealing with your sexuality,loving your hair,domestic violence, and so much more. Please invest in a copy of Jamie's book. You won't be sorry that you did.

I read this book, and I began to look at life in a whole new way. This book is the bomb!

This book is an eye opener. Once you have read it, use it as a reference tool . This is a great way to keep yourself in check and not to get stuck in a rut. This book is also very practicle and easy to read.

Wow, if you start to feel depressed or overwhelmed, just pick up this book. If you feel like starting something new or picking up where you left off, just pick up this book. If you want to change your life and reach some of your goals, just pick up this book.

At first, I tried to read this book in a hurry, but realized to get the full effect of this book I needed to meditate on the recommendations and put them into action in my life. I really enjoyed this book. 25 ways gives you practical information that will rekindle the dreams, goals and desires any person (not just women) has abandoned. Moreover, the book addresses practical ways that will motivate not only you personally, but others. I recommend this book highly, not just to women, but to anyone that wants to be a success.

By following the principles outlined in this book, you'll not only motivate yourself and the people around you, you'll also reach goals that you never thought you could set or reach for yourself!!

All people, team members as well as their leaders, simply want to feel appreciated and recognized. Everyone wants to feel important. We want to know that what we do makes a difference that goes beyond the numbers on the financial reports. This book can show you how to do that. Because the fundamental truth is, it's not the money you spend on rewards, but your ability to connect with your employees in a meaningful way that really makes the difference. This book can help you do that. You may also want to see Motivation at Work: Transform Your Business in 6 Extraordinary Steps

365 Ways to Motivate and Reward goes the extra mile in providing an understanding of the difference between the Band-Aid approaches to employee motivation and the understanding of true motivation from the employees' perspective. Podmoroff provides statistics from studies that looks at the employees reasoning behind needed recognition, acceptance and that good ole pat on the back. Inspired and motivated employees from management to the janitor foster a highly motivational workplace and this resource provides example after example of tips and techniques that help to create the motivated employee.
Helping the employee to claim ownership in his/her, organization is paramount to creating the positive workplace environment necessary for healthy, growing organizations and Podmoroff has provided 365 ways to do this.

Excellent book! Dianna Podmoroff's book "365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Your Employees Every Day: With Little or No Money" is a must have more every organization. I would recommend this book to everyone in management. As someone who has to watch the bottom line very closely in my company I found that Dianna's book has several excellent ideas to tap into peoples feeling of being acknowledged and rewarded. I have already passed this book on to my Executive Team for us to get started on some of Dianna's great ideas.

'365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Your Employees Every Day--With Little or No Money' is a terrific book for all managers and business owners. This book teaches you how to think like an employee, rather than thinking like a big wig. Then it gives you all the suggestions you need to motivate your employees and keep them motivated for an infinite amount of time. And that last part is really the key to this book. You don't want to motivate your employees for a day or a week. You want to keep them motivated for as long as they work for you.

I enjoyed reading the parts of the book that explained the importance of motivation, but I was even more impressed by all of the great techniques. This book is written in a fun, easy manner that made me excited to get to the `good stuff.' The gift ideas are all very clever (like supplying morning coffee for a year) and so are the suggestions on how to make the office fun (like adding a "Whine Cellar"). I especially liked all of the ideas on how to give employees time off of work, because it honestly never even crossed my mind to reward productivity with down time.

Overall, I think this is a terrific book and I can't wait to implement these ideas in my workplace. If you are a business owner or manager, I strongly recommend that you read this book. Even if you only follow a few of the suggestions, I think your company is bound to improve.

This is one of those books where you expected one thing and are pleasantly surprised to receive something else. Well, not entirely something else, there certainly is a list of 322 (not 365!) ways to motivate your employees, but that's the last half of the book. The first half is a great business book on motivation and the necessity to create a motivational work environment.

In fact, I found the fist half of the book more interesting than the second half and I say that without knocking the second half whatsoever. 365 covers motivational theory, internal and external motivational factors, management methods and also provides a series of motivational questions to ask employees and new hires to ensure you are able to provide the best motivational environment for their needs.

The second half of 365 covers a number of easy-to-do motivational rewards. While most businesses won't be able to do all of them there are a number of cheap and easy ideas that every business should implement. Not stopping with their own list, the book concludes with a monthly calendar of special days that will allow you to make your own motivational rewards.

Regardless of your work environment, every company can use a few motivational tips. 365 provides 322 of them and a framework to create hundreds more of your own. This is a book that won't be put on my bookshelf, but will remain close by as a reference for things I can do to reward my employees.

If one can track down this book, get it. It is a marvelous collection of articles on CSNY, from some of the best, like Cameron Crowe. Unlike the CSN book, Zimmer does right, by this one.

A fully fascinating review of the personalities involved in creating heavenly music. While occassionally repititious, it satisfies whatever curiosities you may have about this splendid group.

You'll be glad you buy this book, if you do! I was a little young when CSN&Y came out (only 7!), but I kept up with them through the years and always found them fascinating. This book makes you feel like you've got a scrapbook of them from "the old days." The journalism is great, especially the pieces of Cameron Crowe and the first piece about Laurel Canyon and its many musical artists. You also "get to know" the personalities because of the concise natures of the interviews. I found out a lot about my favorite, Stephen Stills. I also love the selection of B&W pictures and took them to Kinko's to copy and put on my walls! The book truly captures their magic and fire. I also have Zimmer's bio, but it's always the Reader that I go back to because you can skip around in it too. The only regret I have is that I will it was a larger book, like the size of the Rolling Stone magazine, which would really give it a scrapbook feel. Nevertheless, I'm thrilled that I found this by doing an Amazon search! Please buy; you'll be glad you did!

Dave Zimmer has complied articles from the thrity-five year career of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The articles are great because they are from the time the events in the band's career were actually unfolding and you don't get that filtered look of biographies that were written years later. The more interesting articles are from the early days especially ones by Lenny Kaye and Cameron Crowe. A worthwhile read for all fans of CSN&Y.

This book is riveting, even electrical, for anybody who wants an inside look at the music business. The selections are in interview form, so as you read, it feels like the music stars are sitting in nearby chairs as they detail inside stories, opinions and perspectives. The author/editor who put it together, Daved Zimmer, did a fantastic job, and no one came better prepared for the job. When Crosby was arrested, I saw that Mr. Zimmer was the one who the New York Times sought out for comment. Even if you are only distantly interested in CSN&Y, but are fascinated with the music biz, you will find the book hits the bulls-eye.

I found the book better than most I've seen for one reason. It cuts through the psychobabble and gets down to the real purpose of why I got it to begin with: to eliminate stress. The writing is simple to read, the suggestions easy to follow, and the results are great.

60 Second Stress Management has been recommended by Health NewsNetwork as a timely and well-written guide deserving our highest rating. We only select winning books based on sound and healthy advice. This one not only meets those criteria, it offers readers valuable information and guidance they will find both useful and easy to follow. Many of the health quizzes we offer have been taken from this book. A Health News Network "best buy."

A very good book to help create the relaxation we all need to fight excess stress. Better than most books out on this subject. Well worth reading. I recommend it.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "Stress Management for Over-Achievers" docwifford@msn.com

After spending too much time trying stress management techniques that either didn't work or were too difficult to fit into my hectic schedule, I found a gem. 60 Second Stress Management is easy to read, easy to follow, easy to understand and, most importantly, easy to use. The techniques offered by Dr. Goliszek are common sense exercises anyone can do any time any place. Alas, I'd spent too much money on stress seminars when I could have gotten the same thing between the pages of this book.

Most stress management books are similar in that they explain what stress is and how you can go about eliminating it. Too many, however, are filled with page after page of information that the reader will never use, nor want to. 60 Second Stress Management is one of those books that gets right down to the point and gives the reader everything he or she needs in order to management stress quickly and effectively. No psychobabble or jargon here. The chapter on identifying and managing childhood and adolescent stress will be especially useful to parents who won't find this kind of information in most stress books on the market. There's a reason the health web site "mediconsult" has this book listed first on its stress/anxiety book page. It works!

Beautiful story! My daughter loves it! This book is a classic that every child must hear. I have to read it over and over again to my three-year-old daughter. She loves the story and the names of the ducks.

This tiny mosquito scared everybody in the jungle because the animals have an alarm system. One animal runs one way and another the opposite way and this bird chirps and this rabbit hops and so on and so on. The animals do this to show that there is danger ahead. This works, but this time it was a false alarm. In all the commotion a baby owl falls out of a tree and dies. Now the owl will not make the sun come up.

That was someone trying to comment on Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears.

I have always loved the English version of Make Way for Ducklings. Now, as a student of Spanish and a teacher of children's Spanish classes, I greatly appreciate this translation.

This is a classic written by Robert McClosky in the 1940's, but is timeless like all classics. The duck parents are flying over Boston looking for a place to hatch their eggs and raise their ducklings. This version is all in Spanish, but I found out after ordering this book that there is a bilingual version also. It is a really long book to begin with so it would be interesting to see the bilingual version.

A fabulous book and fantastically well translated by Osvaldo Blanco. Having read many books translated from English to Spanish, I feel that Sr. Blanco's translations are among the best and true to the original work.

and you passed this series by, you would have been making a BIG mistake! I almost did, and I am so glad I didn't, since Tory and her involvements with the El Paso police dept. and a certain Detective Alvarez have been some really entertaining reading. The plots seem well described here on Amazon, so I won't add to it. Suffice to say that this is a well written series (you won't be cringing over the sentence structure with this author) with characters that are interesting and with depth. I will be watching for Aileen Schumacher and putting this series on my keeper shelf.

Affirmative Reaction is the third detective David Alvarez and Tory Travers mystery.

This time, it's Tory Travers turn to ask Detective Alvarez for help because someone wants her dead and seems at any cost. Ms. Travers finds a woman's body in a storm drain of an abandoned subdivision. The body turns out to be a city employee who was known for speaking out against affirmative action programs. The Hispanic contractor, who built the now abandoned subdivision, was thought to have committed suicide, but could it have really been murder too? David and Tory must go back into the past in search of answers they need in the present.

These characters are growing on me. I love the under current of romance between these two. They continue to work together and try to hide their feelings for each other. Be prepared to enjoy every minute of this book. I found it to be an Excellent Read.

Pam Stone

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I have her 2 others. Aileen's prose is very crisp, and enjoyable to read. The mix of the main character Tory's personal life (for instance, she is struggling with her 16 year old son noticing a girl for the first time) and the actual crime is well balanced. The characters have been developing over the series, and the relationship between Tory and David is fun to watch. The mystery unfolded nicely, certainly surprising me at the end.

I would recommend reading this series in order, because there is reference to the previous book (Framework for Death). But by all means, read it.

I polished off Affirmative Reaction by Aileen Schumacher in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, I am a big fan of hers anyway, but I think that each book gets better. This one had a great combination of humor and suspense and a great opening line: She figured it came down to a choice between going to work or committing murder.

Aileen switches emphasis between her main character and the man who would like to be her significant other. I love the shifting between the two though I know that such is not to everyone's taste. But it makes it much more believable to me on how this amateur detective gets involved in the homicides.

Highly recommended.

Fifteen years ago, affirmative action was coming into vogue, allowing Craig Diaz to expand his one person contracting firm into a large conglomerate. Craig was awarded the contract to build Monte Vista Heights, a hundred-acre development with a 350 home proposal. Craig also planned to run for city commissioner, a situation that alienated radical right wingers who prefer Hispanics to remain in their place. Craig's work sites were under harassment and the Monte Vista storm drains failed the test, forcing him into bankruptcy. Craig ultimately committed suicide.

In the present time, the engineering firm of Tory Travers is commissioned to determine the cost of bringing the Monte Vista project up to code. Tory inspects the site and realizes that the drains work properly. Just prior to a city run water test, Tory finds the body of a dead woman in one of the drains. Tory teems up with El Paso detective David Alvarez to uncover what happened to the victim, a bigot who had the power to deny permits to Diaz. The investigation shows the current crime links to the Diaz fiasco. Though many suspects surface, only one of them is willing to kill again to keep certain secrets buried.

The third "Travers-Alvarez" murder mystery (see ENGINEERED FOR MURDER and FRAMEWORK FOR MURDER) is a complex, often times humorous, and very entertaining novel. The relationship between the two protagonists boils to a new temperature high, but that does not stop them from professionally working to solve the homicide. Aileen Schumacher is a talented author who has cross appeal to romantic suspense fans as well as who-done-it readers. She is a rising star in both genres.

Harriet Klausner