Maine Books

I was recommended to this series by my local library because I am a huge fan of the Miss Marple series. While I didn't expect this book to be exactly like an Agatha Christie novel, I was still very disappointed. Agatha Raisin is no Miss Marple. She doesn't seem to have much self-respect or dignity and she certainly isn't able to read people in the Marple tradition (I am not sure why the libary database links the characters as being similar other than they are older women who live alone). Other than having once been a great PR mogul and well off enough that she doesn't have to work, Mrs Raisin's really got nothing going for her. I guess having started my mystery reading with Sherlock Holmes and Christie's characters I expect my sleuths to be a little larger than life, a little smarter than the next guy, and certainly to have more self-respect than this middle aged bimbo who can't seem to decide who or what she wants. Someone who likes their sleuths to not to be "larger tha life" will probably enjoy this series a lot more than I did.

The storyline itself wasn't bad. It was pretty obvious who the murderer was, however I did find myself having doubts here and there and there were some pretty interesting plot twists.

I have noticed that there are quite a few Agatha Raisin books available, so this must be a fairly popular series or they wouldn't keep printing them. I'm considering reading a second one to see if this book was just a fluke, but I don't know if I can get past wanting to slap the main character and yell at her to just grow up already.

This was a very good book, it kept you interested the whole book. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a good mystery book to read. Agatha Raisin series are by far one of the best mysteries to read.

A separate sideline about Agatha's hopeless drive to have the ideal relationship with James Lacey, is, in essence, like a separate yet finely interwoven story to the mystery. Perhaps the mystery of finding the perfect mate is less solvable then the murders she so aptly finds herself involved in and solves far ahead of the famous bobbies of England's constabulary forced.

The mystery itself was fine, but Agatha really grated on my nerves. I understand she's self conscious sometimes, but she overcompensates by lashing out and being rude to people who didn't even provoke her. And what in the world does she see in James Lacey? (and vice versa, what does he see in her?) They are suspicious of each other, insult each other, yet it's supposed to be a love story. I didn't get it.

I prefer M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series instead.

At the end of Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist, Agatha realizes that James Lacey is probably not going to become her husband in this lifetime. That realization leaves her feeling flat and depressed. When her former assistant, Roy Silver, calls to offer a job doing PR for a local water company, she's mildly interested. That flicker of intrigue is soon fanned into a bonfire when a trip to the water company's source causes Agatha to find the dead body of Mr. Robert Struthers, chairman of the Ancombe Parish Council, a group that was about to hold a key vote on allowing the new water company to use the spring. What better way to sleuth than to have the chance to use PR as a cover?

Agatha is soon attracted to one of the owners of the new company, Guy Freemont, who is "tall and slim, with jet-black hair and very blue eyes, a tanned skin and an athlete's body." Guy takes her out and they end up spending the night. This becomes a routine that keeps Agatha worrying about her appearance while others tell her she's making a fool of herself.

Agatha's suspicions soon focus on the parish council, whose members are a particularly nasty and unfriendly lot. Motives and bad behavior abound. James Lacey chooses to investigate without Agatha and turns up even more motives for murder.

One of the hilarious events of the book builds around Agatha trying to make a local fete into a large PR event, as circumstances and villains conspire against her.

The resolution of the mystery includes some good drama that will delight Agatha's fans.

I found that the reduced emphasis on James Lacey in this book gave this series a new shot of adrenaline and brought back the awkwardness and earnestness of Agatha Raisin into center stage where she reigns so well.

This book was quite possibly the best biblical fiction book I have read in the past few years. Fallen is the story of Cain and Abel, and alternately, Adam and Eve. The book begins with the ending and cleverly winds it's way back to the beginning, with the body of the story told in shifting time-lines. Maine brilliantly manages to keep the story line comprehensive and lucid. I was very struck by the spare, yet visceral language throughout the book, and the motivations of the characters were portrayed extremely well. I raced ahead to finish the book, all the while trying to slow myself down so there was more to savor. Though the story is familiar to most, the nuances and subtleties that were infused throughout the book made this a one of a kind story, one where even though the outcome is predicted, the road getting there is anything but.

Most know the infamous story of the two brothers, Cain and Abel, but what is portrayed here is so much more. Maine has managed to take small snippets of those famous verses in the Bible and make them delectably consumable, and downright wonderful. Cain is portrayed as a difficult and tractable young man, bordering on heretical. He is forever feeling slighted and wronged, and his attitude only makes things more difficult for himself. It is hard to find sympathy for Cain; he is virtually unlovable, and remains so for the entirety of the novel. It becomes easy to see him follow his path from anger to murder. Even in his exile, he curses and berates God, making him seem all the more recalcitrant and miserable. His reflections upon himself and his inherent differences from his family are captivating, and make him a full and interesting character.

Abel, on the other hand is wonderfully compliant, kind and friendly. Though he tends towards platitudes and bossiness, the goodness in him shines through. Abel, his mother's favored child, strives for peace in the family, and is usually the one to try and persuade Cain to abandon his fits of pique. He is loving and forgiving, and he is truly humble to the Lord. He is constantly trying to find his brother's heart and make him see reason. It is clear to see that Abel is light to Cain's darkness. The insight gained regarding Abel's unselfish love for his brother make Cain's act all the more incomprehensible. Though Abel is more of a simple man, his devotion to his family and his God are very moving.

As the story moves forward, the focus is on Adam and Eve and their flight to safety after being banished from the Garden of Eden. It is a sorrowful trek that visits many misfortunes and hardships upon the two. Everything that could possibly go wrong for them does so from the beginning. Adam's staunch belief in the Lord pulls him through the struggles, and makes him accepting of any travail that comes their way. Eve is not always so emotionally compliant. There are scenes in which she doubts the intentions and safeguarding of God, and in these moments, Maine has cleverly elaborated on what can only be speculated upon. The awareness of the characters was also a great touch. These fictional characters see themselves as we would see ourselves today, their hopes, fears and dreams are fully realized within the story, and the effect is that all the characters are living, breathing and thinking entities who can be understood and appreciated.

At the close of the book, the story has finally come around to the beginning. God has banished the couple from paradise for their sin, and they are left wondering how and where they will survive. The fear they feel is perceptible, and their reactions to it recognizable. This story has been heard countless times before, yet what is different this time around is the cognizance of the sinners. It is so much clearer to imagine, in this novel, who and what Adam and Eve were like, and what they were thinking. By making them so human, the author has made them so much more plausible and believable. One can imagine feeling the same way today if one were faced with these overwhelming situations. The dialogue was also very solid. Both the children and the parents contemporized and tended towards philosophical understanding.

Another lovely touch was the depictions of the world around the characters. It was easy to see the hardship once the barren and wasted landscape was described. The deserts felt hot, the river felt cool. The effect was masterful, as the panorama wasn't excessively described. It was hinted at, and sparingly related, yet so much more revealing than if countless pages of scenery had been described. It was also interesting to see deftness of the period detail.

This was a wonderful book. It had so many multi-layered parts that came together seamlessly and satisfyingly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Biblical fiction, or anyone who would just like to read a good story. This book is one of three books of biblical fiction by the same author. I will most definitely be reading the others.

People. I think at times we lack, as a society, any originality. I am a christian, and i am only 18 and i followed the novels reverse chronology just fine, and manage not to get offended by a some a forein thing to some people called artistic liberties. It's a book. Believe it or not, some people have ALTERNATE forms of writing and can be something called CREATIVE. I had some issues with the book, obsenities that i didn't find to be warrented, but seriously. He is brilliant, he makes people from history real. He makes them alive. He shows us that they had feelings and lived a life, and i think it is an excellent choice. I apologize if i misspelled or didn't indent. GREAT BOOK. Even for a fairy tail.

This book was horrible. Our book club read it and not a singe person liked it. It had one gimmick (that it read in reverse), but that was it. It completely lacked in creativity.

To take a story as familiar as this one, and make it different is truly a feat! Maine writes beautifully and gives a new perspective on Cain, Abel, Adam and Eve. A human perspective.

A very entertaining and enjoyable read. I even laughed a few times (though maybe I wasn't supposed to.)

David Maine is a master of prose, lending archaic stories a stark relevance and realism. In "The Preservationist," he took us into Noah's life and family. In "Fallen," he gives us a peek into the minds and motivations of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and perhaps even God himself.

With deft skill, Maine starts his story from Cain's perspective. As the narrative winds backwards through time to the Fall in the Garden--possibly losing some of its tension, since we know the outcome--we do find deeper insight into the lives of the first family. What modern family doesn't struggle with these same issues: conflict between teens and parents, sibling rivalry, and sins of the fathers (and mothers)? Maine makes these very issues seem pertinent to our own culture; his true magic is his ability to show that the biblical stories still have lessons to teach about our future.

There is one caveat I must mention. Maine chooses an uncertain approach to the root of man's disobedience (one mirrored by prudish leaders in church history), showing that Adam and Eve only experienced physical union after the Fall, as though their awareness of their nakedness is a sexual awareness alone. In fact, the biblical account mentions the "cleaving to one another" and "becoming one flesh" before the Fall, implying that its beauty and transcendence was a divine gift.

That aside, this is a wonderfully told story, full of beauty and rage and humanity. Maine's research and insights are woven throughout the narrative, and I can't wait to see which biblical account he dives into next.

I am lucky to have some wonderful, long-standing friendships. However, over the last few years I have not given them the time and attention they deserve. Thank you to Patricia O'Brien and Ellen Goodman for reminding me about the important role these friendships play in my life. I saw the authors on the Today Show several months ago and was inspired to read their book. The personal insights, experiences and delightful antecdotes they share helped me refocus and get back in contact -- in a healthy and meaningful way -- with many significant people in my own life. I've encouraged many friends to read this book and jump start their own relationships -- and it's worked!

What a delight it was to come across this terrific book! I think the authors were able to capture something many women feel throughout their lives but sometimes have difficulty articulating -- the precious nature of their friendships with other women. I found myself wanting to contact those women with whom I've shared my joys and pains to tell them, first, how important they have been to me throughout my life, and second, to READ THE BOOK. Goodman and O'Brien were able to cover a wide spectrum of sociocultural backgrounds in their interviews with women, focusing on the commonality of the experience of friendship in women's lives. I thought the book was provocative and stimulating; it made me examine my relationships and intensified my appreciation of the women I cherish as my friends. It's a pleasure to know that I've read a book I can recommend with great enthusiasm to women I know -- and to men as well.

This book was selected for my women's book club. We expected a great forum to discuss womens relationships. Unfortunately, the book was so dry that half of the women couldn't finish it. It felt like the stories seemed to be repetative and often common sense - making me think, "I know just what you mean, get on with it." I agree with another reviewer who mentioned they focused on talking about mostly women of privileged lives and I would add mostly those in their age bracket. The book did not live up to it's potential of encouragement, suggestions, or humor.

I read this in one weekend. I loved the relationship between the two women. It came to me that the relationships that a woman holds with her female friends is so important. I felt that this was such an important book to share with friends that I bought and sent this to my two best friends

This book was interesting and uplifting in its examination of a friendship that has weathered all the ups and downs that life can bring, including divorce, death, and feelings of competitiveness. However, I feel that Goodman and O'Brien chose to discuss friendships with women who were very similar to themselves, i.e. women who are college-educated and fairly economically well-off. The authors are unusual in that they have the financial resources to take vacations together,to fly to visit one another, and to make lengthy long distance phone calls. I felt that the authors' lacked sensitivity to the fact that many women are not so fortunate. A few of the women portrayed are exceptions, but by and large Goodman and O'Brien have examined friendship in the context of privileged lives. I would have liked to read a book that focused on very ordinary people who were blessed with extraordinary friendships.

I loved this book and all the "Highlander" books!!Janet Chapman is excellent. Keeps me reading all her books.

I view time travel romances that involve Scottish men and have the word "Highlander" in the title through a pair of very expensive rose-colored glasses. I am inexplicably and unabashedly in love with the genre.

That being said, my criticisms of the fourth book in Chapman's Highlander Series would likely be harsher was it not for the aforementioned factors. Even so, minus one star because it's not even close to being the best in the series. And minus another star because it was while reading one of Father Daar's comments to Robbie MacBain in this installment that I finally realized what it was about this author's written interpretation of a Scottish burr that bothered me the most. Way to go, Father Daar, you've messed up again!

"Do ya think I asked to be a druidh? It's not exactly something ya wish for. Providence decides our destinies. Yar own mother understood this, and it didn't stop her from having you. It's not a curse, boy," Daar snapped, leaning forward. "It's a gift. Yar mama not only gave ya life but the gift of yar calling. Embrace it. Use it! Explore the full extent of yar abilities, and thank God that ya have the means to protect those ya love."

So is it just me or does this sound more like pirate slang than a Scottish brogue?!? Yar! YAR!!!! Shiver me timbers, YAR!!!!

Once that thought occurred to me, my desire to write off the entire book became even stronger, especially since I couldn't quite get into the pairing of Robbie MacBain (the hero) with Catherine, aka Cat, Daniels (the heroine). Cat was too much of a cliche and as a result, their wimpy romance was just sort of okay. Because Robbie had played a role in previous books in the series, I'd hoped his story would have had more oomph.

One final recommendation if you're considering a foray into Janet Chapman's world of hot bod Highlanders: read the series in order. You'll be confused if you don't.

1) Charming the Highlander
2) Loving the Highlander
3) Wedding the Highlander
4) Tempting the Highlander
5) Only with a Highlander
6) Secrets of the Highlander

This book was pretty good. I am getting a little tired of the series. This story had more freshness with the characters than previous books. It was nice to see a strong female character. I enjoyed the book.

This book was very intertaining and lived up to the great read the ones before it was.

Excellent book in a great series. Very well written with characters who capture your imagination.

We'll all live just like the Beans, someday real soon I suspect. As soon as the big corporations get through pickin the skeleton clean. Pickin the last meat off the bones. After the corpse that was America,has had it's blood sucked dry. They'll be just two kinds of people, the very poor and the very,very rich. The very poor, you and me and the Beans. How well would you fair under such a hard scrabble existence? How are you going to fair, when it all falls apart, this shaky house of cards?
It's a great book. Probably one of my all time favorites. It's one of those special books that plays like a movie in your mind as you read it. It does that because of the sheer skill of the author. I'm very sad. I'm sorry the story had to end. Maybe it's not going to end. Perhaps we've seen a vision of our future. This may be how all of us,(the used to be working class) will be living. Just surviving.

I can't believe this thing was a bestseller. I read this because it was featured in the book "How To Write A Breakout Novel" and sounded interesting. I was wrong. I am finishing it only because I hate to leave a book half-read, and it's not the most *boring* book I've ever read (a record still held by Anna Karenina since college, lo these many years ago). It's not until over halfway through the book before anything even remotely interesting happens (an attack on a law enforcement authority). The writing definitely has its moments but the characters largely do a lot of vaguely strange things for no apparent reason that I can see, and damned if I can find any real conflict or 'villain' in this (what, poverty? Poverty is tragic, but it's mindless and therefore non-villainous). Mostly it's just these really pathetic people going about their lives with no real plotline. Isn't that why many would-be novels get rejected by agents and publishers, because of a lack of a plotline? If I'd been Ms. Chute's agent I would have sent it back to her with a few plot suggestions & asked her to submit again. Oh well, Anne Rice gets away with that too.

This thing has the feel of 'not ready for prime time', but still with lots of promise. I'm giving this two stars because some semblance of conflict *does* show up albeit awfully late to the party, and because Ms. Chute's ability to convey a hillbilly point of view with such lyrical prose is to be commended. If you read this book for any reason, the prose is definitely it. If you're looking for plotline, look elsewhere.

The book opens with a view of the downtrodden Bean family as seen through the young eyes of Earlene. Living next door, she's fascinated by the unruly children, squalor, drinking and other behavior of the Bean family. Her father warns her against having anything to do with the disreputable clan.
The book grabs you with its descriptions of the horrifying family situation, the poverty, the inbreeding, the fatherless children, and the stories of their escapades. The reader wants to draw back in horror at such lives, but the book is absorbing and at times humorous.

Carolyn Chute is my shooting star, really. Earlene Bean is the best American fiction character to walk onto the novel in this past century.

We like to pretend the world of these characters does not exist and even if we may admit it does most of us don't want the details. It opened a window to a new reality for me. I appreciated the author's notes at the end; I did not assume incest between Lee and Earlene though she states that many did. I found myself profoundly grateful for my education and resources which have spared me this type of existence. I found Earlene to be a likeable character and the lack of fairy tale solutions gave credence to the sad realities of poverty.

I was hoping that this book might give me tips on how to apply makeup, what would work best for my face shape, lip shape, eye size, skin color, etc. But it was too general in my opinion. I haven't found any tips that I have carried with me. So I'm still looking for a good book on how to apply makeup!

I found this book to be simple things we already know and instead of really focusing on how to do make up better it's kind of like a self-help. I mean the mssg is great that everyone is beautiful in their own way, but I bought this book hoping it would be about make up in a more intense manner.

I bought this book almost 5 years ago, and all the advice it contains is not outdated yet. Good advice on how to apply makeup, which are the best shades according to the age, hair color, skin tone and even race (I am Hispanic, although not the typical black haired with olive skin). After reading the book, I decided to highlight my hair and it really made a difference! The only thing I did not like is that sometimes, it became sort of Bobbi-centered, due to the great amount of pictures of herself and her family and relatives.

I'll be honest with you: this is more of a "feel good" book than a book about beauty hints and tips or makeup. I really wish Bobbi Brown would have written more about skin care and makeup than fill the pages with photographs.

Years ago I wanted to learn how to apply cosmetics properly. The natural look on this book's cover attracted me so I bought it. It turned out that this book is far more than how to make a natural look. The beauty tips are organized by several very sensible categories: 1. process: step-by-step makeup guide; 2. Makeup recipes tailored according to how much time you can afford for a make up: 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, or 20+ min; 3.Beauty tips for females in different age groups: 20s, 30s, 40s...till 100s; 4. Tailored makeup recipes according to your skin tone and hair colour.

Other very useful information like how to organize your makeup tools, plastic surgery or not, etc. are also provided.

Finally Ms Brown also does not forget to remind you beauty is not only about hair, face, skin and figure. It's about healthy life style and healthy attitude toward yourself and the life.

All in all, this book serves as a very good makeup reference to me. And I like Ms Brown's attitude toward the makeup thing. Anyone whose main interest is not in makeup/fasion but still want to appear polished in public should get this book.

It was hard not to read this book in one sitting. The investigation conducted by Mr. Moore was through and fair. He did not go into his investigation to prove Dechaine innocent - it just happened that the facts led him to that conclusion. It is interesting to note that despite some of the previous reviewers' bashing, no one, not a single person, has come forward to claim the $1000. reward Mr. Moore has offered for anyone who can prove that any of the evidence he outlines in his book is incorrect. That's quite telling, I think. Read the book, look at the facts and come to your own conclusion based on facts not on a guilty conscience.

This 2nd edition of "Human Sacrifice" includes evidence unearthed after publication of the first edition -- proof from OFFICIAL FILES proving even more evidence concealed by prosecutors and documentary proof (in their own contemporaneous noted) that detectives perjured themselves when recounting the defendant's alleged confession!
The untold tragedy is the silence of the entire law enforcement community. It's as if nobody in Maine's justice system cares that an innocent man was framed the a bestial killer was allowed to go free.

The alleged writer of the preceding "review," fails to specify a single error or mis-statement in this book. He falsely states that the author never investigated a homicide, he falsely states that the book was self-published, he ignores the proven fact that detectives' own contemporaneous notes (previously concealed) dispute their allegations that Dechaine confessed - poor Cameron can't even spell Dechaine's name correctly. This "review," fails to mention that Mr. Dechaine is the ONLY murder suspect I ever heard of who requested DNA testing BEFORE his trial, offered to pay for it and to share the results with the state. But prosecutors opposed DNA testing (which has now excluded Dechaine as a possible donor to the male DNA in the blood under the girl's fingernails) and the court refused to allow DNA tests before the trial. The Cameron review is on a par with the professionalism of the detectives who investigated this case and the prosecutors who concealed evidence from the jury. Maybe that's because James Cameron of Hallowell, Maine is an attorney employed by the state.

I was a young person when this case broke locally and decided to read Human Sacrifice because I don't have many opportunities to read about true crime set in Maine. The only thing this book did for me, however, was further convince me of Dechaine's guilt. Not only did he have no recollection of what he'd been doing when he was within a stone's throw of the spot where Sarah Cherry was killed, but his documentation was found in her driveway. Come on now! Dechaine was "railroaded" like OJ Simpson was railroaded-- which is to say, not at all. I think Maine is populated by a lot of bleeding-heart hippies who hate The Man and are paranoid that The State is out to get them; thus, their willingness to sympathize with Dechaine and doubt his culpability. It's too bad, really, because all that emotional energy used by Dechaine's advocates could be better used to protect the rights of children like Sarah Cherry.

With reluctance I read a borrowed copy of this book. The author James Moore is a retired govenment employee with some law enforcement background, but has never investigated a rape or murder. He brings no particular expertise to this critique of a heinous rape and murder of a adolescent girl. The writing is amateurish, mostly unreadable, and dull. His argument that Duchaine is innocent is flimsy beyond belief. Of all the murder cases to pick, why did Moore pick one with overwhelming evidence of guilt? More to the point, why whould he choose to advocate for the innocence of a man who raped and murdered a little girl after shooting up speed, and who got caught walking out of the woods near her body, and where the rope used to tie her body was found in his truck. Oh yeah, they also found a recipt with his name on it that he dropped in her driveway. P.S., He confessed too. Moore's book really is an outrage. He should be ashamed.

Who is Richard Knight? Where is he? Is he dead or alive? What really happened 19 years ago that changed life for so many for so long? The Vanished Child is an onion of a mystery, with layer upon layer of dicovery, ambiguity, truth, and lies. Sarah Smith is skilled at imbuing her characters with subtle pychological nuance. She understands the nature of fear and denial and the way such emotions work upon people over both short and long term. In a manner somewhat reminiscent of Hamlet, the book's central mystery is solved by re-enacting it in a play, pricking the consciences of the participants. Several reviewers have complained about loose ends, but these will be dealt with in the subsequent volumes of this trilogy. The Vanished Child is a brief, terse page-turner, full of suspense and ambiguity. Highly recommended.

Sarah Smith has possibly the most annoying writing style I have ever encountered in a popular novel. Certainly, it has to be unique among mystery writers. I found myself skipping paragraphs on almost every page, and every once in a while a passage would have me positively gritting my teeth. The prose is so obtuse it's difficult to grasp what's going on at least some of the time. The motivations of most of the principal characters are unconvincing and never adequately explained. The period is fairly well described, although at least one or two details are open to question.
Despite all that, Smith has concocted a fairly interesting story with a pretty good ending. She has a good eye for detail, which occasionally enlivens what would otherwise be a pedestrian descriptive passage. My advice: read a few pages of "The Vanished Child" before you before you fork over your hard-earned.

This is the book that compelled me to buy every single one of the other books I could find by the author - her writing is simply that good and the characters she creates are vivid and compelling.
In The Vanished Child, the reader is immediately submerged into a decades old mystery, centering on Alexander Von Reisden, a man with alarming gaps in his memory and virtually no recollection of his childhood.
One day, a chance meeting with a stranger raises even more questions about himself and his past. Could he possibly be Richard Knight, a missing heir who was kidnapped as a child and who stands to inherit a fortune from the surviving members of his family? Or is he simply someone who coincidentally resembles the Knight family, leading some of them to believe (or hope) that he could be the missing Richard?
Author Sarah Smith weaves her tale with haunting intensity and detail, keeping me reading till nearly morning. I paid the price the next day but it was worth it.

This is the book that compelled me to buy every single one of the other books I could find by the author - her writing is simply that good and the characters she creates are vivid and compelling.
In The Vanished Child, the reader is immediately submerged into a decades old mystery, centering on Alexander Von Reisden, a man with alarming gaps in his memory and virtually no recollection of his childhood.
One day, a chance meeting with a stranger raises even more questions about himself and his past. Could he possibly be Richard Knight, a missing heir who was kidnapped as a child and who stands to inherit a fortune from the surviving members of his family? Or is he simply someone who coincidentally resembles the Knight family, leading some of them to believe (or hope) that he could be the missing Richard?
Author Sarah Smith weaves her tale with haunting intensity and detail, keeping me reading till nearly morning. I paid the price the next day but it was worth it.

Writing a 'period thriller' in this day and age must be a daunting task. No real car chases; no internet spying; no satellite explosions; no nuclear threats;...But Sarah Smith manages to create a thrilling piece of fiction out of the woods of New Hampshire and Boston in 1906 in bringing readers the story of the Vanished Child.

Alexander Von Reisden never expected to be recognized as the 'vanished' Richard Knight eighteen years after the boy disappears. But when Richard's former doctor Charlie Adair approaches him on a European train platform, he is drawn into the mystery that Richard left behind...a murdered grandfather, an unclaimed inheritance...a missing secretary...and no answers in sight.

Reisden travels to Boston to 'help' the Knight family find those answers, implying that he is not Richard, but all the while leaving a shadow of a doubt in everyone's minds.

In Boston, he encounters Gilbert Knight, the dowdy, dithering uncle of the missing Richard; Harry Boulding, the favored heir who stands to inherit millions upon the legal declaration of Richard's demise, and Perdita, Harry's fiance and Charlie Adair's niece. Reisden opens a full-scale search and investigation into the disappearance of Richard, as well as Jay French, the secretary to Richard's grandfather William, and the murder of William himself. Reisden becomes enmeshed in the Knight family background; searching for the history of a boy when he in fact has no memory of his own early childhood.

Sarah Smith entertained me greatly with this novel. It is appropriately moody and dark, the language reads with authenticity to the time period of the story, and although the author admits to 'bending timeline' a bit to make certain events fit her story...it is not bent enough to break continuity or believability. As a Boston resident I enjoyed many location descriptions and sank comfortably into the history of the city I now call home.

My only real critiques are: Some confusion with calling Reisden by the name Richard occasionally, in narrative, to further the thought that...'maybe' he is Richard after all; and for an undeveloped thread regarding the death of Reisden's wife, and for naming the Boston Common Frog Pond inappropriately as site of Swan Boat paddling...as well as some loose ends that are not tied up with the ending.

This is well worth the read, regardless of these criticisms. After reading that this was a planned trilogy all along, perhaps any lingering questions will be answered. And knowing that there are two other books to follow, I cannot wait to indulge myself in the others.

A Year in the Maine Woods

Transport yourself into the natural world and be guided by an expert who writes with acute observation. It made me envy his journey. Almost is a virtual reality experience. The reader can smell the damp leaves, hear the raven, see the moose, etc. A book the reader will return to again and again to share the rich experiences of the author.

I really enjoyed this book -- it is a quiet, at times poetic, reflection on how one man lived within his environment for four distinct seasons. Heinrich reminds us of how richly varied and fascinating our world is and how much we miss every moment that we are too distracted to really see, smell, hear, and touch the natural world. The book inspired me to try to slow down a bit and take a closer look at the plants, animals, birds, and insects in my own back yard.

Bernd Heinrich a Zoology Professor at the University of Vermont has written many books on natural history or what is now called nature writing. This is the first I've read and have enjoyed it immensely. His style is a mixture of deep zoological knowledge of the animals and plants of the Maine woods and the pure love of being a human being who can appreciate and really live the surrounding natural world. This is what is needed by all people if they want to appreciate their world. Its a delightful book but does not possess the intensity of Jack Turner's "Abstract Wild" or Doug Peacock's Grisly writing. But it doesn't really need it, it is just a man living in the woods for a year through the beautiful summer pestered by black flies and the stunning autumn into a cold winter and the new life of spring. The book is also full of very well drawn animals and plants. The story starts with him driving to his cabin with his pet raven Jack who, being a raven, is independent minded and eventually leaves. Its too bad Jack was truly fascinating. There is much to do including the chopping of wood for the winter, taking care of his apple trees, raven watching to do. Its amazing how beautiful nature is when someone is watching with all his heart and mind. A delightful book.

Heinrich writes about his observations of Maine's animals and plants from winter silences to spring's new growth. It ranges from lyrical descriptions of wild flowers to more than you want to know about decaying carcasses attracting carrion eaters.
I enjoyed reading it while parked in an RV in a Maine campground. My little window on the woods was so limited, making me appreciate his insights and trained eye. Sometimes he is philosophical, and at other times mundane (justifying why he doesn't wash his dishes more often).

I've read several of Heinrich's books and have never been disappointed. Some reviewers compare him to Thoreau, favorably or not. While in certain places he does evoke thoughts of Thoreau, that is not what he is trying to do, contrary to what some reviewers seem to think.

As a word-class biologist and naturalist, Heinrich approaches his story of life in the Maine woods from two vantage points. First, as a scientist/naturalist, and then as a long-time resident of the area of Maine he calls home. The two themes are interwoven with a seasonal view of life in his cabin.

Unlike Thoreau, who was an amateur nineteenth century naturalist and literary philosopher, Heinrich has the advantage of being both a keen observer and a trained scientist, albeit one who grew up surrounded by nature before receiving his academic research training as a physiological ecologist. While some might find the detail he presents in places to be too much, those who really wish to learn about combining the powers of observation with scientific insights will be richly rewarded.

I must take exception to the reviewer who termed this book an "ego trip".
Heinrich is hardly parading his vast scientific knowledge for the sake of seeming erudite. The man has garnered numerous scientific and literary kudos, for both his research and nature writing, so I suspect he hardly needs to engage in an "ego trip" by trying to ape Thoreau. In fact, given his vast knowledge of biology, I would say that he strikes a good balance between telling a personal story and presenting scientific facts and insights in the context of his experience.

Having spent a few years in the area of Maine that Heinrich loves and writes about so well, I think that he does a wonderful job capturing both the nature and the lifestyle of rural Maine. If you are the type of person who enjoys taking walks in company of expertise, you will enjoy this book.

I loved everything about this book. The episodic plot. The population of characters. The brilliant writing. I agree with another reviewer that it has something in common with the Grapes of Wrath.

I did find it amusing reading the critique, here, from one of Chute's friends. I truly don't believe Chute would categorize her book that way at all. I see it as an extremely well written portrait of a class of society; written without one iota of prejudice pro or con; written without any moralizing or any higher purpose than story itself. It succeeds because of those things.

I think it would of been better served published as non-fiction. If Carolyn Chute had taking the subject to the next level. It's too real for fiction. And that cover is deceptive as all get out!

Don't be deceived by the cover. This is a story about abusive, ignorant-beyond-belief, incestuous white trash. It's gross. It's sad. It's embarrassing. I didn't find it funny or see any dignity, truth, honor, respect, love or honesty as others did. Not in the characters in the book anyway. Carolyn Chute for writing about them, yes. You want to cry for the children and slap some sense into the women. The human animal at it's cruelest.

I knew a Mexican woman, heroin addict/dealer. She lived in a filthy dive motel with her 2 year old son and white husband. I remember seeing her 8 months pregnant, big as a barn, slamming heroin in the kitchen with her 2 y/o hanging off her leg watching, complaining about how when she gave birth the hospital would keep the baby in order to detox it. She didn't like that. The nerve of anyone messing with HER baby. I almost threw up watching all this. It still and always will make me sick inside. The next morning I went to the Methadone clinic and never looked back. This book brought all that back.

Personally I think men and women like that, some how some way, should be surgical sterilized.

I first read this book years ago on recommendation of a friend. This is a powerful story about "white trash" America, with characters that jump off the page and come to life. To this day I still recommend Chute's book to friends who love to read. Every last one of them has come back and told me how much they enjoyed it. Beans of Egypt Maine is gritty, it's uncomfortable, it's amusing, and it's realistic. This is a damn fine novel.

Carolyn Chute has fictionalized a small Maine town to produce a tale of heartbreak, rage, and even humor. The book is not a series of short stories, but a novel about the rural poor, people who have been forgotten by mainstream America. The prose is simple but definitely not naive. People who believe in a mythical rural heartland, where the barns are painted red and people enjoy the "simple life," will be shocked by this book.

I wonder if I should be even thinking of reviewing this book, given that I have had the very good fortune of being friends with the author for over 20 years now -- we met before "Beans" was published.

However, I also feel that somebody out there should understand that this is a wonderful, honest, painful, loving, remarkable book. Carolyn writes about things she knows, and then gets very up close and personal about it.

This book is an attempt to show those who have never known [or even seen] the lives of people some would term "unfortunate" and others simply disdain, and to show that THESE PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. Being poor does not mean that one cannot live with dignity, or honesty, or humor. Being poor does mean that these people are often forced to live in a society that demeans them, insults them, and often forces them into places where they are regarded as nothing but yesterday's garbage.

Let there be no mistake; The Beans are with us, and are not about to go away anytime soon, nor should they. If we have eyes to read and lips to read aloud the story of The Beans, we just might realize that they have much to teach us about truth, honor, respect, and love.

I understand that many people will not understand how on earth I can make this statement because I understand that many people prefer to look for the tawdry and speciousness in environments that they find uncomfortable or even unbelievable.

But this is above all a book of hope. It shows us that everyone lives a life of worth and influence, even if at times some of these "everyones" live lives that are in large part cruel and uncaring. And in that is the challenge of this book; to look below the surface and to see that all of us are part of the Bean family, and that we should value that relationship.

This book is an amazing literary achievement, and this is a statement that I never make lightly -- even if the author happens to be a friend. So read it and try to let its power and honesty confer those qualities in abundance in your lives. You may not find them in your first reading of the book, but trust me -- they're there.