Crime Books

This is a great summer-reading book, fast-paced and clever. Well worth the price. Hope there are more!

When I finished the book I didn't know what to do. I wanted to find out more about Clay Parker, the protagonist , as well as the bizarre characters that inhabit this small Texas town. Having moved to this small town from the big city after disappointment in his personal life, he discovers that he landed in a Fellini movie. Well, maybe "Jenks" (town) isn't quite the insane asyllum of Fellini world, but it is nuts!

I didn't want to put the book down until I had finished it. I laughed out loud a couple of time, which I don't usually do. Actually chuckled about the book even after I had finished it. Just a fun ride. I may be forced to read it again unless the author publishes another book soon.

I highly recommend the book to anyone wishing to escape the perfunctoriness of this world for a few hours. To Austin, please publish another book as soon as possible.

This debut crime novel just came out, and the title is from Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Lawyers spend a great deal of time shoveling smoke." The cover picture gives you a good idea of the kind of humor this book is full of. It's the story of a burnt-out Houston tax lawyer who heads to small town Jenks, Texas, to escape the rat race. Quirky Southern characters, bizarre plot twists and outrageously funny situations abound in Austin Davis' first novel.

"Shoveling Smoke" is Texan Austin Davis's first novel, and it is a doozy. As a Texan myself, I'm always leery of books (and films) set in Texas, because all too often they devolve into a rousing game of "laugh at the silly hicks." Fear not in this case, as Davis's novel, I'm thrilled to say, brings the laughs while refusing to reduce characters to caricatures.

The plot is deceptively simple: Big-city (Houston) tax attorney decides to move to a firm in the backwoods and escape the rat race; cue wacky rural hijinks. So how does Davis take this overdone stranger-in-a-strange-land storyline to another level? With good old-fashioned whip-smart writing, that's how. The dialogue crackles with cleverness, and it's an authentic clever, not some contrived ain't-they-a-hoot nonsense. Hilarious rural-speak flows from these characters so naturally you can hear the voices in your head, and Davis presents that speech almost reverently, as evidence of wit and command of language, never as ignorance. The pacing is spot on throughout. And as far as the plot goes, Davis doesn't simply walk the line between the hysterically unexpected and the ridiculously unbelievable, he redraws it. As wild as some of the circumstances get in this novel, I never felt the tightrope of verisimilitude wobble beneath me; I believed every word.

In addition, I was surprised, nasty old cynic that I am, to catch myself grinning on more than one occasion while reading this book. Sure, there were moments when I laughed out loud, but even a crappy book can get a zinger in here and there, so that's not necessarily a high compliment. But to discover yourself smiling with no knowledge of how long you've been doing it? That is something special. I am not just impressed by Davis but grateful to him, for I was having a bit of a downer week and reading his book was like having someone snatch a handful of sunshine and toss it to me.

Get this book and catch some of that sunshine for yourself.

Houston Lawyer Clay Parker moves to the East Texas town of Jenks to go to work for the Chandler and Stroud law firm. This is a firm infamous for representing horse thieves, shady businessmen and crooks of every stripe. Chandler is a gravitationally challenged (PC for fat) man who never met a good looking woman he didn't like and Stroud has a fondness for the drink. Clay, the new blood, winds up knee deep in questionable and barely legal tactics to get their clients off. Jenks maybe be a Texas backwater of a town, but there are plenty of big city laughs in this story.

If you didn't know there was going to be humor here when you saw the cover of this book, a horse's patooty with its tail stiff and flying in the breeze, then you got bricks between your ears. This book will make you laugh. There is quite a bit of suspense here too. Laughter and suspense, what a terrific combination.

Lauren Carr is a resident of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, bringing to mind the song The Ode to Billy Joe. Lauren's career has spanned having her work produced for television, the theater, and published books, and she obviously knows her way around the act of writing.

Chester, West Virginia is a small but interesting town. Joshua Thornton, now a retired JAG lawyer, grew up there with his cousin, Dr. Tad MacMillan, who was known for his sexual exploits and experimentation with drugs and alcohol. But that was then, and now Tad and Joshua are reunited, with Josh's five children from his now deceased wife, Valerie. Both he and Tad mourn the women they loved, but Tad's situation is more complicated. Only the original doctor in town whose office Josh has bought, Doc Wilson, knows the secrets of the town's inhabitants and the ultimate reason for Tad's heartbreak. Reverend Orville Rawlings is the richest minister around, and at one of his services Joshua is attacked by the minister's outlaw daughter, Vicki, who has a gun and an unreasonable hatred of Tad:

"As the man and girl hit the floor, the bullet discharged from the barrel, struck one of the hanging lamps, and sent a shower of glass down onto the shocked congregation. The bullet continued its flight upward until it planted itself into one of the oak panels high above the church members."

There is nothing more fun for a mystery reader than a tale of murder surrounding an overly pious preacher with too much money and not enough oversight. In this case, it takes a shrewd ex-military lawyer in the person of the delectable Joshua Thornton to sort through decades of murder and injustice. Carr weaves an extraordinary story that is gripping and crafted at the highest level to entertain the reader with its touch familial centerpiece amidst evil and chaos.

Joshua Thornton is a hero most sublime, and his five children provide the perfect backdrop for a man searching for the next plateau. Chester, West Virginia is every town, and its inhabitants are fun and pivotal to the plot. The story is complicated, and Lauren Carr feints and thrusts to bring her various villains to the forefront. This is a fine tale for a beach blanket read.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

I live in the town featured in this novel, and it was just SO cool reading a book that takes place where I live! I am an avid reader, and was really pleased at the fact that "A Small Case of Murder" was a great read as well as being set in Chester, WV!!! I'm really anxious to read Lauren Carr's second novel, which is to be a continuation of the Josh Thornton mysteries.

A Small Case of Murder is set in the quaint, small town of Chester, West Virginia, where everyone knows everyone, and there is never a secret that someone doesn't know. In such a small intimate town, how many disappearances can be left unquestioned?

Following the death of his wife, Joshua Thornton, A Small Case of Murder's protagonist, leaves a promising career in the United States Navy's JAG division to move into his ancestral home across country with his five children. While clearing out the attic the children find a letter written to their grandmother postmarked 34 years ago, on the date of her and her husband's untimely deaths.

In the letter Lulu Jefferson wrote "...Remember that dead body we found in the Bosley barn?...I saw him today...I went to talk to the reverend and there was his picture on the wall." What dead body? His interest piqued, Joshua asks about Lulu and finds that in 1970 she died of a drug overdose, the same day that Joshua's parents died in a car accident. There is much more to this story than a 34 year old letter, it's a 34 year old mystery!

Today a double homicide has the whole town under a microscope. The state attorney general appoints Joshua special prosecutor to solve the crimes. In a small town where gossip flies as swiftly as a spring breeze it is impossible to know who to trust. Asking simple questions about events long ago could prove to be deadly for Joshua and his family.

I had selected "A Small Case of Murder" as the novel I was going to read on my flight back home this week, although I assumed I would probably not finish it by the time I got back to the Zenith City. That was before the plane broke and the flight was delayed 12 hours, which gave me plenty of time to finish Laura Carr's mystery. More importantly, the novel was compelling enough that I did not mind finding a different seat in the airport to read each chapter of the novel (until the final two chapters and epilogue, which I read while eating dinner and ignoring Americans winning gold medals on the television). Suffice it to say, "A Small Case of Murder" is a good read.

After a brief prologue in the Spring of 1970, the story takes place in the Summer of 2004 when Joshua Thornton moves back to his home town of Chester, West Virginia. A recent widower, Thornton has retired early from the Navy, where he was a graduate of the Naval Academy and a J.A.G. lawyer, to provide a more stable environment for his five children. While cleaning out the family home the kids find a letter written to their grandmother that has never been opened, postmarked 34 years earlier on the very day that they were killed in a traffic accident. The letter speaks to a dead body that was found--and then disappeared--from the Bosley barn. When he reads the letter and learns the author of died the same day as his parents, Thornton becomes suspicious. Coincidences are not a part of how he sees the world. Besides, having convicted an admiral, the Thornton kids are convinced their father can easily solve a small case of murder, even 34 years later.

However, the key thing here is that the title is rather ironic, because eventually our hero does not have enough figures to count all of the dead bodies. Even when the state attorney general appoints him as a special prosecutor to solve the crimes, Thornton has his work cut out for him because one thing that has not changed in all the time he has been away from home is that the Reverend Orville Rawlings is still the biggest power in Chester, as well as the valley's drug lord. In addition to his children, who are more than willing to try and be helpful in the investigation, Thornton is aided in his endeavor by his cousin, Tad MacMillan. Now the town's doctor, MacMillan was once its legendary bad boy, and while his medical knowledge is of great help he also has more than one connection to the growing case that questions whether trusting his cousin is a good thing or a bad thing for our hero.

"A Small Case of Murder" is a complex mystery, but for a good reason, which is revealed at the end and certainly part of the fun. The best thing I liked about this book is that it takes Thornton a couple of chapters just to reveal "whodunnit," while until you get to that point you get to enjoy the intelligent conversations between the characters (there is almost as much happening interpersonally with these characters as there is in terms of solving all the murders). This is a "talking" mystery, where clues have to be unraveled and looked at from different directions to see how things might fit together. One of the other things I liked about this particular mystery was that I figured out a couple of the key pieces, and I like to think that is due more to my figuring out the clues rather than Carr telegraphing a couple of the pieces. Besides, there are so many pieces to this puzzle that you have to figure out a couple of them on your own.

As much as I enjoyed reading "A Small Case of Murder," I do have to say there was one thing about Carr's writing style that distracted from my pleasure. This was the tendency for characters to smirk, sneer, and snarl when they say things. Now, I am fully aware of how difficult it is to come up with words to use to describe somebody talking, but I really do not think that the good guys should be smirking, sneering, and snarling more than the bad guys. More importantly, I usually found that the situations in which they smirking, sneering, and snarling were going on were not really situations appropriate to those reactions. I look forward to her next mystery novel, especially if it involves the Thornton clan, but I also hope Carr goes on a search-and-destroy model for all those "s" words and substantially reduces them.

In Lauren Carr's carefully constructed murder mystery, the protagonist Joshua Thornton, a JAG attorney on leave to care for his five children after the death of his wife, arrives in the small town of Chester, West Virginia, the place where he grew up and where he hopes his children will find stability. He is hoping for a quiet life as a single father. However, before the boxes have even been unpacked, his children uncover a mystery letter that suggests Chester might not be as idyllic as Joshua thought. Before long, Joshua is named as a special prosecutor to investigate a series of murders that may or may not be related to the letter written decades before. Is there a connection between the disappearing body that Joshua's parents stumbled upon and the charismatic Reverend Rawlings? What about the drug peddling of Rawlings' granddaughter Vicki and the addicted pharmacist? Who is Amber, and why does she know so much? And how does the deceased town doctor, the current sheriff, and Joshua's cousin Tad fit into the mystery?

The most painful part of reading this otherwise riveting novel is knowing that a commercial publisher would have snapped up this book and launched the author's career if not for the amateurish first fifty pages. Carr's manuscript probably never stood a chance because of the awkward writing - excessive adverbs, unnecessary dialogue tags, and inexact language. Characterizations are imprecise, particularly among Joshua's children, and keeping track of who's who can be cumbersome. However, once this story gets cooking, Carr proves herself an adept storyteller, juggling motives, clues, relationships, and red herrings like a pro. While the writing remains somewhat clumsy (several women "look becomingly" at our hero, and Joshua's children are often referred to as his "offspring" as though they were bear cubs) and the point-of-view shifts are dizzyingly inconsistent, the story itself takes over. And what a murder mystery it is! Even though readers will figure out crucial elements prior to the final revelation, there isn't enough time to contemplate all the twists Carr provides. The rush to the end is breathless.

Although this book desperately needed a few more revisions with a good editor, Carr's talent is obvious. For mystery lovers, this is a fun, rollicking ride - as long as you can overlook a few flaws. Hang onto your first editions of this book, as Carr has the ability to break into future best seller lists.

The author Peter Tremayne obviously has a great knowledge of Ireland in the 7th century and also on the Irish Law of the period. His Sister Fidelma book are attracting what can only be described as a cult following, but they are of interest to anyone who likes historical novels or mysteries. This series of books are set in Ireland in the 7th century, a time when there was total equality for women. The lead character is the beguiling Sister Fidelma. She is a brilliant scholar, a leading authority on Irish law and the sister of a king. This is also a period in history when celibacy was not yet a part of religious life.

In this the fourth book in a must read series of Irish mysteries, Sister Fidelma is called to investigate a murder at a remote abbey. But when she arrives there that is not the only mystery that awaits her. There is also the strange disappearance of a ship and all its crew.

I read this 300-page book in one day, which says something about Peter Tremayne's ability to keep the story moving with plenty of twists and turns. Tremayne artfully evokes the landscape and social setting of 7th century Ireland, and is adept at creating visual imagery to take us back to that world.

His heroine, Sister Fidelma, is the proud forerunner of today's special prosecutor, assigned to investigate evil deeds throughout the Emerald Isle. In this case, she ponders the grisly beheadings of two women at a monastery on the Southwest Coast, a mystery which soon becomes entwined with political intrigue and a threat to the kingdom.

Sister Fidelma is very much a modern woman in an ancient setting, and this will be appealing or offputting according to the reader's predilections. If the book has a fault, it is in Tremayne's gratuitously injecting his views on various theological controversies into a murder mystery. In the same context, others may question the historical accuracy of some of his claims.

These caveats nothwithstanding, the book is a page-turner that will not go half-read. Stodgy conservatives such as myself might be irked by this or that historical point, but we will nonetheless have had ourselves a good read.

To put it succinctly: this is a solid, well-written, nicely plotted mystery set in seventh century Ireland, where women had greater rights than they probably have today. Historically accurate (within reason for a mystery novel), this is about as good as the genre gets.

I'm not a fan of modern murder mysteries because I can too easily translate it into paranoia, and stay awake at night worrying about my own safety. But the setting of the Sister Fidelma mysteries is far enough removed from my own reality to just be a great escape. I'm also interested in Irish history, but I'm not one to just sit down and read a history book. I was delighted to learn that in Sister Fidelma's time in Ireland women often were on an equal level with men in many ways, perhaps even as much as today.

This story is the second of the Sister Fidelma mysteries I have read. Another reviewer mentioned the preferred sequence to read them, but I have not done so. You can pick up one and still know as much as you need without having read any of the others.

The Subtle Serpent is very difficult to put down. Even with kids fighting in the next room or my eyes begging me to let them close at night, I found it difficult to not go on to the next page. Sister Fidelma is a bright, bold, brave, compassionate, and likeable young woman who is called to figure out why a headless corpse has been found in the well of the Abbey of the Salmon of the Three Wells. You meet some very interesting characters and some interwoven plots while Sister Fidelma goes about solving this murder.

This fascinating historical mystery is set in Ireland in the year 666 AD. The author uses actual historical events as a backdrop for the story of Sister Fildelma, who is dalaigh, an advocate for the courts. In this capacity she is sent to investigate a murder at an abbey on the southwest coast of Ireland. During her investigation, several more murders are committed and Sister Fidelma becomes aware of local tensions and political machinations, as well as inappropriate behavior at the abbey.

This is a story that benefits from the excellent scholarship by the author who has thoroughly researched this historical setting. The time and place are vividly portrayed with lots of relevant and interesting details. The author is a capable writer with a talent for characterization and ability to build suspense. In addition, despite the fact that I have read none of the prior books in the series, I didn't feel lost by jumping in at the fourth book. However, I am intruiged enough to want to go back and start at the beginning!

When Jessica dates James Montgomery,She tells people about it and they start a Rally called"Take Back The Night" Lila falls in love with Bruce while stranded in the woods with him. At a Trial for James,Mia Stillwater,One of Jessica's Sorority sisters comes forward and says she was raped by James Montgomery,He goes down. He gets not only kicked out of the fraternity,but the University as well! Way to go,Mia! Bruce and Lila come back to school,from being in the hospital after the plane crash.

it was good but i thought it was kind of lame that the boys were mad that james got kicked out of school. i read it in one night. i couldn't put it down

This book was so good. In this book Jessica is getting over the night before were her boyfriend James tried to rape her on a date.Elizabeth has a witness for Jessica to testify,Mia.She was raped by James but is to afraid to testify.Will Mia change her mind and save Jessica besofre its to late? Alex is having mixed feelings about this guy shes been talking to on the campus hotline,T-Squared and a boy named Noah.But she dosent know that T-Squared and Noah are the same person.Will she find out in time?Bruce and Lila are saved in the wilderness from a plane crash,but do they really have true feelings for each other?William White is back and he wants his x-girlfriend Elizabeth.He leaves her notes and Elizabeth just thinks its some kind of prank.But does she found out that hes back before its to late?This was a very good back and i would recomnd this to any other sweet valley fans.

I think the first 11 SVU books are the best ever-written. this particular book follows Jess/James' trial, and has a relieving, courageous (Maia) outcome. It deals with the outcome of rape-assault, and I think the book emphasizes the importance of speaking out! I think the male reactions in the book are pretty realistic...and Jessica's fear, the whole thing is just so REAL! I also like the march on-campus, I know a lot of colleges are doing those nowadays.

This is one of my favorite Sweet Valley University books. It deals with serious issues, and I reccomend it to anyone. Jessica Wakefield, who was assulted by her former boyfriend, James Montgomery, is wondering what she should do about it. Maia, who was raped by James, is afraid to speak up. Jessica was afraid, at first, but eventually spoke up. Also, she has a trial with James in court. Elizabeth totally supports her, as do Steven and Billie. Also, her former husband, Michael McAllery says a few kind words to her. Anyway, Jessica deals with the fact that James almost raped her, and hopes that people will believe her. Meanwhile, Alexandra Rollins fidns love on the campus hotline, little does she know who he really is. Lila and Bruce fall madly in love and are rescued. Anyway, back to the Jessica/James trial. It was so beautiful! The way Jessica felt confident was so wonderful! And when Maia testified, I was so proud of her. Also, the march was awesome! The way it built up Jessica's confidence was great. The trial was awesome, too. This book deals a lot with date rape and sexual assualt. Jessica and Maia helped save a lot of people. Also, Mike McAllery is so sweet to Jessica. Anyway, this book is a must have!

In my mind, Doyle's Sherlock Holmes is as good as it gets in the mystery genre. Miss Marple, however, is excellent, too. This volume presents thirteen short mysteries. Most are presented as tales recounted by dinner guests while sitting around the evening fire. The challenge is to see who can tell the most baffling story and who, if anyone, can solve each one. Miss Marple, of course, astounds the others by seeing through each to the solution. Along the way, the reader is treated to a selection of fascinating and enjoyable tales. Some are easy enough for the experienced mystery fan to see through, but all are fun to read nevertheless. THE THIRTEEN PROBLEMS is Agatha Christie at the top of her game and should be a great pleasure for anyone who enjoys a good mystery. I loved it. Highly recommended.

Such an enjoyable example of Miss Marple- a keen brain hiding behind a fluffy exterior! Using village parallels and her unique outlook on life, Miss Marple solves a series of mysteries that have stumped more sophisticated guests at various dinner parties in St. Mary's Mead. I love Agatha Christie's novels, and this book is an old favorite that I pull off the shelf when I need a quick hit. If you've never read it, I highly recommend the Tuesday Club Murders.

Picture yourself with a group of friends that include Miss Jane Marple. Sitting around the fire, someone brings up the idea of presenting mysteries that only you know the answer, and the other friends must solve. Guess who wins hands down every time? Yes, that little lady with lace mitts who is knitting little fluffy things.

This is a fine book of short stories and, as usual, Dame Agatha outfoxed me every time. Though Miss Jane publicly disdains outlandish plots ("undetectable poison from an African village"), her creator is sometimes guilty of just that. The very few that left me less than impressed involved entirely too much running around, an outlandish premise, and an overabundance of purple prose.

My hands down favorite was "Death By Drowning" when Dame Agatha shows her superb ability to misdirect. Even with broad hints, I didn't come near the answer. And never be certain that the villain will be punished, at least right away. "The Tuesday Night Club" and "A Christmas Tragedy" each have her particular brand of cleverness stamped clearly throughout.

This would be a wonderful book to have in the guest bedroom, but be sure to read it first!

This 1932 collection was also published as THE TUESDAY CLUB MURDERS. Many of the stories have also appeared separately in other collections.

Like THE LABORS OF HERCULES and PARTNERS IN CRIME it is a series of short stories bridged together in an arc. The opening setting is a gathering in St. Mary Mead at Jane Marple's cottage, attended by her nephew writer Raymond West, artist Joyce Lempriere, Sir Henry Clithering - retired Scotlandyard commissioner, Dr. Pender - the local clergyman, and solicitor Mr. Petherick. The group decides to entertain themselves by describing puzzling crimes they have experienced and to challenge the rest of the group to arrive at the solution. The group at first does not plan to include Miss Marple in their game but condescend to do so when she objects. Naturally Aunt Jane arrives at all the answers.

The following year Sir Henry Clithering was visiting his friends the Bantrys (THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY), and mentioned his previous trip to St. Mary Mead and Miss Marple. After dinner that evening another evening of curious problems took place. This time the group included Col. and Mrs. Bantry, Dr. Lloyd, actress Jane Helier as well as Sir Henry and Miss Marple. Again Miss Marple had all the answers, including one to a crime that hadn't happened yet.

The final problem was presented sometime later when Sir Henry was again visiting his friends, the Bantrys. A village girl, the daughter of the local pub owner, had killed herself the night before, sad but of no particular interest to Sir Henry. No interest that is, until Miss Marple arrived to request that Sir Henry investigate the murder, not suicide, of the girl. She even gave Sir Henry the name of the murderer! Sir Henry agreed to look into matter and.....well, read the story

The mysteries are all perfect little Christie gems, challenging the reader (with all the clues tucked in among the red herrings) to solve the crime before Miss Marple. The device of linking the stories in post dinner party conversation is charming. It is wonderful to meet characters that will return in other Miss Marple stories: Raymond West and Joyce Lempriere; Col. and Dolly Bantry; and Sir Henry Clithering.

Originally published as "The Tuesday Club Murders", "The Thirteen Problems" is a collection of Miss Marple stories, mini-mysteries that readers and characters alike are meant to solve. As always, Agatha Christie has a great knack at crafting mysteries that are both ingenious and simple, once solved or explained. "The Thirteen Problems" is a quick read, each story nicely paced and readily solved.

The setup to the collection is a get-together of friends and family for an evening of fun and games. When one guest proposes that each person present a 'problem' for the others to solve, the game is underway. When each little problem is presented, only Miss Marple can see her way through to the solution. These mysteries run the gamut of typical mystery stories, with murder and intrigue at the center of each.

Yet several of the stories in "The Thirteen Problems" are extremely predictable - anyone who has read a fair number of mysteries can spot the answer from the getgo, although there are several that are a bit more puzzling. And at times, the characterization of several key players is stereotypical and rather one-dimensional, an acceptable failing in a short story, but when several stories are collected in one space, it can become rather tiresome. Overall, "The Thirteen Problems" is a delightful read for any Christie fan.

Ewing's mystery is very easy to read - chapters are short enough to fit into even the busiest schedule. However, by two-thirds of the way through, the story is so intirguing and moving so quickly that it is very difficult to put the book down. How soon can I get the next Marlow O'Kelley mystery?

IT ONLY TOOK ME A DAY TO READ THIS BOOK, WHY? I COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. I JUST HAD TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS ON THE NEXT PAGE AND IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. AS I AM FROM THE HOUSTON AREA IT WAS NICE TO BE ABLE TO PUT LOCATIONS WITH THE STORY. WAY TO GO BARBARA, WHEN'S MARLOW COMING BACK?

Ewing, Barbara. Till Murder Do Us Part. Philadelphia, PA. Xlibris, 2001. 268 pp. Galley. HB- ISBN 0-7388-9968-2. PB- ISBN 0-7388-9969-0

Intrigue At NASA

With a sure sense of place, Barbara Ewing immediately immerses the reader in interesting details of Johnson Space Center. The plot revolves around Marlow O'Kelley, a structural engineer, who has been married only six months when her beloved Pete, an astronaut, is killed in a motorcycle accident. Or was it an accident?

Pete's boss, Harry, reveals to Marlow his suspicions that Pete could have been murdered. The next day Harry is murdered.

When bodies with connections to the space center begin to turn up on picnic tables and in training pools. Everyone offers Marlow a different perception of Pete and to her utter confusion, Marlow feels her trust in Pete slipping away.

Subplots and red herrings abound as the reader tries to untangle the cast of characters that seem bent on leading everyone astray. While Marlowe analyzes three murders, the reader goes along for the ride.

Rich in sensory detail from the fishy, salty air of the bays to the tangy gumbo - even the spicy politics of the Clear Lake area, the settings give the reader the illusion of being there.

Fast-paced Till Murder Do Us Part teases our brain and pulls us into the mystery, revealing no answers until the end.

It definitely was a page turner and Ewing is as good if not better than Sue Grafton. Looking forward to more Marlow O'Kelley mysteries.

Through the cool inner sanctum of the Johnson Space Center and the steamy summer streets of Houston -- on a bumper-car ride of a plot we go! Think you know that person you married? Maybe...
not.

Two new names I hope to see more of at the scene of the crime: Barbara Ewing and Marlow O'Kelley.

My face is a bit red. Matter of fact, I'm almost embarrassed to admit this. I am a lover of Western novels, but had never heard of Elmer Kelton. I have been visiting my daughter's (second home) ranch in Colorado and started doing some horseback riding - at the tender young age of 71! In connection with this I started a subscription to American Cowboy magazine, in which I found an article about Kelton. On my next visit to Barnes and Noble I looked for Kelton's books and lo and behold found a shelf full. I selected The Time it Never Rained as a trial read. I quickly discovered that I couldn't put the book down. I am now on a mission to read all of his works. Definitely five stars.

This is the first Kelton book I have read and the first fiction novel that I have read in decades. I felt like it was real to life and forgot it was fiction. I live there-West Texas, Panhandle. Surely there is a sequel. He left it open to finish out the lives of the major people involved, in at least one more book but ended this one as he should.

Elmer Kelton was rightfully honored with a number of awards for this thoughtful piece of work originally published in 1973. While it is about ranchers trying to survive in one of those long droughts that seem to come more and more frequent to the West and particularly the Southwest it is much more than a story of survival. The nearest community in the book is called Rio Seco and while it only exists in our mind's eye Kelton describes it well enough that it could be one of thousands such communities scattered across Texas and the West. What came to my mind as he described it is the movie from a number of years ago called, "The Last Picture Show". The book is a beautiful study of evolving and conflicting cultures on so many levels. Kelton does a fine job of laying out the past and showing the future of changes between Angelo and Hispanic to include the continuing question of undocumented immigrants. Another is the "old school" way of looking at things rather than the new way. One of the focal points of the book is the role that government aid plays in changing groups such as ranchers forever. The "hero" (and I'm sure he never considered himself a hero of any kind) of the book, Charlie Flagg refuses the aid and thereby creates tension for himself and others around him. What's amazing, and something to which I consider an honor, is that I was reared in a time and community to have known men just like Charlie Flagg. This book has been re-published several times and I can understand why. Really much of what you read in "The Time It Never Rained" is timeless while other parts provide a beautiful look to the middle of the last century in Texas. While it's considered a western it's far from a "shoot'em up". Other of his books go there but that's for another review.

This book is unlike any of Kelton's other works. The time setting is the 1950s and the seven-year drought we experienced during those years. The plot/theme is the end of the era of independence and freedom among cow men ... the time when they told themselves the drought forced them to sell themselves to the government to receive hay in return for their souls and their pasts.

I think of this book as a companion read to Abbey's, Brave Cowboy and McMurtry's, Hud (the book). All three writers were capturing a time and an attitude representing an end of an era when ranchers continued to curse the government out of habit while accepting welfare money as gracefully as the city poor they despised for doing so.

Kelton's book is as good as the other two, maybe better.

Being a Texan in Texas during the drought Elmer Kelton describes in The Time It Never Rained, he seems to write about it first hand. I remember the deluge that ended the drought, and it was the experience I remember. I worked at the San Angelo Standard-Times while Mr. Kelton did, and his day to day newspaper work was a preview to his books to come. He has West Texas nailed down to a T, and I love all his books. But this one especially strikes home.

The law enforcement community should not let politics block a new invetigation of the case.The evidence is there and the families of the victims should have some closure.More importantly, the other killers involved must be brought to justice!

This book was so compelling I have thought about it for many years. I read it when it first came out in first printing. Have been looking for it for years,and have been unsuccessful. Now I will order it and read it again. This is the ultimate truth is stranger than fiction read. The powerful distracting the populace with horror we can not escape for the purpose of leading astray from a the truth send shivers down your spine.

Everybody knows that David Berkowitz is the Son of Sam and he is held responsible for the senseless murders and shootings in the summer of 1977. The author does an excellent job in bringing about the era as well as explaining the circumstances regarding all the victims. Apart from this book, I barely read the Son of Sam case since it didn't interest me as much as others. The author also tries to tie Son of Sam murders with a bizarre murder case at Stanford chapel in Palo Alto, California in 1974 involving a young wife from North Dakota whose husband was a student at the famed university. The book is a heavy read and there is a lot of information to sort out but the author does write clearly and well regarding the possible connections between satanic cults and the murders and deaths of so many others as well. I am one for conspiracies anyway so I am beginning to believe Maury Terry's argument that there is more than meets the eye.

Having lived in California during the decade of the sixties I recall that the Haight Ashbury scene turned very vicious around 1969. Where people would share their homes, beds, food, wine (and dope if you were so inclined) freely in '67 and '68; by '69 a real evil, rip off, vicious, criminal type element drove people away from that scene, or into isolated seclusion, in droves. It culminated graphically in the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont in 1969. The street thieves, cults, criminals basically took over as if the flower people were lambs for the slaughter. This book, while often having a "nailing jelly to a wall" feeling, puts the whole change into perspective with the elements of Manson, the entertainment industry, mafia, cults, devil worshippers, pedophiles and upper class perverts as a driving force. The author mentions the London scene, Marianne Faithful, Kenneth Anger and the Stones in passing. For many years I've wondered about the reports that Brian Jones had been intentionally drowned in his pool by a rough element in July of 1969. (The kind of rough element the author cites as surrounding Mama Cass.) Marianne Faithful attempted suicide soon after Brian's death. Anita, (Brian's lover and later Keith's wife) was involved with the occult and some years later a teenage lover killed himself in her bed. Many music celebrities were into the occult (from Satanic to S&M to Nazi symbols and themes) from the late 60's through the 70's. It reminded me that Brian Jones was invited to the Monterey festival in '67 by John Phillips and may have known or met many of the same people in California and London that were into the occult fringe the author describes. It also occurred to me that the perfect theme song for this book and the scenes it describes is "Sympathy for the Devil" written by the Rolling Stones in 1968 (".... Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste....") In addition to all of the intermeshed tentacles of this Godless underground of killers and perverts, it is really scary that the author's words and photos reminds us that Berkowitz and alot of the other criminals involved looked like regular people, had 9 to 5 day jobs as trades people, doctors, lawyers, policemen, etc. I guess you never know who is sitting next to you on the subway or who is knocking at your door. If Maury Terry writes another one, I'll buy it. I hope he puts an index on the next one.

I read this book several years ago and it chilled me to the bone, I can remember the things taking place in my hometown of Minot ND. Reading this book was frightening to me as I read and knew many of the people involved in this case. Maury Terry is right -- Berkowitz did not act alone. A must read for anyone interested in FACT not fiction.

Thank you, Bear Jones!

You are the first author to treat Wicca as just another religion - no better or worse than any other. Melinda does not wear black, dress gothy, act anti-social, or any of the other stereotypes. Her belief is sincere and she is a real person, not a caricature.

I liked the plot line and story twists. All of your characters are real people. You've written a very entertaining book, here.

Thanks again,
Hecaté

This book got my kids and me through a very long hard day.

When I packed for the recent evacuation from Houston, I tossed my new book in my handbag, never imagining that I would spend all day trying to cover less than a hundred miles. As my husband grew angry and my kids went crazy, I lost myself in the first few chapters of this book. After that, I began to read out loud and my husband and my kids actually listened and followed the story. My kids don't pay attention to anything non-electronic and my husband doesn't read anything but Gun & Ammo or Sports Illustrated.

When my voice got tired, I spelled my husband Rick at the wheel and he continued to read the story to the rest of us.

Mr. Jones, anyone who can get my husband interested in a book is a good writer. Higher praise than that, I cannot give.

Thank you, Mr. Jones.

I have to say that I was captivated from the very beginning. Although I don't know anyone like Melinda, I would like to. She seems like a person worth knowing. I have to say that Mr. Jones has put much thought and observation of the female psyche into his book and I am pleased to recommend it to anyone who wants a well written story. Congrats Bear!

I loved this book! Melinda is my kind of woman - the kind I wish I was.

Mr. Jones has created a small Texas town that resembles my own so much that I found myself wondering if he was from my hometown. I know what it's like to break free and move to the city as well as what it's like to have to go back home in defeat. Maybe I need to get a dog, convert to Wicca, and apply at the Abbot Police Department.

Keep writing, Mr. Jones, but faster!

Matty Cole
Abbot, Texas

I fell in love with Melinda from the start.She is my kind of Lady, strong willed, independent, knows who she is and what she is all about.Very well written, I felt myself pulled into the pages, It's one of those books that you find hard to put down.Bear Jones is a very talented writer, I'm sure we will see alot more, I know for one I can't wait untill the next book!

Bettie Orlemann comes from a journalistic family, being the daughter of an editor for a major publisher. She writes a biweekly column for the Delaware Valley News in Frenchtown, New Jersey, and contributes to other weeklies. She is an eclectic person with a background in dancing, medicine, politics, and retail. She is a mother, a grandmother, and presently lives with her animals in the woods in Tinicum Township, Bucks County.

In this debut Hattie Farwell mystery, a family is turned upside down when someone starts murdering its members. Sweet Annie Turner dies when a mad hit and run driver in a dark burgundy Chrysler with smoked windows tries to run down her granddaughter, Anna. A strange voice pretending to be Hattie later entices Anna to drive over when another attempt is made on her life, almost resulting in a second death:

"'Let's make sure you're dead, little girl,' the driver snarled moving as rapidly as possible down the rocky swale, crouching over the still form in the car, hammer poised. Suddenly a ferocious growl startled the attacker, and a huge gray dog rushed through the woods toward the crippled car."

Hattie springs into action when her best friend, Annie, is murdered. She is determined to get to the bottom of the murder and protect her friend's granddaughters from a crazed killer. The family's dysfunction provides the backdrop for a plot that is well conceived and ties up neater than a pin for a great denouement and satisfying conclusion. Hattie Farwell is the quintessential grandmother everyone wishes for, and her dog Wolf provides the heavy guns when called upon the do so. Orlemann is obviously a student of human nature, as the character of narcissistic and witless Alexandra is striking and fleshed out to a nice degree.

Who Killed Annie is a great little mystery to read for exquisite entertainment. It is a logical and interesting tale. The characters spring off of the page, and the read is a fast one. Hattie is a great character who is a down-to-earth strong female figure. She is the guiding force in the story, and the male characters all learn to look to her for support. A wonderful read.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

I loved Who Killed Annie! It is a real page turner right up to the very surprising ending. I'm looking forward to her next book.

Once you feel attached to the characters, you feel destined to read on as you already know the players and are interested in their outcomes and challenges. This is what I found intriguing about this story, as the characters were entirely relatable.

I found this piece to be very informative and highly interesting. It brings up a topic that has loomed in the shadows of history for hundreds of years....that women of the past were accomplished, that they were, like books all of these years have taught us about men, highly responsible for the cultivation and acceleration of society as a whole. That women didn't just sit by and gather fruit and produce children. Bravo for these truths being shown!

My sister, Donna, of FirstWrites, printed out this story and gave it to me to read while on vacation.  I found this to be a great book with a lot of mystery and suspense along with the fact that it was very well written.  I couldn't put it down and there is nothing I would change.  I loved her characters and the fact that she used the local Bucks County area for her inspiration.