Crime Books

Yes I can follow this one. It is crystal clear. I like the plot and the story of the delivery man. I don't like stuffy things. I like this book. It is not heavy like 2012. Easy easy does it. I enjoyed it a lot.

Matts dad, Denny Thurman, dresses up as a UPS Delivery man and goes to Matts school and kidnaps him so that he can take Matt to his sisters and make his sister feel sorry for him and want to give him money. At the same time that Denny is taking Matt to his sisters, Bonnie is leaving her school to go get Matt from his. MAtt and Pookie, his dog, are nowhere to be found in this great book. It was the best book i have ever read! I didnt want to put it down!

It all started when Denny went to Matt's house to get a dog in Matt's so he could make come to his car by telling him that the dog has been runned over.Later Matt wanted to go to the restroom Denny left the dog tied on the post with Matt not noing.The other day Denny told him if he Matt wanted to go to the baseball game he said yes.Bonnie's friends told her if she wanted to go to the game she said yes. When Matt went to the game Bonnie saw Matt,but Matt did not see her.Then they tried to escape from Denny but Denny saw them leave so he got them back.Denny tried to get Bonnie killed, but Matt did not let that happen.The police took them back home safely.

ABDUCTION is an excellent suspense novel with a lot of good information about what families go through and can do in the event of an abduction. Peg Kehret combines a tremendous amount of facts throughout the tense narrative, such as the fact that most kidnapped children are taken by non-custodial parents and how an Amber alert works.

But the story is the real draw here. Matt, a kindergartener, goes missing from his school. His kidnapper is his biological father, a man he's never laid eyes on. Denny Thurman, Matt's dad, is a gambling addict whose latest scheme involves "borrowing" money from his sister and brother-in-law to raise his son.

Thirteen-year-old Bonnie, Matt's sister, gets caught up in the search for her little brother. Kehret pulls the reader into Bonnie's world, sharing her helplessness and frustration as well as the sharp fear that fills her.

The pacing is frantic as the reader flips back and forth between the scenes involving Bonnie, Matt, the kidnapper, and a few extra characters (like the elderly couple that finds the abandoned family dog, Pookie, and decides to take him home).

The climax of the book is exciting and uses a lot of the Seattle setting shown in the novel. Bonnie is a true heroine, but she's not of the Wonder Woman variety. She uses her wits and her heart, and stands her ground with the kidnapper to protect her little brother.

ABDUCTION is a great read to share with a pre-teen or even to be read to an aggressive third- or fourth-grader who likes being read to. My son and I enjoyed this book a lot, but some of the tense scenes made him nervous. He couldn't stop thinking about Matt and his situation until we turned the last page. More than that, he knows more about Stranger Danger and that there are a lot of agencies that look for missing children.

The Amber Alert goes off. You turn on your T.V. faster than a man running across hot coals. Someone has been reported missing. Abduction is a scary thought, especially when you are very young. Most of us have been told to never to talk to strangers. Unfortunately, an eight-year-old boy named Matt encounters this situation in Abduction!
Matt was excused to go to the bathroom one day at school. On the way, he met a stranger. The stranger lied to him and told him his dog Pookie was hurt. He said Pookie was in the car, and Matt went into the car. He doesn't realize his father kidnapped him.
The eight-year-old struggles through many hard times while he was a hostage to his dad, who also was his mom's ex-husband. Matt realizes his father gambles often, and because of that, he loses money frequently. His dad tells another lie, saying his mom and sister were in a car accident and died. In Abduction!, the author shows the importance of family and not talking to strangers. This book is filled with adventure, sadness, and happiness. It teaches a valuable lesson to go along with the twists and turns of the exciting plot.

The Ballad of Carl Drega is one of several important books which every library should have. Along with other eye opening titles such as Molon Labe! and Unintended Consequences, these are must reads for those who have an inkling something is rotten in the state of America. Despite it being a series of essays, it flows quite well and never lets up with telling the truth of the danger we find America in. It is worth every penny, though if you cannot afford check out your library.

It is a great eye opener to the tyranny around us all.

That could very well be a legitimate legal defense some day. Certainly this book goes a long way toward detailing the million and one ways that we suffer from a surfeit of government.
Mr Suprynowicz does an excellent job of pointing out that tyranny comes in many forms. That sometimes the most aggravating forms are those of the petty bureaucrats and local governments who refuse to use compassion or common sense in the course of their duties.

This book is an easier and more entertaining read than his previous "Send in the Waco Killers", which read like a collection of his columns. "Ballad" follows a logical progression towards the inescapable conclusion that freedom and regulation are at opposite ends of a scale.

Guaranteed to irritate Republicans and Democrats alike.

Do not let the fact that this text is a "collection of essays" disuade you. Neither should you be dissuaded about the month waiting period for a new copy to arrive. Order several copies and earn a profit by selling via Amazon's Marketplace!

This thoughtful book forced me to take a fresh look at the incredible power's that have been given the IRS, FBI, ATF (BATFE) - just to name a few. Upon opening the book, I was under the distinct impression that I was a "citizen" residing in a "representative democracy." It has become clear to me that the Bill of Rights (which unquestionably grants me the rights of a true citizen) has been usurped by a runaway police state - where I resemble a well-trained slave. Does that mean I hate police, FBI, IRS, ATF(BATFE)? No. Although, I feel strongly that law-abiding citizens must reclaim their citizenship birthrights from these (and other) superiorly armed and trained slave masters. Vin asks rhetorical questions throughout his essays. My favorite question is "how can the government prohibit law-abiding citizens from owning particular weapons?" You see, our government inherits powers from "we the people." Therefore, if one citizen cannot lawfully prohibit another citizen from owning an assault rifle - how can Uncle Sam? It matters not that a "duly elected government" passed this law, because the Bill of Rights are God given and cannot be usurped. These essays are more powerful than a linear text and have been the genesis of heartfelt powerful pro-liberty thoughts. Subsequently, it is impossible for me to look upon my government as benign. In fact, I feel much like Benjamin Franklin must have. Ben Franklin was enamored with England and was residing there during the "Colonial Stamp Tax Revolt." It pained Benjamin to hear of his Colonial brothers resisting the "just command of his Majesty." I was staunchly pro-FBI during Waco & Ruby Ridge, because I watched mainstream media. Now I'm disgusted with my weak thinking - I sincerely apologize to the victims and surviving family and friends. I have come to the conclusion that our government has purposely overstepped its boundaries and now violently snuffs-out those small groups that see the wolf for what it is. The police-state may already be invincible, having already achieved critical mass - but I find some solace in the fact that I am no longer acting like a deferential pawn. I will resist illegitimate authority from this day forward. Thank you Vin! Sorry it's taken me so long to wake up. In my defense, I was public schooled. Also, I recommend Boston's Gun Bible (revised edition).

An outstanding look at the unending chain of abuses that are heaped on us by our government and the obvious, but tragic results. The Ballad of Carl Drega is a collection of articles and notes from 1994 -2001 by the award-winning Libertarian columnist Vin Suprynowicz. Carl Drega, Gary Watson, Donald Scott, Peter Williams, and the victims of Ruby Ridge and Waco are the martyrs in the raging War Against Freedom. This expose goes where no others dare. Vin exposes the War that has been declared on our rights in his essays on Taxes, Western Land Grabs, Environmentalism, Gun Laws, Vaccinations, and the "Mandatory government youth propaganda camps, still known to most as the 'public schools'".

He challenges you to focus on the victims' plight and leaves you wondering how on earth there are not similar "last stands" on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I fear that there will be many more Carl Drega's before Vin's next book is released.

I have given this book my highest recommendation and consider it a must-read for freedom lovers, patriots, libertarians, journalists, and concerned parents. If you don't like to loan out your favorite books, you might be wise to order more than one copy.

WOW!!! The ending was not as I expected. During my reading of this book I was thinking that it was so obvious who was behind the killings...but I was wrong. I was very shocked to say the least. The book from the very beginning was interesting. I could not get anything else done for wanting to read this. I would take it to work with me and read on breaks and lunchtime. The author is without a doubt my favorite. Everything I have read by her has been interesting from page 1. Indulge yourself today in the works of Christiane Heggan.

I found this book a little slow going at first, but plodded along until it finally started getting interesting. From then, it didn't let up. It was not the best mystery I have read, but I gave it five stars because very seldom does an author stump me. I did not expect what I was reading. The killer's identity comes as a surprise and I usually figure it out right away. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Investigative reporter, Kelly Robolo, used to be in good with the police, especially with Detective Nick McBride, but while helping a friend who was being forced to pay for "protection" in Chinatown, she was shot and an (undercover) Detective Matt Kolvic was killed. Now the police shunnher, harass her, and didn't answer calls if she needed any help. While still on medical leave, her closest friend, Victoria Bowman, called her for help. Victoria's husband, Jonathan, was missing. Soon there was evidence of an affair and possible drug trafficing from the casino in which he was an executive of. Swallowing her pride, Kelly went to Nick for help. Nick's father used to work, high on the food chain, at the same casino that Jonathan had. He was soon convinced that Jonathon's disappearance and his father's murder a year ago were somehow linked. The widow of Matt also found out that her husband was more than "undercover", he had actually been part of the protection ring! Nick was positive that was connected as well. This one catches its readers and holds onto them for dear life! Fast paced, full of action, twists, and surprises! I see awards in the future for this one!

What a GREAT book!!I had a lot of things I had to do in my house, and what am I doing----reading Blind Faith. I COULD NOT put it down. The romance, mystery, heck, everything about this book is FANTASTIC.

Blind Faith goes faster than a dollar in a casino and has the twists of a Philadelphia pretzel. I read this in one day (Thank goodness I had the time.) Don’t plan on reading this one in bits and pieces. Save it until you can tuck yourself away for the day and swallow it whole. Christiane Heggan is in top form. Get a head start on her books. I see movies coming...

Actually, I picked this book up at my local library because it was just sitting there and it didn't cost anything. But to my surprise it was a very informative book.

Like all books and readers, no shoe fits all but the author did try and was successful as far as I'm concerned.

After this reading, I definitely see my broker in a different light. As an options trader, I've learned things that were right there in front of me and just didn't see it. Great info regarding industry tricks.

There was too much detail in certain areas but you can speed read those and continue to you find the gems that appeal to you. Very good read.

Best wishes

So, you think you broker is honest, maybe not!

The book explains that yes brokers are concerned about making you money, but they are more concered about making money off of you first.

The book explains how investment firms pressure their
stock brokers (aka financial analysts, money managers)
into creating as many "hidden" charges off your account as possible.

One big think the book points out is to watch for excessive
trading and the "hidden" cost of spreads and mark ups and mark downs.

One really good point was about the use of margin.
Most brokers do not explain to their clients the costs and
risks associated with the use of magin( borrowing money to buy
more stocks.)

One hidden cost of margin involves Flat Fee accounts where the money you borrow (and pay a good rate of intrest on) increases
the amount of assets in you flat fee acount, so you pay that
1 or 2% flat fee on the margin too.

Another key point in the book is ask you broker to tell you
what all you expenses total to as a percent of your assets.
You may be suprised how much they reall charge you.

You may not be so happy with your broker when you realize, yes
they made you a 15% return this year, but the market average(at same risk at you assets) returned 25% for the year.

And your broker only got your broker did not have you invested
in those assets that would have given you higher return becuasse
he got a bigger commission ( or hidden costs) on the assets that made you less money.

Many many games revealed about your "honest" broker.

The book has a little fluff so it could be a bit shorter, but the book is full of the many tricks your broker maybe using on you.

So for starters:
Stop your broker from usng high risk high commision product
(lke futures).
Stop your broker from using margin ( borrowed money).
Stop your borker from trading too much with too little reutrn.

Books gives a current and accurate picture of brokers,
on Jan 13,2004 a story on the front of the NY Times and
the Wall Street Journal stated Morgan Stanley was finded
for getting kick backs from sell certain mutual funds.
And in Sept 2003 Morgan Stanley was fined for holding
contests to see who sold the most of Morgan Stanley Products.

Tracy Pride Stoneman and Douglas Schulz were way out ahead of the Wall Street fraud/conflict of interest cases at the big brokerage firms. This book basically tells you what you should look for in brokers (and in most cases, the brokers don't want you to know). It really goes back to the old credo "buyer beware". As in selecting any service, you must perform due dillegence in researching and selecting a good broker and the products that are right for your investment goals and strategies. This book tells you how to do this in simple straightforward langauge. Great information here! Excellent on-line trading information and what to do and expect if you do have problems. Information is power and this book is definitley a POWER BOOSTER!

In many things it is better to say "Know thyself" but if you have a brokerage account it is best to say "Know others before thyself." This is a wonderfully concise and insightful book. The authors are able to convey their in-depth knowledge in an understandable and direct manner. They describe what to look for, how to detect it, and what action to take if you suspect brokerage misconduct. This book will educate as well as hold your interest.

I was disappointed to find several errors I believe would not be made by people with real expertise in the brokerage industry. On page 34 the authors contend that analysts "work in the investment banking departments of such large firms as Merrill Lynch, Prudential, and Bear Stearns." Actually, the analysts work in the Equity Research Departments of those firms, which are separate (although they interact with Investment Banking Departments at Merrill and Bear). Prudential advertises today that it does not do any investment banking and therefore has no conflict with research.

Page 41 says "Analysts hold no brokerage licenses. Therefore, no securities rule or regulation applies to them." These statements could not be more wrong. I do not know any analyst that does not hold series 7 and 63 licenses. I do not know of any brokerage firm that allows its analysts to publish research without first having passed the series 7 and 63 exams. There could be small, regional firms that permit this, but the major firms require their analysts to be registered representatives. The authors repeat their mistake on page 74.

The math on page 176 does not work for the "spread" issue. The authors obviously did not proof the offer price, which should have been $10.50, not $10.00.

After spotting these errors, I skimmed through the rest of the book. Although the issues the authors address may aggregate information for the investing public, nothing they say is earth-shattering. The book seems more to ride the tide of dumping on the investment community and offers little in the way of a position on fixing what is wrong. I am the first to agree that the system could be improved, but so could this book.

I picked up the book a little skeptically, even though I admire the author, because I was afraid it might glorify a murderer. Richard Jacoby has a simpler goal. He humanizes the Capeman and makes him understandable.

The Capeman was a 16 year old involved in a gangfight in which he stabbed two other teenagers and they died. Sentenced to death, Governor Rockerfeller commuted the sentence under heavy pressure.

Meantime, Richard Jacoby was doing a thesis about whether people on death row had life changing experiences. He got in touch with the Capeman, letters were exchanged, then they met in person and a deep friendship started. The author also got to know the Capeman's family very well. The original goal was for the Capeman to write his life story, but as it becomes clear, after he's paroled that he won't really do it, Jaocby uses all of his notes to put the story together.

Meantime, Paul Simon wrote a musical based on parts of the Capeman's life. It's a story of redemption, but to Richard, that's only part of the story. He uses this book to tell the whole story, not just about the Capeman's life, but about our prison system and about our insane asylums. He's very careful to let the fact's speak for themselves.

The biggest surprise is how hard the book is to put down. You get inside the head of the Capeman and his relatives and his story becomes an American story and yet, still a very individualized story. The book can perhaps best be summed up by Jacoby's encounter with a racist cop, where, referring to the Capeman, he tells the cop "Yeah, but he's still a human being" At it's most basic, that's what the book is about. Without glossing over his crimes, Jacoby shows us the Capeman as a human being. It's a moving, well balanced portrait that is completely compelling reading. Highly Recommended.

Conversations with the Capeman is an absolutely stunning, beautifully written book about the life of convicted murderer Salvador Agron. Richard Jacoby weaves a brilliant and sensitive memoir of his real-life interviews and relationship with Agron. Jacoby paints a compelling, unbiased portrait of a tragic life; from Agron's youth as a member of a violent New York street gang to his conviction for a murder that he may not have committed, to life beyond prison. This impossible to put down book reads as if one is watching a motion picture. It involves all the elements of a modern-day epic; heartbreak, mystery, deception, love, friendship, redemption, and ultimate tragedy. This novel, of all the books I have read, has had the biggest impact on me...Simply amazing.

Each page of this beautifully written book brings raw emotion to the surface. Richard Jacoby paints a vivid picture of the poverty stricken, abusive childhood that surer than any court sentenced Salvador Agron to a life of alienation and despair. Yet despite being the youngest person ever sent to New York State's electric chair, Agron possessed a spark of human spirit that would not die. It is Jacoby's great accomplishment that he lets Agron's story speak for itself as he takes us through the dark alleys of Puerto Rico, the doo-wop drenched streets of New York and the cold corridors of state prisons where despair is plentiful, yet hope lives. If you want to know why we should treat our kids better and why giving people in trouble a second chance is NOT some mushy-headed idea, read this extremely engaging book.

This insightful, sensitively written book which brings to light Salvador Agron's life that was imprinted by race, sexual abuse and the condemnation of society gave me not only a new awareness of the criminal justice system, but of human redemption as well. Reading Conversations with the Capeman was a powerful eye-opening experience.

Conversations with the Capeman, the story on which the musical Westside Story is loosely based, blew me away. I literally read this 500+ page book in two days. I almost could not sleep for want of finishing it on the first day.

The life of Salvador Agron provides a window into humanity that society tends to overlook when confronted with a crime in light of the death penalty. Mr. Agron's life can be viewed as social commentary that makes this a very important look at our penal system but more importantly it renders him human.....not an evil animal. The loyalty that Salvador garnered from people he didn't even know was overwelming. This is the first book that ever brought me to tears to the point that I could barely see the words on the page while reading the last two chapters.

I subsequently bought Paul Simon's Songs from the Capeman and was pretty impressed by the way that he captures Salvadors life in music.

Excellent selection of fine writing about crime and vice - another winner provided us by the LOA. It's early era merely extends it's charm into a time past that's as vibrant as if it were set in the last decade, allowing us a nostalgic glimpse into our own literary birthright.

One, entitled "The Big Clock", is about the highly sophisticated and competitive world of big city publishing and involves a murder committed by it's top executive who is losing his ability to cope; a uniquely arranged set of chapters detailing the thoughts and actions of each player through their own individual eyes and each written in the "first person" which adds another layer of intrigue and dimension to it. An innocent man, fearing he will be the prime suspect, becomes enmeshed in an incredibly intricate plot trying to keep himself out of it, wading in deeper and deeper even though he has had nothing to do with the actual murder, but definitely has knowledge of certain of the events that will bring his family - that means his wife - into it which must be avoided at all costs.

In "Thieves Like Us", a gang of bank robbers is on the run through the Oklahoma countryside, living by their wits and for the day because tomorrow may never come; the doomed rampage is prolonged by the lack of law enforcement technology of the era. The visual image projected into the mind of the reader is vivid; of 1930's automobiles, dust and sweat, of desperate, reckless men who have nothing more to lose except their lives, which have never been good anyway - to them, for them or because of them. The old phrase of "Honor among the Thieves" becomes duly recognizable for a few chapters, as does the necessary bonding, and uneasy, false friendship that was tantamount to survival. This, due to it's very nature begins to unravel just when dependence upon one another is needed most; and the loser's urge to "do just one more job" to compensate for the money that seems to run through their fingers like sand through an hourglass overrides any thought process any of them may have had. It has it's anti-hero in one man who seems straight enough to maybe make it if he can just manage to split from his bad seed influences; but nothing can alter his headlong rush down the lonely path to perdition, taking the one lonely person who actually cares about him down with him. He has known nothing else; he has never been nurtured, never been taught the good lessons of life to offset the problems of it; he simply reacts to stimulus; the once child of clay has hardened to brittle nothingness.

Highly recommended for anyone enjoying mystery and suspense in it's finest form.

Before reading this handsome, well-made volume of six crime novels, I tended to consider 'noir' a movement, one of both style and period. I now know that noir is also and more generally an atmosphere and pertains to a wide variety of literary styles, characters, plots, motivations -- but all informed by a dark and often depressing overall mood. Ultimately, these six novels are character studies and although they are offhandedly described as 'pulp novels', their qualities of description, dialogue, and even basic construction techniques such as gradual disclosure and story arc far exceed most recent crime novels I've read. And although classic noir undoubtedly exposed the dark recesses in the minds and hearts of its contemporary audiences, these stories today confirm that there is very little that can shock us; the beauty and longevity of these novels is in their exposition and description of characters and surroundings and the significance of a single, seemingly insignificant event building to an inexorable, devastating climax.

Rather than recount each novel's plot and characters, I will only add that again, each of the representatives of the noir genre present in this edition illustrate a wide variety of settings and styles, places and characters. From what most of us probably consider classic noir represented by Cain's classic "The Postman Always Rings Twice" with its classic highway settings and passion, to the suave, biting, and sardonic wit of Fearing's "The Big Clock" reflecting the unusual structure of multiple first-person narration around a single, main protagonist in an urban, corporate setting, to the Oklahoman grit of a group study in gang crime via serial bankrobbers in Anderson's "Thieves Like Us", to the more explicitly horrifying, psychologically penetrating and depraved "Nightmare Alley" of Gresham, this edition is like a menu of various aspects and directions noir can and did take.

As other reviewers have stated, there is not a weak novel here. I found "The Big Clock" the most singular in structure, setting, and style and in certain aspects, it defies categorization as 'noir' except perhaps only in mood. In fact, it is the novel that for me most broadened the definition of the genre. I found "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" the most depressing because it appears to be the least fanciful, most truthful and thus the most devastating of the set. In this sense, "...Horses..." comes closest to rivalling truly great literature not so much for its details, but for its overall impact. In my opinion, Woolrich's "I Married a Dead Man" is the least successful because its exploration of mistaken identity (first mistaken, then deliberate) is somewhat banal and after finishing it, I wished Woolrich might have explored the contrast of genteel facade and grasping desperation a bit more explicitly. It is in many ways the most subtle and emotional of the set as well as the most modern (it is chronologically the last), but suffers a bit from the repetitive description of Helen/Patrice and the strain of her external and internal duality.

Several reviewers have found Anderson's "Thieves Like Us" the weakest of the set, but I disagree. The description of a gang is necessarily different and unlike the other novels, Anderson manages to accomplish what the other authors are unable to do (save perhaps McCoy): Describe the criminal as a legitimate, objective individual who deserves our sympathy and even our allegiance. Bowie, the central character, is described as taking a far more relaxed view of his own criminal activity and isn't portrayed in dark, tortured terms. In this light, Bowie has either the weakest conscience or the strongest depending upon how you choose to read him and in either sense, he and together with his cohorts provide and excellent example of the Anti-Hero.

"Nightmare Alley" is the longest and the most absorbing of the set. It is also the most violently and sexually explicit, has the largest cast of important and varied characters, and best succeeds in addressing the big questions concerning truth, faith, relationships, society, etc. Who are the real freaks -- carnival oddities and tricksters, or respectable society members seeking spirituality? Those with mere physical abnormalities or those who deliberately develop intentional differences? What is deception, particularly self-deception? "All the world's a carnival" might be a nihilistic worldview, but Gresham's portrait of an intelligent young carnival magician's development from a sensitive, impressionable boy into a full-blown 'spiritualist medium' whose only desire to trick the vulnerable out of their money (and who ultimately is tricked by one who lacks his ultimate weakness -- his conscience) is devastating. Although I predicted the ending, this truly nightmarish journey down Stanton Carlisle's alley is the point of the book. The true ending is, in fact, never reached and is a brilliant literary stroke.

I highly recommend this set of novels.

This collection of novels from the 30s and 40s was terrific fun and an outstanding introduction to the genre. You can debate whether they're all noir (at least what I expected noir to be); but nonetheless they each convey a distinct impression and view of the time. Without getting into lengthy reviews, I enjoyed Woolrich's "I Married a Dead Man" the most--from his eloquent style to the actual story-line. You know you're reading a master story-teller. Second was Gresham's "Nightmare Alley;" although sometimes I thought he could have expanded on some aspects of the story and shortened other passages (i.e., a little bit of editing would help). But each novel was distinct and enjoyable. Highly recommended.

First of all, the Library Of America collection provides the reader with some of the most beautiful hardcover editions available today. That said, the selections chosesn for this edition are all first class; for someone just getting into hard-boiled fiction, this is the ideal place to start. If you're like me and have been reading this genre for many years, this is a perfect volume to add to one's collection.

Noir emerged in the early 20th-Century from Pulp paperbacks published for mass consumption. Highlighting in gritty and sensationalistic detail the sordid undercurrents of Western society, Noir became an artistic force that became the medium for the representation of the down and out segment of the populace. Whether set in the impersonal grime of urban reality or at the deceptive simplicity of rural picturesqueness, Noir in Film and Literature revealed the odyssey and travails of lost souls whose misguided characters bore too much of the weight of their selves and their pasts to break from the shackles of their present.

"Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930's and 40's" is the American equivalent in prose of the influential and enduring genre. The grim and unforgiving tales of the dejected cast of mid 20th-Century American life are openly depicted ("The Postman Always Rings Twice"; "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"; "Thieves Like Us"; "Nightmare Alley"); vicissitudes of fate ("The Big Clock"; "I Married a Dead Man"). Whether set in scenic California, the vast and open Midwest, or a high-rise office in Manhattan, these novels uniformly render a panorama of blighted dreams, twisted turns of fate, and the sad recurrence of misfortune in desperate individuals doomed to tragedy.

None too substantial in content but highly readable, this edition is the first of a handsome 2-Volume anthology on American Noir fiction published by the venerable Library of America. Edited by Robert Polito (Poet, writer, anthologist on Noir Lit. and author of a biography on Jim Thompson), these stories enduring relevance are seen in various forms of contemporary society: from the writings of James Ellroy, Brett Easton Ellis, Lawrence Block, and Robert Bloch; in films like "Scarface", "Pulp Fiction", "Fight Club"; and in everyday life.

"A Crime So Monstrous" presents a gripping, first-hand account of modern day human slavery. Author Benjamin Skinner takes readers into the dark underworld of human bondage and exploitation that is all but a plane and cab ride from the life of luxury we enjoy in the West. Skinner traveled the world to meet slavetraders, slaves and ex-slaves. He tells the stories of several individuals who have been subjected to horrific, inhumane treatment and put through the most horrendous of conditions. The result is an intense, authentic book that people must read.

Skinner hits the most desperate locales where today's slavery has taken hold. The seediest spots in Haiti, Moldova, Sudan, India, and Dubai set the scenes of the book. Skinner tells the stories of victims of slavery from each of those regions. But he does so in a way that both details some of the horrors they experienced while giving voice to their dignity and pointing to their hopes of overcoming the challenges that remain for former slaves once the chains have been broken.

Along the way, Skinner also meets with former U.S. Ambassador John Miller, who headed the U.S. State Departments office to combat trafficking in human persons. Skinner's portrait of Amb. Miller is enjoyable and offers a bit of relief to readers. This book is NOT light reading. It can be just plain difficult to pick up on a sunny day. The horrors of slavery can certainly make one want to avoid it. But the fact that the evil of slavery exists in the world today is reason itself to read this important book.

Skinner adopts modern-day abolitionist Kevin Bales' definition of "slave": a person who is compelled to work, through force or fraud, for no pay beyond subsistence. This definition seems right to me. Apparently, there is some debate in abolitionist circles about the definition of slavery--or at least debate over what the emphasis of anti-slavery efforts should be today. "Wage slavery" and sex slavery are both evils, but some abolitionists differ in means and priorities in eradicating them both. Skinner gets into the fray here, and gives a picture of Michael Horowitz that is none too complimentary. This reviewer simply doesn't have the background to assess all of Skinner's evaluations. But readers of the book should at least take time to read Logan Paul Gage's May 5, 2008 "First Things" review of Skinner's book to get another perspective.

If slavery isn't wrong, nothing is wrong. "A Crime So Monstrous" is a book about an evil that must be stopped. Get it. Read it.

Every page of this book is fascinating, and scary.

Perhaps the end is the worst of all. Skinner has a brief epilogue where he points out: "You might wonder what became of the slaves I found in bondage. What happened to the young Romanian woman whose owner offered her in trade for a used car? Did she escape that fetid Bucharest brothel?...And what of Gonoo Lal Kol, his family and the other villagers in Lohagara Dhal? Did they seize the moment of their master's flight and break their chains? What of those unseen slaves whom trafficers offered to sell to me? What of the three girls that I haggled for in Istanbul?" (p 287).

He adds, painfully, "I wish I could tell you that they are all okay...I don't know what happened to them. Their fate haunts me" (p 287).

All the stories in this book will haunt you. How can slavery be so hidden, so unreported, and yet to common?

What is the matter with our civilization, that we don't rise up, take action, and stop this evil practice?

This is an important and well written book about a hidden crime of the modern world. The author is brave and smart as well as street wise beyond imagining in his pursuit of information and illustration of the current status of slavery in the world.

The work is full of revelations that will educate, shock and dismay the readers. It should be widely read and understood, and could be useful in college level economics and sociology courses equally.

Skinner does a spectacular job of personalizing a terrible crime that is committed daily in countries all over the world, including our own USA. His accounts of real slaves are gripping, utterly believable, and absolutely heart-wrenching.

Completely nonpartisan, Skinner pulls no punches. Where officials do right he reports it with honor; where they fail to do right or turn their backs he justly condemns them with the evidence. There are plenty of rogues, and a few honorable warriors, among these pages. But the compelling stories are of those who live still in bondage, and those who have been freed.

Conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat, if you don't come away from this book enraged and outraged, you aren't paying attention. The only thing more shameful than the lipservice and window dressing that are all the Bush administration has given to the cause of slavery, would be the fact that previous administrations from Clinton on back didn't even do the window dressing.

Benjamin Skinner traveled around the world to witness firsthand the drudgery, abuse and depravity of modern-day slavery; he probably saw a good deal more than could fit into his book, which is an unsparing account of just how horrible and widespread slavery is. Skinner's writing is evocative. He brings to life various places around the globe including Haiti's cities and countryside, Romanian slums, the desert of Sudan, night clubs in Dubai, rural mines in India, and a well-to-do American suburb; his descriptions of human degradation, cruelty and greed are sickening. He talks to slaves (both current and former), slave traders, slave owners, anti-slavery activists, and government officials; throughout the book he also tells the story of U.S. official John Miller and his uphill and exhausting battle against slavery worldwide. To get some of his stories Skinner actually had to pose at various times as a potential slave buyer, and he briefly touches on the ethics of that choice (as well as his decision not to buy people's freedom from slave traders).

He succeeds in conveying the complexity of slavery, how and why it continues to exist and the various forms that it takes. In addition to the harrowing accounts of slaves themselves, he writes about the role that individuals, institutions, cultural norms and socioeconomic factors play in the perpetration of slavery and the creation of circumstances and conditions that allow slavery to flourish. It's frustrating to read about the way governments around the world turn a blind eye to slavery, even while paying lip-service to the idea of fighting it and upholding human dignity. The UN's record on this issue is unsurprisingly disgraceful as well. Skinner relates how UN officials, for political reasons, often refuse to refer to slavery as slavery (preferring terms such as 'abduction', for instance), and half-heartedly spend money on anti-slavery initiatives that are proven failures (he also discusses the complete farce that is the UN Human Rights Commission).

The book is detailed, complex and approaches slavery from different angles. In addition to discussing commercial sex slavery, his book brings to light agricultural, industrial and domestic enslavement (where, in addition to backbreaking work for no pay whatsoever, rape and brutality are also commonplace), and slavery in the context of war - as with the cultural and racial genocide waged on black Africans in the Sudan. Into this bleak picture Skinner also brings stories of hope - people who survived slavery, whether as children or adults, and who in spite of their scars have rebuilt their lives; he also profiles individuals who fight against slavery and actively work to rebuild the lives of former slaves and integrate them into society as productive members. Skinner doesn't write these stories with melodrama or sentimentality, but as a means of giving these people a voice and in hopefully motivating the reader to learn more and contribute to the fight against slavery; the conclusion of his book names what he thinks are effective anti-slavery organizations and non-governmental groups.

Overall, he's written an excellent book about an ages-old human condition that persists to this day, no matter how much we'd wish to pretend otherwise.

A great 1st book by the author filled with suspense & humor. The story keeps you glued to the pages wanting to know what happens next. Can't wait for the next book from Kiki Curry!

There is never a dull moment in this fast-paced thriller. Mysteries are
my favorite genre, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Curry kept my
attention with several humorous subplots going on, woven into the death
of a girl in Marble Falls, Texas.
I don't believe in coincidences, like the story suggests and to follow
your intuition. Today, after reading Crows Calling, I found and bought
a piece of art named, "Yellow Bird Ascending." It has the Kachina gods
representing the animal totems. The bird representing the soul.
In this book, the story told of the Indian lore of the crow medicine
being the avenger of truth. It was interesting how the plot captured
the Native American ways of seeing nature as a way Spirit speaks to us
if we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear in a very believable
way.
Crows Calling would make an excellent movie because of the nonstop
action, and humor. I loved the characters and would like to see them
continued in her Curry's future books. By the way, if it is ever made
into a movie, I see David Leach as a character, or maybe Billy Bob
Thornton as one of the thugs.
I can't wait for her next novel to come out. I read her bio on her
website and noticed she was a standup comic. This really was apparent
reading this entertaining book!

As a screenwriter living in Texas, I found this book to be very interesting. Set in the Texas hill country, it is rich with local color. Kiki Curry gives us a new age spiritual woman's point of view of events concerning the death of a young woman in Marble Falls, Texas. The book contains lots of humor and suspense. Curry's narration is very visual and filled with Texan idioms and cultural references. In addition to a fun supspense story, it is an interesting cultural study.

Fun story that as a new Texan, I was able to recognize many landmarks! (Like Stephen King always made me feel about New England). The characters in the story were memorable and endearing. Quite a few sounded like people that would be fun to meet (if they exsisted of course!)
I would recommend this as a entertaining, easy read and I hope to see more from Kiki in the future!

I could not put this book down once I started to read it. Not only does Kiki keep you guessing she keep you thinking. The book was original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive; my only problem with the book was that it ended way too soon. To the Author - Please write a follow-up book very soon.

Very good book, very detailed and informative. One of the must have books for the true Mafia fan.....

Denny Griffin is one of those author's whose works you want to follow. Keep writing, Denny! Rita Schiano, author of Painting the Invisible Man

Another well-written, factual and informative book by Dennis Griffin.

This book details the life and crimes of Frank Cullotta before he became an informant and briefly covers his life after the witness protection program. It covers in depth the friendship between Tony Spilotro and Cullotta from their early days as juveniles on the streets of Chicago to the glitter of Vegas.

The chapter on Bertha's was particularly engaging, where the robbery is first covered by the FBI/Metro's version of events and in the preceding section; Cullotta gives his account of the robbery before and after arrest.

Cullotta makes the distinction between his role as informant to that of `rat' Sal Romano, as entirely different situations. His was a matter of self-preservation, while Romano's was to purposely set out and trap unsuspecting mobsters. It is Frank's belief that they would have got away with the robbery at Bertha's, were it not for Romano.

While I don't condone crime, I couldn't help but feel relieved when Cullotta makes it out alive after becoming a government witness and now leads a relatively normal existence in an undisclosed location.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, particularly in Las Vegas.

An absolute great read! Mr. Griffin gets right to the point with his painstaking research in this book. Anyone would have to be afraid of a guy who would whack you if you looked at him wrong. A can't miss buy!!

I feel a bit dissapointed in Mr. Griffins book. Not the subject matter or the story but the way he paints Cullotta as a family man and a down on his luck bad guy gone good. Frank Cullotta is a common criminal who got off lite and was in a major motion picture that he was paid for being in. I am a bit confused as to why a retired lawman would be such a hero worshiper to a punk like Cullotta. This could have been a better book and I must disagree with the five star reviewers many of whom's opinion I respect and generally agree with. I guess this time we will just have to agree to disagree.

What kid hasn't listened in on the telephone? Bill Davidson's children did just that, but didn't realize they hold the key to their father's killer.
Alan York loves racing and left home in South Africa to follow his dream. When he emerged from the fog of a steeple chase race he didn't find his friend a winner, but dead in a manner that was no accident.
Greed and fixed races were behind Bill's death and leave Allan the owner of Admiral and fighting for his own life.
Dead Cert is one of the riveting reads of a long career. Enjoy!
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS and QUALIFYING LAPS.

I never know what to expect when I begin a new Dick Francis novel - but I always enjoy the ride. This one is no exception.

This is the first Dick Francis mystery and I like it the second best. I like "Nerve" slightly better, but only slightly. This "Dead Cert" contains several impressive scenes. The most impressive is the climax in which the star horse "Admiral" plays an unexpectedly spectacular role. It is definitely THE MOST SPECTACULAR scene in ALL Francis mysteries. Highly Recommended.

I was amazed to learn after reading this one that it was Dick Francis' first novel. Francis was a very successful jockey--racing for the Queen Mother in the 1950's--and after a career-ending injury, he penned his memoirs. Following that success, he developed and incredibly successful second act as a novelist.

I discovered Francis' work last summer--and I have plans to read everything he's done. In the 3 books I've read, his heroes are all gentleman sleuths--full of character, empathy, and wits. In Dead Cert, the trend continues with Alan York, a young amateur jockey trying to uncover the mystery of why a copper wire was intentionally hung to trip his fellow jockey. York is on his own resolving this caper, having failed to fully convince the police that this was anything more than an accidental death.

The writing is of a high caliber, the characters are wonderfully drawn, and I always learn a thing or two about horses--and England--when I read Dick Francis. There's also something quaint about reading a book set in an age before computers, cell phones, and DNA evidence. Grade: A-

In yet another gripping story of mystery, murder and British steeplechasing, Dick Francis continues his amazing streak of hit novels.

His real appeal is not racing or mystery however, it is his ability to create characters who are admirable, honorable and self-reliant. If you're looking for troubled, self-loathers who "somehow" overcome their weakness and become unwilling and unwitting heroes, don't look here. Francis' heroes revel in their abilities to withstand evil, overcome it, and end up smiling in spite of it all.

Kudos once again for Dick Francis and Dead Cert!