Windsor Books

Our little boy was 20 months old when we checked this out of the library. The images are great, the story simple, and we also have a dog just like Max (Australian shepherd with too much energy, also a natural at catching frisbees). When we read this (many times) to our son, we always changed the words to, "Bad dog, Barley!"

Great book for kids who love dogs. My 2.5 yr old loves it! We have a dog like Max, so she can really relate to the story.

This story is so refreshing and the subsequent volumes keep you highly entertained, due to the author's remarkable ability in maintaining intrigue in this story of the loss of the childhood home of the six Beverley sisters. As the eldest, Isabella is chosen to court the roguish gambler Mr.Judd, the new owner. Her parents and sisters have no sympathy for her and encourage this horrible man's attentions. So, will she swallow her pride and go for the handsome Lord Fitzpatrick? Doubtful, Lord Fitzpatrick fears Isabella can never love a man as she does her home.

I accidentally came across this book in our library because of the lovely pencil illustration on the cover, and was surprised at the carefully drawn out character of a young self-centered woman who realizes that external possessions/position do not always a happy/person make. I loved this book!. It is clean, emphasizing relationships, and the dialogues both spoken and in thought are really funny and insightful. I was touched and felt honored to have come across a book as honest, sweet and full of self-discovery as this. I recommend this book highly!!! I wish they would take it out of the out of print section! LeeAkiko

Jon Cleary is one of the most prolific mystery novelists in the world, and it wouldn't be a surprise to find you've never heard of him. He's probably best known in the States for having written the adventure novel High Road to China, which was made into a Tom Selleck movie. In his native Australia, though, he's best known for a long series of police procedurals featuring Scobie Malone, a Sydney homicide inspector. According to the by the same author section of the front of this book, this is the 17th Scobie Malone mystery, and they're all good, and suspenseful. This one is especially intriguing and enigmatic.

Aussie politics are apparently somewhat dirty, but down under there are lines you don't cross, and political assasination is one of them. When a major Australian politician is gunned down eight months before the Olympics visit Sydney, everyone in politics is a suspect, and there are opportunities galore. Things are complicated for Malone by the involvement of two of his daughters, and his wife, in the Olympic preparations or the coverage of the assassination. Only his son is unentangled. When Scobie and his partner Russ Clements unravel things and begin to zero in on the shooter, this only intensifies the mystery, because no one is clear who hired him.

I enjoy Jon Cleary a great deal. The one thing that may be jarring is his habit of jumping to different points of view, which some may find jarring. I don't, personally, and I enjoy it. I would highly recommend this book.

Australian fiction is the best you will ever find (and I've read everything from King to Koontz) but 99% of books from Down Under are not released here in the United States. Why? I don't know. But I DO know what I've discovered. Jon Cleary's The Bear Pit : A Scobie Malone Mystery is fantastic! I've hunted down more Scobie Malone Mysteries over the internet and they're all great.

Other must reads by Australian authors are:

Any book written by Robert G. Barrett! (The Stephen King of Australia)
Peter Corris' Cliff Hardy stories! (As good as anything written by Nelson DeMille)
Blood Junction by Caroline Carver (As good as anything written by Dean Koontz)
Every book written by Peter Doyle! (Move over John Grisham)

My fellow Americans, fight to read the books the US publishers won't let you see! You will be glad you did.

I've been a Rebus fan for several years now, so I happily purchased this book when I spotted it in an Edinburgh bookshop. I happened to be travelling from the States, so I had the additional pleasure of reading the book while surrounded by the locations where the short stories are set.

Unlike many authors of novels, Rankin also excels in the short story form. In addition to seven Rebus short stories (a couple of which could have easily been stretched into novels), I particularly enjoyed many of the non-Rebus stories. In particular "Someone Got to Eddie" (an informant is killed), "Principles of Accounts" (a professional kidnapper matches wits with the police), "Herbert in Motion" (the curator of a museum forges paintings) and "The Wider Scheme" (a solicitor becomes involved in the hunt for a murderer).

I certainly hope Rankin keeps up his short story writing and that there will be additional collections in the future.

This anthology of crime wins on both quantity and quality, and is truly an excellent value. Not every story is a revelation--a couple are even slightly cliched, and the Christmas one is slightly cheesy, although better executed than most of that nature. This is far outweighed by the number of gems in this volume--I particularly enjoy "Herbert in Motion"'s unusual narrator and concept. "Talk Show" is another favorite. All of the stories are enjoyable.

Only a few of the tales are stylistically different from the rest. His strength is good old-fashioned quality story-telling, with an excellent sense of setting, interesting characters, and usually good plotting. Overall, this is truly the most satisfying short story collection I have encountered. (Please don't buy it if you don't like short stories in general--the stories are still limited by their form. A character can't be well-developed in 20 pages, no matter the quality of the characterization.)

All the stories take place in Scotland, and seven of the twenty-one stories feature Inspector Rebus. I never read Rankin before, so I found the chronology of Rebus's personal life confusing, even after looking up the publication dates of the stories. Each story stands alone, with no prior knowledge of Rankin's other books needed. An introduction, with some illumination of the origins of some of the stories is provided.

Both "A Deep Hole" and "Herbert in Motion" won Daggers for best short story. "A Deep Hole" was also shortlisted for the Anthony award.

I recommend this book and planner to every new bride I know. Once I got my copy of the book, I read it pretty much cover to cover. It didn't leave my bag for months, it came everywhere with me. It was especially helpful when it came to florists and dresses (both my own and my bridesmaids). They really teach you how to watch out and how to recognize scams and rip offs. I have cut my wedding budget by THOUSANDS and saved myself countless headaches. Do your wallet a favor and get this book!!

This is a box set of two books. I did find the wedding planner to be the most helpful but some of the most useful ideas came from the book included. I would recommend this set.

I have alreay saved hundreds of dollars and my wedding is not even finished. It helped as both an organizing tool and as a guide to made and keep a budget. The most helpful ideas were how to use the internet to your advantage in planning a wedding. It gives a lot of suggested websites that are not only less expensive but offer good service as well. It helped me to cut 3/4 away from my flower expenses and 3/4 away from my wedding gown costs already. The ideas were things I never would have thought of myself.

I have seen a lot of books that help with a budget and a lot that help with planning but none that combines both so beautifully. I highly recommend this book.

This is the most complete Royal Commemorative book I have yet to come across. It shows color and black and white photos of Royal Commemorative collectables past and present. With descriptive information and value. I am a avid collector and I consider this book to be my Bible. A must have for anyone who collects or is simply interested in the British Monarchy.

If you have any interest in the Royal Family, in history, or in items commemorating significant events relating to the Royal Family, then this is a book you simply can't do without. Whether you're a collector, an enthusiast, or simply curious about the vast spectrum of items available, you will find this book a sheer delight. Color plates and an extensive black & white collector and price guide make this book invaluable for collectors, appraisers, or anyone interested in the growing fascination with the Royal Family - and the investment opportunities associated with commemorative items. Doug Flynn and Alan Bolton have set a benchmark that others will struggle to ever improve upon. Highly recommended.

This book gave me a lot of inside information I didn't get from the USNA website or other books. I read everything out there, but this one is a first-hand view, starting with freshman year in high school, going through problems and solutions, how this successful candidate handled everything.

I have wanted to go to USNA since I knew it existed. Its tradition, its quality of education, the chance to do something with my life that means something. I'm great at sports, but I was worried about all the other pieces--mental, academics, that stuff. This book went into everything. I worried less. The author includes a lot of motivational quotes--"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living." (John Kennedy). Throughout the book, I was reminded why I was putting myself through the grueling application process when I could have had it much easier.

And yes, I'm in. It works.

I bought this book for my son who wants to apply to the Naval Academy. There are books out there to explain service academies, but not how to get accepted. It has so many steps, it's confusing to keep track of. This book not only explained why the military makes it difficult, but the step-by-steps needed to be accepted. It is told through the eyes of a successful applicant and makes the reader believe anyone has a chance if they follow this guide.

It has chapters on how she started, the goals she set, why she picked USNA, the steps she took each year in high school from freshman to senior. It talks about her experiences with her Blue and Gold officer, the congressional interview process, how she resolved problems in her application package. A timeline tells you when she did what, what her grades were throughout the application process, how she prepared herself for Plebe summer, how and when she accomplished the myriad steps. It has check lists, examples of application materials, her application resume and explanations on how to solve certain problems that come up. Like the medical examination by DoDMERB. A family friend was disqualified at this exam, and this book explains what to do if you have a problem.

This would help anyone applying to any of the service academies--West Point, USAFA, USNA, Coast Guard--as well as anyone trying to get into an Ivy League. There are books on getting into every other highly-competitive college. I can't believe this hasn't been written before.

While driving home, Meredith Mitchell picks up a hitchhiker whom she drops off near the home of European VIP Andrew Penhallow and his family. Meredith soon enjoys the comfort of being with her lover, police superintendent Alan Markby. The next day, Andrew's wife finds her spouse murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on the hitchhiker.

Alan conducts an official investigation while Meredith makes her own inquiries. Apparently, the much traveled Andrew had two families with the hitchhiker being his neglected daughter from the other side of the tracks. However, were Kate's feelings strong enough to murder her father? Alan leans in that direction, but Meredith thinks otherwise and plans to sell her lover with a different scenario.

CALL THE DEAD AGAIN, the eleventh Cotswold novel, is an interesting British police procedural that, like its predecessors, adds elements of an amateur sleuth to the tale. The story line moves rather quickly, only slowing down when Alan and Meredith are doing anything except sleuthing. The characters are warm and cozy. Of major interest is the victim, who dies in the first quarter of the novel, but the revelations about his life spin the story line forward. Ann Granger provides genre fans with a fine entry to the Mitchell and Markby Cotswold series.

Harriet Klausner

You should enjoy the book even if you haven't read any of the earlier entries in the series. Ann Granger will gently fill you in on what has gone before. Marby and Meredith's relationship moves forward by the tiniest of steps, so you won't have missed much. The murder weapon is interesting. The mystery unravels nicely. You won't be sheltered from the hard facts of life, but you won't have your nose rubbed in them, either. Personally, I think every adulterer who thinks s/he is going to get away with it should read this book. It fits the old saying about being sure that your sin will find you out. (That's not giving away much. It's obvious early on that adultery is the root of the matter.) I've always enjoyed learning that an author whose works I like shares an interest. I'm pleased that Ms. Granger chose to mention *Sprig Muslin* of all of the late Georgette Heyer's many regency romances, because that's my favorite of her books. (From the description of the cover, I'm sure that mine is a different edition, though.) For readers who are not familiar with Heyer's work, she also wrote mysteries. "Penhallow", the name of one of the characters in this book, is the title of one of Heyer's mysteries. I really, really, hate the fact that so many hardcover books have boring or ugly dustjackets compared to paperback covers. I'm pleased that this mystery has a dustjacket that fits the mood of the book. [Note to the publisher: Given the title of the book, the last line of the quoted epitaph should probably be "call the dead" instead of "all the dead".] Ann E. Nichols

I have read eight of the Markby/Mitchell series. I would place this one in the top three. The suspenseful plot builds at a wonderful pace and the full mystery is not solved until the last page. This series is glorious either in book form or in audio when the magnificent Judith Bond reads. Granger's books place you square in the middle of an English village and you don't leave it until the final pages.

This was my first (but definitely not my last) experience with Meredith and Markby. I completely enjoyed this story, and my only complaint was that the style was so easy to read I was through the book long before I was ready for it to end. I felt like a child following a trail of jelly beans as the clues and red herrings turned up. Just an awfully lot of fun with a couple of sharp plot turns in the end that sends you into worlds of thought and conjecture when you lay the book down finished. I highly recommend it.

The Case of the Rolling Bones, by Erle Stanley Gardner

One morning Perry Mason is visited by three people. Phyllis Leeds is the niece and secretary of Alden Leeds. Emily Milicant is the girlfriend of Alden Leeds. Ned Barkler is a friend and fellow Klondike prospector. Phyllis Leeds thinks Uncle Alden wrote out a big check, and this could be used to have Alden declared incompetent by the other relatives who want to get their hands on his fortune. They want Perry Mason to investigate this financial transaction. Paul Drake found the name of the girl who cashed that check, but she left town in a hurry. Drake traced Maria Whittaker to L. C. Conway, who also moved away. But Phyllis Leeds calls with a crisis: one relative has taken Uncle Alden for a ride and put him in a sanitarium! Perry will serve a writ of habeas corpus on Jason Carrel, the nephew. Perry and Drake talk to Marcia Whittaker, who was used to cash that big check.

Chapter 4 has the habeas corpus hearing. The other side of the family has their lawyer. Alden Leeds was hospitalized against his will. Judge Treadwell goes to make a personal examination, but they find Alden Leeds has fled! When Perry is stopped for speeding, he tells the cops he's going to a fire - in his office! It's true (Chapter 5). They learn that Emily Milicant had been a Klondike dance hall girl 30 years earlier. Alden Leeds isn't at home, but knows how to take care of himself. In Chapter 7 Drake's operatives are watching L. C. Conway's apartment, and they note who showed up, and the time they left. Perry gets a call from Marcia Whittaker, and the identity of L. C. Conway is revealed. Her boyfriend, John Milicant, will never be angry again.

Chapter 8 presents the facts and clues behind the murder. [I noticed the innocuous statement that seemed to point to the guilty person here.] Other facts are given about the backgrounds of the people involved. A handwriting expert gives his opinion about two samples. Perry's conversation with Guy T. Serle brings out facts about L. C. Conway and the events of that night (Chapter 9). Chapter 10 has the Klondike history of Alden Leeds, and Bill Hogarty. Perry moves fast to guard his client and obtain more information.

Chapter 11 has the preliminary hearing, where all the witnesses testify and are examined. This is where Perry Mason demonstrates his knowledge, and where his client is usually freed after the testimony and evidence point to the guilty person. There is a recess, and Perry Mason gathers more information about the murder, and the events that occurred decades earlier in the Klondike. But the police quickly find the missing witnesses, as they are wire-tapping Paul Drake's telephone as well as Perry Mason's!

When court resumes the next morning, Perry cross-examines a prosecution witness to reveal the truth. Perry says any iron-clad alibi in a murder case should be inspected closely since they should never be taken at their face value (Chapter 14). The loose ends of this story are connected in Chapter 15. Some of the things mentioned in this story stick out because of changes in style and culture from over seventy years ago. [Does the existence of great fortunes point to great crimes?]

You may be able to guess the truth (what really happened and who the real murderer is) without much difficulty. However, guessing is one thing, proving it is another,especially when the one-track-minded authorities (police and prosecution) firmly believe that they are absolutely right. Mason uses a risky, but very splendid court tactics to prove the truth. It is one of THE MOST SPLENDID tactics in all Mason stories. Highly recommended.