Windsor Books

Though like LITTLE WOMEN this is a chronicle of the lives of sisters and their mother in wartime, the resemblance virtually ends there. The setting is pre WWII Glasgow, Scotland. Although most of us imagine that mafia stories will be set in Italy or perhaps a major U.S. city such as New York, organized crime is rampant in this pastoral town, and two of the three sisters are married to mob heirs.

Polly, the eldest, lives a pampered life, yet despite this, she dances dangerously on the edge, having an affair with another man, who is in turn tempted by yet another woman. Babs is also married to a criminal, and their real father is suspected of crimes, though to all appearances he is dead. The most peaceful of the sisters is the youngest, Rosie, a deaf girl who works in, ironically, a florist's shop. However, when love enters her life, the sisters' world is rocked because he is a policeman. Young Kenny finds himself caught between two worlds, as he is falling in love with his assignment, the daughter of a criminal, though he is sworn to uphold the law. On top of that, with war with Germany looming like an advancing storm, he may be called up for active duty before he can convince Rose of his love. The sisters also face the reality that war could mean that they suffer the same fate as aliens in Scotland, since Italians have become part of their family in marriage.

***** Realistic and gritty, this novel reads like a mini series, interweaving multiple plotlines skillfully to form a whole tapestry. Like Dickens, Ms. Stirling does not scimp on the grimness of the world she has created in order to make a light read. Rosie is the most admirable of the sisters, perhaps because of her handicap that has shielded her from some of life's ugliness, making her a bit more unspoiled than they. If you want a fun read, look elsewhere; if you want something with depth and great historical value, this one is for you. *****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

The attractive blonde was propped up against the tree, in the rain. Nobody knew who she was or what she was doing there...but no one could miss the fact that her throat had been slashed. RCMP Staff Sergeant Karl Alberg has no clues to go on, and to make matters worse, he finds himself distracted by the local librarian, Cassandra Mitchell, and her flirtation with a visiting actor. A second murder jolts Karl back into focus, and he realises that he must identify the killer before anyone else suffers.

Wright has a gift - she can make you feel like you're right there with the characters, experiencing the events with them. Her characters are so real, and her descriptions of locations and events suck you right in! In this book, she also manages to create a fantastic sense of mystery and suspense. Time will truly fly by while you're reading this book.

Terry is a very successful con artist who is not opposed to stealing cars or other items either. Alice is an old lady who sold her house so her son and his wife could buy a better one but has been harshly treated by her daughter in law who just wanted her money and not her living with them. A car accident brings them together where Terry also meets Alice's neighbour Sue, a female version of himself although not as experienced. Who is the ultimate villain though? Who will succeed with their dreams and whose life will be ultimately be shattered. A sensational read which you will not want to put down until the final page.

Sparrow Airways is either on the brink of something big or in big trouble. But employees and even management can't seem to agree on which it is. John Putnam Thatcher of the Sloan Guarantee Trust would normally let them figure it out on their own, but not with some the bank's money on the line. And when a labor negotiation ends in murder, he's even more determined to figure out if this investment is going to lead to more trouble.

I always enjoy these books, even if they are out of print. Worth reading and even rereading.

I really loved this book. It had so much depth and was so unique. Recommended!

Frederick Faust, Max Brand and Evan Evans--and an assortment of other names--were one fantastic feast of American "Westerns" for me. Only Faust was a "real" person but Harrison Destry and a stageful of others became personal heroes to this then-young reader and I recall the paperback SONG OF THE WHIP as the cream of the cream--the best western I ever read!

Local historian Simone Wilson wrote this fine general history (with index) of Sonoma County in 1990. It includes chapters on "Legacy of the Past" (on the Native American peoples), "Forts and Haciendas," "Building Main Street" (the establishment of towns in the county), "Commerce in Motion" (railroads and river commerce), "Immigrants and Agriculture," "Quake to 1940" (the early years of the 20th century), and "A Toast to the Future." It also has an extensive bibliography. Glossy paper and tons of vintage photos make it a quality gift book that can be a good souvenir for visitors, as well as a staple of one's local history library.

This book is written by the former BBC correspondant for Russia who was thrown out for allegedly spying,so he knows his stuff!!! Tim Sebastian @ the height of his powers and proving to be one of the up-and-coming authors of his generation.A must.

Picture this: Parker and friends have pulled the perfect heist and Parker is holding the money till the heat cools down. Then an AMATEUR sneaks in, kills Parker's girl friend of the moment, finds and takes the stash, takes a couple of shots at Parker, and sets him up as the patsy for the murder. --- Parker is less than pleased.

From here on in it is non-stop action with all seven members of Parker's team hunting down the Amateur (who has a phobic fear of gunfire-someone else's, that is.) The cops get in the act and chase everyone while the body count rises.

Parker's partners are well drawn and each is sharply defined. By getting to know them, like in many Parker novels, you find yourself rooting for the bad guys. "The Split" like "Slayground" is almost total action, but Stark somehow gives us a sense of people and place, on the fly as it were. The Amateur, who is being stalked relentlessly, pauses for breath and thinks, "That's what death is; getting your heel caught in a crack of time."

This is an elegant, dark side of Donald Westlake. He should write the manual on anti-heroes. Highly recommended.

Although not as dark, as H.A. Derossa's work (highly recommended), this deeper than usual western drama is very pleasing. Discussing it and the movie made from it - with western veteran Joel Macrea and Veronica Lake - is an interchangeable exercise. The movie, with the exception of three minor changes, was word for word what Short wrote.

Lake's character is a scheming rancher who attempts to twist Macrea's wandering saddlebum around her finger to gain control of more land. In an era when most female characters eventually swoon into a man's arms and give up their evil ways, Lake's character (I forget the character names) gets darker. Even after she is the cause of a man's violent death. She is affected by this, she's even shocked a little by what she has done, but she does not sway from her goal.

This is a strong female character operating in a hard man's world. The problem is, she has learned how to be hard but not honest. She lies and cheats to get what she wants, and eventually this does her in (that's not a spoiler by the way - the good guys still have to win, after all!)

The story is taught and the motivations honest. Short writes a lot of good westerns, and this is one of his best.