On-the-print

Joan Hess is always a great read, but this Claire Malloy adventure wasn't up to her normal standard. Luanne and Caron were the actual stars this time, which was lots of fun, but Claire's lackadaisical parenting and business skills were just too prominently featured for me to enjoy the plot (would China Bayles give her the time of day? A smidge of personal growth wouldn't be too out of place in this series!) -- and the ending didn't make any sense, not because of the "who dunnit," but because the logistics were very questionable. Finally, not a single character mentioned the the baby to the police, even in passing? I guess I'll have to wait for the next installment to have a better "Joan Hess fix".

Potboiler; passes the time when there was nothing more interesting at the library. The cop boyfriend is a really cardboard character. A bunch of weird excentics. Won't check out any more. Try Ann Cranger or Deborah Crombie for a GOOD read.

Joan Hess is one of my favorite authors, so my opinion of Out on a Limb is biased by the fact that I was sure I would like it before I bought it.

The best part of this book was the unique storyline. As you have no doubt read the description supplied by the publisher, I won't rewrite it here. I will just say that while other humorous mystery writers use the same storylines over and over, Hess comes up with fantastic new ideas each time. I loved this story about the Green Party, and I love the recurring characters in Claire Malloy's life -- in this case, Miss Parchester.

Even if I had guessed the ending of Out on a Limb before the last page of the book, I enjoy the style of Hess' writing so greatly that I cannot wait to see what Claire will do next.

If you like the Maggody books or have read the other Claire Malloy books, I recommend this one. It's a light, easy read that will at times make you Laugh Out Loud Caron Malloy-style.

An excellent novel by Jack Higgins. This suspenseful novel is for young adults and older. In 1944, Mao Tse-Tung and Lord Mountbatten signed a secret document. If the British would supply the Chinese Communist Army with ammos to fight the Japanese, Mao Tse-Tung would extend the British Rule over Hong Kong by another hundred years if he ever rules China. However, the plane that held the secret documents was lost in a plane crash.

In 1993, the Italian Mafia learned about the secret documents from one of the pilots that survived in the plane crash. Now, the Italian Mafia would find the documents so their billions of dollars of investment will not be gone in Hong Kong. The British Government finds out that the Mafia is up to the documents. Sean Dillon and Brigadier Ferguson are on a mission directly given by the Prime Minister to recover the documents before the Mafia lay its hands on them.

I recommend this book for people who have spare time to read. It's an excellent novel after all. The storyline is interesting. With the beginning focusing on Mao and Lord Mountbatten and then it ends. It then jumps right into 1993. The Mao part is great. I thought that their meeting really happened. The author has a serious tone in that part of the novel. The best part of the novel that I thought was when Sean Dillon was introduced. He seems like a cool and cold-blooded guy. A guy who use to work for any other terrorist or government organization. He bombed places and killed people. However, he never killed children or women. He sounds like a brutal man but actually he's not. The author was smart in creating Sean Dillon because he makes Sean sounds like a bad guy at the start of the novel but when you read further in the story, what you think of him actually changes. Another interesting character is Asta. She appeals to be like a charming girl who only knows about having a peaceful life. But actually, she's a heartless woman who killed her own mother and tricked Sean Dillon. These two characters are interesting because they tend to change throughout the book.
When reading the book, the story becomes more exciting. There are more actions and myths to solve. Once you piece all the myths and problems, it feels like if you are part of the story with them to solve the case.

I think Jack Higgins could do better in stretching the storyline and having a longer climax and resolution because the climax was not that good and the resolution sucked. But, after all, this book is good.

An exciting novel, which one should not miss. Check out this book and read it. Do the documents really exist...

This was the first Jack Higgins book I've read and it certainly won't be the last! The characters were well developed from the start and seemed likeable... although they don't act morally all the time. The plot concerns the handing over of Hong Kong in 1997 and with HK just being handed back to China, it's a timely read. Our main character is Sean Dillion, a former notorious mercenary and gifted thespian, who now works for the British government. His boss is Charles Ferguson, an astute man with worldly experience in international matters. Making up our trios of heroes is Hannah Bernstein, appointed secretary to Ferguson and also chief of Scotland Yard. The foes they come up against are the Mafia in the form of Carl Morgan, his step-daughter Asta and other assorted baddies around to thwart the deeds of our gallant protagonists, who are trying to recover a signed form stating that HK will stay independent until another 100 years. This letter of priceless importance is located in the highlands of Scotland. There, the two forces battle it out with wits and a deadly game of cat-and-mouse until there is only one winner! A great novel with enough twists to make a dry martini drunk! Read it and expect to be thrilled... until you read it again, anyway!

THE BEST AFTER NO WAR STORIES. SEAN DILLON RETURNS IN THIS GREAT ADVENTURE.

T Davis Bunn is one of my favorite authors. I also love reading science fiction, so it was with great excitement that I picked up this book. I'm sorry to say the writing is uneven, the science glossed over and unbelievable, and the characters unsympathetic. Stick to fiction, Mr. Bunn.

I have had this book since it first got to the shelves. I have read it many times and never tire of it. The struggle to survive both physically and spiritually is fascinating and never ending. The only problem I had with this book is like with all the previous reviewers it ended too abruptly. It needs a sequel. I just wish someone would make a site that just had up and coming sequel listings . . .

I agree the book ended too abruptly, but that doesn't mean I didn't really love the story. It means...where's the sequel???

I'd love to see this book made into a movie.

The real fun of Phyllis Richman's series about Chas Wheatley is all of the insider tips about the restaurant business. For that alone, this book is worth the time it takes to read. In this book Chas is working on a series of columns about how restaurants manipulate (if not plain cheat) their customers to spend much more money than planned.

The problem with this book stems from this same subject. At times, Richman loses sight of her fiction writing and writes with a lecturer's tone. It's a mixed blessing as the information is often fascinating. Still, it disturbs the pacing of the fictional plot. The plot/mystery in this book is a bit far-fetched but the book is set in Washington D.C. It's being to appear that almost anything can happen there.

Bottom-line: A fun read for anyone who engages in recreational restauranting. Reading of her first book "The Butter Did It" would be helpful but isn't critical.

OK, I admit it, I'm a junk food junkie and my dining out usually usually takes me to only the finest four star workaurants. But that doesn't stop me from reading and salivating over every restaurant review I see. The same goes for most of the programs on The Food Network! So naturally, Phyllis Richman's book was written for me and me alone. (OK, you can read it, too!)

To get down to the basic facts, Chas Wheatley is a food critic for a D.C. newspaper who just happens to leave a trail of dead bodies behind her as she eats her way from one four star restaurant to the next. Realizing that something is rotten in the Danish, she sets out to solve the culinary crime capers that are being served up around her.

Ms. Richman is a very witty writer and I enjoyed her bright and gossip-filled style. I also enjoyed all the insider tips on the behind the scene secret going-ons of restaurant operations that she adds to her story telling! And I always thought the stories of the White Castle pickle barrel were an urban myth.

Once you get a taste of this book you'll probably be buying the other books in the series just like I'm doing.

In her second mystery novel, Washington Post food critic Phyllis Richman's story and characters shine and soar. It starts out with a bang and just never lets up. It's a treat to be allowed to peek into the world of a newspaper restaurant critic (a job "to die for" in more ways than one) and go behind the scenes to discover the seemier side of fine dining. Readers who liked "The Butter Did It," will be thrilled with "Murder on the Gravy Train." Those who missed "Butter" should just hop right on the "Gravy Train" for a terrific ride.

What's with the cover picture? I mean, I love Victor/Victoria, but Julie is a beautiful woman... why did he choose this picture? Also, there were times in the book where Windeler's personal opinion was a little offensive to me. I suppose that is alright, because he is allowed his opinion, but it seemed to me like he was bashing the movie "Star!", which happens to be one of my favorites. Other than the difference in opinion that occurred occasionally between the reader and the author... this book was a delightful, yet 'real' holiday about Julie Andrews. It's loaded with anecdotes and great accounts of 'The Adventures of Julie and Carol (Burnett)' (as I call them). Over all, this is a good read for the Julie Fanatic, just keep in mind that you don't always have to agree with what this biographer has to say . ;)

This book about Julie Andrews is extremely interesting. Julie has had many inspiring experiences in her life and continues today to have many more. This book explains how she became what she is today. Also, this book tells the reader many interesting facts about Julie Andrews personal life and career.

Julie Andrews: A Life on Stage and Screen is a great read and I have to say that I found it rather informative. Aside from a few spelling and grammatical errors, it was a good book. Any serious Julie fan should read this!

This is the first Darkover book I read (about 5 years ago), and it got me hooked. I read about a dozen of them, then moved on the some of MZBs newer books. This one is definately not the best of the series, but it is a very intriging introduction to what comes later on the planet Darkover. Start with this one to get some backgound, then move into some of the other early ones, which are great!

I first got aquainted with MZB by reading my sister-in-law's MZB's Fantasy magazine. I'm not that into fantasy that much, but I was curious about her writing, since most of the short stories in her magazine aren't hers. I wanted a short book that wouldn't take me long, and once I discovered the Darkover series, I decided to start with the first one. It had me hooked quickly when I discovered the premise was somewhat paralleling some Star Trek/Next Gen books. It kind of made a left turn from where I thought it would go, but it was still an interesting story that has me curious about the other books in the Darkover series. It's a good book for those who enjoy SF and would like to add a little variety to their diet. It is a bit short, so you won't have much time lost if you discover it's not for you. Check it out.

A Darkover novel.

Chronologically, this is the first Darkover novel. Here we are introduced to the founders of Darkover. We see how humans first came to the planet, and how they began to adapt to their new surroundings. Unlike many other fantasy series, humans were not created on Darkover, but rather there was a space ship on a trip to begin a colony on another planet when the ship had troubles and crashed on an uncharted planet. Granted, that is not a terribly original idea either, but the how Bradley treats the topic is very original, and very well done.

The crew is faced with the dilemma of whether to try to rebuild the ship (which will take several years at best) or to try to settle in and adapt on the unnamed planet (the planet does not get the name Darkover for at least a hundred years of its history). The crew and colonists are divided on this. Before anything else can be done there must be preliminary exploration of the planet so that they will be able to survive for as many years as necessary and also because if they are to be trapped on the planet for a while they must know what kind of planet it is.

We are given glimpses of an ESP power that will be refined throughout the series and are introduced to an alien (though native to Darkover) race. We are shown the Ghost Wind, which induces humans to release their inhibitions. ...

This novel serves as an introduction to Darkover (I believe it was the first novel in the series that I read years ago) as well as an important time in the history of Darkover (obviously, it is the founding). Darkover Landfall may not be the best novel in the series, but it provided enough interest for me to want to read more in the series.

I enjoyed An Imperfect God because the writing itself was excellent. Although the author veered back and forth between first person observations to a more biographical stance, he managed to engage my attention with his well woven historical references and his ancedotal stories which had a very personal feel.

There were places where the author seemed to rehash stories told by others without adding anything new, and other places where his scholarship was fresh and his conclusions provoke conversation. Wiencek shows us repeatedly the paradox of a man who benefited by owning slaves and their labor, who came to a point of understand the the corrupting influence of absolute power slavery geve owners over the lives of others. Washington allowed arrangements between slaves and their owner/relatives within his own household which we would find untenable at best, and the subject of offensive jokes at worst. The story of Martha Washington's slave sister and Martha's son from her first marriage, which produced a child, is one which would be considered unpalatable in these days but was commonplace in the 17th century until the end of legal slavery. Yet, at the end of his life, he provided for the manumission of his slaves.

Clearly, Wiencek is not a revisionist historian, in the way that most traditional historians use the term. He is a revisionist in the best sense of the word, adding to our knowledge as well as encouraging us to look at viewpoints we might not have considered.

In the end, however, Wiencek's book provides a fresh look at a difficult time and convoluted relationships which have had scant acknowledgement outside the African American community. As our nation finally comes to grips with recent revelations that 20th century segregationist Strom Thurmon fathered a daughter with a black house maid in the early 20th century, we see that Thurmon's behavior is merely an extention of the behavior exhibited in the 1700s by other leaders. Timely, indeed.

What changed George Washington from a man willingly breaking up families by participating in the auction of slave children to a man who planned to emancipate his slaves while he was still president? Why would a man using slave labor decide later in life that if the Union split apart into North and South, he would "remove and be of the Northern."?
The book does not sugar coat Washington's involvement in slave holding, but tries to solve the question of what transformed Washington from a slave owner to a man claiming holding slaves was his "only unavoidable subject of regret." We find out why George Washington did not set his slaves free earlier in his life even through he set plans in motion several times to do so.
This is a very informative book, not only concerning Washington, but also the slavery question in general during the colonial period. Enjoyable to read for anyone interested in slavery or Washington.
There are several interesting discussions concerning the author's interviews with descendant's of slaves, along with a short study of how the subject of slavery has been portrayed in Colonial Williamsburg over the years.
The only fault I find with the book is the lengthy discussion of whether or not George Washington fathered a child with a slave woman. The conclusion is that he probably did not, but this part of the book becomes rather slow reading.

In An Imperfect God, Author Henry Wiencek succeeds in his portrayal of George Washington as soldier, satatesman, planter, and slaveholder. Along with being a biography of Washington, Wiencek also sheds light on the African presence in America from the 17th century to the present. As one reads, one notices the paradox that is the American Revolution, as well as its leader, Washington. We see Washington's views on slavery, from childhood up until his death.
The topic of relationships between slave and master is also brought up. These include one between Martha Washington's father-in-law and a slave, one between a mulatto woman and Martha's own father (her half sister), the Sally Hemings and Jefferson case, and even one between Washington himself, and a slave named Venus.

This was my first introduction to Robert Fulghum and meeting this humorous man was truely enjoyable. Like many personal accounts on life, there were things that he writes about I found touched me deeply and others that were just interesting. It was a pleasure to take a peek into his world of "show and tell" and compare it to my own. Robert Fulghum's perspective is healthy and positive and he even redeems himself with the dog population in the credits at the back of the book. His humor added a dimension to some of his tales that made them truely memorable "lessons of life." A book to make you laugh and cry.

i really liked this book a lot when i found this book at a second hand store the girl that worked there made such big deal about that every one looked at me like i was weird or something i was like "yeah hes a really good writter" even my mom was like is he really good i said i think so.... so 4 years later am like am going to get me every book i read by Robert Fulghum

With great wit and gentle grace, Robert Fulgham holds up a mirror so that we may see ourselves and our foiables more clearly. He has a unique ability to point out the treasure of the little things, the common things in life. After reading one of his books, I feel more serene, more appreciative of my blessings, and smile at the memories he has helped me recall. If you have not been "stopping to smell the roses" this book will help you start. Enjoy!

This was a pretty good book, very amusing. It was about dumb criminals doing, of course, dumb things. It is too bad that all crimes aren't as funny or easy to solve. One of the stories in this book was titled BAD BRIBES. this story started when a man drove through a red traffic light right in front of a cop, if this wasn't enough to get the motorist into the book, when the officer pulled the motorist over, the motorist offered him a massage as a bribe, it turns out that the motorist was a masseur. fortunately the officer wasn't in the mood, maybe the gentleman just rubbed the officer the wrong way.

The title is promising and the concept is good for some laughs as we struggle to comprehend the mind of the not-so-crafty criminal. However, the same story with different variations repeated 100 times is about 84 times too many. Probably younger kids will have the unique attention span to find all of these funny but juveniles and older will find reading the whole book a bore. The writing style is also QUITE elementary. However, if you just want to veg out and not use any brain matter, this is perfect uninvolved reading for a lazy afternoon with Cheez-its (not necessarily a brand recommendation) and T.V.

This is a group of stories that was put together by officers from around the country sharing some of the more bizarre experiences they have encountered in their careers. This is not about glorifying criminal behavior, it is just meant to highlight human nature at its lowest point when common sense is totally missing.

It is fair to say that common sense is not something a criminal should have by definition, but this book proves that any semblance of judgment is often missing. There are several hundred examples, some of which are a riot to read, and many that seemed forced. Some of the tales seem familiar from other stories I have read centering on The Darwin Awards.

To give you an idea of these geniuses here are a couple of examples. One person serving a 90-day sentence attempted to escape on day 89, the result an additional 18 months added to his time. A man suspected of stealing from vending machines paid his $400 bail, all in quarters. And one stunt was not even a criminal at the outset. A woman decided to alter her lottery ticket so she would win $20. The rub was that if she had left the ticket alone she not only would have avoided jail, but her original numbers had already won her $5,000!

The Police have extremely tough jobs, its nice to know that they do get an occasional laugh from their jobs.

I was very disappointed in this, the fourth book in the Heaven Lee Series.

I disliked the first book, "Death By Rhubarb" and hated the second book, "Revenge Of The Barbeque Queens". But the third book, "A Stiff Risotto" was good and I had hoped that it was a turning point and the series and would improve even more.

I was wrong again. Although better than the first two books, it was no where near as good as A Stiff Risotto.

4 Times Divorced, Once widowed, disbarred lawyer, former stripper and current resturant owner Heaven Lee is excited when the Artos (Greek for Bread) convention is in town. All she wants is to get some helpful hints on how to make great bread, but as ususal, death seems to follow her around.

I had disliked Heaven in the first two books, but enjoy her a little more. I really like her supporting cast, when they're in the story. And that's what's wrong with this one. Only Murrey, the former New York Times Crime Reporter is in this story.

Unfortunately, the character I haven't liked from the previous books, Heaven's 20 year younger boyfriend, Hank has a large part in this book. These two people have absolutely no chemistry between them.

To make things worse, Heaven's daughter, by her rock star second husband, Iris is added to the cast. I find Iris unlikeable. Once again, I think the author is going for excentric instead of a real life person. Why would a girl, who is supposed to be so intelligent pick for her boyfriend, a former drug addict, old enough to be her father, member of her father's band. Didn't she learn anything growing up with Heaven as a mother?

As with her relationship with Hank, I don't get the feel of any real closeness between Heaven and her daughter. She says she's upset with her daughter's choice of boyfriend. She says she's upset that her daughter is going to live in England instead of coming home. She says she's upset that her daughter might be in danger. She says everything, but there are none of those little touches you have in books that show you that there is a real relationship between people. The fact that Heaven has to keep saying that she cares comes across to me as she doesn't really care that much. You get those little sparks of chemistry, the humor between her and the supporting characters who work at her restaurant, but not with the character's that she's supposed to love.

I learned more about sourdough, wheat, rye and every thing you could possible want to know about bread. I didn't want to know it. I felt like I was in high school science class.

One improvement. They have moved the recipes to the front of the chapter instead of just dropping them into the middle of the story.

I don't know why the great characters like Murrey, Chris, Joe, Mona - who runs a store that sells everything for cats, are not used more in the stories. And Bo Morales, her best character isn't even in the book.

Better than the first two but not as good as the third. I'm still hopeful on this series.

Onward to the Cornbread Killer. I love cornbread and am hoping to get some recipe idea's.

I live in the KC area, and I have found the series fun and exciting. I am giving this book a 3 only because there are too many loose ends that were not explained, otherwise, I found it to be well written.

I had one big problem with this book(Bread On Arrival). In the beginning, General Mills, Ernest, Patrick and Dieter(who lives in Germany) all find 3 loaves of bread either at their home or offices. Maybe I missed this, but how did the bread get there(and who put it there...I assume it was the killer, but how did he get it there)? Also, I believe(and the reader should know for sure, not have to guess) it played a roll in the death of two of the above people mentioned(and I felt the deaths came too late in the book...I kept waiting and waiting), but this aspect was never explained(at least not that I saw).

Most everything else was wrapped up in the end, except the 3 bread loaves and how they got to their victims. Considering this bread played a role in the death of two people, I feel it is important to explain how it got there and what role it played in the deaths.

Also in the beginning when introducing Paul, there is a "mystery woman" in his office who is giving Paul and assigment at work that he is not real thrilled about. Who is this woman? I don't think she ever appeared in the book again(and because of all the mystery surrounding her first appearance, I expected her to show up again). Why not say she is Jane Doe, Patrick's nasty supervisor or something if she would only appear this once? Why make her a mystery person?

Like I said before, maybe the 3 loaves were explained somewhere in the book(I never saw it), but considering they played a role in the deaths of 2 people I think that information is crucial to the reader. Who put it there and how(especially the loaves in Germany).

I will say, I am glad that Lou Jane Temple has moved her recipes from the middle of a chapter, to a page of their own. I found it distracting to try and find where the recipe left off and the chapter begins(the recipes all look wonderful!).

I found this book to be well written(and I will continue to purchase more in the series). I would just like to see the clues make sense at some point.

I have read several other Heaven books. I wasn't much impressed by the others but I found this one to be better constructed than the others. There were enough red herrings to keep one guessing, interesting bread facts and good recipes besides to make a satisfying whole.