Book Description
When her old friend Martha decides to get married in Las Vegas, Jessica Fletcher makes the trip to watch her walk down the aisle. But what are the odds that she'll be back two years later-to watch Martha stand accused of her husband's murder?
Jessica's never been one to gamble, but she's willing to bet that Martha isn't guilty. Her husband was a high-rolling Las Vegas local with three ex-wives and plenty of jealous acquaintances. Joining Martha's defense team, Jessica combs through the man's past to find the real killer. But as the media attention grows-and Jessica is interviewed by the news anchors of "Court-TV"-the stakes are raised, and Jessica learns how to play for keeps.
Customer Reviews:
Slow going.......2007-06-08
Although this book was a good mystery, the text moved at too slow a pace. It wasn't a mystery that I couldn't put down. It's worth reading if you like the Jessica Fletcher character.
Jackpot Jessica.......2006-07-25
I have read several of the "Murder She Wrote" books and I must say that this is one of the most enjoyable and engaging stories in the series. Seldom has a mystery in this or any other series drawn me into the story like this one did. I really just can't say enough good things about this book!
One of the criticisms that have been aired about some of the books in this series was the lack of depth for many of the characters and in some of the stories this is certainly the case. This time however Mr. Bain was firing on all cylinders for not only are the characters colorful and believable they also make you either sympathize with them or despise them. It is rare for a book of this type to grab you so thoroughly that you really begin to care about what happens to some of the characters and get somewhat emotionally involved but this book had that very effect on me.
This is one of those books that tells the reader one story in order to explain what is going on with the main story and so a good deal of the book is a flashback to a wedding held two years before the main story begins. It is then that several of the Cabot Cove gang fly out to Las Vegas for the wedding of one of their former neighbors to a wealthy businessman. Among the visitors are naturally Jessica, Seth and Mort and from the very beginning Seth is sure that his old friend Martha is making a horrible mistake. (As a side note I would really like to know why Mort's wife has a different name in the books than the one she had on television.) It turns out however that for the most part Martha is happy with her new life, at least until her new husband is murdered and she is charged with the crime.
The main story revolves around the trial and Jessica's efforts to clear her friend. Along the way she wins a slots jackpot and gets taken for a ride by a gangster. She also meets a delightful little lady who plays the slots at every opportunity and like to go to the Vegas wedding chapels and take pictures of the ceremonies. She doesn't know the couples, she just like to go to weddings and her pictures actually provide Jessica with a vital clue.
Overall this is one of Mr. Bain's best efforts and despite the small part played by the quirky Cabot Cove gang this entry in the series is a definite winner. Jessica it seems is at her best when the pressure is on and the pressure is certainly on in this case.
Well written Murder she wrote.......2006-03-14
You Bet Your Life has Jessica Fletcher in Las Vegas to help investigate a murder and to get aquitted a friend of hers from Maine. I thought, for the most part, that this was a well written book, with accurate and interesting atmosphere of Las Vegas. Some threads weren't really tied together at the end, and anyone who commonly reads cozy Mysteries will quickly realize who did it, but, I still really enjoyed it. The trial unfolds interestingly, and the Las Vegas scene is well described.
I recommend this to cozy mystery lovers.
Jessica goes to help a friend charged with murder.......2003-04-29
Sitting down to read a Murder She Wrote book is like reading a letter from a dear friend. From watching the tv shows for so many years, I feel like I know all the regular characters. I can see them in my mind.
Jessica and some of her friends traveled to Las Vegas to watch their friend Martha marry Victor Kildaire two years ago. Martha had previously been widowed. Her first husband was a doctor in Cabot Cove. Dr. Seth Hazlitt isn't too fond of her new husband and the quickness of the wedding.
Now Jessica is traveling alone to Las Vegas. Martha has been charged with Victor's murder. Jessica does not believe she is guilty. She starts asking questions and getting information. She joins Martha's defense team and stays at her house. This gives Jessica more access to information. She is interviewed by Court TV.
Victor was a high-rolling Las Vegas local with three ex-wives and many people who were jealous of him. The suspects are almost unlimited. The three ex-wives were diverse and very suspicious.
Once again Jessica is assisting a friend and getting herself in dangerous situations. I enjoyed this book. It is always fun to read a Murder She Wrote book. It is definitely a cozy. I do prefer the ones set in Cabot Cove, ME, as I know most of the people in those. But this book was well written with a good plot and interesting characters.
Not having been to Las Vegas I can't say whether the setting was accurate, but it fit what I know about Las Vegas.
The authors created enough suspects so that you could not easily figure out who did it.
I highly recommend this book and the whole Murder She Wrote series.
By Far the Best.......2003-04-15
This is quite a step forward for this series of mysteries. The writing is better than it has been. The mystery is intriguing in that it is told with great detail with regards to the defense team's efforts to prove Jessica's friend guilty. Throughout the book, I kept thinking that perhaps she WAS guilty and that added to the pleasure of reading it. I hope the following books in this series are as well written and as intricate as this one!
Average customer rating:
- Fascinating in So Many Ways.
- Excellent read
- Groucho made boring
- Magnificent stuff, this
- Why He's The One, The Only . . . Groucho!
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As Long As They're Laughing : Groucho Marx and You Bet Your Life
Robert Dwan
Manufacturer: Midnight Marquee PR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Comedy
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Groucho and Me
ASIN: 188766436X |
Book Description
Finally, a funny book about Groucho Marx!
You Bet Your Life was unique in two respects. Is comedy was based not on actors performing sketch material, but on the personalities and experiences of real people, drawing on their normal lives and occupatons. The program's distinction and quality, however, resulted primarily from its giving Groucho Marx an opportunity to exercise his unique skills without the restraints that broadcasting at that time otherwise imposed. Groucho's principal resource was his talent as an improviers of verbal comedy. Dwan will keep the reader giggling with his stories about You Bet Your Life.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating in So Many Ways........2004-06-14
Mr. Dwan's book is entertaining and captivating on many levels, just as its subject, "You Bet Your Life"
First, and most importantly, it's deeply hilarious. The book is loaded with quotes from Groucho's interviews, filled with puns, mock insults, and feigned misunderstandings.
But these passages, with commentary from Mr. Dwan, are also an insight into the workings of Groucho's genius comedy mind. Mr. Dwan, who served as director throughout the show's run, analyzes why the jokes are funny, and how the humor was maximized through preparation and editing.
The author frames all of this in the context of the 50's, and gives the reader an excellent feel for the social attitudes of the time. That's another reason the show and book are fascinating: we see ordinary Americans from that time, talking about their lives.
Mr. Dwan is remarkably candid and honest in discussing the blacklisting events of the 50's, and its regrettable impact on the show.
Adding to all of this is a wonderful collection of pictures related to the program.
A unique look at behind the scenes, this book is finally something new for fans of Groucho Marx. And it's really funny.
Excellent read.......2001-12-20
I enjoyed every page and story. It was great to read the inside story about how the show started and evolved. I enjoyed watching the show as a child and did not realize until I read this book how inovative the show was. I appreciated reading a few of Groucho's best jokes.
Groucho made boring.......2001-07-08
This book, while no doubt being historically accurate, manges to turn the life of one of our most colorful personalities into a complete bore. It is nothing more than an encylopedic listing of one fact after another. Somehow he has managed to include almost all of the unfunny interviews with contestants in the book and omit the great ones. Anybody who reads this book and had never seen the show would surely wonder why we all enjoyed it so muh
Magnificent stuff, this.......2001-04-04
If nothing else, this book single-handedly shatters all the images of the micro-managing meddler that Groucho has been painted as over the years. We are given a look behind the scenes at one of the most brilliant radio and television game shows ever produced, and we see Groucho not only as a genius at the art of ad-libbing, but also of allowing a talented staff to explore their own creativity.
I would compare this to "Letters From Groucho" only because it made me laugh until tears were rolling down my cheeks; otherwise, it is a unique book, the only one I've read on this witty man that chips away the stereotypes by someone who actually knew and worked with him.
Why He's The One, The Only . . . Groucho!.......2000-11-27
Back in the Golden Days of Television, two game shows stood out: What's My Line? and You Bet Your Life. Neither offered money as its hook, but rather good intelligent conversation. That neither show can be duplicated today is just another sign of the times in which we live. Both shows had a mystique about them that made them special and made people tune in.
Robert Dwan does a wonderful job of explaining the mystique behind You Bet Your Life, and though most of it is rightfully due to the talents of Groucho Marx, Dwan explains just how the show was put tigether each week and the behind the scenes and politics that shaped it during its run as America's most popular quiz show.
Dwan also offers a history of the show, from its beginnings on radio and how Groucho, who had already failed numerous times in radio, was convinced to take the job as emcee of a "lowly" quiz show. Dwan tells his story in the manner of a gentle reminiscence that pulls the reader along while providing a few laughs, and surprises, along the way. (One surprise is that for all Groucho's leering and suggestiveness, he abhorred "working dirty," and considered it the cheapest way to get a laugh. Many times on the show an innocent line became a memorable one in the imagination of the audience, who were expecting Groucho to come right out and say what they were thinking.)
With the recent surge in published books on the Marx Brothers, this gentle tome from a small press might well be forgotten in the shuffle. Instead, to those who read it, it will become one of the fondest and best remembered books on the subject.
One thing I would like to see is the reprint of The Secret Word is Groucho, by Groucho himself and Hector Arce. as a previous reviewer perceptibly noted, the two make an excellent boxed set. But as that book is out of print, you can't go wrong with the Dwan book.
Book Description
We are a nation of gamblers: pari-mutuel wagering at horse tracks; blackjack in Las Vegas; the NCAA basketball office pool; even day trading on the internet. Gambling is both our national pastime and our predominant cultural metaphor—play the field; beat the odds; take a chance on love. Yet gambling poses serious risks to individuals and to society as a whole.
Neil Isaacs—sports historian, licensed clinical social worker, English professor, and a gambler himself for more than fifty years—seeks to shatter the myths interfering with our understanding of gambling addiction, its causes, and its treatment. He begins by systematically debunking several commonly held beliefs, demonstrating that there is no such thing as the law of averages, that gambling is not inherently sinful, immoral, or criminal, and that money is not always the prime motivator for gamblers.
Isaacs shows how habitual gambling can lead to compulsive gambling, but avoids oversimplifying this condition. Arguing against a undifferentiated interpretation of pathological gambling as a simple impulse control disorder, he draws examples from fiction, film, and his own practice to demonstrate additional ways gambling can be abused.
A radical departure from established views, You Bet Your Life identifies the costs—in dollars, people, families, and credit ratings—of society's failure to address adequately the burdens of gambling.
Customer Reviews:
Better Stuff Out There.......2007-05-07
If you're interested in gambling addiction, you may want this for your library, but it's slow and dry and there is more compelling work out there to read on the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Not a good gamble this time around........2002-12-21
The best of these Toby Peters mysteries (such as Never Cross a Vampire and to a lesser extent Murder on the Yellow Brick Road) are the ones where the celebrity clients have something to do, or where the proceedings at least parallel some aspect of their lives. This is not one of those, joining The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance as a novel where the supposed star, this time the Marx Brothers, are only the deus ex machina.
There are other ways this novel is a departure for the series, and in every way it deviates from the norm is a way in which it fails. Perhaps that is merely happenstance, but I think the changes themselves are to blame, as opposed to any faulty ideas or execution.
This novel is set in Chicago, allowing interaction with Mayor Daley and mobsters such as Frank Nitti. The plot involves Toby trying to get Chico Marx out of a situation arisen from gambling debts, which he says are not his.
There is notably less humor in this book than in previous adventures. It is freezing cold, Toby is perpetually ill and in pain, and meets a succession of characters that are sad or pitiful without ever achieving much poignancy. And as for Toby himself, his pathetic lifestyle is palatable when the comedic nature of it is trumped up; here it is more serious, almost maudlin at times. In addition, though these books are modeled after Chandler, they've never really managed the cynical wit or wry dialogue; so the humor is missed even more sorely here.
My overriding complaint with this book is this: Why have the Marx Brothers in your story if they're not going to act like the Marx Brothers? I understand that they were not the same men as their stage-and-screen personas, and were even a little frustrated by inability to transcend them. But I maintain that the injection of a little of their subversive craziness into a project which bears their image is only right, and would have improved this book immensely. It goes back to the first paragraph of this review: give the Hollywood stars something to do, or at least comment on their life and livelihood through the action. (I would have loved to read Groucho flustering a room full of corrupt cops with trademark one-liners and non-sequitirs. And I am likewise intrigued by a mental picture of Harpo using his giant Duck Soup scissors to cut a bunch of mobsters' ties, then soaking his feet in a vat of their beer.)
Only at the end, after the wrap-up, does Toby check in with any members of the usual supporting cast, and then only by phone. Too bad; it sounds like some interesting events had been happening to them back in LA.
There are nice things about the book, too, though comparatively few: Ian Fleming makes a welcome cameo, rescuing Toby in a manner not unlike his fictional creation might have, and we also meet a diseased, demented Al Capone early in the story. The "love interest" (I hate that term, because they're seldom more than warm bodies) could have been an interesting character, but she is little more in these pages than the standard harlot with a heart of semi-gold.
The book is unfortunately not enough redeemed by a thoughtful solution. Chicago in this period of history was a unique place, but I still think the mystery could have played out the same almost anywhere. Kaminsky likely had a mob story in him and had no way better to use it.
Deal yourself out of this hand, at least until you've read some of the others in the Toby Peters series.
Book Description
In a style and format that is as helpful as it is hopeful, Beebe offers creative, parent-tested, and doctor-approved solutions to the everyday problems of new parents, ranging from the infant's day of birth up to two years of age.
Customer Reviews:
Best Baby Book.......2000-11-20
When my children were babies, this book was my favorite. It gives you hints on what you need for every occasion. For example, my car was always stocked with everything I needed because the book told me what to keep in the car. When we went on an airplane, this book was my reference. I used it daily at first. When my second baby came along, the book went to the hospital with me to remind me of what I needed to do to get ready to take my child home. Unfortunately, it is now out of print. I have been searching for it so can I have it on hand to give to friends who are pregnant. My copy is so worn that it has rubber bands around it to hold it together. Buy it while you can!
Book Description
Before you call the plumber, take out that policy, retain an attorney, pick up that prescription, or buy that layette?
get the tips before you get the headaches!
BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW . . .
—When buying a carpet, don't skimp on the quality of the pad underneath, it disintegrates
—Picking up marbles with your bare feet eases foot pain
—Peaches ripen faster if left in a box covered with newspaper
—Some foods can be dangerous to your pet, especially chocolate, nuts, and many of those holiday treats left out for company during parties
—401(k) retirement plans are the best savings and investment deals for most workers
—Never pay for repair work in advance or put more than a third of the price down by check or credit card
Consumer advocate Robyn Freedman Spizman has educated hundreds of thousands of people on how to find a bargain, save time, avoid losing money, and get organized. Now she's consulted the experts in every field for Bet You Didn't Know, a practical, hands-on guide to getting what you want and what you pay for.
From everyday dilemmas like running errands and home entertaining to not-so-everyday situations, such as buying a car, dealing with a divorce, or planning a funeral, Spizman offers hundreds of easier, quicker, safer ways of doing it all. You'll cut costs and avoid mistakes by knowing all the facts before you put your money, your health, or your future on the line!
Customer Reviews:
Ultimate How-To Book.......2001-10-25
Buy this book for someone just starting out on their own or buying a first house or starting a family. It has a million answers to common questions that are incredibly important--but that are annoyingly hard to research and answer. This book has done all the hard work, covering a huge list related to getting your personal life and earthly possessions in order. It's a big book, full of hard-to-find information. A good addition to all family bookshelves.
Average customer rating:
- A mystery worth reading
- Midwest Book Review - noir voice, tidy suspense tale
- slow and convoluted
- Kind of a dud
- what a disappointment!
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Bet Your Life
Richard Dooling
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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White Man's Grave: A Novel
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Brain Storm: A Novel
ASIN: 0060505400
Release Date: 2003-10-14 |
Book Description
Customer Reviews:
A mystery worth reading.......2006-08-30
I really liked this story, as it's so rare to be completely in the dark throughout a mystery. Usually you can feel yourself being led in one direction or another, hints are given so obviously that you have to suspend your disblief AND ignore the hints to stay with the story.
The techno-speak and detailed insurance information was a tad on the tiring side, but not too bad.
I really enjoyed the read and will certainly look for more from this author.
Midwest Book Review - noir voice, tidy suspense tale.......2003-10-17
In Bet Your Life, Richard Dooling spins a tidy mystery suspense tale with twists and turns aplenty. Think Raymond Chandler complete with hi-tech savvy and a contemporary edge. Press releases dub this book "classic noir", and it certainly is that, combined with well-defined characters and an unusual plot
Carver Hartnett is a straight arrow insurance fraud investigator who tells the story in first person. Miranda Pryor is the chaste but seductive object of Carver's desire. And Lenny Stillmach is the friend who manages to be a high tech genius despite manic-depression and chronic drug and alcohol abuse. These three friends comprise the team of fraud investigators who are very good at what they do. Each brings different but effective skills to the team.
Lenny's unexpected death under strange circumstances casts suspicion on his friends. These suspicions are compounded by the discovery that he has purchased multiple six figure life insurance policies naming Carver and Miranda, as well as others, as beneficiaries. Seems that Lenny's boss, the local police, and FBI think he has been running a lucrative scam by buying and selling high dollar policies for fun and profit. Carver can't trust anyone, including Mrianda, and he finds himself up to his eyebrows in a local and federal investigation. His life is in danger and it's up to him to find out why as he tries to separate the good guys from the evil doers.
Richard Dooling is an award nominated author because his wordsmithery is unique. His style is modern with the noir voice of past masters of the genre. Bet Your Life is not a simplistic tale. Intelligent fans of the genre will enjoy the experience.
slow and convoluted.......2003-04-07
Granted, making insurance seem interesting or even exciting takes special skills but this book makes you force yourself to pay attention. Not a good thing. There is nothing particularly interesting about the protagonist Carver Hartnett who pines after his co-worker Miranda for too many pages.
When Lenny, a co-worker of Carver and Miranda who has some risky personal habits, dies under mysterious circumstances, Carver sets to find out what happened. Despite's Dooling's attempts to create witty banter among the friends, I just didn't care enough to know what happened to Lenny who had no apparent traits to justify Carver and Miranda's loyalty to him. In addition, Carver doesn't come off as very bright in many of his actions. It's hard to sympathize with such a character.
Plodding dialogue with occasional religious references also slow the story down. I can't recommend this one.
Kind of a dud.......2003-02-11
Yeah, it's hard to get really wrapped up in insurance fraud, despite the pretty decent writing... the religious stuff is interesting, and there's a couple of REALLY killer scenes at the end of the book (the one with Don, the contract and the cell phone is awesome!)...
what a disappointment!.......2002-12-31
I'd probably give this just one star if not for the author's proven brilliance with his first two books.
I think that Dooling's efforts to incorporate a relatively large number of characters have backfired... there's no real distinction between most of them, and I didn't find myself giving a damn about any of them.
In the acknowledgments, the author writes:
"I thank (names) - IT cyber wizards one and all - for (...) suggesting ways I could pretend to have more than an amateur's grasp of computer technology."
I think this may be the root of the problem with this book... Dooling's first two novels reflected deep personal experience, and a deep personal understanding of the subject matter at hand.
Unfortunately, this time Dooling is obviously just pretending... he still has only "an amateur's grasp of computer technology", and his efforts to pretend otherwise ruin this as a novel.
And viaticals aren't quite as new or scandalous as the author would have us believe. This novel seems to boil down to: "Man, can you believe there are people out there selling their own life insurance policies?!"
I would like to conclude by suggesting that the editors of this novel don't deserve the author's thanks.
QB
Book Description
A deadly nerve gas and a plot against the United Nations puts SpyBoy and Bombshell hot on the trail of the insidious Madam Imadam, head of the international Palindrome terrorist organization! Their search leads them to the exotic city of Marispan, where Butch is on vacation with his mother, Barbie Q is doublecrossed and fights for her life against a diminutive, cyborg samurai, secrets about Alex's mother come from an unexpected source, and Sean Fleming gets lucky (sort of). A mysterious city and a casino filled with spies and danger...what more could a SpyFan ask for? Collects issues #7-9 of the ongoing series.
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