Windsor Books

This is the first Linda Windsor book I have read. It was a little difficult to begin with but was an incredible story of how God can change anyone's heart. It is also a great story of forgiveness and reconciliation.

I've read some inspirational/Christian romances before, but this one by far beats all others I've read. Windsor has written a very believeable story in this book, and she describes the characters at a level more in-depth than most other contemporary authors. This book has made me think, and realize that the messages in it, of the Prodigal Son, the Christmas story, and the need to listen to God, and not take life into your own hands, are some of the most improtant lessons out there today. This would be a great book to give as a gift, or to buy for yourself, whatever the case, you won't put it down until you're done with it.

The genre of Christian fiction has improved immensely over the last few years but this has to be one of the best I've ever read - and I've read a lot! Ms. Windsor gives us believable yet flawed characters, isn't heavy-handed with the Christian angle and infuses a great deal of fun and humor. After finishing this book I honestly wanted to know more about these characters because their lives and struggles seemed so real. Linda Windsor is a terrific writer and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

This book was so wonderful that I just could not put it down. And now it's loaned out I think I'll buy another (just in case it goes the rounds). I loved the natural, unobtrusive way that God is whom this family's lives revolve around. Kathryn was on the verge of divorce because her husband Nick was such a workaholic that he had no time for family or for faith. As they are both the most important things in Kathryn's life, I could understand her hurt. They are also the only things in life that really matter to me. So when Nick bops in after being declared dead 5 years before, Kathryn is very skeptical about his claims of faith found in a prison camp. Forgiveness is very difficult for us all, but as I recall, Jesus said that we must forgive others before he can forgive us. Food for thought.

This book is by far, the most absloutely wonderful book I've ever read that not only has great morals, (And one cool ending...) But, it's written to not have all that disgusting stuff in it that these non-christain writers use now. This is one awesome book! I have read on Miss Windsors books, and she has some good ones out there! I hope ya'll will read more of her books also, she's a wonderful writer, so talented!

John Russell is in many ways an archetyypal hero of the Western movie and novel-tactiturn and laconic in demeanour,whipcord tough and a man of action -yet he is a man apart from most of those around him by virtue of having been raised by Apaches .He was captured by them as a boy and subsequently adopted by a white man, a supply wagon owner ,thus having experience of both the ways of the whites and the Apaches.
He is not the narrator of this tale however -a lot that falls on Carl allen ,a passenger on a stagecoach bound for Delgado where russell is going to see if he can fully embrace white customs and live as a white man .Allen is in awe of Russell but by no means uncritical of him or his manner .The journey is complicated by the presence on board the stage of an embezzling banker ,something which is known to a band of outlaws who lay siege to the coach and its passengers ,and are prepared to kill if need be to get their hands on the loot.

The result is grim chess match as standoffs and shootouts ensue but the emphasis is as much on the psychological and interpersonal tensions as it is on physical violence .The prose is lean ,mean and economical ,the action scenes punchy and direct and the characterisation way above normal for the genre .
Russell is a true ,if deeply flawed hero ,as he possess tha courage to do what he felt had to be done -others fall short of the mark.

Gripping and edgily compulsive reading -please dont miss it if you have any love for great storytelling

Elmore Leonard's HOMBRE is, irrespective of genre, an absolute classic of the novel form. In my opinion it's the best example since THE GREAT GATSBY of what I'd loosely term "self-effacing first person narrative", by which I mean narrative wherein the author so contrives things that the narrator - Carl Allen in HOMBRE - is not the main character or event in the story. Personally I think this tends to make for a greater semblance of objectivity since the person telling the story necessarily remains, like the reader, on the periphery of the central events.

I would unreservedly recommend Elmore Leonard's 's westerns to anybody interested in "a good read"- but especially to any reader who's completed his "modern" books. It's not that I'm a fan of the western genre in particular, but Elmore Leonard's output is infinitely superior to the norm. With great dialogue and memorable characters they make for a very tight read: more like Hemingway than Louis L'Amour.

There's a sort of underlying thematic quality to HOMBRE (to VALDEZ IS COMING, too) wherein the young United States is itself the hero - or heroine, as the case may be. For example, Gay Erin in VALDEZ shucks off her attachment to the small shopkeeper and the cattle baron in favour of the man of honour . . . and the man of honour (VALDEZ, HOMBRE), social outcast though he may temporarily be, is able to come into his own precisely because he was born in the Land of the Free.

You just know this ain't gonna happen in downtown Detroit or present day Dade County FLA.

Beats me why WHEN THE WOMEN COME OUT TO DANCE had to reprise so many stories out of THE TONTO WOMAN when there are so many uncollected Elmore Leonard western stories out there just waiting to be corraled.

PS If you like the narrative voice in HOMBRE, mosey on over to Arkansas and Missouri and check out TRUE GRIT by Charles Portis. It's another classic of the western genre with a quite differently stunning first person narrative voice. Meanwhile, here's a spoof reprise of that scene from the film where Richard Boone stomps into the stagecoach office and confronts Paul Newman . . .

`Frank Braden,' he said. His hands spread out along the counter.
I said, `Yessir? As if I still worked for the Sweetmary Library Service. Hell, I shouldn't have been behind the counter but I'd dropped off to sleep reading the latest John Grisham (hate the books; love the movies).
`Write it down for EL's EO.'
`I'm sorry.'
`I said: "Write it down for Elmore Leonard's entire opus.'
`That's a special batch.'
`I heard. That's why I'm having it.'
I looked down at the four orange library cards on the counter, lining them up evenly. `I'm afraid that one's taken. Four here and those two. That's all we could get a-hold of.'
`You can get another one,' he said. Telling me, not asking. `Sunny side up, easy on the adverbs, exclamation points and hooptedoodle.'
`Well, I don't see how.'
`On top of what you ordered.'
`We got half a dozen is all. That's a library service rule. I was just telling these boys here. Certain people can read . . .'
`You say they've got 'em?'
`Yessir. Both of them.'
He turned without another word and walked over to John Russell with that clumpy thumping sound as the Max Brands, Louis L'Amours and Zane Grays hit the library floor. He still had the Jack Schaefers slung low in his left hand: SHANE, THE KEAN LAND, THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES. You can say what you want about Frank Braden but he was nobody's fool.
He said, "That boy at the counter said you got the Forty less One.'
`Uh?' said John Russell.
`Elmore Leonard's stuff.'
`John Russell opened his hand on his lap. `This?'
`That's it. And the others. You give them to me and grab a Stephen King.'
`I have to take them,' Russell said.
`No, you want is all. But it would be better if you waited. You can read Captain Corelli, get drunk. How does that sound?'
`I have to take these,' John Russell said. `I have to take these and I want to take them.'
`Leave him alone,' the ex-soldier said then. `We were first in line, you find your own batch of books.'
Frank Braden looked at him. `What did you say?'
`I said why don't you leave him alone.' His tone changed. All of a sudden it sounded friendlier, more reasonable. `He wants the Forty less One, let him take them,' the ex-soldier said.
You heard the clumpy thumping sound again as Frank Braden shifted to face the ex-soldier and Charles Portis' TRUE GRIT hit the ground. He scooped it up again, stacked it alongside the Schaefers, stared at him and said, `I guess I'll have your Forty less One instead.'
The ex-soldier hadn't moved, his big hands resting on his knees, his feet propped on the canvas bag that contained the thirty-nine books. `You just walk in,' he said, `and take somebody else's Forty less One?'
Braden's pointed hat brim moved up and down. `That's the way it is.'
`Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!' I said - exclaimed even - thinking I was still in the employ of the Sweetmary Library Service.

'Hombre' is another entry in the western genre from Elmore Leonard. This novel tells the story of a man named John Russell that was raised as an Apache. He owns some property that he needs to sell and is about to take a stage coach ride with one Mr. Mendez to get where he is going. Quickly, several other passengers join the coach. When they discover Russell's background, they refuse to allow him to ride in the coach with him. It doesn't take too long for the coach to get into trouble when it becomes obvious that Mr. Russell is not the only one who isn't as he appears.

This is a good Western. The scenes are laid out well be Leonard and unfold nicley. For the most part, the characters are what you expect in a Western given their backgrounds. The various prejudices of the white man against the Apache's are obvious. In other words, the characters match the time period.

This novel has a moral that we've all heard before. Leonard simply repackages it. In addition to not judging a book by its cover, you need to walk a mile in its shoes. That is the lesson to be learned from this novel, which will become apparent by the time you get to the end.

As is usual, Leonard has created some wonderful characters. In addition to Russell, there is "the McLaren" girl who has her own ties to the Apaches. She had been kidnapped by them, and while she resents them, she has learned a few things from them. There is Dr. and Mrs. Favor. Dr. Favor isn't quite the good doctor, and his wife doesn't quite obey the rules of polite society. Mr. Mendez is the Mexican coach driver, and kind of a mentor to Russell. There are a few colorful bad guys that round out a diverse cast.

This isn't Leonard's best novel, but it is a very good one. Anyone that enjoys Leonard's work should like this. I'd also recommend it to fans of Westerns.

Grade: 4 stars.

I'm new to the Western genre. After a few L'Amours, a friend put me on to Leonard's Westerns. So I'm reading them; they are a world apart (and very much a better one) than the good but stolid L'Amour.
I read Hombre just after Valdez is Coming, and now I'm going through the Leonard western list; he's my definite favorite for the time being.
Hombre is a distinctly moral tale. The moral punch comes suddenly and unexpectedly at the end. The hero (not anti-hero, in my opinion; here I differ from an earlier reviewer)is so laconic that you don't get much foreshadowing of his actions until they happen. This is a style I very much like, instead of the author's own ruminations through the thoughts and bloviations of his protagonist-- a major L'Amour characteristic. (I suppose I shouldn't dwell on L'Amour, but he's my only other Western author so far; and he's a solid 3-star writer, a very respectable thing to be.)
Leonard is very spare in his writing and very suited to the Western, in my mind. I'll be getting the well-regard Paul Newman movie, which I've never seen.

Elmore Leonard is not nearly as well known for his Westerns as his hardboiled crime dramas, but in fact he is one of the finest writers in the genre of the past fifty years. This is partly because he is simply one of the finest American writers period. He is famous for writing some of the hardest hitting, purest prose during his lifetime. There is nothing flashy about his writing. My guess is that a glossary of all his words would tally less than 400 words in all. There probably aren't more than 20 words of more than two syllables in the entire book. Some paragraphs have few two syllable words. This apparent simplicity can mask what is in fact a stunning virtuosity. Leonard is known as a writers' writer and this will escape no reader who pays close attention to the deceptive sophistication of his style.

The story he tells here is a simple one. Leonard is hardly the first to depict a Western hero. Nor is he the first to depict a hero who possessed outsider status. John Russell, the "hombre" of the title (and "hombre" here really has a similar sense as "Mensch" in Yiddish), is a white man who was raised in his formative years as an Apache. He is the result of white, Apache, and Mexican cultures, yet doesn't completely fit in any of them, though he seems most comfortable as an Apache. Though treated with disdain by his fellow stage coach passengers (actually, they travel in a mud wagon), he becomes their only hope after bandits hold them up. Russell is striking for being treated as both heroic and extremely capable, but not impossibly skilled as many Western heroes are depicted. Though a good shot, he misses more than he hits his target. Though most of his decisions are good ones, he isn't infallible.

The novel is remarkable for how sympathetic Native Americans are depicted. Written in 1961, Leonard anticipates the far more positive treatment of Indian characters in the seventies and beyond. The central crime in the novel is one perpetuated against Indians, just as the protagonist is a product of Apache culture.

I highly recommend this novel. It is yet another example of Elmore Leonard's consummate ability as a writer, as well as being a first rate Western. It truly is Leonard at his very best.

I picked up a more recent book in the Inspector Barnaby series from my local used bookstore but being the anal soul that I am, decided to read the books in order. Took me a bit of effort to find this first one for a less-than-usurious price but once I got a copy, decided it'll remain in my library (rather than sell it). Graham writes a protagonist like Dick Francis does - a dogged, intelligent individual who follows the threads 'til the end and justice is served. A well-written plot is buoyed by a cast of memorable characters, some comedic, some odd but all with a role to play. I plan on collecting the entire series. Highly recommend.

The traditional mystery, through a glass darkly. Her Death of a Hollow Man is also superb. Come to think of it, all her books are superb.

The Killings at Badger's Drift is an excellently written, well-plotted British mystery. The setting is quaint, the characters are colorful, and the ending was a surprise. I personally love reading the musings of Sergeant Troy, Barnaby's unlikely assistant. His overly critical, insecure thoughts contrasts nicely with Barnaby's rational style, although Barnaby himself has his interesting quirks as well. If you are a fan of British mysteries, this is a must read!

This was the debut of the Inspector Barnaby & Troy series, and--with the possible exception of "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd"--I don't think a better mystery of this genre has ever been written and I could say the same of most-if-not-all of the subsequent additions to the series.

Wonderfully atmospheric, grittier than Christie but no less philosophically insightful, without Rendell's darkness or Martha Grimes' often-intrusive humor or Elizabeth George's excessive atttention to the private lives of some boring principals, I believe Caroline Graham's books are the most completely satisfying English mysteries I've ever read--and I've read more than a few.

Barnaby & Troy are a delightfully unlikely duo, and it's from their cultural clash that most of the delicious subtle humor comes. "Talisa Leanne's dictionary" cracks me up every time.

All I could wish is that Graham were more prolific. It's a long wait between books.

I first "met" the characters in this series by happening upon them in the Midsomer Murders mystery series on TV (I'm not much of a TV watcher, so I found them accidentally!). I was so impressed with the TV series that I decided to try the books. I'm very glad I did. While I found I liked the characters a bit more in the TV series (they are somewhat toned down for TV - Troy especially!), I throughly enjoyed this book and rank Caroline Graham right up there with Agatha Christie and the other top British mystery writers. The characterizations are great for even the more minor actors in the story, her wit and humor are wonderful and the vocabulary is fantastic (finally! an author who isn't afraid to use "big words"!). The plot for this novel kept me guessing right up to the end. A well-paced, well-plotted mystery. I was equally impressed with a subsequent foray into the series - Death of a Hollow Man. If you like the cozy British mystery genre, get these books!

The Man with the Getaway Face has the most intrequing name among all the Parker novels, but readers expecting the same fast pace and brutal goings on from Parker's first outing in The Hunter (Payback/Point Blank) will be a little dissapointed.
The first part of the story deals with Parker recovering from a face lift to hide his identitiy from the Outfit, who he severly angered in the last book, but then the stroy shifts into low gear to show how Parker and his cohorts go about setting up and then executing a heist; sort of like a criminal procedural.
The set up in this case is a mundane robbing of an armored truck. It's very small time for a professional robber like Parker, but his desperate need for cash after spending time on the run from the mob forces him to follow through with the job despite the small haul and partners obviously bent on crossing him and absconding with the loot at the first opportunity.
Richard Stark's writing is still sharp and to the point, even though he spends a little too much time describing Highway routes and such, but there is a lot to like about this second book in the series: and de does end the story with a bang. I paticularly like how each of the early novels ends with a cliff hanger leading to the next.
My one complaint about this new edition is the cover. This University of Chicago edition is very badly designed. We have a nifty silloghette of a hand gun on the cover, but a kitchen sink and wall mirror? This is college sophmore graphic design quality stuff. I hope that future covers from this publisher are much better than this.

You don't need to read the predcessor of this book to enjoy it, but you might as well. This is book is great from start to finish. It is thoroughly enjoyable.

Huh? Did we all read the same book? I rarely do reviews on books that I didn't like, but I'll make an exception in this case. I've enjoyed many of Stark's books....really enjoy Parker's escapades and no nonsense way, but I think he kind of slept through this one. This is a very short read about one heist. The reader is forced to read through every little detail about the job, including road directions that you could actually follow, directions that are often repeated. Details are important to flesh out mission impossible style plots, but this is a very basic armored car take-down at an out of the way cafe. The adjoining plot has more potential, but never really builds up any suspense or momentum. There is a daily bathroom break for someone Parker has "on ice", and that's real exciting too. This is a short story stretched out to novel proportions. Very disappointing..........had to force myself to finish it. Won't stop reading Stark, but will research future purchases better.

Most people who have just had their face reconstructed would be inclined to go through a period of mourning as they lament the loss of their familiar appearance. Not so with Parker. Apart from a quick glance in the mirror to make sure he looked different, he is completely unaffected.

This reaction probably best sums up this mysterious and dark character. He always prefers to take the most prudent action rather than be ruled by his emotions, giving him a cold, calculating persona. But these same qualities also make him very efficient and strangely likable.

After receiving his new appearance, Parker goes straight back to work in planning an armoured truck heist. He has some misgivings about the job because it involves someone he has never worked with before, but this is just another contingency for him to plan around. Indeed, it appears that Parker has been built with no reverse gear installed. Once a course of action has been planned, it's full steam ahead and as obstacles rise up, as they inevitably do in this caper, he deals with them head on, scarcely breaking stride.

This is the second Parker book, following his appearance in The Hunter and is a thoroughly enjoyable story. The no-nonsense attitude of Parker, whether it's going ahead with a plan or casually shooting someone in the ankle makes for very entertaining, if a little cold-blooded, reading.

Donald Westlake writes of Dortmunder, a bumbling petty criminal it's really hard to like. Then as Richard Stark he gives us Parker, a much more competent crook who will kill when he has to, and surprisingly or not, a much more likeable character.

It was written in 1963 when the mob was "The Outfit", Exxon was still Esso and you took the ferry to Brooklyn, not the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Parker gets a new face from Dr. Adler, a plastic surgeon in Nebraska who was a pre 50s Commie, then goes back to New Jersey for an armored car heist. Skim and Elma, Skim's overbearing waitress girlfriend, set up the heist, develop an unworkable plan that Parker fixes and set up a doublecross that Parker anticipates. All would be fine except Dr. Adler has been killed, and a guy named Stubbs is sent to find the killer.

The interaction between Parker and Stubbs and their search for a swindler named Wallenbaugh, now Wells, take up the rest of the story. Parker's reasons for getting to Wells and going back to Nebraska to square things come from logic only his mind could concoct, but it makes for a fun adventure.

My husband stubbled upon Manhattans & Murder and gave it to me as a gift as I am a huge fan of the TV series and of Angela Landsbury. Manhattans & Murder is written in "Jessica's" voice. So I was looking for more books to read and decided to try Martinis and Mayhem based on the customer reviews. I was totally disppointed. Couldn't picture Jessica saying the lines in this book. Plus, it didn't progress the way the other book did - she all of a sudden seemed to solve the case at the end. Not a recommendation from this fan of Murder She Wrote.

I loved this book as it like the program keeps you guessing right until the ending and it is sometimes funny sometimes dramatic and always exciting. I intend to get them all if I can!

This cozy continuation of Cabot Cove capers is comfortable, but climax-challenged. The ?Murder, She Wrote? book series is ?based on the Universal television series? ostensibly written in the 1st person by Jessica Fletcher, with a little help from Donald Bain. It is fairly true to the long-running tv series, with variations that only the more-than-casual viewer might catch. At the book?s beginning, Jessica awakens, puts on the kettle for tea, and settles into her den to watch NBC?s Today Show. ?Willard Scott, my favorite weatherman?? Jessica would never have been allowed to do or say that! All those Sunday nights on CBS!

This time, Jessica is off to San Francisco for a publication tour on her new murder mystery book. While addressing some inmates at a Women?s prison, she is slipped a Diary of a convict in whose proclaimed innocence Jessica comes to believe. So if Kimberly didn?t do it, who did? And why is someone trying to joust Jessica off the Golden Gate Bridge?

Yet there?s Jessica?s characteristic good humour. ?I reached the San Francisco side [of the Bridge] in what might have been the fastest mile ever recorded by a female mystery writer from Maine who was on the wrong side of fifty.? While addressing a high school class about mystery writing, Jessica responds to a question regarding actress selection: ?Joan Fontaine, or Vivien Leigh. Of course, I?d be pleased if Angela Lansbury played me in a film version of my book.? Unfortunately, the class is unfamiliar with any of these ?mature? actresses.

The characterization, plot, and pace are good until the wet-fire-cracker end. No, I?m not going to tell you ? or even hint! Read the book ? it?s a fun visit with old friends.

This is the seventh Murder, She Wrote book I've read and was the best so far. It has a great plot and made me feel like i knew and were a part of the characters lives. The book never drags and has a fast- paced plot. It is a great book and you won't want to put it down.

After the first three novels in the "Murder, she wrote" series of mysteries, I sort of prepared myself for another cozy but nonetheless fruitless work by contributor Donald Bain. However, "Martinis & mayhem" surprised me very pleasantly.

Jessica is once again on the road, promoting her latest novel "Blood Relations", when a visit to the local women's prison puts her right in the spot to clear an innocently imprisoned young woman by the name of Kimberly Steffer. Jessica finds her diary in her purse at her return to the hotel and decides she will do what she does best: solve the mystery to clear the wrongfully accused and, at the same time, catch the correct culprit. In this adventure, Jessica in joined by her old friend from Scotland Yard, detective George Sutherland, who seems to be very interested in becoming more than a friend, although Jessica is not quite sure she wants to abandoned her widowhood just yet.

The book is well written, and its simple prose is not out of place as it was in the previous novels. Jessica appears smart and quick witted, and George Sutherland is no less than the most typically charming British gentleman. San Francisco is described in a way only a connoisseur could do it: its beautiful sights, the Golden Gate bridge (where Jessica almost falls to her death!), the typical trolleys and the romance this picturesque city has to offer (even though Jessica describes it from the point of view of the upper class traveller), will delight every reader's senses.

I will definitely reccommend this book for the "Red Eye" on your next trip to San Francisco, the better yet if you have never been there; and a delight for the repeated visitor as well.

this is simply the best book i have ever read and could ever imagine reading. painting the darkness was my first Goddard book and now i am in love with the author.

don't let anything in this world stop you from reading this book. and once you start, NEVER put it down. don't even try, you wont be able to.

In the first day of October 1882, William Trenchard, co-owner of the Trenchard & Leavis retailing chain, is still a happy man in his marital status with his wife Constance Sumner. In the afternoon of that same day, a tall, slim and elegantly dresses man comes to The Limes residence and introduces himself under the name of James Davenall. To Constance's great amazement, this is the man she was engaged to more than eleven years ago. Davenall now wishes to have her support in establishing his identity.
But how can Constance do such a thing when it is known that Davenall took his own life eleven years ago by drowning himself, the Thames bearing his corpse out to sea? Is this individual a fraudster and is he simply after a baronetcy and an inheritance?
Whatever the answers to these questions may be, an hour after Davenall's reappearance into the world of the living, William Trenchard's life is about to change dramatically. An hour is all it is going to take for ten years to overtake him and his wife Constance.
A firework of characters, twists and turns, plots and subplots. Mr Goddard is quite a storyteller and his adventures are an excellent entertainment. The book is read in an astonishingly vivacious way by the British actor Michael Kitchen who delivers a very good performance.

I really liked the storyline and I enjoyed it up til the last five pages or so where you found out the solution to the mystery. I must say that the answer to the mystery was a little far fetched. In theory the story holds together, BUT scientifically, from a biological viewpoint, the story does not hold together. The events don't make since from that viewpoint. The events could not possibly happen as they are laid out in the book since the main character would not be competent enough to pull this kind of plan off. His genetic makeup would not allow him to. For that reason, the solution ruined a wonderful story. I will try him again in the hopes that the story doesn't take that kind of twist again.

When a man presents himself at the home of William Trenchard and his wife Catherine, claiming to be Sir James Davenall, the long-thought dead fiancee of Catherine, it proved to be the first link in a long and convoluted chain of events. James had supposedly drowned himself upon discovering that he had inherited syphillis from his father. After the disappearance, his father refused to believe him dead and, even after the obligatory 7 years absence, would not have him declared legally dead. After the father dies, James's younger brother Hugo becomes baronet in his place and is therefore horrified to learn of the challenge to his new found wealth and position. Richard Davenall, sousin to James and Hugo and also the family solicitor, is put in the invidious position of having to deny the claims of the recently reappearing James or of helping him to prove his rightful place in the family. I found this to be a terrific read, full of twists, turns and with red herrings galore!

I discovered Robert Goddard by accident when I took a random choice book (Caught in the Light by Robert Goddard)off the shelf in my local library about three months ago. Since then, I have devoured everything I can find that he has written. He takes a fairly simple story and weaves events and characters into his tale which keep the reader fascinated until the very last page.It turns out that one has read, in fact, a wonderful mystery story in the true sense of the word. Why is there not more publicity about the author? Do his books have large sales? A new reader only has to read his/her first Goddard novel and they are hooked forever. A modern Trollope whom the world should know more about.

Wow. I thought volume 1 was fun to read, but this one tops it. None of my enjoyment was ironic this time; I was sincerely impressed. The art is immaculate, the writing is spot-on, and the entertainment-to-price ratio is extremely favorable! I didn't even notice the few printing glitches that appeared often in the first volume.

There's one problem: Chapter 3, "The Gods of Bal-Sagoth," feels out of place here. It reads like it was written by stoners... The action is hurried and implausible, the dialogue is sublimely stupid, and even the art looks cheap - as if this story was imported from one of those "bad" early-1970s comics that people online now make fun of.

Even so, I still award this volume a full 5 stars because the rest of it was so good. (Warning - Conan stories are violent and may be offensive to women. However, this does not prevent them from being totally awesome.)

I enjoyed the book quite well. Anyone familiar with Alfredo Alcalas art and they like his style will enjoy this volume. The stories are done well and the art is nice too.

Back during the Seventies Roy Thomas kept the legacy alive of Conan and Robert E. Howard. The book is a tremendous value and a great treasure! All of the stories and art is outstanding. Roy Thomas and John Buscema are my favorite duo! If you can find Conan The Barbarian #275, scarce, which is the last comic (1993)in the series read the last page testimonial by Roy Thomas. He gives credit to his team members during the years and the last paragraph goes like this "But--did I say "last"? Nay, the ultimate place on this illustrious list, be it written first or last, is that of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Cimmerian, and who has been, as the contents page of Savage Sword has ever proclaimed, the "Soul and Inspiration" of everything we've tried to do. We're only sorry he hasn't been around to enjoy the fruits of his labors during the 1930s, and we'll never quite forgive him for taking himself away from us far too soon. With his talents like these behind him, is there any doubt that Conan, in one form or another, will be a Marvel mainstay for a long, long time to come? Thus, no tears-just a parting reminder: Conan The Barbarian in Savage Sword of Conan #218, by Mike Docherty and - Roy Thomas" Kudos to Roy Thomas. Job well done!! Conan is now in Dark Horse comics along with Solomon Kane, Kull, and a recent story Pigeons From Hell. Get on board at Dark Horse you'll be glad you did.

Must Reads: Conan Hardcover by Roy Thomas and Conan The Phenom, Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn, One Who Walked Alone by Novalyn Price, Conan The Dark Barbarian by Don Herron, The Last of the Trunk, Selected Letters of REH, All Weird Works by Paul Herman, all by Rob Roehm, The Never Ending Hunt - Wildside Press a complete Bibliography of REH by Paul Herman, The Black Stranger & Other American Takes that has the scariest story ever - Pigeons from Hell, Two-Gun Bob, Almuric, Solomon Kane, Bran Mac Morn, The Best of REH 1 & 2, Red Nails and Beyond The Black River, Lord of Samarcand, and all Conans by Marvel and Dark Horse.

This book is worth the coverprice for the art of Alfredo Alcala alone. When you put his moody, detailed inks over Buscema's action (and ladies), you are looking at a true masterpiece. The only complaint I have about this series so far is it would be cool to get the Kull, Kane, and Sonja stories that originally backed up the Conan stories. Who knows, maybe Dark Horse will print them in their own series, hint hint.

What comics do well is fast, abbreviated action. Comics at their best are like a sped-up movie. Good comics are often "cheesy", but in a good way: over-the-top, wildly inventive, no-holds-barred attempts to entertain, to give everything a great b-movie gives, only for a lower price tag and in a form you can carry with you. What more could anyone ask?

In the Gold and Silver ages of comics (until about 1970), even the best comics were not much more than "camp", that is, simplistic kid's stuff whose greatest value was in its naive silliness. In the modern age of comics (since the mid-1980's), comics are "dreck", insufferably pretentious, precious attempts to be "mature" and to achieve effects that this medium simply is not meant for and cannot do well.

But for a brief shining moment in the 1970's, comics were everything they could be and should be, as the commercial failure of the superhero stuff left the door open for a new wave of creators to try other directions. And no one questions that the defining comic of that great era, the "Bronze Era" as it is called, was the Thomas/Buscema Conan.

Roy Thomas knew better than anyone what the limitations of the comics genre are, which is what makes him as good a comic scripter as has ever come along. He knew how to write comic book dialogue: with a melodramatic flourish and with condensed information to keep the narrative moving. He is at his all-time best doing Conan, a character he obviously loves and was meant for (and Conan and the comic book medium are, of course, another perfect match).

John Buscema's art is of an equal caliber: he was the best at striking the perfect balance between detail and sketchiness. Detailed art doesn't work for comics because it causes the eye to linger, the last thing you want in a medium meant for speed and action. (For much the same reason, black and white almost always works better in comics than color). At the same time, one must create atmosphere; with too little detail the sense of reality, of suspended disbelief, will be lost. Buscema somehow does both, almost regardless of who is inking him; in addition he was a master of anatomic dynamism and expressiveness; and most importantly, he was probably the best in the medium's history at dramatic layout. Why else would Marvel have had him literally write their textbook on the subject?

Savage Sword was the grown-up, magazine version of Conan, the originals were in black and white, and so it is even better than the great comic book run by the same team. In short, this is the ultimate comic book character with the ultimate creative team from the age when comics were comics, so there isn't much chance that anything will ever surpass this.

Here it is nearly forty years later, price inflation has run wild in everything else, and Dark Horse is offering this, what is beyond any reasonable question in my mind the best comic book ever created, for about what you would have paid had you bought the original magazines when they came out.

As they used to say at Marvel: 'Nuff said.

This is probably one of the best books that I've read anywhere that touches on the subject of a conspiracy murder. The plot is complex and convoluted, and absolutely brilliantly written. In this book Morse decides to pursue an unsolved mystery that is really out of his jurisdiction simply because he happened to stumble across it while on holiday. It fascinates him from the very beginning, and soon there is not just one body that turns up, but a number of bodies, all killed at various times. Morse knows they're connected, and he has to use his extreme intelligence to connect the crimes and determine who the murderer is. He does get there in the end, but in true Morse fashion, with quite a few missteps along the way. Wonderful book!

I don't see why this book gets so mediocre reviews?
It's certainly better then "Last bus..."

But I admit, maybe I'm being unfair; I did read this book in my mother-language (as appose to the others read in English) But even so, I got a different experience from this book, it wasn't as... routine and pattern-like, as some of the books are. This book was a bit (!) different, more action-packed, and touching
Together with "Way through the woods" it's the best book by Dexter (In my opinion).

Came across the audio version at the library and listened in the car. It was fun hearing Kevin Whately, the narrator, competently do his own Sgt. Lewis and Inspector Morse. Service/Dead is a complicated mystery, one that highlights the likelihood that some crimes require more than basic investigative skills. Morse's intuition is what makes him an intriguing detective, though sometimes his irascibility is hard to take. If only he'd show some appreciation to Lewis, a dedicated cop if ever there was one, though one lacking Morse's innate talents. This is one of Dexter's more complicated cases, but step by step the solution becomes clear He is certainly a skilled writer, more literate than most in the genre. Always satisfying.

This was my first trip into the world of Inspector Morse, and I am happy to say that it was well worth it. I can see how Morse has become one of the most beloved crime solvers in the genre.

There are plenty of plot twists and several suspects in this case, and you need to pay attention. But Dexter is a fine writer and although you may sometimes feel puzzled, you are never confused. The story moves along at a perfect pace and is brought skillfully to a satisfying conclusion.

It was a wonderful mystery novel and I am looking forward to reading about the further exploits of Inspector Morse.

...but not the best. Last Bus To Woodstock is the best Morse novel, and the later ones pale in comparison. I liked this, especially better than The Secret of Annex 3, but it still doesn't have all the twists and turns of the first.

To sum up, if you've read the first, then go for this one; it won't disappoint. If you've read all but this and the last novel, by all means read this one, you'll still be content. But if you're a looking for a new mystery novelist, go for Last Bus To Woodstock.

A truly inspiring story of survival against all odds - the elements and a determined human foe. An incredible story of irregular warfare in the extreme. An adventure that is beyond comprehension and seems too incredible for belief. It is difficult to read the story and not feel the chill and the terror in your own bones. A phenomenal story of heroism and survival against all odds.

The story itself is interesting and exciting, and I enjoyed the accompanying insights into life and travel in the arctic. The author narrates well, but almost manages to spoil it with an intolerably smug, condescending attitude towards the "eskimos", which he probably mistakes for a kind of colonial "affection for the natives". He describes them as absurdly naïve, refers to them repeatedly as "somebody's eskimos" as if they are servants of a master race, and paints an image of Danes "teaching them Christianity" and introducing modernity to them while simultaneously protecting them from it as if coddling a baby. He paints careful character portraits of the Danish, Norwegian and German characters, while leaving the native Greenlanders faceless, spineless and mostly nameless. His deference to their expertise in the arctic nature does little to compensate for this.

A Christian religious slant appears intermittently, which appears to come from the author rather than any of the characters or the natives "whose whole morality was in the Sermon on the Mount". Characters are described approvingly as religious or being brought back to God by the beauty of the arctic. When the German commander was regaining his sense and began to think in a balanced way again, "he was able to pray". This may go over well with a devoutly religious reader; to the rest of us it seems silly and contrived, foreign to the subject matter.

I can recommend the book, but not unreservedly. If you can stomach the cultural bias, it makes a good read.

This is a story of bravery and endurance during World War II. I liked David Howarth's account of the Sledge Patrol and its mission to guard the coast of Greenland. Howarth did his research and what the reader gets is a down to earth factual description of the hardships the patrol faced while experiencing severe weather conditions. The sledge patrol alone in a vast wilderness of ice and snow had to survive on their own. This story is a tribute to them. It was interesting to see how the situation created enemies amongst those who might otherwise be friends. The lack of hostility in the Inuit demonstrated the great importance of culture. Howarth is a great author and this book is worth reading.

Proving that truth is stranger than fiction, Sledge Patrol tells the story of ordinary men accomplishing unbelievable feats under extreme physical conditions and bizarre political circumstances during WWII. Living year-round in the Arctic desolation of eastern Greenland, nine men surreptitiously radioed crucial weather data to the Allies and patrolled the extensive coastline for a Nazi landing. When the Germans arrive, the conflict begins.

The book is exciting and inspiring, with moments that are both touching and funny. One of the highlights of the book is how the unarmed and unaggressive band of Danes, Norwegians and Eskimos can outlast and outdistance the better provisioned Germans who aren't prepared for life, let alone combat, in the frozen north.

Now reissued, Sledge Patrol was originally published in 1957. At that time, the author was able to get to know the parties involved, both Allied and German, adding dimension to the characters and realism to the story.

I loved this book!

"The Sledge Patrol" is set in eastern Greenland during World War 2. Yes, that conflict even extended to the remote Danish colony. Greenland was strategic because weather patterns for Western Europe and surrounding waters form there. This was of obvious and vital interest to the American, British and German navies. Early in the War, the Danish colonial weather stations had broadcast reports "in the clear". Anyone, including the Germans could pick them up. Two critical events take place: Eske Brun, the Danish colonial head decides he had the power to resist German interest in his territory- and formed the Greenland Army with a force of 9 men. Then the Danish weather reports are sent in cipher so that the German navy can no longer eavesdrop. The Germans land a force to establish their own weather station. This the background to SP. What follows is almost as much a tale of personal honor and battling/surviving the Arctic elements than of military action. There is much dashing to and fro on sledges (dog sleds) to the point where this reader lost track of who was going where. The sides vie to avoid each other more than to engage in combat. And since there is minimal fighting and hence no real "bad guys", I found myself losing track of who was on which side. In fact, most of the men on both sides appear as nice, solid guys. The ending is almost academic. Readers will receive an excellent sense of the fierce and beautiful Greenland geography and Eskimo tradition. Mr.Howarth is an excellent writer and interest in his books appears to be going through a well-deserved revival. But one has to be cautious in recommending SP. It is simply too hard to keep track of the action. Furthermore, the maps are inadequate, adding to the confusion. A positive note: SP is well laid out in an eye pleasing typeface and paper stock. So many of us take such for granted but a tip of the hat to an anonymous graphics person is in order. Cautiously, I'm giving out 4 stars, but 3 may be more appropriate due to my frustrations with the maps. It really would have helped to know where these guys were rather than "somewhere in eastern Greenland".

I've read: "Under the Tuscan Sun", "Extra Virgin ...", "An Italian Affair", "In Maremma: Life and a House in Southern Tuscany", "Italian Neighbors" and I'm on my way to the library to pickup and start reading "Pasquales' Note: Idle Days in an Italian Town". I started reading these types of books when I got lonely for Italy after visiting in November of 2001. I just finished "A Small Place in Italy". Each of these books have something special in it that I enjoyed reading about. I really enjoyed reading about the person Attilio. Attilio came with the house when they purchased this house in Italy -- he had his own secret room. I enjoyed reading about how they hired their local tradesmen to renovate and repair this house. I hope I never run out of these types of books to read, I do plan to return to visit Italy, it would be a joy to visit some of these small towns.

In 1967, British travel editor Eric Newby and his wife, Wanda, bought a primitive farmhouse in the hills between Liguria and Tuscany, the region where they met during World War II, Newby a soldier on the run between POW internments, Wanda a relief worker. They are the first foreigners to come live in their neighborhood, which remained unchanged from the time of the War; in fact, the country people, contadini, probably lived pretty much as they had for a couple of centuries or more. In the 25 years that the Newbys stayed, using the farmhouse as a second home but tending the land seriously, they were accepted and came to know the people and area well. A SMALL PLACE IN ITALY is a profile of their neighbors, their work, customs and the surrounding area. He offers up historical notes and chronicles the arrival of the late 20th century and loss of old ways.

This book has everything going for it. Newby is honest, a truthful writer. He never sells out his subject for entertainment or sentimentality. He does not go the route of portraying the noble savage, he does not paint the peasantry as buffoons or children, he does not go over the top to prove that he is one of them. It is obvious that he and Wanda were quickly accepted into the community because they were hard workers who respected the land and were happy to share. There is a fine wit and spirit at hand. Newby has to be the most resilient person on earth (see A SHORT WALK IN THE HINDU KUSH for more evidence).

Other virtues of this book: the pages whip by because Newby is brilliant at ordering his information. He also translates the Italian phrases and words that pop up routinely, so that those of us unschooled in Italian, particularly northern Italian expressions, are not at a loss.

Having a love for Tuscany and Umbria but not the income to live there, my partner and I read with some initial pleasure two books by people who renovated villas at vast cost and labour to the local tradesmen and wrote down lots of recipes - 'hell I'm such a cute and cultured Californian poetess patronising the locals once a year'.

Then a friend lent us the Newby version. Forget the rest. Get the best. He and Wanda work hard. They know and respect their neighbours. Crisp words give life to vine-growing, mountains, meals and breakneck roads.

This is the one: all else are imitations.

I read Love and War in the Apennines, and just completed A Small Place in Italy. No doubt the villages and the people have have changed. And there's something endearing about knowing your neighbors, and being a part of their lives. I did enjoy this book, and the other. But I can't help but feel that there is still a void to this whole series. I really want to know about Wanda. She must really me a fantastic woman.

The urge to escape the comforts, routine and refinements of our living conditions to somewhere more challenging, primitive and raw is something that many of us feel - especially those who read books. The books we read can sometimes stimulate the urge, sometimes satisfy it. All I ask of such books is that the author can write well and that he is not boastful.

Eric Newby, especially in "A Small Place in Italy", meets these requirements admirably. Indeed, he ranks for me as a travel writer of near genius. He was almost 50 years old when he and his Italian born wife Wanda took up permanent residence in a ruined farmhouse in northern Italy. His account of the trials and tribulations that followed, the neighbors and the locality, is told in this wonderfully witty, readable and valuable book. Part of the value rests in the sociological and historical dimensions it gives. Even while he lived there, the customs, the occupations and the life styles were fast disappearing.

If you enjoy this genre, you'll want to give "A Small Place in Italy" a prominent place on your bookshelf.