Colorado Books

I've read other books by Laurel Dewey and enjoyed them tremendously...but her debut fictional work is outstanding. She already had the rhyme and rhythm, the skill of making her words link together in a style that kept one reading on and on. The drama, human foibles and mystery make her first novel one that moved me greatly. Her research was tremendous and thorough. I'm now anxious to read the second, third and hopefully many more after those are in print and available!

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for Reader Views (6/07)

Jane Perry has a lot of emotional baggage. That is an understatement. Her father, a retired policeman, used to literally kick her while she was down. Even as an adult in a nursing home, he abuses her. He verbally belittles her as he reminds her of what he used to do to her and her brother. She took on the protector role for her younger brother. She struggles to let that go, though he is now in his 20's.

Jane is a policewoman. She drinks and smokes too much. Her language is strong. She is known for being an alcoholic and a loose canon; however, she is also known for being a dedicated cop.

A child witnesses the murder of her parents. She will not talk to anyone but Jane. Jane is not exactly the kid-friendly type. When Jane is given the job of being the child's sole protector, Jane thinks it is beneath her as a cop.

Jane soon finds out that someone in the department is corrupt. Who can she trust? Her brother finds a woman he is consumed with. Her partner seems to have become a jerk overnight; maybe she just realized a jerk, because she was forced to sober up in order to protect the child.

It took me about 30 pages to really become obsessed with "Protector." After those 30 pages, I had to keep reading. There are so many mysteries that seemed to be tangled into one. Seeing the change from the drunken Jane to the sober Jane was exciting. Anyone who likes a page-turning mystery will love "Protector."

I could not put this book down. A paranormal mystery with a lot of intricate relationships thrown in. I can't wait for Ms. Dewey's next book.

Denver based Jane Perry is a hard drinking, no-holds-barred, homicide detective with a penchant for solving difficult and emotionally challenging murders. Until she and her partner fail to protect a family to whom they were assigned to guard. The family's murder results in her being on the receiving end of disconnected images predicting future events. These visions lead Jane to nine-year-old Emily Lawrence who is believed to be the surviving witness of her parent's brutal murder. When the killer makes an attempt to kill the young witness, Jane's visions seem to predict Emily's death. Jane is determined to stay the hand of fate and solve this complex and mystifying case and save the life of her young charge. An impressive writer with two non-fiction books to her credit, Laurel Dewey turns her attention to fiction with "Protector", her debut novel that combines a fascinating metaphysical slant to a traditional crime drama. The result is a unique, entertaining, emotionally powerful, deftly crafted, highly recommended work that will leave the reader looking eagerly toward Laurel's next foray into the mystery/suspense genre.

Laurel Dewey's debut novel about a troubled homicide detective is a gritty crime drama to the core. Jane Perry is a chain smoking veteran of the police force and daughter of a retired homicide detective. She's a woman who fell into her career choice because she was primed for it since birth and because she has more balls than the majority of the men she works beside. She's blunt, she's gutsy, and she holds no punches.

Jane is also an alcoholic. That may seem like an appropriate characteristic for such a coarse and rebellious woman, but it's here that we begin to see Dewey's Protector take on a different persona. As the root problems of Jane's addiction begin to present themselves, her tough exterior begins to dissolve to reveal the broken woman underneath.

On top of repressing her own demons, Jane begins to have disturbing visions that she knows must have some significance to the cases she is investigating, but she begins to question her own sanity. It is here that Dewey introduces a touch of the paranormal, exploring a psychic link between Jane and the eight-year-old orphan, Emily, she is charged to protect. Emily is experiencing her own visions of the horrific murder of her parents, but they stop short of revealing the identity of the killer. Will Jane be able to draw the truth out of Emily before the murderer returns to eliminate the witness?

Protector is a roller coaster ride of emotion, flowing from the extremes of hard-edged police work to abuse to motherhood and loss. It's as graphic as a novel without pictures can possibly be, describing the details of the grisly crime scenes in a way that makes the reader want to sheild their eyes from the page, but only briefly. There's a mystery to be solved! Dewey lays out clues to the identity of the killer throughout the novel, but it's likely the reader will become so wrapped up in the emotional side of the story they'll completely overlook them, as I did. It's only as Jane pieces the clues together that the reader has that "aha!" moment that the answers were in plain sight all along.

A visit to Laurel Dewey's website reveals a cinema-like trailer that can enhance the reading experience. This is definitely one of those novels that is made for the big screen.

But unfortunately it will never happen. I wish I understood if they are just lazy or had an agenda against CU football. Either way, I hope it is difficult for them to sleep at night.

Bruce Plasket presents a thoroughly-researched book that portrays media coverage of the alleged University of Colorado football "scandal" as sophomoric and unfair. He goes on to question the motives, legal soundness, and quality of evidence behind claims made by the plaintiffs, as well as decisions made by Boulder's own district attorney and even the state's governor. Mr. Plasket's book has several overlapping chapters with minor grammatical errors that apparently result from self-publishing, but his work should nevertheless prompt college football followers and pundits everywhere to reexamine their collegiate experience and the manner and methods by which press outlets and public officials convey information to the public. A must read for any serious fan.

I loved the facts addressed in this book. I believe the author uncovered a true bias that needed to be published. However, this is an extremely poorly written book. It's too bad that the information couldn't have been presented in a more organized manner. Each chapter repeats itself with only a few additional tidbits inserted.

This is an interesting read for any college football fan, but should be read by every CU Buffalo fan in the country. The young men of the CU football team, their coaches, and the University suffered unnecessarily because of a DA with a political agenda, weak university administration, and a few women who were misguided by legal, media, and social pressure.

Refreshing to read something by an author who is not affraid to find fault in the bonehead mentality of political correctness.

GRANDMOTHER SPIDER will have you shaking your head to the final page. This Charlie Moon novel is so intriguingly plotted you believe you can see the ending until an unexpected twist astounds you. The implausible becomes plausible, and so satisfying.
A mutilated corpse, two missing men and an ancient arachnid (who lives beneath Navajo Lake) baffled Aunt Daisy, Charlie and the reader. This story is a departure for Doss as he practices almost straight storytelling without the intrinsic mysticism inherent in previous tales. The results are a delight and worthy of a second read just for the fun.
Charlie loses, yet wins in unexpected ways, which add to the drama and makes us eager for the next installment.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Magic, mystery, crime, inticate plots dosed with laugh-out-loud humor set on the Ute Indian reservation in SW Colorado. James Doss' characters are wonderful. Charlie Moon is big, brave, smart and lovable (the big jug head) and always gets his man (or woman). Even though he's a lawman, he doesn't always follow the law (but no one is supposed to know that). His elderly Aunt Daisy Perika gives a wonderful depth with her cantankerous wit and shamanistic dreams. When she teams up with her friend Louise-Marie, you know trouble's on the way. Part mystery, part western, part spooky, always tricky. Once you start this series, you'll hunger for more.

Doss does it again. Charlie Moon is a wonderful character and Doss knows how to spin a yarn!

This was interesting, and very readable. I enjoyed it, although I still say the author uses foreshadowing way too much. But in this story, the author plays some really good tricks on the reader - Charlie Moon keeps repeating there is a reasonable explanation for everything, but we get sidetracked by the metaphysical - the visions, shamans, symbolism, dreams and so on. I usually can figure out just about any mystery, but the author had me on this one. I was surprised at the resolution of the mystery, and had a good laugh, too.

Finally...a mystery so outrageous it seems unsolvable without breaking the bounds of reason...and a solution outrageous enough to work!! I loved how this book mixed elements of a modern police/detective story with Native American shamanism and even a little of the supernatural. I also enjoyed the characters, especially the old shaman Daisy ,a cranky, fiesty woman with a shrewd sense of humor, and Charlie Moon, the soft-spoken Ute police chief with an appetite for unhealthy food.

After Daisy's young charge Sarah smashes a spider with her biology book, the Shaman tells her of how Grandmother Spider will rise from Navaho Lake to revenge her spider people. That very night something carries off two men...and then the strangely mutilated body of a third victim is found--the victim of a spider attack? Soon, Charlie Moon finds himself sorting through evidence so bizzare, even HE is starting to believe in Grandmother Spider...

This was an immaculate condition book, Brand NEW. Looks like it never even had it's pages or cover opened. Great seller

Great directory of the beauty here in Colorado and how to get there. Other than some outdated restaurants, it really is a good book to have.

The beautiful pictures and descriptions of the sights of Colorado are breathtaking.

He's number one when it comes to capturing the beauty of Colorado. Awesome pics and some interesting historical information contained in the commentary.

This is a great book for anyone that wants to spend some time taking photographs of Colorado. Provides information on the best spots to photograph, how to get there, what time to take the shots and how to enjoy the location while you are there.

a good read and very detailed shows the inner mind of a serial killer in denial.

I AM HALF WAY THROUGH THIS BOOK AND I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN. WHAT A STORY!! IF YOU ARE A AVID READER OF TRUE CRIME, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU.

I really liked this one. It was very hard to put down.
Why is this book so good?
Because you do not learn about one vision but Jackson gives you the versions of how the people who lived near "The Monster" experienced him.For example you will see Luther through the eyes of the woman who loved him,through the eyes of the detective who tries to nail him for years,and bites his teeth in the case. You will be in the skin of his victims their families,but also you will feel their pain,how scared they are,how he managed to create a web surrounding him with people who got mixed up by this men.

The style of the writer appeals a lot to me,eye for detail
As i said before, when i was reading i felt like i was there.
If you start reading this book,make sure you have a lot of time,cause you can't put it down!
Hope you understand my English

As an avid reader of true crime, I will declare that this is one of the best written pieces of work that I have read short of the infamous Ann Rule works.

This book contains the tale of Tom Luther is able to manipulate women with his good looks and his imaginitive story telling; especially Debra Snider, who fell hard and fast for this sexually sadistic loser. The author holds nothing back from the reader on the viciousness of his crime against Cher Elder and many other women; some of whom is only suspected of harming. In addition, readers are given a walk into the hearts and minds of Cher Elder's parents as they struggle to deal with the death of their daughter and the capture of her killer. As you walk through these vicious crimes and feel the torment of Elder's parents, readers are also given insight into how a normal, education, married mother of two (Snider) can fall in love with someone so evil; and even after learning that the evil remains, still loving that person unconditionally.

I agree with the readers that the book was compelling and generally well written. Much better, actually, than the vast majority of true crime books (and like many, I've read too many to count...), but that is where our views diverge; I have NEVER read a book in my life with more grammatical errors or punctuation errors, for that matter. Without even trying, I counted (in my head alone, and only starting about halfway through the book) 15 sentences with no verbs.

I realize that this will seem like nit-picking, but can't the author or publishing company afford an editor...? It really mars an otherwise excellent book (yes, as another reader wrote, it should have been about 100 pages shorter to eliminate repetitiveness) by an author who shows a lot of potential for a genre where most writers seem to have barely made it through junior high school.

This book's look at the police investigations and court events over the years made this a cut above most true crime books, which tend to be sensationalistic rehashes of basic crime descriptions that anyone could write based upon newspaper reports, for example.

One final note: a list of characters and index would be greatly appreciated. I found myself repeatedly researching previous events (particularly the informants' testimony from various prisons and jails over the years) and digging through dozens of pages simply because the author was too lazy and professional to use an index. Still, well done overall and I'll be reading other books by the author in the future if possible.

Gregory Kuzma takes us into the day-to-day experience of the Drum and Bugle Corps world. This is a world of creativity, talent, humor, and hard work. Not only do we read his words, we feel the excitement of competition, hear the roll of drums and join in the applause. Professional level competition takes the same guts and glory as any other sport. "On the field from Denver..." is a young man's journey into adulthood, novice instrumentalist to seasoned musician.

If you enjoy competitive musicianship, you'll want to buy this book. If you want a great read, you need to buy this book. Kuzma is a talented young writer, war hero, and gifted raconteur.

As a former High School band director of more than 15 years, I highly recommended this memoir without reservation.

Francis Rella, Author of Manhattan Medics: The Gripping Story of the Men and Women of Emergency Medical Services Who Make the Streets of the City Their Career

I love to watch the performances and now I have a new found respect for what it takes to entertain us. There is nothing like "experiencing" what it takes but for those of us who never will take that journey and those who are considering doing the tour this book is a valuable look inside!

Written by a young person's perspective it should really speak to them, giving them the good and the bad of touring..a foretaste of adult life for young people...the transition begins.

Thinking of touring I would definitely want to read this.

I bought this book for my son, who is about to spend the summer marching with a corps. Because I have been reading everything online and elsewhere I can get my hands on, I looked forward to this book. In the end, even though it gave me insight into a world I have only observed from the outside as a 30+ year drum corps fan, as a piece of writing it just comes across as a weird mixture of repetitious diary and unreflective laundry list. What does the author, who wrote this book 10 years after his experience, have to say about what it brought to him? How does the passage of time reflect what that summer meant to him? What would his 30 year old self have to say to that 20 year old? Maybe a laundry list is just fine (we got up, we lined the field, we rehearsed, the director was mad at us, or he was proud of us, we marched, we were tired, we ate a lot). It is a summer told but unexamined, which is a shame since there's so much room for understanding and poetry here. I have been on the field (I marched in college at a big ten school) when a fine show was performed. Not much of that was captured here. There are a couple of "crises" here (someone yells during a rivals show) which in retrospect to someone like the author who served in a war to be trivial with distance of time. But of course, no comment is made about that.

One more thing: The author is very eager (or the author's 1994 self, at any rate) to tell at great length how he was wonderful. He lined the field, cooked, cleaned, organized a uniform crew, and so on. He was helpful (he is eager to point out) when so many of his confederates were lazy or unmotivated. The first five times he does that, I gave him a pass. After that, it was just irksome.

For any drum corps enthusiast, G. M. Kuzma's book offers a chance to live the experience vicariously through his daily journal entries. I read the book intently over a three-night period and loved it! Emotional, provoking and poignant -- I felt like I was there - every step of the way from beginniing to end. Beautiful!

This is the story, in journal form, of Mr. Kuzma's first summer in a competitive touring marching band. It appears to have been quite a summer. From bus mishaps, to strange traveling and lodging conditions, instrument-related injuries -- the list goes on and on. There are also random relationships, some fleeting and some destined to last a lifetime.

This book will appeal most to people involved in marching bands. More specifically, anyone who currently competes, or intends to start this kind of adventure. It could provide a reflection of what you've experienced, or give you a good idea of what's in store for you.

What it did for me, one of the people who made fun of the band kids, was give me a newfound respect for anyone who puts themselves through this. I was amazed at how much everyone is expected to learn in such a short period of time, and how hard everyone works. And, how fast it all can change and you very nearly have to start over!

In equal parts exhilarating, frustrating, painful, and funny, it seems to be an interesting life.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

This is only the second book I have read by Elizabeth Lowell and I must say both were fantastic! I just could not put this book down for a second, although, I could have done without such vivid decriptions of their sexual intimacy. But overall this book is great, definately worth your money!

Description from the back of book:

Cash McQueen was a hard man, a man who believed in the land and nothing else. With the land, a man knew where he stood. It was different with a woman. There wasn't one alive who could be trusted-and Mariah MacKenzie was no exception.

The minute she showed up at the Rocking M Ranch with not much more than the clothes on her back and a map of a long-lost gold mine, Cash knew she was trouble. Yet he couldn't seem to stop wanting her brand of trouble. But nothing would ever again make him place his trust in a woman-not even a woman he wanted as badly as Mariah MacKenzie.

* Finally! I found one in this series that I absolutely loved. I hated book #1, which I feel you don't need to read to enjoy this series. Book #2 & #3 were better but I really fell in love with Cash & Mariah. I was so glad to finally read about Cash & I had wondered about Mariah for a minute in book #2 so I was really glad to get to meet her. I have to say that although I haven't really liked the setting & the history of this series it worked for me in this book & the ending was to die for. I couldn't stop the tears. I recommend the contemporary books (#2-#5) in this series & I say skip book #1. That being a historical & the others being contemporary I think you're safe to skip it.

I just loved this book. I fell in love with all of the characters. I enjoyed the large extended family living on a ranch; envisioning the beautiful surroundings. Mariah was great. She was full of passion; was a kind person. Cash was wonderful. He was strong and sexy. I loved the things he said to her. He also had a hard time trusting women; having been burned by another. This makes the coming together of Mariah and Cash even more special. I also loved the ending. It made me cry; it was so heartfelt. This was an excellent read; it just swept me away.

From the back cover:
Cash McQueen was a hard man, a man who believed in the land and nothing else. With the land, a man knew where he stood. It was different with a woman. There wasn't one alive who could be trusted-and Mariah MacKenzie was no exception.
The minute she showed up at the Rocking M Ranch with not much more than the clothes on her back and a map of a long-lost gold mine, Cash knew she was trouble. Yet he couldn't seem to stop wanting her brand of trouble. But nothing would ever again make him place his trust in a woman-not even a woman he wanted as badly as Mariah MacKenzie.

How anyone can continue to read Elizabeth Lowell's tired formula for her books is beyond me. I decided to give her one more try, but once again was trapped in the dreadful plot. Basically all her novels come down to some emotionally retarded hero who has been deeply wounded in the past by someone or something (this part varies)who desperately want to be with some extremely young girl (usually gets the hots for her by age 16 but manages to hold off his passion in the usual Lowell way by drinking too much when the urge gets great). Innocent young girl tries to declare her love to the wounded hero & gets hurt by his rejection which then conveniently hurts her so badly that she can't function sexually with another man and this psychological chastity belt keeps her a virgin until she becomes old enough that the guy won't be charged with sex with a minor, at which time he decides to help her heal & they get together (usually with her pregnant at the end of the book & thrilled that she has given up whatever career she had planned to stay home & take care of the Wounded Man and the brood of babies she has started). I can hear the sound of retching even now! Don't waste your time with this stinker, or any of the other crummy throwaway romances she writes. Find someone who writes characters who actually have lives & don't spend all their time trying to prove how unfit to breed they truly are!

"Directly beneath the disintegrating plane, Harold and Dorothy Heil thought their farm was under attack."

Probably one of the most chilling sentences I've ever read in a book.

The horrific bombing of United Air Lines Flight 629 in Colorado in 1955 is brought vividly to life in "Mainliner Denver." This is one of those "can't put down" reads that will keep you enthralled and wondering what will develop next.

In addition to following the crime, its aftermath, the search for the cause, the trial and its outcome, various subplots develop: the media rivalry between Denver's two major newspapers, each hoping to top the other in coverage; in-fighting between the defense attorneys; and the investigators' shock in discovering that there was no federal statute on the books (in 1955) that made it a crime to blow up an airplane.

John Gilbert Graham, arrested, tried, convicted and ultimately executed for the crime (he blamed an unhappy childhood on his mother -- a passenger on the plane -- and planned to collect on a significant flight insurance policy purchased at the airport just prior to the fatal flight) comes across as a cold, calculating and unremorseful madman ... unmoved by the scope of the disaster and callous in his comments regarding the 43 additional victims, including a 13-month-old boy, who were killed along with his mother when his suitcase-packed time-bomb blew the United DC-6B airliner ("Mainliner Denver") out of the sky. Truly chilling.

Writer Andrew J. Field gives us a vivid, highly detailed of this terrible crime and its impact in a book that enthrall you with its narrative and impress you with its details. Includes photographs and diagrams.

This book--about a man who blows up an airplane carrying his mother and forty-three other people in order to collect on her insurance policies--should be deeply affecting. It isn't. Instead, it reads like an extended statement of facts opening the opinion of the court in an appellate case. And I gained but little more insight into bomber Graham from reading this book than I did from reading the opinion of the court in his case or the other information about the 1955 crash that's available on the Internet. I didn't expect to find out whether Graham's mother's indifferent childrearing alone turned him into a monster, or whether he was born without a conscience. I did hope to read more of the sort of details that would have enabled me to draw my own conclusions on these issues. Those details aren't there. Graham remains as much a pale outline from the start to the finish of this book as he is in the Pacific Reporter. Even easily supplied biographic details about the main players are missing; for instance, the brief description of Graham's mother's childhood suggests she was an only child, and then we learn many pages later that she had at least one sister who was involved in Graham's life. But the biggest failure of the book, I think, is the complete lack of insight we're given into Gloria Graham, the killer's wife. Did she have low self-esteem? Was she the sort of easily-controlled woman to whom Graham would have been drawn because of his hatred of his mother? We aren't given enough information about Gloria to draw any conclusions about her personality at all; nothing about her background, virtually nothing about her courtship. Fifty years have passed since the disaster; maybe the sort of human details that would have fleshed this into a story worth reading are no longer available, having died with the principals. In that case, maybe this book shouldn't have been written, because I think it contributes but little to anyone's understanding of this event. Very disappointing.

I'll just jump in and counter another review that's posted. This isn't sensational "true crime" genre stuff. "Mainliner Denver" stays close to the bone, to the definite, no-questions-asked facts of one of the most stunning acts of violence in Colorado's history and in aviation history. Andrew Field steers clear of speculation and guesswork. The details are well assembled, and the flow is linear. The reader is left to absorb the story just as it unfolded in 1955. I worked with both Al Nakkula and Gene Amole at The Rocky Mountain News so it was fascinating to think back about their roles in this over-the-top story. And Field lays out the issues sparked by this legendary crime with a reporter's deft eye -- cameras in the court, vending machine air travel insurance, luggage screening, and execution mishaps, among others. While Graham wasn't the best planner in the world and made it fairly easy for detectives to piece things together, Field does a terrific job of detailing their investigation and the hurdles they encountered along the way. If you want to read something that draws out complicated theories for Graham's psychological make-up, go elsewhere. "Mainliner Denver" sticks to what we know for sure and, in that way, leaves an even more powerful chill.

In the "True Crime" section of your favorite bookstore most of the titles involve crimes of recent vintage; the reason being that most buyers of True Crime books will pay for something that's fresh in their mind due to the impact from newspapers and the nightly cable barrage (a la Nancy Grace et.al.). Books involving classic crimes that that stand the test of time due to their impact, horror, or legacy are few and far between. In my previous review of "The Mosser Massacre" I applauded the fact that William Cook's reign of terror was getting it's own book while Howard Unruh's "Walk Of Death" from 1949 and Jack Gilbert Graham's airplane bombing in 1955 were still waiting. Well, while Unruh's "legacy" is still lacking the "treatment", Graham's 1955 bombing of a commercial aircraft finally gets the documentation needed. Full of pictures, interviews and trial transcripts, Andrew Field has come up with a book that covers a classic American crime that had no counterpart before 9/11. More importantly, Field weaves into the impact the crime had on the victims and their relatives (which, unfortunately is too uncommon in true crime literature). Any interested reader in classic American crime will enjoy this book! (Note: for any perspective true-crime authors; along with the before-mentioned Unruh how about a book on 1948 Ohio rampage killers Murl Daniels and John Coulter West?)

Andrew J. Field has done an outstanding job in detailing the notorious case of John Gilbert Graham. In every respect -- research, presentation, writing, and editing -- there is absolutely nothing lacking about "Mainliner Denver". To be sure, Mr. Field doesn't succeed in explaining (or even determining) Graham's motivation. Money? Hatred? Was he, as William Roughead once famously described Lizzie Borden, "unfilial?" Mr. Field doesn't know, but his "failure" is not the result of want of trying.

This is a fast, easy, entertaining, riveting, and informative read. I highly recommend it. Indeed, I would be delighted if Mr. Field would bring his considerable talents to bear in exploring other neglected criminals -- Barbara Graham or Penny Bjorkland, to mention only a couple. I'll keep my fingers crossed -- and so should you.

I read this book recently and I think that it's a very facinating story of a survivor of the Columbine shootings, of how she went on with her life and found faith and of how she is reaching out to others in the years since the shootings. The only weakness in the book is that she doesn't talk about the aftermath of Columbine in much detail and what she thought of it, especially regarding that a lot of the people who may read this book has been following what happened for an extended period of time and this may disappoint those who would read the book for that reason.

Overall, I think that this is a very good book and that people who are intrested in matters of faith even during the most trying of times should read this book.

Crystal Woodman Miller is a brave young woman who took tragdey and turned it into hope, she took pain and turned it into a passion, a passion fo God, and life, and her book is an inspiration to everyone who reads it, and her life and presence is a testament to everyone who is blessed to read this. This book is so honest and true, that it is amazing, and it is a true example of love and strength.

I was absolutely moved by this simple, yet profound story of a young woman who chose hope after such tremendous trauma in her life. Crystal tells a beautiful story of suffering, confusion, hurt and then perserverance and ultimately, hope. Her journey illustrates so well that God brings "beauty from ashes." I highly recommend this book to anyone - whether currently struggling or coasting comfortably through life.... this is truly a wonderful book!

the book is about the author's conversion experience. But, it has little context to the rich texture of the high school Columbine or the massacre or who she knew before, how she saw that all.

Crystal has created an excellent teaching tool. She identifies personal experiences and links them to a growing faith. She demonstrates how we can grow in faith even under tradgic situations as long as we have hope and belief in God. I will read this book a number of times because it brings one back to reality and the nead for God in our lives. Thanks Crystal for a great book. God gave you a tremendous gift. Mike Fielding

When my Colorado friends first showed me this book, I sat down and went through every page just admiring the color photography. If this wasn't a guidebook, it could make a great coffee table book! Not only are the photos exceptional, but they also help you visualize the difficulty level of many of the crux portions of each route.

After my first pass through, I was also drooling about trying many of the routes described. There are some classic routes such as Sawtooth Ridge (between Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt) and the Little Bear/Blanca traverse. Even these well-known routes came to life for me much better in this guidebook than any other I've seen.

Many of the 50 climbs in this book are ones I'm not familiar with. (note: although I live in New Mexico, I do a fair amount of climbing in Colorado as well) I've climbed 2 of the routes in the book so far, and found the maps and descriptions to be right on the money. My climbing partners have climbed about a dozen of the climbs, and agree that this is an excellent guide to all of them. They especially liked the inclusion of GPS waypoints for some of the routes where route finding is a particular problem.

If you have solid experience with moderate climbing and are ready for some wonderful new challenges, I highly recommend this book.

This is a good book, particularly for those people who are experienced climbers and interested in many of Colorado's lesser known peaks. For these people, they will love this book and look beyond the book's faults. When I first inspected this book, I didn't hesitate to buy it.

Now, you will note many reviews on May 11 and May 12, 2006, some of whom criticize Martian Bachelor's review. These reviewers, as it turns out, were encouraged by one of the author's friends to submit reviews. Take their reviews in the vain of "a friend of the author."

As for Martian Bachelor's review, some of his points are not without merit. His point about the title and the treatment of the classification of the routes is reasonable. Gerry Roach has set the standard for rating climbs within Colorado through his very popular guide books. In Roach's first 14er book, Roach states, "Class 3 is the easiest climbing category, and people usually call it scrambling," and "Class 4 and Class 5 are in the realm of technical climbing." As such, a more appropriate title for the book would have been, "Colorado Scrambles and Climbs: A Guide to 50 Select Routes in Colorado's Mountains." Not much doubt about what this book entails with that title in view of Roach's well-read books.

Given "most" people who climb own at least one copy of a Roach book, it would have been nice, if not appropriate, if the author would have recognized the classification standards adopted by Roach, if for no other reason people have become familiar with these "YDS" standards. Class 3, 4, and 5 mean something to people in Colorado.

To be fair to the author, though, rating peaks is tough, and it is often difficult to distinguish between a class 3 and class 4 route. Perhaps this is why the author rated climbing routes as 1, 2, and 3, and did not faithfully rate routes to the degree Roach rates his routes. On occasion the author rates routes as class 3 or 4, but many route descriptions lack a class 3 or 4 rating altogether.

However, this book will be greatly appreciated by the experienced climber who perhaps doesn't need or even desire the breath-by-breath route rating that a Roach guidebook provides.

This a good work and it fills a niche in Colorado mountaineering. Nonetheless, you can notice a difference between this work and a Roach work. Those interested in climbing, however, will easily look beyond the book's faults and be excited by the routes reviewed.

It is refreshing to read a quality guide book that goes beyond the typical 14,000 ft. peak list. While they are useful many of us want new ideas on lesser known peaks and routes. It was interesting to read the exchange about the definition of a scramble. I started climbing in 1974 and I understand and agree with David's assessment. More importantly the book is well organized and the ratings are consistent. The photographs are good, some of them excellent and exceed the typical route photo in other books by far.

Looks like a great deal of time and effort went into presenting the book. Perfect, no. Are there any books without some errors?

Thanks David

John

Mars-man needs to get out of Colorado more. "Scrambling" in the world at large does indeed have a specific meaning that includes 4th and lower 5th class climbing (probably more than it does just Class 3 climbing). I've climbed more than a dozen of the routes in the book including at least one that is not documented elsewhere and one using only this book as a guide and find the book to be a great guide to "interesting" routes throughout the state.

It has a nice balance of well-known classics and hidden gems and provides important information (like GPS coordinates for critical junctures) not available elsewhere. As far as the pictures go, well they are worth a thousand words especially when it comes to routefinding.

I kind of like the 1, 2, 3 general ratings for length and difficulty too (you know, "easy", "medium", "hard"?). It captures more than the technical difficulty of a route's hardest move. The traditional NCCS I-VI commitment grades could also have been used more widely, but I think 1,2,3 is more intuitive for the average person.

There is no expressed or implied correlation between the 1,2,3 length/difficulty ratings and the traditional Yosemite grade. E.g. nothing in the write-up of Kelso Ridge implies that it is any harder than Class 3 (which I find to be accurate).

To be sure, the climbs in this book are not for the beginner or inexperienced climber, but for the intermediate seeking to stretch their limits or the experienced climber looking to ply their craft, this is an outstanding compilation of climbs.

I purchased Colorado Scrambles in summer of 2005. Having moved from Colorado the previous summer, I came out on vacation in September 2005 for mountain climbing and used the book extensively. It is a good mix of route descriptions with pictures. I climbed Lookout Peak, Arrow, Engineer, Vermilion, SW ridge of Sneffels and the Citadel with the excellent info provided by Colorado Scrambles. The book is very good for someone wanting a challenge but not looking for multi-pitch technical climbs. I really enjoyed reading about the obscure summits especially in the Gore Range where there is not much written about the magnificent range.