Murder Books

From the very beginning, this book had my total attention. I could not put it down. When I finished the novel, I wanted another one right away. I fell in love with the minister and his wife. It had humor and camaraderie among the characters. This is a classy, well-written book, and I read it in one and a half days. As a lover of crime mysteries, I didn't figure out "who done it" until the very end. Carol A.

What better hero than the caring pastor of a small country church, and
what better villains than those who would do harm to that church--not to
mention murder a parishioner or two? In this cleverly-plotted and
delightful novel, Tony Burton has perfectly described life in rural
America. Pastor Wilson is as real and believable a character as I've
read about in a long time, as are the conflicts he faces in trying to
save his church and his congregation. If you've not read Tony Burton's
fiction before, you're in for a treat--this is a well-written,
fast-paced, and thoroughly satisfying mystery.

Bill Crider knows how to make you laugh, cry, and be intrigued all at the same time. "Blood Marks" is his best novel to date. His use of the continual plot twist in this book sets it apart from his series and his western novels. Each time that you know who the killer is, another likely suspect rears his ugly head. The intrigue in this book is not so much who the killer is but WHY he is a killer. This is a superb psychological thriller from the down-home author of the acclaimed Sheriff Dan Rhodes series.

Blood Marks was an amazing book. It is very suspenceful book without being gory. You never knew when the serial killer was around, or when he was going to speak. I felt as though I wanted to tell everyone that he is sitting right next to you. I read this book at two sittings. It's a book any mystery fan would love!

Fascinating !! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author's description of the Minnesota woods and cold weather actually made me feel that I needed more blankets on the bed. The characters seem like people you actually know and deal with every day. The conclusion was exciting and surprising. I was charmed by the insightful world of 'birders', and can't wait to read more from Ms. Dunlap.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Boreal Owl Murders. Anyone who has ever been in the northeast -- specifically Minnesota -- in the winter immediately can feel the cold when Ms. Dunlap describes the setting for the mystery. I really liked the tight group of characters and the time duration of the mystery. I felt very sympathetic for the hero, Bob White, and found myself grinning during the sections when he is at work as a guidance counselor. I read a lot of mysteries and this one had me guessing until the end as to the full cast of villians. I also came away with a real feeling about the lifestyle of a dedicated Birder. Anyhone who has lived in the northeast, worked in the academic world, enjoys the outdoors or wants to know more about Birding will enjoy this book. I can't wait until the next one!

Shame on Amazon. I have not been able to find a book I had not read by John Gardner in over five years. I consider him the most outstanding author of thrillers and spy fiction on any continent and had lost track of him when he returned to England after living here in Virginia several years. While many think of John Gardner as a Bond writer, actually much better than Fleming or Benson, that made up only 1/4th of his work and he has created epic characters in epic works. I say shame on Amazon as if you look for Gardner they give you hundreds of listings and not his latest series. Not under his name that is. I had to trace Gardner down in England through friends and found that he had written five I have not read and is on a sixth on now. Fortunately he gave me the names of the books I sought. For the record, he is better than ever.

"Bottled Spider" starts a series that will run through World War Two in London. This first one is in 1940 during the blitz and involves the nastiest seriel killer I have ever read about in fiction. "Golly" makes Jack the Ripper look like a kindergarten student and his "control" is equally chilling. While there is a lot of gore, Gardner writes so concisely and so beautifully that you are not repelled by it, The descriptions of England at the time and his development of characters are superb. The lead is a young police officer, Susannah Mountford, and Gardner gets into her head so well that you feel like she is telling the story. You feel what she feels and you know this is someone you would like to know.
The plotting is superb in suspense and action.

My wife and I have been to England three times now and the places described, most of them, are familiar. The bombings form a sub plot and the history given takes the reader easily back to that time and the places described. Thank you John Gardner for proving what we have always known. You are the best and I will eagerly start the second book in the series as soon as I send this off.

Bottled Spider is an exciting tale of a serial killer, the likes of Jack-the-ripper, in 1940 war torn London. John Gardner tells the story in a highly descriptive fashion from the perspective of a young female rookie police officer who finds herself assuming investigative responsibilities normally handled by more senior male officers who are now involved with the war against Hitler. The killer is not pleased that a young women "leads" the investigation, and is all too happy to include her in his affirmative action plan. It is an interesting blend of murder, romance, and contemporary issues, in a setting few of us have experienced.

This is probably the original source for information of pirates. It contains such a vast compendium of information that it is difficult to select anyone in particular. The cruel reality of pirates is sometimes terrifying; however, in the context of their times this may not have been so shocking. Each reader will take away what they find most interesting. I find that the interaction between the pirates and the indigenous people of these island most intriguing.

This is a book about buccaneering written by one of the participants. Esquemeling was a Dutch physian who went to the Caribbean during the heyday of the Spanish Main. He was the surgeon to Henry Morgan's expedition against Panama City.

Like many educated men of his time, he tried to be a scientific observer of the New World. As a result, you'll see descriptions of flora and fauna of the Americas mixed in with anecdotes about the famous and near famous of the period. The phraseology can be stilted in places, but that is how people spoke at the time.

Is it worth reading? I certainly think so! It's valuable in the same way that Bernal Diaz's account of the conquest of Mexico is valuable, it gives a flavor for how the participants saw themselves. So, if you want real, this is it.

It is a shocking reality that gives you entire understanding about amazon and its' people and environment. You will get lost in this beautifully written very sad real story. Thanks to andrew revkin. This book seriously today, needs stronger marketing to reach out to more people especially to the big-heads who runs the global economy and money. One thing that is very important for our world: This book tells a story that still continues today and will unfortunately continue in the future, for this reason mr. revkin needs to update the book and continue writing about what has been happenning there now! Because even after the loss of Chico Mendes, things are still hot there, his soul never gave up I believe. And now Ms. Marina Silva quit her position recently and we want to know how things are going to shape for the future of brazil. If ever this reaches to mr. revkin. Must-read book.

This book is a tremendous education about Chico Mendes,and all the political and personal efforts to protect the Brazilian Amazon. If you are interested in this subject, upon reading this book its almost like finishing an excellent college course on it.

Chico Mendes was born into a poor, rural Amazonia family of rubber trappers and from these very humble beginnings educated himself and worked his way to becomming a worldwide focus of attention on the plight of the Amazon rainforest and it's guardians. Like Ghandi, he was a charismatic selfless leader of the poor that faced the continual violent opposition, here from ranchers and the corrupt local militia, and he also responded with successful non-violent actions.

This well researcherd book provides and important perspective from the Brazilians. It is their country and the whole world has been making demands on their Amazon forest because of it's global importance both environmentally and economically. Imagine the political stuggle in the United States if all of Europe and Asia were trying to get us either to save all the forests of the Pacific Northwest (or the grasslands of the plains, or the forests of the east)or some of them were paying us money, and foreign aid to build roads to increase logging or improving the agricultural output of the area. The development and struggle to manage the land use of the Amazon is very complex and the author, Andrew Revkin has illustrated it well.

I have always wanted to protect the Amazon, its forests, birds and animals but I now also see the importance to protect it's people both indigenous and the extractive specialists that Chico Mendes had represented. This book has shown how difficult that is with the pressure of the needs of all the other citizens of Brazil.

An excellent book, you will be glad you have read it.

This is the true story of Robert Hansen,the worst serial killer in Alaska's history.
He was a baker,amateur pilot,and avid hunter that preyed on prostitutes.
He benefitted from his choice of victims. Prostitutes and dancers passed in and out of Alaska lured by the prospect of easy money servicing workers on the pipeline. And the local police didn't view them as credible witnesses. However,the FBI profilers had an accurate profile of Hansen in this case.

Coincidentally,Hansen was a contemporary of the infamous Green River killer who was similar in stature and also preyed on hookers.

The authors do an excellent job in writing from the view of the lead investigator who refused to quit despite the grueling process of putting together an air-tight case for the D.A.

Hansen eventually confessed to killing over a dozen prostitutes but never admitted killing other women that weren't in that profession. In his own words-"I can't see anything in it for me,what's done is done. It's behind me now." A callous reponse to a request to cooperate in possibly solving more murders that he probably committed. The man has no remorse whatsoever.

After reading of the evidence he had stashed in his home you will probably come to the same conclusion. He killed more women than he will ever admit to.

A very well written true crime book. The authors managed to keep my attention focused even with the details of the trial,which can get boring.

This book is written by a real-life professional homicide investigator. Mr. Gilmour was an investigator with the Alaska State Troopers for many years and was, and still is, one of the most astute criminal investigators you will ever meet. This book details the incredible amount of work it takes to catch a serial killer. The most amazing part is that he has not made any changes to the story to make it "more exciting" or "more readable." The story certainly does need it. In my opinion, in this book rivals Capote's In Cold Blood, but without making up any facts.

I have read eight of the Markby/Mitchell series. I would place this one in the top three. The suspenseful plot builds at a wonderful pace and the full mystery is not solved until the last page. This series is glorious either in book form or in audio when the magnificent Judith Bond reads. Granger's books place you square in the middle of an English village and you don't leave it until the final pages.

This was my first (but definitely not my last) experience with Meredith and Markby. I completely enjoyed this story, and my only complaint was that the style was so easy to read I was through the book long before I was ready for it to end. I felt like a child following a trail of jelly beans as the clues and red herrings turned up. Just an awfully lot of fun with a couple of sharp plot turns in the end that sends you into worlds of thought and conjecture when you lay the book down finished. I highly recommend it.

The Case of the Beautiful Beggar

A young woman has just returned from a 3-month vacation cruise in Hawaii. Daphne Shelby has a letter from her Uncle Horace ordering her to met Perry Mason immediately to draft a new will. Uncle Horace's stepbrother, his wife, and a friend came for an extended stay. During Daphne's absence they had Uncle Horace declared incompetent and put in a nursing home. Stepbrother Borden was now in charge of the Shelby fortune, and Daphne was ordered out of the only home she ever knew! The check given to Daphne is for a closed account. There is a suspicion that Borden's wife Elinor has drugged Uncle Horace to make him senile. Perry Mason files a paper to question the court judgment. The bank manager is ready to testify that Horace was competent, and Daphne has a good business head. But Borden Shelby reveals a surprise about Daphne that could prevent her suit. The court appointed a psychiatrist to settle the question. But Uncle Horace disappears!

Soon a dead body turns up. Daphne is suspected of murdering her uncle for the inheritance. But the body turns out to be Borden's friend! Perry placed investigators on all the people, and learns the facts needed to clear his client, and discover where Uncle Horace was hiding. The final scenes in the Preliminary Hearing clears up the mysteries. Another long suppressed scandal is the source of these problems. This is another roller-coaster ride of a story designed to keep your interest until its surprising conclusion.

I think that this book was really good. Earl Stanley Gardner is a great author. There were so many twists in the story you'd never know what would happen next.

First, I once attended a Church where Bob Erler was speaking. My first thought was this guy is arrogant and he's loud, too loud! But he had my attention. By the time his story was over I sat with my jaw dropped. How come this guy is walking around! I bought his tape, even more compelling than the book. Over time I relized how much this guy touched my life. While he was at Florence, Az. State prison he was interviewed by a Pyschologist there who I once dated. When I read the book and heard how Bob was interviewed by this man I instantly knew who it was. The man I dated liked to talk down to me also. When He was transferred to Fort Grant I related to him there. I had lived there with my Uncle who was the Superintendant when it was a Juvenile facility, in the 60's. In the 70's they turned it into a adult prison.
In 1987 I met Bob while at Church with some friends, one friend who is with the Tucson Police Dept. was a close friend of his. I believe Christ can change your life It's been 17 yrs since I first saw Bob Erler and he is continuing to live a life deicated to saving souls for God. Bob Erler went through so much in the prison system and met a wide range of characters. This is a Great Book!

The story was written in a way that I couldn't put it down until I read the entire book. Being in law enforcement, I have never heard of a story like this until I read the book, and then the way it ended...it really made you think. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about true crime.