Windsor Books

As a Western author, Brand did not shrink from controversial topics such as race relations in the Old West. Clung is the son of EuroAmerican parents but was brought up by the Chinese laundryman Li Clung and, as culture always triumphs genetics, the boy Clung is as Chinese as his adoptive father. As a "Chinaman" in the frontier west, he is subject to all the prejudices of the day. Two strong plots war for dominance in this novel, for the bridge between the two is a young woman who sets one man, Will Kirk, against another, Clung aka John Ring. Clung is one of Brand's most finely drawn and complex characters and, although the prejudice and discrimination against the Chinese for that period appears appalling to us today, it was real racism and touched everyone who lived in a multi-racial setting as all western towns inevitably were once the Spanish had arrived. Clung proves himself in the Chinese-American world in subtle Chinese ways. Readers will find the Eastern mysticism they seek, Confucian ethics, and a kind of loyalty they may not expect set against one thrilling action scene after another until finally, Winifred does go away with Clung/John Ring.

Depicts a very believable one-man-stranded-on-a-tiny-islandscenario. Well-written. The kind of book that makes youwonder what you would do in similar circumstances

Joe Devine's Collecting Royal Copley Plus Royal Windsor & Spaulding Identification And Value Guide packs in a lovely photo gallery of pieces with history and values. Royal Copley is the main focus of the presentation, though some Windsor and Spaulding pieces are presented, and about 85% of everything made at Spaulding was Royal Copley. Collectors will find this a 'must have' reference.

"The Monster of the Monoliths and Other Stories," Volume 3 in "The Chronicles of Conan" reprints issues #14-15 and 17-21 of Marvel's "Conan the Barbarian." Actually, the term "reprint" is not exactly accurate because beyond allowing us to enjoy these classic comic books without taking them out of the protective plastic in which they are sealed, these issues have been recolored using computers to make them even better (clouds and shadings are not big time fun). True, I thought they went a bit too far when they colored the epilogue of "The Black Hound of Vengeance" (#20), but overall the effects are quite impressive, especially since the paper stock in this Darkhorse publication is of vastly superior quality to what these stories were printed on back in the early 1970s.

Basically "The Monster of the Monoliths and Other Stories" can be divided into three sections. First, there is the two-part adventure involving Robert E. Howard's Conan of Cimmeria and Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone. Conan meets up again with Zephra and her father, the wizard Zukala from issue #5. The two sword and sorcery heroes from different words meet and after fighting each other in the first issue fight together against the Green Empress of Yagala in the second. Gil Kane's first pair of "Conan" stories is adapted by Thomas from Howard's story "The Gods of Bal-Sagoth." At the start of issue #6 there had been a quick little homage to Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser when Conan interrupts a couple of thieves named Fafnir and Black Rat (the story was originally about Howard's hero Black Turlogh O'Brien and his pirate captor Wulfhere). Conan learns Fafnir is still alive and after their initial fights the two become brothers in arms for most of the rest of this volume. This first adventure has them helping the goddess Aala (a.k.a. the young girl Kyrie) regain her thrown and then dealing with the inevitable monsters and volcanic eruption.

The last trio of stories represents the beginning of Barry Windsor-Smith's final run on "Conan the Barbarian." "Hawks from the Sea" finds Conan and Fafnir involved in the siege of Makkalet by the armies of Tur1n, under the command of Prince Yezdigerd, son of King Yildiz. Conan gets to experience the Hyrkanian War from both sides, doing a mission to the Turanians in "The Black Hound of Vengeance" and then switching sides to encounter "The Monster of the Monoliths," which is inspired in part by REH's "The Black Stone." The prime interest, however, is how Windsor-Smith's artwork continued to evolve, and the marked differences we seen after a few months off of drawing "Conan," especially knowing what is yet to come in the Volume 4 is even better. Thomas' storytelling has improved as well and one of the chief joys of reading these volumes has been to see how well these stories have stood up over time.

Thomas writes a "Behind the Swords" essay that appears in the back of this volume and which talks about the history of each of these issues. He also points out the Kane's issues of "Conan the Barbarian" actually outsold what the celebrated Windsor-Smith issues had done to that point. More interesting are the recollections of how Windsor-Smith would draw things and then Thomas would have to make it work with the story and how the final pages of issue #19 were colored without being inked (which explains why they look so inferior). Thomas spends about as much time explaining the reasons why, for example, the last issue is inked by Dan Adkins, Craig Russell, Val Mayerik, and Sal Buscema, as where they got the ideas for various stories. The only serious complaint with these trade paperbacks is that the original covers are not included, which will be a particular shame when we get to the next volume and the conclusion of Barry Windsor-Smith's run on this landmark comic book (plus the epic "Red Nails" from "Savage Tales").

I love this book and i couldn't put it down. An exciting read about love and friendship :)

This story is set in Patna Hall, a delightfully old-fashioned hotel on the stunning Coromandel coast in southern India. A local election has filled the hotel with workers for the Root and Flower Party, and the other hotel guests get caught up in the election fever, especially Mary, on her honeymoon, but increasingly fascinated by Krishnan, the Root and Flower candidate. Auntie Sanni, the hotel proprietor is a delightful character, and the rest of the hotel staff are a a fascinating bunch. As election day approaches, anger and jealousy come to the boil as Mary's husband understandably gets more and more fed up about his wife's absorbtion in the election. A gripping story from beginning to end. Warning: do not read this book if you are hungry, there are mouth-watering descriptions of unbearably delicious things to eat throughout the book.

Another wonderful British mystery from the reknowned author Robert Barnard who always has a surprise. Set in an English manor, the Spender family tries to cope with suddenly becoming part of the royal peerage. Sounds wonderful, but with death duties and new will, murder is afoot. A wonderful cast of characters including the conservative prissy lawyer to a porn star son. Well worth reading and hard to put down.

A collection of snippets and pieces from pastoral English literature carefully put together by the incomparable Miss Read to take one into the wonderful world of the English countryside. It is a book I have read over and over again and enjoyed every bit as much as the first time. Through Country Bunches, I have discovered a number of gems to add to my collection of literature on village life in England

The D. A. Takes a Chance, by Erle Stanley Gardner

Doris Kane drove to Madison City to visit her married daughter Paula Marlin. But no one was home, and she was frightened by a bloodstain in one bedroom. Doris goes to tell Sheriff Rex Brandon, and D. A. Doug Shelby gets involved. The complication is that her son-in-law Jim Melvin had backed the Shelby's opponent. When they return things have been cleaned. Then A. B. Carr, the Los Angeles shyster lawyer, stops his car to meet Jim Melvin. Carr does not answer their question about a pistol shot. Milton Granby tells his story; he was at that party and a stranger accidentally shot himself in his arm, then drove himself home. Hudson L. Parlin shows up; he is the investor in the parking meter business, and James L. Melvin is his salesman for the region.

Doris had stopped at a motor court. Jim Marlin came by and explained their absence. Jim asks Doris to join them where they are staying. Doris then meets Eve Dawson. their secret house guest, and learns about the secret. The next morning Doris is awakened by a scream from Paula. Eve was dead, a knife in her chest! Sheriff Rex Brandon is called. D. A. Shelby and the coroner arrive. Their investigation continues. Sheriff Brandon explains the source of A.B. Carr's power: he gets the big shots out of their difficulties. Doug Shelby goes with reporter Sylvia Martin to the home town of Eve "Dawson" Hollenberg. They get little information from Eve's mother. The murder weapon may have been bought in Highdale, Eve's home town. They find out about another young woman from nearby, Eleanor Harlan, who roomed with Eve.

There is a surprise in Chapter 15 - fingerprints are found where they shouldn't be found. Paula explains that a device like a self-resetting parking meter can't be sold simply on its merits. Consideration must be given to those who would approve of any sale. [Not unlike closing a sale on a golf course where there are no witnesses.] When Paula gets a phone call and leaves, Doris is left alone at night. Something happens. Brandon and Shelby show up. Later Sylvia Martin reports that Eleanor Harlan overdosed on sleeping pills (Chapter 18)! The Chief of Police arrives with a search warrant, looking for Eleanor Harlan in Sylvia Martin's apartment (Chapter 20).

The true facts begin to emerge in Chapter 21. There is more action in Chapter 22 when a man is arrested. In Chapter 24 a man who sets a trap must be careful not to be caught himself. The newspaper story in Chapter 25 sums it up. Erle Stanley Gardner has written another fast-moving exciting mystery novel. Gardner used municipal corruption as the background to this story, something that Chandler or Hammett never cared to do. Gardner does warn about the problems that a young woman will face if she goes to Hollywood.
There is a problem with self-resetting parking meters. Running for a fixed time allows an independent estimate of the monies taken. A variable time period can allow skimming cash due to a lack independent estimates. That is the reason they used train tickets rather than trust a conductor back in the 1870s.

If you are a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood or the Lords of the Underworld, you really should pick up this trilogy. These ladies are not vampires or demons, but they are warriors of elemental magic from the time before man. But set in modern day New York City...

Add some estrogen to your reading list!