NZ

Now, to the flaws. The main character, Paul Masterson, was brought out of a retirement funk (physically, mentally and emotionally) too quickly. More time could have been devoted to Paul's recuperation. Also, some of the peripheral characters were hard to believe (Tod Peoples). Finally, the security used to protect the "last family" was, at times, laughable. Ten ardent fans of any television crime series could have made better plans.

Having said this, I feel as if I am being too hard on Mr. Miller. These flaws are minor and do not take too much away from a fine first effort.

Constantin Vadim is the sort of cardboard decective who would be unable to find his own nose even equipped with a map and a flashlight. For this he is promoted and sent to Moscow, to work on the case of a serial killer (the "Monstrum" of the title) so well-connected that the only way to keep everybody happy is to assign a moron to the case.

Vadim has a drinking problem, a women problem and a general thinking problem (as in, he doesn't think at all). The man is so utterly brainwashed that I found it very hard to relate to him - which hampered the reading experience, as the novel is narrated in first person singular, from Vadim's viewpoint. His life is a perfect example of Henry Rollins' jibe on the genders: "All women are evil. All men are stupid", none stupider than Vadim, either.

One reviewer mentioned a set of improbable coincidences required to set the plot rolling. In addition, Vadim has about as much initiative as the ball in a pinball machine - events hurl him into other events and people. Actions he undertakes of his own volition are limited to getting drunk, that's about it.

The other personae appearing in this book are either sketchy or cliched, so that there's no relief for the pummelled reader - not much fun even in supposedly humoristic situations (the groan-inducing office cat storyline, for instance). The people in the book live supposedly in 2015, and the adults' historical awareness reaches back at most to 2010 (somebody did a mass mindwipe on the poor Russian people... again...). Sad beyond words.

The C for effort is for the "Russianization" of certain sentences - Vadim's hungover ruminations and some dialogues sound really good. That's what made me give an extra star.

Female characters here are also especially interesting - I haven't seen such strong, complex women in many other novels.

Donald James is a historian and that is a great plus for Monstrum: he knows the shifts and spirals of history. The future he imagines for Russia (hopefully it can be avoided) is in tune at once with this country's turbulent past and its ambivalent present. I don't think even after 2015, this novel will possibly be outdated: instead it could be thought of as an alternate reality. A serial killer mystery is overshadowed here by its political connections, and that gives the writer room to go in many surprising directions.

While dark in content, it's ultimately uplifting, and wonderfully so, since after as much as the characters go through in this story, they deserve some hope at the end. This is a mystery with a heart of a romantic quest and a historic novel - and it does honor to all these genres.

I so wish he would write a sequel. There is room enough for it. I probably will be waiting hopelessly for it, but my point is...this book is too good to pass up.

Although this is the first novel I have read from Flagg, it won't be my last. I devored the whole book in less then a day. From the moment I picked it up, I was totally captivated by the setting AND the characters. I found it all to be realistic and enjoyable to the very last page.

The wisely sagacious Aunt Elner was a big treat, and brought back memories of many fantastic people I have known in my life. The heroine, Dena Nordstrom was a personality that I could totally relate to, as an abandoned and frightened child inside of a seemingly composed and successful adult. The "nerdy doctor" Gerry was to me, the perfect hero....a man strong enough to be a REAL support to the very fragile Dena.

This story is about coming to terms with the past, and making a better life for the future. I adored the supporting cast of loving friends and family working to help their "lost child" stuck out in the "REAL" world. I cried, I laughed.... I got chill bumps! This was an excellent read, and I highly recommend it to anybody that wants to understand the meaning of life!

This is the story of Dena Nordstrom ("Baby Girl"), a young and upcoming 1970s TV interviewer whose failing health leads her to seek answers about her mysterious family history. In her search for the past, Dena learned many important life lessons. ...the value of loyalty, privacy, family and love...the importance of slowing down to enjoy life.

Fannie Flagg certainly does create entertainingly real characters and paints a charming portrait of life in small-town USA (in this case Elmwood Springs, Missouri) ...as well as in other parts of the world (San Francisco, Vienna, New York, etc.). But in the context of light-hearted prose, Ms. Flagg also makes important and powerful social commentary about subjects such as racism, media and fame as a whole.

I am looking forward to reading Ms. Flagg's other novels.

While FRIED GREEN TOMATOES is my all-time favorite (book AND movie), WELCOME TO THE WORLD comes in at a close second. The writing is brilliant and as usual Flagg gives us feeling without sappiness. If only more writers of her ilk were as considerate of their fans!

Also recommend: FGT, STANDING IN THE RAINBOW, BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, and A CAN OF PEAS

_Stone Angel_ (as has been stated by other reviewers) was a breathtaking book. The problem with it was that it was very difficult to follow. While I don't want to see too much change in Mallory (_Stone Angel_ showed the potential for change, but didn't provide a personality magic wand), I also didn't expect to see this book written as if the events in that book had never happened.

There were many interesting and well-written characters in _Shell Game_, but I found the plot itself a little bit weak. Magicians are such an easy target, and there were a few too many stereotypes pulled out of the bag in this book. It's a bit like a mystery written about the theater, the writer really has to earn the subject matter. O'Connell doesn't.

Additionally, the mystery became so complex at a given point that I found it difficult to keep caring about who did what to whom when.

This book is not a bad read. Compared to many other authors who do churn out mysteries on a bi-annual basis, this book is a masterpiece. Yet, if the reader compares this book to O'Connell's first few books, they will be a mite disappointed.

There are way too many characters. Not only was the plot very complicated due to it having to do with WWII and a group of magicians, but there were too many characters to keep track of. On top of that, it is obvious O'Connell did a lot of research into certain illusions, which for someone who has no background in magic ended up being very confusing.

More was revealed about Mallory's background and how she thinks. This was probably the best part of the book. Yet the development of her two 'buddies', Riker the cop and Charles, the man who is Mallory's friend, was almost absent. They were placed in the book as an afterthought. There were six magicians originally, and though all were present during WWII, in the future, the now that exists for Mallory and gang, two are dead (and includes the 'original' murder victim), and the rest seem to be involved in a conspiracy. Not only do we find out that there was a much earlier murder victim, but the readers are expected to keep track of the variety of illusions, the history of all these men, and their backdrop (which was WWII). It ended up being too much, and I had a difficult time keeping track of everything.

I am hoping this is a one-time fluke. Not every book can be a hole-in-one, and this book can be enjoyed for the intelligence with which it is written. I would recommend readers go to her other books, if they want a better example of what O'Connell is capable of.
Karen Sadler
University of Pittsburgh

Stephen Bowen, junior minister at Westminster, disappeared during his private break after concluding an important arms deal on behalf of Her Majesty's government and the Indonesian government.

A couple of days after he was missed, a minor TV news channel in London was fed video of Bowen in captivity. His kidnappers demanded the UK cancel the arms deal and denounce the Indonesian regime for oppressing the natives of Kutu.

Nick Randall, Special Branch, and Charlotte Cavendish, news reporter, found themselves on their way to the far east. Meanwhile, the SIS agent in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, and those investigating in London, found clues that this was more than a mere publicity stunt by Kutuans. Big money is involved, very big money involving highly placed government officials.

The author did a good job in narrating the background in the Far East and developing the threads of events in different continents.

Nonetheless, the climax of finally locating the kidnapped minister was a big let down.