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by Beverle Graves Myers
ISBN: 1590582241
Binding/Media: Paperback - 286 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in good condition with minimal reading wear. EX LIBRARY BOOK CLUB copy. There is a number and library stamp on the top, but no further markings or imperfections.
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Customer Reviews
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Rich Milieu -- 18th Century Venice
Rating  (4)
Date: 2010-06-28
Others have summarized the story quite well, so I won't do so. My husband and I both enjoyed the book because of the introduction to cultural life in 18th century Venice, especially among the opera society--both performers and viewers from all social strata, including the upper classes to the gondoliers. The author painted an indepth view into the life of the times, and of the city itself.My husband this past year has gotten very interested in opera, attending 3, listening to many, and reading a lot about the art, and the author enriched his knowledge. The mystery is good, not great. The pace is comfortable, not too slow or too fast. There is a very surprising ending. The author does introduce a lot of characters and describes them, especially the family members, and it was clear to me she did so, in part, because this was just the first book of the series. Neither my husband nor I read mysteries just for the mystery itself. We do enjoy historical mysteries that also educate us on the time, and this book definitely does so.
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Intriguing!
Rating  (5)
Date: 2009-08-25
Mystery, intrigue, drama, the world of castrati--all within the context of 18th-century Venetian culture and society. What could be better? Beverly Graves Myers has spun an absorbing tale of murder and deception that will keep you glued to every page.
The rich detail and fast pace of this novel make it a fascinating yet easy read. The story will draw you into the dark, enticing world of Venetian opera and leave you wanting more. Guaranteed!
Sarah Bruce Kelly
Author of THE RED PRIEST'S ANNINA
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A Beautiful Historical Mystery
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-06-03
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
The world of opera in past centuries sometimes seems odd in this age, but think pop star, think crowds of adoring fans, think Michael Jackson. Well, maybe not.
Tito is a castrato, a young man surgically altered to create a voice that entertains the crowds of opera fans of the Baroque era. He finds himself embroiled in mystery when a singer at the opera is murdered and his best friend is accused of the crime.
The history is excellent. I was immediately pulled into Tito's world, recalling my teen years when Mary Stewart, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Norah Lofts did the same for me, to the point that my parents sometimes lost patience when I too often had my "nose stuck in a book."
The setting is lush and well-rounded, the characters become real to the reader despite being long-dead, and the mystery is both compelling in its progression and satisfying at the end. I found that for the first time in many months, I was willing to put aside other concerns in my desire to find out how it ended. And isn't the goal of all mystery writers to create that feeling in the reader?
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Fascinating!
Rating (4)
Date: 2005-04-10
8 out of 8 customers found this reveiw helpful
Filled with lush description of Venice during Carnivale, its political and social structure, the inner workings of the opera company and Tito's relationships with his family, friends, colleagues and himself, this is a rich, wonderful book. I also found it a good mystery with a couple of twists and some good suspense. This is a series I shall definitely follow.
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A Fascinating Read
Rating (5)
Date: 2005-01-25
7 out of 7 customers found this reveiw helpful
Interrupted Aria concerns a Venetian castrato struggling to solve a murder mystery while uncovering secrets about his own past. The story begins with Tito Amato returning to Venice after many years of training at a music conservatory. Felice, his friend who is agonizing over the loss of his voice, tags along. Before the close of Tito's opera debut, a prima donna is murdered and Felice is arrested. There are several red herrings in this densely plotted mystery, and it won't give anything away to say that, in the detecting phase of the story, all Tito's sinister family secrets come tumbling out of the closet. This book is based on a piece of history that is seldom mentioned, but the characters, especially Tito are so intriguing that it all comes beautifully alive. I look forward to a sequel.
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by Carolyn G. Hart
ISBN: 078626506X
Binding/Media: Hardcover - 448 pages
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. No shelf wear, no remainder marks.
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Customer Reviews
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Fast Page-Turning Fun Mystery
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-06-15
Annie Darling likes a good mystery. She runs a bookstore that specializes in mystery books and has organized a "mystery cruise" to promote the store. The cruise involves a scripted play that will interact the guests in a mystery that they will then try to solve.
When guests start arriving for the cruise, Annie is surprised to see her friend Pamela Potts. Annie is even more surprised when Pamela thanks her for the free ticket, a ticket that Annie didn't give her. They would have to discuss this when things settled down.
Only the evening doesn't settle down - Pamela falls overboard!
Luckily Pamela is rescued. However she is unconscious. Annie thinks that foul play is involved, but the police write the occurance off as an accident. Soon after the accident, another guest commits suicide. Or was it suicide? It seems that the woman's children and secretary had a motive to murder her.
With a boat full of mystery fans and amateur detectives, soon the guests take over the investigation and try to figure out who is trying to kill off the party guests.
Oh boy, "Murder Walks the Plank" was such a fun book to read! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. While there were clues given throughout, I was guessing until the very end. I would recommend this book highly. It's a great combination of intrigue and humor.
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Received so quickly!
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-04-20
I received this book so quickly and there was great communication from seller. Book was in wonderful condition. Would buy from this seller in a heartbeat. Thanks!
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Good book. Not Great.
Rating  (3)
Date: 2010-01-31
Granted, the reason I picked up this book was because it was pink and it had cats on it (two of my favorite things). But to say that I was not "wowed" by this book would be accurate. I have not read any of the other books in this series so my lack of enthusiasm may be the consequence of not starting at the beginning of the series, however, I did not feel connected to any of the characters in the least.
Annie, our female lead, the one most people would relate to with her cravings for fried fish sandwiches and ice cream in the middle of night is loveable, yet, feels like the friend you have that always pushes issues too far and is into everyone's business. I really didn't like the way the mystery was set up and I felt like bits and pieces of the story were not explained. Again, I don't know Hart's writing style, but I didn't like to feel "out of the loop" in a story that I'm reading. The investigations were not very believable and the detective was a joke. I feel like he deserved more credit as a character and what he did, or, he would probably be out of a job.
Though I liked the idea of team work that was evident to solve the murder case, I wish there were more twists and turns along the way and more excitement leading up to the climax within the last 30 pages of the book.
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An island dangeraous to live on
Rating (4)
Date: 2009-12-16
An interesting novel, much in the same spirit than other Death on Demand stories.
After so many crimes, it's bizarre there are still inhabitants on the island.
Very entertaining.
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Fun Read
Rating (5)
Date: 2009-01-06
I have read all the books in this series. I look forward for the next instalment of Annie and Max.
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by Mary Higgins Clark
ISBN: 0786275359
Binding/Media: Hardcover - 555 pages
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. LARGE PRINT. EX LIBRARY copy with moderate reading wear. Library markings present, but no additional markings.
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Customer Reviews
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No Place Like Home with a Mary Higgins Clark Book
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-05-20
It is 2010 and somehow I missed this book - I am an avid MHC fan - love all her books - this one was one of my favorites! From the first few pages you are taken in. (As usual), but this was so gripping I finished it in 2 days! Lost some sleep, but couldn't put it down. Just getting ready to read her latest now. I literally have gone through several other books this past month (other popular authors) - all with disappointment, she never disappoints - this was excellent!
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Absurd stinker
Rating  (1)
Date: 2010-02-27
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I managed to finish the first cd of this audio book. Then rushed to the library to return it. What an absurd idiotic piece of junk.
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No Place Like Home
Rating (3)
Date: 2010-01-30
One of her earlier ones, not as good as thr newer ones but still a good novel
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Thrilling
Rating (4)
Date: 2010-01-20
Out of the MHC books I've read, this one is one of the better ones. It's a interesting enough plot and very creative as well, with just enough characters with diverse backgrounds to make it all really interesting. It's fun to see how Celia deals with her memories and trying to figure out what happened as she is trying to deal with all the crazy stuff that gets thrown at her. I will say that the ending was rather satisfying for me, though the story certainly isn't without a fair share of surprises. This is classic MHC, I genuinely enjoyed it.
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Reads quick, but predictable
Rating (3)
Date: 2010-01-01
I enjoyed how quick this read and the character development. The basic concept behind the story was interesting: how and when to share our pasts. It did become a little predictable, which led me to three stars instead of four.
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by Jonathan Kellerman
ISBN: 0345467078
Binding/Media: Mass Market Paperback - 416 pages
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: Sold with pride. No writing, no highlighting. Copy in very good condition with minimal reading wear.
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Customer Reviews
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Karma or revenge?
Rating (4)
Date: 2010-07-16
Psychological thriller with psychologist Alex Delaware, who receives a phone call from a mentally challenged man who has been in prison for 8 years following his taking part in the killing of a toddler; the man simply states that he's not a bad person. However, Delaware attempts to meet with him only to find him dead. When the other teen convicted of the crime, Troy, also turns up dead, Milo Sturgis and Alex Delaware turn their attentions to the other players in this case including an amoral nymphomaniac public defender, "spiritual counselors" whose guidance is distinctly amoral and sadistic, and the uncaring parents and foster families of the boys as well as the family of the toddler who was killed. Red herrings abound, and the ending is somewhat ambiguous, but this is a solid thriller.
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Good Story, Bad Ending
Rating (3)
Date: 2010-06-15
I liked the story of the book, but was not impressed with the ending. To make a good story you hav to be clear in the ending and the solution of the book. This was the first book I read of his and I don not know yet if it will be my last. I did not even find out who the murderer was.
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A better title: Donut City
Rating (1)
Date: 2010-02-28
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I kept waiting for some action, and instead, kept meeting new characters and fashion statements. The book is entirely conversation. I rarely won't finish a book, but I managed to hang in there awaiting some resolution only by placing it in the bathroom and catching two or three pages at a time. And this Allison: What an annoying character! I doubt that I have ever read a crime novel where the action consisted of nothing more gripping than doughnut munching. Then the story just broke off! If I had read these valuable reviews I would have saved some frustration.
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Good just not great
Rating (3)
Date: 2010-01-09
Years ago, I read everyone of the alex delaware books up up to this one..
This one is an semi-interesting read but by no means a "can't put the book down" type book. Which is unlike most of the alex delaware books as they generally are a 4 to 5 star ordeal. by the end of the book your kinda like.. ok who cares just arrest someone already so I can start the next book. I like that he takes on a controversial subject.. but the characters (other then alex and milo) just felt flat to me. I hope this a fluke and his newer books are better.. But after like 20 excellent books of his.. Im willing to let one slide. On a side note. I hope he brings back Robin.. I dont really care for the allison character.
btw.. would love to see an alex delaware movie.. any one else think Oliver Platt would be perfectly cast for milo? For some reason I must have have saw him in a supporting role somewhere and now I always picture milo as him.
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Book
Rating (5)
Date: 2009-12-24
0 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Delivery was timely as promised. The item was the exact quality promised. I would not hesitate to purchase from this seller again.
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by Ralph McInerny
ISBN: 0786268832
Binding/Media: Hardcover - 400 pages
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. No writing, no shelf wear . This book is an ex-library copy in a very good condition with only the following imperfections: one library stamp on the top which had been blacked out, the first page, which had library markings, has been removed by the library. No further imperfections or markings.
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Customer Reviews
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This is Really Lame
Rating  (2)
Date: 2004-11-27
2 out of 8 customers found this reveiw helpful
I picked this mystery up because I remembered the TV series starring Tom Bosley as Father Dowling and thought it was amusing. This is the first book I've ever read from this series and it will be my last. I can only assume that the script writers for the TV series were better writers than Ralph McInerny. The plot is mildly intriguing, but the characters are cardboard, the dialog is embarrassingly wooden, the humor forced, and the action scenes awkward. I gave it two stars rather than one because, as I said, the plot was reasonably interesting, if a bit clunky.
Not recommended.
Scott Morrison
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fine Father Dowling entry
Rating (5)
Date: 2004-07-28
4 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
Although Stanley Collins is not a parishioner of St. Hilary's, Father Roger Dowling is more than willing to listen to the man's problem. His wife wants to divorce him and marry her dentist Dr. David Jameson. Father Dowling is willing to talk to his wife Phyllis but when she arrives at the rectory she claims it is her husband who wants a divorce to marry the torch singer Wanda who works at the Rendezvous hotel. Dr. Jameson, a deeply religious man talks to Father Dowling about becoming an ordained deacon.
While Father Dowling ponders the lives of these people, someone runs over Stanley and it turns out to be murder because he was run over by his very own car. At first, suspicion falls on Phyllis who knew her husband was going to come into a fortune when he was fifty and she was afraid he would divorce her before she could claim part of the inheritance. Ironically, it is Dr. Jameson who produces an alibi for her and the investigation turns to other suspects who had a motive to see Stanley dead. When they finally arrest a suspect, Father Dowling believes the police have the wrong person in custody and makes inquiries of his own in hopes of finding the real killer.
Ralph McInerny has written one of the most believable mysteries of his career. The suspects are ordinary people, none of whom seem likely to be a murderer which is why REQUIEM FOR A REALTOR is such an excellent who done it. Father Dowling is an observer for much of the book as well as a confidante for many of the suspect. These roles make him the perfect person to discover who the killer is.
Harriet Klausner
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by Nora Roberts
ISBN: 0515122734
Binding/Media: Paperback - 528 pages
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Sold with pride. Gently read copy in like new condition.
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Customer Reviews
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Outrageous
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-03-17
This is a truly outrageous, brilliant, fantastic book with heaps of twists and turns Nora Robets is truly a gifted author.
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First real disspointment
Rating (2)
Date: 2009-08-11
I almost always am entertained by Ms. Robert's books even when they are less than stellar; usually they are a "pick me up" kind of read when I'm not feeling like digesting something more viscous. I loved the Sisters trilogy and there are several not far behind those which are genuinely wonderful books. This said, I was ready to put this one down half way through but slogged through to the end which was barely wrapped up in the neat bow and had no interesting after-images of where the characters would go. Some of the characters had promise which just never was developed. The main character is simply unlikeable half of the time and a sorry case the other half.
Sorry..........this one just didn't do me well. "Sanctuary" wasn't................
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Nora Roberts Fan
Rating (3)
Date: 2009-07-31
This was a good book, a great beach read, but like some of the other reviewers I found it a little busy with all the romances going on. I still found that infinitely preferable to some of her later books (the Hollow Hills series) where she took what could have been one book and turned it into three.
When she's at her peak though, she is wonderful and amazing. To anyone just finding her, read the Chesapeake Bay series (Homeport, Seaswept, Rising Tides, Inner Harbor). I'm still in love with all of the men in that. Or the MacKade Brothers, Rafe, Devin, Jared and Shane. Great characters, marvelous plots. If you want to go a little lighter, any of the MacGregors. In these books there's no one better than Nora Roberts at taking wonderful but normal men with great character (no Princes or multi-millionaires here, wellll, a little bit in the MacGregor series) but all are down to earth and very real, with real issues.
For those who like a touch of the psychic/paranormal - and I think Nora may have started that trend, this book has a touch of it, the MacKade Brothers have a little more, but also try Captivated and it's sequel, Entranced.
If you want the same quality with a bit of a twist - sci-fi romantic mysteries - you have to read her books as J.D. Robb. Always consistent, great stories, and the romance between Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke is believable, full of the joys and struggles that any couple shares.
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Great book!
Rating (5)
Date: 2009-02-12
As usual Nora Roberts is the BEST! This one is worth the time to read or listen to.
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Sanctuary
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-10-05
A great book! A real page turner with lots of suspense! I would recommend this book to anyone. You simply cannot put it down.
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by Stuart Woods
ISBN: 141040479X
Binding/Media: Hardcover - 440 pages
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Gently read copy in very good condition. No writing, no marking. LARGE PRINT.
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Customer Reviews
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Santa Fe Dead
Rating (1)
Date: 2010-05-02
Wow!! "Santa Fe Dead" should have stayed dead....what a waste of time and paper..I usually try to write two good paragraphs for any review I submit, but this one begs my imagination. It is all too unreal to even be considered the least bit believable. Characters that are really stupid, including Barbara, the murderous wife, who after she escapes from the court house thru a window (big window or small Barbara) and then meets a multimillionaire whom she marries...to what end...to keep up on her vendetta...how shallow.
Stuart Woods has written more than thirty novels, and it must be his prior writings that have earned him his celebrity cause "Santa Fe Dead" doesn't deserve any laurels, and it makes me wonder what the critics are thinking when they rate this writing as being from a master of the unstoppably good read (inside cover comment). Sorry Stu, you lost me with this one.
E.J. Walden, author of "Operation Snow Owl)
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sant Fe Dea
Rating (5)
Date: 2009-09-12
I am really into Stuart Woods books and found getting them for less dollars was a great way to buy. The order was fast and the condition of the books wonderful!
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Fast delivery
Rating (5)
Date: 2009-08-28
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
The book was in an excellent condition and it was delivered fast. Thank you.
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Not a Clean Read
Rating (1)
Date: 2009-06-13
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
A friend recommended this book to me... the first I've read by this author. I was looking for a good mystery. Unfortunately, this book does not work the brain at all. What a lazy, unimaginative writer, to take such a contrived plot, give the characters unlimited money to do whatever far-fetched thing you want, and throw in some sex scenes to interest the voyeurists... blah! Those of you who like this book must not realize that there are great writers out there with creative, imaginative stories to tell. No thank you, I will not be reading any of Stuart Woods' other books.
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Light entertainment, very light entertainment
Rating (3)
Date: 2009-05-17
Barbara Eagle (exwife of lawyer Ed Eagle) on trial for murder, escapes while the jury is deliberating, but is found not guilty. Apparently independently, actress Susanna Wilde (Ed's girlfriend) shoots her ex-husband and movie producer Donald Wells (Ed's client) hires his stuntman Jack Cato to kill his (Donald's) rich wife and her child. Barbara marries billionaire Walter Keeler, who is killed in an auto accident. Joe Wylan (Walter's lawyer) alters Walter's will after learning from Ed that Barbara is a psychopath. Through her movie-producer boyfriend Jimmy Long, Barbara (now Keeler) hires Jack Cato to kill Susanna Wilde in revenge, but Susanna survives. That's the setup, albeit it takes up half of the novel. Convolutions continue to proliferate.
Confused yet? And those are only the major characters. Over a dozen supporting characters include numerous policemen and policewomen, private detectives, the district attorney, the various lawyers' partners/assistants, boyfriends, girlfriends, and many others. Perhaps a dozen other characters in back-stories are mentioned.
Unfortunately, this "cast of thousands" does not contain a single "human being" (to use terminology from a different Stuart Woods novel), that is, I found none of them sympathetic or appealing. Feel free to cheer for your choice of the bad guys--there is no chance of anyone you've grown fond of getting hurt. Sure, there are loose ends, but who cares?
The novel strictly light-weight, but very entertaining. A good book for those moments in life when you don't need any more stress---not even the stress of 3-hour emotional commitment to a fictional character.
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by John Gilstrap
ISBN: 1585473472
Binding/Media: Hardcover - 448 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Light reading wear, light shelf wear. EX LIBRARY copy in a very good condition. Usual library marks present.
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Customer Reviews
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Scott Free
Rating (3)
Date: 2010-06-25
My first Gilstrap book. I did like it and would consider reading another of his.
I did have to laugh a bit when the killer mentioned his past Navy SEAL training. As if it was a short, quick training session. Whatever.
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Great Read!
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-04-14
This was the first of several John Gilstrap books for me. I have now read a total of three. They certainly keep you guessing right up to the end. A real thriller. Was introduced to John Gilstrap's book by his brother whom I know.
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Mostly Excellent, ARE CELL PHONES ON SMALL PLANES...
Rating (4)
Date: 2005-11-12
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
..in case of an emergency crash!? Cell phones are used throughout this contemporary book, but if one was on the plane, a lot of problems might have never started! Outside of this situation, and the obligatory arguments between our 16 year old hero's divorced parents, this is a really fine thriller, especially once you've gotten to about page 40, when the other characters, especially the the hidden away hit man show up. In fact, as a snowy survival tale it is top notch, and the psychology between the 16 year old Scott and his new found acquaintance is really well done. Would a 16 year old (or really anyone for that matter, except a hardened ex-SEAL or criminal) be so cool, calm, and collected towards the end of the book? Maybe not, but still done extremely well. And would there really be such emnity between a Secret Service man and the local police? Who knows, but this book is close to 5-stars, but just shy for the few semi-cartoon situations and people noted here!
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Intense
Rating (4)
Date: 2005-08-16
This is the first book that I read by John Gilstrap and I found it enjoyable. The first half of the book started to drag a little because the book jacket had already told you that Scott survived the crash. Once Scott found the bootlegger cabin the book became intense. The story had no dull moments from that point on.
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Keeps you waiting till the end
Rating (2)
Date: 2004-11-09
Overall, Scott Free was had a good plot line. Gilstrap has created a character tons of teenagers could relate to, in a situation very few could relate to. Scott is faced with a problem not many others would be able to overcome. It was a little slow moving, but still managed to keep me interested throughout.He knows how to get to the readers heart. However, the writing was very predictable and un-original. The writing is not worth reading, unless you are desperate for an overlly long, dragging, predictable, wanna-be thriller.
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by Thomas Perry
ISBN: 0156033305
Binding/Media: Paperback - 468 pages
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: Sold with pride. No writing, no highlighting. Copy in very good condition with minimal reading wear.
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Customer Reviews
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A tired story line from a favorite writer
Rating (2)
Date: 2010-06-14
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I've been a fan of Perry since the very start, back to The Butchers Boy, and the entire Jane Whitehead series. My issue with silence is not Mr. Perry's writing, which is always great for dialogue and character, but a tired premise. This is another endless chase, just like Jane whitehead,with the bad guys always equal to the hero. Mr Perry's been there and done that, and done that, and done that.
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Poor plotting makes Perry's latest disappear...
Rating (2)
Date: 2010-02-28
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
As a huge fan of Perry's Jane Whitefield series (not to mention some of his other works), I was salivating over having scored a nice cheap hardcover, and literally stuffed it in my to-be-read pile under some other paperbacks, to savor the anticipation. Boy, was I disappointed!
Ubiquitous ex-cop now PI Jack Till helped a woman named Wendy Harper disappear (think unofficial and in this instance, illegal, witness protection) after she was nearly beaten to death one night after leaving the restaurant she owns with her partner and former lover. Wendy tells Jack that she needs to disappear, and he assists her...although, unlike the Whitefield novels, the details herein are at best sketchy. Now, several years later, her former partner has been arrested for her murder, and the only way to keep him from going to the slammer is for Wendy to come forward. Meanwhile, the antagonist behind the last beating hires two assassins, Paul and Sylvie Turner, to ensure that Till never finds Wendy, and that Wendy never reaches L.A. alive.
The plotline is replete with, of course, a romantic angle between Till and Wendy, and a romance, so to speak, between the married assassins Paul and Sylvie. I think that Perry intended Paul and Sylvie to be the sympathetic protagonists, but they were one-dimensional and flatly unlikable. A backstory is given to Sylvie which I believe was intended to engender sympathy, but it doesn't quite work, and the plot element of having them as ballroom dance partners seems contrived. Paul, on the other hand, is given no backstory whatsoever and might as well be a terse cardboard cutout. Moreover, the romantic angle between Till and Wendy is extremely unconvincing, the dialogue is flat, and the interaction details make it impossible to suspend disbelief (within hours, literally, of leaving her husband and children, Wendy's apparently over it and ready to move on with Till, so she's either unbelievable or sociopathic, take your pick).
The race-from-the-Pacific-Northwest-to-L.A. plotline is frankly absurd, as the easiest thing IN THE WORLD would have been for Wendy to take her picture with a NY Times in front of her face and send it to the Los Angeles D.A. and to her ex-lover's legal counsel, and walk into a lawyer's office, have statements taken under oath and have a hospital collect her DNA to send to the L.A. District Attorney's office to have her lover cleared. Period, end statement, end of discussion. It's sad to me that Perry--who normally can plot his ass off--can't do better than this, because when you read it, you are absolutely incredulous. The only decent thing in the whole book is the very last page, which, if you persist in reading this, I shan't give away here (even though, yes, you can see THAT coming a mile away, too...but at least that page is well-written).
Sadly, NOT recommended.
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Quality writing, shoddy plotting
Rating (2)
Date: 2009-02-16
2 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Thanks to planted DNA evidence, the Los Angeles police are convinced that the book's leading lady was murdered by her former partner. She is still very much alive, in hiding from bad guys. Now you've got to wonder why, when she learns about the problem, does she not simply walk into a distant police station, explain the situation, and demand that they take a DNA scraping from her to send to the folks prosecuting her partner, as proof that she's still alive? And then go back into hiding? Why does she have to physically travel to L.A. to identify herself to the District Attorney prosecuting the case, and put herself very much in harm's way? Well, because if she did that, Mr. Perry wouldn't have a story to tell.
I've read all of Perry's books to date, and this was the first one that seemed flat-out stupid to me. Fun reading, but stupid.
Perry is such an excellent and entertaining writer that I will continue to buy his books. I submit this mostly unfavorable review to keep him from getting complacent and sloppy.
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Big action and big fun!
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-12-11
Loved the characters and the plot was fun, exciting, engaging, compelling and suspenseful. This is a great thriller and it makes me want to read all Perry's stuff.
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It's not easy to find someone you've hidden so well
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-08-15
Perry's more recent novels -- he's been turning this stuff out since the early `80s -- are somewhat more sophisticated in their details, but his main themes haven't changed much. Someone has to escape danger, or circumstances, and the protagonist either helps him (or her) accomplish that or has to locate them afterward. That helper, or searcher, might be a killer himself, like the Butcher's Boy, or he might be an ex-cop turned private investigator like Jack Till, who helped a young woman in fear of her life to disappear six years ago. She wasn't exactly a witness to a murder, but she certainly knew too much. Now her ex-partner, who suspected she was dead, has been charged with her murder, and Till must reverse his work and relocate her, to prove she's actually still alive. And at the same time he has to protect her from the professional killers (a tango-dancing couple this time) hired by those who are setting her up. Till, like all Perry's main characters, is highly ingenious when it comes to finding people and misleading the Bad Guys, which (of course) is much of the fun of his books. I've been trying to read his books more or less chronologically, to discover how his skills have developed, and I was also curious to see how both the hunters and the hunted would handle access to what used to be easy-to-obtain information, what with post-9/11 restrictions and heightened awareness of identity theft. Turns out it isn't much more difficult than it used to be, at least as Perry explains things. As always, his characters come in three fat dimensions and their back stories provide much of their motivation. Nor are any of them superheroes; everyone on both sides makes bad judgments, misinterprets evidence and events, and occasionally does stupid things. The killers in this case escape at the very end, for instance, but it's evident that jealousy and bad temper is going to drive one of them to eliminate the other in very short order. Most of Perry's books are cinematic but this one especially would make a terrific movie.
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by Elisabeth Hyde
ISBN: 0330443003
Binding/Media: Paperback - 304 pages
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. No publisher marks, no shelf wear, no writing. Very light crease in the spine. This book is in a very good condition.
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Customer Reviews
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Far from impressed...
Rating (2)
Date: 2010-06-09
Dr. Diana Duprey, an abortion doctor, is found dead, floating in the family pool. The suspects include her husband Frank, who is the town D.A. who fought with her last, Rev. Steve O'Connell who visited Diana in her home even though she had a restraining order in place, and her daughter Megan, who also argued with Diana the same day.
"The Abortionist's Daughter" is sort-of whodunit mystery wrapped around a controversial issue. The mystery aspect of the novel was predictable at best. I guessed who had murdered Diana halfway through the book. That didn't stop the book from being enjoyable, though. One thing I liked about the book is that it didn't shove certain views down your throat. Hyde didn't put down people for abortions and/or people against abortions.
One thing that absolutely bugged me was the "blossoming" relationship between the cop investigating the case and the victim's daughter, Megan. Was I supposed to be rooting for that relationship? Because I wasn't. That could not have been more inappropriate. It wasn't sweet or romantic. The novel would have been better off if that particular route had not been taken. So, two stars.
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parts are too hard to believe...
Rating (3)
Date: 2010-02-12
i know it is fiction but am I supposed to care about a detective who can't control his sexual urges when confronted with a 19-yr old girl who may be a murder suspect? and are we supposed to believe that a homicide detective is 26 years old? if they are in Colorado, maybe that is whatJo Benet case was such a mess...
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Blech
Rating (1)
Date: 2009-08-01
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I already knew what was going to happen from the very first page! It was upsetting to get all the way to the end and see that I was right. It seemed like the author made the doctor an abortionist in order to create a whodunnit with multiple possible suspects. But again, it's very apparent from the very beginning. Especially if you take the title into consideration. I didn't like this book at all and was mad that I even took the time to read it!
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Provocative title, so-so story
Rating (3)
Date: 2009-03-02
The Abortionist's Daughter is Megan Duprey, a 19 year old college student; Megan's mother is Diane Duprey a well known abortion doctor in their Colorado town. One evening Megan gets a phone call from her father Frank who is the local DA. Diana has been found dead in her swimming pool at home. When it becomes clear that Diana has been murdered the suspect list is long: fanatical anti-abortionists; Megan herself, who quarreled with her mother that fatal morning; Frank; who was often heard having loud fights with Diana; Rev. Steven O'Connell, the local leader of an anti-abortion coalition. Then there is Megan's slightly unhinged former boyfriend, who is claiming that Diana was a meth addict. So who killed Diana Duprey?
Although this is a murder mystery, it is also a view of marriage, family relationships and the abortion issue - presented fairly equally from both sides. The best parts of the book are the prickly relationship between Diana and Megan - the dialogue between them seems very real. The problems with the book, for me, were I didn't much like anyone in the book. With the exception of Huck Berlin, the detective investigating the case, I didn't really care about anyone. Even Huck does some bonehead things that had me rolling my eyes. I figured out who did the dirty deed fairly early in the book, and the actual revelation was completely anti-climatic. There were several side stories that were distracting, and there was one major clue introduced at the start that was never resolved nor brought up again and that really annoyed me.
So for me this was not such a good book. Some parts were interesting but for the most part I just felt much uninvolved, almost as if I were watching a play from a distance.
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Hot button issues
Rating (3)
Date: 2009-03-01
Abortion. Pornography. Malfeasance in the justice system. Illegal/legal drug abuse. Stalkers. It's all in The Abortionist's Daughter. Title notwithstanding, this crime novel has no primary protagonist. From chapter to chapter, the spotlight focuses upon several different characters - the daughter, two detectives, victim's husband, ex boyfriend, the victim herself, antiabortion activist -, throwing light upon their personal points of view with respect to the murder, and with respect to their relationships with the others who are enmeshed in the case. As in real life, each has his/her own virtues and faults, and some are likable while others are not. In some ways this book is reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's. Author Hyde has an intelligent writing style, a layman's understanding of psychology, and a talent for infusing her characters with authenticity. While it becomes evident early on who the culprit is, motive and method do not. The Abortionist's Daughter has the makings of a made-for-TV movie, with lots of drama and juicy plum roles.
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