Crime Books

Angus and the Hidden Fort, by Steven A. Corirossi, was one of my favorite books. It's about [a small]kid who found a secret fort and it actually belonged to someone very famous years ago. To find out who it is, you got to check this book out. I loved how Steven wrote the ending. He added so much detail that I was disappointed when the book was over. This book is one of those books that you wish could never end. I recommend this book to six graders and up because I don't think that little kids would understand. If there are anymore books by Steven Corirossi, I got to read them!

Angus And The Hidden Fort by Steven A. Corirossi is an engaging novel for young readers about Angus McBride a nine-year-old boy, and his best friend Andrew Sills, who when exploring Black Hawk Park, discover the legacy of a one hundred and fifty year old mystery. Angus And The Hidden Fort is a highly recommended, adventurous and exciting tale, and one that opens with an unknown individual fleeing the wrath of two bare-chested Indians and proffers tantalizing hints as to the who and the why of the chase, until the stunning revelation of the end. The debut novel of a six-book series, readers will appreciate author Steven Corirossi's talents as a first class storyteller and will look eagerly forward to the new two titles: Angus And The Mysterious House and Angus And The Forgotten Trails.

Angus and the Hidden Fort is a very funny, mysterious, and exciting book. Although some words in this book I didn't know, by the time I was done with each chapter I had at least one word to add to my vocabulary list. I could read this book over and over and never get tired of reading it.

I was so excited to learn about this new adventure series--set in Central Illinois--that I just had to write and tell the author how grateful I am... it isn't too frequent that I can share with my 5th graders such wonderful, family-friendly stories that practically take place in our own backyard! Both Angus and the Hidden Fort and Angus and the Mysterious House are creatively and well written chapter novels that not only my students enjoyed, but I did as well. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of Steven's third book, Angus and the Forgotten Trails... hurry up!

The book was a nice adventure story for boys or girls, although more geared to boys because all of the main characters in both time frames were male. Going back and forth in time made for more interesting reading and there was an element of mystery about the characters from the past that made the reader want to keep going to see what really happened and to whom.

The protagonist in the present was an adventuresome boy and I could imagine more stories of his exploits from the author. As an adult, I found the book a little simplistic and fairly predictable; still, I enjoyed the yarn and read it all. I think youngsters could picture themselves involved in this kind of exploration, doing a little detective work and trying to figure out some of the unexplained happenings.

A collection of short stories that combine great writing and thought provoking ideas. A unique exploration that leaves the reader still immersed in the stories themes long after having put the book down. There is a reality of truth that flows through the stories which are at times beyond belief. This is made possible by the universal themes of domination, pride and others. A great read that gets the highest recommendation.

This book was amazingly emotionally compact. It was a mental rollercoaster. Having a wide range of intense and disturbing explicit stories that read deeper than the number of pages. Never boring.

If the title of this book suggests to you a series of essays with a clear moral or other sound ponderings which will move you to make some activist stand, you're mistaken.

It is, however, a book that will return you to the days of hiding under the covers, flashlight in hand, reading things you ought not to. Only this time, you wish your mother would walk in & catch you, so you would stop. She's right, this stuff will give you nightmares.

With taboo topics such as incest, rape & slaughter, you'll feel that if anyone were to see you reading this material, you'd deserve nothing less than a spanking & a weekend grounded to your room. And the grounding would be the worst part ~ This book makes you wish you were in a place full of people & distractions so you would have an easy way to avoid the images & feelings in your head. Then again, it may make you wonder about all the people around you, and what stories they could tell. Maybe you're better off at home, alone, after all...

If this sounds like I hated the book, think again ~ I just interviewed the author!

(Consensed Review)

Perverse. There's a 'Clockwork Orange' sense of forced exposure here, leaving the reader feeling something like a violent loss of innocence upon finishing the book. Poignant and sharp throughout: writing elegant, the voice unassuming and without affectation -- a difficult feat carried off rather marvelously. Dominant to most of the stories is a feeling of helplessness, sexual and otherwise (don't miss "The Space Between Us" or "Mercy Killer II"), and while there is tenderness and a loving touch here as well, they're reserved for the characters of purity -- all animals (in one case, a fur coat).

A unique combination of themes. As soon as I finished reading I started looking for more by this author. Highest recommendation.

Yes, it made me think. But it made me think about things I don't really want to think about. A female friend of mine gave this to me and said she found some of the stories "a turn on". I don't see how that could be as they were all but a few pretty twisted and somewhat mean spirited. The author is trying to make a point about animal suffering and human suffering. I tried to get more insight into it by visiting his web site, which was interesting but didn't elaborate. There was a link to a review that helped put the collection in some kind of perspective. I'm not sure even yet I got out of it the point I was supposed to get, but I recommend it anyway because it really got in my mind, especially a few of the stories like "Food Chain" and "John School" and "In the Pride of Lions". I recommend it the way I'd recommend doing anything dangerous. You don't always want to be in that position and you ought to be in the right frame of mind before you go there. But going there I think is somewhat interesting. I was reading this on a plane and was very careful not to let the person on each side of me see the text. I guess that tells you something.

Monika Everhardt is an ICU nurse. She ends up involved in two separate cases in this book. First there's a John Doe from a car accident. Second there's a woman who had her head bashed in. Both are in the ICU.

A friend asks Monika to help figure out the identity of John Doe because her mother is convinced he's her long lost son. The police ask Monika's help in figuring out who bashed in the head of the woman.

Plus Monika is continuing to look into the death of her husband in Vietnam.

As she digs deeper into each mystery, the trail takes her from taverns to convents. It even leads back to 9/11. Often the past and the present combine in her quest for the truth.

Can she solve each of these mysteries? Will she like what she finds out about her husband?

This is the second book I've read in this three-book series. I can't wait for the next one. I find them to be page turners but definitely cozy suspense. The author has done a great job creating wonderful supporting people in and out of the hospital for Monika. I like the hospital setting.

I highly recommend this book and series.

This is the third in Sullivan's series featuring nurse/sleuth Monika Everhardt, and they just keep getting better! A complex plot involving two patients, as well as past mysteries, held my attention the very end. And I was also kept guessing the entire time - both benchmarks of a successful mystery novel! I highly recommend ASSUMED DEAD and the rest of the series. Another great thriller I've read recently is Patricia Gussin's SHADOW OF DEATH. Set partly in an urban (Detroit) hospital and featuring a female medical student as its main character, it reminded me a lot of ASSUMED DEAD.

Monika Everhardt is the head nurse in the ICU at a metropolitan hospital in St Louis. Two patients with head injuries enter the ward on the same day. One was an unidentified man who went through the windshield of his car after hitting a tree while being chased by the police, and the other was a woman who was beaten in the head in a bank parking lot.

Each provide the opportunity for the author to show us what it is like to work in a high-stress department of a hospital. We learn about how the nursing staff provides comfort to the families as much as they provide care to the patient.

While Monika helps search for the John Doe's identity, she is also trying to find out why her husband's name doesn't appear on the Vietnam War Memorial among the others who died. In addition, she has also been assigned supervisory duties for another department where she is unfamiliar with the daily workload and needs to mediate staff concerns and work up a budget.

I enjoyed this book very much even though I was way ahead of Monika. It was very interesting to see the inner workings of intensive care. Despite the multiple stories going on, and several side trips that seemed extraneous at the time, Sullivan managed to tie it all together in the end.

Armchair Interviews says: A recommended read.

It's not that I'm tired of Grisham, Patterson, Roberts, Brown or Culver, it's just that I've read all their works. Enter Eleanor Sullivan. I bought her three hardbound Monika Everhardt Mystery books, "Twice Dead", "Deadly Diversion", and "Assumed Dead" and was quite pleased. Not only does Eleanor Sullivan weave a good mystery story but she exposes the reader to the workings, personalities and politics of a large urban hospital and it's Intensive Care Unit (ICU). And as an added bonus she throws in little tidbits about her City of St. Louis. All three books are a quick and entertaining read and I found them very delightful. Perhaps you will too.

Monika Everhardt, ICU nurse and amateur sleuth, is back in Eleanor Sullivan's latest mystery Assumed Dead. Once again, Monika is doing what she does best -- saving lives and solving murders.

This time there are two mysteries: one is a John Doe victim of a car accident. A friend asks Monika to find out the identity of this man. The friend's mother is convinced this man is her son, who has been presumed dead for several years. At the same time, Monika is assisting the police who are trying to find out who bashed in the head of a woman who is also a patient in the ICU.

Monika goes on a mission to find out the truth. This trail winds from Southside taverns to convents and eventually all the way back to 9/11. At the same time Monika is learning about her husband's death in Vietnam. The past swirls into the present as Monika unravels her husband's war experiences.

I love the supporting characters in this third book of the series. BJ is still the best friend and good cop, ready to dispense encouragement and advice. Ruby the ward clerk is as smart and sassy as ever. Serena has matured as a nurse, Tim is about to become a dad, and Poppi....well, Poppi is problematic.

As a die-hard mystery fan (pun intended), I hate to admit that Assumed Dead kept me guessing until the very end. But it did, and I had to stay up late to find out what happened. Enjoy!

This guidebook by a licensed PI (as you will learn in the book, in order to accept any compensation for investigative work, you must be licensed) and a criminal defense lawyer is a good basic introduction to the realm of private detectives. Well-organized and easy to read, the book is full of practical tips for the budding amateur and prospective professional. Each section (Tailing, Surveillance, Paper Trails, etc.) is introduced and illustrated by anecdotes from Fallis' own career. And while most of the book is pretty common sense and straightforward, it's nice to have it all spelled out in one place. Throughout, Fallis adopts a cautionary tone which dismisses how detective work are portrayed on TV and film and underlines the drudgery that most real life PIs deal with every day. Especially valuable are the chapter on civil work (which is the bread and butter of most investigative work), which outlines the most common areas and issues and the chapter on criminal work, which usually (but not always) involves working for a person accused of a crime.

If the book has a weakness, it's that some of it seems a bit dated. In the last two years, the incidence of identity theft has grown exponentially, and so one wonders whether some of the techniques he described for finding personal information out about people would work so well these days. Similarly, the world of computers and the Internet changes so quickly that his chapter on that is also probably not as useful as it might have been. However, the appendix on social security numbers (the first three digits indicate what state or area it was issued in) and information sources are especially handy references. All in all, a fine introduction to detecting.

This is one of the easiest to read "How To" detective books out there. The suggestions are easy enough for anyone to follow. From surveillance to tracking down deadbeat dads, this is the book for anyone interested in P.I. work. So be your own detective and investigate this book.

Great book for beginners in the private investigation field. Very fun and easy to read. Loaded with good advice and practical knowledge. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area.

A lot of what Fallis writes was extremely helpful for me, as I studied to be a private investigator. Many of the methods he describes are common-sense approaches, though insightful to someone who may not have used the techniques before, such as his advice in the chapter entitled "The Paper Trail."

However, there are also some outdated sections of the book, and the price ranges listed for some of the equipment he describes are totally outdated (I still have yet to see civilian NVD equipment that ranges higher than $300).

All in all, an excellent read, and extremely useful to the fledgling PI. Especially his advice on not using a bright red Ferrari to tail someone in.

Excellent literature for anyone desiring a career as a private investigator, easy to read and excellent explanations on procedures.

somebody told it like it is...The judicial system is not balanced and it never will be. Thanks judge for telling the truth!

As a New Yorker, I remember Judge Bruce Wright well. He was dubbed: "Cut 'em loose Bruce", because he often released arrested citizens without their having to post bail money. Mr. Wright upheld the law that bail is not to be used as a punishment, but only as a guarantee that the accused party return to court to face the charges against he/she. This infuriated the "powers-that-be". The fact that Judge Wright is a Black man, and many of those who came before him were also Black people, swayed the media to portray his actions as racially motivated, as opposed to his acknowledgement of the law. His book superbly reflects the blatant inequitableness of the criminal justice system and how it is purposely designed to work against Blacks and other people of color. His personal experiences, as a sitting judge, lend great credence to his analogy and conclusions concerning the legal system. Wright fearlessly gives names and elaborates on instances wherein he witnessed and experienced bias in the system. This book is not written in "textbook" fashion, provides some humorous irony and is very informative. Add it to your library.

I'm still reading this book. First time reading a book like this.This is one of the greatest. I recommend this book to be added to your library. It's gives truthful information of the legal system concerning the racism of blacks in the court system.

This book is an eye opener. It give you the truth behind the justice system from the perpective of a Sumpreme Court Judge who exposed the racism in the court system in New York. I never heard of Bruce Wright and happen I purchased this book. I have a lot of respect for the author.

somebody told it like it is...The judicial system is not balanced and it never will be. Thanks judge for telling the truth!

Ah fudge! Darn it! I need to go to bed! This is what I said at 1 a.m. after a chapter ending. I wanted to keep reading, and of course, I did. I love a good mystery, and Ms. Sullivan La Pierre delivers!

Young Destiny Wilson disappears after winning big at the bingo hall; her car can't be found and the check hasn't been cashed. She's vanished without a clue or even a motive for kidknapping. Jesse Wilson, hires Tom Casey--an ex-agent in hiding working as a P.I. known as Hawkman--to find his daughter.

The deeper Hawkman digs and the closer he gets to the truth causes nervousness among the bad guys and puts his life in danger, including Jennifer--his pretty wife. When another woman is discovered missing, apparently taken before Destiny, Hawkman feels the motive isn't what it seems--something much deeper is going on.

BLACKOUT is fast-paced and riveting to the last page--not a dull moment in sight. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and hope to read more of Ms. Sullivan La Pierre's work in the future.

Small town, missing women, bingo hall with large payouts, Indian casino a short drive away, all pieces of Betty Sullivan La Pierre's Blackout. Enter ex-agent Hawkman and his wife Jennifer, add an active agent and a bunch of helpful immigrants, but take away all the evidence: no bodies, no ransom notes, winning check not cashed, victims' cars missing.

In a small town everybody knows everybody else, so everybody knows the victims and their pasts, everybody knows everything about everybody -- or do they? And nobody admits to knowing where these girls are. Hawkman's methodical investigation, little by little, uncovers evidence no one else is aware of, but his irritating habit of keeping his plans and his hunches to himself until he's sure he's right, accelerate to a blur the page-turn-rate of this captivating novel.

Betty Sullivan La Pierre has done it again: Blackout is a 5 star mystery with characters that capture your heart and a plot that plays with your mind; you'll remember this book long after the story ends.

Small town, missing women, bingo hall with large payouts, Indian casino a short drive away, all pieces of Betty Sullivan La Pierre's Blackout. Enter ex-agent Hawkman and his wife Jennifer, add an active agent and a bunch of helpful immigrants, but take away all the evidence: no bodies, no ransom notes, winning check not cashed, victims' cars missing.

In a small town everybody knows everybody else, so everybody knows the victims and their pasts, everybody knows everything about everybody -- or do they? And nobody admits to knowing where these girls are. Hawkman's methodical investigation, little by little, uncovers evidence no one else is aware of, but his irritating habit of keeping his plans and his hunches to himself until he's sure he's right, accelerate to a blur the page-turn-rate of this captivating novel.

Betty Sullivan La Pierre has done it again: Blackout is a 4 ½ dagger mystery with characters that capture your heart and a plot that plays with your mind; you'll remember this book long after the story ends.

In this new and exciting book about Hawkman, his friend Jesse has asked him to locate Jesse's missing daughter Destiny. The old man is heartbroken, and Destiny has a six-year-old girl who misses her mother very much. Then there is old Rochester, the families Bloodhound who hasn't left his place on the farm's front porch since Destiny has been missing.

All Hawkman has found out so far is that Destiny had gone to play bingo with her friend René. When Destiny won a lot of money playing blackout bingo she decided to continue her winning streak at one of the Indian Casinos. René did not go with her and that turned out to be the last time she saw or heard from Destiny. Or that anyone else heard from her.

Hawkman questions the help at the bingo hall and ascertains that she left the hall alone and that no one was seen following her out of the parking lot. He then heads for the Casino. Before entering the building he recognizes an armed security guard who he remembers as an ex-agent buddy of his who, for security reasons, thinks Hawkman was killed many years ago. Max is not aware of Hawkman's new identity. Hawkman wonders what has brought such a good agent to become a security guard at a gambling casino.

As his investigation progresses Hawkman realizes he needs Max's help and therefore must reveal his new identity to Max. It was a very wise decision because he learns that Max's niece had disappeared from that same casino a month ago.

So again the dynamic duo are paired to track down these horrific kidnappers.

Ms. La Pierre has given us another action filled adventure in this, the fifth of the Hawkman series. Ms. La Pierre continues to maintain her high quality of plotting and description of place. The characters are very fleshed out and alive. It's virtually impossible not to jump into the story and live it with the people involved. I even felt real creepy during the wild, dark-woodsy scenes.

And I love easygoing, restful old Rochester. My kind of dog.

-Shirley Truax

This reader/writer is a dedicated Bingo player, as well as a mystery fanatic, so when Betty Sullivan-LaPierre's new thriller, BLACKOUT, appeared in my mailbox, I knew from the first page that I'd hit the Jackpot.

My intention had been to browse the first chapter, and then put the book aside for my weekend reading pleasure, but a desperate old man, a delightful little girl and the zany antics of a bunch of bingo buddies, sent my intentions flying right out the window.

In BLACKOUT, Hawkman, master of mystery and former CIA agent, sets out to find a missing mom and stumbles onto a plot so depraved and dangerous it nearly costs him the love of his life. BLACKOUT is a chilling thriller that'll tug your heartstrings and chill your marrow.

Number Five is a fabulous addition to the Hawkman Series. I loved it!

This was one of the few books that I have read in one sitting. The story and the characters come together to create one of the most exciting, intense, and provocative books that I have ever read. I cant wait till the movie comes out.

This is an exciting story of great success and great failure. The stories are fun and should be adopted into a movie!
Not as much blood as one would think but the heists they pulled: pretty interesting. Overall a decent read for a weekend. Enjoy

Very interesting topic and very interesting characters. I can't get over the fact that they are real characters.

I grew up in NY and had never heard of the Israeli mafia so I picked up this book out of curiosity.
Copeland does a fine job of relating the facts in the case of this violent organization that helped usher in the cocaine craze of the 1980s.
With the pen of a veteran reporter Copeland delivers a clear and fast paced narrative.

Thrilling and mesmerizing. Copeland tells the story of a fasinating character with remarkable attachment. Great Read!!!!

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth, Williamson County, Illinois became a byword for lawlessness. The county first came to nationwide attention in the 1870s, when a bloody feud, comparable to the worst that the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee had to offer, wracked the area. Then in the 1920s, the town was beset by union and Ku Klux Klan violence to a shocking degree. Indeed, the rest of the country, and even the rest of the world was appalled at the violence, and the townspeople who condoned it.

This is a wonderfully interesting book. The author does an excellent job of bringing bloody Williamson to life, and showing it in all its lack of glory. This tale of union murderers and KKK hoodlums (often the same people) is sure to shock you, and make you very glad that you didn't live then and there!

I highly recommend this book!

I was amazed when reading the review by Alan Mills. How could someone get the most basic facts presented in the book so wrong? It's mind-boggling! He claims that the mine owner hired thugs who killed the miners when, in fact, the mine owner hired guards and non-union miners to work the mines and the union miners killed them. And the "thugs" did not hang around because they were dead! Also, Williamson is a county not a town. If you are a history buff, you will enjoy this book but Alan Mills' review has absolutely nothing to do with the book. Another reviewer guessed that Alan had just read the back cover but he couldn't have even done that based on his "review."

This is a true gem, which depicts the violent history of a rural southern county in Illinois. The author tells of organized labor, bootleggers, gangs and the KKK of the 1920s in Williamson County, Illinois. Angle writes in any easy format for most readers and his book is well indexed. I would highly recommend this book to all readers!

Mike Koch, author of "The Kimes Gang."

While working near Marion, Illinois (Williamson County) in the winter of 2002 and spring of 2003 I was (at first) completely unaware of the history of the area. Finding that I was a history lover, a co-worker, native to the area, told me about "the troubles" and recommended this book. I quickly decided that Bloody Williamson was one of the better books I had ever read concerning this violent era in American history. While reading the book, I rode over many of the roads and visited as many of the old sites as I could find.

Williamsburg County had an unbelievable amount of violence, in both variety and magnitude, in such a short period of time. In less than fifty years this one county had labor wars, Ku Klux Klan wars, gang wars, and one of the worst feuds in American history. Paul Angle is a good writer, but that is only an added benefit. Reading the media accounts of these events would be fascinating enough. Anyone interested in a case study of a dysfunctional community should read this book.

Burl Barer is a true crime writer in the Pacific Northwest where the Queen of True Crime, Ann Rule, is also based. This book is about the Spokane serial killer, Robert Yates Jr., who mostly killed prostitutes and drug addicts as well as others. Barer does not forget the victims which is important because he makes it clear that no victim deserves to be killed and discarded like trash and garbage. People's attitudes about prostitutes and drug addicts must be revised in order to pay attention to the serious problems. Prostitutes are illegal in Washington but they are also mostly likely to be victims of serial killers like Ridgway and Yates. If Bundy had murdered prostitutes, they received little or no attention. Bundy referred to them as bottom feeders as the lowest of society. He had higher standards towards his victims but he still treated them like garbage. We might have to legalize prostitution in order to save their lives. We have to stop the fear of them being arrested, tormented, and used by police authorities as well as their clients. People don't know how dangerous that prostitution can be in their line of work. They are often desperate to be put in that position in the first place. My biggest problem with the book is the lack of organized outline regarding the victims like a chronology detailing their age, background, date of disappearance, etc. Barer does try to humanize each victim's background by describing their families and their loss.

BODY COUNT relates the story of Robert Yates, Jr., a serial killer responsible for 18 murders in a time span of approximately 20 years.

The author, Burl Barer, provides great insight into life on the street as a prostitute, constantly living for the next john while just trying to survive. Barer does a tremendous job of reminding readers that "sex workers" are people too; that they have families who mourn and miss them when their lives, no matter how trecherous or disgusting to the averge joe, are prematurely ended.

Readers are also provided with an upclose view of how such cases can haunt the detectives who work to solve them, and the toll it can take on their sanity and physical health.

And lastly, Barer reminds his readers with his story just how "normal" a serial killer can be. Yates was a father and a husband, someone no one ever suspected. A creepy reminder that the nice guy next door could be a Ted Bundy when no one is looking.

This is an interesting and insightful book. If you enjoy stories about serial killers, this is definitely recommend for you.

Historically speaking, the northwestern part of the United States has seemed to breed its share of serial killers. This being said, it may seem challenging to stand out in a background with the Green River Killer and Ted Bundy. Yet the story of Robert Yates Jr. is compelling on a number of levels. And just as important, Burl Barer proves to be a talented writer in "Body Count" with good pacing, appropriate word choice, and lending a sense of dignity to the genre of true crime.

Robert Yates Jr. committed his first murder in 1975. However, the uncontrollable urge to kill did not take him over until the late 1990's. Despite having a daughter the was near the same age of some of his victims, Yates systematically murdered prostitutes in the area of Spokane, Washington. Unlike his somewhat random first murders of the 70's, the prostitute murders were typified by a bullet behind the ear and three plastic bags over the head to seemingly control bleeding.

There are many interesting aspects to this case which I am somewhat hesitant to advertise and spoil the enjoyment of this book for others. The miltary and security guard background of Yates seem to play to the idea that he not only sought control in his killings in addition to sexual gratification. While Yates seemed to defend his crimes to some degree by noting that he was molested as a child, not every molested child becomes a serial killer.

Burl Barer is a true crime writer that I believe belongs in the upper echelon of the genre. I never got the impression that he was exploiting the misfortune of others or just out to make a quick buck in this book. He tells the story with a solid writing style.

Burl Barer is, in my opinion, the #1 true crime writer in America. Each book takes a tragic case, elevates the victims' deaths to the level of sacrifice, and probes the inner working of the killer's mind and upbringing. I was mystified by the review that said there was no information about Yates' life and upbringing -- in truth, Barer delves deeply into Yates personal history. An added shocker is that author Burl Barer knew Yates' first victims, and also knew one of Yates' final victims. Both the killer and author lived in the same small town; their daughters attending the same school.
Unlike Mark Fuhrman's book about the same case, Barer's is accurate in detail. Yes, there is one unsolved murdrer after another...a repetitive "problem" with serial killers -- but Barer uses this very aspect of the case, and the dead ends of the investigation for many years, to heighten the sense of frustration and desperation that haunted the Homicide Task Force prior to their arrest of Robert Lee Yates. If you want to read true crime at its best, pick up any book by Burl Barer.

Body Count was a very interesting read. As an avid true crime fan, I don't remember hearing about the Yates case until now. Burl Barer perfectly balanced Yates' background with the investigation and victims' stories. Ann Rule is still my favorite true crime author, but Burl Barer is a close second.

The reason why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 was because of several typographical errors throughout the book and the name of one victim not being consistent throughout the book. As a proofreader, these errors stood out and bothered me. If readers ignore these things, you will enjoy reading this book.

Yarr! (That's arrgh with a Y). This is very hip and quirky coffee table, bathroom, etc. reading. Great stories and drawings, playful and informative. My mom and sister loved it as a present.

I loved this book and read it a few hours. It gives a very quick biography or a dozen or so female pirates throughout history, accompanied with some great, colorful illustrations. I really like the pictures. It is not a serious or scholary book on the subject, but rather a fun and campy look at a bit of history. I'm not so sure how accurate the accounts are, but it is an entertaining read none the less. I would recommend this book for highschoolers as a way to introduce them to and spark some interest in interesting characters from the past. The author includes a list of further reading at the end of the book if you find your are further interested in reading up on pirates.

This book is a lot of fun, on a subject that doesn't get as much attention as it should. Piracy is a good career for a girl, too! For a terrific adult book on the subject, I would also recomend The Sweet Trade by Elizabeth Garrett.

For those of you who are looking for the novelization of the popular movie of the same name, beware, this is not it! The girls in this book are much more interested in actual piracy than the women in the movie. The illustrations are also not quite what I expected, considering the content of the film. Those looking for unbuckling instead of swashbuckling will be sorely disappointed, but those interested in a fun and informative book about the adventures of the fairer sex on the high seas will both enjoy and learn from Booty.

This book is a smart read for femmes of all ages and genders, and the illustrations are too, too fabulous! The cover art alone is worth the price.