Crime Books

This is the first book in the Ellie Haskell series. This book is no longer available in our local library system so I had to order it. I really enjoyed the book and definitely plan to continue making my way through the series. I'm glad that Amazon had the book available for purchase. I tried Barnesandnoble.com and Borders.com and neither site had this book available.

I wasn't particularly impressed with this book. It was good enough to keep reading, but it wasn't until the ending (don't worry I won't say what happens) that I really started to like it in spite of myself, hense the 3 stars. The characters are generally likeable. Ellie is a little too obsessive about her weight and too self-depreciating. It starts to get annoying. The plot also seems a little thin (no pun intended).

I hate to admit this, because it's nothing against the book at all. I absolutely love this book but for the life of me I can never remember the name. I know what it's about and about when I read it so I search my library for the name each time.
The story is so entertaining and fresh. What's funny is I have read other books in this series and for some reason never knew this was one of the first in it's series. Please don't think it's a bad part on the book because it's not it's my brain.

Ellie like many women in her same situation wants to impress her family because they kind of give that attitude of I'm better than you because she's plump and single. Ellie decides her best bet is to have someone attractive and male on her arm when she visits them this time around. So she calls on Eligibility Escorts and enter one Bentley Haskell. He's a bit abrasive, but he fits the bill as far as being nice to look at and perfect to play the single girls long time beau. Bentley is a trained chef, but has taken up writing an ADULT/Graphic novel.
Once cornered with her family though Ellie makes Bentley not just her Beau but her fiancée in a very humorous moment. So as the weekend ends Ellie goes home with confidence she's gotten away with her lie and can go about her business.
Then her uncle dies and he gets one over on the family by stipulating that he is leaving Ellie and Bentley his entire fortune and castle home if they both accomplish two things in the next 6 months. Ellie's supposed to lose weight and make herself over. Bentley is supposed to write a full length book, but it has to be free of blasphemy which is going to be difficult because the book he's been writing will not do at all.
The mystery begins as people disappear and Ellie and Bentley are being targeted by a mysterious person who wants them to fail and will do anything to make sure they do.
This story is funny and fresh. I love it.
The audio version is abridged but very well read by Amanda Donohoe. I'm glad I discovered this book was part of the series I had already come to love because it's a great beginning for it.

I read the Ellie Haskell series out of order so finally getting to read the first book was great! It was nice to see how it all began...how Ellie met Ben and how they all ended up at Merlin's Court. I'm a big fan of Dorothy Cannell. Her books have always kept my interest. I love the twists and turns of the mysteries. I can't wait to read more!

Ellie Simmons really wants to be thinner. But with her love of food, it wasn't going to happen any time soon. Then she gets an invitation to go see her family and is not sure what she should do. All she knows is that if she goes she must have a date. Ellie decides to hire an escort from an escort service but after meeting her date, Bently T. Haskell, she is about to regret it. They show up at Merlin's Court, only to have her cousin making eyes at Ben and her Uncle Merlin show up in odd places. An unexpected death and puzzle to solve is enough to put Ellie over the edge. She almost loses her appetite for food but Ben's cooking while they solve the puzzle helps her out. Can Ellie she trust anyone around her?

My favorite character was Ellie. I could really relate to her struggles to lose weight and how society looked at her. She didn't let it get her down. Ellie had to persevere through everything in order to help solve the puzzle. She really had to work hard and make things work or she would not get an inheritance. Ellie was a true fighter and I loved how things worked out for her in the end. Now, now that she needed it but she really wanted it . My other favorite character was Dorcas. She was there to help solve the puzzle. She may have come towards the end of the book but her part was important. Dorcas filled in bits and pieces to things at the end that made everything seem right.

The storyline and the characters of The Thin Woman were real to me. Ellie had to learn to change her habits towards food and embrace who she was becoming in order to earn her inheritance. The struggle that Ellie had with her family was interesting. I never knew families could be so dysfunctional. I could see that the struggle in this book had a purpose. It showed that life is a struggle but you need to keep going, the answer could be just around the corner.

I really loved this book. Dorothy Cannell is a wonderful writer and she makes things so real to life. I had a difficult time putting it down. The twist and turns in the book were unpredictable and made the plot interesting. The surprise towards the end was worth the entire book. Cannell had me on the edge of my seat in one part and the next laughing my head off. This author is one amazing writer. I really enjoyed what she had written and I look forward to reading more books by her in the future. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and not knowing who committed all the crimes.

Reviewed by Krista
For BBW Reviews

One of the most intriguing and terrifying reads I've had in many a moon. This wonderfull thriller has it all. I happen to know it's written by NY Times best selling author Norman Bogner so its not a surprize that it's as good as it is. The protagonist is awesome in her obsession and would be a wonderful character for the big screen. I highly recommend it.

Which will become the Winterhaven "dissolution" is erected by a master architect of the text. It starts with one little simple note in Vienna and ends with the same tranquility in L. A. but what we find in between is a well edified "chaos".

Moreover, attention to the least details, the rainbow display of characters, the ongoing dry humour in the dialogues with such a sense of witty repartees make of this novel a rich scenario ready for the big reel.

Every character in this book is memorable. The bad guys (and there are many!) are evil but not one-sided. All the characters are complex, interesting personalities and you feel compelled to find out more abt them. Even the good guys are intriguingly flawed. The juxa-position of then (WWII) and now (Calif - USA)is fascinating and you are constantly aware of the backdrop of history and its possible impact on people, places and events today. The plot evolves with the characters in interesting ways and there are twists that give the reader many "ah-ha" moments - so much so, you can't put it down. Great read!

I almost missed this one but a friend insisted I read it. Wow! It's a great narrative of young, sensitive talent overcoming seemingly invincible ethnic hatred. I loved the lead, 22-year-old Rebecca Benjamin from the first as a beautiful, highly talented European pianist, and then adored her as she rose to the challenge of a cunning fight against neo-Nazis in California. In many ways an odyssey, Beth Asher's The Winterhaven Solution is also a morality saga and a tour-de-force of character growth in the face of mortal danger. Highly recommended for readers who are looking for enthralling, sophisticated story telling.

Winterhaven Solution is a rapidly moving tense story that culminates in a great finale. The book is a romantic adventure murder mystery with a significant undercurrent of religious hatred and fanaticism. It is suspenseful throughout and maintains interest at a high level. I highly recommend reading this contemporary and thought provoking novel.

Amy Billig was a teenage daughter in the 1970s Coral Gables, Florida. She had loving parents and an equally loving brother. One Saturday, she went hitch-hiking to meet some friends for lunch downtown. Hitch-hiking in the 1970s was common, acceptable behavior. Nobody thought it was dangerous. Amy Billig was never heard or seen again! I will always remember reading this book while I did jury duty and I have seen Susan Billig on television searching for her daughter. She would travel the world searching for her. She doesn't know for sure about her fate. That's the tragic part of this book is that she would rather know than not know. I remember reading "Not knowing is worse than knowing." It is because Susan probably has accepted that Amy will never return home. Her daughter would have never stopped contacting her parents or try to get in touch. Susan has researched biker gangs in America and in England. She has spent all her savings in search for her daughter. A mother's love like hers is not rare because Susan is an extraordinary woman who is relentless in her pursuits for the truth no matter how painful that can be. I think deep down that Susan has accepted Amy's fate but as she wrote to not know is worse than knowing. If Amy is dead and it's sure, she can grieve and move on with her life. Until then, I can't imagine Susan not searching or ever giving up hope.

Horrible and haunting. You want so much to believe she's still alive.

I read this book in a few hours. I couldn't put it down. I just had to know what would happen next. It was fascinating! Sue Billig simply amazed me. As a mother I was able to feel her pain and frustration. What she went through trying to find her daughter stemmed from pure courage, tenacity and love.

I was frustrated myself at the end. I was hoping so much it would tell what happened to Amy, but mainly you just have to guess for yourself.

Mind-blowing read!

I am a True Crime addict and I remember watching the story of Amy Billig on "Unsolved Mysteries." Even though I had seen the story, I figured I would learn a lot more if I bought the book, so I did. I am a slow reader and usually it takes me months to read just one book. "Without A Trace" was different. This book kept me interested all the way through and I seemed to breeze through it. It is a very good read. I even read it in the bathtub while I was taking a soak!

Amy Billig was just 17 when she disappeared from Coconut Grove, Florida in 1974. Amy had planned to meet friends for lunch and was going to drop by her dad's art shop on the way. However there were some greasy, tattoed, leather-clad visitors who were also dropping by that fateful day. The forboding rumble of motorcycles going through town told people to heed their caution. It was the annual biker gathering again. When Amy didn't arrive at her dad's shop and never met her friends, Amy's parents, Sue and Ned Billig, knew something terrible must have happened.

Let me say that reading this book made me take a second look at mankind. I was angry as I followed Sue's relentless quest to find her missing daughter only to be taken advantage of by greedy, shallow-minded people such as the Glasser twins, who claimed to have Amy, and Hank Blair who tortured Sue Billig with sexually explicit telephone pranks about Amy for about two decades which lead to a lengthy court battle in the process. But through it all, Sue would do anything to find her daughter from searching into different tips, meeting up with and traveling with bikers such as the infamous Paul Branch who had claimed to have Amy, traveling to prisons to interview bikers who may have a clue, and even frequenting biker bars to search for her daughter.

Some of the images portrayed in this book make your spine shiver. How about picturing a pint-sized, middle-aged woman from a well-to-do life, clinging to a rough and rowdy biker while riding on the back of his motorcycle? How about picturing this woman mingling with dirty, tattoed, chain and leather-clad bikers armed with guns inside scudzy trailors cluttered with rusty auto parts, beer cans and cigarette butts? While these bikers are peeking out of windows fearing any vehicle that drives up, a biker couple can be heard having sex in the other room. Authors Greg Aunapu and Susan Billig do an outstanding job of taking us on the journey over the boundaries of safety and into the world of the bikers who are murderers, drug dealers and woman-beaters. After all, women are considered property and bikers give them away and pass them around to other bikers as such. As a female myself, this was difficult to read about. But I think I can safely say that I would do the same things that Sue did if my daughter went missing.

The most frustrating part (and indeed I feel for Sue and can relate to her frustration), is all the leads that fall dead. Unfortunately with just about every huge case, there are leads that are looked into and nothing comes of it. Therefore you've just wasted precious time. Poor Sue had to go through so much of this. Calls at all hours of the night, plane trips to places like Tulsa, Seattle and New Jersey on tips from bikers such as Paul Branch, investigations into strip bars where bikers usually make their "old ladies" work at; everything seemed endless. But Sue was relentless, taking every call to heart and jotting virtually every call down in her journal. Many leads brought people who said Amy was a biker girl who was drugged up and called "Mute" or "Sunshine." The tips came and came. She was at this particular market with wome Outlaw bikers buying soup and crackers. She was at this store in Seattle looking at health food. And it's truely amazing how many biker names come up in the search for Amy, from Paul Branch, to "Dishrag Harry," to "Creature." It seems endless.

I just have to give the ultimate kudos to Sue Billig for all that she had to go through in her search. She is the real model of strength that many women should strive for. She is inspiring in every sense of the word. When people told Sue to give up, she wouldn't. When people told Sue that Amy may be brainwashed and never the same, Sue didn't care. When there was any little hint that Amy may be in a particular place, Sue would dash there. If she needed to stand up to bikers, she would stand up to bikers and force herself to be unintimidated. Even cancer couldn't keep Sue down, nor her husband's tragic death. She is an obsessed mother determined to bring her daughter home. Some may think being that obsessed is a bad thing, but it is not. It makes you amazed at how the human spirit handles pressures when things get to be dangerous and life seems to crumble.

The description of the bikers and their hangouts and the places that Sue explored were absolutely fantastic. Every detail gets you right into the book and you are automatically sitting there suffering with Sue. You are riding on the back of a biker's motorcycle with nerves pumping through your body and the wind tossing your hair around. You smell the smoky air, the sweat and leather. You hear the rough voices and see the scowls and other facial expressions. You feel the rage and disappointment when pranksters exploit. And the hardest part through it all is that Amy always seems just out of reach somehow. There is always this feeling of not being able to get to her. I personally have had dreams like that and needless to say, it is tough on the emotions. Even in the end, Sue is still taken advantage of from Branch's "old lady," "Tootsie's" so called deathbed story, to British producers ordering Sue to engrave Amy's name on a headstone. The anger of it all!

But the question remains. Is Amy still alive out there? Is she dead? Is she tortured daily? Is she a drugged-up stripper? Is she pregnant? How did Paul Branch really know of Amy's appendix scar, or that she liked folk music? We may never know what ever happened to the carefree 17 year-old who loved life and was truly inspired by it. It was the simple things in life such as a sunset and the wind blowing in the trees that Amy loved. She was indeed special and very insightful. It was also a much different time. It was seemingly a more innocent time; at least away from the underworld of the bikers. But much has changed since 1974, and as the years progressed in this book, I could truly feel that nostalgic emotional feeling of the fact that Amy had been gone for so long as the times changed.

Although Sue spent 25 years searching for Amy, she had eventually found a way to bring that chapter of her life to a close even though she still mourns for her beloved daughter. Now her son Josh has kids of his own and she is able to channel her energy through them and see traces of Amy in them. The ending of the book was very fitting. It is a haunting passage that Amy wrote shortly before she was kidnapped and it shows the very essence of the wonderful young woman she was/is. It will leave you thinking for days after you finally put this book to rest.

Reviewers before me have said it best. Out of all the true crime books I've read, I estimate 10% rate as "can't put down page turners" and this is one of them. That says it all.
I would put this book in a class of my favorite true crime books including:
Careless Whispers
Zodiac
The Ultimate Evil
Dreams of Ada
Minds of Billy Mulligan

From the very beginning, this book didn't allow me to quit reading. It is powerful, thought provoking, plausible, and leaves me wanting to see it as a movie. I thought it interesting how the author plugs his other books in this suspense tale, and was one of the few lighter moments. The character, Beauford Sloan is more realistic, and seeing his softer side makes me cheer for him like never before. As a plus, I like Raymond Austin's portrayal of romance as just out of reach, but an undercurrent that keeps me hoping Beauford can find happiness again.

I've read and enjoyed all of Austin's books but this one -- Your Turn to Die -- is not only timely but chilling in its reality. Terrorists can hit anywhere and this just demonstrates another avenue. This is a fast page turner that keeps you going until finished. The author has truly been creative in his approach and demonstrates just how terrorsits can use TV as a propaganda tool. I can't wait for the next Beauford Sloan Mystery.

AGAIN AUSTIN HAS DONE IT WITH HIS BEAUFORD SLOAN. WELL DONE FULL MAKS FROM THIS READER.

Central Virginia loves Beauford Sloan, and NOT just because he lives here. The pudgy protagonist is a wee bit on the edgy side this time around, and you will be on the edge of your proverbial seat. Raymond Austin has given us another fine thriller in "Your Turn to Die."

You better have time to read it all, because you won't be able to put it down!

Interesting book really makes you think about self defense in todays world. I grew up with guns, hunting and target shooting so I might have a different perspective than most. Having a loaded gun readily accessable is a huge responsibility that can either save your life or ruin it forever.

If you even thought about owning a gun you should have this book. It is full of factual information regarding crime statistics, dos and don'ts regarding gun ownership and use. It is written by a women for women and I bought it for my wife but I read every page. I recommend it highly.

Larry C

Informative
Great to give your lady if you would like her to consider arming herself

Thoughtful, informative and written in simple language for the woman who has, or is intending to own/carry a concealed weapon.
Covers types of handguns, true life experiences, other means of self defense and consequences of using lethal force.

I bought it for her and she thought it was worthwhile. So much so I ordered some similar titles. These books aren't crazy. They're for women that refuse to be victims.

Auschwitz by Laurence Rees provides a compelling look at one of the darkest deeds in human history. Including first hand accounts from SS and prisoner alike, the book traces the history of the infamous camp from its origin as a work camp through its evolution into one of the most "productive" death camps. Rees delves into the myriad factors that created Auschwitz and how the camp's mission changed as the war progressed. The history of the "Final Solution" is detailed as well and Rees also describes several of the other camps and how they paralleled or were different from Auschwitz.

I had read accounts of the Holocaust before, but this book was incredibly detailed. The personal accounts were often gut-wrenching, especially some of the SS interviews in which there was often no regret expressed, in fact often the opposite. Not only a history of Auschwitz, but of Jewish persecution, the book provided information I hadn't heard before. There were a few accounts the author concluded the book with in which several Jews returned to their homes, only to find them gone or in someone else's possession. This was a side to the Holocaust I hadn't been consciously aware of, but probably should have guessed at The book was well written and quick paced, the material repugnant, but important to remember. Books like this need to be written and read, so that we never allow these events to simply pass into history or their magnitude diluted with time.

I just visited Auschwitz and Birkenhau prison camps and the book "Auschwitz-A New History" placed all this into perspective. The author writes the book purely from a historical researched point of view rather than from personal point of view. The book is very good reading and an excellent historical document.

I expected this to be a detailed presentation on how Auschwitz worked. Instead it was all over the place, with large portions talking about Sobibor; human interest stories; and how Jews were transported from Denmark, Slovakia, and France. This book should have focused on Auschwitz.

Most history books tend to get bogged down in their own data and dry writing style. What makes "Auschwitz" stand out as one of the most important books ever on the infamous concentration and death camp (there were both in many locations in Nazi Germany) is its readability - accurate but poignant and full of the drama that the subject provided.
Rees offers staggering information concerning the camp - the horrifying conditions for those selected to work and die as soon as they were unable to work any more - others "selected" outright for murder, most commonly by gas and guns, and even the occasional breakouts and shows of kindness, sometimes even by the SS troops who ran the camp.
Combined with the horrors of other concentration and death camps like Bergen-Belsen, the first discovered by British troops, Treblinka, Dachau and smaller camps that are not as well known, over six million Jews, gypsies and political "enemies" died at the hands of Hitler and Heinrich Himmler, easily Hitler's equal for depravity and pure hatred.
It is mind boggling how anybody can deny the events here, or the Holocaust in general. Yet Rees doesn't ignore naysayers who still try to deny such atrocities ever took place. Such denials belong in the same category as those who believe the earth is hollow, the moon visits were faked in a Hollywood studio or, believe it or not, that the Earth does not revolve around the sun!! This was opined by a state representative from, I believe, South Carolina just in the last few weeks.
We must remember too that the hate that leads to genocides is present in all of us and still occurs with regularity. We cannot forget Stalin's murder of 25 million Soviets, Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, Idi Amin, and Rhodesia and Darfur. We still have troops in Kosovo after the "ethnic cleansing" that took place in the mid '90's.
Understanding what we, as humans are capable of, good and evil, gives us a better perspective on our behavior. We see in "Auschwitz" how "normal" people, placed in horrible situations, could turn murderous, callous and numb to what they were forced to do. We also see how some preferred death to killing others. It's not a fun read, but it should be in every high school classroom.

When considering the history of the Holocaust, Auschwitz and extermination are synonymous, as it should be for the 1.1 million people who were killed by the Nazis at this concentration camp alone. Yet as Laurence Rees sets out to show in "Auschwitz: A New History", the camp's beginnings were a far cry from its final stages. Like other concentration camps within the Nazi's network, Auschwitz evolved as Hitler and the SS found themselves further forced to eliminate their self-imposed "Jewish problem".

Rees begins his history with an examination of the camp's beginnings, built by prisoners of war and meant to serve a myriad of research and industrial purposes. Heinrich Himmler and camp commandant Rudolf Hoss discussed various strategies for using the Auschwitz 'Zone of Interest' - as agricultural research center to coal factory, neither seemingly forseeing the infamous nature it would assume as the war progressed and fortunes turned for the Nazi party. Filled with eye-witness accounts and personal interviews, "Auschwitz: A New History" is a chilling testimony of the Nazi's cold-blooded attempt to exterminate an entire people.

Rees' examination, though compact, is complete. He offers not only the eye-witness accounts and hard facts, but is able to debunk the theories that Holocaust deniers and Nazi sympathizers have seized upon. The greatest power this book holds is the testimony of the SS men themselves, men unabashed in their view of what transpired within the camp, men who cannot (to this day) see their actions as anything but right. They will not just deny their actions away by claiming they were "following orders".

It can often be difficult for someone who did not experience the atrocities firsthand to understand what life in Auschwitz was like: it is rightly difficult to grasp something so incomprehensible. Rees uncovers tender histories along with the harsh, moments of joy and love and the reality of daring escapes. By comparing Auschwitz to the other camps within the Nazi system, he is able to offer a complete picture of the greatest crime in history. Yet while his book has the added title of "How Mankind Committed the Ultimate Infamy at [Auschwitz]", the greater infamy lies in the fact that the majority of those responsible for the mass murder went unpunished, free to live the life they had taken away from so many others. And at the conclusion, Rees points to the very real fear that this may one day become just another piece of ancient history: the survivors and eyewitnesses are growing fewer, and the greatest infamy may be that one day Auschwitz is just another word, just another place in the history books. Lest we forget.

Never fails to delight. Enjoyable reading. Mayhem in an antique shop is no match for the feline with more than the usual amount of whiskers.

With the third installement in The Cat Who...series this is by far the funniest.

With his new assignment in junktown, learning all about antiques and the dealers that come with it Qwill stumbbles onto what looks like another odd murder mystery. Once his mustache starts twiching and his partners, KoKo and Yum, start their usual shenanigans Qwill knows for sure he is right. The only thing left for him to do is to figure out which of the colorful characters of junktown could be the culprit.
With even more colorful, fun and way out there characters this book will definitely leave you wanting more and more of Qwill and his furry gang of friends. Next on the list is The Cat Who Saw Red.

Always great listening to a Braun mystery narrated by the talented George Guidall.

In the 3rd book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran (aka "Qwill"), is working on assignment in the features department as a newsman for the Daily Fluxion. Returning to writing for a paper after an absence of several years, he has gotten his life back together and sobered up. In the previous book, he had been assigned to writing a weekly magazine style insert titled "Gracious Abodes" that focused on the world of interior design. Having survived that assignment, Qwill is back writing features, and is excited about the prospect of winning a prize in the Fluxion's annual writing contest. He hears about a nearby town called Junktown from a cabbie, and decides to write a piece about what he assumes is a crime-ridden area. Instead, he finds that Junktown is a hotbed of antique dealers, and he quickly finds a room to rent in the town while writing a story about antiques. He learns that the tenant who occupied his room previously had died in a suspicious manner, and Qwill begins to investigate the curious characters in Junktown. Qwill meets Iris Cobb in this installment, starting a lengthy friendship that will last long into future books set in Moose County.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. More of Qwill's background is explained, and it was interesting to revisit how Qwill met Mrs. Cobb, and her son, Dennis who later renovates the apple barn he lives in. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight to some of the characters that show up later in the series. This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

In the 3rd book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran (aka "Qwill"), is working on assignment in the features department as a newsman for the Daily Fluxion. Returning to writing for a paper after an absence of several years, he has gotten his life back together and sobered up. In the previous book, he had been assigned to writing a weekly magazine style insert titled "Gracious Abodes" that focused on the world of interior design. Having survived that assignment, Qwill is back writing features, and is excited about the prospect of winning a prize in the Fluxion's annual writing contest. He hears about a nearby town called Junktown from a cabbie, and decides to write a piece about what he assumes is a crime-ridden area. Instead, he finds that Junktown is a hotbed of antique dealers, and he quickly finds a room to rent in the town while writing a story about antiques. He learns that the tenant who occupied his room previously had died in a suspicious manner, and Qwill begins to investigate the curious characters in Junktown. Qwill meets Iris Cobb in this installment, starting a lengthy friendship that will last long into future books set in Moose County.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. More of Qwill's background is explained, and it was interesting to revisit how Qwill met Mrs. Cobb, and her son, Dennis who later renovates the apple barn he lives in. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight to some of the characters that show up later in the series. This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

Unfortunately, in itself, Jane Alexander's victimization by Tom O'Donnell is not unusual; unique, however, is Jane's consistent fight to put O'Donnell in jail and to assist other victims of homicide.
Jane, the quintessential bourgouis, stay-at-home mom, knew Tom for decades through her deceased banker husband. With the exception of his allusions to having been a diamond smuggler, Tom seemed exceptional only in his high intellect and social graces. You can almost hear Jane describing Tom, "He seemed so nice." He certainly treated Jane with love and attention, certainly not interested in her because of her money. After all, Tom was financially solvent, backed by a Swiss trust. While cliche, it bears repeating: Tom gave few signs that he was anything but what he appeared, an aging, friendly, handsome bachelor. Responding to his charm, Jane lived with him for years. And, sadly to say, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Disrupting their otherwise mundane, but enjoyable life, Jane's aunt was murdered. A mystery-reading, petite, affable and dangerously wealthy woman of 88 years, she died a violent death. Figuring that the motive was financial, the police pressured Jane and Tom in their search for the killers. Meanwhile, Tom was conducting covert financial thievery with Jane's money. Afraid that the police scrutiny into the murder would illuminate his dirty dealing, Tom fled. Its precisely at this point that the book gets interesting. Please read it yourself to see the end. (One hint: Tom's arrogance and claims to belonging to the underworld of South African diamond dealers is somewhere between nauseating and unbelievable).
Through her ordeal, Jane gained initiation into the one club that no of us wants to be in: victims of major, violent crime. Stubborn and defiant, Jane fights back. For those outside of the this painful club, Jane's experience illuminates problems in gender relations, police research and the judicial process.
For survivors, Jane's battle to regain control over her life is equally, albeit differently, illuminating. Jane's crime was that of trusting another person so deeply that she stopped taking care of herself independently. Tom managed her finances, her heart and, to some degree, her life. She committed the one sin that most of us already traumatized by such violence know to avoid: Never make another person responsible for your livelihood
The crux of this book, however, is that while the story may seem straigtforward, even commonplace, Jane's experience was anything but simple. I desperately want to believe that she caused her own fate. Who wants to live in a world of Toms - outwardly normal and inwardly pathological? Yet, I could not let this book go with just one more "blame the victim" analysis.
The problem is that Jane could be any of us - male or female. She trusted someone who had proven trustworthy, not for a few months, but for decades. Emotionally healthy people trust others. As testament to her sound judgement, Jane trusted Tom. In acting in a psychologically healthy manner, ironically, Jane helped Tom to destroy her life. If only she had been a bit more paranoid, Jane could have spent her money with therapists instead of on Tom.
Ultimately, what makes Jane so special is that rather than feeling sorry for herself, she fights Tom and, ultimately, enjoys satisfaction. I guess, after all, Jane is more survivor than victim. And, Tom, he's just a run-of-the-mill loser.

Brilliantly deliverd by author James Dalessandro and contributor David Mehnert. A book written with passion, mystery, truth and justice was done. "Citizen Jane" is a book that you just keep reading - can't put it down, so I went online looking for other books by James Dalessandro. Bought,"Bohemian Heart". It will be delivered in a few days. Can't wait to read it!

"1906, the San Francisco Earthquake" saga will be in the stores soon. Watch for a movie by this great author.

Mary L. Bates

I saw Jane Alexander, the woman this book is about, on television and had to get this book right away because I was so impressed with her as a person. Jane went from being a very dependent woman, who had mostly been a stay-at-home mom to become a heroic and widely-known crusader for crime victims' rights at an age when most women would be settling into retirement. She had intended to settle into active (and financially comfortable) old age with her boyfriend, who had been a friend of the family and member of her social set for decades. The murder of her wealthy aunt changed all her plans. The boyfriend, a charmer whose tales of international intrigue had once entertained their friends, disappeared after embezzling money from those same friends and draining Jane's assets dry. She lost her beautiful home and even her beloved dog. Some of her old friends stood by her, while others blamed her for harboring a criminal in their community. Jane soon learned that the police and prosecutors were not her friends either. The story of how she battled the system as well as her ex-boyfriend is just amazing. In the course of being her own investigator, she found many, many other women who were drained financially and discarded by this man. She got several of them to testify at his trial. The book is very well written, not necessarily a given in the true-crime genre.

Most true crime stories have no hero or heroine. This one outdoes all its competitors: Jane Alexander is the most extraordinary crusader. A conservative grandmother living in Marin County, California, she is called to battle when her aunt is murdered and she must fight not only to capture and convict the killer, but to get a lethargic justice system to do its job. An absolutely riveting, unforgettable tale, I discovered the book when 48 Hours did a complete installment just on Jane Alexander. I'm not a true crime fan, but this one I could not put down. Bravo to the subject and writers...Steve, Los Angeles, CA.

This thoroughly-researched and carefully-planned expose of a heinous crime and one victim's journey from woman-in-denial to crusader is a fascinating and speedy read. Engaging the reader from the outset, Mehnert and Dalessandro magage to weave together all the facts, giving us multiple perspectives, even as we empathize with the protagonist, Jane Alexander. Especially revealing and moving is the revelation of the personal journies of Jane and others like her through a criminal justice system that is not always diligent in its pursuit of offenders.

Mystery lurks behind every corner for Dr. John Dollar, the Crime Doctor, as he is drawn into a world of criminality and vice while attempting to rescue the people under his care from their own inner demons. There is an underlining dignity to these stories that makes the noble efforts of Dr. Dollar a pleasure to read.

Dr. Dollar is a man on the horns of a dilemma. On one hand, he is a brilliant physician dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the insane mind in the valiant attempt to free his patients from their criminal compulsions. On the other, he is a fearless, two-fisted war hero who was trained to stop any enemy using deadly force. His struggles, during the mysteries that engulf him, to reconcile both opposing sides of his nature prove to be enjoyable reading, and trouble for those around him.

Criminals beware! The foggy streets of London are once again under the protection of the Crime Doctor with this new edition collecting all of the adventures of Hornung most intriguing master sleuth. Because this collection was out of print for decades, the name of Dr. John Dollar has sadly been overlooked by many mystery enthusiasts. But with this new printing, I am confident that Dr. Dollar- the Crime Doctor- will capture the hearts and imaginations of a new generation.

Resting upon my night table is a dusty stack of recently purchased thrillers from James Paterson to Lawrence Block, yet I find myself in the quiet of the night rereading THE CRIME DOCTOR. Perhaps because it transports me back to an elegant time of tuxedo-attired gentleman sleuths, and after a hectic day at work, this is a wonderful place to escape to. So if you are becoming bored with the gritty world of shoot and slash popular fiction, holster your pistol, have your butler lay out your evening wear, and by all means, give THE CRIME DOCTOR a try.

If you prefer your mysteries to take place on the foggy streets of London, teeming with clueless Bobbies, international spies, Cockney street thugs, master criminals, and the occasional suffragette riot, look no further and focus your magnifying glass on this collection of excellent crime stories.

Read a lot of L Block books. Going to go back and read some earlier titles that I missed. Terrific story teller.

Matthew Scudder is not a licensed private investigator. To claim he was one would not be ethical. Besides, private investigators have to keep up with records and billable hours... No, you can't hire him, but you can ask him to do a favor. In return for said favor, you can buy him a drink and give him a little cash.

At one point in his life Matt was a detective for the NYPD, but when a stray bullet from his gun struck and killed an innocent child during a shootout, Matt resigned. He buried his grief in a bottle and started doing favors for friends.

In Eight Million Ways to Die, Matt has reached a crossroads. After experiencing blackout that lasted several days that ended with Matt in the hospital, he knew he had to come to terms with his drinking. He agreed to go to AA, but he was not ready to label himself an alcoholic.

In need of money, Matt agreed to act as an intermediary for a hooker. She wanted out of the business but was afraid to tell her pimp. It was a simple job and the situation was settled without bloodshed or tears. Chance, the pimp, felt Kim wasted her money. She didn't need to hire Matt. All she had to do was tell him she wanted out. When Kim was found dead a few days later, the police and Matt assumed Chance was the guilty party.

The police would never be able to prove that Chance was guilty. Chance knew that, but the fact that the police assumed he did it and were not looking elsewhere irritated him. Kim was a hooker, but she was one of his girls. The cloud of suspicion was hurting his business. As Matt already had a vested interest in the case, Chance hires him. Matt would ferret out the truth.

It has been 25 years since Laurence Block's Eight Million Ways to Die was first released. New York City has changed since then, but it was easy to visualize the rabble and the rubble of the New York City of old through the eyes of Matthew Scudder. It was descriptive without the lengthy prose to go with it.

It is a classic hardboiled detective story. The clues are doled out at regular intervals. An astute mystery reader may be able to identify the killer before Matt puts the pieces together. I had my suspicions but there was enough doubt to keep me guessing right up until the end.

Eight Million Ways to Die is dark, cynical, violent and incredibly lonely--all that a great PI mystery should be. For the mystery fans out there, I highly recommend it.

I bought this thinking it was the first in the Matthew Scudder series, but it is actually about the fifth or so. It was excellent. Very well-written and I loved the Scudder character, especially his struggle with drinking and involvement in AA. If you like mysteries/detective novels, you will not be disappointed.

Lawrence Block is a writer's writer. His style, words, and plots are top notch. What do you get in this story? You get a grim and gritty New York - home to Matt Scudder, ex-cop and private investigator. You get Scudder's desperate efforts to overcome his addiction to alcohol. And you get the story of Kim, a prostitute, who pays Scudder to tell Chance, her pimp, that she wants to leave the business. Next, she is slashed to death. The obvious suspect is Chance, but Scudder becomes convinced that Chance didn't kill her, and Chance pays Scudder to find the murderer. As Scudder investigates, and more murders occur, it becomes clear that Kim had unknowingly become involved with a group of violent criminals. A nice feature of the story is that Block gives you all of the clues to pretty-much solve the mystery. Otherwise, you must wait until the final pages. It is a great story. Little wonder that Block has won so many awards for his mystery writing.

It's 2008, and it's the 25th anniversary of the Lawrence Block's Eight Million Ways to Die. So let's put out a celebratory edition! I've never read a Block book, so I'm not sure why this particular book warrants a re-issue in a special hardcover, but it does mark a significant milestone in Matt Scudder's career, so maybe that's why. This handsome hardcover also includes an afterword by Block, so fans of the Scudder series may want to pick this up to at least read that. For non-fans of the series, you can pick it up because it's a very good book.

If you're like me, you'll have to keep reminding yourself that Eight Million Ways to Die was written back in 1983. I kept asking why the characters didn't use cell phones until I remembered. Also, the image of New York as a crime-infested city kept jarring with the way it is now. The title of the book is said by a cynical cop who claims that there are eight million ways to die in New York. While there are probably still quite a few, I don't think there are that many any more.

Block does immerse you in the seedy atmosphere of the New York of 1983, though. His imagery is quite stark, and he constantly has Scudder reading the newspaper, pulling out headlines and news stories about how certain innocent people were killed, and commenting on how these will quickly get relegated to the back pages as something even more monstrous hits the front page. This atmosphere constantly weighs Scudder (and the reader) down, but at least the reader can put the book down if it gets too oppressive. What can Scudder do?

Scudder is an extremely interesting character, and evidently one who changes throughout his series of books. His alcoholism has been a constant presence in previous books, and this is the one where it comes to a head. He's constantly going to AA meetings, commenting on the speakers but not speaking up himself when it comes to his turn. He just can't see himself in these people, despite knowing that he has a problem. There's an interesting running plot element regarding this bottle of Wild Turkey in Kim's apartment, something that keeps attracting him even if he's not there investigating something.

While most of the characters are fairly one-dimensional, serving their purpose in the story and perhaps having one or two identifying traits, Chance himself also stands out as an extremely interesting character. He finds himself being drawn to Scudder, telling him things that he would never tell anyone else. He's an extremely deep character, almost as much as Scudder, and we find ourselves wondering how he's going to turn out as well. When he disappears for a while, I almost found myself dreading that Scudder would find out he got murdered as well.

Block's hard-boiled prose is excellent in Eight Million Ways to Die, and it's definitely what will make me go back and eventually read other books in this series. It's almost a contradiction, sinking into the muck that is New York while also feeling slightly optimistic as Matt comes closer and closer to redemption. It can be brutal at times, but he doesn't revel in the carnage. He doesn't hide from it, but he doesn't dwell on it either, except when Scudder himself does as he's trying to fight off temptation yet again. Block's dialogue is top notch as well, giving the book a noir feel that draws you in.

Eight Million Ways to Die is an excellent novel, and you don't have to worry that you're coming into it in the middle of a series. As a standalone, it's an excellent examination of an alcoholic detective's life. As part of a series, it's a turning point. Either way, you'll lose yourself in the past as 1983 rears its ugly head again. Scudder is great character, and this is a great book.

David Roy