Mystery Crime Books

This book was a good addition to the series. It had me hooked from the start and my interest never waned. The unraveling of a series of what may be constructed as senseless murders is the premise of the story. How this story unravels is believable and logical, and the characters are true to life. I also like the love interest in the plot.

The book was also easy to read with short chapters and easy to interpret dialogue.

Arguably the best entry among the first five books in this series (though I still have a soft spot for the extreme creepiness and dramatic revelations of "Eyes of Prey"), Mr. Sandford's "Winter Prey" is nevertheless a bracing, knock-out read and inarguably at least the second best among the first five books. Though series protagonist Lucas Davenport is here in all his glory, this one is less concerned with what is going on in Lucas' often troubled life and just wants to give us a moody, bang-up thriller plot. And there's also a slight change in this installment's flavor and tone, which makes for some welcome variety: instead of urban tension, here we get snowstorms, icy temperatures, snowmobiles, and coyotes. But don't worry, you still get one of those nicely written Lucas Davenport romantic sublots, this time involving a tough yet fetching surgeon. And yes, you also get a memorable killer. Laced with intelligent details yet extremely fast paced, "Winter Prey" will not disappoint.

WINTER PREY, the fifth entry in the Lucas Davenport series, is the best of the seven Prey novels that I have read so far.

The plot is straightforward. Lucas Davenport is lured out of retirement to assist in a homicide investigation in a small Wisconsin town. A serial killer is a work, and Davenport has to find him before he strikes again. In the meantime, he develops a serious romantic relationship with a local doctor.

WINTER PREY is suspenseful and exciting. Unlike many of the Prey novels, the identity of the killer is concealed from the reader. So this novel is not just a thriller, but a whodunit (which increases the suspense). All the supporting characters are interesting and likable. I also enjoyed the romantic relationship in this book, which is very well developed.

This book is relatively graphic, and contains a high level of sex and violence. If you're easily disturbed by such content, you should skip this novel. Otherwise, I think you're in for a treat; WINTER PREY is a really entertaining book and I heartily recommend it.

Lucas finds himself at loose ends after being run out of the Minneapolis PD and is taking solace in the cold north woods of Wisconsin when he is called to assist the sheriff's department of Objibway county when a suspicious fire leads to murder and the discovery of a ring of perverts that had been operating in the county for some time. Facing off against a man who calls himself the Iceman, Lucas has to try to find out who is responsible before any more bodies pile up. And pile up they do in this fast-paced 5th book in the "Prey" series. We also are introduced to Weather Karkinnen, a surgeon who immediately steals Davenport's heart.

The Iceman is a pure sociopath - reading this book is often like a train wreck. You don't want to, but you are compelled to keep going as he continues to kill person after person for the most twisted reasons, where if he had left things alone . . . well, you just need to read the book. I love the "Prey" series - this is my second time reading through them. For any who enjoy a good thriller/police procedural/mystery/suspense novel - you can't miss with these.

I'm a fan of the Prey series and unfortunately I have in the past read them here and there, but not in any order. I recently started at the beginning and wish I had started there from the start. Doing that enables the reader to better follow the character development of Davenport. Having read some of the later books, it is in Winter Prey that we are first introduced to Weather. Their relationship in later books makes more sense now.

Winter Prey gives us the villain of "The Iceman." The crimes, chases and evidence collection is made difficult by the voluminous amounts of snow and harsh temperatures. The temperatures are 30 below zero, thus making it physically dangerous to be exposed to the elements for any length of time. Lucas is free lancing in the small, rural area of Northern Wisconsin. The local sheriff rightfully realizes he is in over his head after a family of three is murdered and their house is burned, and requests Davenport's help.

The identity of the villain kept me guessing. There were clues throughout, for example the killer knew intimate details of the police investigation, yet the possible people it could be were eliminated throughout the book as the story progressed. I found myself suspecting someone, then they were accounted for when the next murder happened. I enjoyed the book, the characters and couldn't put it down.

This is the second novel of the series featuring Dr Siri Paiboun, the septuagenarian national coroner of Laos. In this engaging mystery, Dr Siri has a number of puzzles to solve with the assistance of his unlikely team of colleagues and friends. Oh, and some help from the spirit world as well.

The communist regime of Laos brings its own flavour to proceedings. From the ingenuity of making casts of teeth marks when plaster is not available and the identification of government workers through the existence of `triplicate syndrome', this story engages and amuses.

Dr Siri is called upon to travel to Luang Prabang on a national security matter so top secret that the Judge who has despatched him is unable to tell him anything about it. His motivations for accepting the task are not quite consistent with the Judge's renowned maxim:
`That's the spirit, Siri. It's moments like these that make the socialist system so great. When the call to arms comes the committed cadre even on his honeymoon would gladly climb off his young wife at the crucial moment sooner than let down the party.'
`If that were so, Siri thought to himself, it might explain the frustrated look he'd often seen on the faces of so many Party members.'

Nevertheless, Siri travels to Luang Prabang , solves one mystery and uncovers others. He also dines with the deposed king and attends a shamans' conference.

In the meantime, savaged corpses are still piling up in Vientiane. Could this be the action of a missing bear, or perhaps, a weretiger? Nurse Dtui undertakes some independent research of her own, after all:
`Where do you think the country would be if everyone conducted his or her daily business without the correct forms?' Where indeed!

If you are new to this series, I'd strongly recommend reading `The Coroner's Lunch' first.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Dr.Siri is beginning to enjoy the job as national chief coroner of Laos and protests a little less about his desire to retire.
He is a man with a backbone: Siri fights for his able assistant with the Down Syndrome, like Gil Grissom also might want to in Las Vegas, but he wouldn't stand a chance there, American lawyers would shred the evidence obtained by a 'handicapped' lab assistant. Just to show that progress is not always or entirely a good thing.
We learn a little more about Siri's biography, how he moved from poverty (orphaned, raised by an aunt) to religion (aunt passed him on to a monastery where he learned) to education (French charity gets him a proper medical training in France)to lust (meets this nurse and follows her) to communism (they join Ho Chi Minh's movement) to poverty (life in the jungles, then in the Socialist Republic of Laos, after an unexpected victory). The circle of life, at least this one's.
Siri's three cases this time: crashed helicopter pilots who had tried to rescue the deposed king's family; clearing a bear and accusing a tiger of serial murders; pacifying rebellious royal puppets with the help of Inthanet, a puppeteer.
Always in and out of the supranatural, frankly a bit too much for my taste. Another near-destroyer of stars: for me as a practicing amateur of Orwellogy, Cotterill's anachronism with Animal Farm is hard to forgive. Siri reads Animal Farm in a French translation while in the monastery school (i.e. around 1920), later learns in France that the book is anti-communist. Come on, Mr.Cotterill. By the time Animal Farm could have been read by Siri, he was already fighting with the Vietminh.
But then, the book is so likeable, I decide to forgive.
Just have a look at the chapter where the party chief of Luang Prabang tries to set an ultimatum to the local spirits, using the local shamans as mediators and translators: move away, or play for us, or we will have you exiled! Great satire in a nice little witches' ball.
Or the trial against Siri for treason, after he chops down the pole with the loudspeaker for government announcements. That makes up for an overdose of ghosts.
As Dr.Siri writes in his resume to his boss, the judge: he often weeps at the great honor bestowed upon him.

This is the 2nd book in a series by Colin Cotterill featuring a 72-year-old mystery-solving coroner in communist-occupied Laos after the Vietnam War. It is an extremely interesting book due to the descriptions of the area, the people and the government, as well as quirky characters which are believable. Mr. Cotterill does an excellent job of bringing not only the people but the country and its mores to life with humor and an slyly observant eye. Two thumbs up!

We loved this book. Dr. Siri Paibaum is the most charming fellow. He puts us to mind of Mmw Ramotswe inthe Alexander MaCall Smith series...a person strong of character, wise, and caring.

[***** = breathtaking, **** = excellent, *** = good, ** = flawed, * = bad]

... coroner in 1977 Communist Laos who solves some mysteries with supernatural overtones. Often very funny. Longer review at ImpatientReader-dot-com.

My husband and son gave me the first two in the series because I love knitting. Instead of developing, they have become weaker and weaker...... I won't bother if there are more. The characters do not develop, there is no real substance, and the author leans on amateurish devices....enough coffee!.....

Save your money.... but yarn!

I support anything knit-related. Having said that, this book was a slight disappointment. Drowned in a dye-vat? Has anyone else noticed that a town that size, a herione who keeps solving murders? How many deaths can occur in this small town? I'd move out because of the crime rate.

i really like this series of knitting mysteries - this one was no exception - you feel like you're really getting to know the characters in each book - looking forward to the next book in the series!

A friend loaned me the second (Needled to Death) and third book (A Deadly Yarn) in this series. I was immediately hooked, and just had to purchase the first book (Knit One, Kill Two). I of course ordered the fourth in the series (A Killer Stitch) as soon as it came out...and waited impatiently for Dyer Consequences to be released. I read it in two days - I didn't want to put it down. As with the other books in this series, I am immediately drawn into this warm group of friends who help each other no matter how busy their lives may be. So refreshing! As a knitter, I love the detailed picture Maggie paints for us as she describes the yarns in the shop, and the projects everyone is working on. In no time, you feel as though you know these people. I've e-mailed Maggie and told her how I appreciate her writing talents - making me feel like I can picture the scenes unfolding as if they were playing on a movie or television screen. The stories are fun, thrilling, and leave you wanting more. Maggie is a terrific writer, and seems to be very appreciative of her readers. Even if you're not a knitter, you will enjoy these stories. Get this one, and I promise you'll want to order all of the previous books in the series to catch up with Kelly and her pals!

The fifth installment of The Knitting Mysteries Series in the Colorado Rockies centers on the knitting shop that was CPA Kelly Flynn's childhood home and on a new college student, Tracy, who volunteers to help with yarn dying classes. A rash of destruction attacks Kelly's newly purchased alpaca farm, her dog, her car, and her garage; then to a worse degree, the yarn shop and the café behind it. On top of that, Tracy, who had become an employee of the shop, drowns in a tub of extremely hot dye in the basement of House of Lambspun during the night.

Events worsen as increased incidences of vandalism and attacks that are more direct occur on Kelly's life, and no one can decipher who the perpetrators are, until Kelly latches onto a clue and connects some unexpected foes. She finds Tracy linked to the alpaca farm through a devious boyfriend out to make a "killing" in the real estate market.

Dyer Consequences contains vivid descriptions of the scenery, the Rocky Mountain culture, the yarn shop, the alpaca farm, and the actions of the characters involved in the multiple mysteries that amass in this story. The murder by hot dye is a new brand of homicide and the rash of strange acts of vandalism and attempted murders is intriguing.

The book is advertised as molding the knitting fellowship of Fort Connor into TV's "Friends," but it is not quite successful in doing so. In attempting to be more "with it" to the "Friends" generation, the characters seem to lose some depth, a few becoming a bit tedious and unlikable, even slightly crude in comparison with characterizations in the first two books of this series: Knit One, Kill Two and Needled to Death. Still, fans of The Knitting Mysteries Series will particularly appreciate the odd chain of property and personal damages and the manner in which the crime spree comes to an end.

Armchair Interviews says: Dyer Consequences is a good read for fans of the "cozy" mystery genre and readers that enjoy a variety of exciting crimes presented in one crime story.

I like the series, the only fault I can see is that I would like more of the family involvement as Mr. Box did in earlier books.That is one of the things I thought made his stories different from the run of the mill.

though i enjoyed the story this was one of the worst digitl editions I have ever read. The words ran together making for a most unenjoyable reading experience.

This is the best Joe Pickett novel in the great series. The plot is clever, and all too believable. The characters are engaging, empathetic, complex and continue to develop through the series. (If you are new to the series, please do start with the first novel.) The science is real, accurate and up to the minute. I really wish there was an index or references at the end of the book.

Got three books including the latest one. Typical of the genre - cotton-candy for the mind. Very well done with a snap ending in each. I am adding Mr Box to my list of authors to buy more of.
By the way "cotton-candy for the mind" is not an insult.

C. J. Box has created a flawed hero in Forest Ranger Joe Pickett that reminds us of ouselves. But Joe is maturing, asserting himself, and gets fired for standing up to the self-oriented bureaucrats over him. In Free Fire, the governor gives him another chance to shoot himself in the foot, but he survives by doing the right thing. Joe's family continues to grow, and their closeness is enviable. If you like outdoor adventure, run, do not walk to the nearest bookstore and buy Free Fire and all the other Pickett novels.

This series is a lot of fun. She is the Jessica Fletcher of landscaping. Everywhere she goes there is sure to be a murder. The books are lighthearted and a fun read.

Nina is back with her friends and family in another mystery. This time it is her right hand man, Kit, who is in trouble. There are many story lines keeping the interest of the reader throughout this adventure. Heather Webber ties them all together in the end for an exciting and comical conclusion. Don't miss this installment....and you'll be glad to know that another adventure seems to be in Nina's future.I was so excited for this new one to hit the shelves. It is a great read!

Will it ever be possible for Nina to mind her own business? Definitely not this time when it affects her friend Kit. When Kit's girlfriend Daisy is murdered, Kit goes missing. Everyone is convinced that Kit is guilty of the murder. Everyone except Nina and her band of merry friends. While constantly being warned to stay out of it, Nina refuses to let it go. Their mutual dislike for each other doesn't stop Nina and "Brickhouse" from working closely together on this one. Her friend and hairdresses Perry also lends hand to some hysterical scenes. Don't forget the flying turkeys and the rooster! Everything is not as it seems with some of those surrounding Nina, and she'll quickly find out just what they're really up to. Also, Nina comes to realize some things about her relationships with both Kevin and Bobby that helps all of them move on in a very satisfying way.

This was excellent reading material. It cleared up a lot of things with the characters with some unexpected twists. It was great that Nina finally realized things about Kevin. Perry was a hoot! The dialogue was very entertaining and funny. The animal chasing scene was quite hilarious. This author does not insult readers with filler books. This was a page turner! I could not put it down.

The narrative's sanctimonious pomposity, the plot's absurdly thin veneer, the author's inability to get even simple facts (he thinks Lujan is not a Hispanic/Latino surname) correct is just the start. The main problem with this 100 i.q. book is there are no human characters in it. Just out of stubbornness i finished all 500 pages and all he could deliver were flat caricatures at best. I got the book from the library, and still felt ripped off. Yech.Pegasus Descending: A Dave Robicheaux Novel (Dave Robicheaux)Pegasus Descending : A Dave Robicheaux NovelPegasus DescendingPegasus DescendingThe Tin Roof Blowdown: A Dave Robicheaux Novel

I have been a fan of Burke for a very long time, however I have cooled to his last few novels. They have become repetitive, and more importantly he has endeavored to interject politics into the fabric of his work. This has disappointed me in a huge way.

Mr. Burke's use of language, the descriptions of his characters and settings are remarkable. And, most importantly, a joy to read.

James Burke can write beautifully, but his story telling abilities have deteriorated in this series and the books all run together in both theme and violent action. 1. Really bad people blow into town where they encounter
Dave and Clete who simply must find a way to kill them lest they injure more innocent people. 2. Dave manages to act like a gentleman concerned about proprieties and southern manners while giving reign to violent tendencies that typically cause people to be put in prison. 3. Clete, his soul mate is less concerned about being a gentleman, but matches Dave's violent behavior in all ways except that he is generally in an alcoholic fog, whereas Dave is now an ex-alcoholic. 4. Most of the bad guys get killed rather than arrested.

I heard James Lee Burke talk once and say his inspiration is often the old testament. His writing in this series is about the reality of evil and the idea that it must be opposed and contained at any cost by civilized vigilantes willing to step outside the norms of human behavior.

It had been years since I had read one of these books. I had gotten bored. I won't read another unless one day I get a yen for this kind of comic book writing. More than bored I now feel repelled.

Twenty-five years ago, deep in his cups with a keg's worth of beer and accompanying chasers under his belt, an alcoholic Dave Robicheaux witnessed the gangland execution of his friend, Dallas Klein. Swearing off the sauce and finding a good woman who accepts and loves him for what he is, Robicheaux has spent the remainder of his life in recovery attempting to live down that unforgivable inability to stand and help his friend so long ago. What most rankles Robicheaux is that he is certain of the assassin's identity - Whitey Bruxal, a mobster with a lengthy well-documented gangland jacket - but, with no proof, he is unable to act on the knowledge!

Now, out of nowhere, Dallas Klein's daughter, Trish Klein appears in town. In a set-up remarkably similar to Baldacci's Camel Club story of Annabelle Conroy's vendetta against mobster Jerry Bagger (both were published in 2006 so it's hard to say who beat whom to that plot-line punch), it looks like she's gunning for revenge against her father's murderer. Of course, as with any police procedural or psychological thriller worth its salt, James Lee Burke has expertly upped the ante with multiple plot lines that weave in and out of one another throughout the novel - a young girl's suicide after a drunken fraternity debauch and a brutal gang rape; the hit-and-run death of an aging drifter that, on the evidence of the post-mortem, has much more sinister overtones; and the complex life of the local black dope dealer.

Although this is the apparently the 14th novel in which Burke has placed Robicheaux on center stage, this is the first time I've had the pleasure of sampling Burke's craftsmanship. And what an experience that was - his depiction of both the psychological mindscape and the physical landscape of a storm torn, poverty stricken Louisiana is outstanding. Any page opened at random will reveal Burke's masterful command of the language and his ability to create the most jarring and colourful metaphors and similes:

"The recycled air was like cigarette smoke that had been trapped for days in a refrigerator full of spoiled cheese."

On dealing with his own inner demons, for example:

"But the succubus I had tried to exorcise by marrying a woman of peace still held title to my soul. I saw the room distort and the faces of the people around me turn into Grecian masks, and I heard a sound in my ears like the steel tracks of armored vehicles wending their way across an unforgiving land."

The dialogue was creative, realistic, down to earth with a full, rich vocabulary of appropriate street lingo. The depth of characterization was wonderful (even though I was stepping into Robicheaux's world 13 novels after he was first created). The only "but" for me was the tortuous, almost Byzantine complexity of the plot. Don't let your attention drift or you may not find your way back.

I'll be hunting the second hand book stores for the Robicheaux canon starting from the beginning tomorrow.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

While this book was suspenseful and gave you lots of people to choose from as the murderer, it went on way too long and therefore took me a long time to get through. I think the author could've chopped a ton of pages and had a much tighter book that wouldn't have felt like it was dragging in places (especially the beginning).

I also found it hard to get behind Caitlyn and especially her romance with Adam, which seemed forced and contrived. The epilogue just confirmed that.

Lisa Jackson a good writer, so I hope the sequel is better.

I've read several of the reviews here, ranging from 5 stars as in this is one of the best books ever written to 1 star as if this is the worst book ever to escape an editor's desk. Well, this one is surely somewhere in between. Yes, I did figure out early on what was wrong with Caitlin and one major mystery is why the cops and the psycholgist couldn't figure it out. Why couldn't Nikki Gillette figure it out? She's supposed to be a reporter. Does she not do any research? Gosh, the answer was there for everyone to read. Of course, Adam Hunt did read it and still couldn't figure it out.. What a bonehead. The killer? Well, I will confess that I did not guess who the killer was, but I felt bad for not guessing, because the clues were there and something about the situation with the eventual killer just seemed wrong and I should have known. I've read where other reviewers found no likeable characters in this book. True. I tried to root for Caitlin, but she just became more and more unlikeable as the book went on. And the romance between Adam and Caitlin. That was contrived at the best. Silly and stupid at the worst. 'The Night Before' was able to keep me interested I guess, despite annoying characters like Caitlin, Sugar and Morrissette, some pretty incompetent police work by Reed, a clueless psychologist in Adam Hunt and an ending that was all soapy and made me wish I skipped the Epilogue. The climatic struggle between Caitlin, Hannah and Atropos was weak. A better ending would have had all three of them found in a pile, covered in their blood, mixed together as one when the police finally arrived to find them, a group at peace at last. Hey, I like that. Maybe I should write an alternate ending and re-edit this book. The bottom line is, this novel gets 3 stars as not very good but not as bad as many in this genre. Not up to Lisa Jackson's standards. Anyway, read the 'Morning After'. It's much better.

This book was about the extremely dysfunctional Montgomery family. It appeared that they are very unlucky and then became apparent that someone was eliminating them. Though I was able to guess some of the Montgomery secrets, I did not guess the identity of the killer. I am an avid mystery reader and this character never entered my mind. I think some of the book could have been condensed and it would have made it a 5 star mystery.

LOVE HER BOOKS. NOT A BAD ONE YET. READ EVERYONE I GET MY HANDS ON.

Many of Lisa Jackson's novels are repetitive and contain the same wording and elements, so rather than talk about them, I came up with a drinking game!
*******************************
A Drinking Game for Lisa Jackson Novels
Supplies: Any Lisa Jackson novel, your favorite beverage.

As you read the novel, take a drink every time:

-any character lights up/takes a drag off a cigarette
-a man calls a woman "darlin'"
-anyone "leans a hip" against something - counter, table, etc.
-someone gets into or out of a "rig"
-anyone uses "Hell!" or "Oh Hell!" as an exclamation - chug your whole drink if it was said immediately before a kiss
-a man "growls" something at woman - chug your whole drink if it was said immediately before a kiss
-someone touches another person's "crown" - chug your whole drink if it was said during sex
-the main character has a detailed dream
-any Catholic element is mentioned
-you find any grammar or spelling errors
-any portion of the story is repeated

Happy Reading!

ADAM is my first book by Ted Dekker. It is a great read! It keeps your attention throughout and the twist is great.

With ADAM, prolific author Ted Dekker spins another high-voltage web of intrigue. As is his norm, he weaves an intense emotional drama that has readers transfixed until the final page.

In this evocative story, Dekker's protagonist, FBI behavioral psychologist Daniel Clark, finds himself a victim of sorts of his own anti-religion philosophy when he allows an obsession with a serial killer dubbed "Eve" to destroy his marriage and overtake his life. Though Daniel writes eloquently about the evils of "religion," it is ironic that, as this drama plays out, religion and its accompanying spiritual forces and foes that he adamantly professes don't exist become his greatest nemesis.

After multiple slayings of young women, Eve actually fires the shot that kills Daniel as he and another agent/medical doctor, Lori Ames, are trying to rescue a barely alive female victim. Some 20 minutes after the shooting, Daniel is resuscitated, but in the aftermath suffers extreme episodes of panic, fear...and obsession...possession? Daniel seeks the aid of Lori, and they go in the "dark" to try to piece together and anticipate Eve's next step.

As Daniel fights his body's losing battle to ever-escalating thoughts of terror-ridden darkness, his ex-wife, Heather, is similarly battling her own set of fears. A phone call to her changes everything, and the killer makes it clear that she is Daniel's hope for survival. Unable to break free from him, and abruptly positioned in the center of the hunt, Heather enters the fray with Daniel and Lori to solve the intricacies of a murderer's mind and motives.

One emotionally draining episode after another, and the three are not simply fighting against Eve --- they are arguing, debating with their own inner thoughts and each other's. Daniel, Lori and Heather fight against time, distance and locating the key to Eve's past. When they realize they are dealing with the victim of a childhood kidnapping culminating in years of wretched abuse, the trio better grasp the evil they are up against.

They catch a break when Eve's former mentor priest is discovered and Heather confers with him. What she learns sounds unreal and otherworldly...and it is. Summoning up every ounce of courage she has and going against every bit of reason, logic and good sense, Heather begs Father Seymour to accompany her in the rescue of Daniel. What transpires in Eve's former place of childhood torture can only be described as hell itself, and the forces of heaven and hell wage against each other. Every one of the major players must reckon with what he or she truly believes about life, death and the powers that rule the universe.

Producing spine-tingling, edge-of-your-seat dialogue at its finest, Ted Dekker successfully brings closure to this life-altering clash between good and evil, and leaves readers with lingering reminders that there are two worlds at play around us each and every day.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

'Adam' by Ted Dekker
Review by Shari Van Baale

Ted Dekker is a very accomplished and prolific author of approximately two dozen books., meticulously researching material for them whether medical, forensics, psychology, or etc.. Even so, his latest edition, 'Adam', is the first of his books that I've read. I discovered this book while perusing the internet, and decided to give this intriguing title a try. I was delighted to find a Christian author of the suspense/thriller genre who writes without using vulgar language (as many secular authors do), yet tantalizes the adrenaline to the maximum. 'Adam' offers up a complex storyline rich with intricately developed characters and background information down to the most minute detail. The story begins by vollying between 3 subplots, one of which seemingly not directly related to the other 2, whose relationship is quite apparent even at first. As the story progresses, though, I gradually realized that the author had been seamelessly weaving all 3 plots together, and at the end, all the pieces fit together in perfect order. This is epic good vs. evil presented in a very unconventional, incredibly creative and addictive storyline. Dekker succeeded magnificently in presenting a suspenseful thriller with many completely unexpected plot shifts throughout. This volume may well bave been velcroed to my hands, as I could hardly wait to find out where the story's path would lead me at the turn of each new page. Devotees of Ted Dekker, of this genre, or even the newcomer will find this an incredibly fascinating story. So boldy crack the cover, turn the first page, and hang on - this one will surprise and tantalize you. It is definitely worth the trip!

To say that this novel is a psychological thriller is an understatement. The human psyche is deeply explored, as well as more about spiritual forces than at first glance. It's also not just a serial killer book, though that is one aspect. Abuse, fear, evil, victimization, freedom of choice, religion, triumph over evil, truth over lies, courage, and love all have a part in the whole. But the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

What might happen to someone who is severely abused as a child in the name of religion? Is it possible to escape that evil, or must you succumb to it at some point in your life? Can good triumph over evil? Will it always? How much can one person endure before they break? Are demons real? Can they really overtake someone who gives them access? Don't we all have the capacity for evil inside ourselves? Dekker explores answers to these questions.

I usually preface my Dekker reviews with the disclaimer that I may be a bit too passionate when it comes to his books. I'm a huge fan and he never ceases to flabbergast me. Adam is no exception. Dekker continues to up the ante and churn out gale-force plots with gargantuan spiritual oomph. Hence my admiration. Do I have anything negative to say about this story whatsoever? Not remotely. And that's a shock if you know me. Even with Ted, I'm still nitpicky. No doubt, thriller lovers like me will find merit in this newest offering.

Ted's track record for penning chest-heaving, mind-spinning works is nothing short of uncanny. His writing has always been spot on, but I have seen his growing maturity not only in his words, but in his themes. I definitely think this is his best to date, his Circle works coming a very close second.

Do not miss this one. It deserves recognition and discussion not just for its entertainment value, but on the merit that it has the potential power to change lives.

While I am an absolute and total fan of Ted Dekker, this book was a little too dark and disturbing for me. It was hard to read of the kidnapping and sadistic torture not to mention the horrible cult that two of the main characters suffered from as children. Though the writing is excellent, and the ending is intense, I was left disappointed. After coming through so much darkness, I thought it was lacking the beautiful salvation of these main characters, that many of his other characters in his other books are rewarded with. That wonderful love-story between the Creator and His creation. But if you are a lover of dark "cat & mouse" type stories, you will still probably enjoy this one.

This is not a specific review, but I'd like to merely point out that one of the many admirable qualities of Michael Connelly's writing is that he at least devises sensible names for his characters. One can easily imagine someone named Jerry Edgar or Norman Church or Rachel Walling or Sheehan or Rider, et al.

The hack writers, on the other hand, always burden the imagination with such painful names as . . . "Star ballerina turned private investigator Penelope Pudendum drew her poison-tipped hat pin and thrust it deeply into the evil Dr. Wolfsnout Smorgasbord . . . "

Michael Connelly is a great writer and these are his first 3 Harry Bosch stories. I highly recommend this book. I have read 8 of his other books, too, in the past 2 months and he is innovative with his stories and does not repeat himself.

This book is a good introductory book, as it contains Michael Connelly's first three novels about Detective Harry Bosh. I will review the Black Echo, his first, with the added comment that this review can also stand for all the Bosh books. These are my favorite books to read for fun. Real page-turners, that keeps you on your toes. I first heard of Michael Connelly and his Harry Bosh series a number of years ago on NPR. He was being interviewed, as he was considered the top writer of fictional detective mystery novels. I was captivated from the first book, and have read every one in the series to date. The plots are interesting, with twists that will surprise you, yet make sense. The characters seem like real people, flawed, rather than perfect. Harry Bosh is a detective with a burning desire to find the murderer in the case he is working on. Sometimes he uses non-conventional means of getting to the end. If you have watched the HBO series The Wire, McNulty reminds me a little of Bosh. Bosh is both a hero and a maverick. He has his problems both on the job and in his personal life, and you watch his character develop as the series continues. With each book you get a little more inside Bosh's characters. For this reason alone, it is good to read the series in order. Another reason that this is important is that sometimes Connelly relates back to characters in previous books, or even now and then to events. Connelly has stated that by the time he writes his last Bosh novel, you will come to know Bosh intimately. I give this book a 5 star rating in what I would categorize as just for fun reading. The only criticism I have is that sometimes I find the romance sideline a bit much, especially in the first books of the series. Bosh seems to go through a lot of romances, a new one with each book, although this tapers off somewhat as the series develops. Still, expect there to be a woman in Bosh's life in each book. Black Echo, the first in the series, won the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel awarded by the Mystery Writers of America. This book is about the murder of Billy Meadows, who was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" whom Bosh had fought side by side with. In this book he is joined with a female FBI agent, and is pitted against enemies within his own department. Bosch has to make a difficult choice between justice and vengeance, as he tracks down the killer whose identity will shock him and you.......I just find these books so much fun, I am sure that I will read every last one of then to the series' end.

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The other great thing about this 3 in 1 book (besides Harry) is the weight of this book. It is light as a feather and easy to hold and carry around. Enjoy!

Couldn't put this down. I was glad I had all three books to read at one time. Excellent homicide detective stories set in LA.

If you read the book before this and enjoyed it even a little bit, you will love this book! Great read!

This was a wonderful book, I really enjoyed the background it gives, it helps to flesh out the story a little better, and gives you more insight into the Orcs, and the Draenei. Well worth purchasing.

As literature, it isn't one of the best books I have ever read, but as a book based on a game (or RPG) - what usualy results in not very good histories, and I have read many - it's good. It's well written.
In order to have how to compare my taste would be good to you to know that to me "Tides of darkness" was bad (too descriptive); "Cycle of hatred", tasteless (no emotion, no surprise); "They of the dragon" worse, it's boring; "Of blood and honor" is nice; "The last guardian" is very cool"; and I think that "Lord of the clans is good", but "Rise of the Horde" is a bit better.
It's very cool to "see" guys like Gul'dan, Ner'Zhul, a young Doomhammer and Hellscream, as well as Kiljaeden and Archimond yet as "normal" people (hahaha).
The way it's explained why a shamanistic and relatively peacefull race, became engaged in a war with his very tranquil neybohood, was a great idea (demons rules!)
The rise of the horde (the fact, not the book) is terrifying. Durotan seems a very lucid german, before the second war, seeing the third reich rising and he can't do anything to stop it. Chirstie Golden makes you feel Durotan's pain.
To finish: the book is worth it's price. Buy it! You will have some fun.

... from a WoW novel. It was stunning, really. Okay, maybe that isn't the right word. But if you're a diehard fan of the games like me, you'll find yourself very attached to the storylines, especially if you're an Orc and/or Draenei fan. Some of the scenes near the end of the novel had me very emotional as you watch a genocide, one of a race and another of an ancient culture.

I suggest this to every single WoW player out there who wants to start reading the books.

This book is very interesting. I would recomend this book because it is so cool.