Women Books

This book is a no-nonsense, common-sense approach to learning about which kind of acne you have, and then finding the most effective treatment options for YOU. The author wades through all the marketing hype and consults hundreds of doctors and dermatologists to give you accurate, unbiased information about a variety of OTC/prescription products and virtually all treatment options currently available. She describes the common level of effectiveness for each product and tells you how to use it correctly (you may be surprised! I myself had been using several products incorrectly). In the back of the book, there are several tables detailing the attributes of different acne products: active ingredient concentrations, pH levels, etc. One of the best things about this book is that the author understands what you're going through: to get rid of her own adult acne, she went to several different dermatologists and ended up taking Accutane. She knows your frustration.

The information I learned and applied from this book has made a huge difference in my complexion. And that in itself has changed my life. After 12 years of moderate acne, my skin has been consistently clear for five months (!), ever since I started one of the treatment plans recommended in this book. I'd be remiss not to mention that, over the past decade, I've tried the gamut of OTC and prescription acne treatments (Proactiv, Differin, Retin-A, Finacea, 2.5% and 10% benzoyl peroxide, 2% and 0.5% salicylic acid, sulfur, tea tree oil...), each individually, and all with negligible results.

Before reading this book, I had no idea that 5% benzoyl peroxide was even available. I had also never thought of using more than one product, and -- this is key -- using them at different times of the day. For me, 5% BPO and low-pH 2% salicylic acid are the magic pill, and they have completely changed my skin. Before, I just wasn't using them in the most effective way. (If you're curious, I use Ecco Bella's Leave-on Invisible Exfoliant & Blemish Remedy each morning and Earth Therapeutics' Clari-T Acne Serum º5 at night.)

Good luck, Reader! Don't be embarrassed to check out this book from your local library (or buy it here on Amazon) -- your skin and your self-esteem are worth it.

I LOVED this book. Lydia uses tons of references and provides the reader with varying opinions on acne. She readily admits that there isn't one universal cure for acne and her research is extensive. I recommend this book to all of my clients who suffer from acne. There is a comprehensive bibliography as well where you can find books with more in-depth information.

I enjoyed this book, but I think pictures would be useful to clarify the text.

After finding myself trying several OTC programs which didn't work, I stumbled across this book. I had no idea that I had been using BP all wrong! FYI, BP is not a spot treatment for pimples with white showing. I also had no idea that salicylic acid products had to be of a pH between 3 and 4 to be most effective. I wish the author would have tested more salicylic acid products for the appropriate pH. Only a couple of the ones she tested had the requisite pH. I would have much rather had a large list of products with the recommended pH than a large list of products without it. Also, I agree with a previous reviewer that pictures would be most helpful, especially in describing the formation of acne and what the different kinds of acne look like. Overall, I found that this book is a good introduction to the world of acne, but definitely not a place to stop learning.

Do you believe that if a product dries out your face, your skin will overcompensate by producing more oil? Do you think a special scrub can unplug your pores and help free you from blackheads? Or maybe you cherish the belief that you can sweat your pores clean of acne-causing dirt or toxins through vigorous exercise or steam treatments? If so, you need to read this book.

I have never realized how poorly I understood acne, and I am amazed how many myths I let myself absorb from "informative" commercials and advice given by well-intentioned editors of numerous women's magazines. I am immensely grateful to the author for teaching me what acne is - really and exactly - and for doing so in an accessible and friendly manner. Just the chapter "Understanding Acne" alone is worth the money I spent on this book, because it's hard to fight the condition without understanding it, and because it simply feels good to know for once what is going on with my skin.

Remarkably unflinching - Kimberly Dozier's narrative voice in "Breathing the Fire" describes her road to recovery after being seriously injured on Memorial Day 2006 by a horrific car bombing in Iraq which killed four others, including the CBS cameraman and soundman she worked alongside. In meticulous detail, Dozier dissects the details of the bombing and day-to-day decisions around her medical care and rehabilitation, and punctuates them with her observations and feelings, allowing a rare peek into the mind of someone who has survived an extremely traumatic experience. Even after she learns how to walk again and returns to the newsroom - the author learns that there is no textbook for adjusting to a "new normal" and how to respond to people as they react to seeing a walking miracle. The book sheds light on the experiences of many struggling to recover from the wounds of war. You also learn what drew her to journalism and led her to be a foreign correspondent in a war zone. Readers are introduced to a wealth of supportive people who played pivotal roles in her recovery - from Iowa National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Jeremy Coke who tied the tourniquet on her leg after the bombing that saved her life, to her friends at CBS, innumberable medical and rehab personnel, her parents, and her boyfriend, Pete. Destined to become one of the critical memoirs chronicling the Iraq War.

I started reading this book and could not put it down. It is an inspiring work. Ms. Dozier has given the reader an honest appraisal of her experience to heal herself and heal the many others broken by the ravages of this war. Her story is told in a bipartisan manner, not at all political and should be read by all soldiers and all who care about our soldiers.

We all know war is not pretty and people get injured and killed. This book really brings home the reality of how those catastrophic injuries affect the lives of the injured. It also shows the incredible courage of Kimberly and her family as she recovers from her injuries and made me think we are not doing enough for our injured vets.

I would not have read this book had my husband not seen an interview on TV and bought it for me. What a loss that would have been. Kimberly puts you in Iraq, in the hospitals and therapy plus shares exactly what it was like for her both mentally and emotionally. I am definitely passing this book along to friends.

I could not put this book down. Anyone who wants to understand what it means when they hear or read about bombs going off killing or wounding civilians or soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan should read this book. Even weeks after reading this book, I am not able to get it out of my mind.

Also. the reader gains insight into what reporting from a war zone really means.

Unfortunately, in itself, Jane Alexander's victimization by Tom O'Donnell is not unusual; unique, however, is Jane's consistent fight to put O'Donnell in jail and to assist other victims of homicide.
Jane, the quintessential bourgouis, stay-at-home mom, knew Tom for decades through her deceased banker husband. With the exception of his allusions to having been a diamond smuggler, Tom seemed exceptional only in his high intellect and social graces. You can almost hear Jane describing Tom, "He seemed so nice." He certainly treated Jane with love and attention, certainly not interested in her because of her money. After all, Tom was financially solvent, backed by a Swiss trust. While cliche, it bears repeating: Tom gave few signs that he was anything but what he appeared, an aging, friendly, handsome bachelor. Responding to his charm, Jane lived with him for years. And, sadly to say, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Disrupting their otherwise mundane, but enjoyable life, Jane's aunt was murdered. A mystery-reading, petite, affable and dangerously wealthy woman of 88 years, she died a violent death. Figuring that the motive was financial, the police pressured Jane and Tom in their search for the killers. Meanwhile, Tom was conducting covert financial thievery with Jane's money. Afraid that the police scrutiny into the murder would illuminate his dirty dealing, Tom fled. Its precisely at this point that the book gets interesting. Please read it yourself to see the end. (One hint: Tom's arrogance and claims to belonging to the underworld of South African diamond dealers is somewhere between nauseating and unbelievable).
Through her ordeal, Jane gained initiation into the one club that no of us wants to be in: victims of major, violent crime. Stubborn and defiant, Jane fights back. For those outside of the this painful club, Jane's experience illuminates problems in gender relations, police research and the judicial process.
For survivors, Jane's battle to regain control over her life is equally, albeit differently, illuminating. Jane's crime was that of trusting another person so deeply that she stopped taking care of herself independently. Tom managed her finances, her heart and, to some degree, her life. She committed the one sin that most of us already traumatized by such violence know to avoid: Never make another person responsible for your livelihood
The crux of this book, however, is that while the story may seem straigtforward, even commonplace, Jane's experience was anything but simple. I desperately want to believe that she caused her own fate. Who wants to live in a world of Toms - outwardly normal and inwardly pathological? Yet, I could not let this book go with just one more "blame the victim" analysis.
The problem is that Jane could be any of us - male or female. She trusted someone who had proven trustworthy, not for a few months, but for decades. Emotionally healthy people trust others. As testament to her sound judgement, Jane trusted Tom. In acting in a psychologically healthy manner, ironically, Jane helped Tom to destroy her life. If only she had been a bit more paranoid, Jane could have spent her money with therapists instead of on Tom.
Ultimately, what makes Jane so special is that rather than feeling sorry for herself, she fights Tom and, ultimately, enjoys satisfaction. I guess, after all, Jane is more survivor than victim. And, Tom, he's just a run-of-the-mill loser.

Brilliantly deliverd by author James Dalessandro and contributor David Mehnert. A book written with passion, mystery, truth and justice was done. "Citizen Jane" is a book that you just keep reading - can't put it down, so I went online looking for other books by James Dalessandro. Bought,"Bohemian Heart". It will be delivered in a few days. Can't wait to read it!

"1906, the San Francisco Earthquake" saga will be in the stores soon. Watch for a movie by this great author.

Mary L. Bates

I saw Jane Alexander, the woman this book is about, on television and had to get this book right away because I was so impressed with her as a person. Jane went from being a very dependent woman, who had mostly been a stay-at-home mom to become a heroic and widely-known crusader for crime victims' rights at an age when most women would be settling into retirement. She had intended to settle into active (and financially comfortable) old age with her boyfriend, who had been a friend of the family and member of her social set for decades. The murder of her wealthy aunt changed all her plans. The boyfriend, a charmer whose tales of international intrigue had once entertained their friends, disappeared after embezzling money from those same friends and draining Jane's assets dry. She lost her beautiful home and even her beloved dog. Some of her old friends stood by her, while others blamed her for harboring a criminal in their community. Jane soon learned that the police and prosecutors were not her friends either. The story of how she battled the system as well as her ex-boyfriend is just amazing. In the course of being her own investigator, she found many, many other women who were drained financially and discarded by this man. She got several of them to testify at his trial. The book is very well written, not necessarily a given in the true-crime genre.

Most true crime stories have no hero or heroine. This one outdoes all its competitors: Jane Alexander is the most extraordinary crusader. A conservative grandmother living in Marin County, California, she is called to battle when her aunt is murdered and she must fight not only to capture and convict the killer, but to get a lethargic justice system to do its job. An absolutely riveting, unforgettable tale, I discovered the book when 48 Hours did a complete installment just on Jane Alexander. I'm not a true crime fan, but this one I could not put down. Bravo to the subject and writers...Steve, Los Angeles, CA.

This thoroughly-researched and carefully-planned expose of a heinous crime and one victim's journey from woman-in-denial to crusader is a fascinating and speedy read. Engaging the reader from the outset, Mehnert and Dalessandro magage to weave together all the facts, giving us multiple perspectives, even as we empathize with the protagonist, Jane Alexander. Especially revealing and moving is the revelation of the personal journies of Jane and others like her through a criminal justice system that is not always diligent in its pursuit of offenders.

The title and odd graphic on the cover might scare away male readers, but the book is equally useful to a wife and for the man himself. I'd recommend it as a gift to any male graduating and entering the world of work.
It's excellent in explaining the options, what to wear with what, and when to wear certain types of clothing. I like the chapter explaining what casual Friday attire really should be.
Some of the tips for wives (or girlfriends) include care of the clothing and not to project your color preferences onto him. The author advises having your man try on everything in his closet. Good luck. I wouldn't ever try on all the things in my closet, so it's hard for me to imagine a man being willing to do this.
The book is packed with information on the classic male wardrobe from shoes and socks up to the tie around his neck. The sketches nicely complement the text. Quite a useful book for anyone wanting to dress appropriately in the world of work as well as casually.
I do wish the print was larger in the book, but it packs a lot into 275 pages.

If, like me, your husband is the kind of guy whose attitude is, "I'll wear if it a) fits and b) doesn't stink," this book will be a huge help to you.

Of course we all want our husbands or gentleman friends to look halfway decent. But if he doesn't particularly care to extend much effort in that direction himself, Betsy Durkin Matthes' "Dressing the Man You Love" will be your boon companion in understanding the ins-and-outs of men's clothing (a little more complicated than it looks!) and in caring for that clothing.

In addition to an excellent, thorough overview of men's clothing from types of tweed to types of tie patterns, Matthes covers body types; alterations; figuring out what colors best suit his skin tone; dealing with store salespeople; and more.

The book is sensitively designed, graphically attractive, and sprinkled liberally with funny quotations about fashion, style and clothing. Daniel Cooney's black-and-white illustrations suit the text and tone of the book, and are detailed enough that they're not there just for decoration; you can actually learn from them.

I'm thrilled to have this book on our bookshelves, and consult it when shopping for my husband. Thank you, Betsy Durkin Matthes, for a much-needed basic guide!

Being a man, it was not easy for me to sit down and read this book based on its title. I must admit that I did not know what I was going to get out of this book. However, after reading the book I must now admit that I have learned much from Betsy Matthes' book.

The book is just what the title suggests: a book on how to dress for men. It is actually a well written book that moves quickly. The illustrations in the book also were helpful and the pointers that Matthes gives are well worth your time.

Overall, I was happy to have read the book. I have learned that some of my own dressing habits need to change. It's amazing how much you don't realise goes into dressing for success until you see it in this work. Good job Betsy!

Betsy Durkin Matthes' book DRESSING THE MAN YOU LOVE is a tour de force illustrated guide to helping a man dress his best according to classic standards of clothing excellence. The illustrations and tone of DRESSING harken to a more civilized time when people expected men to be gentlemen and consistently look their best, while it presents an up-to-date modern awareness of materials and style.

This is a thrilling book for anyone who's wished to know the secrets of what makes the difference in appearance for a well-dressed man, as it takes the reader into the fascinating world of men's fashion. Matthes sets precisely the right mood for helping anyone dress their favorite man to the nines, regardless how little they may already know. With a friendly tone, DRESSING inspires, educates, and helps to empower and embolden us to offer solid mens fashion assistance in ways that make a huge difference.

DRESSING is relaxing and reassuring to readers of all levels of fashion awareness, as it sets one's mind to correctly prioritizing what areas to focus on in improving your man's wardrobe... from the best places and times to shop, to what to shop for... to how to work most effectively with a tailor. Matthes consistently achieves the perfect balance between providing the "big picture" of fashion planning and a wealth of information on all the little things that together make such a big difference in the overall look. Details such common suit weave patterns, tie patterns, color coordination, sleeve and hem lengths, and proper alterations are covered beautifully with vivid descriptions and ample sketches.

Highly recommended!

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Beginning with the basics size & shape of your man, Betsy Durkin Matthes asks questions that are easy to answer, but very important in picking the right kind and color of clothes for your man... or men, for yourself.

Chapter 1: Classifications include: the perfect (and not so perfect) man; the string-bean - or lanky; the short challenge; the larger man and his needs; ironclad men (those with the 6-pack belly and muscles like The Rock. Additionally a chart with suggestions for the body types helps pick out the right items.

Chapter 2: What colors are best? Years ago I was classified as an Autumn, and found that the fall colors enhance my appearance; I also buy clothes in the other seasons such as bright yellow (spring), black (winter), sky blue (summer). With the colors outside my season I change the way I do my make up. Since most men do not wear makeup, the choices are more important. Keeping the seasons in mind is helpful in buying the right color clothing and accessories to bring out the best in your guy.

Chapter 3: This is tricky because there are probably a lot of clothes that need to be tossed out -- so you attack his closet...but don't shock him, get him to help you and to understand why his wardrobe needs an update.

Chapter 4: If you don't generally shop in the men's department, just take the plunge and browse. Follow the guide she provides, and fill in the form for your man. Some of these items are jacket size, sleeve length, pants around the waist and to the floor, even tie length because a tall man needs a longer tie. This is filled with good information.

Chapter 5: The salespeople -- if they are on commission, they may try to get you to buy more than you need. That is the value of all the previous questions, answers, and guides. You'll know if they want you to buy everything or the ones that are right for you. You are in charge.

Chapter 6: Now the suits - every man should own at least one suit. This chapter is loaded with pictures that display the cuts of jackets, pockets, lapels, etc. We see the current fads everywhere, but the classics are sharp and can make the man.

Chapter 7: What's the best fabric for a suit? There are a variety of wool types and other fabrics, and some are better for the cut and type of a jacket than others.

Chapter 8: The covers patterned fabrics such as: pinstrip, chalk stripe, window pane, and more. The chart Matthes provides has clear pictures of each type, thus making it easier to discuss with your man and the salesman to find the right one for your man.

Chapter 9: How do you get the right trousers. Suit trousers really don't work as dressy slacks. With a bunch of pant types pictured for you, you'll know cuts, cuffs (yes or no).

Chapter 10: Covers vests -- to wear or not to wear?

Chapter 11: The Tailor is truly the person who can make an off the rack suit look custom. When you find a good one, consider him a jewel.

Matthes' Glossary will answer all of your questions so that if the tailor asks if you want barrel cuffs on a broadcloth pant, you'll know what to say.

With 25 fascinating chapters, you'll find that you are able to choose the best way to dress your man, or for a man to dress himself.

Delivery was super speedy! The product was exactly as the seller described! I would definitely do business with them again!

The product was as I expected it to be according to the product description. Very satisfied.

Cuanto me alegra que haya una autora que cuenta parte de la historia dominicana. Me encanta como Julia escribe. Este libro esta muy bien hecho pero ojo: Julia Alvarez escribe en ingles no en español. Aun asi, me parece que la traduccion de esta historia esta estupenda.

Me quedé muy impresionada con la historia y literalmente me lo devoré. Está basado en hecho reales, lo cual fue un factor para que me gustara más. Lo recomiendo.

Es una historia interesante y entretenida, sobretodo para aquellos latinoamericanos que nos interese la historia. Aunque es una novela, tiene mucho de fondo històrico. Los personajes son agradables, bien logrados. Me dejó el interés de conocer màs sobre la historia de Trujillo. No llega a la excelencia de La Fiesta del Chivo de Vargas Llosa, es una buena Historia

Wonderful writing, did not want it to end. All of her books in this series were captivating. You could almost imagine yourself in the era in which it was set and be a part of it. Can't wait for the next book.

Sarah Donati does it again with the follow up to her previous novels. Her characters are outstanding, makes you feel like you are there with her descriptive narrative. An excellent read!

I do admit that if you haven't read the preceding three books in this fabulous series, this probably won't be as meaningful to you as it would be to a devotee, but, having siad that, perhaps I can convince some readers who wouldn't normally be fans of an historic epic, to start at the beginning..in fact I'm almost envious of what you have ahead! This story continues lives of the Bonner family, their neighbours and friends who live in a settlement high in the mountains of New York State. Elizabeth and her husband Nathaniel's younger son, Daniel, has been captured by the British forces and held prisoner on Ile de Noix, just over the Canadian border. Nathaniel's cousin, Lady Jennet, has arrived from Scotland to marry Luke, Nathanie's son by an early romance and, accompanied by Hannah, Nathaniel's half Indian daughter from his first wife,and Luke, travels incognito to the Island, in an attempt to rescue Daniel who has been badly injured in the fighting. If there seems to be too many half sisters and brothers to take in, it is all perfectly clear in the reading of the book which, while partly ends in happiness, also begins another episode which continues on to the next volume, Queen of Swords, which has just been released and which I'm happily devouring at a great rate!

For any readers who haven't indulged in Sara Donati's series of books about Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner, this is one of the later books in the series. It's a fine book to read without having read the others, but
it's much more informative to start with the introductory novel. Sara Donati is one of those writers who is gifted at writing historical fiction.

Do yourself a favor and read this series. It's great fun without the guilt because it's a love and adventure saga rolled inside a history lesson. I actually missed the characters when I finished the last book and I can only hope Sara Donati is hard at work on the next installment. Start at the beginning so you know who everyone is and how they influence the story as it progresses.
1. Into the Wilderness
2. Dawn on a Distant Shore
3. Lake in the Clouds
4. Fire Along the Sky
5. Queen of Swords
Enjoy.....

I am reading this book with my class at school. I love it! I look forward to it everyday. This is a story that every American needs to hear because it is living proof of how much we have been given. When you realize that many people in the world have had to deal with the things that Farah did, the everyday dramas in your life are put into a totally new perspective. This book is real. It happened to real people, it teaches real lessons, and that is why it leaves any hollow fiction or fantasy behind.

When seven-year-old Farah Ahmedi stepped on a landmine in her native Afghanistan, she thought her life was over. The hospital in her war-torn city only tried to keep her alive until German doctors made their regular monthly visit, airlifting the most crucial cases to heal in their own country.

Away from her family and culture, Farah fell apart.

Then, as she began to heal, she made friends with a German woman, who informally adopted Farah like one of her own. Gradually, Farah began to learn the language and enjoy the peaceful, beautiful country -- making it just as shocking when she was returned to her family two years later.

Suddenly, nothing Farah's family or country can offer her seems good enough. The little girl had become used to a better life, and she was determined to live it again.

That wish kept her determination driven over the next few years, when war ravaged her family and her home. Left with nothing but a crippled daughter, Farah's mother hovered on the brink of madness and wanted to give up. But Farah, who had had a peek of what life could be, believed the two were destined to live in America through a special program for Afghan widows and orphans.

After numerous obstacles - including 9/11 - the two finally get their wish. But their struggle is far from over, as they find themselves in the midst of a culture clash with the general American public. Farah's mother is still battling mental demons, and Farah herself not only has to learn to speak and read English, but read altogether, as her Afghan education had fallen apart during wartime.

Above all, Farah learns, there is always a higher power out there, willing to help you during your most desperate times, sending relief in the form of a person destined to cross your life's path.

This simply told story is a powerful testament to the atrocities that can be endured without breaking. Farah Ahmedi is one extraordinary teenager, destined to do great things.

I got Farad's audio book because we have been working in relief and development in Afganistan since 1984. It is a well narrated book, an uplifting account the suffering of a child and of people who come into our lives and believe in us, love us and walk with us through the difficulties of life in Afghanistan, Pakistan and in America.

Farad, a young, Hazara girl, has lived an unbelievable life before reaching the age of 15. Her story is a first hand picture of the devastation of a beautiful country destroyed by war and ethnic conflict. She and her family were caught in the middle. She stepped on a landmine as she was going to school in Kabul. She was in the second grade and things went downhill from there.

This is a story of suffering and pain but finding strength to respond when it seemed impossible. This is a story of faith and people practically living out their faith. It is the story of a young girl who has a dream.

This book is great reading for teeens through adults. It is an easy read - can be read in 1-2 days. The story is gripping and suspenseful and really gives one an understanding of life in turbulent Afghanistan and the difficulty refugees encountered to make their way out. My husband and I read the book and enjoyed it as did my daughters, ages 19 and 17.

I personally know the girl who wrote this book. She is an amazing person and has so many stories to tell. She was given the opportunity to share her story because she has gone experienced so many things. This really is a must read for everyone. For such a young person, she has gone through more than most will go through before they are middle aged and yet, she still thrives and lives for each day doing the best she can at everything she does. Enough said...buy this book!

A fun book but with really straight forward, easy to understand, insights that all of us guys & gals should know but don't.

To know your Pig is to love your Pig. This book is Fun, easy and insightful. Great read. Thanks

Witty, wise and eye-opening, this book offers a refreshing perspective that ... it's never too late to start understanding and appreciating the Pig in your life !!!

I read this, then gave it to my wife to read. It should be a user guide for newly weds, or newly dating! The guys who wrote this must be gender challenged or they had great insight from their spouses in order to know how to position us to the Venus crowd.

A hilarious and insightful book that is a must read for all couples!!! Highly recommended for BOTH men and their women.

Last year, a lot of folks were chattering about how Christa Faust would soon be the first woman published by Hard Case Crime. And while, yeah, that is a really cool distinction for Ms. Faust, the talk sometimes overshadowed the book in question, Money Shot. Which, hey, if being the First Lady of Hard Case Crime was all that could be said, cool, I could dig that.

But that's not all there is to say.

What we've got here is a classic hardboiled story that shows a lot of love for what has come before, yet never slips and gets stuck in the muck of simply being a repeat of a story we've all read before (though, in capable hands, such as this author's, even those kinds of stories would be well worth reading). Angel Dare is a fascinating narrator, and her voice is nailed from the first sentence of the novel. Money Shot, you read that first page and it grabs hold and just doesn't let up. The violence, when it comes, is hard, fast, and believable. Throughout the book, I never once found myself rolling my eyes and saying "No way", and, believe me, that's pretty darn rare these days.

Plus, hey, any novel that gives mention to The Thirsty Whale, well, come on, it's just gotta be great!

If someone were to say to you: What's hardboiled? What's pulp fiction? You could slam a copy of this sucker in their hands and say, "Read this, amigo."

I'm not gonna spoil it, but I will say, there is a chase scene in this book that rivals any other I can think of, and there is one small touch to said scene that I found to be flat-out brilliant.

If you haven't read this one yet, snatch it up quick and get to reading.

From page one, MONEY SHOT by Christa Faust is a provocative read. The main character, Angel Dare, is a semi-retired porn star that runs a talent/modeling agency providing new young women to a grinding machine that eats them for lunch if they're not careful. Angel is a sympathetic character, though, because she takes personal interest in her clients and tries to guide their rough careers through smoother waters, hopefully avoiding harsh treatment and the drug lifestyle that many fall into.

However, Hard Case Crime promotes its line of noir novels as action-filled reads pumping adrenaline and surprising twists, not deep psychology novels. Most of the stories revolve around money, sex, and power. Faust delivers all those things - in spades. From her opening scenario of Angel Dare deciding to do one last porn scene (after getting promised the cover, which is apparently a huge deal in that business), I got the feeling of the old noir standby of a thief taking on one last heist when I knew he shouldn't. Male noir gets a lot of mileage out of that kind of story, and Faust expertly hits the same kind of familiar groove. Then she stands the old conceit on its ear.

Faust quickly jumps the tracks with this one because she's a woman and writes with a woman's sensibilities. Faust's first-person narrative pulls no punches, delivering body-shots and upper cuts with vicious enthusiasm. I have to admit that I cringed during some of the violence, particularly at that directed at a woman, but the author pulls it off brilliantly. I know that some rape victims tend to fall apart, but not all of them do. Angel Dare doesn't.

After escaping certain death and using her own unleashed rage, Angel takes up the vengeance trail. As is often the case in a noir novel, she doesn't know why she was set up or why someone tried to kill her. But she's determined to get the answers. One of the things I found most appealing about Angel was the fact that she wasn't trained in violence in any way. No gun expert, no closet martial artist. She was just a highly motivated woman with no other avenue open to her.

I loved Faust's insight into the porn industry and why Angel couldn't go to the police. People sometimes forget that rape is still rape even for porn stars, and they don't necessarily deal with it any better than anyone else. (As Faust points out, a sad fact is that many porn starlets get into the sex industry to escape abusive relationships at home.) Angel can't go to the police, and she isn't going to let whoever gave the orders to kill her get away with it.

The trail gets twisted really quickly, and Angel realizes that she isn't the ultimate target. Other lives are on the line. That motivates her even more to pick up her pistol and search through the mean streets of LA where the porn industry rules.

Angel's world resonates with hard-hitting violence and drips with sordid sex. Faust doesn't make the porn world pretty, but she seems to play fairly with all those involved. She includes a lot of facts about that field that most readers will at least find interesting.

But it's the trail of vengeance that Angel charts that's most interesting. I enjoyed her tough "guy" dialogues and retorts that centered around her gender. Some of them jarred a little at first, then I realized that was how a woman in her business would speak. The dialogue is honest and forthright, and surprisingly revealing.

Her "partnership" with tough guy Malloy is interesting and appealing. But the noir roots quickly show through when we discover money waits at the finish line for whoever's still standing to claim it.

MONEY SHOT is one of the best books I've read in the Hard Case Line, and I was disappointed to see that Christa Faust hasn't written a lot more books. She scribes like a pro and I'd be happy to see more novels from her in the future.

If the Money Shot cover does not get you, the writing will. I just finished Megan Abbott's "Queenpin" and was grateful somebody brought back Noir. Money Shot is on par with the best noir novels I have read. I have always been a fan of James Ellroy and others that seem to get it right.
I highly recommend this book.

One can't help but notice the irony of the books published by Hard Case Crime. In the nearly fifty-book run, every cover has a woman on it, usually painted to be beautiful, evocative, steamy, and just plain sexy. Another constant is that all the books have been written by men.

Until now. Christa Faust's Money Shot is the first book written by a woman and published by HCC. Let me just tell you: it was worth the wait.

Most of the women on other covers of the other books have at least some clothes draped over them. The lady whose eyes bore into you from the cover of Money Shot is naked. Not nude. Naked. She's wearing earrings, a cleverly-placed $100 bill, and nothing else. She's got one hand teasing her hair and the fullness of her breasts are merely hinted at, covered by the folded bill. The smooth sway of her hips extend outward from the C-note, suggesting even more. You can't tell if she's standing or laying down but you can tell one thing for sure: she's got a gun point right at your gut. And you know what she's saying. In that soft teasing voice, she's saying "You know you want it. I can see it in your eyes. Come on. Pick me up, open me, devour me, ravish me. I dare you not to. Because if you don't, I'll blow a hole in you."

Thusly dared, thusly threatened, I picked up the book and discovered the woman's name: Angel Dare, former porn star now owner of Daring Angels, an adult modeling agency. She's through with the porn business--at least, from in front of the camera--but not with the what the industry can still give her. And the cover blurb helps to define her character: "It would take more than bullets to stop Angel Dare." So, if you, a potential reader, were not already drawn to the book by the cover painting (by Glen Orbik, here's a short interview) or the blurb, just give the book the first sentence and/or paragraph test. The first paragraph's too long to quote here so I'll give you the first few sentences.

Coming back from the dead isn't as easy as they make it seem in the movies. In real life it takes forever to do little things like pry open your eyes. You spend excruciating ages trying to bend your left middle finger down far enough to feel the rope around your wrists. Even longer figuring out that the cold hard thing poking you in the cheek is one of the handles of a pair of jumper cables. This is not the kind of action that makes for gripping cinema.

But it does make for gripping fiction. From that first paragraph, I dare you not to read further (see, there's that dare word again). Or how about this, the last two lines from the excerpted section in the front pages of the book.

"Angel Dare," he said. "Wow. You look amazing. This is gonna be awesome."
Then he punched me in the face.

This book is eye-opening. In stylish, unsentimental prose that holds nothing back and slaps you every now and then like they knows you need it, Faust and Dare skewer the porn industry, showing uneducated readers like myself what happens to the `glamorous' guys and gals when the camera lights go off. It ain't pretty. Nor is Angel Dare pretty after being punched, beaten, tortured, raped, shot, and left for dead. Oh, and then she's framed for murder. She's got ample reasons to be pissed off. It's a good thing the folks at HCC didn't commission that painting. People would run from the bookstores, screaming about the scary-looking woman with a gun in her hand and revenge in her eyes.

For that's what Money Shot is: a revenge book. But unlike so many other crime fiction stories (mainly with men), Angel Dare is not a stone-cold killer who was trained in combat and can take out an adversary with her bare hands. She's a normal, not-usually-violent person, just like the rest of us. And that's when you realize that Angel's story is our story. What would we do given the same set of circumstances? Angel Dare has to make those choices and make them from within herself. She does have help along the way but in every crucial milestone of this story, it's Angel, by herself, in her head, making decisions. She lives with them, no matter how much it rips her heart out.

And we live with this book, at least for a time. There's a lot in there. To be honest, this is a book I'm likely to read again, I enjoyed it so much. I know I probably missed things. The pace is fast but not breakneck. Angel has moments of contemplation and that allows the reader to catch his breath and then ask of himself the same questions Angel asks of herself. We may arrived at different answers than does Angel but it's Angel's story.

The end of the book, the last 30 pages, is almost sublime. For over 200 pages, Angel has gone through the ringer, operating by a set of rules so foreign to her that she doubts the kind of person she has become. But the actions she takes and the choices she makes in that last couple of chapters reveal the true nature of Angel's character. I will spoil nothing here. You have to read it for yourself. Then, when it's over, ask yourself that same question: what would you have done?

I highly recommend this book to folks who like this kind of book. It's stark. The subject matter is not pretty and sometimes ugly. The jokes are often hilarious but not quotable here. Read it. I dare you not to.

What I Learned As A Writer: In many of the modern crime fiction/noir books I read, some authors relish in the graphic details of what happens to a person when flesh meets bullet or blade. That stuff happens in Money Shot. No doubt. I'll leave it up to your moral code as to whether certain characters deserve what they got. But Faust pulls the less-is-more card from her deck. She lets the reader fill in all the blanks. And, given the circumstances of some of the scenes, I scared myself with the thoughts that I came up with. Genius storytelling.
(taken from http://scottdparker.blogspot.com)

Hard Case Crime has been issuing simply wonderful noir novels, both new one and reprints of the classics, over the last several years.

Christa Faust's MONEY SHOT is tuned just right, scene after scene, and in the overall arc of character and plot.

Don't pass this one up!

In our household, we were "bread and buttered" listening to the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. The 33-1/3 rpm Columbia records were scratched and worn from overuse. We would play the records on family occasions and holidays. We would play favorite songs in the mornings during breakfast and as we made ready for school. In hindsight, I am surprised that the neighbors never complained or called the police.

Tommy Makem died last summer. The two eldest members of the quartet, Tom and Pat Clancy predeceased him. Liam Clancy is the sole surviving member of the recording group. This book is a sketchy and incomplete attempt at an autobiography, but it is as good as we are likely to get from this Clancy. Its strengths far outweigh its deficiencies. Readers should count themselves fortunate that Liam remembered anything at all after so many long nights and sexual misadventures. Perhaps, Tommy Makem, who abstained from drinking for most of his life, should have been taking notes for him (Makem wrote some wonderful essays, but I do not know if he ever published a full length book).

Liam Clancy was the youngest of eleven children. One of his problems when the recording group was formed in the USA was that his two much older brothers scarcely knew their youngest sibling at all. They had to introduce themselves to him when he arrived in New York. The Irish ballads and rebel songs (the Irish rebellions always seemed more successful in song than in reality) that the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed proved to be immensely popular. In addition the Irish diaspora, the authentic songs gained wide acceptance among fans of the Greenwich Village Folk Music scene. Liam Clancy became a fast friend of Bob Dylan.

There is a lovely story of how Clancy dropped his given Christian name while working as an actor in an Irish theatre company. A fellow actor chided him for answering to Willie, telling him that it was an "English" sounding name. He adopted the Gaelicized form and has been "Liam" ever since.

Pour yourself a drink and enjoy this book. Be thankful that the next generation of Clancy and Makem family members have taken up the songs that their fathers helped popularize internationally. Imagine how quiet our homes would have been if Clancy had kept up his father's plans and became an insurance agent!

Liam Clancy's has great literary talent. His bio is a tribute to his family and to his native land. Catholic schools greatly contributed to his native talent for the stage----I am not sure why he makes a critical remark of the Church.

The Clancy Brothers albums opened by ears to traditional celtic music in the 60s, so it was a treat for me to read Liam Clancy's account of how the group evolved. The family background and his personal development as an student, actor and musician were very enjoyable reading.
If you liked Angela's Ashes, this will certainly appeal.

First of all,there are 17 other reviews;most of them excellent and all deserve to be read.I read a fair bit of modern Irish Writing.The McCourts,Roddy Doyle,Brendan Behan,Morgan Llywelyn,Brendan O'Carroll,just to name a few.What I really like about these writers is their magical use of language.Although I have been a fan of Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers for at least 30 years,I have never read anything about them.I had no idea of how much they were involved in acting;let alone that any of them had such gifted writing skills.What a surprise;Liam's skills are as good as his musical talents.
Though not a Clancy,I heard Tommy Makem perform here in Toronto at an intimate club a few months ago.He did "Oh, me name is Dick Darby,I'm a cobbler.";mentioned on page 102.That had to be the best recitation I ever witnessed.
I would like to quote something Liam wrote about his experience in North Carolina in 1956 and he was writing about it nearly 50 years after the fact.
From page 170....
"South Carolina in the spring was seductive with scents of growing things,of magnolias and hibiscus,the air heavy with noontime heat and the swampy buzz of katydids and flying critters.The nights there belonged to the frogs and bats and flying beetles and the countless mingled smells of a land at rest after a burgeoning day's work fermenting life." Imagine the thoughts of a 21 year old,written 50 years later.
I also had no idea of Clancy's involvment with the people like Oscar Brand,Bob Dylan,Woody Guthrie,Pete Seeger,Odetta,Barbara Streisand,Lenny Bruce,Jean Ritchie,Ramblin' Jack Elliot,Brendan Behan,Diane (Guggenheim),Josh White,Alan Lomax,Mary O'Hara and on and on.
Liam gives a great insight into the world of acting and folk music of the 50's and the 60's. Now that I have read the book,I am looking forward to listening to the tape.
I also have no idea if Liam has a second book planned to cover the last 40 years.I am sure it would be a great follow up.How about it Liam,you're only 70 ,and you must still have lots to tell us.
Thanks.

I never heard Liam Clancy sing until a couple of months ago, when I found a copy of an album called "The Lark in the Morning" that looked interesting, given its cover and its date of the mid-50s. Growing up, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were heard of but not heard by me--I associated them with Aran knit sweaters, hearty shour-an'-begorra singalongs,novelty tunes, and the kind of kitsch that the previous generation had listened to complacently before the revival in the 70s of a tougher trad scene out of Ireland shook it all up again.

Well, I heard the tracks on "Lark" in the car without knowing who was who since I could not see the CD case listings. But when I finished it, I noticed that the songs that had stood out from the rest were all by Liam C. Impressed, I read the liner notes about one Diane Hamilton, who I had never heard of, and Tradition Records, the label for which "Lark" was the debut issue. But the whole story was not clear, given the brief notes, until I read "Women of the Mountain."

From the title, I expected a tale of lusty drunken couplings and riotuous escapades from the "Folksmen"/"Kingston Trio" era. Instead, an evocative tale of growing up eating mortar and chalk for nutrition during WWII, poverty, clerical abuse, and hardscrabble small-town life in Waterford's Carrick-on-Suir unfolded smoothly and eloquently. Sure, the blarney sometimes is laid on a bit too thick for less glib me, but the stage Irishman tendencies are kept mercifully in check by realism: the death of a sibling, the estrangement from mother and Church, the entanglement with Diane H. (who turns out to be a Guggenheim nearly as neurotic as her relative Peggy G. did for Beckett!), and the adventures on the road, in theatre, and on stage.

One surprise and a reason for four stars is the lopsided nature of the book: the singing takes decididly second fiddle to the stage in the dramatic sense. This was fascinating for me, but it misleads the reader perhaps who by the back photo of the group harmonizing might expect far more about Clancy's musical experience. He mentions, for example, as if offhandedly that he learned the tin whistle. Yes, but how? As a musician, did he find it easy after the guitar? How did it help his reportoire? Did he learn it so the group could expand its range? How does it sound to him? How does he play it? Here, music as enacted comes rather late in the book, in not a lot of detail, and seems rather superficially treated as opposed to other incidents and events.

I do commend Clancy on his delicacy with relating his own romantic and emotional engagements with women and men--he reminds us of the fragility we all possess and the need to recognize humanity in each other. And he makes his point after having earned the right to say so after his own checkered past. He comes off wise without sounding pious, intelligent without acting snobbish, and flawed without playing it up as maudlin. He handles people and places with stamina and wit, and his own coming-of-age here, while cut off while he's not even thirty yet, needs however fuller exposition than is given here. The New York Greenwich Village years deserve more depth than they're given here; the book's unbalanced in favoring much more from his pre-NYC years (nothing wrong with that) and again this may mislead misinformed readers as to its actual coverage of many more early situations predating the group's rise to fame. I also got little sense of how he got along with his fellow group members--granted that two are his brothers--but how the three Clancys got along with Makem who was from Keady in the north and from a different region, musical tradition, and political regime seemed like the sort of detail that could have enriched the book.

I guess a sequel is in the works. Like recent Irish memoirs by Frank McCourt and Hugo Hamilton, the autobiographical account stops suddently, at the height of a self-realization by the author in his formative years. I do not know if this book would have been published if McCourt had not led the way, but resilient Clancy's tale too deserves a wide readership for dispelling (as do McC and HH in their accounts--also see John McGahern's memoir) the myths of recent Irish life, while advocating a return to the more durable and more feminine myths that inspired Yeats, Behan, Synge, Joyce, and the Slieve-na-mBan/Sleivenamon that gives its rounded breasted mountain shape to the landscape that rose above Clancy's hometown.