Mystery Crime Books

I love this series...when does something else come out?

My husband is from Seattle, so reading one of these books is like taking a little trip to downtown and hanging out like we used to do.

One of my favorite Beaumont mysteries. Perhaps I was thrilled in my recognition of landmarks, as I grew up in Cochise County not far from Montezuma Pass. Jance intrigues her dedicated readers not only through an active storyline, but with real places. As I currently reside in the Puget Sound, this one hit the jackpot with me! Pinch me, is this really fiction? Maybe I'll head over to Seattle PD just to make sure Beau really isn't there!

This book offers quite a change of scenery for fans of the J.P. Beaumont series. The Washington born-and-bred policeman ends up in a rehab center which is a real contrast to his usual surroundings in the Pacific Northwest. His discoveries of things such as snakes and flash floods offer comic relief from the investigation into the death of his teen-aged roommate. In this book we also catch glimpses of his ex-wife and children, and he seems a bit more human as he goes through the rehab process. If you like Beaumont, you'll probably like this book.

Minor in Possession opens with Seattle homicide detective Beaumont drying out in an Arizona rehab clinic. Despite non-stop rainshowers and a rising river, Beau is still a fish out of water, trying to cope with a soon-to-deceased roommate, hostile clinic staff, and visiting family members dredging up his unfortunate past. It'd be enough to drive a person to drink, except of course that's the reason he's in rehab to begin with.

Following his roommate's demise and an attempt on his own life, Beau finds himself on both sides of the investigation and travelling around the state in an ever-increasing number of rental cars. The action is fast, and so are some of the women he meets. The ending is a bit overly sentimental, but getting there is certainly fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My only caveat is don't let this be the first J.P. Beaumont mystery you read. If you're not familiar with the Seattle detective's history - his lifestyle or marriage to Anne Corley, for instance - read Until Proven Guilty or the more recent Partner in Crime before reading this novel. References to Corley and things like Beau's Porsche are dropped in unaccompanied by much context, which is unusual for Jance. Unless you know what she's talking about, you'll be as much a fish out of water as her detective is at times while tackling this mystery.

As with all the other tales of Beau, we are taken on another thrill ride not knowing were we will come out, or in what shape.
Start with JP first Book so you understand him.
Then read all his stories in succession.....that's one read you will not be disappointed in.

Are plots the center of murder mysteries? Or are the characters the center? I think that highly intelligent authors sometimes get carried away and try to do too much. That's the weakness of Blood Work. But if you don't mind a plot from Mars, you may find that the paths of Mars and Venus eventually intersect on Earth.

Blood Work is a novel filled with more imagination than I can ever hope to muster. As a result, the story becomes dizzying in its complications towards the end. What will hold your attention throughout is the riveting portrayal of retired FBI-profiler, Terry McCaleb, as he tries to track down the murderer of the woman whose heart saved McCaleb's life while recovering from the transplant surgery.

To me, the most interesting parts of the book relate to what it would be like to receive a heart transplant and to have a chance to do something for the donor's family by sorting out a murderer. That's about as interesting a premise as you can have. I'm sure you'll think about it often after you read the book.

On the other hand, I was less than thrilled by the shifts in pace within the book. It starts slow and gently . . . but is moving at breakneck pace near the end. The beginning is too slow, and the end is too fast. It's more contrast than most readers can easily absorb.

Michael Connelly also relies a bit too much on his ability to tie an infinite number of facts together into a plot. It's overkill. But I had to be impressed by the imagination that can do that.

If you haven't read other stories by Michael Connelly about Terry McCaleb, be sure you start with this one. It will enrich your appreciation of the later stories.

If you want to have some extra fun with the book, keep track of the different ways that the book's title fits into the story. You'll be amazed at how many different references are appropriate. I don't recall too many novels that use more than three such references. Connelly moves well beyond such a modest target.

Pay attention to the details. They matter!

MC can write awfully better than this. I bought this book because I wanted to relax and read a good thriller and I got uneasy and bored. The main story is OK if and only if you can find it along its pages. The story has overly loopholes that it could be a strainer.

The hero in Michael Connelly's Blood Work is ex-FBI agent Terrell (Terry) McCaleb, who's recuperating from a heart transplant when Graciella Rivers steps onto his houseboat asking him to come out of retirement and find her sister's killer. Why should he? The answer is simple, Gloria River's was the heart donor who gave Terry his new heart. This leaves Terry no choice and he goes after the killer. It seems like a store robbery gone bad, but then Terry's FBI profiling instincts get ruffled and believes it was only supposed to look like a random act. He suspects there's a serial killer at work here, a predator.

Connelly departs from his straightfoward mystery/suspense novels with this story that centers on a retired FBI agent searching for the killer of the donor of his new heart. Terry McCaleb is 8 weeks out from a heart transplant when he learns of the donor's murder. Her persuasive and attractive sister spurs McCaleb to jump start the cold case of the hunt for the killer. It takes some unforeseen turns as the former FBI investigator faces his own past and the dilemma of gaining a new chance on life from someone else's loss.

Connelly, as usual, pens a suspenseful page turner. The heart transplant issue causes some missteps I think because such a patient probably would not be able to do some of the things McCaleb does or suffers without more severe physical problems. That question is present throughout the action of the book and is a part of the conflict he faces. It also limits the usual tough-guy (Bosch type) of character in Connelly's books. Other than that issue, the book is first rate.

Blood Work is based on a captivating premise: a retired FBI ace is persuaded by a stranger to investigate the murder of her sister. The recipient of a heart transplant, Terry McCaleb accepts and soon discovers that the victim was the donor of his new heart and therefore his savior. A most promising framework on which to build a police procedural.

The McCaleb novels are a departure for author Connelly, who is well known for his sharp, edgy Harry Bosch novels. Unfortunately, this new hero cannot hold a candle to Harry with respect to charisma and simple humanity. For some reason, Connelly resorted to a series of facile discoveries and coincidences to bring this mystery to its conclusion. Some of these contrivances are just too much to swallow. It didn't take long, for example, for Terry to find the exact beach location where the perpetrator hides out, and this along the southern California coast, no less.

I'll probably read the next McCaleb novel, but with lower expectations that I hold for dear Harry.

I loved Bone Collector, but I think that was Deaver's only success, at least for me. I've read two other Rhyme novels after that and found them dry and boring, this one included. The same `walking the grid', and `walk me through-it' Sachs from BC, here and with the same outcome. Rhyme having Sachs enter the mind of the killer and then suddenly (only after his guidance) comes into so many insights, how incredibly unrealistic is this after so much time together? She is not yet able to make these insightful conclusions on her own with his leading her to them? It's trite and more of the same.

The characters are incredibly boring, the antagonist "The Ghost", come on. We don't even have a name for him (it's easy to figure out his true identity I realized what it was only 35 pages or so into the novel). The victims, the family pursued by the Ghost, we never really have an understanding of them or any compassion. It just didn't develop for me. I was aching while reading this, thinking of all of the books I had waiting for me on the shelves that were interesting, with people and plots that I felt compelled to discover.

I do not know if I will try another Deaver novel after this, that is two poor outings in a row. Sachs and Rhyme are a great partnership but it's a partnership that never grows (later they become lovers which is a complete joke!) It continues with Rhyme being the real expert and Sachs, only involved because she so understands him, not because she has the ability to understand and analyze things on her own. It's more of the same, and now it's just boring. When she was a rookie, it was great, he was in the role of a teacher, but after so many cases to follow the same `I lead you follow' rule is not only unrealistic, it's an affront to Amelia's character and her lack of real development. I suppose curing Rhyme of his paralysis and having them become lovers was the only way Deaver could come up with for a change in the dimension of their relationship, which I think is so completely ridiculous it's an affront to their partnership completely. A much older, unattractive man that has always been a father figure to her, a teacher, she is a young, attractive police officer, and then they eventually become lovers because what else is there when you lack the imagination to be creative? Disappointing! She simply cannot exist without him and now it's not just crime scenes, it's the bedroom. Is Deaver writing about these characters or living out his own fantasties? It just does not follow any true road, its contrived. More of the same.

Avoid this, or not, it's your decision of course. There are many readers who love more of the same novels, like music fans that love a band who puts out the same CD over and over. If that is what you love, you might enjoy this.

I received the Stone Monkey a Hardcover book on 7/3/08. The book looked new, it is in very good shape. I have not read it yet. But I was very happy with the service I received.

Is Jeffery capable of writing a bad novel?

The research is yet again amazing, he talks to the reader instead of over them, and there are tremendous plot twists that take nothing away from the story.

This story of a Chinese immigrant smuggler is both informative and entertaining. It is impossible not to get sucked into the story and care about the characters, which is the sign that you are reading a novel from a polished author.

Deaver is a tremendous writer and I am always impressed with each one of his novels. This is highly recommended.

The Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver is loaded with suspense from first page until the very end you find yourself trying to figure out who the Ghost is, but this is one that can stump the guys who always figure out who done it by the second chapter. Every time you think you've got it figured out, someone gets killed and it all goes in another direction. This one has a medium pace and is easy to put down and pick back up, but the story is interesting and holds your attention. The villain has real depth and his presence whispers through the story keeping you on the lookout for a character that fits his shadowy presence. Like all Deaver's work, an enjoyable read.

In this novel, the duo of Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are on the case of an evil people trafficer, known only as the 'ghost'. The 'ghost' has just deliberately scuttled a cargo ship carrying his illegal immigrants, after locking them in the hold. However, a couple of families have escaped, and now he is ruthlessly on their trail, in the city of New York.

I found this novel a good read, if not quite a page turner. The combination of Rhyme and Sachs is always interesting, although, I feel, the large cast of characters, around them, from the different law enforcement agencies, can sometimes be a bit unwieldy, and on few occasions I had to think as to which character, belonged to which agency.

I thought there were a couple of small drawbacks to the book. Firstly, there seemed to be an awful lot of action/events going on in the space of just a few days, and, secondly, I felt some of the Chinese characters in the novel, were a bit too stereotyped. All in all, though, a fairly good book. Three and half to four stars.

As a longtime fan of hers, I read this book but did not enjoy it much, as it seemed like she was trying something odd and new, completely alien geo. territory, strange characters. If you look at an older copy of this, like a library copy, you see in the earlier editions she dedicated it to her SECOND husband, and at that time she LIVED in Minnesota! Apparently that marriage was brief and unhappy, she returned to the NY/NJ area where she now lives and remarried a few years ago to her current husband. there has never been any reference to the 2nd marriage or to her life in Minn. again.

I've read a few of Clark's other books, and liked them, but I spend most of my time and money on non fiction books. My mom had this and brought it over to me as soon as she finished saying how great it was. She was right, I finished it that night! I felt so bad for her, getting herself stuck into a situation that kept getting worse. I also realy identified with the loss of the baby, because I have lost one too. I will definitly be reading more of her books in the future!

I'm not a huge Mary Higgins Clark fan, but I have enjoyed a few of her books. However, after reading people like Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, and Sandra Brown, this book seems quite "empty" to me. There's no real substance to it. Clark doesn't write characters that I want to read about, characters that I either love or hate. When I read, I like KNOWING the character, and seeing the story through their eyes. Here I don't know much about them at all. I know Clark writes mystery, not romance, but still, the whole relationship between the "main" character Jenny and the "off" Erich Kreuger is just strange, and hardly believable. It's hard to even pity Jenny for her situation. The idea of the story is a little spooky, I'll give her that, but it really didn't grab me. It's just another book that's easy enough to get through, but it's not so great.

A must read for everyone who likes a good mystery without all the gore and dirty words used to describe something. I always enjoy reading stories by Mary Higgins Clark. She is one of my favorite authors. This latest A Cry In The Night is one of her better ones. I will reread it later this year.

I may have read one or two of her books in the past, but I won't be in a hurry to pick up another one. Besides the two instances where an animal was cruelly and unnecessarily killed, I could see the predictable, happily-ever-after ending coming a mile away.

Toko Kawai is one of my must-read mangakas and this love story between a sensei and his much younger high school student is just so well told.

Yuuya and Kiriya met one night when they were at the lowest points in their lives. Yuuya, a gifted pianist, has lost his ability to play on his beloved instrument while Kiriya has lost both his job and his lover in one day. They opened up to each other and comfort soon turned to sex on the same night. They could have stopped then but their loneliness drew them together and they found themselves becoming week-end lovers with no strings attached. Imagine their shock when Kiriya turned up in Yuuya's high school one day as a substitute teacher and Yuuya was really not as old as he claimed and looked.
Thereon it is one emotional roller coaster ride for Kiriya and the 17 year-old Yuuya. The age gap of 10 years is not the real problem though the last thing Kiriya wants is an immature under-age lover. Their sensei-student relationship is the main obstacle and this soon proves to be true as they were found out in one tumultous scene.
Toko Kawai has done a marvelous job exploring this ultimate sensei-student emotional love story. It is realistic filled with anguishment and so much yearnings as the older Kiriya fought against what is right and what his heart wants as he succumbs to Yuuya's sincerity and youthful persistence. The scenes when they are forced to part with Yuuya begging Kiriya to wait for him to grow up is most heart wrenching.
As I read this story I was never assured that I will get my happy ending as there are so many obstacles in the lovers' path. It is not that I do not like Yuuya but I thought the vulnerable Kiriya really deserves a mature and caring man to love him. On the other hand maybe Yuuya will grow up to be such a man, as he promises his sensei.
The ending could have ended either way. Realistic me would have preferred a bitter ending but I could not complain about this ending which satisfy sappy old me. Highly recommended. Again such high quality packaging from 801media

The first time I have watched this film was on TV when I was a teenager, many years ago (in the 70s) then, I was looking for this documentary on VHS version in the early 90s but without result. Now I'm so glad to have this product bought twice. I have shown it to my family, to my friends and I have used it for lectures. Everybody are astonished and enjoy it so much. I believe in UFOs and aliens and I have several Mr. E. von Daniken'books. I love this kind of reading and films, so, I recommend this DVD for private home collection not only for the technical release but also for the music (so difficult to find the sound track). The images around the world in archaeological zones in search of ancient gods or astronauts are superb !

Yes, as nonfiction this book stinks. But as fiction it's one of the most important works of the last fifty years. The concept of aliens pretending to be gods is now a staple of science fiction, and all the great science fiction that uses this scenario (like Stargate) owes a lot to this book, not just in ideas, but in getting the idea into the popular consciousness.

This is my favorite doco!!! please watch it,it shows Baghdad before the dictator ruined it.Its old but fantastic at one stage very hard to find,do yourself a favour,enjoy.

When I saw a very old copy of this in the dollar bin at the library book sale, I snapped it up. What a hoot! This is the book that spawned a zillion sci-fi books and Coast-to-Coast AM shows.

His theory that extraterrestrials visited ancient Earth is very interesting. It would have been much more compelling if he hadn't felt the need to drag in Project Bluebook and Edgar Cayce. His projections for the future of Earth and NASA are really funny forty years later. I can't tell you how many times I laughed and had to read passages out loud to my husband.

I can live with the fuzzy logic and faulty reasoning. What I cannot abide is Daniken's unwavering assertion that ancient peoples were all knuckle-dragging troglodytes. Time after time he insists that ancient people could not possibly have the knowledge or intelligence to make any of the objects that have been found by archaeologists. I could go into a long rant, but the bottom line is this: We are not descended from idiots.

Forget about the "evidence" which purports to be relayed here and focus instead on the beautiful soundtrack and cinematography. This film is in desperate need of a remaster from a 35mm print, as the print used for the DVD is choppy and the soundtrack has an ugly warble to it. Criterion, are you listening???

This book has it all--a wonderful setting (Three Pines, a Canadian village south of Montreal) fascinating characters (several artists and others who are close friends) and a well-paced plot.

Friends of Jane Neal, a retired schoolteacher, are shocked at her sudden death. Preliminary investigation seems to point to a hunting accident but with Armand Garmache, a homicide investigator, on the scene it is soon discovered that Miss Neal was murdered. Garmache uncovers old secrets between some of the characters which seem to cast suspicion on several of Jane's friends. Hidden beneath the conviviality of longtime friendship is one who hated Jane with enough passion to kill her.

This is a wonderful, well-written mystery which encourages me to read Louise Penney's other novels.

Still Life is the first book I've read by Louise Penny and she did not disappoint. If you like a cozy mystery with lots of small town activity and characters that intrigue but don't threaten you, this is the book for you.

Jane Neal is found dead, whether by accident or intent it is up to our Inspector Gamache to find out and along the way he also has to ensure his own team members are behaving appropriately. Descriptions of life in the little town and the differenct characters added color and interest to this well written mystery. I especially loved the gay couple who owned the Bistro - very nicely done and I could almost see them having a whole book centered on them in the future.

A comfortable read indeed.

If you enjoy traditional mysteries (albeit with a touch of profanity and sexuality) then STILL LIFE is a good modern day choice.

Set in a small town in Canada, this mystery features a detective investigating the rather strange death of an elderly woman killed by a bow and arrow. Was her death accidental or deliberate? Penny, to her credit, constructs a very clever mystery, one that the reader can solve herself if she carefully studies all the clues. All the supporting characters are colorful and fun to spend time with, and the lead detective (Ganache) is refreshingly flawed and imperfect.

STILL LIFE is a low-key, philosophical type of story, and not for readers who want their novels fast paced and filled with action. Still, if you fondly remember Agatha Christie's novels and want a novel written in that spirit, this is a fine modern-day substitute.

Penny has written two subsequent novels in this series, and I look forward to reading them.

I really enjoyed the ambiance of this tale. Ive read the second book as well. It is like going to a place you want to retire in and having a family ready made. The mysteries are just the icing on the cake!!

Louise Penny has written a wonderful "cozy murder mystery." The mystery is intriguing and well laid out. It is the characters, though, that you will fall in love with. They make the story! In this book that is the first in a series, Penny does a great job "hooking" the reader so that you want to read more about Three Pines. I bought Fatal Grace (the second book) at the same time as this one, and I am glad I did. I jumped right into it when I finished Still Life. Definitely worth your while!

This book contains two stories: "Gotham by Gaslight" and "Master of the Future". The latter is nothing special, and hardly uses the 19th century setting at all. "Gaslight" is better because of its darker subject matter, but it's painfully obvious who the bad guy is, and the book suffers from comparison with the much superior "From Hell".

I was expecting to get some steampunk-type action, but that never really happens.

We get yet another retelling of Batman's origin, filtered through the elseworlds setting.

The artwork on "Gaslight" is very good, but the second story is not drawn by the same artist.

This has got to be one of the most interesting Batman Elseworlds Stories in a long time. Most of them just get too wound up into explaining his origin in that setting. Gotham By Gaslight does not. It is careful never to attribute the deaths of Bruce's Parents to Jack the Ripper (the central Villian of the first half) but leaves it ambiguous. However the story is uneven, having bursts of genius followed by uninteresting banter. The first story Gotham By Gaslight is the real jewel in this collection. With Mignola's amazing artwork this is really the standout hit in the book. The Gotham By Gaslight story revolves around jack the ripper with a cameo by the joker, this story is engrossing much like Alan Moore's From Hell. Brian Augustyn showed his brilliance by building up the action and dialouge scenes perfectly. However lightning rarely strikes twice and in the second story Master of the Future the story lacks the same engrossing qualities as the first losing the readers interest. And without Mignola's artwork to please the senses it just isn't the same beast and i found myself bored; Often forcing myself to complete the book.

All in all its a great read through the first half (Gotham By Gaslight), but i recommend to just read the first half twice and not waste time with the second half (Master of the Future)

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight was the first tale of DC's Elseworlds label, putting an alternate reality twist on DC's most iconic characters. This TPB features Gotham by Gaslight, as well as it's lesser sequel, Master of the Future. Both are written by Brian Augustyn, but Gotham by Gaslight is undoubtedly the best of both, as we witness Batman of 1889 face-off against the murderous Jack the Ripper, who may have ties into Bruce Wayne's tragic past. While this story is very satisfying and features some great nods to Batman mythology, it's the artwork of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola that really helps it stand out. While not as moody as his artwork would become, it still makes an impression regardless. Master of the Furure finds Batman facing-off against a more generic lunatic as the time period approaches the twentieth century, and while the artwork by Eduardo Barreto is good, the story itself is sadly lacking. All in all though, Gotham by Gaslight is still a worthwhile Batman TPB that is worth a look for Batman devotees, but may be a little hard to get into for those that are newer to the world of Batman.

The premise for Gotham by Gaslight was so really intriguing, so I was pretty excited to read it. That excitement pretty much evaporated after about the first two or three pages. The artwork was really bland and the dialogue was very forgettable. The plot was so obvious that anyone with half a brain could have figured out exactly what was going to happen after about the first five pages. Another flaw I found was that it was too short for any of the characters to develop whatsoever. To sum up, great premise, very poor execution.

An interesting take on Batman for sure, this story sets Bruce Wayne and his collegues in the Victorian era Gotham. It was cool to see what the city looked like 100 years ago and how the people of that time would have reacted to the dark knight.

There are two seperate stories in here, both written by Brian Augustyn. The first finds Bruce returning home from London after his travels and resuming the role of Batman. It is at this time that a serial killer known as Jack the Ripper appears in Gotham and is continuing to murder women in the same fashion as the murders in London. It is assumed by the commishioner that Batman is the man behind this. Wayne is framed for the killings and has no alibi, since by revealing how he really spends his nights would most likely further incriminate him. It is a pretty interesting story, however I caught the killer long before the trained detective which always dissapoints me. Batman should always have it figured it out before the reader in my opinion otherwise it ruins the suspense.

The second story surprised me because I doubt I would have picked this up seperately if they weren't collected together in this edition, but it turned out to be better than the first. The villain is more interesting and the whole story and villain could have easily been an adventure of Zorro. In the first story after Bruce has found the man responsible for his parents murder he quits his crusade. This seems very out of character for him. The newly appointed Commishioner Gordan knows there is a need for Batman still and when a new villain pops up to terroize the city, Bats answers the call. Julie Madison also makes an apperance as Bruce's love interest.

After reading the second story "Master of the Future", I wouldn't be opposed to picking another copy of this version of Batman. Although this Batman of the past won't ever top the Batman of the future for me, it's still a worthy attempt and a good spin on the character.

As this fifth book of the AMELIA PEABODY series opens the Emerson's, renouned Egyptologist Radcliffe Emerson, his outspoken wife, Amelia and their son Ramses are preparing to return to their home in England. They are planning to enjoy a peaceful summer there, writing up their discoveries for publication in the scholarly journals and spending some quiet time with their extended family, the Walter Emersons. What they had not forseen was that the Peabody side of the family would intrude. One of Amelia's deadbeat brothers has intruded into the family circle with the purpose of dumping his children, Percy and Violet, on Amelia for a few weeks. The other unforeseeable intrusion on their quiet break was the arrival of a mysterious Egyptian priest, a priest of the sort who presided over the burials of the pharoahs, has been appearing in the British museum pronouncing curses.

As is the norm for this series, the mystery aspect shares, or is at times, overshadowed by, the scenes of family life. Ramses is now coming into his own as a character, the annoying lisp is gone, and he and Amelia are engaged in a full fledged battle of wits, he to pursue his many interests and she to keep the destruction and mayhem that seems to follow him to a minimum with the end goal of his survival to adulthood. Amelia's point of view is, as always, delightful. Fans will, in particular, enjoy the ongoing competition between Emerson and Amelia to solve the mysteries first, a contest that is now increasingly including Ramses.

Those who are unfamiliar with this series would be better served to begin at the beginning and proceed in order. Even long time fans might wish to at least review the earlier novels before starting this one as the overall story arc is more of a factor in this series than is typical in most mystery series.

Elizabeth Peters was born and brought up in Illinois and earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's famed Oriental Institute. Peters was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lives in a historic farmhouse in western Maryland.

The Amelia Peabody books may or may not be an acquired taste, personally I love them. They are set in Victorian times when there were still very strict rules of etiquette and polite behaviour was the norm. Although most of the books are set in Egypt, in the desert under very trying conditions and extremely hot weather the `English' way of life was still expected to be adhered to, sometimes with quite hilarious consequences.

Amelia Peabody is Elizabeth Peters' best loved and brilliant creation, a thoroughly Victorian feminist who takes the stuffy world of archaeology by storm with her no nonsense dress sense and forthright opinions.

A night watchman is found dead in the British Museum, in of all places the Egyptian Mummy Room. The watchman has a look of sheer terror etched upon his face. This immediately starts the British press talking of ancient Egyptian Curses set up to protect the long dead from the living. People even begin to ask the question, `can fear kill?' Amelia immediately takes on her practical attitude and discounts all such theories as stuff and nonsense. Husband Emerson and her son Ramses do everything in their power to ensure that Amelia does not become another victim of whoever perpetrated the crime and there are many twists and turns before the murder can be brought to justice.

If you've never treated yourself to an Amelia Peabody mystery, lose no more time! These are engaging and wonderfully witty books, and the only thing wrong with them is that they aren't a thousand pages long!

Deeds of the Disturber is temporally toward the middle of the series, and one of the best. It's a great mystery, and you'll enjoy the characters and the eloquent Victorian-toned writing style!

This is my first Amelia Peabody and Elizabeth Peters mystery. The novel is set in Victorian times. Peabody, as her husband, Emerson, calls her, is in London with the entire family. This includes Ramses, their precocious young son, and her young niece, Violet, and nephew, Percy. The latter two are the offspring of her very disagreeable brother, James, who foisted them off for a long period of at least six weeks.

The typical who-done-it mystery ensues in the British museum, with a mummy playing a prominent role. By the way, did you know that ground mummy has been used as a medicinal treatment for various diseases?

The family is VERY wealthy, residing in a mansion in London replete with servants of every sort, including footmen. Their language is quite florid. Peabody and Ramses use about 40 words for what Spenser (of the Robert Parker series) would say in three!

At first, I thought that this story is so "talky" that I couldn't get through it. Then, I began to get into the mood of the socioeconomic milieu and enjoy it. To me, the mystery was an aside to portrait of the wealthy, elegant, intelligent, educated Victorian family. At breakfast Peabody tells a servant, "Take this toast away. . . it has become quite leathery." She shops for custom-made frocks and tea gowns. The children wear sailor suits with hats and Violet wears ruffles and ribbons.

Particularly amusing are the most discreet innuendos to Peabody and Emerson's busy and most satisfying sex life. Face it, it's difficult to be spontaneous in a house filled with servants who assist in dressing, undressing, filling the bath, delivering mail, announcing guests and tea time, dinner time, etc.

Violet, a rather slow child, is noted for her tendency to gobble every teacake, biscuit and muffin within reach. Peabody notices that she is inflating like a frog and attempts, generally futilely, to restrict her consumption of sweets.

Unlike the rest of the clan, dear Violet is a creature of few words. When Percy and Ramses suffer their frequent mishaps, usually involving tussles between them, Violet utters phrases such as, "Dead! Dead!" or "Nasty! Nasty!"

In short, the mystery seemed to be an excuse for displaying the opulence of the British Victorian era and the eccentricities of the Emerson-Peabody entourage, an amusing setting well-worth visiting.

Deeds of the Disturber by Elizabeth Peters is the fifth book in the Amelia Peabody series. Amelia and her husband Emerson, Egyptologists and English gentry, return to England with their precocious son Ramses to find a "curse" haunting the British Museum and a reporter "friend" of theirs publishing that they are on the case to investigate. Two deaths and a kidnapped female reporter add to the suspense. The story is really only the excuse to peek in on the lives of Amelia, Emerson and Ramses, one of the most amusingly fascinating families in literary mysteries. The stories are written as though taken from Amelia's journal and she writes with asperity. It is a clever author who can write a scene through the eyes of a character while giving the impression that it may not have happened just the way the character said and while adding insight to said character. Amelia's versions of events may not always be completely trustworthy, and occasionally her interpretation of events is hilarious, even to the other characters involved. Peters writes with a bright wit and a flair for romance. Amelia and Emerson are madly in love and lust with each other and the bedroom door shuts on the reader rather regularly, although not before a bit of double entendre dialogue. The word precocious for Ramses doesn't begin to describe the boy. He is preternaturally intelligent and often poses rather pointed questions about matters he doesn't quite understand. His rescuing his parents may grow a bit old if it continues as the series goes on, but he adds a tartness to his scenes. A new cast of characters has been added with the addition of some household staff, and I hope that they return. Simply said: Peters is a delight to read, and I space out the reading of her books so that I don't read through them all too quickly and have to wait for the next in the series.

MORTAL STAKES is the third Spenser novel, and is one of the best ones. The plot involves Spenser being hired by the Boston Red Sox to determine whether one of their pitchers is throwing games. Spenser's investigation leads him to look deep into the personal history of the pitcher's wife, which reveals quite a few skeletons.

I really enjoy reading Parker's prose. The writing in MORTAL STAKES is lean, funny, and always entertaining. His early Spenser books are the best, because the character is still young, fresh and unsure of himself. In the later books, he becomes a bit too much of a self-satisfied superhero for my tastes. My advice is to read the first ten Spenser novels first -- they are some of the best private eye fiction you will ever read.

In short, MORTAL STAKES is a classic novel by one of the most important American crime writers working today. If you've never read Parker, this novel is certainly worth your time, although you might want to read GOD SAVE THE CHILD first to get a bit more background on who Spenser is.

Spenser is summoned by the general manager of the Boston Red Sox and asked to investigate their start pitcher, Marty Rabb. There are some whispers that Rabb may be throwing games and Spenser is asked to provide a definitive answer one way or another. Spenser starts poking around and is soon on a trail that leads him to Illinois, New York, and back to Boston. What he learns only creates new problems and it's up to Spenser to figure out how to help Rabb and the Sox while keeping himself alive and healthy.

Spenser is a smart mouth P.I. who does his best to do the right thing. This may not make him the most original creation in modern fiction, but he's an enjoyable character. The banter is pretty solid and Spenser gets some pretty good lines. Most of the supporting characters were solid and had distinct personalities. The story moved along at a good clip and definitely held my interest.

Mortal Stakes is the third in the Spenser series with thirty-five published to date. This was my first experience with Robert B Parker as an author, let alone this character. It didn't immediately launch itself onto my list of all-time favorites, but I'm interested enough to try another Spenser book. Having said that, I would obviously recommend this novel to either first time readers or established Parker fans.

In the 3rd Spenser outing, he is hired to investigate the Boston Red Sox to see if one of the team is being paid to throw some of the games. His investigations take him to some strange places and he digs up some dirt he wasn't expecting - as well as some serious trouble for himself.

Oddly enough, this book left me a bit cold - I can't quite place my finger on why I didn't find this book as enjoyable as the first two. Perhaps it is due to the many places where Spenser waxes philosophical for no particular reason. Perhaps it is the way that clues seem to just fall into his lap. Maybe it is just because I'm reading it at work and work leaves me in a foul mood. Whatever the reason, don't let me cause you to pass up this book; Spenser fans will want to read it so they don't miss out on a minute of this series.

Mortal Stakes, the third in the Spenser series, is wonderful on many levels. It is more than just about baseball and blackmail and a lone wolf PI taking on underworld thugs. It is also about relationships: between couples, between business partners, between a sports idol and his fans and also his teammates. Parker handles all of these relationships well, with the plot twisting down to a somewhat surprising end: the hero is not who you think! Excellent read - I highly recommend.

Loved the reality/fiction twist of Spenser going undercover as a writer to get into baseball back rooms and detect from inside the game. The poem introducing this heavenly concept of work overlapping play was a perfect preface. Of course the meaning in those lines from Robert Frost descend into deadly seriousness, beyond a person's job taking him into his most passionate pastime.

It appears that, for Robert B. Parker, the heart of Boston's commerce and culture is baseball at Fenway Park. That is where this author appears to live. And where Spenser opens gateways for Parker's dreams... and nightmares.

To me, Parker seemed happy to be writing this book within this setting with mirrors reflecting mirrors of "plays" within plays that Spenser's opening interviews didn't feature suspects/clients offering delicatessen varieties of The Limburger Reek. The beauty of the baseball scene was captured perfectly, from the spectators in the stands, to the clean locker room banter, to the management organizational structure and press picture, to the sharks feeding among the sacred roots of the game. Even though I'm not into baseball, by page 4 Parker had me hooked into his ambiance. I felt the realism in the levels of the game, felt Spenser's joy (at the outset) to be doing this case.

It seemed to me as if, by this third Spenser novel, copyright 1975, Parker was feeling his oats as an author, had established his commercial appeal, and was really stepping out to write what and how he'd always wanted: Baseball, within the classic framework of detective fiction.

Loved the joked-up titles for his fictional book, off-colored ditties which lead to an appropriate one. I was curious what Spenser would come up with, contrasted to his hokey (as he meant them to be) jokes, and he dropped the head-liner at the precise time and place for effect.

It was nice, as a change of pace, to see Spenser as slightly less of a wise guy and more of a vulnerably happy man eating up the perks of his profession (though his artfully acerbic wit, which I relish, certainly wasn't lacking).

I'm happy to report that this third novel was written in the meaty narrative style of the prior two novels, rather than in the pared down dialogue dance of his later works, though I do not mean to disparage the honed beauty of his later work. Just wanted to enjoy his early, classic P.I. style (with its sensual gourmet touches), wanted to stretch out for a while prior to the sophisticated-dialogue-rap condensing narrative complexity into Parker's signature syntax dance.

I wonder how many novels Parker wrote with the setting and location detail riding equal to or above the dialogue and interview process. I'm going to enjoy the heck out of finding out where/how his style evolved. Would like to also unearth the whys, but I'd have to interview the man to get to that groundwork.

Though writing fictional works is my favorite outlet for my talent (making work into play), when I've despaired of being published right in that venue, I've sometimes toyed with the idea of writing a novel based on facts featuring the development and expression of a talent like Parker's, a full, meaty story showing how his talent was guided and manipulated by whatever factors. Sidney Sheldon's memoirs, THE OTHER SIDE OF ME (See my review posted 1/14/06), does a great job of exposing how his expression was hammered by those jealous of ability expressed well, developed by ungodly hard work with good luck mixed into the bad, endured torture to arrive at a success few could fully comprehend, though his memoirs explain a lot.

Another amazing example of how life's events mold talent is Stephen King's ON WRITING (my review dated 10/13/06). Apparently King is frightening enough that many people seem to pause at least twice before tarnishing his talent in public venues which King might read.

But King and Sheldon's books (those mentioned above) are nonfiction. If I wanted to (or even could) take time away from writing pure fiction (I'm ambivalent about alternate routes for expression, because I'm better with fiction than with fact), I'd like to write factual information into novel form, with a focus on what manipulated an auspicious author's talent into the types of books published under his name, an author like Robert B. Parker.

And, I've wondered if the stalking incidents in HUSH MONEY and WALKING SHADOW (my reviews dated 4/11 & 13/06) were based on actual incidents in Parker's life. I've also wondered if his wife, Joan, is as feisty as Susan was in HUSH MONEY. In the real world, Joan probably wouldn't (for understandable reasons) act out the drama quite as Susan did. But, I'll bet RB and Joan enjoyed the heck out of Susan's scenes taking care of the "lady" stalker. Readers aren't the only ones who live vicariously in novels.

What's fiction for if not to write or read about what we'd love (and sometimes fear) to be able to do in life but, for various reasons of cowardliness, courage, or consequences, cannot.

Returning to the issues and joys of MORTAL STAKES, the above tangent subtly explains why I enjoyed so much reading about Parker (via Spenser) wallowing in his passion of Fenway Park baseball. The above tangent also backs up my reasons for appreciating Parker's inclusion of detail of Spenser's personal and professional daily routines. When an author writes when, how, and what his main character eats his daily bread, that author not only draws that character from its essence, the author draws the reader in from the seat of where we all live at base reality.

Spenser's daily routine actions spread like gourmet-peanut-butter and homemade jam over Parker's pages, following Spenser's exit from the ball park, through the following day. Those scenes were a premium use of narrative space lush with syntax ambiance, all of which effected a perfect set up for the riveting scene of mob-type intrusion into Parker's office by Frank Doerr and back up guy. This type of narrative contrast makes high art, the contrast between a heavy risk scene holding "mortal stakes," coming on after the reader has gotten comfortable wallowing in a character's simple, daily human machinations, a character running through "at home" routines, meandering through "at play" situations involving his greatest passions (especially when the pleasurable addictions overlap his livelihood necessities).

After that stirring of contrasting scenes, the comfy/schmoozing Vs. the risky/riveting elements had welded into a novel I wasn't wanting to end. And, in essence, it wouldn't end until I rolled through over 20 more Spenser novels after this one. Yeah!

(I wonder, how Parker felt chained to this venue for a lifetime. He did successfully manipulate it to express various angles of his literary creativity and ethics development process. Maybe he loved every day of his work as an author. Or did he sometimes want to pull his hair out, scream primal howls, to get out of the detective novel constraints? He did develop other series characters and accomplished those Spenser sidelines well.)

Who would have thought a reader like me, who has absolutely zilch natural interest in spectator sports, would have become cozily enchanted, actually entranced by a novel worked around and within baseball. To be able to accomplish this, heavy-duty talent is required to be firing on all cylinders.

V-rrrrooooooooommmmmmmm.

This is what happens when work is play for an author. Yet reading the Frost poetry more closely, it says, "when work is play for mortal stakes." This play is serious. The work of an author, no matter how glamorous or how fun it may seem, is serious. Should editors open the gateway, then get out of the way? (Until the creation is complete, then offer assistance if/as requested?) I don't know. I'm just a fool full of brain sparks. And, with second thoughts having fizzled, I realize Parker, like Sheldon and King, should write his own memoirs. I couldn't EVEN do justice to a biography on Parker's authorship evolution. I live so far into the ozone of fiction, I too often get my facts wrong.

But, a few questions remain.

How would Brenda and Susan contrast, in fitting into baseball and the P.I.'s life, into the life which is played with mortal stakes? The sparing scenes with each of these female sidekicks were beautifully, sensitively, and thougtfully drawn.

And what of the economic/cultural contrasts dramatized so crushingly clearly here, of lives varying from the clean health of Spenser's personal ablutions and ruminations, to the varieties of physical deterioration and downtrodden, deathly drudgery; from urban renewal edging against City Pimp-ery, to a Heartland Hero protecting the sad sanctuary of "his people" lost to an exhausting poverty of mud and swill?

Of course Parker dealt with those situations with his usual finesse, largesse, and an abundance of duress. Earthy wisdom was also applied with Biblical eyes and teeth, gusto and grace.

Before leaving this book, I felt a need to study the sophisticated symbolism of the "setup" location and situation.

What does contemplation of the scene's description bring to mind?

As did the caring, relishing (reader drool inducing) way Spenser took time to cook for himself, the "setup" setting symbolized what Spenser was defending in a battle no less than a full out war, which involved defending the continued existence of everything he held dear, including his life and the sacred people and parts in a way of life hard won in the US. The setting Spenser chose for his showdown scene also symbolized what was sea creature, at the center of that life, ripping its flesh and eating the people and parts.

In MORTAL STAKES, Parker stepped into the storms of life as we're growing it. He stuck his thick neck out and really said something. Go beyond thought spaces between sentences. This work is such a cohesive whole the undercurrents might be best seen after the last page has been turned. Slowly.

Linda G. Shelnutt