Review of Clean Cut [IMPORT] (Hardcover)

Lynda La Plante is well known to mystery/suspense readers.Her BBC television series, PRIME SUSPECT, ran for seven seasons and starred award-winning actress Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison.In addition to being an actress herself and writing movie and television scripts, La Plante has written several stand-alone and series novels.

The author's latest book, CLEAN CUT, is the third in her Anna Travis series.RED DAHLIA and ABOVE SUSPICION.I hadn't read either of the previous books, but I had no problem diving into this one regarding backstory.La Plante delivers well-developed characters with a tremendous amount of internal conflict.What I needed to know about the two primary characters, Anna and her lover Detective Chief Inspector Jimmy Langdon, was quickly supplied, and I was immersed into the new problems that faced them as a couple and as police officers.

After a rather slow-paced launch at the start of the book, though deep in character complications, Anna starts questioning her relationship with Langdon.She's gotten irritated at the way she seems to have turned from lover to caretaker for him, all without appreciation.Then she gets the phone call that turns her life inside out:Langdon was attacked at his latest crime scene.She's told that even if he lives, Langdon will probably never walk again.

The book centers at the outset on the test of the two wills of Anna and Langdon.She wants to help, but he's so cynical and bitter that she can barely stand to be around him.Not only that, but she finds out that Langdon is going behind her back to get information about the man that attacked him.Anna fears that Langdon is engaging in a vendetta that will land him in trouble with the law.If the wheelchair doesn't get Jimmy Langdon, it looks like prison will.

I liked the characters a lot because they have obvious history and "feel" real.I hated the way Langdon treats Anna, but I totally understood where Langdon's mind is while in the hospital.People in situations like Langdon's strike out at those that love them because those people are the only ones willing to put up with them.This bitterness spreads throughout the novel as Anna's own murder case suddenly intersects with the investigation Langdon was pursuing when he was nearly killed.

La Plante uses the novel to point out how vulnerable countries are these days.Transient populations drift through major cities, like London in this novel, and bring a lot of danger and crime because that's a big part of what those people have to rely on for employment.The presentation of La Plante's views may be unsettling for some, but there's now denying the existence of the problem.

The book remains steady throughout, and its solid police work that breaks the cases wide open and connects them.There are no car chases, martial arts battles, or shootouts.The action La Plante relays in her pages is propelled by emotion and the reader's driving curiosity to find out what's going to happen next.The author has a great ear for dialogue, and her police characters talk the way those people do, in rough vernacular tinged with black humor.

CLEAN CUT is a good book, but it's made even better by the stress on Anna and Langdon's relationships.The final few pages will come as a shock to some.And it will leave readers wondering what's going to happen for Anna in the next book.




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Review of The Love Book (Paperback)

These stories of sex and death, attraction and repulsion, men and women, start out in a gritty mode, exposing the less pretty realities of some of life's unfortunates. One triumph of The Love Book is the tenderness Wohlrob reveals in the course of writing each relationship, a raw and recognizable humanity he brings to the surface in places the reader least expects: Compassion for just the characters with whom I was most uncomfortable crept over me in absorbing Wohlrob's deft and distilled prose. The stories in The Love Book are never veiled autobiography, but add up to an original vision all Wohlrob's own, one that has been piercingly and wisely lived, felt, and imagined.

Product Description
Five gritty, absurd and darkly comic tales. Five characters at a crossroads in their lives. While recovering in a New Jersey motel room, an obese female pro-wrestler is confronted by the demons of her past, as old memories she long ago wanted to bury keep surfacing. An Italian man who has a fetish for Asian women meets his match when he starts dating an Asian woman with a fetish for Italian men. A woman who loses her right arm in a car accident tries to return to normal life and subjects herself to the horrors of online dating. A man obsessed with time has recurring dreams that he is always late for odd events and struggles with his psychiatrist to figure out the source of his fixation. An epidemic of suicide hits a retirement community in Ohio and one couple begins to question the value of their final days together. These are very modern fables, with a great heart, a very biting sense of humor, and fully-fleshed out characters that you can sink your teeth into. Hear the audio version at www.kenwohlrob.com.

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Review of Momma's House (Kara's Eyes) (Paperback)

I am an avid reader. Books, words are my greatest passion.This book grabbed me from the first page!I found myself waking up in the middle of the night wanting to read more.The characters are so real, so much so that I felt I knew them and wanted to see how things turned out. I became totally involved.The main character Kara is fascinating, being so young and so determined, I found myself actually rooting her on!
I cried, I laughed, I was enraged. Momma's House is an emotional rollercoaster.I am recommending it to all my girlfriends as a must read!

Product Description
Set during the mid-1960s through the early 1980s, Kara, a girl of multi-racial, multi-culturalbackground, has taken on the task of caring for her family despite her tender years. Blessed with a genius IQ and street smarts. Kara struggles to survive in a household governed by a violent, domineering andphysically abusive mother with an interest in the occult and a chronically alcoholic and self-loathing father. The inner turmoil of Momma's house is in sharp contrast to the outer appearance of the family's seemingly picturesque life.Kara must contend with the horrors of molestation, rape and modern day slavery with a resolve that belies her young years. With an innate sense of God and purpose, Kara is determined to "bend but NEVER break,"Kara's sense of strength is constantly reenforced by her friendship with her one true friend and seemingly guardian angel, herblack German Shepherd Prince, and the only love she's ever truly known or recognized; that of her older sister Dee Dee.Due to necessity of creating something fromvery little to nothing, she discovers a connatural ability and passion for cooking! Many view Kara as an "old soul" in a young body, perhaps it is this possession that enables her to realize that life is about choices and one can either choose to be a victim or not!

From the Author
This is a story about one young girl's struggle to exist; it's her life as seen through her eyes. Narrated in a mature voice, one has but to peel off the many layers that conceal in order to discover or see the child within the child. Although graphic at times, it is a poignant piece about determination, the quest for love, self-acceptance, and the strongest instinct of all, to survive!

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Review of Going Coastal (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this author's previous book Smothering.I was eagerly looking forward to this one.

Going Coastal is about our main character -working in a diner and hating it - or so she thinks.

Basically, this book is about finding yourself and what you truly love.There are many wacky characters as you would imagine in the diner and our main heroine has some hilarious interactions with most of them. The writing style is fun and breezy and although there is a "morale" to this story, the overeall tone is about being who you should be.

While this book wasn't as "sweet and innocent" as Smothering, I still enjoyed it thoroughly.Great chick lit reading.



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Review of Want Some, Get Some (Paperback)

Street tale novelists better move over and make room for this gritty and edgy debut novel by Pam Ward! Want Some, Get Some is an urban tale that centers around Trudy aka Trudy with the Booty, a twenty year-old woman who knows that the streets of South Central LA are not all that life has to offer and wants out of living her daily nightmare.

Life has truly dealt Trudy a funky deck of cards. Her slick and shady ex-boyfriend, Lil Steve, hustled her into a relationship and making a sex tape only to turn around and sell it around the neighborhood, leaving her to face constant ridicule and unwanted sexual advances. Trudy's mother, Joan, turns her back on her only child and kicks her out of the house, leaving her to face life on the streets, living in seedy apartments and with even more seedier people. Joan tries to use the excuse of the tape as the reason for kicking Trudy out, but it is really her own personal motives that she puts first instead of her daughter. Trudy finds the only thing that keeps her sane is singing on stage at Dee's Parlor, a rundown juke joint that serves as a true black hole for all the shady players, hustlers, ballers, and shot callers.

Trudy knows that revenge is truly best served cold so she drums up a bank heist plan to not only get out of her nightmare but get back at Lil Steve. Working at Dee's Parlor surrounded by some of the best of the best in the underworld gives her a perfect opportunity to put this plan into action.The only thing Trudy did not think about was that everyone has something that they want and will do whatever it takes to get it.

Pam Ward writing is very blunt and not for the faint of heart. There are plenty of characters in this novel that might confuse you at first but as the story progresses all of them intertwine to create one firecracker of a novel. Not only is there plenty of action and suspense, but there is also a hint of romance. Readers might need to buckle their seat belts and hold onto their seats, because this novel will take you on an intense ride that you will surely not forget!


Reviewed by Angelique
APOOO BookClub

Product Description
A Gritty Street Tale Bristling With The Muscle And Teeth Of Iceberg Slim And Donald Goines

Trudy, a.k.a. "Trudy with the Booty," knows what she wants and how to get it. But a better life far away from the jacked-up streets of South Central L.A. needs to be financed, and she can't think about leaving without handing some sweet payback to Lil' Steve, her slick talking ex. Ever since he started selling nude videos of her to the neighborhood men, Trudy can barely walk the streets. His demise would be the icing on the cake. But Trudy's plan to get even and escape the ghetto is more than risky--it may be the worst mistake of her life. Having recruited a crew of hustlers, car-jackers, and homewreckers who hang out at the seedy nightclub, Dee's Parlor, where she sings nights after working days as a bank teller, Trudy is ready to put her scheme into action--a heist that can make them all rich. There's just one problem: Jimmy, a stone-cold killer who doesn't like being ripped off. And while the best laid plans often do go awry, no one could have guessed where this wild, crazy ride takes this cast of bumbling lawbreakers and heartbreakers as they scramble over and under each other to get what they want.

A fast-paced, exhilarating drama with sharply drawn characters, sultry writing, and a fierce intensity of emotion, Want Some, Get Some is a brilliantly assured debut. A promising new talent, Pam Ward brings a woman's sense of bravado to a boy's game.

About the Author
Pam Ward is a Los Angeles native. Her work can be found in Best American Erotica 2002, Men We Cherish, and poetry in Catch the Fire!!! She's the recipient of a California Arts Council Writing Fellowship and a New Letters Award for Poetry. This is her first novel.

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Review of Confessions of an Internet Don Juan (Paperback)

Confessions of an Internet Don Juan is a tour de force.Chambers doesn't just push the envelope, he gives it a swift kick.He may just well be one of the most inventive writers on the planet.His story has a worthy place in a society that perks up at the opportunity to pruriently observe or divulge all things private.

Product Description
Confessions of an Internet Don Juan tells the story of Cast Hughes, a handsome, well-to-do, middle-aged failure. A former bit player on the bicycling pro circuit, nothing in Cast's life goes as planned. The tricky item that has proved a success is his seduction of women and Cast's modus operandi involves the Internet. He meets exotic beauties from around the globe. Although Cast wants to settle down, he is thrust deeper into a world of treachery and deception by his innumerable affairs. The novel will shock and outrage as it relates an inelegant excursion into the private life of a reprobate who adores women and will go to any length to pursue them. Pathos and humor underscore Cast's provocative confession, concerning Internet dating, sex, and relationships.

Confessions of an Internet Don Juan is an adventure and dark comedy, and a paradoxical celebration of life and love.

About the Author
Cameron H. Chambers was educated at Grinnell College, the University of North Florida, and Nova Southeastern University. He holds a BA in Communication and an MS in English. He has traveled extensively and especially enjoys traveling to Latin America. One particular point of interest is San Miguel de Allende in the mountainous central region of Mexico. Mr. Chambers would like to drive the Pan Am Highway into South America. His novels include For the Love of a Madman and The Stone Cabin. He resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

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Review of Fearless (Paperback)

There are two things Colton Wheeler loves, being a lawman and his lover Dr. Diego Del Rio.If he had to choose between the two it was no contest, Diego was his world.When his world is turned upside down, leaving him in the hospital and Diego hurt, scared and on the run for murder, Colton will stop at nothing to right his world again and bring his lover back home.
Fearless was a story of twists and turns that had me anxious to see how it would end.The attack on Colton and Diego's world was sadistic and even more sadistic was the discovery of the attacker and why.Even though I figured out the 'who' very quickly, the 'why' certainly wasn't for the reason I thought.Colton was a strong character that saw the big picture and his actions were the result of that.As he would say he sees in gray where some people only see in black and white, and going by this story narrow-mindedness can be very disturbing.Colton was Diego's protector and it was obvious how much he loved Diego, I wished Diego had trusted more in Colton's strength instead of continuing to run, then maybe we would have gotten more of a feel of their relationship together.I liked what Sarah Black was trying to accomplish with Fearless but I felt it was too great a storyline for the length of the book, the wrap up felt too rushed.

Ley
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed



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Review of No Entry (Hardcover)

NO ENTRY has moments of real brilliance. If you care anything at all for hell for leather story telling, put your money down and take this book home. In the traditon of Harry Crews , NO ENTRY is both a black comedy and a deeply spiritual novel of the modern South. Rex Dupree, an over the hill All American Florida Gator linebacker, living the sleaze of an souless life, is put on the path of Parsifal's journey to discover the Holy Grail of compassion and to the heart of true manhood. He is stripped of all his bourgois connections by the trial by fire in court by a demented judge, and using the method of Jungian psychology, is reduced to soul dust, and makes his descent and rise as the pheonix. NO ENTRY is peopled by extremes- an eccentric judge, a hapless lawyer,a lustful proctologist, a hypocritical minister - sad and funny examples of the American ruling class, who conspire to undermine Rex Dupree, and in doing so, unwittingly provide him with the means to save himself.

Product Description
A former college football star watches his life quickly decline when all of the important people in his life turn against him, and having lost everything, he discovers the freedom of starting over with a clean slate. IP.

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Review of The Norbert Chronicles, Volume I (Paperback)

My family and I all enjoyed Norbert. We laughed out loud alot. You already know Norbert whether you have been in his shoes(and are wondering what is going on around you) or you come across some of the same characters that he does ( and are still wondering what is going on around you). Great book that's easy reading when you want a quick scenario or want to lose yourself in Norbert's world for a while.

Product Description
Norbert. He's bewildered. He's befuddled. He's frightened. He's flatulent. He's on a quest to seek enlightenment, but he has to stop off at Dunkin' Donuts first. He hitches up his underwear when no one is looking, and toddles along to Cubicle City, dragging a pail lunch and a brick-pak of Hawaiian Punch. He's fighting the corporate system for the return of his soul; he's leaving his pee cup in the wrong window. He's dreaming big dreams, while stuck in a cubicle-infested nightmare. Along with Smelly Larry, Tonia Murkwater, Mr. Babaganoush, Madame Fu-Fu the Tarot Card Reader and Hinkelmeyer the Nerd Shaman, Norbert has high hopes that life will someday be better. Or at least, a lot less perplexing. ******* From the wild mind of Louisa StrongBear, comes the book you've all been waiting for: the unabridged, uncensored, and completely unprecedented NORBERT CHRONICLES!! Herein lies the untold true story of Norbert Dortmunder, Nerd Extraordinaire, who toddles into his cubicle each morning and ends up in an alternate realm free of corporate dogma and his butt-compressing cube chair. There Norbert can be a hero, become enlightened, or get pelted with lard, all depending upon where he lands in the otherworld. Join Norbert as he leaves no stone unturned in his quest for answers. But first let him remove the wedgie he has caught in his Bermudas, okay? Norbert Dortmunder: Cubicle City's favorite nerd!

About the Author
Louisa StrongBear is a shaman, poet, clairvoyant medium, teacher, artist and witch, all at the same time, and in no particular order. She loves chocolate, as was mentioned in her first book, as well as the beach, books, the colors yellow and gold, all kinds of animals, thunderstorms, cemeteries & other spooky stuff, dancing & singing & laughing as often as possible. Louisa is also known as "Louisa the Psychic" and does clairvoyant readings. The Norbert Chronicles is Louisa's second book. Her first is: Journey By Night: A Solitary Journey, which is told as a shamanic journey, and does not contain any lard or fart stories.

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Review of The Darkening (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a bit of a hybrid when it comes to a horror novel. It reads more like a tom clancy with supernatural players in it not to mention some Lovecraft.The story centers around a man named Dylan that is plagued by awful dreams that he can't remember and he wake's up in a different part of his house not knowing how he got there.The other central character is Lucy who feel's as if she is missing something but doesn't know what.

The villains in this book are none other than lovecrafts old ones and the cult that worship them. Opposed is a group called rex deus who try to thwart them at every turn. Both groups want to get there hands on lucy and dylan. The old ones are trying to break through and only lucy and dylan can put a stop to them.

This novel is good but lacks genuine scares and relies more on action. Not that that is a bad thing but when i read a horror novel i want to be a little creeped out so that is my main complaint. Also the ending was abit of a let down when you consider where your being led throughout the book. I reccommend to most out there and i look forward to reading some more by this author.

Product Description
IT BEGINS WITH A BLACKOUT.

All electrical power ceases to run. Even the sun seems a little dimmer. Cities come to a halt. And then their inhabitants vanish.

But a small, clandestine group of warriors has been preparing for this moment for centuries. Their hopes rest on two strangers, a thousand miles apart, who hold the keys to the world's salvation: Dylan Barnes, a martial arts instructor who teaches his students the art of inner balance but is plagued by shadows only he can see and voices muttering in a language only he can hear; and Lucy Devereau, a private investigator who earns a living by prying into the lives of others but is haunted by her own birthright-and the mystery of her true parents.

The world around them-our world-is slipping into darkness. Now, as fate and blood push them to the front lines of an extraordinary battle, Lucy and Dylan must stare into the face of something ancient, something impossible, something that has come to blot out the light-forever.

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Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Review of Fruit of a Poisonous Tree (Paperback)

Filled with suspense, intrigue, and memorable descriptions of the sea's beauty, and her treachery, Norm Harris's 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' launches US Navy surface Captain Egan Fletcher and JAG lawyer Commander Faydra Green on their individual star-crossed careers in an outstanding nautical yarn. This is a book with a great premise and a book with all the tension of a really good suspense novel. It's one of those on-the-run stories that features both appealing officers and lower-echelon military personnel for whom God, duty, honour, and country are not just words but credos.

The plot is complex but tightly knit and well controlled, with devastating subplots erupting in, of all places, a quaint (?) little third world nation know as Chosun (actually North Korea -today's powder keg). Naturally, the book bristles like a raging sea battle with intricate military hardware, from ghost ships to top-secret spy planes - like the Aurora, which the US Air Force still denies exists. Trailing in the wake is a whole bundle of intrigue and even a touch of romance that floats just below the surface, like a submarine waiting to rise when the moment is right. And when it did finally break out it happened with such suddenness and with such tenderness that I found myself reaching for a tissue (metaphorically, of course! I'm a doctor - I'm used to these things!)

Don't go away with the impression that this is a Clancy lookalike (though it's difficult to avoid the similarities in a novel of such depth and accuracy). In 'Fruit of a Poisonous Tree' author Harris sets his own course and spins his own tale of piracy, deception, high treason, and murder - though maybe Clancy will be forced to step aside soon and make way for some younger blood.

A great story with a great plot. You shouldn't miss it.

Product Description
When a young Navy SEAL is savagely murdered in a Seattle alley, presumably by a Marine Corps war hero,Navy lawyer Faydra Green is ordered to investigate. Although this is her first homicide assignment, it doesnot take Faydra long to decide the accused man is innocent.

Someone wants her investigation to quietly disappear, but Faydra is determined to clear the accused man'sname, discover why she has been made an accessory to a cover up, and find out who is responsible. Butshe will need all her wits about her to unravel the intricate web of lies and deception that stand between herand the answers she seeks.

Faydra's quest for the truth launches her on a heart-pounding voyage across the world in a desperate raceagainst time. Along the way, she will contend with the murky backwaters of governmental dirty deals andinternational intrigue, follow every lead, and risk her life in a bid to halt a catastrophic conflict that has threenations on the brink of war.

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Review of Gynomite: Fearless, Feminist Porn (Paperback)

First of all, the book is both moving and laugh-out loud hysterical.Three of the writers were featured before a poetry slam here in Phoenix and the sample poetry and stories they presented to the audience were unbelivable; the entire room was both captivated and amused.That was just a small sample; the book itself is even better.

Product Description
This is more than just a collection of dirtystories. This is a milestone document from an ongoing movement tochange the world one orgasm at a time.

Full of sexually charged language and imagery, unusual points of view,and subject matter covering new territory or still considered taboo;each piece of writing in this book represents an original, personalapproach to the concept of "Feminist Porn."

Lesbians writing gay male sex... straight chicks writing as hornymen...girly girls get macha, older broads buck wild... turningstereotypes on their heads... giving and taking in equal parts.

From the most subtle erotic gesture to the most extreme expressions offorbidden rage, the authors of these stories spill their inner sluts:butt zits, saggy tits, wiry nipple hair, jellyroll bellies, knifefetishes, and all. Taste the blood and the bliss.

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Review of Bleed into Me: A Book of Stories (Native Storiers: A Series of American Narratives) (Hardcover)

stephen jones, the author of three previous novels, THE FAST RED ROAD, ALL THE BEAUTIFUL SINNERS, and THE BIRD IS GONE as done it once again. time and time again jones manages to blow me away with his vision of the world around us. BLEED INTO ME is a collection of stories, some have been published previously while others this is their first time seeing print. nobody puts together scenes like stephen jones. nobody takes ordinary events and flips them on their head like he does. the characters that roam the pages of this collection are 'real' people, people we all know. to steal a line from another review that sums it up best, "Jones sees this world, its parallels between beauty and despair, grace and turmoil, and describes it with originality and stylistic flair. Jones's vision is unflinchingly peculiar. It's also a vision like no other.

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Review of Chief Executive Officer (Paperback)

Mark Hanson's Chief Executive Officer is an unorthodox novel about two men who, disillusioned with the roles they have played so far, switch identities in hope of improving things for the better. An urbane, business-savvy CEO dares to run a miners' union with numerous thugs and knuckle-breakers, while a labor leader who once fought in the Vietnam War struggles to do something about a rapidly failing 16-billion dollar insurance corporation. Unprepared and caught in totally unfamiliar environments, each leader must adapt to change not only to survive, but to succeed where the other has failed, until ultimately their paths cross once again - as business antagonists at the negotiation table. Chief Executive Officer is a highly intriguing, unforgettable read about being caught in the Fast World and struggling to run just as fast as you can to keep up.

Product Description
Having a bad day at the office? How would you like to be CEO of a rapidly failing, 16 billion- dollar insurance corporation and you haven't a clue about what to do? Why? Because you are there by mistake. Your real life has been that of an angry, over-the-edge labor leader with a history of battling copper mine owners with unconventional skills learned in Vietnam. What about the urbane, Madison Avenue business fellow who is supposed to be CEO of the corporation? He is up in Montana trying to do your job running a large miners' union filled with thugs, torpedoes, and other assorted knuckle-breakers.

Chif Executive Officer is the story of these two men, disillusioned with their own lives, making a stealthy switch and trying to run organizations for which they have neither training nor experience. In alien environments they battle to hold their jobs and keep their secret while facing hostile challenges ranging from computer crime to investigative reporters. Finally, an unexpected series of explosive events pit the two men against each other across the bargaining table in a struggle that can have only one victor.

About the Author
Mark Hanson is a Fulbright Scholar and Professor of Management at the University of California, Riverside. As an international consultant, he has worked on projects for the World Bank, the United States Information Agency, UNESCO, the United Nations Development Program, and the Harvard Institute for International Development.

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Review of Cafe Respect: a mystery novel (Paperback)

Had Ms. Anna Beth Roper, the proprietess of Cafe Respect, suspected complications with the baggage of the homeless drifter, drop dead gorgeous Laura Bellows who dressed like a New England debutant, she'd have headed for the San Jacinto mountains faster than an Olympian gold medalist. Instead, she gave the young woman a job as waitress to replace another who'd quit simply by vanishing. Still, Ms. Roper would surely have thought twice about adding Laura to her menagerie had she known that her previous waitress lay under the drifting sand not two miles away with a dagger lodged in her pretty neck.

Indeed, the peculiar magnet she had that attracted unusual humans had populated her diner with a singular collection of strays, customers as well as employees. Manny Ortiz, the Hispanic cook, offered up indescribably half-Spanish/half-American concoctions, not the least of which was his daily fare of Chili Cinnamon breakfast rolls so piquante they'd bring tears to a grown man's eyes. Not to be outdone for queerness, Honey, the Cafe Respect cashier, warbled a bizarre mixture of song and bird calls as she added up the meal check for each diner. Curly Bill Smuin, as bald as a billiard cue, sported an endless repertoire of fedoras to top off his shiny pate while another patron, Ramon Patencio, a native of the Cohuilla Indiana Band, owners of the town's largest gambling casino, had never been seen without sartorial splendor from the town's most exclusive haberdashers. Although he'd been a regular breakfast client from the cafe's earliest days, no one knew just what role he played in tribal affairs or for that matter what he did at the Casino where he spent his time seven nights a week.

As the story unfolds, we learn that Laura has a past as checkered as linoleum tile. It seems theyoung woman had left university studies in botany for a job as a high priced courier for an unnamed company. While her job description did not seem to include prostitution, Laura allowed herself to dally between the sheets when a gentleman contact had that certain energy that has brought men and women together since the beginning of time. We also come to know that her appearance in Palm Springs was not just a random choice of vacation retreats: in fact, Laura has been sent to Palm Springs and the Cafe Respect on a mission.

As the bodies begin to pile up, unrelated to one another save for the knife/throat handiwork, the Cafe Respect is caught up in a maelstrom of its habitues, Roper and company, and a tangle of local police with the added confusion of the FBI and a shoot out rivaling the Okay Coral.

Two features most distinguish Steve Scott's writing, his "writerly" style and his way of bringing together some of the most improbable characters you'll ever meet in the same plot. No one ever brought the desert to life more vividly than Mr. Scott and no one else could make me believe in a Native American shaman in a business suit and an honest-to-God seance wielding spritualist with a daughter who sings out poety about a restaurant bill. Scott does it and you'll "suspend incredulity" in the pages of his novel, Cafe Respect.

Product Description
When Anna Beth Roper hires the beautiful Laura Bellows to replace Jane Evans, a waitress who failed to come to work one morning, Roper soon realizes there's more to Laura than just a pretty face. After Jane and a slick gambler turn up murdered, Palm Springs detectives begin to show up at the Cafe Respect on a regular basis.

Roper is the ringmaster at the cafe, but it's her customers who perform-Ramon Patencio, the handsome Indian big shot from the Spa Casino; Virginia, his dart-throwing secretary whose projectiles might include more than just four-letter words; Roxanna, Roper's fortune telling mother; the bald-headed Curly Bill Smuin, proprietor of the Glad Hand Saloon up the street; a Puerto Rican cook whose chili-soaked specials once caused a law suit; the FBI-and does Palm Springs Detective Logan Kind only have one hand?

The Palm Springs in Cafe Respect isn't about golf courses and movie stars-it's full of suspect friendships, slow mystery, poignant love, Indian Casinos that sprout up in the desert faster than the yearly crops, and a knife-wielding killer whose shrewd disguises blend in with longtime losers.

About the Author
Steve Scott was born in Vernal, Utah, and moved to Los Angeles at eighteen. After a career in real estate, he moved to Palm Springs, California, in 1992. He is the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller, Echo Park.

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Review of Our Father: Recollections of a Small Town Boy (Paperback)

What a wonderful book. I have never felt that wonderful feeling of going back to my childhood to explore all the pranks and laughs all over again.I think of the Wonder Years, Dennis the Menace and That 70's show when I flip through these great pages.It is important not to go into this book looking for a begining, middle and end but to just read it as a type of journal documenting the best parts of a someones life. Joe Brucato is a well kept secret in the author business.Be looking for his latest book A Rose in Feilding....gonna be a good one im sure!!

Product Description
For a third generation Italian-American boy life takes on a number of twists and turns as he matures from a child into a teenager. He must cope with the pressures imposed by a strict dad and a younger brother whose antics are intolerable. In his journey into adulthood Nicholas D'Napoli encounters a number of bizzarre people and episodes that will leave you laughing or crying. The characters are hilarious. In this walk down memory lane you'll witness the escapades and pranks of people that defy normalcy, like the transvestite who dresses like Greta Garbo, or the voyeur who plays peek-a-boo while hiding in the neighbor's bushes. Through Nick we're reminded of our first kiss or the embarrassment of blowing that special moment with the love of our dreams. D'Napoli guides us through our own youths; old friends, the bully in the schoolyard, first loves and broken hearts.

About the Author
Joseph Brucato holds a B.A. degree in History from the College of the Holy Cross and a M.Ed. from Worcester State College. He is presently a Social Studies teacher and its department chairman at Milford High School where he has worked for the past twenty-two years.

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Review of The Truth About Fire: A Novel (Hardcover)

Gillian Grace is a professor of modern German History who ends up teaching in rural Michgan to avoid her separated but un-divorced husband--with her troubled mixed- race daughter in tow.A graduate student talks her into helping him as he pursues the Far Right who may be responsible for the murder of his friend.Alternates with sections written from the point of view of Lucy Wirth whose husband has unwittingly allowed the Sons of the Shepherd to use his sporting goods store to stage their arms build up and plans for biological warfare.Interesting parallels between her relationship with her husband and with the graduate student--where the tables are turned and she now becomes over involved with a student.Fascinating development as she realizes that the student is as crazed as the neo-nazis he pursues.The bioterrorism angle seems too far removed from the action of the story for me to really care, but the characters and the struggle to understand evil are compelling enough to make up.



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