Average customer rating:
- Spellbinding
- Not a great read
- Almost unbelievably bad
- Whimsy and Magic
- Save Your Money
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Propeller One-Way Night Coach: A Story
John Travolta
Manufacturer: Warner Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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John Travolta King of Cool
ASIN: 0446522570 |
Customer Reviews:
Spellbinding.......2006-03-17
I am a big fan of this book. After all since 1983, John's appeared in Be Cool, Ladder 49, The Punisher, Basic, Domestic Disturbance, Swordfish, Lucky Numbers, Battlefield Earth, The General's Daughter, A Civil Action, Mad City, Face/Off, Michael, White Man's Burden, Broken Arrow, Shout, the Look Who's Talking franchise, The Experts, Perfect, Staying Alive and Two of a Kind-- so it's about time he did ANYTHING that his adoring public could find even the tiniest shred of his talent in -- Get Shorty and Pulp Fiction notwithstanding. I would urge Mr. Travolta to get a new agent.
Not a great read.......2003-05-06
I know it wasn't initally meant to be published as a mass-market novel, but that doesn't really excuse the fact that it isn't very good when it does reach the bookstore shelves. Short and poorly written, this story follows an 8 year old boy on his first plane trip. He is excited as this is his life-long dream - to fly in a plane. We also see a disturbing view of his mother who doesn't seem to be a model parent.
Overall, it was boring but blessedly short. A good actor Mr. Travolta may be, but an author he is not!
Almost unbelievably bad.......2002-10-02
Oh, my.
I knew I was in trouble when the author opened this book with a preening, excited section about how he wrote the book: How the idea came to him, how he spent many nights in the glorious process of writing, how all his friends just loved the editions he had printed up just for them.
Well... I'm sure when total strangers come up to you on the street and tell you how wonderful you are, when you have a large staff whose only purpose is to serve and please you, and when you are, sadly, a good ways down the hill on the left side of the bell curve, you might just think you can actually write.
Travolta can't. I feel sorry for the guy, he obviously put a lot of time and thought into this book. But it's just awful -- saccharine, cliched, repetitive, and worst of all, boring. There's just no story. A little kid rides a planes and likes it. The attempts at making it seem magical and enchanting are forced and poorly done.
And finally, horribly, worst of all: Travolta reads it himself, the entire thing, in what he imagines is the eager voice of a young boy. I still shudder thinking about it.
Whimsy and Magic.......2002-01-07
A refreshing and delightful tale of a young boy mesmerized at the prospect of airplanes and the wonder and possibilities within. In 1962, at the age of 8, he finally gets the opportunity to live this dream and board one of these silver creatures of the skies. His rather amazing mother chooses to go from Newark to Los Angeles, via the Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which leaves at 9 p.m. with stops in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Des Moines, Denver and Las Vegas, arriving in Los Angeles at 3 p.m. Due to an unexpected snowstorm and other twists and turns, the flight actually takes them much longer - with everything sparkling with magic and newness and wonder - and some truly amazing people along the way. Written as a children's story, I know of several little boys who will probably wear this book out.
Save Your Money.......2000-04-04
This book is so poorly written it should never have left the editors desk without being covered with red ink. John Travolta is a wonderful actor, but would benefit greatly from lessons if he should want to continue his "writing" career.
Product Description
Vintage paperback original. Story told by means of color photos taken from the movie.
Average customer rating:
- Pets and Their Celebrities
- Nice book with a caveat
- Very nice coffee table book - great for the animal lover
- The True feeling...
- If you love animals...
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Pets and Their Celebrities
Manufacturer: Animal Fair Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Portraits
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Pets And Their Stars
ASIN: 0964731622 |
From the introduction
I originally came up with the concept for this book in December 1998. Yes, I know what you are saying, "that's a long time." I have had people tell me that they have produced and filmed motion pictures in the time I have taken to produce this book. My response, "Well, in a movie you have only to deal with two or three celebrities wandering around with their pets." I can also feel the love and see a different side of each person. So, what I wanted to do was to photograph everyone in black and white at home in a very comfortable environment. I wanted to capture the love and true bond between the person and the animal. --Christopher Ameruoso, author
Customer Reviews:
Pets and Their Celebrities.......2007-07-12
Wonderful book. Since I'm an animal lover and a celebrity junkie, this was the best of both worlds. It makes a great coffee table book.
Nice book with a caveat.......2004-01-10
I purchased this book for use in a veterinary hospital waiting area. Overall it is a beautiful celebration of the human-animal bond. Unfortunately the pictorial of Robbie Williams with a leashed, lingerie-clad woman at his feet is an inappropriate addition and is degrading to women. It's hard to understand why the author chose to include it.
Very nice coffee table book - great for the animal lover.......2002-04-13
This book donates a part of their proceeds for Last Chance for Animals, which is a great reason to get it and help out at the same time. The pictures are black and white but are very well done. The photographer really shows the bond between owner and pet. There are some celebrities posing with 'borrowed' pets but the animals look to be enjoying it just the same. In looking through the book there were celebrities like Paul Stanley, Ozzy Ossbourne and Ice-T.
As a dog lover I just couldn't pass this book up. One of our kids is a rescued shelter dog so I know the joy these animals give back for being given a second chance. They are forever grateful for the new life they've been given, believe me (ours is STILL thanking us :-) ).
The True feeling..........2001-12-24
This book really is really filled with warmth. The mixer of celebrities is a real pleasure from the old to the current. The photographer has a real talent for capturing the love between these people and their pets. I have seen this book featured in many well respected magazines such as People, In Style, New York Times, Page Six (New York Post) as well as many Television shows. From reading the intro to this book by the Photographer/Author he really worked this project hard and stood for what he believed in. For a first time Author/Photographer he really nailed the subject as well as the photos. This is a must for people who enjoy animals as well as celebrities. I bought two for gifts and my friends are thrilled to own this book. I also read a great review about Christopher Ameruoso from the very well respected (Popular Photography magazine web site) not bad work Christopher good luck...
If you love animals..........2001-12-16
I have an autographed copy of this book - Chris turns out to live in my building, so I took advantage of his good nature :)
I met Stella too - a real cutie and full of character. She could make a movie or two in her own right...
If you love animals it's always interesting to see the types of animal that other people bond with, and Chris has compiled an interesting collection of photos of personalities and their pets (and in some cases, personalities with borrowed pets), along with idiosyncratic cartoons, poems and other literary gems peppered throughout the book.
The list of people featured reads like a Who's Who of showbiz, music and media excellence: Pamela Anderson, Julianna Moore, William H. Macy, Geri Haliwell, Kate Hudson, Brendan Fraser, Afton Fraser, Rosanna Arquette, Janeane Garofalo, Lisa Rinna, Rachel Hunter, Dean Cain, Bo Derek, James Caan, Angelica Bridges, Slash, Tipi Hedren, Tatjana Patitz, Natasha Henstridge, Christine Taylor, Natalie Raitano, Dustin Nguyen, Ice-T, Elizabeth Barondes, Illeana Douglas, Paulie Shore, Diane Warren, David Alan Grier, Kristen Johnston, Vincent Schiavelli, Lisa Marie, Deborah Mazar, Garcelle Beauvais, Amy Smart, Scott Baio, Gina Gershon, Sheryl Lee, Michael Des Barres, Joel West, Mariska Hargitay, Ashley Hamilton, Sara Foster, Wild Orchid, Alison Eastwood, Paul Stanley, Paula Abdul, Harv Presnell, Nicolette Sheridan, Brian Green, Joely Fisher, Connie Stevens, Jason Wiles, John Taylor, Christina Applegate, Bernie Taupin, Faith Ford, Ozzy Osbourne, Kidada Jones, Felicity Huffman, Kari Wuhrer, William Atherton, Jillian Barberie, Sally Kellerman, Harold Becker, Phil Collen, Maureen O'Boyle, Jeffrey Tambor, Sally Struthers, John Taylor, Angie Everhart, Tim Burton, DeDee Pfeiffer, Ben Stiller, Robbie Williams, Shannen Doherty, Rob Lowe, Cheri Oteri, Anthony Kiedes, Rose McGowan, Courtney Cox Arquette, David Arquette and Fred Durst.
Many of the animals featured in this book owe their existence to being rescued by their celebrity owners (and my wife and I have two rescued cats so we know something of the difficulties that such owners can face - rescued animals often have traumatic histories to contend with).
It's nice to see celebs getting involved in caring for their fellow creatures; while it may be true that actors shouldn't *work* with children or animals it doesn't mean that they can't *live* in harmony and love with them.
A portion of the author's proceeds from the sales of this book will go to Last Chance for Animals, which is also nice - buying this book is therefore a constructive way of helping out animals who might have no other chance for life.
Book Description
STEPPING OUT OF THE BUBBLE: REFLECTIONS ON THE PILGRIMAGE OF COUNSELING THERAPY is the story of courage and risk taken by those who seek to better their lives. Drawing on the wisdom of those who provided a foundation for counseling theory and and practice, Krehbiel shares his expertise and wealth of experience. By sharing personal experiences, you will find encouragement to move forward in the journey toward personal growth and development.
Customer Reviews:
understanding myself.......2007-05-01
After reading Stepping Out of the Bubble a year ago, I went back and read it again for a second time. I was able to pick up even more information this time around that helped me understand and overcome some of my own internal conflicts. This is a book you can read at any point in your life and always find information that pertains to that particular moment. Krehbiel has a way of explaining things that others may consider unexplainable. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or just a guy like me, this book can and will change your life.
A practical resource for better living.......2006-03-27
For me, "Stepping Out Of The Bubble" was reminiscent of the renowned books of author, M. Scott Peck, in the style of presenting profound insights into sensible, easy-to-understand language and clear ideas an average person can relate to. Practicing Licensed Professional Counselor and Nationally Certified Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist and author of "Stepping Out Of The Bubble", James Krehbiel proficiently shares a portion of his expertise, condensing great weight into accessible and workable solutions for a more fulfilling life's plan.
The "bubble" represents our security and comfort zone, but it is also the inner place where we store the pain of our past experiences and the unpleasant reality of that not being made conscious which keeps us bound in unhealthy and self-defeating patterns. Staying within this bubble limits our emotional responsiveness as we numb ourselves to the coexistence even as unresolved issues unconsciously filter forth. To step outside of the bubble is to courageously examine the contents in all honesty and to face life's reality outside of the bubble. Once outside the bubble, one can move forward to experience life in more emotional depth, fullness and passion. "Being a fully functioning individual is about being true to whom you are and letting things be the way they are," explains author, James Krehbiel.
With brilliant and compassionate understanding, Mr. Krehbiel briefly details methods used and pertinent case examples within his therapy practice. "Self-regulation is a goal of therapy. I educate people in the fact that all the answers are ultimately within." "Stepping Out Of The Bubble" strives to do the same, by giving information on how we become trapped in the bubble and how beneficial the making of conscious choices to leave, can be.
Some of the many topics included within this book are: being assertive, characteristics of an "authentic" person, the integration of each of our different personality parts, the difference between true guilt and false guilt, setting boundaries, addictions and addictions to "manic" relationships, awareness (staying in the moment or mindfulness), grounding, honoring one's inner voice, panic attacks, OCD and mood disorders. The section regarding kids and parenting was exceptional, in my opinion, and I found many points about discipline that made much sense. Also appreciated was the section relating to religion (dogma) versus faith (spiritual) as well as what needed to be said about pop culture.
I enjoyed reading "Stepping Out Of The Bubble" and would recommend it to anyone. It is enriching and inspirational.
Reviewed -by C.Gale Perkins-author.......2006-03-18
Stepping Out Of The Bubble by James P. Krehbiel, Is an outstanding book on Counseling Therapy. Krehbiel, is able to put life patterns and fears into perspective so that the lay person can fully understand the mystery that most think is behind counseling. His approach to show that so much of what we seek answers for is within ourselves and with the right counsellor we can become free and step out of the Bubble or Bubbles that a lot of us are in.
This book should be a gift to every teen and their parents, no home should be without it.
Gaining Courage to Live Outside of the Bubble.......2006-02-25
James P. Krehbiel's Stepping Out of the Bubble was a fascinating read. I found myself underlining various passages. His explanation of how we get stuck in the bubble (comfort zone), and how we find our way out is powerful. It provided me with hope as I move through my own personal journey. I found myself experiencing an emotional reaction to many of the case examples and concepts he explored. He definitely hit some "hot buttons" in my life. But Mr. Krehbiel also provided specific guidelines and tools for stepping out of the bubble. At one point he says, "Courage can be defined by those who live outside the bubble as opposed to those who live in it. I like to compare stepping out of the bubble to wading into the water."
His chapter which includes ideas on multidimensional thinking is appropriate in today's political climate. He indicates that true dialogue takes into consideration the appreciation for differences in opinions. He makes some profound statements about pop culture's affect on the lives of today's children. He also gives parents tools and resources for assisting their children in bettering their behavior. The book ends with a resounding "yes" to life with a hopeful, powerful way of perceiving and reframing life's problems. This was an excellent book!
My Review of a Great Book.......2006-02-23
"Stepping Out of the Bubble : Reflections On the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy by James P. Krehbiel is an amazing and outstanding book that provides help and direction to the many people that are suffering from problems described in this book.
I was amazed at how many of the problems and challenges, that the author writes about, are problems and challenges I have seen many people suffer with.
The counseling theory and practice information in this book provides a direction for people that have a problem and are willing to go to counseling and risk moving forward in their journey toward finding personal growth and development, and eventually stepping out of the bubble.
Many people have problems and challenges that they never seek help for and they and their loved ones continue to suffer. This book goes a long way in bringing the thought of counseling to people and helping people to better understand the counseling process.
To author James P. Krehbiel thank you for writing your great book. I am convinced your book will help many people and because of your book many more people will step out of the bubble. I recommend this book very highly and also feel it would be a great college text.
Product Description
20 songs celebrating the 20th anniversary of Grease. Song include: Alone At The Drive-In Movie, Beauty School Dropout, Born To Hand Jive, Freddy My Love, Grease, Greased Lightnin', Hopelessly Devoted To You, Hound Dog, It's Raining On Prom Night, Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee, Mooning, Rock 'N' Roll Party Queen, Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay, Sandy, Summer Nights, Tears On My Pillow, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Those Magic Changes, We Go Together, You're The One That I Want.
Customer Reviews:
nice and unique experience.......2002-08-28
A nice and unique experience , written very clearly and arrenged in such a way that keeps the piano playing experience vary special . The book includes many popular songs from this wonderful musical.Not very hard to play though it requires some practice .
STAGE ONE.......2000-04-02
Stage one is my community theatre group. Recently I bought a portable keyboard. I was in Grease and absoloutley loved the music. This book was very helpful and had all the songs I was looking for.
Nice experience.......2000-01-06
It brought back all the memories of "Grease" on Broadway. I am in a modern day choir and we picked songs out of it and it was so much fun, there was so much energy coming from these songs and it was a good experience.
Book Description
With his piercing blue eyes, dazzling smile, and innate sense of cool, John Travolta has, for over three decades, won a place in the hearts of millions of film fans. From disco king to ice-cool gangster, the ease with which he can slip into a character has made him one of Hollywood’s most popular leading men. Travolta’s amazing ability to reinvent himself as an actor has spanned generations of movie-goers—his appeal as white-hot dancer Tony Romero in Saturday Night Fever evolved over the years into intense, utterly convincing performances, among the most memorable as hitman Vincent Vega in the box-office smash Pulp Fiction. Perceptively written, thoroughly researched, and based on scores of interviews with friends, colleagues, and family, John Travolta: King of Cool looks at the star’s entire life and career, as well as his involvement with the Church of Scientology and his relationship with wife Kelly Preston.
Customer Reviews:
Travolta.......2006-08-30
I think as much as the writer was explaining Travolta but still we needs to know more. but i would love to read that book again and again so i encourage everybody to read that spectacular book.
Book Description
Joanna Brady Series, #1.
Andy Brady was an honest lawman, a good husband, and a good candidate for Sheriff of Cochise County - until a bullet abruptly and permanently terminated his life and his future. Now the police brass are claiming he was a maverick whose involvement in drug-running drove him to suicide. But Andy's strong-willed wife, Joanna knows a cover-up when she hears one, and murder when she sees it. And, to her great peril, she is relentlessly determined to clear his name. But, in the desert, the truth can be more lethal than a rattlesnake's bite. Read by Ellen Travolta. 7 CD's 8.3 Hrs.
Download Description
From the New York Times bestselling author comes the gripping novel that first introduced one of the most remarkable protagonists in contemporary suspense fiction: Joanna Brady. A cop lies dying beneath the blistering Arizona sun - a local lawman who may well have become the next sheriff of Cochise County. The police brass claim that Andy Brady was dirty, and that his shooting was a suicide attempt. Joanna Brady, his devoted wife and mother of their nine-year-old daughter, knows a cover-up when she hears one... and murder when she sees it. But her determined efforts to hunt town an assassin and clear her husband's name are placing Joanna and her surviving family in harm's way - because in the desert, the one thing more lethal than a rattler's bite...is the truth.
Customer Reviews:
the original that set fire to Cochise County!.......2007-01-08
I had read all the other Joanna Brady books except this one, and I had to see how Joanna, Andy, Jenny, Eleanor, JimBob and Eva Lou, Marianne, Angie and others came into being. What an adventure! This lively book is a page turner. Joanna is searching for answers when nobody in law enforcement seems to care much about the murder of her husband. Shocking rumors come out, but Joanna fights back rather than retreat into a depressed state. The flight of Angie Kellogg was particularly thrilling. Just imagine the terror of knowing a cold blooded killer was hot on her trail. Joanna shows true grit in this excellent book. My only negative comment was the profanity was quite a bit more than I am used to in a J. A. Jance book.
Really Intriging-action packed drama. .......2006-12-14
This is my first time in reading J.A. Jance, and I really enjoyed the first book here of the Joanna Brady series.
Joanna Brady is happy in Bisbee Arizona, with her husband Andy a cop, and daughter Jennifer. She is waiting anxiously for Andy's return home one night when he is late showing up, and later. Feeling like something is definitely wrong, Joanna goes out to see what she can find. And lo and behold, she sees the accident where Andy is trapped inside of a car, barely alive. Frantic, she seeks help quickly. Andy is seriously injured, and though they were able to revive him at the hospital, he remains in very critical condition.
Everyone at the sheriff's department are saying that Andy was making a suicide attempt-but Joanna knows better than this. When he does die a few days later, Joanna in her grief-stricken state has to find out what really happened. And this is where Tony Vargas comes into the picture.
Angela Kellog was a former prostitute who mistakenly sought refuge with Tony Vargas-a very dangerous man and a killer. She has been his prisoner for a long time and wants to escape his cold-calculating wrath. Angela just knows that Tony had everything to do with Andy's murder and wants to escape and turn him in to the police. And most of all, she wants to find Joanna Brady to let her know what she thinks really happened. She does escape finally when Tony leaves the house for an hour, but once Tony discovers she is gone, he is on her tail and the chase is on. Angela's dangerous venture to seek out Joanna, puts Joanna and her family in danger of being killed unless someone can capture Tony first.
Great First Mystery in the Joanna Brady Series.......2006-09-24
I LOVE Joanna Brady! However, this introduction to her and her life in Bisbee is NOT the best book Jance has ever written. One thing that is terrific about Jance, though, is that she is from Bisbee and describes the town in exact detail. Bisbee is a quaint crazy town and Jance grabs all of the details of that small town oasis in the desert. Joanna Brady is a likeable character and the series gets beter and better as time goes by. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Murder, suspense, and introducing a new sleuth........2006-08-24
Although J. A. Jance's series of "Joanna Brady" mysteries has been around a while, I was just introduced to them this summer. "Desert Heat" introduces Joanna on her wedding anniversary, when she finds her barely-alive husband shot and left to die in a dry wash near their home. The story is gripping, leading the reader by the nose through a variety of suspicions while never revealing enough to show what is "really going on" until Joanna also discovers it.
The characters in the story are a nice collection of small-town figures: sheriff and deputies, the minister, relatives and neighbors. The characters, even Joanna, do not develop greatly during the story; after all, it takes only about three days. But the relationships between the characters develop well, especially between Joanna and her mother.
There are some coincidences in the story which strain credulity, and it felt as though Jance rushed the ending to keep the book to manageable size. Then again, I was so taken with the story that I rushed to get to the ending, needing to know that folks would be all right!
I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Excellent.......2006-08-20
I found this book to be very good. It kept my attention the entire time. I could not wait to get to the end of it to see what happens. I have now ordered the other books in her series. I cannot wait to read those as well. I hope others enjoy this as much as my mother and I did!! Happy reading!!
Average customer rating:
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Fever!: The Biography of John Travolta
Douglas Thompson
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square Publishing
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John Travolta King of Cool
ASIN: 0752210742 |
Book Description
An assassin's bullet shattered Joanna Brady's world, leaving herpoliceman husband to die in the Arizona desert. But the young widowfought back the only way she knew how: by bringing the killers tojustice...and winning herself a job as Cochise County Sheriff.
Shoot/Don't Shoot
Still mourning her loss, Joanna Brady needs to be strongand supportive for her nine-year-old daughter, Jenny. She also hasresponsibilities to the people who elected her Sheriff. Joanna has thehead and instinct for her new job, but not the experience—whichis what brings her to Phoenix for a pre-Thanksgiving crash course inpolice training...and into the mystery of an imprisoned husbandher gut tells her did not murder his estranged wife. SuddenlySheriff Brady has a lot more to worry about than classes and thevisiting family pre-holiday chaos. For her impromptu investigationis drawing a serial killer too close for comfort—and closer,worse still, to Joanna's little girl.
Customer Reviews:
Forget the Audio Book...Read the Book Instead.......2006-12-14
Like all the Joanna Brady series, Shoot/Don't Shoot is full of interesting, multi-dimensional characters, intriguing, exciting, and overloaded with side plots. The audio version by Ellen Travolta, however, is ineptly read. She has a good voice but seems to have just picked up the book and started reading with no preparation. The phrasing is stumbling, and she even stutters occasionally. The mispronunciations of place names, surnames and even ordinary words are so bad and so frequent as to be distracting. Save your money and read the book if you can.
Definitely A Bulls-Eye.......2005-04-15
In J.A. Jance's book revolving around the life of Joanna Brady, the just-elected sheriff enrolls in a police academy to learn the ins and outs of police work. You'd think this would be a boring premise for a book, but with Jance writing it, it's anything but dull especially when Joanna's classmate is murdered and she's determined to help find the killer. It's not just class lectures and books for her, as she's thrown into the middle of mayhem. While she's learning how to investigate crimes, her new skills are immediately put to the test, as the murder investigation becomes personal since Joanna knew and liked the victim.
As a subplot, Joanna does have a few hours of "down" time and she spends it in a little hole-in-the-wall bar that makes the best cheeseburgers around. Of course sparks fly between the bartender/owner of the bar (Butch Dixon) and Joanna. Jance increases her cast of support characters with the friends Joanna makes in Phoenix and you can be sure that a few will resurface in later books.
While reading this I wondered if Jance would have Joanna jump into a new relationship so soon after her husband's death. To me that would have changed the attributes of her main character, and in doing so would have possibly lessened my enjoyment of this series. Joanna Brady's strong emotions, her desire for self-preservation, viability, etc. are a large part of what makes these books so pleasurable. At the same time, when Joanna leaves Phoenix to return to Bisbee, I didn't want to think that she'd never see Butch Dixon again and kept hoping that "maybe in the future...". (Ok, I'll admit it - I'm a romantic at heart!)
This tale is a little different for Jance since it takes place in Phoenix, Arizona instead of Bisbee. I lived outside of Phoenix for almost five years and have to say that Jance's descriptions were extremely accurate. I remember reading this and thinking, "I've been there". There are a few places that only exist in our imaginations, such as Butch Dixon's bar, but it so closely resembles several others in the area that it could very well be one of them.
This is a typical J.A. Jance novel full of wonderful descriptions of not only surrounding areas but also of people in general. There's definitely a few twists and turns along the journey (I'd be disappointed if it were a straight-line venture) and the ending will surprise you.
If you haven't read this series, I'd highly recommend that you do so. Many years ago when I had the good fortune to run into this writer in a bookstore she told me that many had compared her to Mary Higgins Clark. After reading her previous work, I agreed with that comparison until this series was published. Now I believe she surpasses Clark in every aspect of what makes a great author!
It Went Ahead and Made My Day.......2004-08-31
As Joanna Brady makes the shift from Candidate to Sheriff, Jance takes us on a quick-and-dirty primer of police procedure. Attending the Arizona Police Officers Academy (APOA) so she can hold her own with her more-experienced law enforcement staff, Brady finds herself struggling to keep up with classwork, coping with changes in her familial network (the recent loss of her husband, among other things), dodging Cupid's arrows, and trying to keep an innocent man from throwing his life away. And then a homicidal maniac starts stalking her.
Shoot/Don't Shoot has a very convoluted structure, with Jance keeping half a dozen plot lines running at any given time. At times the book was a bit angsty for my taste, and the final few chapters seemed plot-driven, rather than developing as a result/consequence of choices the characters made. It diminishes the quality of the book slightly, but with so much taking place in the novel she can't dwell on any one thing for long.
The "mysteries" in the book aren't that complex. Granted you don't know the name of the serial killer until the end, but you can make some pretty accurate ballpark guesses about his identity. There are also some odd details about the APOA facility that seemed fairly obvious; Jance does a fairly good job using them to enhance the suspense, though. Other details, however, are hidden so obviously in plain sight that I found myself getting irritated that Brady wasn't paying any attention to them.
If you haven't read any of Jance's Sheriff Joanna Brady mysteries, this would be an okay place to start. It brings you up to speed fairly well with the events of the first two books in the series, without straying far from its own storyline in the process. On the other hand, if you don't deal well with blatant melodrama, you might want to get to know Joanna under less stressed circumstances so you're already invested in her character before reading this at-times-frustrating book.
Superb Series, Great book.......2002-12-14
I have been reading this series in order. Although each book can stand alone, later books reference earlier books and it is, in my opinion, much more enjoyable to read them in order so you know the complete history.
Having said all of that, this is the best book I have read to date in this series.
Joanna was elected sherrif and is off for training. By doing a favor for a friend of a friend, she runs into a serial killer that has escaped detection for many years. There is a touch, just a tiny touch, of romance. There is also a very stressful period of time when her daughter has been kidnapped and the kidnapper has killed himself and the police are searching frantically for Joanna's daughter and the daughter's friend.
This book moves right along, the characters are well developed and there is excitement. I particularly liked the ending.
Enjoy.
Terror at the police academy.......2001-09-17
New sherriff Joanna Brady finds terror at the Arizona Police Officer Academy. She must solve multiple homicides before she becomes a victim. Will she live? Hint: there are more books to come. This is not a whodunit. The reader will not know the killer's identity until our hero finds him.
Book Description
23 songs from the hit movie Grease, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Includes: Beauty School Dropout - Born to Hand Jive - Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing - Sandy - Summer Nights - We Go Together - more.
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- Sharpe's Company (Richard Sharpe's Adventure Series #13)
- Shooting to Kill
- Shostakovich: A Life
- SIGN with your BABY Complete Learning Kit: US DVD Version, Book, Training Video (DVD), Quick Reference Guide
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