Mystery Crime Books

I own all the judge Dee books and I enjoy reading them every once in a while.

I am a Chinese and found the author has translated this book in a very professional way even i myself was amazed by the whole bench of Chiese Classical Books being used as references . This book precisely described the background , culture and state of mind of the people living in the Tang Dynasty .It is a good Chinese detective book , i just cannot stop reading .Hope u will enjoy this book too .

This book and the fiction that Mr. Van Gulik wrote after 1945 are definitly not your run of the mill detective stories. The author, trained and serving as a diplomat in the orient, has a profound knowledge of Tang Dynasty China, its cutoms and traditions. My wife and I began reading them almost thirty years ago, a still "binge" every five years or so on the series.

Van Gulik used Dee Goong An as, I supect, a vehicle for his diplomatic traing and deeper understanding of the Chinese. The man writes in a scholarly, traditional, and slightly pedantic style that in no way obscures the charm of his subject. As a contempory review observed all of the "frail beauty and cruelty of the Tang's" are preserved. You must understand this, because Van Gulik attempts to recreate the genre accuratly. This is notable due to the idosyncrasies of our western detective mystery style, and the vast differences with their asian peers.

Fair to note that Mr. Van Gulik was a noted sinophile, and lived and died there. The preface and appendices are worth re-reading and the stage is then set for the rst of the series. Try to read this one (Dee Goong An) first! These are as follows:

1950 Chinese Bell Murders 668 AD
1952 Chinese Maze Murders 670 AD
1959 Chinese Gold Murders 663 AD
1960 Chinese Lake Murders 666 AD
1961 Chinese Nail Murders 676 AD
1962 Lacquer Screen 663 AD
1963 The Emperor's Perl 668 AD
1964 The Red Pavilion 668 AD
1965 The Monkey and the Tiger 666 AD
1965 The Willow Pattern 677 AD
1966 Phantom of the Temple 670 AD
1966 Murder in Canton 681 AD
1967 Judge Dee at Work 663 - 670
1967 Necklas and Calabash 668 AD
1968 Poets and Murder 668 AD

As with any serial literary undertaking not all of these books are of the same quality as Dee Goong An. Yet they are all worth reading again and again.

For the reader that enjoys detective books this is a must- especially if he/she prefers an historical context. Robert van Gulik, a diplomat familiar with oriental culture writes with talent and methodically- for a good detective story to be developed it is required. The only critisism that one might say is that there are some anchronisms as faras the chinese culture but they do not affect the stories. The Judge is a very intersting person that the reader sympathises with. Enjoy it.

During the later years of the Second World War, Robert Van Gulik translated an interesting and a unique detective novel entitled "Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee (Dee Goong An)," which was written by an anonymous author in the eighteenth century. The novel drives the readers to experience three mystery crime cases of Judge Dee, an important district magistrate in the ancient Chinese culture during the seventh century. There are three crimes that were solved during the course of the detective novel, which were the case of "The Double Murder at Dawn," the case of "The Strange Corpse," and the case of "The Poisoned Bride." The investigations of the cases in the book were carried out by Judge Dee himself; he later solved those crimes throughout the novel.

There are thirty chapters in the novel with the addition of the "Translator's Preface," which the translator pointed out the difference between the Western and Chinese novels, described the five main characteristics of Chinese detective stories, gave a historical background of a Chinese detective novel, "Dee Goong An," and its three mystery cases, and he discussed the history of a pre-modern Chinese judicial system and a real-life Judge Dee of seventh century. In addition to the book, there is a short "Interlude" section between the fifteenth and the sixteenth chapters where it is written as a single scene of a theatrical play in which the readers have to use their minds to figure out which characters of the novel that the actors represented based on their psychological analysis (p. VI-VII). Throughout Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, one can understand a pre-modern Chinese judicial system in the seventh century by looking at how did Judge Dee approached three murder cases, how did he solve these cases, and what were the outcomes.

"Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee" explores three murder cases of Judge Dee in the seventh century China. In the novel, Judge Dee solved the murder cases independently from one another during the corresponding time period. But the cases did not come to the judge at the same time. The first case called "The Double Murder At Dawn" came to Judge Dee just before the convening tribunal when an old man by the name of Koong Wan-deh approached the judge with a case of the murders of two silk merchants. Judge Dee approached this first case with a careful investigation as he had followed the strict Chinese code. However, there were rising complications because the judge could not quickly solve the case because he did not find a real criminal. The second case, "The Strange Corpse," did not come to Judge Dee because the murder had occurred a year earlier. He came across it when he was disguised as a physician in a home of the widow with her "dumb" daughter and her mother-in-law. Because of the little girl who had "lost the power of speech," Judge Dee became suspicious of the situation with the widow and her daughter, and he soon made it a case to investigate them (p. 34-41). Judge Dee approached this second case with a discreet and a careful investigation and the help of his trusted lieutenants. The final case called "The Poisoned Bride" came to Judge Dee after the murderer of the first case was caught. This case Judge Dee approached with careful and prudent attention because the murder occurred in a high status household during a wedding ceremony. In each of these three cases, Judge Dee used his complex tactics of harsh accusation, threats, and tortures as means to achieve the solution of his murder cases.

Unlike the judges of the modern era, the judges of the pre-modern China acted as detectives and investigators to solve the crimes. It is very rare for a judge of modern times to go out either in disguise or use his official status to find clues for the murder and to catch criminals. Then again, the novel of "Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee" revealed the actions of the judge of ancient times. According to the translator Robert Van Gulik, "it was in his function of judge that the district magistrate displayed his talents as a detective" (p. IX). With three murder cases in the book, Judge Dee solved them like a skilled detective would, but he had an advantage to which he had resources in his investigations, not available for the modern-day detective, which included a small number of trusted lieutenants and constables, the use of torture, the influence of the local authorities, and the guidance of dreams and ghosts.

The outcome of these three cases had doomed the lives of the criminals and favored the career of Judge Dee, which was evident in the final chapter of the novel. Obviously in the end, Judge Dee was very pleased with his judicial and detective work. While the duties of a judge and a detective were not yet separated, it would have appeared that they were the most important duties in a pre-modern Chinese judicial system during the seventh century.

By looking at how did Judge Dee approached three murder cases, how he solved these cases, and what were the outcomes in the Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee, a pre-modern Chinese judicial system of the seventh century is understood. The novel drives the reader to understand how the detective-like duties of a pre-modern judge in seventh century China helped an important figure like Judge Dee to solve crimes in his district. As shown in the book, one can observe that the actions of the judge had interesting qualities in such a way that not any modern judge could do. The novel explored three murder cases of Judge Dee and the usefulness of his detective skills led him to solve the tricky as well as the dangerous crimes.

The murder cases of Judge Dee and his adventures in Robert Van Gulik's translation of "Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee" were a great read and an interesting perspective of judicial court and a pre-modern Chinese culture during the seventh century.

(More like 3.75 stars compared to other books in the series.) Some of the reviews actually discouraged me from going to this latest Mrs. Murphy mystery as soon as it arrived. I thought, hmmm, so series fatigue must have got it. In fact, it is not bad; not the best, but it should not disappoint most regular readers. I like the world Rita Mae Brown has realized through this series, a rural western Virginia town (the very real Crozet) that over the years has grown urbanized rural. RMB uses the excuse of murder and detection fiction to explore how its Southern heart remains stolid as it absorbs newcomers and the challenges of living in the 21st century. In this outing, a popular OB/GYN who has performed some terminations is killed, but after a militant antiabortionist confesses and is jailed, past patients are blackmailed, seemingly by the same culprit. This gives RMB a chance to look at the impact of one of the most divisive issues of modern times in a place where opinions clash but people need to stick together. Her regular crew of characters falls on both sides. RMB treats both sides gently.

As usual, the human characters' pets have their own conversations which the adults never get and if they did, the mysteries would be solved long before they are. In light of how the ubiquitous CSI television shows have educated the populace, the human characters, including the actual law enforcement officers, seem to ignore key evidence or lack thereof until it is almost too late. It doesn't really matter that much to me; I value this series for its social observations and wit, and it has both.

Even rural Virginia can't escape from the larger issues confronting the U.S. And when a planned parenthood doctor is murdered, the issue of abortion comes up. Little Min and Big Min spiral into conflict with Republican Little Min refusing to condemn the murder--or to defend a woman's right to choose. Meanwhile, the police arrest an anti-abortion activist who quickly confesses to the crime, but Harry Haristeen and her pets wonders whether things really are that simple.

At a fund-raising dinner, the other shoe falls when a prominent socialite is murdered and Harry's friend, Tazio, is an immediate suspect. Harry is sure her friend is innocent, but the evidence--they found the bloody knife in her hand--will be hard to argue against. Especially when Harry's pets learn that rats destroyed clues that might have exhonorated Tazio. Still, Harry does have one clue--the corrupt construction code enforcer, Mike, is withholding secrets. Could murder be one of those?

Authors Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown continue their Mrs. Murphy cat detective series with an engagingly written story. With their strong opinions and certainty that their way is the correct way, Harry and her friends may offend some readers (in fact, maybe they'll offend all readers since they mix progressive views on abortion with strange thoughts on slavery (maybe it would have died out on its own if it hadn't been for the Civil War)), but at least the Brown team puts their characters in a world where issues like abortion and the disaster in Iraq exist.

Over the past several books in this series, the Browns have been looking at social issues. Change comes slowly to the rural south, but even there, reason has begun to stand up against religious bigotry. The Browns are careful, though, to show religion in a positive light, with Bible quotations and the local minister both playing major roles. From a mystery perspective, I would have preferred to have a more ordered sleuthing process--with Harry actually finding clues that led her into danger rather than leaping with just a feeling. The talking animals (they only talk among themselves and with the wild animals) are mostly charming.

Aside from the preaching, I found the errors in the book to be so glaringly obvious that they were distracting (not to mention repeated over and over). I very strongly suggest that Ms. Brown research more carefully in the future, starting with the difference between veins and arteries and carotid artery v. jugular vein.

Sadly, I'm finding this more and more commonly among mystery authors or their editors.

I've read all the books from the beginning and at first liked them a lot, but this one'll be the last for me.

It's not even the soapboxing that drives me crazy, but the product placement. It's always designer this and brand that from her tractor to her work boots. I suspect the author makes more money from advertising than from writing.

And then people sitting on some million dollars worth of land going on, "Oh, no, I'm not rich at all, see me re-using my old socks for catnip toys!" LOLcats says, "Your white privilege it's showing!"

And you know what RMB? I can follow my family line to the early elevenhundreds, so, a family history of twohundredsomething years is really nothing special. Please stop bothering me with harping on about it. Cheers!

First, I have read every book in this series. But the more recent ones are just not as good as the first ones (though this one was 100% better than the last one--at least we're back in Crozet!). But this is a cute murder mystery series where all the animals (rats, snakes, owls, etc.) talk to one another. Not a platform for political views. If I wanted that, I turn on CNN. Sure, people can have an opinion, but some of the things said by the characters are straight out of a book. People I know just don't talk like these characters--and I live in a very big city!

Second, the ending was incomplete. OK, now is Tazio off the hook? The ending never mentioned that. Will this continue in the next book? I assume we will have something about her marriage to Paul. Did we absolutely prove the Kylie was the killer? No. She took off. So you have a supposed double-murderer on the run. And really, were you supposed to believe, considering how Kylie's character was described, that she was a murderer of this kind. No, to me, she was written as a guy-crazy young woman who liked to shop. Maybe that was her disguise. And did Harry simply forget about seeing her buy the $19,000 watch? That tidbit was never mentioned again. As in the previous book, the ending was over in the last two pages. Boom, story over.

Third, Harry. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Harry should have been arrested for illegal trespassing or breaking and entering. You simply can't break into someone's house because you think they are guilty of something unless you are the law and even they need probable cause. She should be dead, and that would be the end of the series.

Now, I realize these books are fiction and cute, light-hearted mystery. Or at least the first ones were. Ms. Brown is turning out these books in an assembly-line fashion. It seems that not much thought is going into the characters (and way too many new ones--bring the old ones back like Miranda and Boom-Boom) and way too much thought goes into what is Ms. Brown's view of the world. I still love the banter between Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, plus all the other animals (even the rats). Their conversations are more enjoyable than the human conversations (and more understandable).

Hopefully, the next one will improve. Yes, I will continue to read the books (I also get them from my public library and do not waste money buying them), but it's getting more and more disappointing to read. I hope Ms. Brown spends some time reading her loyal readers' reviews and takes the hint.

Signed, A real Mrs. Murphy

This doesn't seem to integrate as nicely as the others. It starts slow but picks up the pace about 1/3 in. Still a great Sin City tale.

Sin City was a little weak in the middle, especially in Book 6, but with this volume Frank Miller finishes with a bang. The art is wonderful and the story intrigued me. There were also hilarious images referencing other famous comics in a scene in the middle of the book that made me laugh out loud. "Give 'em hell, boy!"

A new character is introduced here. Wallace is a struggling artist, just trying to get along. He rescues a woman, and gets into a whole lot of trouble for it.

Finding himself in the middle of a conspiracy, his high level of talent at the killing thing holds him in good stead, as does his Vietnam war background.

Frank Miller's Sin City is always full of surprises, with its gritty dialogue and creative/graphic violence. Book 7 of 7, Hell & Back is a love story. This book is quite different then the others, some color is shown and you'll see what I mean if you read it. I hope you enjoy this book!

The final book in the Sin City series, HELL AND BACK is a solid conclusion that neither reaches the heights of some of the earlier books though, thankfully, also does not reach some of the low points we have seen. Any reader who makes it through everything will not be disappointed.

HELL AND BACK's main character is new to the Sin City collection. Wallace is a war vet with fighting skills that rival those of Marv. Like Marv, he is motivated by an altruisitic, indeed tender, concern for others that he deems worthy of his troubles. The girl he just meets and saves, Esther, is worthy enough. When Esther is kidnapped, Wallace kills about...oh, exact numbers are hard to come by, but an awful lot of scum bags to get her back.

We once again encounter Delia, the beautiful yet deadly assassin introduced in Book 6, BOOZE, BROADS & BULLETS and we get a better understanding of exactly what kind of organization she works for. Let us just say, not many people will be busted up over the pile of bodies left in Wallace's wake. I do not know if there are any plans to make this book into a Sin City movie, but if there are, some of the more tender-hearted may experience some sleeping problems after seeing it.

Given that HELL AND BACK introduces new and interesting characters, it is hard to complain that the book is considerably bigger than the others in the series. (Who would do so anyway?) If Frank Miller ever writes more of these stories, picking up right here would be a-ok.

Ray Bradbury'
s book was something that I've wanted to read for quite some time. Unfortunately, I had already seen the film so I had a plot in mind as well as a mood. Bradbury as always strings metaphores together like we do popcorn on the Christmas tree. It's his main setup for atmosphere and that is the books great strength. Unfortunately for me, the characters of Will, Jim and Will's Dad are flat, underdeveloped and dull. Without a back story, I really don't have a sense of caring for the characters and as hard as I tried that didn't change. This was typical of Dickens at times. He created characters and then threw them into the story for development. I never found this technique particularly inviting for me.
The story is simple enough -- a carnival comes to town creating strange and bizarre situations that invite temptation. Jim wants to be older -- but we aren't given a good enough reason why. Will's Dad wants to be younger and the idea feels more universal than centered on the character in question and it falls short. The carnival can do this of course but at a price. That alone feels as rundown an idea as I've ever read. Everyone has that statement. The ending feels more of a fable than anything else and perhaps that's what Ray wanted out of the story. Perhaps he would have put 'once upon a time' and 'happily ever after' were it a different time.
The message -- don't fall into temptation and don't let misery eat away your soul. I don't know, the book has great mood and atmosphere but had the same feel for me as 'Tale of Two Cities' -- I couldn't want to finish it and move on to something else.

Usually I connect Ray Bradbury with weird enough stories that always seem to have plenty of heart. And I am not saying that this does not have plenty of heart, but rather than the usual strange sci-fi Ray Bradbury makes something truly horrific that has actually caused me nightmares. Through the innocence of children and a traveling carnival Bradbury makes an intelligent and creative story that deals with the hidden desires of humanity itself. It's weird, terrifying, and altogether Bradbury classic.

I read this book for the first time about 16 years ago, when I was 10 or 11 years old. I was so impressed by the book, which had gripped me with its enchanting prose, that I immediately re-read it. Over the next couple years, I read several other works by Ray Bradbury and I periodically tried to imitate his style for school projects. I loved the book.

I just re-read it for the third time, and I was still bewitched. Ray Bradbury's writing is impressive! He is poetic, and his writing perfectly fits the spooky subject of the book. In the book, there are dark characters whose bodies are covered with tattooed illustrations or who have been squashed down to resemble dwarves, and Ray Bradbury's writing, which is full of images, metaphors, and poetry, captured these characters and provided a great accompaniment for the book's story.

Rereading it, now, after many years, I understood the book in a different way. The book's repeated discussion of immortality stuck with me, and has a different significance for me now. Also, between the first reading and this third, I had learned a bit more about Ray Bradbury's life. Did you know that Bradbury claims that, at a young age, he met a circus performer called Mr. Electrico? According to Bradbury, this performer, who had electric current pumped through him in front of a crowd of people, pointed his sword at Bradbury and declared: "You will live forever!" Knowing this story had a significant, and I think positive, impact on my reading!

Finally, I'm glad that so many reviewers have liked this book. That's great. At times, I wondered whether other people would like Bradbury's wild writing, which jumps around, and calls forth images, and which captures the dark magic of the performing freaks. On a few rare instances, the prose felt forced, or seemed vaguely pretentious, or felt too overdrawn . . . But, when the writing seemed like this, the sour impression would only last for a moment before the story once again swallowed me whole.

I was very glad that so many readers have found Bradbury's prose appealing.

This is Bradbury's finest novel, in my opinion. All of Bradbury's fiction is lyrical in nature, but in this work his prose flows quickly and magically from the first page to the last.

The book is closer to horror than sci-fi, but I regard it as simply a great novel and believe that its universal theme of good vs. evil qualify it as literary fiction of the highest order. It is a book I read every few years to remind me of what language is capable of doing and to listen to the voices of Bradbury's unique small town characters as they attempt to deal with the mystifying forces of Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Show, a traveling carnival.

The one-star reviews appear to be from the usual students who were forced to read the book. Don't be deterred. If you like a scary tale that also examines love and the human heart, you can't go wrong with SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.

Thirty-five years after its initial release, this magical and mesmerizing story still carries a punch. The opening pages are more like a thriller where you know something is out there...waiting. You can hear it; you can feel it getting closer. And it's not going to be pleasant.

You follow a pair of young boys on their pre-Halloween adventure until you realize there is a lot more at stake than just going to the carnival. And the father of one of the boys, a meek and beaten down man, has a great decision to make. Others in the town face a temptation that could and does change each person's life.

A small town story with universal truths about life and what you make of it. This is a true masterpiece using Bradbury's poetic phrasing and the hypnotic pictures he paints with words.

Read it again.

This is the first novel I've read by this author. I enjoyed the style in which he writes. The protagonist is a relatively complex character who certainly places himself in temptation's path but holds true to his morals to remain faithful to his wife, despite their separation. His compassion on another level is for the downtrodden women of society; castaways and runaways. The plot was also compelling enough to hold my interest and kept me looking forward to the next page.

I read this book on audio CD. It was my first time to read a Swain book. The reader for the audio did a great job. I enjoyed the book, the dog and the missing children information that was worked into the plot. I will now go back and try some of the Tony Valentine stories.

I've heard quite a bit about this one and the rumors are true. It's an excellent thriller that employs some absolutely brilliant plotting to keep readers hooked. I also appreciated the deft characterizations and keen sense of place. I'd recommend Midnight Rambler to all fans of tense, exciting fiction.

A friend gave me this book and we have passed it around my family. Well written, plausible, great action ride and characters...I have ordered his other books and am in the process of enjoying the Tony Valentine series as well (also great fun!). If you are looking for an author who is not a household name, therefore writing with intriguing ideas and not just to put another book under his name, this is your man. We loved it!

I've been a big fan of Swain from the begining. I was not sure what to expect from this novel when I bought it, but Midnight Rambler is a sucessful departure from his Tony Valentine series. Jack Carpenter was a very exciting character in his doggged persuit of the evil mad man Simon Skell. This was a difficult book for me to put down. I recomend it to all looking for a great thriller.

Ex Machina volume 6 bringgs back the high quality of the series that I thought volume 5 was lacking. The story is much more exciting, and gets you much more involved. However, it's frustrating thatit kind of hinted that all of the questions about Mitchell's past would be revealed, and it only raised more. Although, I guess that's what will keep readers coming back.

Ex Machina is one of those titles that should never work in the comic book medium. Former and short-lived superhero abandons his super-persona to become mayor of New York. And that happens before the start of the series. Let's be honest, if anyone but writer Vaughan and Harris were involved, this series simply wouldn't have worked.

Ex Machina: Power Down is a return to greatness for the creative duo. The storyline deals with Mayor Hundred struggling against a city-wide power outage just as a mysterious visitor takes his mother hostage in order to deliver Hundred an important message. That message has fascinated me and worked expertly as a bit of foreshadowing. In addition, as always, we are given flashbacks to Hundred's involvement with 9/11 as well as some back-story during his training days.

The Ex Machina series started with a bang, utterly captivating me with every panel. However, the last storyline in particular focused a little too much on Hundred's mayoral duties and not quite enough on the more fantastic elements of the series. Power Down is back to what makes Ex Machina work best--an equal blend of the realistic world of politics and the surreal world of super heroics.

Furthermore, let's not forget about the art! Harris' artwork is extraordinary and this series simply wouldn't be as enjoyable as it is without him. He gets better with every issue he draws, and he was excellent to begin with! Moreover, Mettler, the often-ignored colorist, is truly responsible for giving this book in particular much of its flavor. The colors demand your attention in such an unassuming yet powerful manner; it's astounding.

Finally, Power Down also offers a "special features" section in the back of the book with some background information given by both Vaughan and Harris. Very fun stuff if you're into the production aspect of the book.

Ex Machina is a must-read series for all lovers of literature.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

This sixth trade paperback collects issues #26-29 of the acclaimed series. The August 2003 NYC blackouts are the backdrop for this segment. A mysterious visitor's appearance coincides with Mayor Hundred's loss of super-abilities. While enjoyable, this plot seemed slower than previous story arcs. Intermittent episodes reveal more of The Great Machine's actions on 9/11, including his diversion of the second plane.
The last 22 pages are 'Inside The Machine'. This collection of staged artwork and scripts expands on the material at the end of the first Ex Machina trade paperback. For the price, I would have rather seen DC include this material as a bonus instead of displacing the normal fifth issue.

We join Maggie O'Neill back in Indiana, in the mystical gift and antique shop Enchantments, where she works for a witch, Felicity Dow aka Liss. And Liss really is a witch - a practicing witch in an established community that is blithely aware of the paranormal happenings around them. At least, most of them seem to be immune, but many are starting to notice the increase in crime and accidents that are plaguing the community. When a local Amish craftsman is found dead next to his bicycle with his head bashed in, residents are shocked. Not only was this gentle and talented man killed, but his was the third murder in six months in their small community. Are there supernatural forces at play, or has the town simply run out of luck?

Maggie is quite excited to be attending the annual craft fair put on by the county. Normally Liss attends alone, but this year Maggie is getting a break from running the store to help find some new merchandise. While browsing, they visit the stall of an Amish woodworker they are friends with, and Liss falls in love with an armoire decorated with patterns and bright colors not normally seen on the shaker style furniture normally produced. The armoire had been donated to the auction taking place later that day, so the two women plan to attend in hopes of winning. But the armoire's decoration is credited to another Amish craftsman, Luc Metzger; one like Maggie has never before seen. His craft work is just a beautiful as the man himself, an uncommon trait among the simple Amish people whose faith is foremost in their community. And when the ladies' man is found dead after supposedly doing `one more job' to help earn money for a farm for his wife and children, Maggie can't help but wonder where he'd been.

Maggie and hunky friend Marcus come upon the nighttime scene of buggies that have discovered the body on a darkened stretch of road, and Maggie has to decide whether or not she is comfortable with the paranormal side of her life in order to help discover why there was a strange hex tacked to a tree not far from the body - on Amish property. Maggie's sometime boyfriend, Tom the detective, is also having a difficult time with the peculiar aspects of the crime, but mostly with Maggie's involvement with people he considers questionable because they are not considered mainstream. So we are able to follow Maggie's personal journey into unfamiliar territory that is considered taboo to her Catholic religious background, and also her journey on how to trust her heart and instincts.

I am really enjoying the Bewitching series by Alt. We are seeing characters develop with the paranormal aspect - especially some who are new to the subject or fear reprisal if outed, which I think are normal reactions people would have in real life. The cozy series is engaging, and there is enough mystery to keep you guessing throughout the story. I eagerly await the next in the series, but I have one question: How does Abel charge his cell phone?

i give this author a thumbs up. this is a delightful mix of magic and fun.

Third in the series, this book once again brings us back into the cozy world of small town Indiana. Being from Indiana myself, I can relate to Hoosier prejudices and such. However; after the initial murder, it seems the plot is shelved until after halfway through the book. Maggie spends her time dickering about her love interests. It's gone beyond romantic tension and is dangerously close to entering the annoying. Make a decision and move on! The ending to this book was not quite as satisfying as the other two books but I'm most definitely looking forward to November when number four is released.

a great read...mixes seers from different traditions gracefully. i hope to see many more.
star santa cruz ca

As the third book in the series, Madelyn Alt has managed to show you characters that grow and you start to feel attached to them. This is the key to good story telling and Ms Alt has it down.

There is a natural progression, since Maggie is hesitant to jump into Wicca and everything paranormal, this story shows Maggie, and the reader, that even "wholesome" folks such as Amish may have sides we don't understand and thus are afraid of. Bringing us back to the fact that any spiritual path is only as good as the individual's intent. So Maggie has more to contemplate by the end concerning her spirituality.

The characters are truly delightful and the plot is credible. The romantic tension that begun in book 1 has been developed and continues in this one, making me scream for the next installment to find out how this and that turns out!

Another very good mystery - since reading this book I have finished the entire series on Kurt's crime solving adventures in Sweden

Begins with a depressed Wallender taking a 'Kur' on the beach in north Juteland, he plans to quit police work. Why he's depressed was developed in Mankell's previous book 'The White Lioness'. Wallender is drawn against his will into a new case, and ..... . As usual, Mankell is entertaining, worth reading.

This review is based on the Norwegian version 'Silkeridderen' ('The silk rider').

Although this is the fourth book in the Inspector Wallander series (that now numbers nine, I believe), it is the most recent to be translated and published in English. I'm not sure why it was withheld but I think I can guess. In this book, the dour Swedish Inspector Wallander has suffered a fairly complete and debilitating breakdown after having shot and killed a murderer in the line of duty and in self-defense. Perhaps it was thought that American and English readers wouldn't resonate with such a complete breakdown in character over something that we accept as a fact of police life. In truth, most police officers have never fired their guns in self-defense and, like most people, would recoil at the thought of taking a life. But a greater truth in this book may be that the killing was the crystallizing event in a life that was already off the rails. There is no joy in watching Wallander hit bottom and, after more than a year in increasingly disability, no surprise that he will quit the police force and probably drink himself to death. But redemption comes in a very small package. A man seeks him out to ask Wallander to look into the death of his father, a death that has taken place in the first pages of the book and has been called accidental. When the son is killed, the accidental death comes into question and Wallander has his first stirring of a life and purpose outside his own self-destruction.

From this beginning, we follow parallel stories as a totally fragile Wallander tries to rebuild his professional relationships at the same time as he tries to regain his life. As trust is reestablished in fits and starts and the facts of the potential murders are teased into meaning, we meet a man who is the complete antithesis of Wallander: an industrialist named Harderburg, aka "The Man Who Smiled". We assume without being told that this man could mow down anyone who stood in his way and still get a good night's sleep. But is he a killer? Wallander must take great personal and professional chances to figure out the answer.

It is hard for me to sufficiently express my appreciation for the storytelling of Henning Mankell. I smile a little when I think of how I didn't really care for his writing so very much when I first started reading him. The simple, declarative sentences don't necessarily flow like some of our more prosaic writers but behind the slightly awkward structure (to English ears) is a powerful conscience and social commentator who also tells a whopping good story. Mention should also be made of the skill of the translator, Laurie Thompson, who retained so many important nuances.

This may be the best book in the brilliant Wallander series. For my money, The Return of the Dancing Master is his very best book and it is a standalone, whose main character, Stefan Lindeman, joins the Wallander series in Before the Frost.

P.S. I just found out this past year that Henning Mankell is the son-in-law of the late Ingmar Bergman. I guess talent attracts talent!

At the beginning of THE MAN WHO SMILED, another of Henning Mankell's brilliant Kurt Wallander mysteries, the Swedish detective is on leave from the Ystad Police Force and is contemplating resigning because of remorse over having killed someone in self-defense. Full of self-pity and angst, he is as dark and gloomy as a cold Swedish winter night. He has even stopped listening to his beloved operas. A visit from Sten Tortensson, an attorney he has known professionally, urging Wallander to investigate the so-called accidental death of his father Gustaf, another attorney, on a lonely foggy road, however, gets him back on track, especially when the younger Tortensson, is murdered shortly after his visit to Wallander.

The detective is a real fleshed-out human being with doubts and fears and character flaws. He doesn't get along very well with his aging father, a "kitsch" artist, who paints the same autumn landscape over and over "with or without a grouse in the foreground." On the other hand, Wallander is very helpful and gives good advice and counsel to a new female recruit on the police force, when another jealous officer attempts to do her in. As always, he does not always tell his superiors all he knows about the case, bends the rules when it is to his advantage and is, without actually lying, "economical with the truth." Methodical to a fault, he ultimately by his diligence solves the crime.

Mr. Mankell through Wallander always gives the reader a kernel or two of truths worth remembering. Wallander on his father's mediorce art that he had seen hanging in many apartments in Sweden, pictures of a landscape where the sun never set: "For the first time he thought he had gained an insight. Throughout his life his father hade prevented the sun from setting. that had been his livelihood, his message. He had painted pictures so that people who bought them to hang on their walls could see it was possible to hold the sun captive." Another of Wallander's insights into his father that has universal implications: when his father makes a comment about dying, he remembers that he has never heard his father refer to either his age or his death and sees, sadly, that he has no idea who his father is or how he thinks, a situation so many of us understand too clearly. Finally, on a more hopeful note, Wallander says that every friendship is a miracle. We get all this in addition to a fine crime story.

Too late did I learn that the translator of this book is not the same as the translator of "One Step Behind." But as I was reading, I noticed a distinct difference in tone between then two novels. There were several instances in which the translation came up with idiomatic usage, such as the expression "fishy" that seemed out of place and jarring. Elsewhere, the novel suffered from an overall flatness that was strikingly different from other Mankell novels.

But there were other problems, as noted by some of the other reviewers. The lead up to the conclusion was too forced and strained credulity. The fact that Wallander would remain inside the mansion without calling for backup at any point did not make sense, likewise his partner's delay in calling for help herself. Also, the idea of a supremely wealthy man would utilize a land mine to murder a potentially troublesome witness seemed quite ludicrous to me. The bad guy, Harderberg, was also a big disppointment: extremely two dimensional and flat. The attempt to make him seem aloof by affixing a permanent smile to his face only added to the sense that he was more pastiche that person. It was as though Mankell had taken the attributes of several other characters and decided to utilize the most superficial of each. His language was stilted and pure cliche. This could also have been a result of the not so good translation.

For all of this, I read the novel to the end. Mankell is great at creating a dark and drizzly world where his characters try and figure out who they are, which at the same time trying to solve a crime. Wallander is a great character, flawed and human and consistent from one novel the the next.

The debut of Chief Inspector Chen is set in 1990 when China was still reeling from the democracy movement that was crushed in Tianneman Square the year before. Chen is an unusual character in that he is also a poet and translator of American mystery novels. Like many Chinese, he was sent into the interior during the 'Cultural Revolution' because of his education and because his father had been a Professor of confusian studies.

He has been promoted to a position in the Shanghai Police that is unusual for some one his age. China is still being run by those who were with Mao on the 'Long March' known as the high cadre. Just like in the Soviet Union , the children of the high cadre (referred to as the HCC) are despised by the masses because they have been pampered and use their connections to get good jobs and housing.

Chief Inspector Chen is investigating the death/murder of a 'National Model Worker' whose body was found in an unused canal. When his investi- gation leads him to suspect one of the HCCs, he finds himself under investigation by Internal Security and the Communist Party. He is caught between his wish to solve a crime and protecting the Party from shame.

The book contains a great amount of inside information as to how China is run and how it's "who you know not what you know" that helps you get ahead.

I've read three other books by this author, and I think that his first novel, this one, is the best. A great blend of chinese culture and mystery. Well written and captivating.

As a police procedural this novel fails. It is way too long. Half of it should have been cut. There is no real mystery, the clues are obvious, the murderer revealed half-way through the novel. The motive behind the killing is totally predictable. However, what saves this novel is it's fascinating depiction of the incongruities of modern Chinese life. The main character, Detective Inspector Chen is a poet forced by the circumstances of Communist Chinese life into being a police officer. The novel is sprinkled with quotes from Classical Chinese poetry. Chen is an honorable and decent man trying to do good in the society in which he finds himself. The most intriguing elements of the novel are the depictions of male/female relationships both marital and non-marital. Chen's assistant Yu's marriage is movingly described. Chen himself struggles with his attraction for a Beijing librarian whose family is high up in the Party, and his relationship with a Shanghai journalist. Always delightful are the descriptions of the many meals that Chen shares with other as the novel unfolds. Secondary characters are colorfully described. At it's center it is a meditation on how politics drives justice. This is the first in the series that I have read. It shows potential. I hope the others are better plotted.

I cannot fathom the general positive response to this novel. True enough, here and there crop up like mushrooms after the rain a few cavils about some features; but, on the whole, reader reaction has been overwhelming enthusiastic--enough, clearly, to produce a minor constellation of gold stars (gongxi, gongxi to the writer!) and encourage the publication of further ventures in what has become a Bund-and-beyond series.
Perhaps the mystery within the mystery might be revealed, as in a sudden enlightenment of the Kill Bill variety, if someone with the inclination to detail the particulars of both reviews and reviewers makes a complete diaocha of the Sinologic knowledge of all parties concerned.
Still, while the social coordinates and the basic interactions of the characters are plausible on an East or West grid, the plot is still plodding; the personalities predictable; and the poetry, as translated, irritatingly insipid.

This is my first Xiaolong read and I am familiar enough with some of the story locations to appreciate the detail. The sights, sounds, smells, etc described create a real sense of place.
However, as authentic as his "voice" is, I find his written style stilted and not particularly enjoyable to read.
Not sure I will try another one.

Ed Brubaker is an award-winning comic scripter who has written about superheroes and superheroines (Batman, Catwoman, Captain America, Daredevil). However, the man has a heart carved from the deepest, darkest noir. His criminals and anti-heroes sing with muscle, malice, and desperation, lifting from the pages to hold readers hostage to their own need to know what's going to happen next.

My first brush with Brubaker came through a four-issue comic series from Vertigo - the adult, edgy line published by DC Comics. I enjoyed the private eye feel of the story and couldn't help comparing it to Raymond Chandler novels. I'm certain that's what Brubaker intended.

However, with CRIMINAL: COWARD, the first volume in Brubaker and Sean Phillips's ongoing series, the storytelling drives drastically into Humphrey Bogart and Jim Thompson territory. Leo Patterson is the kind of guy Bogart would have portrayed on the screen and Thompson would have written about in his crime novels.

See, it's not enough that Leo is a professional criminal. He's also trying to take care of Ivan, his father's one-time criminal associate. Years ago, Leo's dad and Ivan raised Leo in a life of crime, taught him everything he needed to know to become a professional pickpocket. Leo graduated from that and became a heist artist, stealing from banks and armored cars, cracking places and organizations that were supposedly impenetrable. Now Ivan's a junkie and struggling with Alzheimer's, and no one else is there to take care of him.

That part of Leo's motivation for everything that follows is magic. No matter what he does, he's trapped, struggling and trying to take care of Ivan. The old man doesn't make it easy, either. He's constantly chasing off the nurses Leo is forced to hire to take care of him. Leo talks about family a lot, and that's what much of Brubaker's exploration of the criminal element in this series seems to be about. All these families seem inevitable, and they're all inextricably tied up with each other.

I enjoyed the way Brubaker and Phillips start the graphic novel in mid-bank robbery, with the wheels coming off and everything going wrong. A sense of immediacy instantly pulled me in and I was hanging onto every frame of Phillips's gorgeous art as the dice continued to roll snake eyes on the robbery.

Brubaker's first-person narrative is awesome and reminded me of all the old Gold Medal novels I scavenged from secondhand stories while I was growing up. When I wasn't determined to grow up to be a private eye and rescue damsels in distress, I wanted to be an anti-hero and steal from the truly bad guys. The worlds in those stories are extremely small, but everything is critical, balancing on the knife-edge between life and death.

As the story progresses, Leo gets blackmailed by Seymour, a crooked cop. Everyone who's familiar with noir knows this is a bad deal. Leo says no thanks and walks away. Until Greta, the widow of one of Leo's old partners, steps back into the picture and forces him to throw in with Seymour's gang.

I don't want to go much more into the plot because Brubaker provides a rollicking ride with plenty of twists and turns I didn't see coming. His dialogue is great, and the character motivations for everyone involved is multilayered and well portrayed.

I can't say enough good things about Phillips's art, either. The style is loose and flowing, and Phillips uses shadow and darkness like a lethal weapon. He draws (literally) the reader into a grim and gritty world.

So far there have been two graphic novels released in the CRIMINAL series. I've read them both, the second one CRIMINAL: LAWLESS first, actually, and didn't notice any plot spoilers. There are a couple things, though, but I got around them okay. Brubaker keeps his world of criminals and baser emotions tight, though. So far all the major characters of the series have been in each other's lives for years. In the third graphic novel, it appears Brubaker is going back to the 1970s and revealing even more backstory. I'm looking forward to it.

First of all, let me just say that if you want to experience Criminal to the fullest, you really have to buy the single/monthly issues. I know, it's tough. Suck it up. The monthly issues include the wonderful essays and reviews of noir films and books from industry giants and friends alike including Warren Ellis, Greg Rucka, Matt Fraction, Charles Ardai (Hard Case Crime) and of course, Patton Oswalt (who's taste in noir I like better than his comedy routine). There's more I'm forgetting too. There, I've stated the case for the monthly issues... I mean, aside from noting that monthly sales keep the book on the shelves at all!
If you're already a fan of Brubaker (or the Brubaker/Phillips creative team) then this book is a no-brainer and you should already own it and be buying copies for your friends! For someone who is new to the writing style of Ed Brubaker I will go into some detail, followed by some comments on Sean Phillips' art. This collection is begging to be read by fans of crime/noir fiction. If you like reading Richard Stark or James Ellroy or even Elmore Leonard, then this is right up your alley. Don't expect the humor you'd find in an Leonard novel though. This is a story peopled by flawed characters with the main focus centering on Leo "the coward". Leo is built up as a thief-planner with a knack for never getting caught. He gets tapped to help run an armored car job by a corrupt cop on a gangster's payroll. Brubaker's captions and dialogue read like street vernacular that suggests he's actually walked these streets and ducked down these alleyways and spent some time in The Undertow Bar. There aren't any wasted words, it's very straightfoward and no-nonsense. There is that dry, clipped quality to the dialogue that speaks to the "don't waste my time" attitude of many of the characters. That attitude isn't exclusive to the characters though, it's the attitude of the entire landscape, the entire world (or underworld). The inner monologues, Leo thinking back on things and pondering his next move, also read with a level of authenticity that's almost unheard of in any medium, let alone mature audience comics. The tone of the story is personified by Leo's constant struggling with his obligations to his friends, to himself and the dilemma of a job gone wrong. He's constantly trying to get out from under and "figure things out" so to speak and as more and more time passes, there are less and less options. The story culminates when Leo actually makes a decision and acts on it (with bloody consequences). The people of Criminal are scraping by in a world that doesn't want them to succeed and punishes them at every turn. Brubaker brilliantly captures the essence of a low man doing the only thing he knows how to do. While Leo never gets caught perhaps, he has nothing to show for it beyond broken and burnt associations with the few people in his life ultimately. I can't praise Brubaker enough, really. I mean, how many words are in an average comic book? Brubaker gets it all across and then some with Sean Phillips fantastically picking up all the subtext in his lovely visuals.
Segue into the quick art review. Sean Phillips art is not what I would call "comic book art". No, "comic book art" is what I would call guys like Jim Lee and Marc Silvestri. I'm not knockin' those guys but stylistically they're on the other end of the spectrum from Phillips. His art completely compliments the subject matter. Lots of shadows and heavy black swathes for shading. The lighting he creates is EXACT. I can't say it any better than that. He excels at facial expressions as well which is something of a premium in comic book artists. Every background and environment has a dull, washed-out quality too as if the color has sort-of seeped out of this little corner of the city (of course, credit goes to Val Staples for the coloring but Phillips' designs probably make his job very easy). Phillips not only captures faces and gestures well but he's also adept at portraying action and brutally skilled when it comes to intense scenes of violence. Make no mistake, this book isn't for kids.
What more can I say? Buy this book; it's retangular bound perfection.

First book a read in this series, but I'm surely going to read more.

*good art
*intresting plot
*intresting characters

"Coward", a crime-oriented graphic novel, reunites writer Ed Brubaker and illustrator Sean Phillips, creators of the stunning superpowered spy saga, "Sleeper." I gotta say, I really like this creative team - Phillips really captures some intangible element of Brubaker's writing, and the results are quite delicious. The forlorn, downbeat (or beat-down) sensibilities of Brubaker's savvy antiheroes comes through in every panel, and the mood they set oozes out of the pages. I was thoroughly engrossed by this story, sorry to see it end so soon (and also sorry about the finality of this particular plotline...) Looking forward to "Criminal", v.2, though! (ReadThatAgain book reviews)

I'm a big fan of crime genre in both fiction and film and a moderate fan of graphic storytelling, so I've been starting to seek out books that bridge the two. The comic book series collected in this volume got great reviews (and an Eisner award I think), so I picked it up with high expectations. The book covers a storyline that spanned five issues, although it oddly doesn't include the issue covers or text that appeared at the end of each.

Set in a comicbooky version of '70s-'80s San Francisco (here known as "Bay City"), it starts out well. We meet Leo, a 30-something thief who was literally born into a life of crime, learning how to pickpocket at young age from his criminal father and one of his associates. Leo is the titular coward, known throughout the underworld for his refusal to use guns, refusal to work for anyone else, and making sure that he always has at least two escape routes. He also doesn't really have any personal attachments to speak of. The main storyline kicks off when he gets suckered into planning a sketchy heist that requires him to abandon most of his rules and go up against crooked cops and gangsters with considerably less ethics than himself.

At this point in the story I was feeling fairly let down because it was exceedingly evident that both Leo and the plot were almost entirely recycled from various crime films -- especially Michael Mann's two films Heat and Thief. Coupled with this is a distressing amount of cheese factor, for example, the name of Leo's bar hangout (The Undertow, get it?), the involvement of an innocent kid and the requisite curvy love interest, the past coming back to haunt Leo, and don't get me started on the dialogue... Other reviewers have pointed out how hokey it is, my own favorite example is the last line of the book: "But like I said, dying... dying is harder than killing... Just my luck." Wow, deep stuff, eh?

I guess I was expecting something a little smarter, cleverer, more unusual, or just plain distinctive. The artwork by Sean Phillips is fine, not too clean, not too rough, not a lot of character period. All rendered in appropriately deep and dark tones, contained in totally straightforward paneling. The story is the real disappointment, as it fails to bring anything new to the table. Maybe this first storyline is just Brubaker finding his ground, and future installments will be more nuanced and original, but I'll definitely have to keep looking to find the right crime comic book for me.