Crime Books

O'Connell's true crime novel Fourteen is a definite must read. From setting the mood of the late 1960's to the relationships of all the parties involved this book is packed with page turning details of this horrific crime. O'Connell follows the Stukel family from the time of the murder till present day and with grace and dignity and finally lets them have a voice. He also gives key insight into the family history of the two killers and also other key players in the trial to follow. Packed with insight O'Connell definitively did his homework!

A wonderfully written and enthralling book. I went through a myriad of emotions while taken through this absorbing story. Mr. O'Connell is a gifted writer.

I couldn't put this book down.

Bill O'Connell has crafted a well written, compelling account of an old murder which made as little sense when it was committed in 1968 as it does today. Meticulously and thoroughly researched, this book details the crime without being overly judgemental about the perpetrators - a difficult thing to do - and lets the reader form his/her own opinions about them. The other reviews describe the book well; I won't attempt to copy them. "Enjoyable" might not be the best work to describe the story - I'll fall back on "compelling" again. All I can add is that I couldn't put it down.

Perhaps it's because I began my teaching career at Joliet East High School. Then again, perhaps it's because I taught mostly freshmen. For whatever reason, I can hardly bare to look at the face of David Stukel on this book's cover. Freshman boys were an interesting lot. Some were men-in-the-making with peach fuzz above their lip, and heads that turned at any girl that might pass by. Others were still little boys, small in stature and a bit uncomfortable with the transition from eighth grade. After school, theirs was still a life of bicycles and play. The descriptive narrative used to describe David Stukel painted a picture of one such "little boy." Further details brought to life this freckle-faced young boy whose ears had yet to grow into his face. The telling of the murder brought 1968 into my living room. Without missing a detail, Bill O'Connell breathed life into the murder and its aftermath. I could see and feel David's fear. I could feel his confusion when asked to comply with demands foreign to him. I could feel his insides cringe as foul, "bad" curse words met his ears. He was a fighter without training or gloves in an arena without bounds.I could feel his defenselessness in the foreign world of bullies, vile language and the desire to harm. I could feel his horror. Through the expertise of a gifted writer, Bill O'Connell brought David into my home. His expert writing forced me to look into David's eyes. His writing enabled me to hear David silently mouth, "Help."

For anyone who has children, this book is an eye-opener to the world of bullies. For anyone who values justice, this book portrays the disappointment of a broken legal system. For anyone who wonders about the impact of family life on the future of a child, this book reveals the ugly truth. Fourteen by Bill O'Connell is a page-turner, a heart breaker and a must-read.

A small Midwestern town, a quiet farming area, made up of multi-cultural, working middle class families in the late 60's. When one weekday afternoon as people headed to the comfort and protection of their own homes, an unspeakable horror occurred, at the back steps of what was considered then, a safe place. Bill has done an excellent job bringing all the facts and players into clear view. I could not put it down once I started reading it. These events changed not only the lives of those closest to it, but everyone in that community. Thanks Bill for attentively putting together all the facts, faces, places, and stories and doing it with grace and thoughtfulness. Even for someone opposed to violence, this book is a must read. The tale that it tells puts a light on evils that might lurk in your own backyard.

I've enjoyed all of Ellen Byerrum's "Crime of Fashion" series and I think that they have gotten better with each book, a rare thing among series mysteries! "Grave Apparel" is no exception, I liked it a lot and I think everything about it was well done. The story is set at Christmas, but it doesn't have that "Christmas episode" throw away feel to it. The holidays are integral to the story and provide a funny episode as a start of the mystery plot.

The bit of Lacey's life in this story is set mostly in the newsroom of her paper, the Eye Street Observer. I liked the further development of some of her colleagues that the setting gave. I also was happy for a break from Stella the stylist, who makes only a brief appearance. Vic's Mom looks to be a great addition to the cast of characters too.

I was happy that Byerrum avoided her plot device of Lacey attending a big ball or other high social event as the ultimate "discover and confront" the bad guy venue. It had become predictable. There is still plenty of opportunity for Lacey to dig into her trove of vintage apparel and the Observer's holiday party is a grand event, Lacey just doesn't reduce anyone to a bloody pulp at it!

"Grave Apparel" is a great story and it is very well-written. For genre fiction it is less shallow both in content and in character and plot development than many others on the market. I'd recommend all in the series!

"Grave Apparel" is the fourth book in this mystery series about Lacey Smithsonian, a newspaper fashion reporter who works for "The Eye Street Observer" and who seems to follow her fashion sense nose into some weird and wonderful murder mysteries. Lacy is fortunate, she is an attractive career woman, she has good friends, and she has a glamorous vintage wardrobe, stored in a wonderful old trunk and inherited from her aunt. All this and more: Lacy also has a handsome ex lawman, turned security expert, for a lover, and he is also RICH!

However, Lacy yearns to be a "real" reporter not just a fashion editor, and because of this, she has previously placed herself in situations where she has had to confront cold-blooded killers to solve mysteries. However, after several close calls, she is reluctant to do so ever again.

But...this is the Christmas season and once again Lacey stumbles on a crime. Lacy gets placed in the middle of the battle between mother earth, anti-materialism editor Cassandra Wentworth, and the food editor Felicity Pickles. Cassandra is attacked in an alley during the Eye Street Observer's holiday party and Felicity's Christmas sweater is left at the scene. Lacey comes to Cassandra's help after a phone call from a young child dressed in a shepherd robe who witnessed the attack and who runs away before talking to the police. Despite her reluctance to get involved since she dislikes both women, Lacey is pressured into investigating by nearly everyone at the Eye, and because a child is involved as a witness, and the police seem determed to place the guilt on this young boy, Lacy decides to investigate the crime. Once again, her detective boyfriend Vic, her free-spirited friend and hairstylist Stella, and her lawyer/friend conspiracy theorist Brooke, help Lacey to solve the crime.

The Author, Ellen Byerrum's experience as a Washington DC journalist, shines through and helps to make this a fun and facinating series.

Gaudy Christmas sweaters may be a crime against fashion, but they shouldn't be a reason for capital punishment. However, newspaper columnist Lacey Smithsonian nearly discovers the contrary after she is blamed for an editorial attacking the sequined and glittery fashion faux pas. Lacy gets placed in the middle of the battle between the real culprit, cranky anti-materialism editor Cassandra Wentworth, and the food editor Felicity Pickles, who boycotts cooking her holiday treats until Cassandra recants. Instead, Cassandra is attacked in an alley during the Eye Street Observer's holiday party and Felicity's Christmas sweater is left at the scene. Lacey comes to Cassandra's aid after being summoned by a phone call from a young child, a street urchin dressed in a shepherd robe who witnessed the attack and escapes before talking to the police. Despite her antipathy towards both women, Lacey is pressured into investigating by nearly everyone, from Felicity's and Cassandra's two paramours to her fellow reporters who are suffering from the withdrawal of Felicity's baked treats. Against Lacey's better judgment she's soon interrogating Cassandra's fellow radicals as well as her stalker, all in an effort to discover who has it in for the unlikable woman. Much more important to Lacey though, is the desire to rescue the missing witness whose life may be in danger from the would-be fashion murderer.

The reluctant fashion columnist Lacey Smithsonian continues to be an entertaining heroine in this fifth entry in the Crime of Fashion series. The fashion tips never intrude on the plots, although they do often provide valuable clues. The reader sympathizes with how poor Lacey is virtually railroaded into starting an investigation, but it's her softer side compels her to find the sassy and savvy urchin who is homeless during the holidays. Again accompanied by her steadfast and resigned detective boyfriend Vic, her unique and free-spirited friend and hairstylist Stella, and her other BFF conspiracy theorist Brooke, Lacey shines through with her sharp wit and determination. Author Ellen Byerrum brings in her experience as a Washington DC journalist to reveal the fascinating - and hilarious - side of newspaper journalism to this continually enjoyable series. This is the perfect treat for the holidays or any other time the reader needs some Christmas spirit.

The staff at the Eye Street Observer newspaper had a name for the fiasco that arose when an anonymous editorial (eventually discovered as written by staffer Cassandra Wentworth) disparages the seasonal sweaters worn as fashion statements. They call it Sweatergate.

Food editor Felicity Pickles champions the wearing of the artistic fare and proudly flaunts her seasonal collection of wearable "art." The editorial against her wardrobe choices causes her to stop bringing in her culinary creations to share with her colleagues at the office, and the boss notices.

He calls on fashion editor Lacey Smithsonian, who has a history of dabbling in mysteries, to repair the damage. Smithsonian's cell phone rings and the voice tells her to come outside where she discovers Wentworth on the street, whacked on the head with a huge candy cane, but living, and dressed in the most garish of holiday sweaters. That sets Smithsonian off and running on a quest to discover who did the terrible deed.

If you can get past the contrived character names and skip over the trite romance that adds little to the plot, you'll discover a truly intriguing mystery. Typical of the book's setting of Washington, D.C., you'll find politicians, lawyers, those driven by the latest cause, and even the homeless in the mix of characters. Add the other details of the clothes stolen from the figures in a creche scene outside a locked church, a party where business casual along with Santa hats are mandated, and a filthy apartment that housed the injured editor and her cause-obsessed friends, and the mix makes for an enjoyable quick read.

Be prepared to discover you didn't have a clue about the real mystery in this book until you almost reach the end--the way a fun mystery should be.

Armchair Interviews says: Grab your favorite seasonal sweater and be prepared for a great read.

If any book is positioned at Ground Zero for contemporary Chick Lit, this one is. The canny author, who is a member of a group of authors calling themselves "The Mystery Chicks," for Pete's sake, has hit just about all the points. "Grave Apparel" is a breezy-spirited book about Lacey Smithsonian, the attractive young woman with the glamorous wardrobe, the glamorous job, the (conventionally) wacky friends and the handsome hunk for a lover--a handsome hunk who has just unexpectedly turned out to be a RICH, handsome hunk.

In tried-and-true Chick Lit form, all is not perfect in Lacey's apparently glamorous life. She's trapped in her newspaper's fashion reporting ghetto--except for the odd occasions, that is, when she finds herself, by accident as it were, tackling cold-blooded killers with whatever improvised weapon might be at hand. But not to worry, that hardly happens more than once per book. The glamorous wardrobe may be both terrific and free, but in the four previous books in this series, it has led directly to those intimate encounters with the aforesaid cold-blooded killers, an unfortunate side-effect that some might regard as a definite buzzkill. And about that handsome, rich hunk, of course she's full of angst: Does he love her? Is he faithful to her? More important, should she be faithful to him? How does he REALLY feel about that unspeakable, clingy ex-wife of his? WHAT direction will her relationship with the hunk take, and WHERE will it all END?

Golden lads and lasses must, like chimney sweeps, come to dust. And so it is with mystery series: they must pay obeisance to the holidays. This is Lacey's Christmas Adventure. The holiday season--and tensions--in the District of Columbia make for a pleasing and slightly unfamiliar backdrop. Naturally we are presented with Lacey's chick lit shopping anxieties: how to make time to get to the stores and once there what to get. Can Lacey possibly give a gift to match one which she has received?

And naturally, there are adorable moppets to fire up strong maternal emotions.

Canny Byerrum is not foolish enough to change an effective plot that has worked four times before, so here is the plot of "Grave Apparel" [SPOILER ALERT!]: By a series of coincidences related to her job as a fashion reporter, Lacey stumbles on a crime. Lacey reluctantly, even half-heartedly follows up on the mystery, much to the annoyance of her colleagues who believe that she is poaching on their reportorial territory. Lacey delves into a trunk left to her by a dear departed Aunt that contains a treasure trove of 1940s and 50s high fashion stuff which just happens to suit her perfectly. [Say, how big is that trunk, anyway? It seems inexhaustible.] Almost by accident, Lacey finally confronts an individual of distinctly homicidal proclivity ... and goes into Wonderwoman-mode, stabbing, beating, bonking, bashing or otherwise seriously discommoding the aforesaid antisocial individual.

That is the plot of "Grave Apparel," just as it is the plot of "Killer Hair," "Designer Knockoff" and the rest. Now, before the self-appointed spoiler-police go apoplectic, I'll point out that the value of the story is not in its plot but in its handling and the details. Besides, equally accurate and sweeping generalizations could easily be made about the stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Peter Wimsey and Philip Marlowe.

And it is the handling of the story and its details that make "Grave Apparel" a thing out of the ordinary. Ms. Byerrum has set her sights low (although admittedly straight at the hard-core book buying demographic), but I think that deep beneath her glossy exterior she hides the heart and soul of a real writer. Most cozy mystery specialists turn out flat, straightforward prose, seldom venturing on verbal flights. Take a look at this description of Lacey attending a Christmas party in the National Press Club:

"It was a chance for the regular reporters to mingle in a place where they felt they belonged, by right of their profession, but they didn't, by right of the hefty membership dues.... The walls were covered with photos of famous journalists from the ubiquitous Helen Thomas, the reportorial bane of presidents, to Margaret Bourke-White, the glamorous journalist who made her name in the 1930s and 40s and 50s. All the usual famous male journalists were present and accounted for, too, but Lacey's attention focused on her role models, the women of the Fourth Estate. Missing, of course, were dames like Hildy Johnson, played by the fabulous Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday, and the irresistible and in intrepid Brenda Starr from the comics." [Page 40-41]

Consider that transition, from mundane, work-a-day Thomas to distant, historical Bourke-White and then the leap into the realm of those magical dames, Johnson and Starr. (Don't worry, Lois Lane isn't forgotten, either. She turns up in Lacey's thoughts elsewhere in the book.) That's a leap not often found in today's cozy mysteries.

Or take this free flying commentary:

"For most of the year, Felicity wore shapeless smocks in a depressing palette of earth tones and faded floral prints. But when fall kissed the air and the days grew shorter, she suddenly embraced her wardrobe of eye-popping, seasonally themed sweaters with a love that only a mother could bestow on a balky child.... By the day after [Thanksgiving], Felicity's sweater mania was in overdrive. Christmas washed over her wardrobe like Santa's tsunami. Wool, cotton, or one hundred percent acrylic, her sweaters blazed with Christmas bulbs, sang with choirboys, shivered with snowmen muffled in crimson and green and plaid with icicles in gold and silver, ho-ho-hoed with Father Christmas in velvet-trimmed burgundy Victorian tableaus, and on-Dasher-on-Dancered with Santa Claus, the jolly old elf himself, with his sleigh and tiny reindeer. She was a woman possessed." [Page 3-4]

This is Chick Lit, and intentionally so, but it is also at bottom a finely crafted story from a writer who understands her business better than most. Yeah, sure it's Chick Lit but a guy can read it, and like it, too.

Not since Ray Bradbury's FAHRENHEIT 451 have I read such a beautifully wrought and realistic cautionary tale of what our lives might become without constant governmental oversight and vigilance. Sol Thatcher is a Guardener--a City State police operative--who has compiled a lengthy profile of Richard Thorne, a formerly good citizen who once lead an exemplary City State life, but who somehow veered into "aberrance" and anarchy. Unsatisfied by subtle degrees with his perfect marriage, home and job, Richard Thorne drifts from the institutionally mandated lock-step lifestyle. Although he's been comfortable with his easy, uncomplicated life, a constant feeling of vague dissatisfaction sends Richard on a journey of self-knowledge into the rapidly dwindling red-light areas where he discovers a sense of freedom and individuality that has been insidiously expunged from society. When he meets a free-spirited prostitute named Josie, Richard's formerly serene existence is changed forever, and he becomes a societal outlaw despite the City State's best attempt to reprogram Richard with mind-altering drugs and brainwashing techniques. This disturbing novel is a glimpse into a possible future where shiny objects and a false sense of freedom become mankind's ultimate prison. Already recommended for a Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, this is visionary work from a writer of fierce conviction and a mighty talent.

This is a well told cautionary tale of the ultimate goal of governmental social engineering. When government enters the social arena with welfare, sin taxes and political largesse, this becomes the final destination, sketched in Bruce's typically bold and empathic personal strokes, all leading to a wistful but satisfying conclusion for the various characters. The writing reflects his penchent for poetry. 5 stars for another winner, Bruce!
John Cooley, author, Dear Madman

The story takes place in a future state that tries to achieve order by programming its citizens. Richard Thorne meets the bohemian, Josie, who shows him life beyond the strictures of the state. As Richard discovers himself and falls in love, he becomes an outlaw of society. In the end, the author, Bruce Boston, reveals the ultimate truth in this astonishing foray into the human psyche. This was a page-turner, and it will simmer in my thoughts for quite some time. I highly recommend it.

The Guardener's Tale comes from the personal files of Sol Thatcher, Guardener, G-21, retired. It is written semi-informally as a scholarly investigation of and reconstruction of the aberration of Richard Thorne. We're somewhere between Brave New World and the role-playing system Paranoia--no specific date is given, but tech has moved a bit beyond ours, and the society is recognizable. Wars have made large swaths of the Earth largely uninhabitable, and society has "learned from its past mistakes", has rebuilt itself, and is expanding outwards ever so slowly, with no enemy but the past--the structured and cultivated city reforming the slums. Advancement is possible from any rank, though a well-formed "flower" of a mind is required for citizenship. This flower can either be natural or conditioned in; and tending and pruning the flowers is the bailiwick of the Guardeners.

Bruce Boston has a light touch, and while neither the world nor the story are light-hearted, it is, on the surface, a simple tale and a swift read, with just enough humor to ease you through. The story follows several primary players--Richard Thorne, his chosenmate Diana Logan, Daniel DeLyon, and DeLyon's half-sister Josie. Richard is the aberrant that the story revolves around--it is his choices and actions that our narrator seeks to understand. All of the other characters are stripped down to their causes and intents, but Sol is at a loss to explain the eventuality of Richard Thorne.

As a scholar coming to the story after the fact, the narrator has full foreknowledge of events--he is seeking, through the recreation of Richard's story and all the details therein, to understand Richard's fall; and through that, how to keep others from such pained ends. We are constantly having events foretold, but where this would usually offput me no end, in this tale I find it fun, and even tantalizing.

We learn how Richard meets Daniel, and through him, Josie; see a few chance encounters grow naturally to greater things; we learn of Diana's hopes and fears, and through them learn about the society; see Richard and Diana struggle with their relationship; and Richard and Josie struggle with theirs; and eventually have to accept the consequences, and at least consider the premise that there is no perfection while free will exists.

"The Guardener's Tale" is told plainly, with simple characters that let the society shine through them. As with any dystopian story, it's a "cautionary" tale of modern society, a story about the society envisioned by the author as much as about any of the individual characters. It's a fun romp for those who love dystopias, as I do, and filled with interesting technologies and things to contemplate--bacchanalian "personal freedom nights" hearken to Brave New World, and "Halls of Expression" Star Trek's holodeck, while "virtual vacations" have more the taste of Total Recall; and glideways bring a smile to my face with memories of "The Roads Must Roll". And amidst it all is just the tale of humans struggling to exist and co-exist.

I had a very hard time setting this fast-paced, easily-read novel down. Boston takes us on a compelling ride into a frightening yet utterly believable city-state of the future, with multifaceted characters, plot twists galore, and thought-provoking social, philosophical and psychological reflections upon our lives now as well as upon future possibilities. Those who know Boston's work will expect masterful and moving use of the English language - they will not be disappointed. Those who don't will be delighted. Don't miss it!

I read this book to my son when he was about ten. It's a fairly easy read, he could have read it himself no problem, but I am *so* glad I read it with him. This is easily the best young adult book I've read, and actually one of the best books I've read of any kind. The story is original, and heartwarming. The way various plot elements tie together in the end is very rewarding. You are guaranteed to feel good when you read this book.

My next oldest is a nine year old daughter with quite different tastes from her brother, but I look forward to reading this book to her soon, and know she will love it also.

Holes is an easily readable, thrilling, and well-written novel about a teenage boy, Stanley Yelnats, who is sent to a juvenile center called Camp Green Lake. The campers are required to dig holes five feet wide and five feet deep every day. Stanley becomes friends with Zero. His new friend loves to dig holes. Zero does not know how to read so he and Stanley make a deal in which Zero helps Stanley dig in exchange for Stanley teaching Zero to read. Stanley's family seems to have bad luck which is the result of a curse upon his great-great grandfather. Since the adventures of the present day characters are related to events which happened to their ancestors there is much mystery and more than a few "holes." The story's climax takes place when Zero runs away and Stanley goes in search of him.

Holes is a book you cannot miss this winding tale of survival and friendship that never ends. The book is about a normal boy named Stanley yelnats. Who is walking down the road and then suddelnly a pair of Clyde Livingston shoes fall on his head. He thinks this is from his dad who is finding a way to recycle used shoes. So he hurrys home happy but to find cops chasing after him... I can't tell you any more you have to read the book your self and i gurentee you will really enjoy this book also if you are looking for another good book to read I reccomed you ginger pye. Hope you liked this review.

By elven year old Mohmad sabha.

Very clever, funny and entertaining story. It manages to tell stories within stories to explain how a generations old curse is finally lifted - all without losing the reader. The movie was great, but the book was better. A MUST READ for all kids and adults!

I read hundreds of bedtime books to my kids and I would have to put this one in the top 5 of all time.

by Alex

This is a story about a boy named Stanley who has a mysterious curse that was placed on his family for generations, but now he has to go to Camp Green Lake or jail. Then he meets a mysterious kid named Zero. Then their mysterious past comes together. Maybe they both will die...

I think people who like adventures and comedy, together are good for this book!!!! It got 5 stars from me!!!!!!!!

It took me a second to adjust my antenna to this latest work by IMP. Television of the 1950's appeared in black & white, but this EXCELLENT true crime collection of that decade appeared to me in black and blue highlights, underscored by copious amounts of blood red.

Reaching to the archives of collected TRUE stories from police magazines of the time, this book presents the cream of the crop.

A must have for fans of the 1950's and true crime!!!

Two things are evident in IMP's newest volume of mid 20th century carnage:
Mr. Jacobs, in selecting the cases for this collection, proves without a shadow of a dought that sociopathic killers are not a modern day phenomenon, and, their senseless and hateful crimes are as gripping and powerful today as they were years ago when the first drop of innocent blood was shed. Those without a strong constitution proceed with caution.

A good book with many intriguing and terrifying police cases. I loved the `50s no-nonsense approach to police work... breakout the roitguns, set up the roadblocks and round up the sex offender. A welcomed change from the many CSI inspired true crime books.

Meet, up close and personal, a legion of menacing rogue males. They will steal to support a drifter's lifestyle. They will rape to defile virtue and kill just for kicks. While robbing a house, one of them came in contacted with a 2-year-old boy, who he gleefully strangled to prevent his cries of pain and terror. When caught, he told the detectives "I always wanted to kill somebody" but had no reason why he stripped naked the boy's body. He is just one of the lowest scum the 1950's had to offer.

This book would have been grim reading if wasn't for an army of police officers and law enforcement professionals, who, dedicated to the principles of justice, sent these misfits to the morgue or the electric chair; a perfect ending for most of these stories.

When taking into consideration the level of crime that is reported day after day in the news, I am left to wonder if things are "getting worse."

After reading Hoodlums, HopHeads & Hepcats, I feel fairly confident that while crime is probably reported more today, the criminal element has always existed in the shadows, ready to STEAL what they want, and MURDER anyone in their way!

From the case files of this book, readers will be shocked to read the exploits of the pot-smoking juvenile who killed for loose change, the acid-throwing maniac who was intent on blinding a journalist, and even a "misguided human missile" that killed a 22-month old child for the thrill of it.

If you have the strength to look into the heart of darkness, take a glimpse at this work of criminal reality from the 1950's...

I grew up fascinated by the Hardy Boys series and on occasion I read a book in one of either the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew series'. I find it fascinating to compare the plot structure and social and historical context between the books over time.
This book is thoroughly modern; Nancy and her friends George and Bess travel to the U. S. Virgin Islands. While there a boy rock band arrives to film a video and suddenly there is danger. There is dissension in the group but that does not appear to be enough to motivate the incidents of attempted murder. Nancy and her friends investigate and discover a crime ring smuggling people into the United States. Nancy gets too close and the ringleader kidnaps and tries to kill her. Fortunately, the resourceful Nancy manages to get free and the people in the ring are arrested by immigration agents.
While Nancy is a bit aloof from it, the girls still react like modern girls to the presence of the rock band. Also unlike the earlier episodes, when George and Bess encounter a man with a knife, they fight back rather than cowering. They kick the knife out of his hand and push him into the water.
Social change is inevitable and the differences in the Nancy Drew books over the years reflect that change. This book is one that will appeal to the modern adventurous young girl as it presents Nancy in a situation of the 1990's and she is cool, capable and determined to have fun.

If you dare to, enter Danger.com, by Jordan Cray. During this adventure on the internet, a boy tries to find out if he has a dad or a mom. He has a best friend and whose mom is his moms best friend. He finds out where the guy works that could be his father. This book is like when you get thrown upside down on a rollar coaster. You're excited and scared at the same time. It's a thrill and a chill, and you don't know how to cantain yourself for the ride. While all this is going on, he gets so into finding his dad that he and his best friend start to drift way from each other faster and faster. They have no control over their friendship. I use to be friends with a girl, but after Junior high school we drifted apart. We still see each other, but we are neighbors. He has time to make up for what he did wrong. If you like adventure, or mystery you would like this book. I recommend for people that have lots of things going and know how to juggle all them together. If you know what it's like to try and try but still not do good, then you will enjoy Danger.com.

When I think of reading, I think sleeping, yawning and boring. They make us read every single day. Their torchering us. And they say reading is good for your mind and for your health. I think bla bla bla. Get those books away from me. Groose! Now that I'm a teenager I know I need to extend my vocabulary to it's greastest point. Or I wont get any where in life. I was in the library one day looking for a book to read. I picked up a book called danger.com. It sounded interesting. I started reading it and it was an amazing book. I loved it. The best!!!

It's about this really smart 17 year old guy. He gets in trouble. Meets agirl. Thinks his moms crazy around the end of the book. Then him and his mom our very happy at the end. They have a normal life. Terrific book. I've only read 1 or maybe 2 books that i had enjoyed. But i'm glad that I liked reading it because I want to try to extend my vocabulary to it's highest point. Read it. I promise you wont fall asleep.

I just finished reading this book and I loved it. I don't want to give the whole story away, but it is about a boy who has a whole bunch of lies told to him(even by his mother) and is wanted to work for some hackers to take over the world. You think you know the story at first, but it twists around at the end and it all adds up. This is a must read for people who like mysteries and computers.

Ah, how I wanted to find another gay sleuth. Since Fred Hunter and his series will no more be as Fred has passed on, this series gives me just what I need. Nick, Juno and Stephan are quite a combo, and since this is my first read in the series, I am sure this book is no exception.

As other reviewers have stated, the murder takes place in a upscale Health Club steam room, and the victom, Vlado, is one of the most popular of the personal trainers at the club. Nick and his bizarre, Divine Miss Juno character take their romp through the steeets of this Michigan burb to find the guilt, and in the process discover much about their own personal demons. But the ride is fun, light fare, and a perfect book for the beach and a cool drink.

But what makes this such a wonderful read is Raphael's view of society, especially as it relates to social doctrine, religious hypocrisy and relationship turmoil. This is a quick read, and you will want to go immediately and get another Hoffman installment.

Hot Rocks is a laugh-out-loud murder mystery. I'm not even a fan of the genre, at all, but I loved this book. You'll feel very smart if you get all the references, a pleasant aspect of reading this novel.

The social observations in this series have always been a hilarious mix of the thoughtful and witty, but Raphael's seventh mystery outdoes the rest as it charts delightful new territory: the luxury health club. Filled with the fitness-obsessed, it's an ideal setting for murder, and Raphael does a deft job of limning all the different personalities and motives that one finds in this super-charged environment rife with envy, jealousy, and murderous rage. But you don't have to ever have done even one push-up to enjoy the details, the insights, the luscious character descriptions, and Raphael's expertise as a mystery writer. I'd consider this the best-plotted mystery of the series since The Edith Wharton Murders, which I remember as having received rave reviews all over, including from the New York Times, and rightly so. This one, appropriately enough, is much leaner. You always hope that the books in a series will get better, and here you will not be disappointed.

I had never read any Nick Hoffman story - nor anything, in fact, by Mr. Raphael - so it was with some apprehension that I picked up Hot Rocks. My fears were quickly put to rest: it's a welcoming introduction to the series for anyone, irrespective of their familiarity with Hoffman, Raphael, the State University of Michigan, Michigan Muscle or any of the other wickedly satirical devices Raphael uses. It's terribly funny and the mystery itself holds together and keeps your attention throughout. I plan on reading more by Raphael based on my enjoyment of this book.

Raphael, Lev. "Hot Rocks: A Nick Hoffman Mystery", Perseverance Press, 2007.

Hot, "Hot Rocks"

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

The Nick Hoffman series has always had social observations and "Hot Rocks" is no different. This time the venue is a health club for the wealthy and the observations are wittier and funnier than ever. The seventh in the series, Lev Raphael does not disappoint a bit--in fact he outdoes the others. The club is brimming with those obsessed with toning their bodies and what an ideal setting for a murder.
If any of you belong to a health club, you are familiar with the types there as well as the aura that pervades, The personalities run the gamut and what a wonderful setting for a crime like murder. We know that health clubs foster jealousy and envy which can become rage quite easily. Raphael is, of course, aware that not everyone is into fitness so he gives us descriptions that are explicit.
Nick Hoffman a SUM professor, like myself, is an academic. Perhaps that is why I enjoy reading his adventures when he acts as a detective.
After the murder has been committed, the list of suspects includes trainers, wives whose bodies need work, club members who are possessed of arrogance and other wealthy characters. None of these are what they appear. Nick does not act alone. He has a fellow detective, Juno Dromgoole. Together they are quite a team--especially when they banter and show how ambivalently they feel for each other.
Nick has just returned from a Caribbean vacation and he knows he has to get back in shape afterwards. He goes, with his partner Stefan to Michigan Muscle but his workout routine suddenly is interrupted when he finds a dead body in the steam room.
What a perfect book to read at the beach. Raphael looks at the culture of the health club as well as American society using Nick Hoffman to satirize the rich. Stylishly written, you will be taken on a series of twists and turns through the world in which we live and you will be turning pages quickly. The writing is clear and probably some of the best that Raphael has done. Nick and Juno manage to get a good look at the life of the wealthy and as they do so, secrets are no longer secret and deceptions cease to deceive. Nick also has to deal with his own secrets and those of his partner who has a complicated past. The book is not just a story but a puzzle that the reader has to solve. Peppered with human characters that are identifiable as people we know, "Hot Rocks" is a fun romp. It isn't just a story, it's a trip. Nick is our driver and quickly becomes a friend who gives a social commentary which is honest and real. As excitement increases and we near a climax and think we have everything figured out, things change and the ride gains speed. I was somewhat sad t close the covers of the book because it meant I would be saying goodbye to friends I had made. But knowing that Raphael is a writer who just doesn't quit, I also know that I will be with Nick again in the eighth of the series.

i am so glad that i purchased this book. i just got it today and already it has been invaluable to me as a writer.
there is lots of info in this book that i didn't know and am being surprised as i read.
thanks, Lee.
mary speranza author (POOKIE)

Lee's book is brilliant--filled with every piece of information a mystery writer could ask for. Mystery Readers International agrees--they just gave the book one of their 2008 awards for Best Mystery Non-Fiction!

Congratulations, Lee. You deserve it.

Lee Lofland brings his experience as a veteran police investigator, who worked his way from an officer in Virginia's prison system, then a sheriff's deputy, a patrol officer, and a detective to Police Procedure & Investigation. According to his web site, Lee solved cases dealing with narcotics, homicide, rape, murder-for-hire, robbery, and ritualistic and occult crimes. He was an undercover officer and even a narcotics K-9 handler. He's certified in the U.S. Department of Justice, Virginia State Police Academy, and the DEA, as well as continuing to be certified in Crime Scene Management and Crime Scene Investigations.

One major thing Lee lets readers know is not everything shown on TV and in the movies is correct or accurate. Much is completely wrong. The material in this book, including photographs and illustrations and detailed information, gives a firm basis for mystery/suspense/detective writers to incorporate reality in their stories and books.

Chapters include "Law Enforcement in America," with a breakdown of local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies; "The Police Academy," with information about the training and courses found in different jurisdictions; "Police Officers: Their Duties and Equipment," including job descriptions and equipment used.

Personally, I found the chapters "Detectives" and "Tell it to the Judge: Courts and the Legal Process" to the most helpful for me in my writing career at this point, but most of the information is useful and enlightening. An index at the back of the book and appendixes helps readers find itemized material.

Lee presents information in such a way that almost everyone can easily understand what he writes. He shares his mass experiences and research so that readers can know reality and authors can make their writing more interesting, believable, and realistic.

The material on the back of the book states, "Police Procedure & Investigation is the next best thing to having a police detective personally assigned to your book," and I wholeheartedly agree.

I advise that anyone interested in procedure and investigations find, and keep on hand, a copy of this book. Police Procedure & Investigation by Lee Lofland is one of the best written and most usable reference books for readers and writers interested in crime, mystery, police, and law enforcement.

Reviewed by Vivian Zabel

Today's readers are savvy and quick to pick up on inaccuracies, so it's important for a writer to be up-to-date on terminology and procedures. Police procedure, murder investigations, the straight dope on DNA, autopsies, prison terminology, and a whole lot of other areas in the crime and mystery genre, Lofland's book is one-stop shopping. Highly recommended.

I had the pleasure of being in one of Lee's writer's conference lectures. I found his classes to be the most helpful of all the one's I'd attended (no small feat).
On the basis of what I saw in the lectures I later picked up a copy of his book. The ones at the conference sold out before I could get any.
Lee's information is the most thorough of any police procedural book I have come across, and he portrays the information in easy to read format that keeps the readers engaged.
Any failings are small enough to be overlooked (IMHO), though he should probably stay away from writing fictional scenes as samples. ;o) They tended to be a bit overwritten. Luckily, they are few and far between, and do NOTHING to diminish the value of this work.
You won't go wrong if you pick up a copy.

I grew up in the area near where the events of this book took place and was slightly familiar with them from conversations with family members then living in the area. It was shocking, to say the least, but neither the vileness of the crime nor the inadequacy of the city's response came as a complete shock to me in light of what I saw there on infrequent visits in the early 90s.

I purchased a used copy of In Eddie's Name primarily out of curiosity and with some trepidation, since crime stories of this general sort often disappoint and are frequently quite indifferently written. This was not the case with Freedman's and Knoedelseder's book which is splendidly done both as to writing and its tone. In particular, the authors manage to handle the family impact sensitively without being excessively maudlin and address the law enforcement and criminal justice issues on a "just the facts" basis that informs but leaves the reader to draw his or her inevitable ethical conclusions. By the time I was done with In Eddie's Name, I wondered why I haven't heard more of such skilled and able writers, particularly in a field occupied by so many hacks.

One area on which the book failed to enlighten me was the apparent animosity between the teenagers of the two neighborhoods leading to the outbreak that resulted in the crime. I recalled significant and repeated rumors of some bad feelings and group fights between adolescent boys from the Fox Chase-Philadelphia and Abington-Montgomery County area during my years in the area in the late 60s, although I imagine that this was based on a somewhat different social class dynamic than existed more than 25 years later. I do suspect that the authors overlooked something here, although it's equally likely that no amount of effort could ever have brought the full "back story" to light.

All of this is probably a more specific way of trying to answer the general question "why" with respect to the most senseless crime. Instead of becoming caught up on that issue which could only be a treadmill, Freedman and Knoedelseder move on in a more positive light to the many commendable things which the Polec family did to try to prevent worsening of tensions and, later, to attempt to avoid this sort of tragedy in the future. That, if nothing else, allows the reader to take something positive from a story beginning with the worst aspects of urban and suburban behavior.

This book was recommended to me by a man I met at Burger King. He had to read it for school, and he said it changed his faith. It's incredibly hard to read, because it is wrenching and graphic and painful. You come to love this family and admire their integrity, and the strength that they displayed for their community. It is written by newspaper and media reporters, and it reads like it, but I think they did a great job with a hard subject. It is for sure biased towards the prosecution and the Polleck family. I came to think of the defense attorney as one of the criminals in the case because that is how he is protrayed. This book is not for you if you have a weak stomach. It has detailed descriptions of an incredibly brutal killing of an innocent teenager. I don't think I would have been as connected to the victim's family if it didn't.

i read this book as soon as i heard it was published. i did not know eddie but my best friend of 5 years knew him, her whole family knew the polecs. it made me want to read it and understand what they all went through. that whole community suffered such a horrible tragedy, and somehow they all still came together to give comfort and hope to eachother. it is such a powerful book, the way it draws you into the polecs lives. every teen in highschool should read this book and come to an understanding that violence doe not solve anything. and it never will, it is sad that a sweet, young and innocent guy had to die in order for our justice system to improve just a little bit and it is sad that he had to die so that people could now see what this type of violent behavior has not only done to a family, but the entire community. i now know the polecs and they are the strongest people i have ever met, god bless them and may god give them strength and hope throughout all the days of their lives.

I was forced to read this book, and I thank God everyday that I was. I am now a graduate of Cardianl Dougherty High School, where Eddie would of graduated, and at the time when I entered CD all incoming freshmen were required to read In Eddie's Name. Well I myself can't stand to read, and I never did summer reading in grade school and I wasn't about to start in high school. Well something inside of my told me to read this book, so I did. And it usually takes me months to read a book but I couldn't but this book down at all, I finished it in a week. I cried my eyes out at most of the book, but at the end I learned a valuable lesson, that violence is not the answer to anything. I was fortunate enough as a freshmen as Dougherty to not of only learned this from the book but to also of learned it from John Polec, Eddie's father, himself when he came and talked to us during Increase the Peace Week. At Dougherty we were taught everyday that violence is not the answer and we have a story to go with why, and this past year another story was added to it, unfortunately. At the end of this school year,2005, a junior at Dougherty, Kenny Baptist, was killed. He was shot to death on his front steps by his sister's ex-boyfriend. I know that for sure violence in America must be stopped, but especially among teens, and that is why I have decided that I am going to promote non-violence by going to other schools and talking about Eddie's and Kenny's stories. And to each one I go to I am also going to recommend to each and every teen that they should pick up a copy of this wonderful book and read it, because in the end it is all worth while!

I am 17 years old, and in june 2000 I was brutally assaulted by 3 kids with baseball bats and had to have reconstructive surgery on my skull. This happened about a mile from where eddie was killed, and I'm also a senior at cardinal dougherty high school, where eddie was enrolled. I read this book, and I must say it hit me hard because I was so close to receiving the same fate as eddie. Please if you can take some time to read this book so that we may spread the message of peace to the world, and stop future things like this from happening.

In this book Radclyffe cleverly pulls the characters of Sloan and Rebecca together. Both are asked to join and joint task force with the Justice Department. Both are trying prove themselves. Rebecca that she as back at full force. And Sloan what the Justice Department lost when she was screwed over. Will they prove themselves? Will their partners survive their all out time consuming almost obession with this case? Get the book and find out.

A police detective must find her partner's killer in this adventurous romance. The questions left at the end of this novel will leave you desiring the next installment in the series.

I really enjoy the way that Radclyffe writes - she has great characters and realistic plots. The books in the Justice series don't miss a day, one book picks up where the last one left off. Very quick read, keeps you interested - when you finish one book you want to start the next book to keep the story going.

I remember reading a Radclyffe interview where she said she didn't like writing series romances. I'm so very glad she doesn't "walk the talk" on that one! I have completely enjoyed her three series: Honor, Provincetown, and Justice. In fact, I've read through all of them for a second time this year.

'Pursuit' brings together characters from two books: A Matter of Trust & Shield of Justice. Rad does it in such a masterful way, bringing in three interesting couples (Rebecca and Catherine from Justice, Jason and Sarah & Sloan and Michael from Trust), each with it's own trials and triumphs. She also plants the seed for another couple to emerge through rookie cop Mitchell and prostitute Sandy.

One might think such a varied cast of characters would make the book hard to follow, but the synergy between personalities gives the book itself depth and dimensionality.

I never tire of Rad's work. This one certainly didn't disappoint!

These are my favorite characters by this author. They are well rounded and fascinating people. You will not put this novel down once you start so make sure you have a large block of time, get comfortable and enjoy!

This is a Keeper !

Don't miss any of the books in this fabulous series -

A Matter of Trust
Shield of Justice
In Pursuit of Justice
Justice in the Shadows
Justice Served

from the publisher's website: In the dynamic double sequel to Shield of Justice and A Matter of Trust, Det. Sgt. Rebecca Frye struggles to return to duty after a near fatal shooting. Joining forces with enigmatic computer consultant J.T. Sloan, Rebecca accepts a temporary assignment with a Federal task force investigating an Internet child pornography ring.

Rebecca's obsession with finding her partner's killer and her involvement in the multi-jurisdictional investigation threaten both her life and her new relationship with Doctor Catherine Rawlings. When Catherine becomes professionally involved and an attempt on the life of a task force member ensues, the pursuit of justice becomes a deadly race against time