Crime Books

Grand Rapids' fast-talking and faster thinking PI, Art Hardin is on the job again and this time, things look good. It's a fairly easy case tracking down Anne Jones, one time college pal of mega wealthy industrialist, Scott Lambert. Art's quick success leads to another even more lucrative assignment from Mr. Lambert, and life looks very good indeed. Looks can be deceiving.

With breathtaking speed, things turn dark and ugly. Anne turns up brutally murdered and it's almost dead certain that Lambert is the perpetrator...with our hero a probable accessory. Events and the evidence may cost Hardin a lot, including his career, his good name, his wife and family and his life.

"Dying Embers" is author Robert Bailey's second Art Hardin Mystery and it's a guaranteed nail-biting page-turner. Bailey again demonstrates his uncanny ability to pull readers instantly into Hardin's world and to make them really care about its denizens. When one cannot decide if a pulse-pounding, can't-put-it-down novel is more character, plot or pure action driven, one must conclude that he/she has found an exceptional read from a master writer.

Let's hear it for a third in the series soon!

When I finished Robert Bailey's first book Private Heat I couldn't wait to read this one. I wasn't disappointed. What a page turner. I would put it down and find myself worried about how Art Hardin could possibly get out of the "jam" of the day. Even though I had other things I needed to be doing I'd have to pick it up again to see how he could possibly find a way out of it. He'd get out of one jam and be into another. Everyone either wanted a piece of him or hated him. Even his wife! I knew I had to get to the end of the book or get nothing else done. Good Read! So exciting I found myself scanning ahead because I was worried about him. I know, it's just a story. But I got caught up in it. Try it. You won't be disappointed!

I was a full 24 hours catching my breath after finishing this book. Sophomore novels are too often unimpressive, but Bailey doesn't suffer from that curse. Funny, wildly exciting, complex, and sometimes painfully personal, PI Art Hardin is a guy we all want living next door to us. Or do we? Simple cases seem to get real convoluted real fast when Art lends his investigative prowess. The author gives us a more personal look at Hardin's marriage this time out, but don't worry. This book is in no danger of degenerating into a soap opera, and if you want to keep up with Hardin you better pack a lunch and make sure it's all brain food -- because the author dumbs down his plots for NOBODY, thank heavens! After years of believing I was never going to find another writer like AA Fair who can deliver a complex plot without Pictionary explanations, I'm in heaven. Robert Bailey's name and books belong on the bestseller lists. If we could replace Grisham's name with Bailey, maybe that list would finally have some credibility.

"People can be trusted to lie. They lie in the bedroom, the boardroom, and the courtroom. The biggest lies are told the loudest. The worst ones are the ones they whisper to themselves." (Page 9)

In this intense sequel to his book "Private Heat" author Robert E. Bailey brings back Art Hardin and pushes him to the literal edge of losing it all. It begins when he is hired by Scott Lambert, a wealthy businessman about to take his company public on the back of some cutting edge technology, to find a certain person named Anne Jones. He knew her in college and was attracted to her and because of one thing or the other, he lost track of her. Hardin agrees with the provisions that Mr. Lambert does not get her address and that once found she has to make the first contact.

Mr. Lambert agrees and then before he leaves their meeting, tells Art that the operative working undercover for Art's wife, Wendy, who runs an industrial security business, hasn't made contact in a week. Art agrees to pass on the message to his wife and begins the search for Anne Jones. Before long he finds the reclusive artist locked behind the gates in a nearby wealthy mansion almost as if she is the prisoner of a wealthy patron.

Having found her, he thinks the case is solved but it is actually just the beginning of a rapidly escalating nightmare. Through as series of increasingly violent events, he is attacked professionally and personally again and again to the point that his marriage is threatened. He has become a target and should he accept the FBI's plan which might be the only way out, he just might die anyway. However, death might be preferable.

This is one of those rare cases where the second book from an author is even better than the first. With the complexity of plot, it reminds me very favorably of an early Robert Ludlum where reality is nothing more than smoke and mirrors and the main character is a pawn in everyone else's game. Just when the situation is under control, or at least appears to be, the situation changes and violently morphs into something else.

Having laid the groundwork in the first novel, this book also serves to bring more attention to the secondary characters in Art's life. Most notably his wife Wendy and his teenage sons, Danny and Ben. Not only does this case threaten the family's professional livelihood, it threatens their marriage. Having a husband arrested for some of the things Art is accused of, would make any wife question what she knows to be true about her husband and her marriage. The dynamic that flows between Wendy and her husband severs as a major secondary storyline in this novel and something I am sure will be pursued in the future.

The same small criticism of the first book holds here as well regarding names and keeping track of the players. It should be noted that this book is significantly more complicated than the first, which was fairly complicated, which makes the naming issue more critical. Still, the criticism is minor and should not deter potential readers, especially with a third book planned to be out in the spring.

The news of another book in the series is very good news as Art and his secondary characters are fast becoming old friends. That is a somewhat risky proposition, as they seem to be leading very violent lives lately with little sleep. But, in the long run, it's worth it.


Book Facts:


Dying Embers (An Art Hardin Mystery)
By Robert Bailey
M. Evans and Company, Inc.
2003
ISBN # 0-87131-997-7
Hardback
$21.95 US




Kevin R. Tipple © 2004

In his second outing Art Hardin, that next door neighbor type who just happens to be a private detective, comes into his own as the hard-boiled guy who takes a beating and buys his wife a card. Bailey has created a character that is beleivable and likeable. If you like the old tough guy private detective give this book a shot. If you like a more sensitive guy, give this book a shot. If you want to sit on the edge of your seat, give this book a shot.

This is even better than his first book, Private Heat. I'll be sure to read the next one soon.

Retired NYPD Det. Al Sheppard is too humble to say so...but he is a True Hero! E-Man is an excellent book...a riveting account of his years with the prestigious Emergency Services Unit of the NYPD. There is an old saying "When a Civilian needs help, they call the Police. When Cops need help...they call the Emergency Services Unit...ESU!" I've known Al for some 17 years...and although I knew a lot about his 20 years of service with NYPD, even I didn't know most of his (and his fellow officer's) courageous exploits...detailed in this book. Buy it, read it, but be warned...You will have trouble putting this book down! --- Dr. J. Hill, Professor of Criminal Justice & Retired NJ Street Cop.

I cant wait till part 2 of E man comes out and hopefully it will.....I have read books by Schmetterer before....that is why this one caught my eye....The Coffey Files....and also Tom Walker has a new book out no one should miss.....A no put down amazing book.....by the author of Ft Apache the Bronx....we are lucky to have authors such as al sheppard schmetter and walker....readers like myself who like REal stories...need them...

Al Sheppard has done an excellent job of capturing what life as an E-Man is about. We have a saying, "Know your job, do your job" and Sheppard is a fine example of that.

From
An active E-Man

E-Man is a powerful collection of vignettes that showcase the excitement and energy of life in the NYPD Emergency Services Unit. It captures the true flavor of life in the streets without the sterilized writing you so often see in memoirs written by professionals trying to capture the essence of another's experiences. Schmetterer, the co-author, is to be complemented for not falling into that trap and thereby allowing us to experience Al Sheppard's life as an E Man as if we were there.

This book is as gripping and as exciting as the other reviews say it is. The only problem is its atrocious writing style, which is so bad that it obstructs the understanding of the content of the book. I had to reread many passages several times to figure out what Sheppard really meant. Topics are disorganized, digressions are sudden and often without appropriate context, grammar mistakes and typos abound (i.e. it's a 9mm submachine gun, not ".9 mm"; one rappels with a rope, not "repels"), police jargon and New York specific idioms are not always explained, and so on. Clearly, nobody proofread the manuscript before publication.

On the other hand, the rambling, conversational feel of Sheppard's writing style serves in a way to authenticate the story. His adventures don't have the life sucked out of them by the blandness and distance that would be imposed by an active co-author. You really feel like you are talking to the man who lived the story, rather than hearing it second-hand.

And what a story it is! Sheppard makes it clear that NYPD ESU is an incredible organization. If you are at all interested in the workings of SWAT teams, rescue operations, or anything related, this book is, despite its flaws, a must-read.

Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine October 2002 VOYA
Growing up in San Jose, California, Arturo Rodriguez and his brothers and sister endured an abusive father, their parents' unhappy marriage, and their father's absence after he returned to Mexico. Rodriguez coped as best he could, but his drinking and drug use, in the wrong place at the wrong times led to his incarceration in California's prison system for young offenders. Against all odds, he put his past behind him, married and had a family, and worked hard to overcome injustices and start a successful business. After his retirement Rodriguez began writing about his life and his family. This book is sequel to East Side Dreams (Dream House, 2001, published in Spanish as Sueños del Lado Este. In this second autobiographical book, he writes about childhood pranks and misdeeds, his mother's near fatal illness, his parent's divorce, the birth of his first child, and how his parents even eventually became friends.
The writing here is unpolished but sincere in true, and the reminiscences and descriptions are vivid and true to life. Neither how he grew to understand his father and other relatives whom he loved despite their flaws. His message for young readers is clear. It is possible to survived and overcome injustices and hardships. Rodriguez maintains a Web site at www EastSideDreams. com and invites readers to visit, view his picture alum, and perhaps send him an e-message. He will answer.-Sherry York Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine

The Midwest Book Review. May 7, 2002
East Side Dreams by Art Rodriguez is full of energy and the struggles that the author himself endured while growing up on the east side of San Jose, California in 1966.
I enjoyed reading this inspirational novel derived from the memories of a teenager who is now a mature and successful businessman.
East Side Dreams has been translated into Spanish to reach the Spanish speaking population in the United States.
As I read the troubling times of Art Rodriguez I couldn't relate to many of his predicaments, but I certainly felt compassion toward him and thanked God for my "normal" life. Mr. Rodriguez touches your heart as you read his passionate book of self-taught lessons.
As you read East Side Dreams, which captures the hopelessness of growing up with an unpleasant childhood, keep in mind that this life drove the author to his true passion-writing!
The author, Art Rodriguez has been honored by the New York Library System to be on the "2001 Books for Teenage List" for his book East Side Dreams. He was also given "The Mariposa Award-Best First Book" at the Latino Literary Hall of fame for this same book. Bravo! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and encourage young readers to read it, as there are plenty to learn from this book. It will bring tears to your eyes.

James A. Cox
Editor-in -Chief
The Midwest Book Review.

East Side Dreams is the debut book and memoir Art Rodriguez, of a Latino American who survived growing up on the rough side, at odds with a dictatorial father, and once an inmate of the California Youth Authority -- a prison system for young lawbreakers. Reflections on both happy and miserable times of his childhood, growing up, learning maturity and finally making a comfortable life for himself fill this heartfelt and revealing personal testimony. Highly recommended reading for young adults, East Side Dreams has justly earned the distinctions of being named the "Best First Book of the Latino Literary Hall of Fame", and has been honored as one of 200 Best Teenage Books in the United States by the New York Public Library System.

My son who is 21 came home with this book and said Mom you have got to read this book it is so good. So I said o.k. mejio let me read it! When I started to ready it it brought back so many memories (I grew up in the East Side of San Jose) and most of the things he was talking about I lived it. I laughed and cried and could not put down the book. This is a great book for all ages. After I got done reading it I gave it to my Father to read and he enjoyed it too.

Art Rodriguez takes us to jail with him so that we never need to go. He sits us next to him in his cell with nothing left to do but sit and remember. We try with him to connect the memories to being imprisoned, but there is no connection at all.

Although Art had an abusive father, he never once cites this as a reason for his violent behavior. He was a kid that made poor choices and got what he deserved. He blames no one but himself, and it is with this realization of responsibility that Art turns his life around. He went from street punk to a successful business man, a supportive father and an award winning author. He shows us that people can change and that bad mistakes are not the end of your life unless you allow them to be. Art Rodriguez is the silent roll model all troubled children are looking for.

This book is a great experience for audiences young and old. Buy it and read it.

I have the listened to the BBC dramatization of Enquiry at least a dozen times and the unabridged version several additional times and it never fails to entertain me. It was the first of the Dick Francis stories I listened to or read and it is brilliant from several points of view. The development of all the characters is done so well, especially Kelly Hughes and his helper Roberta and minor characters such as the sleazy detective and the horse trainers and owners. You meet so many memorable characters as Kelly seeks to clear his name and Dexter Cranfield's as well. Kelly Hughes was the kind of hero several stories could have been done about and I wish there were more. While not all the Francis stories were written quite as well as this story, I listen to this one several times a year. I strongly recommend this book/audio to all fans of Dick Francis and the hourse racing business.

Jockey Kelly Hughes and trainer Dexter Cranfield have their licenses suspended by the Oxford stewards for supposedly throwing a race. Hughes believes that they were framed and he sets out to clear their names and get the licenses restored. Who would want to ruin their careers? As the truth is revealed we hear a story of sexual deviation, blackmail, fixed evidence and attempted murder.

"Yesterday I lost my licence."

That's how the book begins ... and indeed Kelly Hughes, a leading jump jockey , has been indefinitely suspended from racing after being found guilty of deliberately losing a race.

He knows that someone has rigged evidence against him, and rather than sit back and wait for the ban to be lifted , he sets out to find his secret enemy.

Hughes isn't a detective, and just as he doesn't really know how to carry out an investigation, the reader can't guess at how the plot will develop. My favourite highlight is when Hughes is driving home after a dance. At first it seems to be just a 'filler' scene, but it turns into something more dramatic - and the writing here is particularly well-crafted.

The two main characters are Hughes himself , a widower, and Roberta, the snooty daughter of his employer. Near the start of the book Roberta asks him:

" "That picture .. that's your wife isn't it?"
I nodded.
"I remember her". She said. "She was always so sweet to me. She seemed to know what I was feeling. I was really awfully sorry when she was killed"
I looked at her in surprise. The people Rosalind had been sweetest to had invariably been unhappy. She had had a knack of sensing it, and giving succour without being asked. "

Unfortunately Roberta has been brought up by her father to regard jockeys as an inferior social class, and it takes a long time for the two of them to kindle any real friendship, let alone romance.

Francis is particularly good in this book with the minor characters - such as the aristocratic Bobbie, who clearly is very fond of Roberta but can't help hinting that Hughes is a better match for her, or Derek the diffident mechanic who kept most of his brains in his fingertips.

The plot doesn't flag, the tale builds to a satisfactory climax and I only wish Hughes had appeared in another of Francis' books.

This was the first Dick Francis book I have read and I must say that I am impressed! I bought it because I had nothing to read one rainy afternoon and because I am interested in horseracing. I read it in one day. The characters were real and the plot was interesting. If you look at the copy I have you will see all kinds of scribbles in it where I have marked quotes and phrases that I liked. For example, Kelly describes how he feels after his accident as "Not so much as banging the head against a brick wall as being actively attacked by a cliff". Yep, I know that feeling...Francis just said it better than I could have. Just one warning...don't pick up this book unless you can afford to spend the whole afternoon reading it.

The primary reason I continue to seek out and read Dick Francis is that he continually creates heroes that are efficacious and rational. He avoids the common pitfalls of most modern writers, and instead invents characters who pass the ultimate test: "Would I like to meet and know this person?" If you can answer "yes" to that question then there is great potential for enjoyment in the fiction centered around that character. If you answer "no" to that question, why even bother reading further?

Dick Francis' characters almost always recieve an unreserved "YES!" Read "Enquiry," it's not the best from Francis but it's still furlongs beyond the rest.

One word - FANTASTIC! Cummings does it again. Every Secret Crime, like Deader By the Lake has great plot and character development. The story is fast-paced and never slows down, the suspense leaves you wanting more. hen can we expect book #3????

Reno McCarthy is the kind of reporter I wish was working a beat in my town! He's a no nonsense professional who works a story to the end, even if it puts him in personal jeopardy. In Deader by the Lake he was caught up in a lot of action (vs the Russian mob). In Every Secret Crime, he's cracking an old crime, in spite of interference from corrupt cops. My 81 year old mother stayed up 'til 5:00 am to finish the book - talk about a "page turner"! I'm eagerly awaiting Mr. Cummings' next Reno McCarthy book!

I found Every Secret Crime to be a fast-paced thriller that was hard to put down. The characters were well thought out and presented in a very descriptive fashion. I really enjoyed the plot and story line that kept me guessing throughout the book. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime-action novels. Also, fun for Chicagoans as this is based in an affluent Chicago suburb. A great summer read!

Reno McCarthy makes another appearance in Every Secret Crime, the follow-up to Cummings' first novel, Deader by the Lake. Recent events, including the critical illness of an old friend, weigh on McCarthy as he investigates murder and political corruption in fictional Wihega County, one of Chicago's more prosperous outlying areas.

Cummings once again brings his crime reporter savvy to McCarthy and we are treated to an insider's look at a television news organization. This entertaining, fast-action page turner is a great addition to the series and I am looking forward to the next Reno McCarthy novel.

Every Secret Crime by Doug M. Cummings is a murder mystery set in Falcon Ridge, a wealthy suburb of Chicago. Local TV reporter Reno McCarthy sets out to solve the crime, having noticed early on that something is not quite right with the investigation. What he eventually discovers is that this crime is connected to the thirty-year-old unsolved murder of the wife of one of Falcon Ridge's leading citizens.

The constant twists and turns the plot takes make for great suspense; and just as the reader thinks the crime is about to be solved, here comes another twist. The ending, however, is a disappointment. A prime player disappears and turns up later miles away in Topeka, Kansas, of course, in disguise. As this is Cummings's second Reno McCarthy novel, I suppose this is fodder for a third. All in all, though, a great read!

An excellent read, especially the poignant insight to academics and their special attributes and challenges as created by the author who has lived that life from the inside. It is a terrific blend of humor (academically directed) and intrigue as the main character sleuths his way through clues, his own uncertainties, his profound desire to get the story right this time, and all the while carrying out his relentless attack on the academic status quo. Buy it and you'll have a difficult time putting in down.

Rooted in the schemes, shenanigans and outsized egos of academe, Exile to Murder is a wonderful, tasty and impressive debut novel by Jack Donavan. The author must have walked the halls of an ivory tower institution-his ability to depict the tenure-infected world of higher education is remarkable. This is a great book for recreational readers and fans of noir fiction. There's bound to be another Donavan book in the near future!

A mordantly amusing tale of some thoroughly justified murders on an all-too-typical college campus--California dreaming morphing into nightmare.

In "Exile to Murder", Jack Donovan the scholar focuses his considerable talents on the art of the novel, and the result is a comedic tapestry of wide ranging characters from the local town rube to the arrogant professor. Their different motives and agendas all come together in literary style in this entertaining story which is a murder mystery on its surface, but also gives us some glimpses, hilarious and otherwise, into the crafty behavior of academic "lifers". Definitely a must read.

Jack Donovan's Exile to Murder is great fun. These folks in a sleepy college town seem real -- from the pompous professor and the conniving student who'll do almost anything for a grade to the rock-solid aide who keeps the hero on an almost-steady course. There's mystery (who is it who's using an ice pick on those men?) and there's sex (Sandstone had nothing that Euphoria didn't offer those profs!) and then there's what it takes to get tenure and the risks of dinner with faculty colleagues. One wouldn't recommend going to college at "San Renaldo State University" but this book about life (and death) there is terrific. I enjoyed it so much I bought some extra copies to give friends.

What a tragic tale. I was moved by this story for two reasons; first was the incredible journey the author took to tell this tale, and second was the amazing complexities that came together to make this event come to be. If you don't understand the politics of "politics" you may not appreciate how incredible a story this actually is; it is also a very viable explanation for why the Siegel murder was never officially solved. This looked like a very difficult story to write; my hat is off to the author.

I received the book at 2:00pm and finished it before I went to bed that evening. Kudo's!!!

What a great book! If it wasn't for life's interruptions, I wouldn't have put it down. It caught me from the beginning. I don't know much about Bugsy Siegel or the mystery of his murder, but the Author did a wonderful job weaving the tale. Given this information, I wonder if the investigation shouldn't be reopened. I hope this comes out as a movie. I think it would make a great one.

WOW

This was the best book I have read in a long time. I simply could not put it down. It had me from page 2 .I am waiting for another book from Warren Hull.

I liked several things about Family Secret. The Author does an excellent job of providing a fascinating and very believable story of how and why Benjamin Siegel's murder was never solved. I always felt Siegel's murder was never solved due to something amazing and this story llives up to that expectation. A very good read. I hope to see this one on the big screen one day. It's a great book, let's hope the film version does it justice!

When I heard Family Secret was a story that claimed to solve the Siegel murder mystery my first impression was one of skepticism. After reading this story however I am now convinced that the Author's have solved the Siegel killing with one of the few theories that makes sense. Wealth, power and political influence were just as strong in 1947 as they are today and this is an accounting of Siegel's demise fit for Hollywood. A very good story, well written and an unexpected treat.

In a word, it's incredible. When I first heard about the project about a year ago, I rolled my eyes a bit. Vampires are so 1980's, right? I chuckled a bit to find that a portion of the story did, in fact, take place in that era of vampire media interest (in the heartland of vampire folklore, no less!).

Riddled with the usual crafty historical fiction and "easter egg" references to past Wilson titles, the entire story is interwoven with rich material from many sources, ranging from ethnic to spiritual--not to mention my favorite: Eric Wilson's trademark chess analogy made by the main character.

While the book is heavily laden with such gospel themes as redemption, death to self, and new life, the approach taken to the inflated and overdone vampire-fiction mythos is so revolutionary that I dare say Wilson has reinvented the genre. The bar has certainly been raised.
A stunning introduction to this decade's hottest trilogy, this book is destined to stand among the classics as the rebirth of Christian fiction.

Eric Wilson took on a seemingly insurmountable challenge in writing a Christian vampire novel in the first place. But that wasn't the only difficulty; with so much advance buzz about the announced Jerusalem's Undead trilogy, he ran the risk that, no matter how rich the story, it might not be enough to match the hype. Anticipation is its own kind of monster; it often turns on its masters.

In the hands of a lesser writer, a lesser researcher and man less acquainted with his scriptures, it might have been a disaster. In the hands of Eric Wilson, it's a tour de force.

Wilson merges folklore and Biblical theology to effectively bridge the vampire's Christian themes with Romanian lore, supplying a long-missing link. In doing so, Wilson has supplied something lacking in the slew of vampire fiction today: originality. In Field of Blood, the undead are founded in the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, who managed to bleed out in the half-botched act of hanging himself, loosing unholy blood on the soil of the Akeldama.

While staying true to the bloody death and blood-as-life staples of vampire mythology, Field of Blood offers a new angle on character redemption, new boundaries on the realm of the vampire, and new charges for the anti-vampire protagonist. Wilson introduces an entire cast of undead characters all too deliciously easy to hate including the convicted criminal, Barabbas--the very man released at the urging of the mob in lieu of the Nazarene, Jesus.

My main fascination with Field of Blood, however, is the genius behind the story itself. Having visited Romania and grown up in the church, I was intrigued in a how'd-he-do-that? kind of way at Wilson's weaving together of post-revolution Romania, world news, scripture and Hebrew lore. As a reader, I was delighted. As a writer, I was envious. In breaking the Christian publishing vampire barrier, Wilson has set an incredible bar.

I can honestly say I've never read a novel anything like this one. It's really hard to put into words everything Field of Blood is. Suffice it to say that it's a must read.

The ancient site where a traitor's blood was spilt two millennia ago is a potential breeding ground for vile, unearthly spirits who wait to be freed from their vaporous wanderings. In 1989, their hopes are granted when excavators accidentally disturb tombs outside Jerusalem. The Collectors inhabit bodies of the dead, feeding on the blood of the living, and often infesting them with thorny brambles on which they feast.

For Gina Lazarescu, life in Romania as an almost twelve-year-old is hard work. Her mother is overprotective, her father dead. After a handsome stranger holds a secretive conversation with her mother, she is whisked away with them away from the home she has always known to avoid impending revolution and other unnamable dangers. She will not forget the man's promise to watch after her and find her again one day.

Gina is special, and she's in danger, but so are many others. Each person must make the choice as to which side they will be on, and take responsibility for those choices. I'll stop there with the plot so as not to reveal too much.

True to form, Wilson digs deep into history and human nature to produce the mother lode of supernatural fiction. Blood sucking vampires aside, Field of Blood isn't overly weird or "out there." Everything that happens is connected and has a reason. Lots of things are hidden just enough to cause confusion (at least for me), but I've been promised by the author himself that those things will be explained in the next book.

I give Wilson points for creativity galore, a satisfyingly complex plot line, adequate suspense, and the witty, flowing style I've come to love in the course of his writings. He effectively portrays the sickening and the beautiful, exalting true life. Life is in the blood, after all...whose blood flows through your veins?

After the death of Judas Iscariot in 30 AD, his blood soaked through to the Necropolis just below. In 1989, work crews are performing construction in this Field of Blood when they break though to what lies beneath. The Collector of Souls is drawn to the spot and enters; there the Collector finds boxes of bones in the unholy ground. He calls his cluster who come immediately. They reunite the bones and make them human looking before entering them; thus ending a period in which they had no bodies.

They are free to wreck havoc on mankind; especially eager to begin the Final Days. Keeping them in check and preventing the countdown is thirty-eight men known as the Nistorim who pray for the souls of man so they can be Those Who Resist.. There are other people that keep hope alive. One is an innocent Romanian woman Gina Lazarescu who knows nothing of the spiritual battle, but she will play a major role in the war between the Nistorim and the Collectors.

Although the word demon is never used, the essence is lucid as the reader learns that the Collectors occupied the bodies of the damned. Eric Wilson's supernatural thriller is all about redemption by placing one's life on the line to save humanity. In some ways a coming of age saga as Gina grows while learning who she is and how she relates to the supernatural battle being fought.

Harriet Klausner

Eric Wilson has written some of the best Christian novels in recent years. His work is detailed and suspenseful, and it's always just been a matter of time before he found that perfect book that would skyrocket him to the public's attention as he deserves. "Field of Blood" is that novel.

Any author attempting to create what is in essence a Christian vampire novel faces insurmountable odds. Eric has found a perfect balance of speculative fiction suspense with just enough realism thrown in to make us believe it COULD be true. His descriptions of the scenery are vivid and make you feel like you are truly standing in the area (mainly because he actually got to visit many of these spots). He gives us evil villains, but never allows it to overshadow the true power in the story. There IS hope found throughout.

The only thing I hate about this book is the fact that it's the first part of a trilogy and we'll have to wait until next August to find out where it's going from here. One thing is for certain: wherever Eric decides to take the story, it's going to be a thrill ride for all of us!

Definitely pick this one up!

I don't normally read this type of book but it was pushed on me by a persistent relative. To be polite I decided to skim through it. After a few pages I started over and read it through. It reads like fiction.

The story is a well-researched crime, chase, and got you story, but because so many of the people involved, criminals, law, and civilians, are quoted the dialogue tricks the reader into thinking that he is reading a novel. He is transported back in time to the late 20's, and like any great work of fiction, the reader lives the story along with the characters. The only difference is that with The Fleagle Gang the reader doesn't wonder if a scene is real or not, he knows it is.

A great job by Mr. Betz; therefore, a great read.

This book is interesting because I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it! The book is about the 1928 robbery of the First National Bank of Lamar Colorado committed by the "Fleagle Gang". The Fleagle's were a group of brothers. There were 4 of them, Ralph, Fred, Little Jake and Walter. Whether they were all thieves or whether it was just Ralph and Little Jake isn't easily determined by the book. It's definite that the other two brothers knew of Ralph's and Little Jake's activities and offered assistance that eight years later would have had them thrown in jail.
While I'm not sure I enjoyed the books reliance on old newspaper articles to tell the Fleagle's history; the use of the articles brings the reader into the dramatic events. A traditional narrative would have told the story much quicker and still have been interesting.
This book is the first I've read about a robbery that was prior to the depression. The Lamar robbery was violent: 2 deaths during the robbery; a hostage murdered; a doctor kidnapped and murdered. A comparison with some of the depression bandits who were both vilified and praised in different circles would make for interesting commentary.
Ralph Fleagle or maybe it was the sire Jake Fleagle made the commentary that they didn't steal from anyone who couldn't afford it. Sound Familiar? Crime was on the increase and local police were at a disadvantage because of jurisdiction problems and inferior transportation. Hmmm....
Anyway, one of the things that I liked about this group of cold blooded murdering thieves is that they took a very pragmatic approach to gang membership. While Ralph and Little Jake were the corner stones they actually hired other gang members for each job for a set fee. The hired men in the Lamar, Co. robbery, Abshier and Royston, each got $1500 for their part and a date with the hangman.
Oh yeah, this case is also great because it's one where forensic science really brought the killers to justice. One fingerprint brought the whole gang down during a time when there was a huge amount of skepticism on the science.
Posted by bestyegg on Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Mr. Betz tells the story of the Fleagle gang in a creative writing style, with the use of various reporters of the time period, which made the book very readable and flow well. Betz also goes into the various law enforecment techniques of the time period and various changes in forensic science used to solve crimes and prosecute criminals. This is one book to read if you like the gangsters period of the 1920s. I higly recommend it.

Mike Koch, Author of "The Kimes Gang."

Jake and Ralph Fleagle and their gang were among the most successful outlaws of the 1920s, in terms of both profit and evading identification, until a bloody bank robbery in 1928 and a telltale fingerprint that unmasked them. In 1930, Jake Fleagle rivaled Fred "Killer" Burke as America's most wanted fugitive and rewards for his capture far exceeded those offered later for John Dillinger, today regarded as the premier bandit of the Depression era. Largely forgotten today, the crime put Lamar, Colorado and Garden City, Kansas on the map and rocketed Jake Fleagle into the national headlines. Slight vestiges of his immortality remain still in the "Evil Eye Fleegle" character created by Al Capp and the treasure hunters seeking Jake's alleged hoard of buried bank loot in the vicinity of Branson and Hollister, Missouri. The massive coverage given here to all aspects of the Lamar bank job, the investigation, and the tracking down of the killer gang may be a bit overwhelming to the casual reader but this carefully researched account is an essential for crime historians.

Four bandits, gunplay, two murders, a car chase, and a shoot out with police - and that is just the first chapter! This book is filled with everything that Hollywood dreams of for blockbuster movies - good vs. bad, drama, murder, and a thrilling cross-country chase. The author, N.T. Betz, expertly tells the story of the Fleagle Gang, not only through his own words, but also through the words of the reporters, posse members, police, and others who experienced this crime spree. Mr. Betz's research is in-depth and complete. He even included the influences the Fleagles had on culture (i.e. Evil-Eye Fleegle and the Beagle Boys). In addition to the fascinating look into the actions of four criminals and the courts of the late 1920's, this story marks several landmarks in forensics and law enforcement techniques - including the first time a single fingerprint was used to identify an individual and the first transportation of a suspect by airplane. A must read for history and true crime buffs alike!

This book made me love Bagley, mystery, foreign locales and old-time aviation all at once. You gotta pick it up if you have any affinity for mystery thrillers, or good books in general

I don't keep or re-read many of the paperbacks that I buy, but I've owned a copy of this one for years. I've loaned it to several friends, and each one loved it. It's one of the greatest adventure stories ever.

If you decide to get it, do an image search on 'Haggar Mountains' to get an idea of what the author is describing.

As with all of Desmond Bagley's books, this one has plenty of action and adventure, plenty of exotic locations that Bagley handles as if he'd lived there for his whole life, and interesting yet plausible characters handled deftly and smoothly; like almost all of his novels, this one also has a puzzle that keeps the reader guessing for the whole book. If there's a flaw with it at all, it's that he withholds a bit of the information that his main character has for just a chapter or two, so that the reader has no chance of solving the puzzle before the main character spells out the solution. But that's a small price to pay for this delightful book, and I highly recommend it as I do most of Bagley's ouvre.

Well....I'd put it down to the most exilarating book i've read.....sends u travelling in ur seat and makes u love the desert.
love it for the feeling of "on the road" i get everytime i read it...

All most a poetic book, the story reflects the romanticism of a sandy desert. An engrossing story captures the imagination of the reader and sends him/her right into the wild, slow, serene yet harsh desert. Fast paced action starts from the first page in London spreads quickly to Sahara in search of a pre WW2 airplane with a hope of lost glory and comes back to London for the O'Henrian climax. The characters of the story are alive and easy to relate to and linger for a long time. One of the best and a must read. The best Bagley that I have read.