Book Description
It's the end of the world . . . Again.
For all the bodies she's encountering, you'd think beat cop Joanne Walker works in Homicide. But no, Joanne's a reluctant shaman who last saved mankind three months ago -- surely she deserves more of a break! Yet, incredibly, "
Armageddon, take two" is mere days away.
There's not a minute to waste.
Yet when her spirit guide inexplicably disappears, Joanne needs help from other sources. Especially after she accidentally unleashes Lower World demons on Seattle. Damn. With the mother of all showdowns gathering force, it's the worst possible moment for Joanne to realize she should have learned more about controlling her powers.
Customer Reviews:
Ok Book Overall.......2007-08-20
Ok I don't normally write reviews, but I am a big fan of Murphy. But even though, I thought this book was good, it wasn't the best. The first book was way better. The first one had you holding on in excitement the entire time you read the book. This one seems to take too long to get to the point. The good stuff doesn't really happen until the last few chapters. I do however like that there are a few surprises concerning who the bad guy is. And what really happend to Ms. Tucker. But like I said you don't explore any of this till the end. So you will have to stay awake to get through the beginning/middle part of the book the best way you can without getting bored with it. Oh and you do learn more about her past too which was interesting. But I also agree with one of the other reviews about her crying all the time because she has powers and have to save the world. I mean really It's time to get with the program, come to terms about the whole shamanic destiny thing and move on. So all and all, I give this book 4 Stars.
A Little Obvious.......2007-07-08
It's an okay read, but not spectacular. It seemed to rely heavily on Joanne not noticing things that she really probably should have--specially considering that she's a cop and been walking the beat. Surely when Faye pops out of nowhere, Joanne should have been at least suspicious and certainly very cautious before jumping in all the way. When Faye started talking about bringing over a powerful god (or whatever he was) to "fix" things, that should have raised all kinds alarm bells. Never once did Joanne even bother to ask her teacher anything about the god other than to go see him. Joanne just seemed to walk through the book without really actually thinking about anything.
Sequel weakness?.......2007-05-15
Worth reading, but definitely weaker than the first book in the series, Urban Shaman. Hopefully, the next installment in the series will be tighter.
C. E. Murphy is on the right track (for me, anyway) with this series. I doesn't go off on interminable sidelines dealing with the heroine's romantic entanglements. Instead, it is focused on her self discovery and growth, and on the problem/mystery to be dealt with.
Snakes and Raptors.......2007-04-28
It has to be perplexing to want to be a car mechanic and find yourself a cop on the beat instead. But for Joanne Walker this was only the beginning. Now she has discovered she is destined to be a shaman and that doesn't sit well with her at all. After surviving being fatally stabbed while saving the world in the previous volume - Urban Shaman - Joanne deserves a rest. But what she gets is a body in the Gym shower. When Joanne slips into the Dead Zone to find out how the young woman died she finds herself out of her depth and in deep trouble. A spirit that shouldn't have noticed her has, and thus begins another series of events where, kicking and screaming, Joanne must save the world once again.
Joanne investigates the death on her own and finds her path keeps criss-crossing that of a coven of witches who apparently need her help. The dead woman played an important role in the covens plans and Joanne would be the perfect replacement. All she has to is help with the reincarnation of and ancient wizard who is also intent on saving the world. Or maybe he isn't. Joanne must puzzle out the answers to this question and many others if she is to drag Seattle back from the edge of disaster, and, incidentally, get her head together about her spiritual powers.
I find I like this series more than I ever expected. There's no lack of books in the occult suspense/romance genre and it's always refreshing to read a book with a strong female lead that doesn't keep trying to commit suicide or get tangled up in kinky sex. C. E. Murphy is a strong writer, and her characters are interesting and believable. Joanne is a sassy, uppity lady with a good share of intelligence dealing with a very complicated reality. You can't help but like her, or her friend Gary the cab driver, or Captain Morrison, her boss and foremost critic. The story, with Joanne as narrator, moves well, and has many flashes of enjoyable sarcasm. Despite being the second volume, I think Thunderbird Falls can be read on its own - but you will want to read Urban Shaman anyway, so get both.
Good, But Not as Good.......2007-04-07
Unlikely shaman Joann Walker, Gary, and the Seattle police force return in this second installment after Urban Shaman. Finally facing the facts that all of her magic useage has effected the weather patterns of Seattle, Joann has little idea what to do about it. She has steadfastly tried to turn her back on magic for months. But a near brush with death on the cosmic level and the disappearance of her spirit guide Coyote have lead her to realise she needs a teacher.
Complicating her lessons is the coven she's recently become involved with. She happened to discover one of their members freshly deceased and is taking her place in order to solve the murder. It seems the covens purposes coincide with her own as they plan to bring back a 3,000 year old spirit to right the wrongness in Seattle's weather. But is everything on the up & up?
The romantic tension ratchets up a little bit more in this book. But who will Joann end up embracing? Morrison, Thor the mechanic, or even fatherly but mischievious Gary?
Some of what turns out to be pertinent detail in this book is intruduced to us very vaguely and briefly (uhuhm...cough...the Thunderbird...)while the rest of it seems to drag a bit in the middle. And I found the sacrifice bit cliched and felt that every reader would probably see it coming. But it was an entertaining book and I'm still looking forward to Coyote's reappearance in Coyote Dreams, the next book in the Walker Papers.Why they've retitled the series the Walker Papers I can only guess. And that guess would be, to make it sound more like the Dresden Files, another extremely popular paranormal series, but what do I know?
Book Description
SECRETS VOLUME 14 Soul Kisses by Angela Knight: Beth Chase learned vampires weren't all bad when Cade McKinnon Turned - and married -- her sister, Valerie. But some vampires are evil, and to Beth's horror, she finds herself kidnapped by the worst of the bunch, Joaquin Ramirez, an immortal sadist. Luckily, she's rescued by handsome vampire cousins, Morgan and Garret Axton, who are locked in their own war with the killer. Can she find happiness with two vampires - and can they break Ramirez's vicious hold on her very soul?
Temptation in Time by Alexa Aames: Ariana escaped the Middle Ages after stealing a kiss of magic from the dark and sexy sorcerer, Marcus de Grey. When Marcus kidnaps and returns her to the 14th century, they begin a battle of wills and a sexual odyssey that could spell disaster for them both.
Ailis and the Beast by Jennifer Barlow When Ailis agreed to be her village's sacrifice to the mysterious Beast she was prepared to sacrifice her virtue, and possibly her life. But some things aren't what they seem. In a time of ritual and mystery, Ailis and the Beast are about to discover that animal passions are just the beginning, and the greatest sacrifice may be the human heart.
Night Heat by Leigh Wynfield: When Rip Bowhite leads a revolt on the prison planet called the Velopit, he never anticipates that the Inter-world Council would abandon the planet, leaving prisoners, guards, and even the administrative personnel struggling to survive against the monsters that rule the night. With their lives at stake, Jemma, the prison's Healer, won't allow herself to be distracted by the instant and overpowering attraction she feels for Rip, until that passion flares to dizzying heights. As the stakes are raised and death draws near, love seems doomed in the heat of the night.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good!.......2007-09-21
I like this collection of stories. I would recommend this as purchase to anyone who likes Erotic Romance.
Super!.......2006-01-03
I was very glad I read this collection, especially the story by Alexa Aames. The leadoff story by Aames is perhaps the most sensual, involving a young woman who starts off as, more or less, the sexual prisoner of a handsome medieval sorcerer. Even after it's clear they love one another, the conflict remains intriguing. She has excellent reasons for wanting to return to the 21st century and, though he loves her deeply, he insists they stay in the 14th. Ariana, the plucky, likable heroine, is intelligent and has a humorous voice. Best of all is the depiction of Marcus, the dark, Dionysian hero, which is done so well I wished he'd come to life. For me, this story made the collection deserve five stars.
However, the other stories were exceptional as well. In fact, I feel that the story with the most compelling plot was Night Heat by Leigh Wyndfield. It was an unusual combination of the horrid creatures from Jurassic Park (or at least similar), the blasters and spaceships of Star Wars and the set-up of pre-destined soul mates very similar to Sharon Shinn's Archangel. The hero and heroine are likable and the stakes are so high that it reads extremely quickly. Actually, the danger is so great that it was a little hard to focus on enjoying the sex scenes when I was afraid they were about to be attacked by raptors at any moment. Also, the graphic depiction of gory deaths and disease made it a bit unsettling although realistic, given the plot. The end of the story wrapped up a tad abruptly, but it was still quite satisfying. Both Aames and Wyndfield established that their couples had some sort of prior connection or destiny which is an excellent idea as it makes their bonding in the space of a short novella so much more powerful and sincere. I enjoyed the unusual twist that a caring, intelligent Beta male is the hero (who is the group's leader despite being the less arrogant and swaggering) while the brutish Alpha male doesn't get the girl. If you enjoy a truly scary element to your romance, you will like this story very much.
In my opinion, Jennifer Barlowe's story is the most eloquently written and cerebral, which is refreshing. After the initial conflict is settled, the tension drops a bit low and there's not a whole lot in the way of plot complication. The heroine also becomes immensely attached after only two nights which seemed a bit unlikely. However, the story's mythical qualities still make it an interesting read and the initial set-up that the young woman basically had no choice in what happened to her was exciting. Even with the animalistic beginning, this couple is probably the sweetest, gentlest pairing in any of the stories. Though the story wasn't the strongest, I will probably read this again just to enjoy the lyrical prose.
Angela Knight's story was also excellent. The beginning of the story is a little complicated as there is a bit of explaining Knight has to do for the readers who haven't read The Forever Kiss. I don't think you need to read that book to enjoy this one, although I think you might like to. After Knight finishes establishing the world her characters live in and their histories, the story improves a lot. This story rivals Aames' for the steamiest as the heroine, Beth, doesn't have to choose between the Dionysian hero and the Apollonian -- she gets both --and they are toe-curlingly handsome, eternally youthful vampires. Must be nice to be her. Like Wyndfield's story, the stakes are very high which make the pages go by very quickly. Another five star story.
I was afraid that erotica would be poorly written and rather plotless, but I recommend this book very highly. All the stories were rewarding and I hope to see more works by these authors, especially Alexa Aames.
A phenomenal installment to this series!!!.......2005-12-22
If the scale had gone up to ten, it would be a ten. That's how good Secrets, Volume 14 is. It's very hard to find an anthology where all the stories included are so equally good. I was on the edge of my seat with all four stories, barely able to contain myself while reading. Without a doubt, this book one hundred percent, and more, delivered everything I could have hoped for from a short story.
"Soul Kisses" by Angela Knight - Beth Chase knows that vampires exist. Her sister, valerie, is one, Unfortunately Beth has already had a run-in with a rather nasty vampire in the past, but that little toad was nothing compared to the one that takes possession of her. He is Joaquin Ramirez, and he is determined to take Beth as his slave. He'll turn her into a vampire (he's able to do so because she is Kith, rare humans with the ability to handle the vampire virus) and use her powers to amplify his own. That's where Morgan and Garret Axton come in though, cousins and vampires, both bent on avenging a friend and lover that Joaquin destroyed. When they run into Beth they can't leave her behind and take on the initiative of completing her turning so as to break Ramirez's hold on her. What ensues is a great, signature Knight-style tale that had me wishing for a full length book. This short is a sequel to Knight's first full-length book, "The Forever Kiss", which featured Valerie. If you are a Knight fan, this short is NOT to be missed. Hot vampire cousins and one gutsy vampire newbie made for some scorchingly erotic scenes. There's plenty of great action, plot and twists to keep readers glued to the pages.
"Temptation in Time" by Alexa Ames - Ariana is originally from the Middle Ages. She escaped that time of long ago through a stolen kiss - a powerful kiss taken from a formidable sorcerer named Marcus de Grey. Marcus has vowed to find Ariana, no matter the consequences, no matter the time it takes. In present day, Ariana uses the small amount of power she stole from Marcus to help heal the sick. She dreams of Marcus's touch, for this is the only way he has of tracking her. One fateful morning, after a particularly vivd dream, Ariana wakes to find Marcus in her apartment. The next thing she knows, they are back in the Middle Ages. He immediately begins his plans to bind Ariana to him in every way possible. "Temptation in Time" went above and beyond, in my opinion, the short story format. There was so much plot, so much romance and great characters packed into it that I felt so satisfied after reading it. Much more than after some full length books I've read. Ariana is the embodiment of a truly kind person, while Marcus is certainly all that is mouth-watering and delectable in a hero. A truly wonderful tale, Ms. Ames! I look forward to more from this author.
"Ailis and the Beast" by Jennifer Barlow - Ailis is to be her village's "sacrifice" in an ancient ritual meant to bring life back into the very earth and people. She must consumate a union with a mysterious beast man in order to bring balance a restore nature to rights. After three nights of meeting her mysterios beast man, Ailis comes to realize there is more to him than myth and legend have let on and she will do everything in her power to hold on to him. Through sacrifice and trust, they might have found a way to keep what they want- eachother. This was at times a very strange and obscure read, but so engaging and it provoked my curiosity, making me want to turn the pages to see what happened next. For all the prehistoric-like setup and veiled nature of the story, it turned out to be a very sweet and interesting read. Again, I would love to see what else this author can put onto paper.
"Night Heat" by Leigh Wyndfield - On a remote prison planet, Velopit, prisoners and Council guards and employees alike have been abandoned after a peaceful strike by the prisoners. After bombings by the Council, the survivors are struggling to survive on a planet filled with its hostile namesakes, the Velopeds, raptor-like creatures that begin to prey on the humans. Frighteningly humanoid in shape and size, they are finding a way into the prison compound. Jemma, a Healer, runs into Rip Bowhite, leader of the ragtag prisoner rebels, and agrees to help figure out why some of the men are sick and dying. She feels an attraction for Rip, and she wonders if he could be her Chosen. Rip is determined to keep her safe and the only way to do that in a band of cutthroat prisoners is to proclaim her his woman. She wants to resist his obvious allure, but what's a girl to do in the heat of the night? This was one of the steamiest, thrilling and suspensful reads I've ever come across in a Secrets book. The atmosphere of foreboding surrounding the mystery of the Velopeds was so gripping and interesting. I did wish there had been more light shed on them, but the story wasn't really hurt by any lack in that aspect of the story. Rip and Jemma's relationship is born out of that gut instict for survival, that primitive rush a person gets to feel alive as possible in the face of almost imminent death. This was, like the rest of the stories in this book, a one hundred percent completely satisfying read. I love sci-fi romance and that aspect alone was a major plus. Every aspect of the story was so well developed, especially when you consider it all had to be squeezed into a short story. Jemma is a brave and determined heroine that matches Rip's nerves of steel,and yes, all that marvelous sex appeal. This story gets five stars alone.
Red Sage publishing has definitely upped the anti with this installment. If you never read any other Secrets anthology, you must read this one. It's a truly wonderful selection of four truly talented writers. It's going on the keeper shelf, maybe even to the front of the keeper shelf line!
Average customer rating:
- compelling story, exquisite literary writing
- Intrigued for days after.
- Delightful and sinister, it's a fun read!
- Heart-pounding and sexy historical fiction
- A So So Read
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The Vanishing Point
Mary Sharratt
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
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ASIN: 0618462333 |
Book Description
In the tradition of Philippa Gregory's smart, transporting fiction comes this tale of two independent, spirited sisters. Bright and inquisitive, Hannah Powers was raised by a father who treated her as if she were his son. While her beautiful and reckless sister, May, pushes the limits of propriety in their small English town, Hannah harbors her own secret: their father has trained her in the physician's art, an education forbidden to women. But Hannah's secret serves her well when she journeys to colonial Maryland to reunite with May, who has been married off to a distant cousin after a series of sexual misadventures had ruined her marriage prospects in England. As Hannah searches for May, who has disappeared, she finds herself falling in love with her brother-in-law, even as she struggles to believe his claim that her sister died in childbirth. Alone in a wild, uncultivated land where the old rules no longer apply, Hannah is freed from the constraints of the society that judged both her and May and found them dangeroustoo smart, too fearless, and too hungry for life. But Hannah is also plagued by doubt, as her quest for answers to May's fate grows ever more disturbing and tangled. The Vanishing Point is a marvelously assured period piece. Sharratt's ten years of research on everything from seventeenth-century pharmacology to pioneer cooking are evident on each page. In this gripping, evocative novel, rich in texture and authenticity, Sharratt brings to vivid life a distant world that feels as immediate and relevant as our own.
Customer Reviews:
compelling story, exquisite literary writing.......2007-06-23
I got very little sleep until I finished this compelling story of two sisters in colonial America. One is supposedly dead of childbirth, and the other who comes from England in search of her (and who is a brilliant young doctor who can't practice because of her sex) stumbles into the bleak homestead where her sister's handsome young widower is living alone with his terrible memories, and falls in love with him. Still, the ghost of what really may have happened to her sister haunts her.
The author is a truly literary historical novelist, a rare and wonderful thing.
Stephanie Cowell, author of MARRYING MOZART (Penguin)
Intrigued for days after........2007-06-10
I didn't want to put the book down. I continued thinking about the characters after I was done and even found myself angry with some of them. It was a well written historical fiction. In the beginning it flows nicely and fills you in on the characters, half way through the book I started to be more than connected to the characters I understood their feelings. The ending was stunning, not at all what I expected, there were so many turns and twists. The ending was the BEST part! I suggested it to a co worker she too was stunned by the ending and simply told me she didn't see it coming.
Good book, I would suggest it.
Delightful and sinister, it's a fun read! .......2007-06-05
Toss this one into your beach bag, but remember to bring along some sunscreen! You will not be able to pack up and leave until you finish this intriguing and delicious book. The mystery is good, the characters are interesting and likable, and the love story is tingly!
Heart-pounding and sexy historical fiction.......2007-04-10
From its early images of forbidden female sexuality to the torments of agrarian life in colonial Maryland, I found The Vanishing Point to be a gripping read. Beautifully textured, extraordinarily researched and deeply insightful of the constraints and ingenuity of young rebellious women of the era, both in the Old World and the New. Strongly recommended for young women readers, as well as those intrigued by conditions for women in early American history.
A So So Read.......2007-03-24
Recently having gotten into historical fiction, I picked up The Vanishing Point. While not bad (it was written well), it moved a little slow for me. There were points where I was interested to see what was going to happen and if in fact Hannah's suspicions were correct. For the most part, however, I read the book to finish and to move on to the next one. I didn't quite like the going back and forth between characters and time period. I'm not going to recommend or not. Other reviewers seem to love it. This was just my personal feeling about the book.
Book Description
Evoking classic gothic romances with her enthralling and sexy storytelling, the author of On Winding Hill Road and On the Edge of the Woods brings new heights of suspense to a tale of secret desires and hidden truths.
Sprawled across a bluff overlooking the sea, The Magic Mermaid Inn embodied the simplicity and ambiance of times past. Cozy and inviting, the Queen Anne farmhouse and its surrounding cottages enchanted Kelly Redvers into purchasing the property, in spite of her better judgment.
But when Kelly finds herself besieged by bizarre, unsettling events, it becomes clear that someone has developed an unhealthy obsession with her-an obsession tied to the inn's ominous past.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book.......2007-02-08
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I haven't read her books before this one, but I will be reading more in the future. I'm not a big fan of current romance novels, they have become so graphic and it gets in the way of the story. This story was not that way at all, the romance was handled very nicely.
If I have one criticism it is that the heroine wasn't as likeable as I would have liked and that is a tough thing to express in first person writing. I felt that I didn't know her as well as I should have. The other characters were more clearly written.
great gothic tale............2006-10-24
Kelly Redvers falls in love with the quaint but charming Magic Mermaid Inn and agrees to purchase it. Little does she realize that there is a mystery surrounding the inn as at least one woman disappeared in the past. Eerie events begin occurring while Kelly is distracted by having two gorgeous but utterly different men in her life. Will Kelly choose the love offered by Nick McClure or Eli Larson? And just who or what is behind the increasingly menacing incidents?
Diane Tyrrell deftly creates the foreboding atmosphere reminiscent of the classic gothic novels. Each twist and turn leads the reader down a shadowing trail until reaching the startling conclusion. Many of the seemingly inconsequential and almost boring pieces suddenly fit together to form a beautiful puzzle. This reviewer's only concern is that some readers may give up prior to seeing the true excellence Ms. Tyrell achieves with THE INN AT HALF MOON BAY.
Readers who enjoy savoring the flavor of their romantic stories will enjoy Diane Tyrell's tale. THE INN AT HALF MOON BAY is not a quick read but is the kind of story that gradually draws the reader in with the overall mystique and aura surrounding the Magic Mermaid Inn and its inhabitants. The finale is fast and furious while neatly tying together all the pieces and leaving the reader feeling fully satisfied upon the conclusion of THE INN AT HALF MOON BAY.
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
Great Book.......2006-09-18
Kelly is enchanted by the quaint Magic Mermaid Inn. Abandoning all sensibility, an inexplicable urge pushes Kelly to purchase the coastal property. Appreciation grows as she meets all the characters who make up the Inn.
Among these characters she has discovered a mystery. It is rumored that years ago a female visitor of the Inn suspiciously disappeared. Now, everyone Kelly confronts about the history of the Inn is reluctant to talk about the missing woman. Suddenly ominous threats are popping up all over the place, and have started to rattle the new innkeeper.
THE INN AT HALF MOON BAY is a gothic novel of epic proportions. Diane Tyrrel's newest release has more turns than a race track on race day. Every time you believe you have figured out what is going on a new twist is thrown in.
Diane Tyrrel is a novelist who thinks outside the box. This reviewer has only recently discovered her amazing talent and has opted to obtain her two prior releases, On Winding Hill Road and On the Edge of the Woods and it is likely that I won't stop there. THE INN AT HALF MOON BAY will not disappoint.
By Romance Junkies Reviewer: Jayne
Wonderful!!!.......2006-09-06
This author is wonderful!!! I cannot put her books down till I've read it! Recommended!!!
Book Description
A New York Times Bestseller
Life is complicated for Lydia Smith. She's working at that tacky, third-rate museum, Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors, trying to salvage her career in para-archaeology - and dating the most dangerous man in town. Then she stumbles over a dead body and discovers that her lover has a secret past that could get him killed. And, worst of all, Lydia has been invited to the Restoration Ball and she hasn't got a thing to wear.
Download Description
"The followup to her bestselling After Dark. Para-archaeologist Lydia Smith has spent her entire adult life digging into the past, and building a career. But all that changes when she find herself lost in the catacombs below the city, with no memory of how she came to be there. Now it's her own past that is eluding her; an the secret of what happened to her will endanger everything she's worked to rebuild, including her new marriage to Emmett London, who has a dangerous past of his own to overcome."
Customer Reviews:
Write more Jayne!.......2007-10-02
I loved the Orchid series books she wrote. And then I really enjoyed the two books in this series. It was different, but same kind of interesting setting as the Orchid series. For years I've been checking back at book stores hoping she has written more in these series. But no such luck for me.
Follow up to "After Dark" and another good fun outing.......2007-04-14
This book follows "After Dark" which includes the same characters and describes how Lydia Smith and Emmett London met. It isn't necessary to have read the first book to understand this one (in fact I read this one first and didn't have any difficulties in understanding what's going on) but it does rather give away some of the events in the first book, if you haven't yet read it.
The events in After Glow take place a month after the end of the previous book. Lydia is still working in Shrimpton's museum, is continuing her relationship with Emmett London, and is getting along quietly with her life after the excitement of the murders and the discovery of the dreamstone jar in the previous book. However she finds herself at the scene of another death - this time a former professor of archaeology who appears to have overdosed on drugs. As she waits for the police to arrive Emmett London meets up with her and she discovers that the head of the Cadence Guild, the local Ghost Hunter organisation which sometimes seems rather like its own private army, has been shot. Emmett is now acting head of the Guild, for reasons which he eventually explains to Lydia.
The first section of this book is taken up with Lydia coming to terms with Emmett's position in the Guild. She's not sure about their relationship - how seriously he takes it - and has strong misgivings about the Guild. But when she discovers there's a threat to Emmett's safety with this new position she does all she can to protect him, involving some surprising actions. The threads of events start to click together for Lydia and she realises the death of the Professor might have something to do with her 'Lost Weekend', a 48 hour amnesia that she experienced 7 months ago and which put an end to her highbrow career. When events get nasty Lydia has to fight for her safety and freedom as well as understanding more about her relationship with Emmett.
Jayne Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick) is good at writing books that are well paced and interesting. Her worldbuilding in this book isn't brilliant - there are a lot of irritating repetitions of things like "rez" to apparently show it's a different type of world but the whole underlying Ghosts and Traps ideas are enough and some of her writing seems to be rather silly. Still, the characters are good, particularly Lydia who is feisty and honest and appealing, and the relationship with Emmett isn't the main focus of the book, there's more about the plot and whodunit aspect to keep the reader's attention. It's a worthy sequel to the previous book and one that I can recommend.
The "after glow" after reading After Glow.......2007-02-10
I really, really liked this book. It picks up just weeks after the events in After Dark which can be read in the book Harmony. The main reason I am so enthusiastic about this book is that After Dark took me into a completely new genre and After Glow has made me an avowed "Harmonic".
This futuristic/romantic/mystery was a delight for me from beginning to end. Since I had already read After Dark it was fascinating to find that Jayne Castle had written this book as if the first book had been an installment, not a separate writing. All the lovely characters were there (except for those killed off in the first book, of course!) with Lydia and Emmett moving directly into their second adventure. As a futuristic novel I am happy to say that I had no trouble coming up with my concept of what the "world" (both above and below ground) looked like. That is pretty important as I have never ventured into any alien landscapes in my reading material. As a romantic novel I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the relationship between Lydia and Emmett mature. Some reviewers did not find favor with the lack of descriptions for the physical relationship side for this couple. As for me, I have a great imagination and appreciate Ms Castle giving me the opportunity to utilize it and fill in the blanks myself. Minute descriptive details are not always welcomed. As a mystery novel it was quite good. I consider myself a huge fan of mysteries and I was satisfied with this plotting. The author threw in a double blind but there is only so much she could do to draw attention away from the villian of the piece. Still, I kept on reading and I think that is what the author wants to hear.
All in all, a lovely book. An absorbing book, and a book which makes me want to read more about those folks of Harmony.
Dust bunnies!.......2006-08-24
2nd in Castle's books about Harmony, a colonized planet that has been cut off from Earth, this is another "dust-bunny" book. It follows After Dark - and continues the story of Lydia Smith, former professor and current curator, and her Ghost Hunter boyfriend Emmett London, who is trying desperately to avoid the life of Guild Master. Lydia and Emmett get caught up in guild business when the local guild master checks himself into a hospital after an attempt on his life, and Emmett has been selected as the stand-in until his recovery. Lydia, as usual, winds up in the midst of trouble when she walks into a meeting to find the other person dead of an apparent overdose. Emmett and Lydia, accompanied by Fuzz, a dust bunny, follow the clues and mazes while dodging ghost attacks to find the links to all of the mysteries, and their own happiness. You definitely want to read After Dark first, and follow it with Ghost Hunter.
Yet another failure.......2006-05-11
the story from "After dark" gets a second wind. Now Emmet has to act as guild boss and Lydia manages to "save" him from peril by marrying him. The same idiotic problems of a love affair spiced with two-three rather boring sex scenes, the worst use of an alien enviroment ever to be found in a book.
Still, a beautiful cover. Too bad, again.
Not recommended.
Average customer rating:
- Mediocre at best...
- The concept exceeds the execution
- Beware the Kiss
- A thrilling beginning
- What a thriller!
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Beware the Kiss
J. Alex Acker
Manufacturer: Womens Work Pr Llc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States
| World Literature
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| 18th Century
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ASIN: 1930874022 |
Book Description
Raven Delaire has sworn vengence on the women who betrayed her. Tayler Windquest is the only woman with the power to save them all. She just doesn't know that...yet.
Tayler Windquest is practical. As a journalist, she has little use for anything not written in black and white. Until the night someone tries to kill her.
Saved from the assailant by her mysterious and beautiful neighbor, Erica Kirsten-Laird, Tayler realizes she's fascinated by the intensely private woman...and not just as a journalist.
As the plot against her unfurls, Tayler finds herself deeply immersed in an ancient and formidable curse. When additional threats on her life occur, Tayler realizes she must find a way to destroy Raven...or be destroyed herself. And when she needs her strength the most, Tayler finds she's hopelessly in love, but to make love to Erica would kill them both.
Tayler must trust her instincts and newfound powers to destroy the evil Raven has created, and to save the woman she loves.
Customer Reviews:
Mediocre at best..........2005-07-25
By giving this book a low rating, I realize I'm in the minority. However, I just can't justify anything higher than 2 stars. 'Beware the Kiss' is the first book in a supposed trilogy, but I don't think the third book has ever been published.
In 'Kiss,' journalist Taylor Windquest meets her mother's former lover, Erica Kirsten-Laird. Erica has lived under a curse set by Raven DeLaire 12 years earlier, and will die on Halloween unless she is saved by a stranger mentioned in the curse. Taylor soon learns she is to be Erica's savior.
The plot is pretty good, but the writing doesn't follow suit. Except for a few highlights in the story, the characters don't have much depth. The author makes the reader believe the women are romance-shy for several reasons, but seems to skim over this fact in the text. Additionally, the final "battle" between good and evil is flat and disappointing. The best part of the book was the setting. The author makes many references to the Twin Cities area where I live.
I'm not sure what could have been done to turn this one around, but it's not a book I'll keep on my shelf much longer. Do yourself a favor and find something else to read.
The concept exceeds the execution.......2002-11-07
in this supernatural confection. Prose too purple for the rather sketchily developed plotline (for all the bloodshed and fake-Hispanic hoodoos, Raven's motivation ends up coming across as anticlimactic, since her viewpoint is no more fleshed out than are the sudden shifts of location necessitated by her curse). And the (too many) phrases in Spanish are a scandal! Just checking a Spanish-English dictionary would at least take care of the goofy gender mixups. But the idea for this story, with the romance angle, has great potential.
Beware the Kiss.......2002-04-15
This novel touches a little on the sci-fi and supernatural world. I'm not much of a fan, but "Beware the Kiss" was different. A web is woven between two women Erica and Taylor which can never happen because of the curse. There is passion bursting from their relationship which never comes to pass because of the consequences. I found myself unable to put this book down. Great, easy read!
A thrilling beginning.......2002-02-02
Tayler Windquest is saved from a brutal attack by her neighbor and landlord Erica Kirsten-Laird, who also turns out to be her mother's former lover. Tayler becomes infatuated with Erica and finds herself drawn into a dangerous web because an evil witch named Raven Delaire has targeted Erica for death. When Tayler finds that her feelings for Erica are reciprocated, she must find the powers within herself to stop Raven and save the woman she loves. Acker's captivating tale is a full-throttle supernatural thriller (the first of a trilogy) that is as confounding for the reader as it is for Tayler. The elements of Raven's curse and her motivations are revealed as the story progresses, but they don't answer all the questions. And the book could do with a bit of editing (especially that Spanish!) to streamline the story and clarify details, but overall it is great entertainment.
What a thriller!.......2002-02-02
Light a few candles, turn off all the lights and get ready to be spooked silly after reading Beware the Kiss by novelist J. Alex Acker. A paranormal mystery, Acker introduces characters guaranteed to scare the bejesus out of you!
Raven Delaire is a woman scorned, and as most scorned women go, quite unbalanced. Swearing vengeance on those who have caused her pain, she embarks on a journey filled with poetic curses that unveil, piece by piece, culminating during the midnight hour on all Hallow's Eve. Tayler Windquest is the practical journalist, happy with her world of facts and figures, a peaceful existence until someone tries to kill her! When a beautiful and reclusive neighbor saves Tayler, she finds she is drawn, not only to this mystery woman, but also into a web of treachery and sorcery where she must learn to trust newfound powers to destroy Raven -- before Raven destroys them all!
Beware the Kiss is the first part of a three book trilogy featuring this enchanting cast of characters. All we can say is "more, more, more!"
Book Description
Libby Drake never saw herself as the kind of woman who could attract the attention of handsome and brilliant biochemist Tyson Derrick. Until fate throws them together-and leaves them vulnerable to a secret enemy.
Customer Reviews:
Editor needs to be fired.......2007-09-15
This is a mildly entertaining book as are most of Feehan's works. My main problem is that the editing department of Jove must have assumed that since she is a successful author that she knows how to spell. Carabineer (someone who carries a carbine rifle) used multiple times instead of Carabiner (D shaped safety ring) and Asmith which isn't even a word instead of azimuth. Those kinds of errors are inexcusable at this level and take away from enjoying the book. There were several contradictions at the beginning also. The ground rescue crew fails at a high angle cliff rescue, then the helicopter crew on the next page decides that would be unsafe for them to do when they wouldn't be doing a cliff rescue. Can you say cranking these out on autopilot?
4 1/2 Stars.......2007-08-14
This was Libby's story. And Ty Derrick (adventure seeker/genius).
Libby is the doctor and "healer" in the family. I enjoyed reading this book. Thought it moved right along, was well written and nicely edited.
I've read better...........2007-07-06
I was not impressed with any of the Drake Sisters series. There was nothing there to keep me wanting to know more about the sisters. It didn't hold my attention. The "magic" was not enough to hold my attention.
Another thing that bothered me is that everyone just took for granted that the sisters had their "magical" powers. They didn't try to hide it and it didn't bother anyone. No one questioned them. Maybe secrecy would have made the series more interesting.
I was definitely not impressed. I'm hoping the Dark Series will be better, but from what I know about them, they seem like a ripoff of the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I guess I'll have to see.
Great Read!.......2007-05-09
This was the first of the Drake Sisters novels that I purchased, and I liked it so much that I went backwards to read ther sisters before. This novel of Libby and her "supposed" nemisis Ty Derrick is both romantic and suspenseful. The realationships of the sisters is amazing. This is a wonderful read. I can not wait for Hannah and Jonas.
tazvampire.......2007-04-02
feehan is my favorite has yet to disappoint always waiting for the next one
Average customer rating:
- Not tonight, I've got a headache
- Unfortunately
- Not one of the best in the series
- Ugh, not again, Feehan
- thoroughly enjoyed
|
Dark Symphony (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 9)
Christine Feehan
Manufacturer: Thorndike Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0786255870 |
Book Description
Byron is a vampire killer, himself as old as time. Then came the haunting music, and the intoxicating scent of female flesh. Antonietta is an ageless beauty, arousing men's darkest desires. Her newest prey is her greatest obsession. Byron and Antonietta are perfect for each other. But who is the hunter - and who is the hunted?
Customer Reviews:
Not tonight, I've got a headache.......2007-06-26
The only good thing I can say is that once you've read one of the sexual encounters (please, let's not call them love scenes)in any of the books in this series, you can skip ahead 20 pages or so and not miss any of the so-called plot. If you crave sensuality, try the Merry Gentry or Antia Blake series.
Unfortunately.......2007-01-06
I'm a fan of the Dark series Ms. Feehan has written. Unfortunately, I'm just going to be blunt and say that this book bored me. It's almost as if she was bored herself writing this book. I got it sometime last year, got through half of it and haven't finished it yet, and I've never done that with a book in my entire life. This is something I would not suggest for anyone to buy.
Not one of the best in the series.......2007-01-03
but still a good read. A good stand alone book because it is really only focuses on the two main leads, not the other's in the series
Ugh, not again, Feehan.......2006-08-05
I hate this - some Dark books take my breath away, and some... well, they just make me want to yack.
As of now, only two have accomplished such a feat; 'Dark Gold' was atrocious, and I had to put it down within five chapters else risking to lose my Beaner's short Teddy Bear.
'Dark Symphony' was the same way, unfortunately. Byron annoyed me in 'Dark Desire' (go Jacques, you sexy beast) and he did nothing for me now. Antoinetta made my back teeth grind.
I don't know, maybe it's because Byron and Aidan are blonde. Then again, so was Julian and I loved his story. But he had Desari, whom I thoroughly enjoyed.
Definitely must be the blonde factor. I like my protagonist men brunette.
thoroughly enjoyed.......2006-07-31
I enjoyed this book in the dark series. there was lots of action and romance. it was hard to put the book down.
Amazon.com
Though Northanger Abbey is one of Jane Austen's earliest novels, it was not published until after her death--well after she'd established her reputation with works such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility. Of all her novels, this one is the most explicitly literary in that it is primarily concerned with books and with readers. In it, Austen skewers the novelistic excesses of her day made popular in such 18th-century Gothic potboilers as Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho. Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers all figure into Northanger Abbey, but with a decidedly satirical twist. Consider Austen's introduction of her heroine: we are told on the very first page that "no one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine." The author goes on to explain that Miss Morland's father is a clergyman with "a considerable independence, besides two good livings--and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters." Furthermore, her mother does not die giving birth to her, and Catherine herself, far from engaging in "the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush" vastly prefers playing cricket with her brothers to any girlish pastimes.
Catherine grows up to be a passably pretty girl and is invited to spend a few weeks in Bath with a family friend. While there she meets Henry Tilney and his sister Eleanor, who invite her to visit their family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Austen amuses herself and us as Catherine, a great reader of Gothic romances, allows her imagination to run wild, finding dreadful portents in the most wonderfully prosaic events. But Austen is after something more than mere parody; she uses her rapier wit to mock not only the essential silliness of "horrid" novels, but to expose the even more horrid workings of polite society, for nothing Catherine imagines could possibly rival the hypocrisy she experiences at the hands of her supposed friends. In many respects Northanger Abbey is the most lighthearted of Jane Austen's novels, yet at its core is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage, 19th-century British style. --Alix Wilber
Book Description
Illustrated. The last of Jane Austen's works to be published (in 1817), the novel is modeled after the day's popular romances and Gothic thrillers, which it then proceeds to ridicule. The heroine is Catherine Morland, who encounters upper-crust society at Bath, falls in love, and becomes targeted by misinformed fortune-seekers. After moving to Northanger Abbey, her imagination goes to work and dreams up mysteries that lead to various social disasters.
Download Description
Fans of Jane Austen will delight in this engaging, lesser-known work.
Customer Reviews:
Fill out your Austen collection.......2007-07-31
As a lover of Austen novels, it is well worth reading "Northanger Abby", which was Austen's first (but last published) novel. As her first novel, her writing style is still rough and lacks some of the refinment of her later works, but she still brings her sharp eye for satire and examination of societal/marriage topics. Catherine Morland pales in comparison to later strong heronies like Elizabeth Bennet or Fanny Price, but she's delightful to read and chuckle about her naive outlook on life.
Northanger Abbey: Janeites rejoice in this light and lively tour de force.......2007-07-12
Northanger Abbey is a gem. Jane Austen (1775-1817)has written a charmiing little novel about a charming little lady named Catherine Moreland. Catherine is 15 as the novel begins in Wiltshire. She and the hilariously stupid Mrs. Allen go on a six week trip to nearby Bath to take the waters. Catherine meets the fashionable and fast Isabella Thorpe. Catherine dances with the clergyman Henry Tilney at a ball becoming infatuated with the clever young man. Henry and Catherine share a love for the Romantic Gothic novels of such authors as Ann Radcliff and Fanny Burney. Complications ensue but in the end the couple are wed.
The first half of the novel deals with doings in Bath; the second half is a trip taken by Catherine to the Tilney estate Northanger Abbey. Catherine thinks the house may contain a ghost as she is influenced in her thinking by a vivid imagination fueled by her sensational Gothic reading.
Minor characters are of interest: Captain Frederick Tilney the ladies man brother of Henry; old General Tilney the gruff father of Fred and Henry; Catherine's parents and Eleanor Tilney the kind and lovely sister of the two Tilney boys with whom Catherine forms a solid friendship.
The book includes a spirited defense of the art of novel writing by Miss Austen. It is a light and commonplace tale of young love told with the wit and wisdom of one of England's greatest authors. This less well known Austen novel is a delightful way to become an addict of the spinster from Hawton parsongage!
Part satire of Gothic novels, part comedy of manners .......2007-07-04
Northanger Abbey was one of Jane Austen's earlier works, and, reading it , you can definitely see her gift of writing in its infancy. While this work is not perfect by any means, it is a fine-tuned effort that any Austin fan will enjoy and appreciate. Basically it works as part comedy/drama of manners and part parody of Gothic literature, taking many of the elements of Ann Radcliffe's work The Mysteries of Udolfo, and slightly satirizing it. The ending's closure--where Austin ties everything together nicely--is something seen in many of her other, more popular works, where all loose ends are tied and questions are answered.
The first part of the novel focuses on Catherine Morland, her family, and her acquaintances. Catherine goes away from her family and stays with the Allen family. While there, she meets the Thorpe family, and becomes an acquaintance and friend of Isabella Thorpe. She has to fight off the advances of Isabella's brother. Later on, at a dance, she also meets Henry, a man who she will eventually fall in love with. She finally gets the opportunity to stay with the Tilney family at Northanger Abbey. Because of her love of novels, and her chance to become better acquainted with Henry and his sister, Catherine is excited to go. The second part of the novel begins with Catherine staying at Northanger Abbey.
One of the funnier aspects of the novel is the 2nd part, when Catherine goes to Northanger Abbey and immediately becomes entranced with the many Gothic elements she seems to have read about. This is when her knowledge and love of Gothic literature tales runs away with her imagination. At one point, she believes that Henry's father has murdered or imprisoned Henry's mother, or that he is keeping her stowed away and doing malicious and evil things. There is also a moment when Catherine is alone in her room late at night and sees a chest, and fears that it has something awful inside it--so naturally she goes to investigate. It seems that all her suppositions and fears are well-founded to her, but we see that she clearly has taken some things too far in her mind, and perhaps there is an anti-climax in her not finding anything noteworthy.
What makes Catherine a likeable heroine is that there are faults to her, so she is perfect by no means. For one thing, she is oblivious to many events that are seemingly obvious to others, namely the romance that begins with her brother and Isabella. She also has some trouble expressing herself in the earlier parts of the novel, but as time wears on she becomes more assertive and mature. Also, her love for novels can be seen as a weakness because she tends to over dramatize and fantasize about them--this seems to be Austen's way of lightly poking fun at reading novels, something you have to admire from a great writer. Over all though, she is a character that is fun to read about and follow around in her adventures.
While the story does have moments where it may drag a little, it still is a fun and adventurous read and is a must for Austen fans. This review is in reference to the Dover books version of the novel.
Fragmented, and Written Before Her Major Works: Not Her Best.......2007-07-01
I do not like the title since only part of the story takes place in the Northanger Abbey. The novel has some fame as a parody of Gothic novels, but that is not the primary focus of the novel. This is a novel written by Jane Austen at least a decade before her famous novels. It is similar to the later novels but it is less sophisticated, shorter, and it seems fragmented - as I discuss below. It was sold for publication in 1803. It is her earliest work but it was not a success. She bought back the rights and it was published after her death in 1818.
As background information, I have read all of Austen's novels, and I have read various analyses of Austen's work. Jane Austen's formula for success was to write a novel about of a financially disadvantaged young woman who meets and marries a wealthier man. The exception is her novel "Emma" where the protagonist has her own means. There are no axe murders in an Austen novel or any nasty elements. Her stories take place in small English towns and they all have a variety of characters including a few willful women and usually one male rogue.
"Pride and Prejudice" is Jane Austen's finest novel. That book is the perfect balance of story, prose, structure, and interesting characters. It evokes many emotional responses in the reader. That novel is among the greatest novels of all time on par with for example Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" or Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." From a strictly literary point of view, "Mansfield Park" is the most complicated and sophisticated literary work penned by Austen.
So, where does that leave "Northanger Abbey" among her works? All of her five mature novels share a certain fixed writing style and a common structure, or the Austen formula as mentioned above. She uses the early pages to introduce the families, and other characters, and give start the story. She moves characters around from place to place in part for time shifting. She does a wrap up in the last few chapters. This is her sixth major work but written earlier. That Austen formula is partially present in the plot and structure. The first half of the novel is good. Catherine is a sympathetic protagonist and John Thorpe is a suitable rogue. Her love interest, Henry Tilney, seems a bit weak or enigmatic. The story is good for about half the novel. When the action moves to the Abbey it seems to become very fragmented and disorienting for the reader. But the Abbey section is not too long, and then story returns to more what we would expect from Austen near the end.
Most Austen fans will find the piece to be interesting but a bit confusing in parts and not her best.
Classic Austen.......2007-06-25
Northanger Abbey is a classic in several senses of the word: It's pure Jane Austen; it's set in the early 1800s, mostly in a Gothic abbey; it's dramatic and overwrought and wonderfully written. Any Austen fan who has not yet picked up this little gem of a novel should do so immediately because you are sure to be delighted!
Catherine Morland, aged 17, is expanding her horizons by visiting Bath with her neighbors, The Allens. While there, she becomes entangled with the Thorpe family, who are not quite what they seem to be, and the Tilney family, with whom she forms a sincere attachment that leads her to visit their family home, Northanger Abbey. Catherine has spent a good deal of time reading novels, and she allows her imagination to run wild once she finds herself in the dark corridors of the abbey; the appearance of Henry, her hopeful love interest, helps quell her theatrics a bit but she still finds herself drawn into situations she doesn't understand. Classic Austen includes misunderstanding and love, and this novel has both in abundance.
This is a slim novel, and from what I gather, one of Austen's earliest. The characterizations are not perhaps as finely tuned as some of her other works, but overall this is a satisfying read with the delights of the time period. Sit back, curl up, and enjoy!
Book Description
"Last Night I Dreamt
I Went To Manderley Again."
So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past ther beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant -- the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley.
Customer Reviews:
Loved it.......2007-08-23
This was the first book I've ever read by Daphne Du Maurier and I really enjoyed it. I have since read My Cousin Rachel and enjoyed that one just as much. The element of suspense in her novels is so captivating you won't want to put it down. This novel contains all the elements of surprise needed to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. You won't believe the outcome! Enjoy it!
My favorite book of all time.......2007-06-07
Rebecca is, hands down, my favorite book of all time. I first discovered it at 13, after my mom suggested it to me (it's one of her favorite books as well). I've read it several times since then, and each time is sheer pleasure, though I echo a previous reviewer's envy for those who get to experience Rebecca for the first time. I admit the book is not perfect, literarily speaking. It is also not a mystery in a traditional "whodunit" sense, nor is it a traditional ghost story. However, Daphne Du Maurier achieves something very few writers can do (and none as well as her): she creates a sense of atmosphere that pervades every word and all the space in between the words, and truly makes you feel as though you are there in the story. World War III could start while I'm reading Rebecca and I would not notice it. The gothic atmosphere stays with you long after you finish the book. I also marvel at how the main character is not actually a character per se but rather a presence--her ghost haunts all the characters and you the reader as well. Absolute magic.
How times (and women) have changed!.......2007-05-29
Great plot, writing, characterization, mood, suspense aside, the book, written only a few years before I was born, pulls the curtain back on the way I looked at womanhood, men and marriage as a young girl--and how different it was even then to today. The heroine's shyness, her inability to speak her mind, her desire to live in denial of unpleasantness and do nothing about it echoes the way I recall thinking this is the way a woman should live--allow the men in my life indeed, allowing my interpretation of the words and actions of those men--to define what that life should be.
And can you imagine putting up with Mrs. Danvers today? Or placing the flowers where Frith says the first Mrs. did?
As a widow having married a widower, I know how unhelpful it is to try to bury the past--to pretend someone never lived while imagining just about every detail.
But then, the heroine's overactive imagination drove the plot, and that device is what makes DuMaurier so good. Who among us doesn't create the reality we respond to?
One of the best.......2007-05-28
I read Rebecca first as a teenager. I couldn't put it down. After I finished it the first time I was monumentally annoyed that after reading a book I loved I could not remember the name of the heroine. I sat there racking my brain, so I thumbed through it looking for it. The next thing I knew I was reading it again. I became so enthralled with it the second time that I forgot I was looking for a name. I read that book THREE times before (remember I was a teenager!!) I realized she simply did not have a name! Who on earth would write a book and not give the main character a name?!?! That was part of duMaurier's genius. Now that I am older (MUCH older) and I recommend this book, I warn my friends about that, because our patience is thinner as we age and such a perceived 'memory loss' could be quite unsettling!! It's testament to her skill as a writer, you didn't even realize it as you read, so caught up in the story, as you are. It's not until after you have finished it and are thinking back over it.
You are not a book lover if you have not read Rebecca.
Wonderful.......2007-05-21
Wow, what a wonderfully suspenseful story. Daphne Du Maurier writing was so engaging, I couldn't put the book down. Her style of writing was magnificant. Never knowing Mrs. de Winter's first name, to describing Manderly as if you were there. I must say, I really didn't like the way it ended, but over all, excellent book.
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- A Grammar of the Multitude (Semiotext(e) / Foreign Agents)
Books Index
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