Editorial Review

Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement. That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut.Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, spiritual searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry. ... Read more

Reviews

Virginia Smith lives up to her newly won title of Writer of the Year (Mount Herman Writer's Conference) in Stuck In The Middle
Stuck In The Middle is an aptly named book revolving around Joan Sanderson--whose life has been put on hold while she looks out for her Grandma, who is wedged between sisters that Joan thinks are far more gregarious and personable than she is, and who is stuck in a superficial relationship with God. Stuck, that is, until a handsome, single doctor with an intensely personal relationship with God rents the house next-door and involuntarily drags Joan out of her rut.

As Joan struggles to break free, the reader is blessed with the genuine interactions between sisters, and family as a whole that Smith has woven into the story line so well. The dialogue is strong and realistic, the situations true to life and sometimes quite comical, and Joan, though a dejected character in many ways, is likeable and one you cheer for right from the beginning.

This alone would have made the book an enjoyable read, but Smith along with entertaining the reader reinforces the need for a personal relationship with God. She takes Joan, a Christian who has had a superficial relationship with God into discovering how to connect on a deeper level. Smith also does an excellent job of portraying the fear that Joan's sisters have of the kind of Christian Joan wants to become simply because they don't understand it.

Stuck In The Middle is not different than many other Christian fiction titles in that is has a spiritual message, but often, that message is dealt with in heavy handed and stilted way. Not Stuck In The Middle. This is the sort of book that while you read it you find yourself pleasantly entertained, seriously not wanting to put the book down even when you should be doing other things, and in the end you are surprised when you come away with a strong spiritual message.

Stuck In The Middle has something for everyone--romance, shopping, dating advice, sibling rivalry, family and spiritual relationships, and real life issues like caring for elderly family members all wrapped up in an entertaining package. Pick it up, today. You won't be disappointed.

Characters Sparkle in "Stuck in the Middle"
Viginia Smith does it again in "Stuck in the Middle". Her characters are realistic, artfully crafted, and endearingly flawed (aren't we all?) and will pull you right into the story from page 1. Here's a warning, though -- don't give the book as a gift unless you're prepared for trouble. Now I have several friends calling to complain that they're chomping at the bit to read the next installment in the series. Please bring us book 2 soon!!!

very good
Once I got going (only a few pages in) I read it in one day. I was laughing hysterically at parts, and love a good heart-warming message with God at the center. Sending it onto my sister - the interactions of the sisters were very real - I have 3 of them!

Moving story about one woman's quest to break free
Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith is the story of Joan Sanderson and her boring, going-nowhere life. She's been dumped by her long time boyfriend, Roger the Rat, her older sister is pregnant, and her beautiful younger sister has a terrific job. Joan lives with her mother and grandmother, who is becoming increasingly fragile. When a hunky doctor moves in next door, Joan sees what she's been missing, but little sister Tori also wants him. This book is far more than just chick-lit. Joan feels alienated from everyone around her. Her father left her as a young teen, and she resents her mother for his departure. She can't relate to God, because she doesn't feel like He is reaching out to her, but when she hears a missionary speak at her church, she feels the need to know God personally. Joan is a Christian like so many; she believes in God and has faith; she attends church regularly and does all the right things. But she's not connected to Him and hasn't experienced His wonder, until some chocolate ice cream shows up at just the right moment. Joan realizes that she can't get things right with her mother, sisters, or even the cute doctor, until she makes things right with God, and that means examining things in her past. Joan is believable and sympathetic, her heartache shows on every page as she struggles to do what's right without really knowing what that is. Very often our relationship with God has been influenced by our relationship with our earthly father, and this book is an excellent lesson on how to break free from the bonds of the past and security to find God. ... Read more

Editorial Review

She's not your average crime fighter!Ivy Malone has a curiosity that sometimes gets her into trouble, and it's only aggravated by her discovery that she can easily escape the public eye. So when vandals romp through the local cemetery, she takes advantage of her newfound anonymity and its unforeseen advantages as she launches her own unofficial investigation.Despite her oddball humor and unconventional snooping, Ivy soon becomes discouraged by her failure to turn up any solid clues. And after Ivy witnesses something ominous and unexplained, she can't resist putting her investigative powers to work again. Even the authorities' attempts to keep Ivy out of danger and her nosy neighbor's match-making schemes can't slow her down. But will the determination that fuels this persistent, quirky sleuth threaten her very safety?"I laughed out loud. McCourtney's charming mystery debuts a voice both enchanting and startling."-Colleen Coble, author of Without a Trace"McCourtney's skill at blending whimsy, quirks, and questions into a lead character makes Invisible a must read."-Lois Richer, author of Dangerous Sanctuary"Invisible is a treat! Ivy Malone is a heroine with spunk and determination!"-Carol Cox, author of A Stitch in Time ... Read more

Reviews

A light mystery book with a heaping helping of religious sauce
"I'll just read the first few pages."

Or so I thought as I began Chapter One of INVISIBLE at 11:30 PM on a Tuesday night. But I hadn't figured the heroine-spunky Ivy Malone-or her humor-laced story, into my plans.

Four hours later, I was reading the last lines of the book through gritty, but determined eyes, wishing very much that I could claim Ivy Malone as my grandmother, or at least my next-door neighbor.

To say this book is delightful is hardly sufficient. Written from a first person point of view, which is a different voice from McCourtney's past offerings, INVISIBLE is an absolute triumph. Wit and wisdom, pathos and perseverance, and downright eccentricity flow from Ivy's first vision of Nixon in her tomato patch, to her race with flying bullets, really bad bad guys, and the Hound of the Baskervilles in a grungy auto wrecking yard.

And while the tone of the story is humorous from start to finish, a number of deep questions are also addressed. Questions about the goodness and reality of God in the face of death, loss, and injury. Questions about what's right and what's wrong when justice must be served. Questions about where and how to belong in a world that seems to have forgotten you, or perhaps never noticed you in the first place.

In Ivy Malone, readers will find a combination of wacky humor, endearing stubbornness, and unconventional sincerity. In Ivy's story, readers will slink through torn up gravesites, take a dive inside a murdered woman's closet, and watch the stars with a cute guy named Mac. And that's just the beginning!

INVISIBLE is a wild and highly entertaining ride from the first chapter to the last word.

I can't wait for the release of the sequel, IN PLAIN SIGHT, where I'm sure Ivy, and her big white Thunderbird, will cruise into more mayhem, mischief, and maybe even some good old fashioned romance.

Ivy, you go girl:)

A romping good mystery.
Ivy Malone, a spunky, grey-haired widow, realizes the world is passing her by, leaving her unnoticed and invisible. She, however, has no intention of silently growing old and passing away.

Deciding to put this newfound inconspicuousness to good use, she determines to snare some local vandals, who have been violating the cemetery. Little does she know that there are more forces at work than mere vandalism. Throw in the murder of a neighbor and soon danger is knocking at Ivy's door as well. Will Ivy's snooping land her in trouble too deep for her to handle? Or will the resourceful Ivy Malone be clever and "invisible" enough to not only save herself, but apprehend the bad guys, as well?

There's nothing invisible about McCourtney's irresistible humor, clever story-crafting, or delightful characters. After having read Invisible, one can't help but hope that this new series will be a long one. A romping good mystery.

Craig Hart - CraigHart.net/ChristianLit Magazine

McCourtney is a skillful writer
Lorena McCourtney is a writer of romance and mysteries. Hailing from the State of Oregon, she and her husband love the outdoors. She graduated with a degree in agriculture from Washington State University. She is a woman of faith and has dedicated her later books to Christian values.

Ivy Malone has just lost her best friend, Thea. Thea rented part of her home to a beautiful and circumspect woman who went by the name of Kendra Alexander. Just as Ivy is feeling like a LOL (Little Old Lady) who is invisible to most people, circumstances conspire to change her life. A country cemetery is vandalized, and when the short-handed police haven't the resources to investigate, Ivy engages in nocturnal sleuthing. But then Kendra's apparent disappearance sharpens her naturally inquisitive mind, and when Kendra's murdered corpse is discovered in a nearby river, Ivy goes into action:

"Well, I was here to investigate. The circumstances did not appear to be ideal, but I figured I may as well start investigating. I pulled my photo of the person

I knew as Kendra out of my purse. 'Do you know this young woman?'

'The woman shook her head. 'Who is she?'

'Possibly a friend of Kendra's.' I brought out the photocopy of the young man's photo. 'What about him?'

Another shake of the head. 'What's this all about?'"

For a woman who is on Social Security, Ivy Malone has guts. She also has a wry sense of humor, attracts fellow senior males easily, and isn't afraid to launch herself into dangerous, and at times, hilarious situations. She is constantly mindful of her faith, which could interfere with the story but doesn't. She is an inspiration to those around her, and it could be a sign of the times that even older women refuse to be shunted aside.

INVISIBLE is an entertaining mystery which is a whodunit, as well as a "who does this corpse belong to?" McCourtney is a skillful writer with definite ideas and an inventive mind. It is no surprise that she is a popular author. INVISIBLE is lots of fun!

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

Alot better than I thought it would be...
As a senior citizen most of the time society pays you little attention; to most elderly people this is peaceful, but to some like Ivy Malone, it is a great advantage to get want she wants. In Ms. Malone's case, it's useful for going unnoticed (hence the title "Invisible") during any of her investigations. So when a local cemetery where her aunt and uncle are buried is found vandalized, she plans to avenge her relatives and decides to spring into action.
Thea, the next door neighbor and best friend of Ivy Malone has just died. Before she went she rented part of her home to a young lady by the name of Kendra Alexander. During this time Ivy feels as though everyone in the world is passing by her, or as if she really has no importance in life. However, as soon as she learns of the police deciding not to investigate a local cemetery being vandalized she feels a great breath of inspiration and starts taking action by herself. Soon the investigation seems to get more and more dangerous for Ivy Malone, as shortly after deciding to take the case young Kendra Alexander is reported missing and eventually found murdered in a nearby river. Using her "invisible" status, Ivy Malone does some great sleuthing until she eventually finds the vandals and they are apprehended by the police.
There are many things that make Invisible good book. One of them is the fact that although it's a mystery, it uses a humorous tone all throughout. So not only are you pulled in by the captivating tale of the mystery, but also by the comedy that will keep you even more entertained. In addition to those reasons, the book also discusses deep topics on things such as religion and about where you belong in society. I would recommend Invisible to anyone willing to have a good read.

Lorena McCourtney does a good job of implementing comedy into her mystery. This comedy keeps the reader entertained while also making the reader anxious to continue to get a good laugh. Some examples of this humor are when she finds the Hound of the Baskervilles in a junk yard, when she envisions Nixon in a tomato patch, and when she has a race with flying bullets. The humorous tone of the book made me really enjoy it.
Ironically, a humorous tone is not the only thing included in Invisible, but also deep topics that make you think. For example, one deep topic is when Ivy Malone feels as though she is no longer important to society because she is an elderly lady. Is that necessarily true or not? Another is during the book, Ivy Malone still continues to praise God although all these bad things start happening in her life. Some people always speculate if there is a god then why do bad things happen to good people, and this shows another case of that. This attribute of the book makes it more versatile and attracts an even wider audience than the usual mystery and comedy fans.
The main reason I liked this book is because of the story of the mystery itself. I thought it was pretty cool how the author used Ivy Malone's old age as a way to go unnoticed through her investigations. I also liked how the motivation for the protagonist is set up, by having her uncle's and aunt's tombstones vandalized and her feeling inspired and vengeful.

Invisible uses a good mix of humor, mystery, and description that keeps the reader interested. In addition, it discusses deep topics that include religious beliefs and the difference between right and wrong. Overall, Lorena McCourtney's book is a well rounded mystery, while also incorporating in other genres such as comedy and religious writing to make it even more interesting and better.

(...) ... Read more

Editorial Review

What if America suddenly lost all its electrical power, its communications, its transportation, its financial system, its government leadership, and its media? What if an upper middle-class neighborhood of families who hardly know each other's names, suddenly had to form a functioning, self-contained community? How would people in the 21st Century, spoiled by microwaves and fast food, air travel and speeding cars, television and air conditioning, learn to function if they no longer had cars that ran, grocery stores, postal service, running water, computers, big screen TVs? If they had to hunt to eat or grow their own food? If they had to dig wells for water? If they had to learn to wash their clothes in the nearby lake? If they had to establish a neighborhood school and a neighborhood church? And what if the crisis created looters and killers who thought they could rob and murder without consequences? This series combines elements of Growing up Gotti with Little House on the Prairie. After an unexplained catastrophic event in the atmosphere knocks out all electronics in the world, these well-to-do families who've accumulated so many things are suddenly left helpless. Their Mercedes and BMWs sit in their driveways, useless. Their expensive, well-appointed homes have no electricity, no refrigeration, no phones. Even their battery-operated electronics don't work. No one is certain whether the country is under attack. Without communication, there is no way to find out. One family of Christians--the Brannings--realizes the needs of those around them. After wrestling with their own anger, fear and despair, and struggling in prayer with the Lord, they begin to realize that they have a job to do. They begin trying to unite the neighbors in a common effort to survive, and instead of hoarding, they realize that Christ has called them to sacrifice and give. But a couple is found dead in their neighborhood, and they realize that there is a killer among them. As they struggle to protect their own family and property, their 22-year-old daughter Deni falls prey to the killer, and takes off with him across the country, desperate to make her way to the East Coast where she thinks her life will be better. It doesn't take long for her to realize he's the killer and that she's in danger. But getting back home is more difficult than she ever imagined, and she is forced to turn back to Christ in repentance and humility, knowing He is the only One who can help her get home. ... Read more

Reviews

Not what I was expecting
I have to be honest, I had no idea "Last Light" was written by a "Christian Writer" when I bought this book. To be completely honest if I had known this book was written by a "Christian Writer" I don't think I would have purchased it. I would have been worried that instead of a taut Sci-Fi/Thriller that the book's jacket promised, I would be buying a 300+ page sermon. My normal reading fare falls more along the lines of Stephen King, James Rollins or Dean Koontz, which if they feature a character strong in faith, it's usually a precursor to the evil they do, and tells the reader they are not to be trusted. So when I got home and found I had bought novel by a "Christian Writer" I wasn't exactly thrilled. I started the book, and got hooked pretty quickly. The idea of living without all of our electric and mechanical conveniences was a pretty cool idea. The characters are pretty well drawn, especially the quick tempered Deni, who like it or not we all can relate to very easily. The pace of the book is quick, and the murder mystery carries the story along nicely. I see other reviews that say they didn't care for the murderer storyline, but liked the rest of the novel. I don't quite understand that, as the murder mystery is easily 1/2 the book if not more. Most of the key action revolves around who the killer may be, and neighborhood's reactions to the killer's presence. I believe Mrs. Blackstock gives an honest portrayal of they way people would react in the circumstances surrounding the catastrophic events that take place in her novel. I didn't plan on liking this novel, and there were a few times I felt the book got too "preachy", but "Last Light" kept me turning pages and coming back for more. And though this seems to be the first book in a series, it's not a cliffhanger. The story stands on it's own without leaving you with unanswered questions that require reading the next book in the series. I will most likely pick up the follow up novel, and recommend this book to fans of suspense novels.

Another great Blackstock series launched with "Last Light"
Those who have read any of Terri Blackstock's more than two dozen books can attest to the undeniable fact that she is truly an extraordinary writer. Her suspenseful novels meet or exceed the best of this genre; while remaining true to her deeply held Christian faith (her books are always '...lovingly dedicated to the Nazarene'). "LAST LIGHT," the first of four books planned for her current 'Restoration' series, sets an even higher standard, with her challenging theme of our planet being stripped of its electricity, and other forms of power which most of us take for granted. After reading "LAST LIGHT," the only disappointment is having to wait for the remaining books in what promises to be yet another great series! --RON HOWE (a.k.a. Toby Martin II).

Scared Me
I have read most of Blackstock's books and have enjoyed them a great deal. I was very excited when this one came out and started reading it right away. Although the murder mystery part was not as captivating as some of her other novels, I was totally drawn into the Brannings "new" world. It scared me at times just thinking about what could happen and at other times I wondered if that's not what we need to have happen. I loved the book and can't wait for the next one to come out.

A terrific read lots of suspense
I gotta say, Terri Blackstock is quickly becoming my favorite author with each new book that I read. I have read quite a few, and this one is excellent. I couldn't put it down, stayed up late to finish, if you like suspense, you will like this. Also, its great for giving you pause for thought about your own spirituality. As a christian, I am finding the christian suspense genre to be a wonderful reading category on dual layers. Get the book, it will be worth it.

Real-to-Life Fiction
If you remember Hurricane Katrina, then you will want to read "Last Light"! Terri Blackstock let her mind wander in late 2004 thinking of the "what ifs" if a major catastrophe were to strike America, only to find herself and her family thrust into that very reality on August 29th 2005 in her home state of Mississippi, along with their neighbors in Louisiana and Alabama. Her all-to-real fictional depiction of devastation will have you thinking what would you do if ever confronted with such a crisis in your community. In addition, as a mystery writer, Terri keeps you turning the pages as you wonder who is responsible for the needless deaths occurring under such horrific circumstances and why. "Last Light" is superb and definitely worth your time to read. Kudos to Terri Blackstock for a job well done!

Last Light
I watch for new every title Terri publishes. Each book of her many series stands alone, yet keeps you hungry for the next in a series. As soon as I finished Last Light I immediately ordered Night Light (Book#2.) Others have written about the Last Light story line, basically I concur. But I had a couple of issues with the reality side of such an event. The biggest disconnect with me was the failure of all engines with a computer chip, from cars to home generators. That's certainly true in theory. But I can't believe that even in a smaller community a few bright mechanics or engineers could not tinker with these things and figure out a way to by pass the fried electornics. In Book 2 someone finally gets a brain and realizes that older cars (classics) still run. In the Branning's upscale neighborhood, don't tell me that someone didn't have an old Porche or restored '57 Chevy in their garage. Granted, it would take a lot of tinkering to get a modern SUV running when the chip(s) goes bad, but a couple of shade tree mechanics with a lot of time on their hands and a big incentive to succeed could certainly gerry-rig a bunch of direct wires and fire that sucker up. It might run rough, but it would run. Same for the home generator. For the sake of the story itself, which was about the people dealing with the crisis, it was probably better for the author to ignore these ideas. Still, it hurt my reading enjoyment as I placed myself in the character's shoes. Oh yeah, I went and stocked up on batteries and other "Hurricane items" after reading the book.... just in case! Lou Sauer, Raleigh, NC

Riveting
The concept of this storyline is fascinating and made me realize just how complacent we have become in the world due to our modern conveniences. The characters are well-written and believable, and you can really fall into the story as if you are there. I find this to be the case often with this author's books. I really appreciate a novel that can bring tears to my eyes due to the realism of the characters.

I also appreciated the Biblical concepts and the way she applied them within the story. When challenged by hardships beyond our comprehension, how would we handle passages like James 1:2-8 or Matthew 5 & 6?

Recommended if you like adventure/suspense/mystery novels. I just ordered book 2 in this series.

LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT . . . GONE. NOW WHAT?
I'd heard of Terri Blackstock. Knew she was a Christian fiction writer. Figured she wrote prairie romances.
ZZZZZZ
As I became more involved in the business of writing and trying to create my own fiction, I sought out other writers works to read. I stumbled across this novel, Last Light, and was intrigued by the cover. Picked it up, read the back cover blurb thought it might be really interesting. Read the first few scenes and . . . bought the book.
A man and his adult daughter step off an airplane in Alabama. Moments later everything turns silent. Another plane crash lands on the runway near them. A second plane falls, bursting into a fireball.
How could I not by a book like that? What happened? I had to know.
The story follows the Branning family (specifically the oldest daughter Deni) as they learn to live without modern amenities. All modern amenities. Something has happened which makes all technology expensive doorstops. Various storylines develop to move the story along. The major one is a murder. Suspects abound and the community basically has to take matters into their own hands to catch the killer. This is book one in a series called Restoration, however, the major treads that weaves this story together are tied up by the end making it a somewhat stand alone novel. The only thing really unresolved is the power outage and Deni getting back to DC. The second book in the series, Night Light is out now.
Blackstock's writing as great. Here characters, believable.
If you like stories of technology gone awry and the relational struggles that ensue, this is a story for you. I look forward to seeing how the Brannings fare as the plot thickens over the long haul of a series.
One thing that really impresses me is reviews I've read by those who are no Christian fiction readers. They've had good things to say. I've always believed, and try to practice with my own writing, that if you write a good story (as opposed to a sermon masquerading as a novel) you'll reach a broader audience with a message of hope.
Well done, Terri.
... Read more

Editorial Review

A charming historical novel set in the late 1800s. Born and raised in the hills of Kentucky, Laura "Copper" Grace loves the wilderness of her home in Troublesome Creek. But when her stepmother threatens to send her away to boarding school to become a lady, Copper faces the possibility of losing everything that is precious to her. Copper must come to terms with her family and discover the true meaning of home. Nothing can drag her off the mountain, until the day she realizes that God has other plans for her life.

Reviews

can't wait for the sequel
I'll just go ahead and use the most over used line in reviews. It was a real page turner. It transplanted me in time and place, to the late 1880's in Appalachia. The scene came alive on the pages. The characters were real and the novel's twists and turns were, for the most part, unpredictable. The reader has no choice but to identify with Copper, the twins and the various other characters. Troublesome Creek did not read like the writer's first novel. I could feel her own real life experiences seep through, in the small, detailed descriptions that made this novel seem so "true to life."

I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel. Does married life fit Copper, especially in the "big" city and not the woods of eastern Kentucky? Keep writing Jan, you've found your niche.

Excellent book!
This wonderful book has it all: tragedy, romance, adventure, history, and a compelling story of a young woman coming of age in the hills of Kentucky.

a great read
I thought this book was a delightful read. I, too, liked the unpredictability and the reality of life experiences found in Troublesome Creek. I was strengthened by the characters' reliance on their faith to carry them through whatever life brought their way. I can't wait for the sequel! I can't wait to see what happens to these folks next and I've got a feeling Jan Watson has more to say.

A Very Pleasurable Read
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Ms. Watson's style of writing was so refreshing; I loved her descriptions and her dialogues...especially the very amusing comments by Copper's twin brothers! I love how she put everything in this book: sorrow, laughter, mystery, tension, & romance.

This book tells a couple of stories, starting with that of Copper's father and mother. Theirs was a true romance that soon ended in tragedy. However, her father's decision soon after made Copper into the woman she came to be, the woman I so very much enjoyed reading about! The setting happens to be in the hills of Kentucky around 1881. It's not often you find a story depicted in that setting, and that is one of the reasons I loved it so much.

This book was more entertaining than any others I've read in a while. If you have ever read "Christy" by Catherine Marshall, and enjoyed it as much as I did, you'll love this book!

Leisurely book for a break from life's rush
This first-time novelist captures the reader's heart as pages quickly turn to reveal plot twists and a story of real-life family love. This is how Jan Watson, author of Troublesome Creek, debuts her work as a novelist. Main character Copper, a sixteen-year-old girl from the hills of Kentucky, struggles through her teenage years with her loving, but somewhat sewn askew parents. After an introduction to the existing Brown family, Watson takes the reader into the family's turbulent past, bringing more complexity to the story. Troublesome Creek, the nearby waterfront that Will Brown has loved for so many years proves to be loving and unforgiving all at once. A mountain cat herself, young Copper's outdoor-loving instincts come to battle against her mother's desire for her to become a "proper lady." Threats of boarding school and city life lead Copper to make hasty, unwise decisions that guide her into paths she would never have chosen otherwise. A story of true, tested love and the blossoming of youth into adulthood makes this a gentle but poignant story.

Watson gracefully leads the reader into the plot by the powerful use of flashback. Troublesome Creek is revealed to the reader one piece at a time, but leaves no questions about what is to come. Relationships between characters are unforgettable and feel hauntingly realistic. Although Watson's plot twists are unusual in everyday life, a reader cannot help but empathize when the characters find themselves in painful or awkward situations.

Copper is a young and fiery redhead who loves the mountains, her family, and her hound dog Paw-Paw. As the story progresses, Copper finds herself in love with John, a friend from her childhood. Stepmother Grace and father Will serve her with guidance and stability as she makes decisions as an inexperienced adolescent. Rifts between mother and daughter emerge, as can only be expected in a story of a growing family. But, ultimately, love pulls the family through the rough waters of life, as years around Troublesome Creek transpire.

After finishing Troublesome Creek, a reader comes away changed and in love with life. Although some plot holes and weakly-constructed dialogue mechanically hinder the story's impact, Watson's first novel hits home. The book is appropriate for both young audiences and matured readers because of its unobtrusive and family-friendly content. Written in an easy-to-read vernacular, first-time fiction readers and experienced crowds alike will appreciate the Watson's work. Troublesome Creek is a leisurely book for a day in the sun or a break from the rush of life. -- Michelle Faulconer, Christian Book Previews.com

Well written and grabs your attention
This book takes place in the late 1800s and is about a young lady and the challenges of growing up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. The writing is so descriptive; it was like reading in color. I usually only read magazines and technical articles, but this book grabbed me and I kept reading until I finished it. Ed

A must read at any age!
I just finished reading Troublesome Creek and I can't wait to hear what happens next with Copper. This was the type of book that when I fell asleep reading it, I dreamed about it. Jan Watson's descriptions of the characters and setting were so real that I felt like I was there at Troublesome Creek. Her description of the budding romance was also so real that my stomach got butterflies right along with Copper. This is a great story that I would recommend to a 13 year old or an 80 year old.

Bob Anderson - Walton, Kentucky
This story was refreshing because it is a historical novel that expresses the true culture of the Appalachian people at the turn of the 20th century. Their pride, feeling of community, and ability to be self-suffecient in a hard living area was exactly as it was expressed to me by my mother who grew up in the Appalachian Mountains. Jan Watson's story made me feel like I was sitting in my momma's kitchen listening to her many stories of her childhood. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling trilogy

Lisbeth Salander—the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels—lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge—against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Reviews

Beautiful Conclusion to an Almost Perfect Trilogy
Just as Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" is held up as the trilogy to which all fantasy trilogies are inevitably compared, I've little doubt that Larsson's Millenium series will play that benchmark role for mystery thrillers over the next few decades.

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest" is an incredibly worthy successor to the previous two books in the trilogy. And toward the end, there will be moments when tears are brought to your eyes. Larrson knew precisely how to play with timing, rhythm, and wording to pace the story and its ending just right. I'm hard pressed to even guess how else he could have ended this series.

The story follows the natural conclusion of the events in the first two books as everything dovetails toward a "behind-closed-door" trial. Larrson did a very good job of the first part of this book that takes place in the hospital where Lisbeth is recovering. I really enjoyed reading things from her perspective, then spinning out to others involved and each of their limited pieces of the evolving puzzle. And things just get better as the book moves along.

Frankly, once you hit part three of the book, it's almost impossible to put down. I picked it up just once...just to read a chapter or two in the second half of the book...only to find that three hours had gone by and the book was over.

Larrson's tying up of many loose ends throughout the book - and this is key - throughout the book (not all in the last few chapters like so many other writers) is masterful. And that emphasizes the one tragic aspect of this final book: knowing that we will never again be graced with Larrson's storytelling mastery.

Complex, Satisfying, Clever, Moral; Evil Versus Good
For those of you who have not read the first two volumes of this trilogy, I urge you to start on Volume one and proceed. The characters are so complex and real that an understanding of their background seems to me to be a must. The first two novels set up the reader for this wonderfully clever conclusion. The tale of good versus evil is one that is a history in time, and Stieg Larsson has given us a treat to savour.

The first one hundred pages of the third novel brings us up to date, and then we start the real read. More characters are introduced and at times during this 600 page read, I wondered if I could keep them straight. For the last two hundred pages, this book is very hard to put down. This is a tale of a series of conspiracies and how they come to cloud the Swedish democracy. How did Lisbeth Salander become the abused young woman, and will the people and times trying to destroy her win? And, Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist, will he be able to expose through his words, the wrongs that have been done. Will he regain Lisbeth's confidence?

Lisbeth Salander is in the Intensive Care Unit, she has been shot in the head. Her father is in a room down the hall, reportedly shot by Lisbeth. How did this come to be. Why are the Swedish Secret Service surreptitiously going in and out of his room? Why do we pick on those we do not understand? It is easier for us to believe those that are in power than to question the truth. The theme of the trilogy is that women are equals. There is no unnecessary overt sex and even though there is violence, it is believable. Blomkvist is a hero, he is the main antagonist and the muscle behind the investigation. He is out to assist Lisbeth Salander in becoming the woman she is meant to be instead of the woman who was looked at as the mad lesbian killer. He says, "When it comes down to it, this story is not primarily about spies and secret government agencies; it's about violence against women, and the men who enable it." The characters who surround them are wonderfully sketched out. We can picture in our mind's eye their faces and their countenance. This novel sums up the story of Lisbeth Salander, but leaves us wondering what is to be. Unfortunately, Stieg Larsson. because of his death, won't be continuing the series, it is up to us to find her rightful place.

It is easy to understand why this trilogy of Stieg Larsson's has become such a phenomenon. The search for justice and truth from a young, abused woman who has the nerves and strength of steel gives us all hope. We can believe through this wonderful narrative that the world is indeed a good place.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 10-13-09

The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage)

A Worthy Third Volume in the Series -- No Spoiling This Volume
This is the third book in what is now a trilogy of novels centered around the character Lisbeth Salander. Salander is unique -- a deeply flawed but also incredibly resourceful individual who will fascinate you. This book begins where the previous volume (The Girl Who Played With Fire) ends, with Salander brought to the emergency room of a hospital in Goteborg, Sweden, with three bullet wounds, including one in her head. One of the persons who tried to murder her later comes into the same hospital into a room two doors from Salander, bearing grievous wounds that Salander herself inflicted.

You will have to read the first two volumes of the trilogy to understand the storyline in this volume. That should be no problem, because the first two volumes were hard to put down. This third volume is the longest in the series, but it reads even faster than the first two. The first half of this volume sets up a situation involving legal charges against Salander that seem irrefutable, especially as police and prosecutorial resources are marshaled against her. Because of the charges against her, Salander is locked into her hospital room with no access to a computer and only very restricted access to information from outside. This lead-in creates tremendous tension, as the reader is allowed to look into the careful measures that Salander's friends and foes are taking to prepare for a courtroom denoument.

If you have already read the first two volumes in this trilogy, you will not need any coaxing to buy this third volume. It contains much less explicit descriptions of sexual behaviors than the second volume contained -- all to the good in my view. I found it to be the most exciting of the three volumes. It is rumored that a fourth volume in the series exists, but it is in need of editing and may also be locked up a long time in litigation regarding the deceased author's estate. Whether a fifth or sixth volume exist in outline form is anyone's guess, but we are unlikely to see anything beyond a fourth volume anytime soon, and even getting at the fourth volume in our lifetime may be a stretch. All of which is to say, get this book and enjoy it. It may be the last we ever see of Lisbeth Salander.

Tips on How to Read a Stieg Larsson Novel!

If the series had to end, this was the perfect conclusion

Hornet's Nest and Trilogy
Have been reading since age 4 (am now 68) and mostly fiction for the past 50 years. A novel a week. This trilogy is, in my opinion, the finest series I have ever read and Hornet's Nest may be the very best piece of fiction I have ever read. I found myself purposely slowing down in my reading because I simply did not want it to end. These are not stand alone books. Read them as 1-2-3 and you will never forget the experience. The biggest problem is what to read when you are finished. Everything else pales by comparison by virtually every measure. I envy those of you who have not started the journey or who are looking forward to the second and third novels. I almost look forward to the possibility of Alzheimers so I can read these over and over for the rest of my life. I may do so anyway.

BR ... Read more

Editorial Review

It's that time of year again, and with excitement and high expectations, Rose has planned the perfect Christmas for her family and friends. But when she feels them drifting away during a time that should celebrate togetherness, Rose is forced to slow down in the most unexpected way. In this whimsical, uplifting story, she discovers the true meaning of giving. ... Read more

Reviews

It's the most stressful time of the year
The Christmas season has come and Rose is busy, busy, busy with preparations for the holidays. She's worn out from doing all sorts of stuff for the church, cooking meals for sick friends, volunteering in the thrift shop, taking on prayer requests, etc etc. She doesn't have time for anything else including cooking dinner for her own family. Everyone else is getting grumpy and Rose is beginning to feel worn out. The Christmas season is starting to look not so jolly after all, but isn't a Christian supposed to put others first before themselves?

Ok so I know the Christmas season isn't for another 2 and a half months. But Sam's club already has Christmas trees and lights up! So what better way to get into this mood that this short novella from Lori Copeland. It's really a modern day holiday version of the story of Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus from the Bible. Christians today seem to think that they need to sacrifice their own needs and wants to make everyone else happy. I've seen many Christian families torn apart because they will go out and do things for others but not for their own children. Many pastor's and missionary spouses and kids suffer because of this type of attitude. This book showed that while there is a time to help others for the glory of God, you should also be careful of not trying to do things to make your own self look good. Know your limit and do not let false guilt take over you. The story is written really well and I enjoyed the characters and getting to know their busy hectic lives. It was funny at how Rose tried to figure all the different meals as she didn't have time to cook, who knew kids could get tired of pizza? I also liked learning more about the Advent with the tidbits at the beginning of each chapter. The only downside about this book is now I can't wait for Christmas to come. Even though this book is short, you will get a LOT out of it.

Wonderful Story!
I read this book in one sitting. It is the story of one who wants to help everyone and truly cannot say "no" to anyone. She takes on so much that her family never sees her and her health suffers. It's a message that needs to be spread: Know your limitations and don't allow your family to be left behind. A wonderful Christmas story!

Slow down and enjoy Christmas with family
Review
It's short, sweet and packs a powerful punch. Lori reveals through her main character, Rose, what loving one another looks like. Rose is challenged by another verse "Be still and know I am God." She is rarely still long enough to know God is God - too busy. Sound familiar? Another verse "Rest in His assurance." Rest? Who has time for that? Things women struggle with daily. Lori reveals God's love in action through Rose. This book will gently remind you in practical ways, how to love one another & rest in God's assurance at Christmas and always.

Before some chapters begin, Lori weaves the meaning of Advent, explains the symbols and what they represent. The treat at the end of the story is the Bergman's holiday traditional recipes talked about in the story.

Lastly, a powerful letter written by Karen Hancock titled Jesus Didn't Hurry. This letter sums up the message of Unwrapping Christmas. A must read.


Nora St. Laurent
Book Club ServantLeader
www.psalm516.blogspot.com

A Nuanced Story
What I really like about Unwrapping Christmas is that it is a nuanced story. It makes its points subtly. It doesn't just make the point "Service is good" but goes on to add: "Service is good, but make sure that in serving others you don't do it in such a zealous, all consuming manner that you do a disservice to yourself or those you love most. This is a story about priorities. It is well written and should be read more than once.

I also highly recommend Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--an excellent story about the impact of small acts of kindness. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A Thomas Nelson Kindle book. ... Read more

Reviews

Completely engrossing and completely sensory story!
Although I am a voracious reader, I rarely read fantasy...I suppose because I am tired of being dragged into "created worlds" that rarely seem to be believeable or worthy of the time involved in figuring them out. This series of books (and I will tell you right now, like previous reviewers, GET THEM ALL, you will want to start Book II the MINUTE you finish the first!) is completely engrossing. I knew nothing of Celtic history or legends, but this author wove the threads of "real" legends and lore into his "otherworld" so completely and so perfectly you never question the reality of it all!! And to be perfectly honest, right up to the LAST sentence of the LAST book, he had me hooked. I am ashamed to say I put off more than one chore/responsiblity to get in ONE MORE CHAPTER before falling asleep at night!! (haha) It is rare that literature of this caliber comes along anymore and I for one cannot wait to read everything else Stephen Lawhead has written or will write in the future!! He has a true gift! Do yourself a favor and curl up with a set of books and a story that is completely sensory and real!!! ENJOY!!!!

A Pleasant Surprise!
As an avid fantasy reader, I was reluctant to try this trilogy because Lawhead is not one of the best known fantasy writers. My husband bought me the book because Lawhead is a Christian and he thought I should try it.

I was very pleasantly surprised! The writing is excellent. The story is interesting, meaningful, and epic in scope while still progressing rapidly enough to finish in three books.

It contains all of the elements I look for in a fantasy: vivid description, many interesting and well-developed characters, problems to solve, quests, romance, war, tension, intrigue, and a happy ending.

I couldn't be happier.

Wow!
You know, I've just read the new Harry Potter. And a couple of other books that I'm not proud of. And I really had nothing to say about any of them, one way or the other. But I wanted to write something about this book. Gosh, ITS SO GOOD! Thats that!
I was so impressed and pleased to have stumbled upon this book.
I just happened to pick it up; I read one of Lawhead's others before and remembered that other reviewers had said that other book wasn't one of his best. So I decided to try it and apparently found his best. Geez.
The ideas that it has, they're so savory. Could it be that the fairy world is just a go around the cairn away?
His logic, argument, writing style, magic, whatever it was, had me convinced that there truly is another world out there. And it is beautiful. Imagine that world----that world with out our modern conveniences---the most profound perhaps, imagine that world with out our modern sound. We are always bombarded with it.
That first part of the book is there to convince us that there is another mysterious realm. Its a fast pace to get there, too.
Simon, the main characters friend, is an intriguing enigmatic fellow. We think we know him so well until the last of the story.
The next part of the book is gaining acceptance and appreciation of that other realm.
And the last part is fighting to keep it whole and sound. It seems an uphill battle---can't wait to find out in Book 2.
You can not die and not have read this! I couldn't believe this book hadn't won any awards---if I had one to give, I would. Perhaps this review will suffice.
On to Book 2! The Silver Hand! Oh, and if you go to Stephen Lawheads official website, you can get a pronounciation guide to all our favorite characters! Yay!

Takes You All the Way There (and Back Again)
I seem to be reading Lawhead rather in reverse, since I'd never heard of him before reading his latest novel, Hood. Then I started in on this Song of Albion trilogy,(having found the whole trilogy in the earlier Zondervan Press edition) and realized it doesn't matter where you start with him, his stories are timeless. This is a "can't miss it" for the Celtophile, as it details an adventure to the Celtic Otherworld, which is also called Faerie. He has done impeccable research into the Celtic myths and the totality of his vision in weaving all this into a fascinating novel is nothing short of astonishing. Even if you don't have any background in the Celtic past and myths this would be a gripping tale. The pacing just never flagged. In summation, it was totally wonder-full.

A fantastic Celtic fantasy
In a trilogy that lies along the spectrum of two other British-born trilogies--Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" and C.S.Lewis' "Space Trilogy"--this is a fantasy that will be hard to put down. I took a few weeks to read the first volume, a week to read the next, and a few days for the third. The inner logic pulls you forward while the events continually surprise. There is here the beauty of Ireland (though in a more primal form), the heroism of the Celtic warriors, the subtlety of kingship derived from the people, the tenderness of friendship and romance. Though one need not be familiar with Celtic lore to appreciate these books, those who have done some study in it will it come to life.

Give 'em ten stars!!!
The Song of Albion trilogy are some of the best books I have ever read!! They deserve 10 stars! I read fiction critically, paying attention not only to the quality of plot, but also quality of writing and, most importantly, development of characters. Stephen Lawhead's books in general, and this trilogy in particular, satisfy me in every detail. The plots are original and very well researched, and the writing is excellent, with inspiring but not over-used metaphors and subtle alliteration. The characterization is excellent! I could not believe when reading some of these reviews that the reviewer had read the same books that I did. I can truly say that I have never read books in which the characters are better developed than in these. These books deserve to be compared with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which are my all-time favorite books!

Read these books if you like, as I do: Celtic mythology; high fantasy; believable fictional characters; writing that is at once both poetic and gritty; anything written by Tolkien; well-written fantasy with Christian values...I could go on, actually--let's just say READ THESE BOOKS.

For those people who thought that the Celtic mythology setting of these books was not accurate and rather forced, I beg to disagree. Having studied Celtic mythology informally quite a lot for the past couple of years, I happen to know that these books are VERY well researched. The more that I learn about Celtic mythology, the more I am impressed by the accuracy of the Song of Albion setting. You will have learned more than you know, as you will find if these books inspire you to look further into this fascinating genre of mythology! And the Otherworld setting is, to me, very believable. I could almost believe it is real. It was a mysterious experience to visit a full-sized model of Stonehenge at sunset, during the time-between-times.

Another great thing about these books is that musicians Jeff Johnson and Brian Dunning have written music to go with them. I originally heard of these books through this music. I have all the "Songs from Albion" CDs and highly recommend them, especially if you like contemporary Celtic-style music that is original composition, with a touch of New Age, rock, and medieval styles.

That is my review of the series. About this book in particular--I do not need to go over the plot since that has already been done here, and I would not want to ruin it for you anyway. This is my second favorite of the three books. It is a great start to the series. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't seem very "fantasy-ish" at the beginning. And don't get it without getting the second one. You will not want to wait. The best thing about this book as far as author's style is the wonderfully character development using the first person. I enjoy writing myself for pleasure (and am preparing to publish my first short story), and I know how difficult it is to develop a character's personality gradually over a book written in the first person from that person's point of view! Stephen Lawhead has done it with a master's touch.

Well, I'm done raving now. READ THESE BOOKS!!!!!!!!!

I Screamed
Getting lost in Albion is a rare treat. This is the first (and only) book I have read as an adult that made me feel as if I had managed to step into a realm far more beautiful then anything that could be known in this.
This is a book that engages on many levels with a story that can be read as simple mind candy or with a careful disection of symbols, either way the story only disappoints in that it must end.

In fact, I was so engrossed in the story I did not realize the pages were running out! The shock of such an abrupt ending literally made me scream at Mr. Lawhead for leaving me hanging until I could get the next two books (which I read within two days of recieving them).

... Read more

Editorial Review

For years, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his colleagues at the Campus have waged an unofficial and highly effective campaign against the terrorists who threaten western civilization. The most dangerous of these is the Emir. This sadistic killer has masterminded the most vicious attacks on the west and has eluded capture by the world’s law enforcement agencies. Now the Campus is on his trail. Joined by their latest recruits, John Clark and Ding Chavez, Jack Ryan, Jr. and his cousins, Dominick and Brian Caruso, are determined to catch the Emir and they will bring him in . . . dead or alive. ... Read more

Reviews

Welcome Back Jack!, December 7, 2010
Dead or Alive is missing the edge of modern thrillers like Gods of Ruin or similar, but it is a welcome return from one of the world's best authors. There's a lot of catching up to do for Clancy and for readers who hadn't read his books since the Sum of All Fears (Jack Ryan was president?). But, while Dead or Alive brings back many of the characters from previous books (Ding Chavez, John Clark, and Ryan's son), it is a safe stand alone book (though who doesn't know about these characters from Clancy's earlier works?).

The plot is pretty straightforward: Jack Jr.'s The Campus intelligence group finally gets the go-ahead to track down "The Emir" who is basically a fictional representation of Osama bin Laden. What the reader gets is a personal account of the mission to take out The Emir--a mission which no doubt has parallels in modern intelligence/warfare. Like all Clancy novels, there is material in here about special-ops experience that you wouldn't get from even the best news sources. No doubt much of the material is thanks to the co-author of this book, Grant Blackwood, a former Navy guy.

Clancy doesn't really bring into the fray the moral questions that arise with such stories--I think people would love this--but the insight and the action are good enough to make this a gripping, entertaining book. Any Clancy fan will enjoy it and anyone who likes to read military-thrillers will find this to be a quintessential addition to their library.

Nice to have Tom Clancy back, December 8, 2010
The Amazon description has the book at 848 pages, but my copy, purchased at retail, is 950 pages. And--as with all the other Clancy books after Red October--I was the first one in line, and read it through on the first day. Harry Potter fans have their vices too, so I'm told.

"Dead or Alive" is in most respects exactly what you expect from Clancy--globe-trotting special agents whose names are now familiar. Exquisitely researched, down to almost mind-numbing detail on everything from internet protocols and encryption procedures, to the operation of weapons systems, and the layouts of neighborhoods half a world away.

It is a terrific book, and will be embraced by Clancy fans all over. It falls somewhat short of five stars for several reasons. Without giving away too much of the plot, I found the big targets in "Dead or Alive" to be implausible: why not go after Chicago or LA, given the ultimate objective to kill as many people as possible? Why target a huge South American oil refinery, when all of East Houston will do just as well? Just me, though.

But the second objection was what I consider a glaring, and most uncharacteristic mistake by Clancy. In providing background on Iranian army moves along the Iraqi border, he describes the Iraqi Shi'a population as a minority, and subject to persecution by the Sunni majority. In fact, it's the other way around. 80% of Iraq is Shiite, but Saddam Hussein was a Sunni, which is the primary reason the Sunni countries in the Middle East--which is all the others except for Iran--almost uniformly opposed his removal. It was unimportant to the plot, but I'm surprised that it survived what was probably double- and triple-checking by the editors, and no doubt by Clancy himself.

The Clancy books are superb, each for different reasons: "Red October" for naval and submarine operations; "Cardinal" for espionage tradecraft; "Clear and Present Danger" for small-unit combat operations; "Debt of Honor" for the workings of the financial markets, and so on. "Dead or Alive" doesn't have quite the intrigue those books do. And it is perhaps unfair to Clancy that he himself has set such a high bar with his previous work, that "Teeth" and "Dead or Alive" can't quite get to the same level that his previous works did. The technological detail is evident, as is the character development. But the sense of dread and foreboding and emotion that was conjured up before just isn't there. John Clark going after a drug ring that use prostitutes as drug mules (Without Remorse), or a psychotic setting off a nuke during the Super Bowl (Sum of All Fears), or another developing a strain of Ebola that is released in a dozen cities at a time (Executive Orders)--those books simply don't allow the reader to put them down. Also in those, he did a great job of developing the characters of the victims--the women used by the drug gangs, the traders and portfolio managers whose world was being turned upside down for reasons they didn't understand, the Secret Service agents who sacrifice their lives to protect a nursery full of toddlers, traveling salesmen whose insides were being ripped apart. They were deeply emotional, thrilling and exciting. "Dead or Alive" is very good, but not as good as those.

All that said, I'm already looking forward to his next one.

Ponderous, plodding, and predictable, December 18, 2010
I have a First Edition hardback copy of "Hunt for Red October", published by the Naval Institute Press, which was Clancy's first-ever book. I bought it new the day it hit the bookstore shelves in 1984. That's how long I've been a fan of Tom Clancy's.

Unfortunately, for a number of years now Clancy has chosen to go the James Patterson route of becoming a book mill using "co-authors", and the quality of his releases has suffered accordingly. I haven't even bothered reading his stuff for quite a while now.

So when I saw this book that promised to bring "Together for the first time, an all star cast of Clancy's characters..." (from the book jacket), I snapped it up with high expectations.

I wish I'd saved my money. What a bore!

First of all, the story line isn't anything new or inventive at all. Pretty standard fare about Islamic fanatics trying to blow things up. Been there, done that. Now, obviously that is a current and timely theme in this day and age, but there's nothing at all original about the execution in this book. Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp does it about a hundred times better.

Far too many characters with exotic Middle Eastern names for me to keep track of without a scorecard, and none of these jokers is at all unique or distinguishable. I'd think to myself, "Didn't this guy get killed off about 80 pages ago?", then I'd go back and find out that, no, it wasn't this guy, it was another guy with a weird and unmemorable name and no distinguishing characteristics. They were about as interchangeable as lug nuts.

The pacing is awful; there's never at all any buildup of tension or excitement. It's like watching paint dry. Clancy (and his minions) seems to have forgotten that "Red October" was only 387 pages long (my copy), but was a good enough book to propel him to the top of the bestseller charts. Yes, several of his later books were quite long, but they were also vastly better-plotted and -written than this monstrosity. Just adding filler does not a good book make, any more than doubling the amount of flour in a cake recipe makes for a better cake. All you end up with is a dry, tasteless, crumbly mess.

Even the characters who are part of the "all-star cast" have seen better days. Mr. Clark was a man of mystery in his early appearances, one of the more intriguing characters in Clancy's panoply. Now he's turned into a pretty mundane and boring guy about whom we know too much; and his sidekick "Ding" Chavez hasn't fared any better, having morphed into Ozzie Nelson with a gun. The other characters are all pretty two-dimensional - at best. Even Jack Ryan, the original "star" of the series, has lost his oomph and charisma, fretting about whether or not to run for President. This is the guy who took on the Soviet navy as a young CIA officer, and the IRA later on? You kidding me? What happened to him? He get his gonads shot off somewhere?

Save your money. This book's a waste of time.

THE MAN IS BACK! GREAT READ!, December 8, 2010
Okay, seven years is a long time to wait, and while I wish it hadn't taken this long, I have to say DEAD OR ALIVE is worth it. Yeah, I was a bit wary when I saw a co-author (Grant Blackwood) listed on the cover, but my worries were quickly blown away by the story. How much is Clancy and how much is Blackwood I don't know, but DEAD OR ALIVE is the kind of TC book I've been hoping for: Big plot, great characters, tons of action, and the good guys besting the bad guys in the end. It's got a little less of a military component, but plenty of intel/espionage/covert ops stuff -- enough that you really feel like you're following Jack Ryan Jr. John Clark and the others as they hunt down the world's most wanted terrorist.

For those of you who are worried that Mr. Clancy lost his mojo or a co-authored Ryan-verse book can't be as good because it's got a co-author, think again. DEAD OR ALIVE rocks!

Good to have you back, Tom.

It's Been a Decade but TOM CLANCY IS BACK, and this is AS GOOD AS IT GETS!!!! Five Stars, December 7, 2010


With Clancy it's simple, you either love what he does or you don't, and if you are fan, then it's been a long time, about ten years since he has been on the Best Seller list, but once again that is where he is headed. Clancy is the master of his genre because he takes the time to learn technical aspects of what he is writing about. This means when you read Clancy you are reading the real thing. Facts are checked, scenarios are discussed with technical aspects, and nothing is left to chance or done offhandedly.


When he talks weapons, he goes into the detail that a munitions dealer would deal with. In this novel we see operators using a Knights Armament M110 Sniper System. He tells you it's the best because he has done the homework. It is facts like this that the master storyteller weaves into the tapestry of his books that many readers including myself find fascinating.


I am not going to discuss the plot in detail because that's why we read the book. Here's what you need to know. This is a big blot book which is what most of Clancy's books represent. In this case, Jack Ryan is a retired President of the United States. His son Jack Junior is running a secret independent anti-terrorist agency that his father the President started.


It is called The Campus, and it has been successful for years going after the bad guys. The current President seems to be weak on terrorism and is more concerned with guaranteeing the legal rights of the bad guys than protecting the country. You are already seeing the subplots develop.


Clancy puts us in the thick of it. We as readers are in the game. When Delta Force operators and Rangers go into the caves of Afghanistan we are with them. We breathe the odors; we hear the sounds, and we feel the tension. We find ourselves silencing our own voices because we don't want the good guys to be caught, and that is classic Clancy.


In this book there is evil in the world, and in DEAD or ALIVE, an evil man in the world is at lodge. He has wreaked havoc on the Western world. We call him the Emir, and his objective is to deal a devastating terrorist blow to the United States. The book takes you around the world while Ryan Junior, and his father's old hands John Clark and Ding Chavez join Ryan along with Brian and Dominic Caruso with Mary Foley.


It's a race for time, and for America. Will the good guys win, and where is the Emir? Is he in a cave 8,000 miles away or is he right here among us? You will have to read the book to find out and oh what an ending.



Why I Love Clancy and you will too?


Please allow me to give you a feel why Clancy is the absolute best writer in his fiction segment. It is his incessant ability to weave odd important facts into his stories, and to weave reality into the fabric of the plot:


* His description of the computer setup at the National Security Agency is without equal.


* There are 125,000 cranes in the world and currently Dubai has 30,000 of them currently building and rebuilding the city. Who knows things like this?


* Plans do not survive the first contact with the enemy.


* Laziness has consequences. If you are a sentry, if you pause, if you hesitate, if you light up a cigarette, you are DEAD.


* You don't have to like it; you just have to do it.


* The FBI Urban Tactical Training Facility is preeminent in the world. They are the best of the best. See why in the book.


CONCLUSION:


This is a great read, all 848 pages of it. You start the book and you can't put it down, and in the end isn't that why we read Clancy. We just keep going until we are finished, and when we are finished we are ready for more. That is why 10 years is too long to wait for a Clancy novel. Read it today and see for yourself, and thank you for reading this review.


Richard C. Stoyeck

Disappointing return by Tom Clancy, December 13, 2010
I have been waiting for an original book by Tom Clancy since the "Teeth of the Tiger" and purchased Tom Clancy's "Dead or Alive" the first day it was published. Honestly, I had forgotten how much space the author devotes to the bad guys. I found that part of the book boring. Unfortunately, it seemed to be most of the book. The book jacket implies that some of the old characters were coming back in this new book. Unfortunately, most of them were background characters. I am hopeful that this is just an interim book leading to future excellent books like, "Hunt for the Red October, Executive Orders, and The Bear and the Dragon."

More Dead than Alive, unfortunately!, December 13, 2010
When the word spread that Clancy was retreating from his string of co-authored novels and best selling video games, and actually writing a book - indeed, an extension of the Jack Ryan series-- I could not wait to pre-order it. It reached my Kindle before Costco launched its entry way promotional and my husband and I read it together in a single sitting. I might just as well have waited or at least taken a nap somewhere around the midpoint. The book is not a waste of time, but it not something to run to the bookstore to buy. It suffers from the author's effort to incorporate, and thus, reintroduce most of the major characters from the Jack Ryan series, when what it needed was new vitality that Jack Junior almost, but not quite, provides. There were too many subplots and way too many characters. And forgive me, but the emergence of another secret Black Ops entity designed to avoid oversight is becoming way too trite, far less than what a reader expects from Clancy. There is not enough vacant land in the Beltway to accommodate them all, and frankly, Cussler does it better. Ding and John Clark are always colorful, and they added adrenalin to an otherwise uninspired storyline. And Clancy writes his best when he speaks as Jack Ryan, so I will probably take the bait and buy the next one, just to see if Jack really does run for President (again).

Long-time Tom Clancy fan: Time to retire, December 9, 2010
I'm a long-time Tom Clancy fan. I own every book he's written, some of them multiple copies. I've enjoyed every one of his books (and would give them all five stars, except Red Rabbit (Jack Ryan) was a three star and The Teeth Of The Tiger (Jack Ryan) was a four star) up until this one. As I often do with books like this, I read it in one 11 hour sitting the day after it came (after having pre-oredered it from Amazon).

And I did enjoy this one, but it was no different than any other 10 cent thriller by a whole myriad of skilled authors. It was lacking that special Tom Clancy touch; the plot was not a bit riveting. After reading all 900+ pages, I was left feeling just a bit cheated of my time. This is not the Clancy of yore. Debt of Honor (Jack Ryan) was scarily prescient, The Hunt for Red October ground-breaking, Red Storm Rising grand and monumental, The Bear and the Dragon (Jack Ryan) was a very relevant what-if and well-written and interesting, The Teeth Of The Tiger (Jack Ryan) was even interesting because it was a new concept, but Dead or Alive could have a dozen different authors names slapped on it and no one would notice the difference. Sad.

Kill me, December 23, 2010
I have always enjoyed Tom Clancy's books and remember looking forward to each book as it came out. This current book is absolute torture. While I would usually read one of his books in 1 to 3 sittings, I am about to scream trying to get through this boring, muddled mess of a book. I am on page 600, so it's really too late to abandon the book, but I can barely get through 25 pages at a time without my mind wandering. I don't know who edited this piece of garbage, but they should be shot and Clancy should simply leave the good storytelling to Vince Flynn and Lee Childs.

Not the Tom Clancy I know., December 16, 2010
I got to page 223 and for the first time ever, I put down a Tom Clancy novel and started reading something else. If after 200 pages I still don't know what the plot is there is a definite problem. Boring, Boring. And that is from a former die-hard Clancy fan! This was eagerly anticipated and a very sad let-down. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"I believe there is another man inside every man, a stranger . . ." writes Wilfred Leland James in the early pages of the riveting confession that makes up "1922," the first in this pitch-black quartet of mesmerizing tales from Stephen King. For James, that stranger is awakened when his wife, Arlette, proposes selling off the family homestead and moving to Omaha, setting in motion a gruesome train of murder and madness.

In "Big Driver," a cozy-mystery writer named Tess encounters the stranger along a back road in Massachusetts when she takes a shortcut home after a book-club engagement. Violated and left for dead, Tess plots a revenge that will bring her face-to-face with another stranger: the one inside herself.

"Fair Extension," the shortest of these tales, is perhaps the nastiest and certainly the funniest. Making a deal with the devil not only saves Dave Streeter from a fatal cancer but provides rich recompense for a lifetime of resentment.

When her husband of more than twenty years is away on one of his business trips, Darcy Anderson looks for batteries in the garage. Her toe knocks up against a box under a worktable and she discovers the stranger inside her husband. It’s a horrifying discovery, rendered with bristling intensity, and it definitively ends a good marriage.

Like Different Seasons and Four Past Midnight, which generated such enduring films as The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me, Full Dark, No Stars proves Stephen King a master of the long story form. ... Read more

Reviews

King delivers
I admit, I'm a fan of SK, but that doesn't stop me from NOT liking one of his books if I find it uninteresting. There have been a few-- like Rose Madder, Insomnia and Bag of Bones-- that I just didn't like and couldn't finish reading. Not that they're bad books, just not to my tastes. FULL DARK, NO STARS is one Stephen King book I'm putting in my great list. It was absolutely enthralling and very, very frightening. I'm not real big on bloated books that are more filler than sizzle, but the short novels in this book are lean and mean. I highly recommend this book.

****************

Now, as far as all the Kindle owners complaining about the price... back in the day, before the convenience of ebook readers and the wonder of having your reading collection all in one 4 ounce e-ink device, if someone could not afford a book they wanted to read, they went to the library and checked it out. They didn't protest in front of the bookstore. They didn't disparage a writer's reputation. They bought it used at a second-hand book shop, waited to find it at a yard sale or borrowed it from someone who is more affluent.

But back in the day, people had a little more pride, and they didn't think they should get everything for free, or next to free, just because they wanted it. Have a little dignity, people! Stop yapping like you think you're the star of your own little reality TV show. If you can't afford it, wait for the price to drop.

The review section is for book reviews, not for pricing complaints.

This is not a book to lull you to sleep, unless you enjoy double-checking the locks and looking under the bed before you turn in
Here's my two cents (or my $14.99). These are some of Stephen King's best stories ever, and I've been a fan since I read "Carrie" in Junior High (when is was first published in paperback, kids couldn't afford hardback books back then!). Like most King books, I devoured this one in less than 48 hours. "A Good Marriage" and "Big Driver" are particularly disturbing, maybe because they both have female protaganists whose stories seem very real. Like it or not, Stephen King tells the living s&%# out of a story.

Which brings me the price issue. People are certainly within their rights to bitch about the price of anything-gas,food, education, Ferraris, etc. But for me, fifteen bucks is a small price to pay for something that I really, really enjoy. I spend a lot more on stuff is don't enjoy near as much. I have read and re-read virtually everything King has written. There may come a point in my life when Mr. King dies (morbid, I know, but one of us will go first). Outside of people I actually know, his demise would probably be the only one which would actually leave a personal, lasting void in my life. So I say, live long and prosper, Mr. King. I hope I can give you (or your evil publisher) money for many, many more years.

Oh, and just to make it clear, I will buy the hardback, too. The kindle version is just for convenience.

Classic King
I usually put in my reviews some explanation for why I selected a book. I think/hope it helps folks who are reading the review know if I'm coming from the same place they are -- if I have the same hopes or expectations. There are times when it feels ridiculous to give that explanation. I selected this book because it's written by Stephen King, and while I haven't loved every word and some books have gone unfinished, he's still a darned good bet, isn't he? I think few people don't have some pivotal and lasting memories of either his books or movies made from his books, and my memories span my childhood into middle age, and involve people who are now gone. I also love both short stories and novellas and when I look back at my favorite Stephen King stories, these are well-represented. So, I bought the book and it freaked me out.

The afterword begins: The stories in this book are harsh. You may have found them hard to read in places. If so, be assured that I found them equally hard to write in places.

I thought, thank God. I did find these stories to be hard to read, intense, uncomfortable, heebie-jeebie creating. I was a little concerned that like my newly discovered acid reflux when in the presence of spicy food, my disinterest in roller coasters, and my increased habit of watching scary movies through my fingers, that this was just another sign of getting older. Good to know this stuff was really as intense as I thought.

1922: A man kills his wife over land and that's just the beginning and a fraction of the horrors in this tale. It reminded me a little of A Thousand Acres: A Novel, complete with lots of stuff Shakespeare would be down with -- only different. The murder of the wife is brutal and vividly portrayed, but what happens next is something that the main character Wilf couldn't even begin to imagine, except for the parts he may or may not have imagined. As another Stephen King character once said, sometimes the soil of a man's heart is stonier.

Big Driver: This was a pretty tough read for me in parts. Since a man wrote it, it would be uncharitable to say that the feelings it evoked are a "girl thing," but I do think that part of its effectiveness was being able to put myself in the main character's shoes, especially while she is walking after being assaulted, only keeping enough distance to berate her over certain decisions, but more about that later. The horror here is grounded in the plausible, even if toward the end it goes to a more fantastical place where justice is served in a rather "Rose Madder" way. I don't begrudge Mr. King this story, it was compelling, but Tess's option is not how it works in the real world, fortunately or unfortunately.

Fair Extension: Interestingly enough, I've been reading an anthology called Sympathy for the Devil which contains stories about -- guess. It contains Stephen King's The Man in The Black Suit, for that matter. This story would have fit right in, and would have been a really welcome substitution in many cases. The stories about deals with the devils and fiddles against your soul never get old, because they're about temptation about the darker sides of who we are. They ask the questions, what would you do in that situation, really? For me, this story is about how you can choose to not give up your soul and still give up your soul, how some decisions are a case of six of one, half dozen of another.

A Perfect Marriage: I wonder if Mr. King deliberately went boy-girl-boy-girl on the arrangement of these stories. Like Tess in Big Driver, Darcy finds herself in the middle of the trauma of a lifetime. Interestingly enough, like Tess, she also decides what to do or what not to do based on "what would the neighbors think?" I wonder if that's a coincidence. I think Tess and Darcy would understand each other just fine. Looking over all the stories, I think this is the one that satisfied me the most from start to finish. Any way I can think of to elaborate on that is a spoiler. Almost anyone who has been married a while will understand where Darcy is at in her marriage right before it all comes crashing down.

There was a story called Button, Button by Richard Matheson "back in the day" which was made into a Twilight Zone (the eighties incarnation of TZ) with a different ending. It was also the inspiration for the wildly divergent Cameron Diaz movie, The Box. The short story -- and if you're going to ever read it, stop reading THIS now -- ends with the line "Did you really think you knew your husband?" Darcy can relate and good question -- does any human being know another human being? After reading Perfect Marriage I made it clear to my husband I was on the look-out for secret cubby holes.

Bottom line, loved this, loved all the stories, best King I've read since -- wait, does Joe Hill count? -- I don't know when. The stories will stick with me and join the other King stories and memories. I know there's a battle over price right now. I don't rate books on price, because I figure you can see that for yourself and I want to tell you something you don't already know. I respect that others do feel that some ebooks are over-priced and I agree that we all have to make decisions on what we will and will not pay. I felt this was worth the price, which could be entirely different by the time you read this, and think this is some really impressive work whether you shell out the cash now, wait for the price to lower, or visit your library.

... Read more

Editorial Review

A Tale of Two Gentlemen-s Marriages to Two Most Devoted SistersThree days before their double wedding, Charles Bingley is desperate to have a word with his dear friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, seeking advice of a most delicate nature. Bingley is shocked when Darcy gives him a copy of The Kama Sutra-but it does tell him everything he needs to know.Eventually, of course, Jane finds this remarkable volume and in utmost secrecy shows it to her dear sister Elizabeth, who goes searching for a copy in the Pemberley library-By turns hilarious and sweet, The Darcys & the Bingleys follows the two couples and the cast of characters surrounding them. Miss Caroline Bingley, it turns out, has such good reasons for being the way she is that the reader can-t help but hold her in charity. Delightfully, she makes a most eligible match, and in spite of Darcy-s abhorrence of being asked for advice, he and Bingley have a most enduring and adventure-prone friendship. ... Read more

Reviews

Hilarious sequel!
I found this sequel to be laugh-out-loud funny and a wonderful take on the friendship between Darcy and Bingley. It starts with Bingley coming to Darcy for advice about his upcoming wedding night. Darcy, being the reticent man that he is, refuses to talk about "it" but agrees that he will help his friend...cue Kama Sutra book! It continues to explore how Darcy's and Bingley's friendship came to be in the first place and how it grew to what it is now, full of hilarious male competitiveness. We get to watch how these couples adjust to married life and then parenthood with the arrival of their children.

When Bingley comes to Darcy yet again for more advice when Caroline has a suitor that the "find-the-good-in-everyone" Bingley has a problem with, he asks for his friend's advice yet again. This time Darcy and Bingley set off to do a little investigating about the suitor with a new found wealth and things may not be as we think they are. (With a little help from Elizabeth and Mr Bennet.) We also get a little peek into the mind of Caroline Bingley that, believe it or not, is not as bad as we'd like her to be. There are new characters introduced in the second half of the story, but they only add to the dynamics of this wonderfully suspenseful, funny tale.

Ms. Altman's writing is witty, hilarious and right on the mark with where I'd imagine Darcy and Bingley's friendship to be. Darcy is always known for his reserve around a large group of people and especially strangers, but we get to that side of him that he only shows to his wife, Elizabeth and his closest friend, Bingley, and it's that side that we all fall in love with. A definite must for any P&P fan!

My Favorite Variation ever!!!
LOVED this book beginning to end!!! I laughed I cried & I laughed some more!! Absolutely perfect book! Especially loved how Darcy & Bingleys relationship was - they are close friends, & pick on each other etc.. it was so fun!
Ya gotta read it!

Nice sequel to Pride and Prejudice
This book is a continuation of one of my favorite novels, Pride and Prejudice. No pressure there, right? But this book delivers and I enjoyed it immensely. The sequel stays true to the characterizations in the Austen novel and it is nice to see where the Darcys and the Bingleys ended up after marrying.

This book has romance, action and mystery. It is written in a style that would make Austen proud. It is very well done. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Please God, if you're listening, keep Rachel safe." She couldn't turn her back on her family in their time of need. So when her sister was injured, financial expert Andrea Hampton traded the big city for Amish country to help turn her grandmother's house into an inn. But life with the Plain People took a treacherous turn when a string of accidents and pranks threatened her family. Someone didn't want the secrets the old house harbored to come to light. Trusting anyone—even the handsome carpenter who seemed so genuine—was a battle for Andrea, but her life depended on her ability to find the truth.

Reviews

Excellent start to the series
Andrea Hampton is used to the safety and security of her big city job. However, nothing will keep her from running back to her sister's side after Rachel is involved in a horrific accident. But helping Rachel and her grandmother open up a bed and breakfast? Ridiculous...and yet that is the position she finds herself in. Carpenter Cal Burke seems willing to help. Just what is going on with this rash of accidents plaguing the inn and its owners?

I read the first two books of The Three Sisters Inn series out of order, but the overall beauty of this series remains intact; HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT is the first book and an excellent start to the series.

Marta Perry creates such beautiful settings for her tales. HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT is set in the heart of Amish country. The peaceful setting provides a sharp contrast to the increasingly dangerous attacks on the Hampton family. In fact, the atmosphere accentuates the danger that lurks in this seemingly tranquil environment.

Marta Perry develops characters the reader wants to revisit over and over again. Andrea's transformation over the course of the book is a joy to behold. The issues of faith are sensitively addressed through the eyes of both Andrea and Cal. The importance of family and friends is especially notable in HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT.

HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT is yet another fantastic book from Marta Perry. I am quickly becoming a fan of both Marta Perry and the Love Inspired Suspense line as both evoke such strong emotions. Easily recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Romance and Suspense. Good Read
Andrea Hampton is the successful sister; important job, important opinions, important woman. Sister Rachel stayed home with their grandmother and is determined to turn the family home into a bed and breakfast. Andrea doesn't approve. But when Rachel is injured in a hit and run accident, Andrea drops everything to hurry to her bedside. You take care of family.
Unfortunately, Andrea has to swerve to avoid an Amish buggy on a dark road and ends up in the ditch. Calvin Burke rescues her and takes her to the hospital to see Rachel. Andrea is grateful until she learns he is her grandmother's tenant. Not everyone in town wants another bed and breakfast, and things begin to happen, some of them very dangerous. Andrea, who is used to doing everything herself, has to learn who she can trust.
Hiding in Plain Sight is a suspenseful story of intrigue and romance, salted with a strong faith message. Things aren't always the way they seem and it's easy to trust the wrong people. Fans of Marta Perry will enjoy Hiding In Plain Sight. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Rebecca Kauffman's tranquil Old Order Amish life is transformed when she suddenly has custody of her two teenage nieces after her 'English' sister and brother-in-law are killed in an automobile accident. Instant motherhood, after years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child of her own, is both a joy and a heartache. Rebecca struggles to give the teenage girls the guidance they need as well as fulfill her duties to Daniel as an Amish wife.Rebellious Jessica is resistant to Amish ways and constantly in trouble with the community. Younger sister Lindsay is caught in the middle, and the strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as Jessica's rebellion escalates. Instead of the beautiful family life she dreamed of creating for her nieces, Rebecca feels as if her world is being torn apart by two different cultures, leaving her to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God. ... Read more

Reviews

A Gift of Grace
Rebecca is an Amish wife who's been told she cannot have children. When her sister Grace dies, she leaves Rebecca her two teenage girls giving her the chance to finally be a mother. It sounded intriguing to me and rightfully so. The book had a lot of potential, a great plot and characters, just poor execution in my opinion. The entire first half was great, Clipston developed not only each character fully but also developed the relationships between the characters. She posed realistic conflicts between the "English" girls and the Amish community and made you sympethic to both sides.

One of the biggest conflicts throughout the book is between Jessica (the oldest daughter) and Rebecca's husband Daniel. Jessica is set on not conforming to Amish culture, and Daniel is trying to following the rules of his religion and expects anyone living under his own roof to do the same. Try telling a 16-year old girl that she can't use her IPOD and that instead of shorts and a tank stop she has to wear a full length frock. Anyone can see a conflict, but the conflict that had me the most intrigued was actually the one between husband and wife. Rebecca finally stood up to Daniel when he told her the girls should leave, and it almost tore her marriage apart. And the book goes on with each side holding their own views and not budging.

So up until there the book was exciting and enjoyable. My problem with the book came in the final few chapters Clipston resolved, or didn't resolve the conflict. You think the author is going to work out some type of compromise between characters as a resolution, but she doesn't. Rebecca has to give in and Jessica and Daniel both get their ways. I feel like the author takes the easy way out alongside her characters by not developing a better resolution. I felt like she built up this great conflict and then got tired of it so she just decided to let everyone have their own way. So a book with a lot of promise never reached its potential only because of the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book and would still recommend it to anyone that enjoys fiction dealing with family relationships, Amish, and/or motherhood.

wonderful read
I think that Amy Clipston has captured the struggles of the Amish verses the English lifestyle perfectly. How do you go from having all the luxuries of the modern world and go to living in the past? You get to see the struggles from both sides as Rebecca tries to welcome her nieces, who don't even know her, into her life and treat them as if they were her own. I only hope that the next book continues where this one left off. There are many things that I wish to have answered and can hardly wait for the next book. I just wish authors could write as fast as I can read.

Wonderful Book to Share
I live in Wichita, Kansas and our state fair is held each year in Hutchinson, Kansas. To visit the fair we travel through the town of Yoder, Kansas. I've looked at the Amish houses, bought their bread and wondered about their lives. What interests me in their lives is how the reconcile themselves with the modern world. This book is an insightful and very easy to read look at their lives. I truly enjoyed the look into their lives and find that I have a new appreciation for their desire for simplicity in life. As the mother of a 17 year old girl, I found myself relating to the dilemma that Grace's daughters found themselves in. The author did a fantastic job describing the characters reactions and emotions.

I eagerly await the publication of your next book. The book is making it's way around my family and I know my 95 year old grandmother will even enjoy reading it. In reading the book you learn about some Amish recipes. It is wonderful that the author has included some of them. I haven't tried the recipes yet but I certainly plan too!
Outstanding book! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Did you know that Mr. Darcy had an American cousin?!In this highly original Pride and Prejudice sequel by British author Monica Fairview, Caroline Bingley is our heroine. Caroline is sincerely broken-hearted when Mr. Darcy marries Lizzy Bennet— that is, until she meets his charming and sympathetic American cousin...Mr. Robert Darcy is as charming as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is proud, and he is stunned to find the beautiful Caroline weeping at his cousin's wedding. Such depth of love, he thinks, is rare and precious. For him, it's nearly love at first sight. But these British can be so haughty and off-putting. How can he let the young lady, who was understandably mortified to be discovered in such a vulnerable moment, know how much he feels for and sympathizes with her? ... Read more

Reviews

Caroline Bingley Transformed Before Out Very Eyes
Whatever became of Caroline Bingley? After her dreams of being Mistress of Pemberley were dashed, how did she recover? Did she rebound quickly after her disappointment of losing Mr. Darcy or was her heart deeply broken?

At the end of "Pride and Prejudice" the future looks a little bleak and uncertain for Caroline Bingley. She has just lost the man she spent years pursuing to an unsophisticated and unconnected country maiden, she has the unfashionable Bennet family as in-laws, and to top it all off, she is approaching an age where she will soon be labeled a "spinster." Does this arouse any sympathy or compassion in you for "bad girl" Caroline Bingley? If not, then reading Monica Fairfiew's new novel, "The Other Mr. Darcy," will surely do the trick!

Can there be another Mr. Darcy??? No, definitely not, but Fitzwilliam Darcy does have an American cousin who shares the same last name. However, beyond the same name and some attractive physical attributes, Robert Darcy shares little in common with his English cousin. In contrast with the reserved and proud Fitzwilliam Darcy, Robert is more open, charming, and amiable. He does not concern himself with social proprieties and gentlemanly etiquette. In addition, he is delightfully flirtatious and provoking!

On the day of the Darcy's and the Bingley's wedding, Robert unintentionally witnessed Caroline Bingley's humiliating and unladylike display of emotion. When Caroline discovers she was observed, she chastises him for invading her privacy and takes small comfort in the fact that she may never see him again. However, Robert Darcy appears in her life ten months later, informing the Bingleys that Elizabeth Darcy is unwell and entreating them to travel to Pemberley. Jane and Charles depart immediately for Pemberley, leaving Robert behind to convey Caroline and Louisa Hurst in a couple of days. Caroline soon finds herself in numerous complications and moments of perturbation because of this disagreeable and ungoverned man...

Ms. Fairview has brilliantly and plausibly transformed Caroline Bingley before our very eyes. It turns out that Caroline is not the detestable snob we thought she was. Ms. Fairview creatively provides an explanation for Caroline's behavior and character. Furthermore, she capably answers questions such as: Why did Caroline fawn and flatter Mr. Darcy? What was it about Mr. Darcy that attracted Caroline the most? Who instilled the importance of being a proper lady in her?

I simply loved how one of my favorite has antagonists has become a likable and admirable protagonist! I took great pleasure in delving deeper into Caroline's psyche and I loved witnessing her moments of introspection and realization. In addition, I enjoyed the sparks and tension created between Caroline and Robert, it seems the course of true love will never run smooth for the Darcy men!

In short, "The Other Mr. Darcy" by Monica Fairview was simply fantastic! Ms. Fairview wrote an endearing and beautiful tale that will banish your dislike of Caroline Bingley. I only hope that Ms. Fairview continues to write more stories in this vein and spotlight other minor characters as cleverly and gracefully as she did Caroline Bingley.

Austenesque Reviews

Elegant
Caroline Bingley is overwhelmed and heartbroken over the marriage of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. But soon, at a very awkward moment, a mysterious gentleman enters her life--Mr. Darcy's cousin from America. Tension immediately develops between the two as Caroline shows contempt for her American acquaintance. Although, Robert Darcy falls in love with Caroline, their worlds are very different and far apart.

This book is so elegantly written, the reader will think they are reading Jane Austen. I knew from the very beginning this was going to be an excellent book. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

Characters straight from P&P
I'll keep this simple. I was given this book, I dived into it, neglected my family, and totally loved it! If you've seen the Colin Firth version of P&P, you'll see all of the characters in this book.

In this sequel Caroline Bingley is the main character as she develops a relationship with Mr. Darcy's American cousin from Boston, as they go through a typical Austen-like series of spats, mis-understandings, teasing and tears. But along with Caroline, the auther incorporates all of the other personages: the entire Bennet family (you can just hear Mrs Bennet!), Colonial Fitzwilliam, Jane and Charles Bingley, and even the now-widowed sister Louisa. And lest we forget, the evil Mr. Wickham plays a role, although a silent one. And all are completely 'in character'. The only difference I feel is that Caroline is better looking in this book, and not quite as haughty, but otherwise the author has transported them from one story to another.


Do youself a favour; if you love Austen....read this sequel. It's the best! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Grant Borrows' life has just taken a drastic left turn. There's another man in the world wearing his face and living his life. What's more, the man he sees in the mirror is a stranger.

Somehow, he's been Shifted -- his whole life fundamentally altered, in the space of a single breath. But the changes don't stop at skin-level. Inexplicably, he's able to affect objects around him by simply thinking about them. And as he soon learns, he's become the central figure in a vast web of intrigue that stretches from an underground global conspiracy to a prophecy dating back over seven thousand years, that tells of his coming. Enemies and allies find him at every turn, but one thing they all learn very quickly is that you don't want to push Grant Borrows too far...

Can destiny be undone?

The players are ready. The game is in motion. And the pace is Relentless.

In the allegorical tradition of Tolkien and Lewis comes a powerful new myth for a new generation. ... Read more

Reviews

Incredible Debut Novel
Collin Boyd's life is unremarkable--his job, his apartment, even his clothes. But everything changes when he switches bodies with Grant Borrows. In one terrifying moment his entire identity vanishes, and he has no idea how or when it happened. All Collin knows is that when he stepped off the LA Metro bus, he became a new man. Now his name is Grant Borrows, a man with an entirely different physique, lifestyle, and bank account. And someone is trying to kill him and those he loves.

Running for his life, Grant rescues his sister, Julie, but she doesn't recognize him. When he finally convinces her he really is her brother, together they begin a quest for answers. Just who is Grant Borrows? How is he able, when provoked, to manipulate objects with his mind? And why won't the strange gold ring he's wearing come off?

It's only when Grant and Julie discover others who've experienced the same "Shift" that Grant experienced, that the puzzle pieces start dropping into place. Those Shifted have several things in common. They all wear rings like Grant's, and they all have unique abilities. From photographic memories, mathematical prowess, to the ability to convince others they're seeing things. But the real question for Grant is: why has this happened to any of them? And could Grant really be the one called the Bringer, prophesied about some 7,000 years ago?

Robin Parrish has been compared to Ted Dekker, and I can see the similarities. They both know how to create vivid and imaginative plots. Both can hook readers on page one and never release them until the last paragraph. But frankly, I enjoyed Parrish's writing style even better than Dekker's. Where Dekker often seems to thrive on shock value and how far he can push the envelope of violence, Parrish shows a little more restraint, which I appreciated. There's just enough backstory woven in that we understand and care for the characters, but not so much that it bogs anything down. Grant Borrows is the type of guy you want to root for, and his villains you want to hate. But then again, looks can be deceiving as to who's a villain after all...

Bending genres, Relentless' speculative, almost sci-fi plotline is reminiscent of The Fantastic Four movie, but it could also be classified a thriller. As many Infuze readers know, the story upon which this book is based originally appeared at Infuze as a serialized novel called Prodigy. The finished product does sometimes have a serialized feel as practically every other chapter ends with a twist, which makes for fun reading indeed. And although it might seem slightly muddy in the middle when Grant tries to grasp the reality of what's happening to him, perhaps this was an intentional way to mirror Grant's uncertainty.

There's a reason why this novel is titled Relentless. With each page I found myself sucked deeper into the vortex of Relentless' F5 tornada pace, never knowing for sure what was around the bend. This is blockbuster movie material, folks. And lucky for us it's also Book I of a trilogy. Laden with adventure and intrigue, you're sure to be begging Robin Parrish for the second installment, due next summer.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze magazine

You Won't Want to Put Down This Fantasy Thriller
On that particular rainy morning, Collin Boyd was walking down a rainy street on his way to work and sees himself across the street. We're talking the same clothes, same briefcase, everything. As Collin runs to catch up with himself, he catches his reflection in the mirror and sees...a complete stranger staring back.

As he stares at the new him, a woman appears and warns him and he is now part of something huge. He must figure out who are his friends and who are his enemies because there is an assassin after him. And with that warning, she vanishes.

Thrust into a world he hardly knows, the now named Grant Borrows must figure out what is happening to him and how to control the powers he suddenly seems to have. Because the answers hold the key to a long ago prophecy that he just might fulfill. If he can stay alive long enough, that is.

I've had this book since it came out, but only picked it up recently. I wish I had picked it up sooner. I was hooked on page one. And just when I got one answer or Grant survived one problem, two more took their place. As a result, I had a very hard time putting it down. The characters were interesting. And the multiple view points added to the story.

This is a fantasy novel of sorts. While most of the action involves fantasy, it takes place to real humans in modern day Los Angeles. I certainly enjoyed the aspect of watching the action take place in a world I knew. And there is a conspiracy behind things that I have a feeling will become much bigger in future books.

The only weakness is the writing. It was obviously a first novel, and at times it could have used a tad more polish. But it was still highly readable. I certainly flew through the pages.

I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next two books in the series and see where Grant's path truly lies.

Birth and death? This COULD get interesting!
So, is there is mystery behind all the 4 star reviews for this? Probably not, because this did indeed end on a cliff hanger, and I'm ready for a lot more of Robin Parrish! So, I've seen the 4 star reviews, and at least one of them is fair. Maybe one with less might come off a bit jealous, but hey! I loved it! And I really don't buy the talk about this being like Star Wars. X-Men I never really got into, (I actually HATED X-Men) so that means I actually got to read this with an OPEN MIND!!

What the heck would YOU think if you wondered off the local bus, and saw yourself standing across the street? HUH? Well, Grant Borrows will answer that question for us. He's been given quite the unusual gift, and he uses it quite well. He knows how to fight too. Lots of fists and kicks and blood in this. But that's not exactly the main idea here. Go take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, "WHO AM I?" If you can grasp that concept, you just might get the idea. And while Grant certainly has his enemies, he also has his allies, some he might not have a clue about.

Fans of Ted Dekker shouldn't be let down by this. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but I really enjoyed it! Robin Parrish has stepped into a most unusual octagon, and when the referee commands, "LET'S GET IT ON!!!" Oh believe me, it is on! If you listen closely, you might here the sounds of both birth and death. You listening? Oh yeah, this could get quite interesting! Robin Parrish is indeed RELENTLESS, charging on at a FEARLESS pace!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.
 
Moving from Addis Ababa to New York City and back again, Cutting for Stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miracles—and two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined. ... Read more

Reviews

"We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime."
This brilliant novel revolves around what is broken -- limbs, family ties, trust -- and the process of rebuilding them. It starts with the birth of twin boys to a nursing nun, Sister Mary Praise Joseph, in a small hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; an event which no one had expected: "The everyday miracle of conception had taken place in the one place it should not have: in Sister Mary Praise Joseph's womb." The delivery rapidly becomes a debacle when it's clear that Mary Praise Joseph can't deliver her baby normally; the last minute arrival home at "Missing" (the Mission Hospital) by Indian obstetrician Hema saves the children, but their mother dies and their presumed father father, surgeon Thomas Stone, disappears into the night.

That brief summary does no justice to Verghese's powerful and remarkable prose style or the structure of the first part of the book which, although it revolves around the tragedy that claims the life of the twins' mother, also introduces the other main characters who will take the place of their biological parents. Darting back and forth between the events in the surgical theater (as Thomas Stone, horrified at what he sees, first tries to save Mary Joseph Praise's life by collapsing the skull of the infant he believes cannot be born alive), the mundane daily activities of his fellow doctor, Ghosh (trying to escape what he believes is a hopeless love for Hema) and Hema's struggle to get home to Missing from her annual holiday in India, the reader will find it impossible to put the book down and wants only to find a way of reading faster and faster to discover what happens next. By the time the twins are born, attached by a blood vessel at the head and separated at the last moment by Stone and Hema to save their lives, the reader will find himself or herself resenting every moment not spent following this story until the tale is told. And even when you are finished, the novel and its more-than-compelling characters will linger on in your mind...

Separated at birth, the twins grow up in the Ethiopia of the Emperor Haile Selaisse's reign, and Verghese introduces the reader to an ancient world that will be new to most readers, with all its flavors, colors, scents and sounds. His remarkable artistry ensures that this is never jarring but always intriguing and that the characters -- Indian expatriate doctors raising their two foster children, born to an Indian nun and an American surgeon, with the help of an Eritrean caretaker and her own daughter -- feel as familiar to us as if they were members of our own family. In the manner of a classic epic, Verghese picks his themes -- separation, the intersection of sex and death, wounds and what surgery can and can't accomplish -- and sticks to them throughout. And yet, those themes -- sweeping ones for any novelist to tackle -- never overshadow the fact that this is, at its core, the story of two brothers, Shiva and Marion -- or ShivaMarion, as Marion, the narrator, describes their single-minded unity in their youngest years.

Ultimately, the political events in Ethiopia and family betrayals send Marion fleeing to the United States. His odyssey seems to rupture all these ties and yet by the time the novel ends, we realize that every step has, in fact, been bringing Marion, Shiva and their extended family closer together as well as toward a resolution of the various plot twists. Training as a surgeon in a Bronx hospital where the only interns are from overseas ("the bloodlines from the Mayflower hadn't trickled down to this zip code", Marion reflects wryly), the finally encounters his birth father in person -- with dramatic consequences -- and has a chance to make peace with Thomas Stone, Shiva -- and himself.

Anyone familiar with Veghese's non-fiction writing (two very compelling memoirs, My Own Country: A Doctor's Story and The Tennis Partner) knows that he is an impeccable prose stylist. But relatively few non-fiction writers can also write wonderful fiction, much less produce this kind of complex drama. Rarer still is that this is a debut novel. Even the remarkable coincidences of the final third of the book never feel anything less than pitch-perfect: a real tribute to both Verghese's carefully-constructed plot and his eloquent, pitch-perfect writing.

It is rare for me to stumble over a novel of such a high caliber, one that creates the kind of characters I have never met before, characters who now are as vividly alive in my mind as any of the real individuals who populate my world. May this be only the first of many novels that Verghese produces for us, his lucky readers.

Are You Your Brother's Keeper?

Fiction at it's Best
Many readers will tell you that Cutting for Stone is the epic story of two conjoined twins fathered by a brilliant British Surgeon and an Indian Nun. And it technically is. Narrated by Marion the first born twin we are told of every influence on his and his brother's existence. More than the story being told however, the novel is an accurate portrayal of life in all it's cruelty and wonder.

The twin's mother dies in childbirth and their father abandons them minutes later. They are raised in a missionary medical hospital in Ethiopia. As they grow up they are forced to face their past and futures re-defining the meanings of destiny, love and family.

While reading you will notice the fine points are painstakingly researched as the story is and packed full of medical jargon and situations along with vivid descriptions of Ethiopian culture and history. My only reservation in recommending the book is the novels "hard moments" as almost every imaginable tragedy touches these brothers, and medical operations and oddities are very detailed. Squeamish readers may want to skim some of these passages.

All in all, this novel is elegantly told, superbly structured and the most original piece of fiction I've read in years. It's deserving of every positive adjective I can throw at it; marvelous, and thrilling. You will want to own and lose yourself in this book again and again. Buy it now, and thank me later.

Best book of 2009?
The plot of this book can be summed up neatly: Cutting for Stone follows the lives of two boys from birth to adulthood. The boys, Marion and Shiva are identical twins orphaned at birth who are raised by a surrogate family and grow up on the grounds of Missing Hospital in Ethiopia. Although they individuate in adolescence, their lives continue to be intertwined and develop along parallel paths. Eventually both men practice medicine, one in America and the other in Ethiopia. However, this book is so much more than plot.

Cutting for Stone is a beautifully written coming-of-age novel weaving family, hospital and house staff, patients, community, disease, and country into a complex tapestry. It incorporates love, lust, trust, betrayal, commitment, emigration, faith, poverty, life, death, hope, dreams, fears, and just about every other big theme you can imagine without ever becoming predictable, manipulative, or cliched. It's an epic story that feels intimate and cozy and enveloping. The characters are like family and I'd feel at home if I visited Missing Hospital, Matron, and the staff.

I usually read quickly, finishing a book in a day or two. Cutting for Stone took more than a week. The story was compelling, but I read slowly to savor the words and picture Addis Ababa through Marion's eyes. I didn't want the journey to end.

I will be recommending this book to all my reading friends for a long time to come and can't wait for Dr. Verghese to pass through my city on his book tour. Go grab a copy and start reading - you won't be disappointed.

Captivating, Colossal
You know how some novels just possess you? Grab you by the hair, the head, the heart, the teeth, the gonads? Well, this epic family saga is one of those. It takes a little while--you need to have a little patience as it introduces the numerous main and supporting characters, the place, and the twines of the story. At about page 80, ballast is apparent. You are fastened. Momentum increases and you are completely absorbed.

The narrator, Marion Stone, a 50 yr-old surgeon, recounts his life from inception and of his twin, Shiva, and the lives of the people that loved them; raised them; abandoned them; permeated them. They were born conjoined at the head (successfully separated), sons of a Carmelite nun (and nurse), Sister Mary Joseph Praise, and an extraordinarily talented surgeon father, Thomas Stone, who had worked together for seven years. The place is Abba Adaba, Ethiopia, at the fictional Mission Hospital (pronounced "Missing" by many Ethiopians), where much of the story takes place.

These characters will inhabit you as you inhabit them and this staggeringly beautiful and moving story. They shimmer. They resound. You will see them as you go about your day--the deep color of their irises, the creases and folds of skin, the texture of their hair, the resonance of their voices. And you will feel the spirit and nature of them as they surround you.

Missing (Mission) becomes a powerful symbol in the story--the lacunae of memory, of narration, of events. All will eventually come together stunningly. Additionally, the title of the novel gathers not moss but succor, essence, and context as the story deepens and disparate pieces of the past become a whole. By the time you get to the end of the novel, those three words become the poignant portal to the denouement and the thrust of its theme.

At turns playful, comic, adventurous, distressing, shocking, tragic, and tender, Cutting for Stone has an unbearably beautiful soul. Edifying, supple, exuberant, and enduring.

"Your 'Gloria' Lives Within You."
CUTTING FOR STONE (a reference to the Hippocratic Oath, "I will not cut for stone"), Dr. Abraham Verghese's first novel, is a massive linear story of over 500 pages reminiscent of the great 19th century British novels-- Charles Dickens comes to mind, and one of the characters reads George Eliot's MIDDLEMARCH-- and first cousins with the novels of John Irving and Khaled Hosseini, another physician who, as the whole literary world knows, gave us THE KITE RUNNER and A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS. (That is not to say that this fine work of fiction is derivative in any way.) Verghese writes with the passion of Thomas Wolfe; but contrary to what that North Carolina writer said, sometimes you can go home again. The narrator of CUTTING FOR STONE is Marion, an identical twin of Shiva. They are born in Ethiopia in 1954 of an Indian mother and British father. Marion and Shiva's lives resonated with me-- at least a little-- since I am also a twin, through fraternal. Just like Marion and Shiva, my brother and I will go to our graves remembered by many (if at all) as simply "the twins." The action covers continents: Africa, Asia, Europe-- at least a brief stopover by Marion and his stepmother Hema in Rome near the end of the novel-- and North America. In addition to these three characters, there are Hema's husband Ghosh, Genet, Thomas Stone, Sister Mary Joseph Praise and a host of others you will be haunted by when you finish this novel.

Dr. Verghese's first book, a work of nonfiction, MY OWN COUNTRY, may well be the best thing ever written about AIDS. It is the doctor's account of the time he spent treating AIDS patients in the mid-eighties at the VA hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee, some sixty miles from where I grew up so I recognized many of the people he wrote about. His second book THE TENNIS PARTNER is a sad but beautifully written treatise on friendship. I wondered then if the author could match these two earlier successes with a work of fiction. The answer is a resounding "yes." This novel has everything going for it. In addition to the story that covers continents and characters whose fates will break your heart, The tone of the novel and Verghese's themes certainly satisfy Matthew Arnold's requirements for high seriousness: betrayal, missed opportunities, the definition of family-- doesn't our family consist of those people who love us?-- love and forgiveness.

Dr. Verghese in CUTTING FOR STONE returns to concerns he has written about previously, particularly in MY OWN COUNTRY, where he went to great lengths to express his belief that patients are people, regardless of their illness or station in life and should be treated as such-- or as Marion says here, not just a "'diabetic foot in bed two' or 'myocardial infarction in bed three.'" He also has written of the plight of Indian doctors in the U. S. who are too often seen as second class citizens who are caring for other second class citizens. Here Marion's friend Gandhi reminds him that at hospitals that he calls "Ellis Island" hospitals, that the physicians are Indian, Pakistani, Filipino or Persian while white doctors work at "Mayflower" hospitals such as Massachusetts General. Most importantly this writer's humanity is evident on every page. Notice, for instance, Marion's guilt when he has to kill a man in order to save his own life and the lives of his family. While this book is certainly about doctors as healers-- and I sometimes felt as if I were taking Surgery 101 and looking over the shoulders of Hema, Ghosh and other doctors' shoulders as they performed surgical procedures and learned more medical terminology than I wanted to know-- this book is also about Ethiopia, where Dr. Verghese was born, a country that he obviously loves passionately. His descriptions of that country, particularly the sky, are beautiful: "In a country where you cannot decribe the beauty of the land without using the word 'sky,' the sight of three jets streaking up in a steep climb was breathtaking." Or "The sky had started off bluffing, convoys of gray clouds scurrying across like sheep to market. But by afternoon a perfect blue canopy stretched from horizon to horizon." And finally "The sky was a mad painter's canvas, as if halfway through the artist had decided against azure and had instead splashed ochre and crimson and black on the palette."

In one of dozens of moving passages in this novel, Marion says that he became a surgeon because the character Matron goaded him, telling him that he should not settle for playing "Three Blind Mice" when he could pay Bach's "Gloria." He, who played no instrument and did not read music, responded that he could not dream of playing the "Gloria," to which Matron answered :"Yours! Your 'Gloria' lives within you.'" If Dr. Verghese were a concert musician, his "Gloria" would receive a standing ovation from a grateful audience whose eyes would be burning, or in the words of the writer himself "foggy."

There should be a law against fiction being this good.

Cutting for Stone: Look deeper for its meanings
Abraham Verghese has layered his tale that spans continents, moving as it does from India to Africa and then to the US, full of double meanings - like flavor upon flavor. The overall story is rich, multifaceted. But for me part of the delight of this read was to catch the double entendres. Here are some examples:

*NAMES: The main characters, twin boys, born to a beautiful Indian nursing nun whom no one even suspected was pregnant, were technically conjoined, sharing a short stalk of flesh at the top of their heads, essentially one organism in the womb. They are identical - mirror images of each other on the surface - separated during their brutal cesarean birth. The surgeon, their presumed father, cannot even comprehend their existence. Dr. Thomas Stone is so horrified by his failure to save the beloved nun, his surgical assistant for several years, he runs from the operating theater at Mission Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, abandoning the newborns. With no guidance from the newly dead nun, nor from the abandoning surgeon/father, Hema, a fellow surgeon and eventually their adoptive mother, names the boys Marion and Shiva. Marion is said to be named after a famed groundbreaking surgeon Hema admires. It is a signal from Verghese about Marion's ultimate nature: he is more like his mother (Marion - Mary-like) in that he will grow to be compassionate, brave, willing to help in whatever way he can and yet very contained about his own sexuality. It will be much of his undoing. The name choice of Shiva for the other twin is said in the story to be a nod to Hema's own cultural heritage as she is also Indian. However there are more subtle meanings. in Hinduism, the god Shiva is complex, contradictory. He is Lord Shiva, the transformer, aloof, above sentimental considerations, and also the dancing destroyer. Yet destruction also makes way for renewal. The child Shiva will reflect his father: a gifted intellect, skillful, yet incapable of grasping the emotional destruction his choices have on others, ultimately betraying his brother, transforming their relationship. Will there be an ultimate rebirth for them?

*PLACES: Even the hospital compound where the boys are born and where they spend their childhoods has a double meaning. The charity Mission Hospital compound is called Missing by the locals. The entire medical, religious and support staff form an extended surrogate family for the boys - each leaving their own formative mark on them. (One will precipitate a rift between the brothers that will take their lifetimes to heal.) Like any home, it is the center of the children's world. Yet all the while the boys, especially Marion, are acutely aware that there is something "missing" for them at Missing - they have no personal sense of either birth parent, not even a photograph. They only know their mother was dearly loved and their father was a difficult man as well as a fearless surgeon greatly treasured for his skill. But who are Sister Mary Joseph Praise and Dr. Thomas Stone? As they learn, so do we.

*IMAGES: At Missing Hospital Sister Mary Joseph Praise had done her clerical work in a cramped space near the sterilization unit. Above her small desk hung a photo of Bernini's sculpture of St. Theresa in the throes of religious ecstasy, orgasmic in its quality. Verghese knows that for centuries that sculpture has provoked discussion about its blatant sexual overtones, implying a similarity of being lifted out of oneself during utter surrender, whether to God or while giving oneself completely to another. He uses it as symbolic of the Sister's double and conflicting desire - thereby yet another double meaning - one for the service of God and the other for intimacy with her god of medicine, the man who was able to miraculously restore life even in seemingly hopeless cases - Dr. Thomas Stone. However, to the orphaned four year-old Marion, seated at his mother's desk, gazing up at that photo, his child's mind fantasized Theresa was his mother. As readers we understand that image in ways that will take Marion decades to comprehend.

Both Stone boys choose surgery as careers, despite the legacy of their father (and hence the title), a specialty that is both brutal and awe inspiring. Dr. Verghese clearly loves his own medical craft as well as writing. There are multiple situations that arise throughout the book where he describes surgical procedures with spot-on accuracy. In several circumstances they become a vehicle to explain the progress of surgery through the hands of medical pioneers.

Verghese handles these cases like he handles his characters - with utter compassion, never shrinking away from the truth of their disfunction or destructiveness, yet bringing us along for the glory of their triumph. Marion, Shiva, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, Dr. Thomas Stone, Drs. Hema and Gosh are all unforgettable. And because the book spans decades, the culture and history of Ethiopia have the space to saturate the story. Excellent!

Amazing epic
It is a rare book that instructs without preaching, touches emotionally without being maudlin, and delves into the intricacies of the human condition with humor, compassion and deep wisdom. This novel does all of those magnificently. The setting is in a mission hospital in Ethiopia, the narrating character is one of twins born there under mysterious circumstances, and the plot revolves around the events and personal interactions among a cast of colorful and diverse people. The author has woven these together with amazing and admirable skill into a novel of both sweeping breadth and touching intimacy.

As a personal aside, I'd like to say this: after sixty-seven years as a voracious and eclectic reader I had thought the time was past when I'd read a book that would involve me intellectually and emotionally. I am grateful to have lived long enough to have read this book. Thank you, Abraham Verghese.

Cutting to the quick
I have to start by clearing up the confusion I had with Abraham Verghese's title, "Cutting for Stone." As the book mentions several times but never precisely explains, the reference is to the Hippocratic Oath, "I will not cut for stone." However I had to look it up in Wikipedia to find the meaning, which is probably apparent to medical professionals. It was a prohibition from operating on stones, or calcified deposits, in the kidney or bladder. The ancient Greeks apparently thought surgeons should leave this menial procedure to barbers. The modern meaning seems to be that doctors should recognize they can't specialize in all areas. But I'd say closer to the original intent, and perhaps more relevant to today's medicine, would be: "I won't perform treatments just for the sake of making money."

Okay, I got that off my chest!

The title has at least a double meaning. The story flows from the unlikely and surprising conception of a pair of twins by an English surgeon, Thomas Stone, and an Indian-born nun, Sister Mary Praise, in Ethiopia in the mid-twentieth century. The story is narrated by one of the twins, Marion, who eventually becomes a surgeon himself.

Verghese is likewise a practicing surgeon, now living in the U.S., who grew up in Ethiopia. His account seems autobiographical, but much of it is invented, as he explains in detail in his Acknowledgments.

If I say too much about this book, I'll have to throw in a lot of spoilers, and suspense has its delicious rewards in this leisurely paced plot. So I won't. Suffice it to say, I believe your patience with Verghese will be rewarded.

I heard him speak at a book signing at an Ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles, and he mentioned that he admired W. Somerset Maugham. This book does remind me of "Cakes and Ale," in more ways than one, including the crafting of its sentences. (Maugham also studied medicine.) It's not the page-turning, plain-vanilla, cliffhanger prose of Tom Clancy or Dan Brown. It's thoughtful, colorful, and literary. Slow down and enjoy it.

This novel is about family, community, betrayal, parental love and estrangement, sibling bonding and rivalry, personal bravery, not-so-uncommon acts of kindness, the heroic practice of medicine, suffering and compassion--and irony.

Lots of irony.

Cutting for Stone is selling well, so lots of other people must think it's worthwhile. The story doesn't read like a movie plot, but neither does The English Patient. Yes, this book is that big--in its scope and its ambitions, and in the magnitude of its achievement. ... Read more

Editorial Review

What if…The last man in the world she could be prevailed upon to marry…is her husband?In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet tells the proud Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy that she wouldn’t marry him if he were the last man in the world.But what if she never said the words? What if circumstances conspired to make her accept Darcy the first time he proposes?In this installment of Abigail Reynolds’s acclaimed Pride and Prejudice Variations, Elizabeth agrees to marry Darcy against her better judgment, setting off a chain of events that nearly brings disaster to them both…What readers are saying“A highly original story, immensely satisfying.”“Anyone who loves the story of Darcy and Elizabeth will love this variation.”“I was hooked from page one.”“A refreshing new look at what might have happened if…”“Another good book to curl up with… I never wanted to put it down.” ... Read more

Reviews

What if Lizzy Didn't Reject Darcy's First Proposal?
"Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy," originally published as "The Last Man in the World: A Pride & Prejudice Variation" in 2007, is an engaging and clever variation of "Pride and Prejudice." If you have not yet had the pleasure of encountering this series, "The Pemberley Variations," by Abigail Reynolds, it is collection of "Pride and Prejudice" re-tellings that asks the question "what if?" In these variations we see how one small change in the plot can alter the course of "Pride and Prejudice." This is one of my favorite variations by Abigail Reynolds, I love how heartbreaking and emotional the story is.

The slight change that sends "Pride and Prejudice" on its ear in this variation is Mr. Darcy kissing Elizabeth before she can refuse his offer of marriage and that kiss being observed by Colonel Fitzwilliam and Rosing Park gamekeepers. Now Elizabeth finds herself in a difficult situation as Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam are under the impression that she has accepted Darcy's addresses and if she were to correct their assumption it would jeopardize not only her reputation, but also the reputations of her sisters. Even though Elizabeth never gets to proclaim to Darcy that he is "the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry," she strongly despises him for what he's done and her outlook for her a happy future is very bleak.

In "Pride and Prejudice" the flaws of "pride" and "prejudice" are played upon. In "Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy" these flaws are still represented but added to them are "selfishness" and "deception." Mr. Darcy selfishly believes that Elizabeth's answer to his proposal could only be yes, and Elizabeth decides it best to deceive her husband into believing her happily married instead of being truthful about her feelings for him. One of the reasons I love Elizabeth and Darcy is because they are flawed and they make mistakes. No one is perfect and in the literary world sometimes we tend to idolize our heroes and heroines. It is a nice change to see them feel insecure, embarrassed, or misunderstood. I believe even Elizabeth Bennet has times when she lacks confidence or jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Abigail Reynolds is a very talented and gifted author that clearly loves Jane Austen and "Pride and Prejudice" with a passion! I am delighted to own both this book and her self-published version of it "The Last Man in the World." After reading "Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy" and scanning through my copy of "The Last Man in the World," I did not find many changes in the plot, and I would venture to say that the only changes were grammatical. So if you already own "The Last Man in the World" you might not want to buy this book, however, if you are like me, you wouldn't mind having this lovely book grace your shelves twice! In addition, I would like to warn readers who don't enjoy intimate and romantic scenes between these characters that there are a few included in this book. However, the romantic scenes are very infrequent and are not overly explicit.

I highly recommend this novel for people who are interested in seeing "Pride and Prejudice" travel a different course!

Austenesque Reviews

Compromised into Marriage
What happens if it is not until after marriage that Fitzwilliam Darcy learns that Elizabeth Bennett does NOT think that he is all that? And what if it is only after marriage that Elizabeth discovers that Darcy has some good qualities besides being an affectionate brother? And that perhaps George Wickham is not to be trusted?

In this variant on Pride and Prejudice, the overconfident Mr. Darcy follows his first proposal to Elizabeth Bennett with a kiss. Before she has a chance to express her disdain for him, this embrace is witnessed and she has the difficult choice between marrying a man she doesn't love or ruining her reputation and the marriage chances of her sisters as well as her own. It's a decision she must make in an instant, and she chooses Darcy but not without regret.

The author Abigail Reynolds uses this variation to explore the difficulties in a situation that many women of Elizabeth's time and class must have faced. Elizabeth has avoided the trap of marrying Mr. Collins, whom she cannot respect, or falling under the sensual spell of George Wickham who is clearly on the make. Darcy, of course, is an excellent match from society's point of view, but what happens in a marriage when the man chooses a wife from passion, and the woman, unable to reciprocate, tries to make the best of it? I really liked how the author shows Elizabeth and Darcy trying to make each other happy and failing until each acquires real knowledge of the other. Fortunately, neither Darcy nor Elizabeth are ordinary people and after much misunderstanding they achieve the happy ending the reader is waiting for. I think this may be my favorite of the Pemberley variations. I will be reading it again and again.

5 Star Read for P& P lovers
Fun, light, entertaining, and well written. Abigail Reynolds can write Fan-Fiction! Once you read one of her stories you will want to get the others!

Love it!
This one caught my attention from page one and held it. The plot was well developed and the characters were very believable. Abigail Reynolds is one of my all time favorites. Unlike the majority of these published fan fics, she is more like a real writer and knows how to tell a story. One thing that bothers me about most Austen spin off is that they just didn't get the original story. Ms. Reynolds gets it and you should get this book.

Personalities Match Original Austen Characters Perfectly
I love Abigail Reynold's and her P&P variations. This one was surprising and a welcome change. Most variations have William and Elizabeth reconcile and fall in love prior to marrying. This one doesn't. The author comes at the story from the angle of them marrying with the initial proposal. The characterization is perfectly matched to the original book. I love the way the author describes the reactions of the characters in the internal monologues. The steamy parts are pretty good too (wink wink). I was impressed throughout the entire read. This is one P&P sequel that I will keep on my shelf and read again and again.

Highly recommended read
Really very good. I read it straight through and I never do that with books I like (as I enjoy savouring them) but this was unputdownable. Highly recommended read and possibly the best P&P fan fiction I have read thus far. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep, beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics. Fall of Giants is his magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families-American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh-as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.

Thirteen-year-old Billy Williams enters a man's world in the Welsh mining pits...Gus Dewar, an American law student rejected in love, finds a surprising new career in Woodrow Wilson's White House...two orphaned Russian brothers, Grigori and Lev Peshkov, embark on radically different paths half a world apart when their plan to emigrate to America falls afoul of war, conscription, and revolution...Billy's sister, Ethel, a housekeeper for the aristocratic Fitzherberts, takes a fateful step above her station, while Lady Maud Fitzherbert herself crosses deep into forbidden territory when she falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German embassy in London...

These characters and many others find their lives inextricably entangled as, in a saga of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St. Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty. As always with Ken Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fast-moving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. It is destined to be a new classic.

In future volumes of The Century Trilogy, subsequent generations of the same families will travel through the great events of the rest of the twentieth century, changing themselves-and the century itself. With passion and the hand of a master, Follett brings us into a world we thought we knew, but now will never seem the same again. ... Read more

Reviews

Expert Storyteller/Enthralling Tale!

Captivating epic tale!

A Very Enjoyable, Well-Researched, Memorable Trip Back In Time!

Solid from the first page.

A riveting history of modern Europe in the first third of the 20th century
Don't let the length of 985 pages put you off from reading this highly readable book. I easily read it in less than a week (while taking care of 3 grandchildren during the daytime). I have a KIndle but chose the hardback because the e-version was more expensive than the ink version. I was very impressed with the format of the book in hard-back; light smooth pages, that lay open without effort on the reader's part.

Ken Follett tells the story of WWI, it's causes and the class conditions from the point of view of England, Russia, Germany and the United States. I have stayed away from war novels before but this one focused on all points of view without casting judgment on any one country. The class conditions in England, Russia and Germany that contributed greatly to the war are observed through the stories of families in all 3 countries. I came away with a feeling that WWI was a totally political war, and not worth the millions of lives that were lost. Mr. Follett is reputed to be writing 2 more books in this trilogy and I anxiously await to see how he will treat WWII and the holocaust, which seems to be a far more "just" war.

It Swept me Away - Loved It!

Editorial Review

Lydia Bennet is the flirtatious, wild and free-wheeling youngest daughter. Her untamed expressiveness and vulnerability make her fascinating to readers who’ll love this imaginative rendering of Lydia’s life after her marriage to the villainous George Wickham. Will she mature or turn bitter? Can a girl like her really find true love?In Lydia Bennet’s Story we are taken back to Jane Austen’s most beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice, to a Regency world seen through Lydia’s eyes where pleasure and marriage are the only pursuits. But the road to matrimony is fraught with difficulties and even when she is convinced that she has met the man of her dreams, complications arise. When Lydia is reunited with the Bennets, Bingleys, and Darcys for a grand ball at Netherfield Park, the shocking truth about her husband may just cause the greatest scandal of all ...“A breathtaking Regency romp!”—Diana Birchall, author of Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma ... Read more

Reviews

A Wonderful Sequel
"The true misfortune, which besets any young lady who believes herself destined for fortune and favour, is to find that she has been born into an unsuitable family." (pg. 9)

The opening line of Chapter 1 of Jane Odiwe's sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice describes the character of Elizabeth Bennet's youngest sister Lydia to a tee. In Lydia Bennet's Story, Jane Odiwe brings to life Lydia's lively, high-spirited character as we gain insight to her side of the Wickham debacle through her eyes - and her heart.

Lydia Bennet's Story begins at the point where Lydia becomes increasingly involved with that dastardly rake, George Wickham. Lydia, who cares not to think beyond a new bonnet and how many suitors will ask her to dance at the next assembly, falls quickly under Wickham's spell. To Lydia, who is high spirited and wants nothing more than to be married to a wealthy, handsome soldier, Wickham seems to be the man of her dreams. But she finds out the hard way that Wickham's heart has never been hers and that he only wants her as a connection to Mr. Darcy and his money.

Odiwe weaves her fiction into Austen's story seamlessly, as we follow Lydia through the aftermath of her marriage to Wickham and the subsequent scandals she is subjected to because of him. We also watch Lydia transform from a selfish girl into a mature young woman who wants nothing more than to love and be loved - in style, of course.

I enjoyed Lydia Bennet's Story immensely. It was a fun story with everything I love about good Regency fiction - good writing, plenty of period descriptions and background information that lend authenticity, and romance that is exciting but not over the top. Odiwe did an excellent job of staying true to Austen's style while creating new characters and plots to make the story fresh and interesting. She also gave me a new appreciation for the character of Lydia. In an age of numerous Austen sequels, this one is definitely worth reading.

What a different take on Pride and Prejudice
I found this book to be enjoyable and thought-provoking! It is nice to see Lydia's side of things! I always felt bad for her, because her youth and immaturity led her astray. Glad to see her get a better ending! ... Read more

Editorial Review

What readers are saying"Whoa, Darcy!""Some parts are hilarious and some a walk on the wild side for Austen characters. Curl up and enjoy!""Tells the tale I always wanted to hear...how the Darcys lived happily ever after...""The only fault I found with this book was that it ended."Every woman wants to be Elizabeth Bennet Darcy-beautiful, gracious, universally admired, strong, daring and outspoken-a thoroughly modern woman in crinolines. And every woman will fall madly in love with Mr. Darcy-tall, dark and handsome, a nobleman and a heartthrob whose virility is matched only by his utter devotion to his wife.Their passion is consuming and idyllic-essentially, they can-t keep their hands off each other-through a sweeping tale of adventure and misadventure, human folly and numerous mysteries of parentage.Hold on to your bonnets! This sexy, epic, hilarious, poignant and romantic sequel to Pride and Prejudice goes far beyond Jane Austen. ... Read more

Reviews

I wish I could erase this from my memory..., February 25, 2006
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an author who ventures into writing the continuation of a beloved classic should write something that would give said classic justice. I'm always wary of trying sequels of classics written by a different author because the few that I have read have let me down. In most cases, the authors who write these sequels don't understand the original characters well enough and proceed to write a version of the aforementioned characters that are incongruous to the ones you know and love and leave you wishing you hadn't given such a poor attempt at reliving the magic of said novel a whirl. That is definitely the case with Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll. This is a continuation of Pride and Prejudice, after Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett get married. They are in complete newlywed mode and have lots and lots of sex. (And I do mean lots and lots of sex, some of which borders on being pedantic. More on that later.) When they are not in the sack, they are dealing with misunderstandings, namely one centered on Darcy's supposed bastard son. Elizabeth also tries to help her sister Jane and her less than exciting marriage to Mr. Bingley. There are some twists throughout the novel.

Jane Austen's writing style was often criticized as being "soulless" because of the lack of emotional and sexual tension between her main characters. (Well, there have been people who've said that, but in my opinion Darcy and Lizzy and the characters in her other novels had plenty of romantic tension.) I believe it was Charlotte Bronte who was the most critical of the back-then anonymous romance writer we all now know as Jane Austen. It appears that Ms. Berdoll tried to remedy that by adding eroticism in her continuation of the classic. Ordinarily, I love erotic retellings of classic fairytales and novels, but I was unimpressed with the erotica aspects this time around. I had actually looked forward to reading an erotic telling of P&P, which means that I'm not an Austen purist by a long shot, but the sex between Darcy and Lizzy is so over the top I found myself rolling my eyes. After the tedious too large, too small explanation, the virgin who had hitherto lived a sheltered life with her parents and four sisters has sex not unlike a courtesan from the first go. You also get cliche descriptions of the hero's enormous appendage. Ugh. I am an avid erotica reader and I do like the men to be well endowed in said novels (and I have, in fact, pictured Darcy as a well-endowed man, especially after watching Colin Firth's lake scene in the A&E/BBC mini-series adaptation), but those descriptions were just silly and not at all erotic. Also, the protagonists are not believable here. This version of Darcy and Lizzy drove me crazy because I found myself thinking, "The real Lizzy would never do that," or "The real Mr. Darcy would never say that." Elizabeth isn't the intelligent, spirited and witty young woman this time around. It seemed to me that all she did was swoon over Darcy's sexual prowess. As for Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, he is not the misjudged gentleman in this one. The author has turned him into the jerk Elizabeth had thought he was in P&P. And what the author did to Mr. Bingley is nauseating. He cheats on Jane and has an illegitimate child? Ick! Anyway, once the reader gets the sexual part out of the way (well, sort of), the storyline is kind of interesting, except that the misunderstanding frustrated me because the characters react in ways that they never would have if Austen had written this (which, of course, she never would have). Also, the author's attempt at adding an Austen- and Regency-like language seemed forced and fake. (If I ever read the word "howbeit" again I will scream.) The author of this erotic continuation of a beloved classic missed the mark big time. I used to enjoy imagining what Mr. Darcy would be like in bed. And that is just it. This novel is nothing but the author's sexual fantasies centering on Darcy and Lizzy, not unlike a piece of fan fiction you would find on the Internet. Ms. Berdoll has proven that some things are better left to the reader's imagination.

Howbeit the unromantic sex scenes and pseudo-Regency prose bade me get my money back...., August 9, 2005
My experience with this novel can be summed up in one sentence: "You keep using that word; I do not think it means what you think it means." [Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride] Mr Darcy Takes a Wife is full of malapropisms and misapplied SAT words. Time and again I found myself cringing on behalf of the author and her editor. The writing is soooooo bad! I was afraid to continue reading it lest I suffer irreversible left-brain damage.

For that reason, I did not finish MDTAW. So, although, to be fair, I rated the book 2 stars instead of 1 (in case the end was more entertaining than the beginning), I would advise that you avoid it if any of these things apply to you: 1) you're a JA purist; 2) stupid metaphors drive you crazy; OR 3) you have a basic affinity for English grammar.

I intend no insult to those reviewers who thought this book was well-written (for everyone has different tolerance and tastes, and it is unnecessary in such a forum to resort to pettiness), but there can be little doubt that the writing in Mr Darcy Takes a Wife *is* almost embarrassingly bad. I say this not only as an avid reader, but as one who reads critically.

First, let me say that I love Jane Austen. Like many here, I, too, have re-read Pride and Prejudice every year since I was 12 years old. I also have a degree in English literature, and have read many, many British novels over the course of my life. Thus, I can safely say that the overblown language of this book bears little resemblance to that of any classic from the 19th century (or any other era, for that matter).

That said, I am not some humorless snob who whines about a few split infinitives and cannot appreciate a fun, fluffy romance novel. And I am not at all put off by romantic re-interpretations of JA's books, especially well-written sequels that alter the characters somewhat. So I guess I'm not a purist in the strictest sense. In fact, I love reading different interpretations of Lizzy and Darcy--if they're well-conceived. Sadly, this book is neither well-written nor well-conceived.

Case in point: Although the cover said the author is American, I felt as if the book had been inexpertly translated from another language! Whichever reviewer said that the author wrote this with thesaurus in hand was correct. It seems as if she used her word processor's thesaurus to come up with obsolete/complicated synonyms for ordinary words, then simply substituted them without regard to precise connotation and nuance. Even Charles Dickens, who was supposedly paid by the word, used fewer pretentious adjectives than Ms. Berdoll. Furthermore, whereas Mr. Dickens was a master of the mot juste, Ms. Berdoll seems to have little regard for the precision of the synonyms she uses. I did many a double take over a poor word choice, and even went back and checked the dictionary on the chance that, perhaps, I was mistaken. I was not.

Plus, her faux-Victorianisms are ridiculous!!! Actually, I think she may have confused Elizabethan with Georgian English--and still she got it wrong! The resulting prose is so stilted and convoluted, that it's often hard to understand what the author is trying to say. For example: "To her dismay, their re-emergence into company bade the Master of Pemberley serve compunction by abandoning that much-appreciated endearment." WTF???!!! It doesn't even make much sense in context!

I cannot imagine that the author read much 19th century English literature (nor even watched much British TV) prior to seeing the 1995 P&P miniseries, because she displays no understanding of the appropriate rules of style and grammar. That wouldn't be a problem, if she didn't try so very awkwardly to imitate them!!! I laughed out loud when I read: "Propitious fortune allowed her to descry whom the crepuscular light yielded." Wow. That sentence should be entered in one of those world's lousiest fiction contests.

Worst of all, even if I try to judge the book in it its own right (as a lurid romance novel), it fails miserably. The sex scenes in this book are surprisingly unmoving. They are neither romantic nor sensual, merely graphic and technical--wherein descriptions of size and seepage (ew!) proxy for eroticism. They are devoid of tenderness and passion. In short, they're boring. Furthermore, the convoluted sentences and clumsy euphemisms distance the reader from the action. I like a good romance novel, but this isn't one.

I am so sorry I paid money for this book. I don't remember who recommended it to me, but I'll have to have a word with them. As a book lover, I very rarely return books, even those I do not like. I have thousands of books--literally. But I returned Mr Darcy Takes a Wife, because I hate to think that my money supports or, worse, encourages this sort of thing.

I'm all for injecting passion into Jane Austen's wonderful stories. But this is just depressing. I've read better JA fan-fiction on the Internet. No, really.

Jane Austen Must Be Rolling in Her Grave, June 11, 2006
I LOVE Jane Austen, PARTICULARLY Pride and Prejudice, so I was excited at the prospect of a good sequel. Was I in for a suprise. Reading through it, there were parts that I had to put the book down and just laugh my head off. A few examples of what set me off: When Lydia is trying to warn her sisters concerning the evils of intercourse, she says to Jane: "...if you allow Mr. Bingley to kiss you too ardently, he will be aroused to such lust his loins will ache and his engorged lance will burst from his nether garments to ravish you! Wickham's waggled at me more than once!"
Another example: When Elizabeth was trying to decide how to tell Darcy about her monthly, she thought of saying, "Sorry my dear, we cannot make the beast with two backs for I am riding the red stallion." I mean...come on.

Once I stopped laughing, I started becoming offended. Not at the sex, although it was raunchy, ridiculous, and ubiquitous, but more at the way she portrayed the characters. I suppose that if you were not a fan of the original, it would not be as insulting, but having fallen in love with Austen's complex, realistic, and honorable characters, it was humiliating to watch Berdoll turn them into typical romance-nonsense characters obsessed with sex. Elizabeth was changed from a strong, confident, intelligent woman into a weak and pathetic doll who follows her husband's every command. Plus she says and does things that she certainly never would in the original story. And Bingley, Bingley of all men has an illicit-love child. Furthermore, the writing itself was MONSTROUS. I think she tried to mimic the writing style of Austen's period, but the result was a miserable failure. The sentences were filled with extra words and phrases, none of which made the slightest bit of sense, and period phrases were mixed in with modern slang. Berdoll has forever destroyed the words "heretofore", "hence", "subsequent", and "therefore" for me by using them improperly AND in every other sentence, and if I never hear the word "howbeit" again, it'll be too soon. I think she was under the impression that it's a direct synonym for "although", and it's definitely not.

I only managed to read 1/3 of the book, and then just skimmed through parts of the rest, but I think that I can safely say this ranks high in my top ten list of "The Worst Books EVER". DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!!

Sullying Jane Austen's Reputation, June 21, 2004
I have loved the works of Jane Austen for nearly 40 years, having read each of her novels many times and her unfinished works as well. Like most of the world, I loved the Pride and Prejudice series that appeared on A&E a number of years ago and which starred Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. Apparently unlike author Linda Berdoll, however, I knew that the "wet shirt" version of Mr. Darcy departed from Jane Austen's understanding of her character and his world.

This sequel shows no understanding of Darcy and Elizabeth; no understanding of Jane Austen's writing style (I don't believe she ever used the word 'howbeit'); no understanding of the laws of entail (Mr. Bennet's estate could not have been entailed on his sister's son, nor could Lady Catherine have taken possession of Pemberley in the event that Mr. Darcy died without a male heir); and no understanding of a world that was still primarily agricultural, but on the cusp of industrial.

This sequel is a sad representation of Jane Austen's great characters and sullies her reputation as a novelist. If the author cared to write an early 19th century bodice-ripper, she could at least have changed the names.

Pemberley Polluted, September 13, 2006
"Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?" Apparently, they are. This is by far THE WORST book I have ever read. I might have been able to express interest in the story line had my better sensibilities not been outraged over the treatment of Jane Austen's original characters. In my mind, Linda Berdoll has DEFILED the characters of both Mr. Darcy and Bingley. The sex between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy can only be described as pornographic. It is disgusting rather than romantic. Bingley, who in the original is so enamored of Jane, has an adulterous affair. It doesn't even make sense. Not only has Berdoll butchered Austen's endearing characters, but she has also butchered the English language. I'm not sure whose style she is trying to imitate, but it is certainly not Austen's. I love to re-read and pass on my books, but this book is destined only for my trash can.

Romantic Trash, April 14, 2007
I absolutely agree with PonyExpress and ChicBookFiend. This book is AWFUL!!! I couldn't even finish it. (My opinion of it was backed up by someone else who had read the whole thing.)

This book is nothing more than supermarket romance trash. (Which would be FINE, we all like a little fun now and then, if it was SUPPOSED to be a romance novel with Fabio on the cover, but it seems the author is trying for so much more.) She doesn't succeed, because she can't write. She isn't witty, funny or anything in between. Her attempt to write like Jane Austen is laughable.

As others had said, I am no Jane Austen purist, and I am no prude. However, this book has way WAY too many sex scenes. There was no plot that I could discern of outside of the sex. (Morning/noon/and night that's all the Darcy's seem to do.)As others have said, the sex is so over the top, it becomes quite silly. (For instance, Darcy instructs Elizabeth not to wash afterwards so that he can get off on knowing his juices are seeping down her leg at the party.)THAT was the moment I put the book down...disgusting.

There is nothing recognizable in Darcy or Elizabeth from Ms. Austen's novel. As another reviewer said, the idea of Darcy and Elizabeth together as man and wife is much better left to the imagination. (Or a better writer.)

Can't force myself to finish it, November 26, 2006
I know my review will be a little myopic. I couldn't read past the first 70 pages, and I only read that much because I was on a plane at the time and had nothing else to read. Someone who knows I love Jane Austen gave me this book, thinking I would enjoy reading what allegedly happened next. Within the first 20 pages, it was evident that this book is largely a bodice ripper, which is not my particular taste. I found myself rolling my eyes with every subsequent mention of the size of Darcy's immense manhood -- and there were waaaaay too many such mentions. There were sexual details in this book that I would never expect to read in a modern-day love story (with the exception of bodice ripper paperbacks), let alone a story from this era. It was also clear from reading these first few chapters that the author was writing a sequel to the BBC/A&E miniseries more so than the original novel. And be advised that this is a sequel with flashbacks, so it takes liberties in fleshing out the original novel's storyline. I found that a bit presumptious. If you love romance novels and loved the original P&P, this is your book. Otherwise, I'd give it a pass.

Unbearably bad!!, March 6, 2006
This is one book I wish I had checked out from the library, rather than wasting my hard-earned dollars on. Quite simply, Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, Linda Berdoll's so-called "sequel" to the great Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, is trash! I understand, from reading the "about the author" notes, that Berdoll is a "self-described Texas farm wife," and that this is her first novel. I am SO not surprised at this information. This woman has all the literary talent of a bad Harlequin romance novelist, and she would do well to go back to canning her tomatoes, cooking her armadillos, or whatever else it is that "Texas farm wives" like to do with their time -- and leave the novel-writing to those who know how to tell a good story.

What's wrong with the book? Well, what ISN'T wrong with it? Where do I start? I suppose, to be completely fair, I have yet to read a sequel to any great novel which I have found satisfying. I experienced my first sequel disappointment when I read Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett, a continuation of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. I can still remember how breathlessly I waited for Scarlett to finally hit the book store, how quickly I raced out to buy it once it DID hit the stores, and how I turned the pages in great anticipation, only to be bitterly disappointed at the end. I experienced the same disappointment after reading Susan Hill's Mrs. DeWinter, the sequel to Daphne duMaurier's Rebecca. While these books were, at best, only pale reflections of the original great novels, at least Ripley and Hill did their homework! Unfortunately, Ms. Berdoll did not do so. One might have expected her to expand somewhat upon the last few paragraphs of Austen's novel, where she tells us a little bit about the subsequent lives of our beloved characters. For instance, Austen tells us that Darcy and Elizabeth eventually reconciled their differences with his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Berdoll would have us believe that Lady Catherine and Elizabeth remained the bitterest of enemies, and that Elizabeth actually fired a gun during one of their confrontations! Further, when giving us a bit more of Darcy's family history, Berdoll refers to his mother, and gives her the name Elinor. How can this be, when Austen refers to his mother by name in the original novel, as "Lady Anne Darcy?" Austen tells us, at the end of Pride and Prejudice, that Wickham and Lydia's "manner of living, even when the restoration of peace dismissed them to a home, was unsettled in the extreme." The worthless Wickham and the flighty Lydia did manage to stay together in spite of their instability, according to Austen. Yet Berdoll would have us believe that Wickham faked his death at Waterloo, shot his own illegitimate son in order to effect his desertion from the army, left Lydia a supposed "widow," and ran off to places unknown! How can this be? I could go on for pages about the inconsistencies here, but I think you get the general idea. I have to wonder whether Berdoll ever read the original novel in the first place, because HER characters are as similar to the Bennets and Darcys of Austen's book as Santa Claus is to the Great Pumpkin!

A minor annoyance for me was Berdoll's fondness for, and overuse (to put it mildly) of, antiquated words and phrases, most notably the "howbeit" (although, nevertheless) found several times throughout the book. In the unlikely event that I EVER open this book again, I may, just for my own amusement, actually count how many times she uses this ridiculous word. I own every single novel that Jane Austen ever wrote...and honestly, I don't believe that she ever used the word "howbeit" in any one of them!

Major annoyances in this book include Berdoll's incredible preoccupation with the sex lives of her characters. While I'll be the first person to admit that I have no problem with a LITTLE bawdiness, Berdoll's erotica is not only laughably written, it's...nasty! Is it supposed to be erotic when Darcy examines his blood-stained fingers while doing the "wild thing" with his menstruating wife? Do Austen fans REALLY need a description of how Darcy shows Elizabeth the joys of oral sex? And what IS this preoccupation with the enormous size of Darcy's manly equipment or the tightness of Elizabeth's "womanhood"? Puh-leeze!!! Not only are the sex scenes too numerous, badly written and completely over the top, so is the general plotline! Are we actually supposed to believe that in the first few years of her marriage, Elizabeth suffers kidnapping and attempted rape, and has to watch while her husband kills those responsible; suffers two miscarriages and a stillbirth; has her husband's cousin fall in love with her; has her brother-in-law make a pass at her; and finally gives birth to the Pemberley heir in a carriage, while on her way home from her father's funeral? How many people suffer this much angst throughout an entire lifetime??

Another thing I hate about this book is its character assassination. Not only does Wickham turn out to be an adulterous cad (I don't think that anyone was surprised by that), but we're supposed to believe that our beloved Bingley was also unfaithful to his Jane -- and had a child from this adulterous union? And are we really supposed to believe than an honorable man like Colonel Fitzwilliam could make a declaration of love to the wife of his favorite cousin? Surely not! This "Texas farm wife" is completely unfamiliar with her characters, and undoubtedly, poor Miss Austen is rolling in her grave over this absolute travesty of a sequel! Berdoll obviously doesn't think it's enough to commit mere character assassinations, however, so she throws in a bit of gratuitous violence just for fun. Not only do we have the aforementioned kidnapping, beating, and attempted rape of Elizabeth, along with Darcy's revenge, but the same man who attacks Elizabeth commits numerous acts of violence earlier in the story. Further, Elizabeth's toadying cousin, Mr. Collins, meets an exceptionally frightful and undignified demise...but why?? Since it was NOT an "essential" plot device, I can only assume that it happened because Berdoll gained the majority of her storytelling experience from the watching of bad soap operas. Finally, was it REALLY necessary to kill off our beloved Mr. Bennet before he had the joy of seeing his favorite daughter safely delivered of her twins? Supposedly, Berdoll is in the process of writing her sequel to the sequel...but what on Earth is she ever going to find to write about when she's managed to create such destruction among the original characters? Heaven only knows -- but I do know that I'll not be stupid enough to buy any Austen "sequels" written by this ridiculous excuse for an author again. Do yourself a favor, and DON'T buy this book!

Painfully bad, March 20, 2007
I love Jane Austen's novels, but this author is no Jane Austen.. As a Georgette Heyer devotee, too, and an English major who concentrated in 18th and 19th century women's literature, I am not daunted by archaic language, but this novel reads as if the author tried to make every statement as convoluted, complex and arcain as possible, even using words out of context just to make a sentance as "18th centuryesque" as possible.

Really, I'd rather have a tooth pulled than read in graphic detail about the size of Darcy's unit or the soreness of Lizzie's girly bits. I mean, come on already! The love between them is depicted as more laughable cinemax-style soft core than passionate and heart wrenching.

Really, there's nothing of Austen's original Pride and Prejudice here, just an abomination with characters bearing the same names.

Reader, I enjoyed it., May 15, 2004
I have to say the responses to this book are as funny as the book itself. I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed it. Austen wrote the nineteenth-century equivalent of pulp fiction, and this is the "transliteration" of said pulp--metaphors fully materialized, in keeping with twenty-first century sensibilities. So Darcy and Lizzy like sex. What else is romance about? Isn't that implicit throughout? These prudish reviewers are like so many Mr. Collinses, aren't they? Lighten up. This book was fun. The diction wasn't exactly on target, I admit. I'm a literature professor, and can't help noticing that it is a little strained at the beginning. But once you get into it, it's like Austen meets Fielding, really. Tom Jones and P & P, with a little pulp romance thrown in. This is supposed to be entertainment, not Literature. And I think an early nineteenth-century reader, one familar with Moll Flanders or Shamela, for example, would have appreciated it more than some of these readers seem to. If you don't like the sex, there are lots of great overly-euphemised novels out there. But they won't be as wicked a read as this one. Sometimes I fear that the reading public is just losing its appreciation for irony. Not to mention burlesque. We're a sober lot, this century. Alas. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Follow Mitch Rapp, as he takes on his first, explosive counterterrorism assignment. ... Read more

Reviews

Mitch Rapp the early years
I have read a few reviews about this book and wholeheartedly agree. The content is so so for a Mitch Rapp book and the publisher should be ashamed for putting out basically a Kindle version that is basically a first draft. The constant mis spellings and malapropisms become overwhelming. Here's the deal. The publisher, Atria, is charging basically the same price for the Kindle and Hardcover versions and making an exorbitant profit on the Kindle version as there are no distribution, sales or return costs, yet they give us a crap version that is very irritating to read. And you wonder why the publishers cry and whine about the "new publishing model" that is killing their profits. They need to wake up and give us a better product to justify their outrageous profits. They should be ashamed of this shoddy version.

It all starts here...
Ever wondered what it would be like to witness the beginnings of an F-5 tornado? Or a category 5 hurricane? Ever wondered how a Megalodon looks at birth? Beautiful destruction. A controlled chaotic force of nature. Mitch Rapp. What could have been the catalyst that helped create one of America's deadliest assassins? After eleven years and equal as many books, Vince gives us one hell of a definitive look into Mitch's past. And it's so good it's like watching... (insert the favorite thing you would like to see) here. Throughout his previous books we get bits and pieces of how Mitch was "created", but not in one ecstasy induced adrenalin shot like this. Early on Rapp has to put up with verses. Rapp vs. Victor. Rapp vs. Hurley. Rapp vs. Lewis. And finally Rapp vs. the world.

Before you start reading one of the best books of 2010, Vince writes that he's been waiting to tell this story for fifteen years. And it shows; on every damn page. Vince had fun with this one y'all. From Kennedy's so called clandestine operation to scope out Mitch, to Mitch's first run in with Hurley, to watching Mitch go through the toughest training this side of Parris Island. In the summer. Wearing wool. With Satan. With an abscessed tooth. With nothing to eat but jawbreakers. However, what makes Mitch so special is that he is that extremely special freak of nature who is equipped to go toe-to-toe with Satan in the heat and humidity of the deep South.

Most of us have skills suited to our job. People that love math steer toward accounting. People that love writing become authors. People that love figuring things out become engineers. People that love dishing pain become dentists. But in all these professions you don't need to have "over the top" talent. You don't need to be a prodigy. Study hard, practice, take out enough student loans to choke King Kong, graduate, interview, and get a job is the normal path. Not with Mitch. These cowardly terrorist were created and in order to balance yin and yang, the universe created Mitch. He is the Assassin prodigy, and he's on our side.

Giotto drew the perfect circle. In 1991 the Andrea Gail was caught in the perfect storm. Zoe Saldana has the perfect body. Hillary Clinton is the perfect bitch. Popcorn is the perfect snack. Rootbeer is the perfect drink. Mitch Rapp is the perfect weapon to decimate the chickenhearted harbingers of "peace". Vince is the perfect author to bring about such a character. When I recommend this book I'm not sure where to tell people to start reading. In series order or publication order? It's actually really nice to see how Mitch started but I also got a kick out of hearing about Hurley. His parents must have given that name because it rhymes with `surly'. As you read, certain things start to fall in place from his previous novels and the storyline. So I guess it will be just preference as to where people will start. I, for one, am glad that I previously read Vince's other books because it was nice to have that foreground to understand the background.

Mitch is one bad (shut-yo-mouth), I'm just talking `bout Rapp. Ya' damn right! `American Assassin' keeps with the thriller as only Mr. Flynn can create and like I said earlier, this will easily fit in your "best books of 2010".

Maybe the best one yet!
I am a big fan of Vince Flynn and Mitch Rapp but this latest book was very disappointing. Although the story was less interesting than previous books in this series, the biggest disappointment was the numerous mistakes -- misspelled words, omitted words, repeated words and incorrect character identification. I have read all of the Mitch Rapp books, but I have never read one with so many errors and dropped or duplicated words. Another disappointment was how jumbled and disjointed the story seemed to be, as if the author was rushed and wasn't really paying attention. The reader deserves higher quality workmanship and preparation.
Did the author or any of the editorial staff even glance through the book? Some of the mistakes were so blatant that a glance would have done it.

Might makes right
`American Assassin' presents the beginnings of Mitch Rapp and the groundwork of his career. Mitch Rapp begins his adventures with the CIA in this book, and learns, quickly, of course the tricks and hazards of the trade, both in the training grounds of Virginia, in Europe and the middle east. As usual the story is filled with action. At times the standard hopping back and forth in the time line from past to present, of training, and the mission and in the torture chambers of Beirut can lead to some confusion, even wondering at times who it is that has been captured.

Vince Flynn knows the people and style, the philosophy of his characters. He communicates their thoughts and actions so well that the reader feels as if he knows the men and women who populate his books. He also interjects their `insider phrases' so that it lends credence to the work; whether you know who/what a snake eater is, since there is no explanation - it still fits in the story line, but lends realism to those familiar with military slang.

Flynn does a credible job of explaining how a loose cannon like Mitch Rapp becomes an established, usable agent. But still there is no one who writes modern day thrillers like Vince Flynn. Probably the worst thing about his new novels is that I wind up reading until 3 am in the morning, since it is hard to put them down. ... Read more