Windsor Books

I bought this book because I grew up hearing stories of Corrie ten Boom from my mother and her friends, and I wondered what all the fuss was about.

Well now I know. I couldn't possibly describe the experience of reading this book, and what it did for me, except to say that it was so much more than just a good read. I would say that it changed my life.

This book showed me that walking side-by-side with the Lord wasn't just for people in Bible times--it is meant for us today.

Corrie wasn't perfect. This book isn't about being perfect. And it isn't even about giving all you can give to God. On the contrary, it's about taking all you can take.

Her language is so simple, yet her message incredibly profound: there is an endless resource available to each and every one of us, and that resource is Jesus Christ.

Whether you're going through the most difficult time of you life, or you simply want to be inspired--Tramp for the Lord is the book for you.

I've read many of Corrie's books since this one, but "Tramp" is still my favorite. I own three copies, so I always have two to lend.

Now I'm the one telling people "Corrie stories" the way my mother used to. They are stories the next generation needs to hear.

Tramp for the lord is an eye opener for you to look at where you are, where you have been and where you are going. A good read for those moving through life and a must read for those that want to celebrate life to it's fullest.

If you read this book you will NEVER forget it. Such wonderful testimony to the miracles that the Lord is still doing in the world. I highly recommend it. It's a real page turner.

Tramp for the Lord is ONE of the most rewarding books I have ever read in my life. Everyone should read this book. She too was a human who sinned and came short of the glory of God. Corrie shares so much of her heart and life - not only because of her experiences in prison, but in every day life as she traveled the United States and to other countries to share God's work. As she experienced real life situations with ordinary people, that grew her daily in her walk with God, because as Paul learned, God's work was not easy. It was those situations that she shared in "Tramp for the Lord" that she was also growing with each situation she faced as Paul did as he continued in his day discipling for God. Corrie's book, "Tramp for the Lord," is a must read after "the Hiding Place" and will be hard to put down.

This book is a sequel to "The Hiding Place" a biography about Corrie Ten Boom's experience during World War II, arrested and sent to a German concentration camp for hiding Jews.

Corrie surrenders to God's Will for her life to take the Gospel and her story to the entire world. Because of her humbleness, she is able to connect to people from all walks of life, from royalty to prisoners. She was especially able to connect with prisoners who were hopeless because of her own experience of being locked up.

It was easy for her to minister to the victims of WWII, but Corrie resisted going back to Germany, the land that she dreaded. But she obeys and goes to Germany where she meets one of her former prison guards, one of the cruelest, walking up to her after a meeting. A chill grips her heart and bitterness wells up when he asks for her forgiveness. Leaning on the power of the Holy Spirit, she was able to forgive her enemy and found God's love overflowing.

Each chapter is a story and devotional about a situation Corrie encounters. My favorite one is, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord... but Not Up Ten Flights of Stairs."

This was actually the first Daniel Steele book I ever read. It was wonderful the story so well developed and the characters so full of life. In fact I have now read this book at least 3 times maybe even 4, truly a classic. Everyone should have this on their shelf to read when you get tired of just seeing words on a page that take you nowhere.

Audry is SUCH a great character! Her love of adventure and for her man, but her loyalty to her family is what really pulled the story together. Very enjoyable book!

I have read many of Danielle Steel's books. This has to be one of her best. It is about a young woman named Audrey who has been caretaker to her grandfather and younger sister. Then, she has this need to do some traveling, and see the world. She does so, first going to New York City (she lived in San Francisco). She meets two people named James and Violet, and she becomes a travel companion for the two. In England, she meets Charles, whom becomes her one true love, and they travel the world together, and no matter what threatens to break them up, they never give up on each other.

This is not as formulaic as many of Danielle Steel novels, but it is still wonderful and one of her best.

This book is so cool...it takes you so many places, you most likely have never been to. It's so fun to put yourself in this characters shoes & see what it's like. I love to read about countries I haven't been to...classic DS

I have been reading Danielle Steel for over 15 years and own all her books and this is one of my favourites - one I can read over and over again and still enjoy the story.
I was transported back to the 1930's and admired the bravery of Audrey travelling to China when it was probably a dangerous (and not "proper") for a young single woman to do so. This one made me laugh, cry and wish that all would go well for Audrey.
If you are a Danielle Steel fan you will love this one. Her earlier novels (like this one) are so much better than her later books. If you are new to Danielle Steel - this one is highly recommended. Enjoy!

My book is the Christmas Killer. It starts off as a kinda boring book. A girl named Nancy disappeared the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Rose had an enteraction with her that night. She then had a dream of where she thought Nancy's body would be found. She reported this to the police and they did not believe her. There wre many more killings after that. Soon this killer earned the name the Chritmas Killer. He left many clues. When Rose went to get help from Miss Mackey, she blanked out. They almost lost her. When Rose found out that she got a solo in the dance recital she was very excited. She went to her dance class she saw that Mureal was on the phon with her back turned Rose went ahead and got dressed. She thought Mureal was playing jokes on her and she was like thats not funny. She gets scared after seeing that it was not MUreals shadow. So, she runs in the stall where she finds Mureal with her throat cut from ear to ear.She runs out and sees a man. He then talks about how good blood is. Then he bruses her up and then Wallace Romala comes in and saves her. She finds out that it was Mureal's twin brother.

Two of the main characters are Nancy Emerson and Rose. Nancy Emerson is missing the wensday before Thanksgiving. Rose is a girl who met Nancy Emerson and stated she was scared and sad. The story begans with Nancy Emerson disappering Wensday Before thanksgiving. Jerram roses little brother said "No need to think about death anymore." The long saige of The Christmas Killer was over.

In the beginning, it starts off with telling you about Nancy. Nancy is one of the main characters who is kidnapped and murdered. Rose is aother main character. After Nancy was kidnapped, Rose had a dream. In this dream Nancy was leading Rose to her burial site. A few days later they find her body in a similar surrounding to what Rose had envisioned. At first Rose was unsure if it was a coincidence, or if it had any real meaning. Throughout the story there are several girls kidapped and many suspects. One of those suspects is jerome, Rose's twin brother. One night she sees jerome outside her den window and then she begins to wonder. Wallace Romano was the first one everybody suspected to be the Christmas Killer, because he chose to be homeless over living in a mansion with his family, also because he is different than most people expect. While all of this is going on, Nancy still appears in Rose's dreams, giving her clues to the crime scenes and the murderer. Rose takes dance lessons from a woman named Muriel. Muriel is a nice, younger woman who has known Rose since she was ten years old. As you read this book you will find twists and turns that will eventually point out the killer to you.

Omgiod! This is serisously the best book that any suspense-thriller reader can read. The first sentence starts off with "Nancy Emerson dissapeared the wednesday (i think) before thanksgiving" now thats scary. Later throughout the book, you will feeel as though u are reali into it because it is so mind-gripping and you really cant put it down, that is if you like these type of bookz. Puh-leese read this book ! You will majorly regret it and it is by an all tyme favorite (thriller/scary) author : patrica windsor. Read other book reports to knoe that i am reali telling u the truth of this book, and to know what it is realli about.! :) thanks a bundle and keep reading out there! :)

This was an absolutely fabulous book. I read it when I was twelve and still remember its bone chilling effect in my twenty's. I highly recommend this to anyone who has an interest in ghosts or murder mysteries. The characters are well developed and you won't want to put this page turner down.

I liked this book, but wish the main character, Andrea, was more believable. If she really was a college graduate in America, no way would she have tolerated day one in Iran the way it is described in the book. Supposedly Andrea had never been overseas, so that makes her incredible tolerance (of her mother-in-law, her husbands extreme and instant behavior change, life in general) unreal. From the time she gets off of the plane, Mani, her husband deserts her. Yet he is described as the perfect loving father and husband when he is in America. Any woman would have been suspect at least. Yet Andrea doesn't question for a long time, and I found myself wishing she had some spunk. The daughter Kelly doesn't figure much either. Her purpose as a character is left dangling. Then there are dangerous political undertones smacking Andrea in the face, yet she wants to learn the language and socialize. When she finally catches on,(and by this point I was thinking she must be a real idiot), it is way too late in the story, for her, for her daughter, and for the reader. She doesn't even find out until the very end that her marriage isn't recognized there. She could have left all along! Something about the story does flow though, and I kept reading and found the cultural and political descriptions fascinating and well written. Andrea's ultimate survival is too bizarre, and her perseverance at this point is not to be admired, but to be questioned mentally. A good story, all in all, but difficult to relate to. I live in the Middle East, so it isn't being an American and naive that causes my discomfort with the plot. I think it is just a fairly weak plot, but I'll admit that the author does a good job with trying to make it work.

I buy a lot of books to read just before going to sleep. Once in a while a book comes along that keeps me up all night. This was one of them. Thank you Betty Balsam!

INCREADIBLE STORY, THIS BOOK IS A GREAT READ, I HAVE A LITTLE TIME AT THE END OF A VERY BUSY DAY FOR READING. BUT WHEN I STARTED READING THIS BOOK I MADE SURE TO HAVE TIME FOR IT. CONGRATULATION & MY BEST WIHES TO MRS. BALSAM. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE OF HER STORIES IN THE FUTURE.

This book was hard to put down once I got started! Betty Balsam has provided an uncommon insight into life in Iran during the infamous Revolution era of 1978-1979. This is a compelling story of an American woman who is caught between two cultures with no apparent means of escape. Ms. Balsam also provides the reader with a view of both sides of the revolution and describes in vivid detail the harsh reality of a country spiralling out of control.

Being a woman born and raised in the Middle-East I relate to Betty Balsam's captivating story about an American women's struggle to survive and protect her handicapped daughter. In what might otherwise seem as an oppressive culture, to those that are not born into the culture, Balsam exposes a genuine insight and wisdom of her dual perspective of the Iranian culture.

This is a wonderful cookbook on several levels and I am happy to see that it has received consistently positive reviews!

Darren McGrady deserves congratulations for creating an entertaining cookbook that also delivers delicious recipes. His personal anecdotes about the Queen and Princess Diana are both amusing and discreet.

The book is well structured according to seasons and royal residences, such as Christmas at Sandringham and Autumn at Balmoral. The beginning of each chapter contains an overview of the season and location, and Chef McGrady weaves his own professional memoir into this structure.

Copies of formal menus, handwritten notes of instruction from the royal family, and informal snapshots of the various royal kitchens are interspersed in an elegant scrapbook fashion. Then come the recipes for the chapter, back to back.

Favorite recipes of the royal family are included, many with an introductory paragraph of just what it was that made that particular recipe so special to the individual. I must add, though, that you will have fun reading between the lines in a description of a culinary episode about a former duchess. You will have to admit, Darren McGrady has style.

The recipes that I have tried so far come from the Kensington Palace section, nicely subtitled "A Home for All Seasons." These are Princess Diana's favorites and are lighter and more contemporary. I particularly enjoyed the stuffed aubergines and the lobster Thermidor (OK, not so light and not so contemporary, but a delicious classic). And after eating a salad with the Pureed Herb Dressing, I have to take a bit of bread to sponge up the remaining dressing because it is that good. The recipes that I tried worked perfectly and most of them are accompanied by photographs.

This was very neatly done. I was left with the impression of a great chef, good writer, and generous man: 100% of the proceeds of this book go to the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric Aids Foundation.

Naughty thought: I wonder how Paul Burrell, Diana's tell-all butler, feels about this?

This was well worth the investment. It contains many recipes served to the Royal family. Wonderful pictures and information on the Queen's dinner events and occasions. Filled with many memories of the food service given by Chef Darren McGrady. I would recommend it to any one who is interested in the Royal family lifestyles.

Elegant and beautiful book. Great to give as a gift. Recipes are wonderful. Very well put together, as a cook book and keepsake.

Very enjoyable book with beautiful illustrations. Mouth-watering recipes included as well as the feeling the author knew and loved the royal family.

I love this book!
I love the recipes and the stories.
This is truly a book that is great for a gift or yourself.
Recipes are well nice!

I've always been happy with Amazon and this experience was no exception. I had been looking for the wonderful book by Helene Hanff for some time. I found it (and others) on Amazon. I was delighted with the price, so I ordered it. It arrived promptly, in perfect condition. So, I remain a satisfied Amazon customer.

Yes, I'm one of the cult-followers of Helene Hanff's mighty Charing Cross Road books. They are charming, indeed. Q'S LEGACY, however, is the book that tells why. It is the perfect culmination to the story of Helene's trans-atlantic love affair with Marks & Co, the antiquarian booksellers.

If you've loved 84 et al., you must read Q. It's as simple as that.

Every book lover who has read the 97 pages of "84, Charing Cross Road" about Helene Hanff's wonderful correspondence with a London bookseller, ended with a tear in their eye and a longing for more. "Q's Legacy" is the more. It tells how "84" came to be published and how, after years of yearning, she finally gets to visit England. "Q's Legacy" has little meaning without reading "84" first. I've given many copies of both to friends over the years and they treasure them both. You will, too.

Recently, I saw a movie based on a Helene Hanff book. I enjoyed the movie so much I bought "Q's Legacy". I love it and was sorry to reach the end. So few writers can express life as Miss Hanff does, and what a wit!!! I am sending the book to my granddaughter to read with instructions to return it so I may re-read it.

The author's account of her life in fiction, particularly related to her writing 84 Charing Cross Road and the Dutchess of Bloomsbury Street. An absolute must for Helene Hanff fans.

Having been boxed up in Portugal for several years, only now are the British trying to get some real traction against the French, thrusting into Spain. And they're losing. Marshal Marmont, commander of just one of five huge armies Napoleon has put in Spain, is pushing Wellington back. The English take Salamanca, but only because Marmont pulls out tactically, seeking a better place for the battle he knows will destroy the English. Marmont threatens to retake the city, but the major battle never materializes. Wellington chases him east, but then his army must retreat to avoid being cut off from its Portuguese redoubt by the French.

Sharpe fights both the large war and a smaller, more private one. French assassin Colonel Leroux kills ruthlessly, hideously and often as he tries to break up an English spy ring and save his own hide. Caught by the British but escaping, he kills Sharpe's commanding and junior officers. Sharpe vows to catch him. Sharpe's pal, the intelligence chief Major Hogan, and Wellington both need him caught. Meanwhile they worry about intelligence leaks; the French have a spy too close to the high command.

Sharpe and every other British officer swoons when meeting the dazzling Marquesa who dominates Salamanca society, and we all know which officer the Marquesa will take a shine to, despite his poverty and lack of polish. And when Sharpe and Leroux cross swords, as they do, and do again, we know what kind of sparks will fly.

Bernard Cornwell's Richard Sharpe series is one of the most beloved collective works in the sub-genre of historical fiction. Spanning over twenty novels (and counting!), Cornwell has treated his readers with thrilling battlefield and bedroom exploits from Flanders to India to Spain and France. While the novels have a definitive formula, they never grow stale.

"Sharpe's Sword" is among the best of the Sharpe novels. Sharpe is a captain of the 95th Rifles, attached to the South Essex regiment as a light company. As fans of the series know, Sharpe has made himself indispensable to the British army (including his patron, Lord Wellington) by being the most lethal rogue in an army full of cut-throats and vagabonds. But in "Sharpe's Sword," Cornwell has created a foe worthy of Sharpe - the French spy-hunter Leroux, a lethal aristocrat whose charge from Napoleon is to topple the British spy network.

Leroux is captured by Sharpe early in the novel, but takes advantage of a foolish British officer's notion of "parole" (in which a captured officer may keep his weapons and freedom if he gives his sworn statement that he will not try to escape). Acting quickly, Leroux murders his way back to freedom, but in doing so he earns Sharpe's undying hatred . . . and envy. Sharpe hates him for being a backstabbing liar, but Sharpe envies him because Leroux has the most magnificent sword Sharpe has ever seen, and Sharpe wants it.

And so Sharpe and Leroux are caught in a duel to the death while the French and British armies slug it out in the gorgeous city of Salamanca and also on the plains of Spain. "Sharpe's Sword" has it all - humor, romance, intrigue, friendship, betrayal, and battles. And what battles! Nobody writes a better battle scene than Bernard Cornwell, and he tops himself when describing a suicidal, insane cavalry charge by Wellington's German heavy cavalry against formed French squares. The reader is flung into the wild madness that is Napoleonic warfare, and it is a glorious madness indeed.

Well-researched and lovingly written, "Sharpe's Sword" exemplifies all that is good in the Sharpe series.

A friend referred to the Sharpe series as literary opium...he may be right. They are guilty pleasures, for sure....and I worry what will happen when I have read them all.

The thing is, drug or not, Cornwell is a wonderful writer. I laughed out loud a couple of times, was riveted by a love scene, and ran to the computer to look up the actual battle and scenes described. Great stuff.

And then I had the misfortune to read the new McMurtry novel....

"Sharpe's Sword" is a decent entry into the Sharpe series, but I happen to tend to prefer the Sharpe adventures that are primarily military rather than the ones with espionage plots. And, for my taste, "Sharpe's Sword" is a bit heavy on the spy angle and a hair light on the battles. But the book's action scenes, while failing to rival those in, say, "Sharpe's Rifles," "Sharpe's Eagle" or "Sharpe's Company," are still pretty satisfying. "Sharpe's Sword" is far from the weakest of the generally very strong Sharpe series (of the ones that I've read so far, I'd say that "Sharpe's Prey" my least favorite), but it doesn't quite rank among the very best, either.

This is another entry on the Sharpe series. It is fun, entertaining and very readable. Cornwell's research is as excellent as usual. He takes some licenses for the shake of the story and continuity, but this is OK. Some people are outraged by the portrait of some of the real historical characters, but historical characters are rarely depicted accurately in historical fiction, so I think this can be forgiven. Besides, usually a more serious account of these characters is given at the end of the book on the Historical Note.

Many people insist in compare this series with Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander. I don't think this is fair for any of the series, they are different entities. What they have in common is that once you start you may get hooked and devour one book after another...

And in the literary world today that is a rare and marvelous thing.

I first saw this story on the discovery channel and could not wait to read the book.
I was so glad to find a copy on Amazon.
This story is true and very sad you will feel as if you are in that raft with Debbie and Brad they were lost at sea for about 5 days and had to fight off sharks and stay alive. It started out with 5 John Mark Meg Debbie and Brad.
only Debbie and Brad made it. This book will keep you reading well into the night to finish.
It is a great read!

ALBATROSS is a gripping story of survival and agonizing death at sea--the sinking with the loss of three lives of the yacht TRASHMAN off the Carolina coast. The author pulls no punches and tells a tale of human suffering, weakness, and malice that left this reader shaken by its bluntness, realism, and intensity.

The story is told in a direct and clear manner that inescapably draws one in to its nightmarish hell. Besides a sea story it is also a story of a young person's stuggle with her own demons.

Why read such a painful book? One important life lesson that we must learn from this account is not to leave port unprepared. In some ways, I would urge all boaters to read this book just to have that lesson hammered in. As a boater I came away with the deep conviction that I don't ever want to come anywhere near going through anything like what the crew of TRASHMAN went through.

As presented by the author, the tragedy was entirely the result of the incompetence, alcoholism, and carelessness of the captain and other crew members. I must confess, however, that when I reflected on the author's tale I could not help wondering how objective it was. She is so unremittingly critical--bitterly critical--of John and Mark that I began to doubt the clarity of her vision. I would love to get the account of the other survivor. There are several mysteries about the tragic sinking of TRASHMAN that remain troubling and unresolved.

Nevertheless Debby's tale is one that will move in and rearrange your mental furniture, especially if you are a boater or have ever been to sea in a small boat.

I received this book today and have read it in one sitting, just couldn't put it down. It is both a fasinating and horrific true story of this womans fight for survival in the open seas. It is written in an easy to follow style. Definately worth the read!!

Heard ALBATROSS: THE TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN'S SURVIVAL AT SEA by Deborah Scaling Kiley and Meg Noonan . . . it is the tragic tale of what was supposed to be a simple boat trip that wound up as a nightmare . . . several of the crew members perished; what was more interesting to me was the story of how the survivors made it.

I've read other "how I survived at sea" books before . . . this was the first one, though, that I've come across written by a woman . . . what I'll remember: when your instincts tell you something, listen . . . Scaling Kiley, unfortunately, did not.

I liked her special introduction at the beginning of the cassette tapes . . . I also liked the work of Karen Allen--a talented actress that I don't see nearly enough--who did an excellent job with the narration.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. I had seen Deborah and Brad's story on "I Shouldn't Be Alive" series, where they showed re-enactments and now and then broke away to the two actual survivors telling their story. I just knew she had written about this, so I looked it up on Amazon.

The story is told in very colorful prose. I could hear the sailboat slicing through the water, could see the pewter waves and dark sky. I could almost feel the sharks bumping the underside of the rubber raft with their rough skin.

Debbie is brutally honest, which adds to the credibility and interest of her story. She opens up and really lets us into her ordeal, and adds extra bits of information and impressions, like when she had her head under water looking for sharks and saw the beauty of the school of doradoes. So descriptive, I could see it.

This is also a story of triumph, as Debbie deals with strong emotions in the months and years after the tragedy. I'm glad she pulled through it all and wrote the book. I recommend this book for teens as well as adults.

I first read this book when it was published. I have lost count of the number of times I have read it since then. This was among the first books to go to my Kindle. I love all of Elizabeth Peters' books, but for sheer lunacy, this one remains my favorite.

This is one of my favorites in the Barbara Michaels / Elizabeth Peters collection, brimming over with all my most beloved elements: a young female protagonist, unconventional relatives, an enormous, rambling old house complete with a menagerie of ill-behaved pets, fateful secrets, flawless characters, and of course, a few resident ghosts.

Ellie has come to her irascible Aunt Kate's home in rural Virginia to house-sit while said Aunt Kate takes a brief vacation. Ellie just has to inhabit the house, water the plants, and take care of Kate's veritable stable of pets, including dogs, cats, and one rat named after a local politician. On her very first night in the old house alone Ellie has an unwelcome spectral visitor, and from that moment forward, nothing is quite as it seems. The library is vandalized, more ghostly figures appear, and the apparently rich and scandalous past of some of the town's most distinguished inhabitants re-awakens to shake up the present. Ellie feels a little out of her league, and so ropes in various friends and neighbors to help her figure out what's going on as genuine danger seems to be closing in.

We all want an Aunt Kate, or at least I do! She's the perfect picture of the kind of eccentricity that's cozy rather than creepy, and her skill at witchcraft - or at least the rumor of it, which is as good as the real thing, around these parts! - is as much a part of her as her obsession with the Washington Redskins. Technically she's away for much of the story, but her character is very much a part of it. Ted, Dr. Gold, Don, the Grants, Miss Mary and the other characters fill out their parts with gusto, adding wonderfully to the atmosphere.

Always a pleasure, Miss Peters/Michaels/Mertz!

Fun, nice dialog, nice characters. The story's conclusion just didn't carry much punch for me.

Ellie has agreed to house sit for her Aunt Kate. Her pompous fiance drives her down to impress the rich old lady, who dislikes him immediately. After Kate's departure with the fiance to the airport. Ellie experiences all kinds of strange manifestations involving the six founding families of the area. A rare book telling of their boring scandals seems to be the trigger. A neighbor agrees to help her solve the mystery. It seems like a practical joke, until an old friend of Kate's gets seriously injured....

This was a very quick read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I picked it up and didn't stop reading until the last page. The characters are quirky and entertaining. The atmosphere appropriately creepy, and the story line engrossing. A very good read.

I've read this book several times. I love coming back to it after a couple of years and enjoying it all over again. The best thing about Elizabeth Peters/B Michaels is that she creates a cozy atmostphere, with every day occurences (such as eating lunch...sleeping...,) yet, there are not so every day occurences thrown in - ghosts, etc. It makes it feel like is business as usual to suspect that a ghost is inhabiting your house. I just love the atmostphere she creates! She doesn't write these types of books anymore, - not a dynasty - like Amelia (love those too, of course), but these single book stories, and I miss them!

In Straight, Francis gives us another of his honorable and vulnerable heroes who find themselves in trouble through no fault of their own. True, part of Derek Franklin's problems stems from not getting to know his much older brother, Greville, but the rest of his problems just seem to happen. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is never in one's favor.

Derek is a successful jockey whose ankle is broken in a fall in a race. Just after he learns that his brother has been killed in a freak accident. Now, Greville was a gemologist who tended to be more than a little paranoid. He loved gadgets and puzzles and lives in a house outfitted like a fortress. Unfortunately, the strength of the house does not prevent Derek from being pummeled and otherwise abused nearly to the point of death. The worst thing is that he doesn't know why. This is a story of many mysteries most of which have nothing to do with one another. True to form, though, the villain once identified, proves to have no compunctions about doing whatever it takes to get what he/she wants and for self protection. Or is that villains?

As the story unfolds, the reader finds out as much about the deceased Greville as Derek, his brother and sole heir. (There are two sisters who live abroad.) It's difficult not to care about both and to feel the regret about not getting to know someone before it's too late.

Straight is a typical Francis novel in that it's a fast read, one cares about the protagonist, and pretty much despises the antagonist. Few surprises when it comes to it, but one of Francis's good ones.

I hve been reading Dick Francis books for at least 15 years. My father introduced me to them. When I go on vacation this summer, some of them will accompany me. "Straight" will be one of them.

Greville and Clarissa had concealed their love affair for three years.

Greville was a middleman, who had traveled the world to search out reliable sources of semiprecious gemstones. The successful London company he founded would have the stones cut in Antwerp, Tel Aviv, New York, or elsewhere, then distribute the gems in quantity to creative designers and producers of fashionable jewelry. Greville also owned racehorses, starting when someone had given him one in settlement of a debt.

Clarissa was the attractive wife of an older British lord, who had pursued her. Greville became Clarissa's first love, as she became his. When he was not on a trip, and she could come to London, they would meet. When apart, which was most days, they had agreed to pause at a set time of day to think of each other, knowing that each was doing the same.

A sudden accident ended all this. Greville had been walking down the High Street next to a construction site, when collapsing scaffolding from high up, struck him, sending him to the hospital, where he never regained consciousness and soon died.

Here are Dick Francis's very first words of the story: "I inherited my brother's life. Inherited his desk, his business, his gadgets, his enemies, his horses and his mistress. I inherited my brother's life, and it nearly killed me."

The speaker is Greville's brother Derek, younger by nineteen years. Too tall for flat racing, Derek is a steeplechase jockey, which is especially dangerous because of the jumping. In the story he is, in fact, on crutches recovering from a broken left ankle injured in a race.

Derek's racing world and Greville's business world collide throughout the book. Derek must pick up the complex gemstone business traces, while undergoing continuing pressure from racing owners and trainers to hurry up and heal.

The company employees tell Derek that Greville did not deal in diamonds. In going to the bank, Derek discovers otherwise. The manager tells him that three months earlier the bank had loaned Greville a million and a half U.S. dollars, specifically to expand into diamonds, and would soon be looking to Derek to start repayment.

Where are the diamonds? Stolen? Who are the customers who wanted them? Greville's company business and his house are broken into. Derek is assaulted and shot at. The action is nonstop. The book is a fascinating, literate page-turner.

Note: Probably all of us readers like to notice where a book's title appears in the text, and to see the meaning in context. I frankly lost count after more than a dozen instances, many of them different -- from Intensive Care Unit monitor lines going flat, to straight thinking versus labyrinthine, to honest test reporting versus shadiness, just to name a few. And a big one near the end of the book, which I wouldn't want to reveal here. Your reading will have to decide which of the many applies most strongly. Or perhaps they all do?

A reader knows what they are getting with a Dick Francis book. The mystery will be well plotted, the hero (usually a jockey or former jockey) will bravely face whatever trials that face him overcoming his troubled past and/or secret sorrow and the action will center around the some part of the racing world. Every once in awhile though a surprise pops up, this time the jockey is thrust into the totally alien world of gems.

Jockey Derek Franklin has been sidelined by a broken ankle, shortly after his brother Grenville is murdered. As Derek tries to settle the estate he finds himself drawn more and more into his brother's world of finance, gems and quirky little gadgets. Gradually he begins to sort out the mysteries surrounding Grenville's life and death but soon discovers that there are others who are determined to keep him from the answers. In the end, of course all is revealed.

This is a well plotted and clever mystery. The clues are all there for the reader to follow. The characters are well written, and draw the reader into the story.

This has to be one of my all time favorite Dick Francis novels. It has everything a mystery should have in it - murder, missing jewels, mayhem... In my opinion, it's going to be difficult for Francis to top this one, but I can't wait while he keeps trying!

Straight takes the reader behind the scenes of the jewel trade and it's not an industry that's always on the up and up. Derek Franklin has been on a roller coaster ride of late as his steeplechase jockey career is nearing the end with him sustaining yet another injury. During his forced leave to heal, Derek finds out that his older brother, Greville, has been attacked and is on his deathbed. After his brother succumbs to his injuries, Derek is told that he has inherited his brother's business. Too late to protect himself, Derek realizes that his brother was a target and Derek suspects it has something to do with a fortune in missing diamonds.

This isn't a direct "who dun it" but also has a few subplots that are enjoyable in their own right. When Derek is summoned to his dying brother's hospital bed, the interaction (or lack there of) made me very thankful for the close relationship I have with my brothers and sisters. This thankfulness was reinforced throughout the story, as Derek learns more about his older brother and begins to understand him.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Derek is sure that a clue is hidden in his brother's computer, but he is unable to access the correct password. Greville's secretary comes to the rescue. After hearing the clues left by Greville, followed by a brief mind struggle, she comes up with the correct code word and up pops a message on the computer screen congratulating her and promising her a raise. Now that's the kind of boss I want - he sounds fun!

The only negative some may have with this book is that it is a detour for Dick Francis. As most of his books revolve around horseracing, his devoted fans have come to expect that background. In Straight the only reference to horseracing is the fact that Derek is an injured jockey.

Want to read a mystery that will have you guessing until the end? If so, then this is the book for you to read next! It's very enjoyable and will have you wondering until the very end.