I almost never read books about man and nature in the renaisance, and this was one of the best ones I have read, if not one of the very best. Read up!

In late 1907 Liverpool, the maiden voyage of the world's largest ocean liner, the Mauretania begins. Among the passengers is detective George Porter Dillman sailing in second class and his new assistant Genevieve Masefield staying in first class. George and Genevieve met on the Lusitania (see MURDER ON THE LUSITANIA). They are working undercover for the Cunard Line to prevent robberies of the wealthy patrons from thieves that are plowing their trades and to protect a 2.75 million-pound gold shipment.

As the ship sails, George stops minor pilfering from happening, but an unknown phantom continues to steal in spite of the detective's efforts. The weather for the most part is nasty, but the powerful Mauretania keeps a steady pace. However, the calm changes when a first class passenger falls overboard in what appears to be a tragic accident. However, Sam soon sees a connection with that incident and the clever stealing of some of the gold. Even with Genevieve's access to the wealthy first class patrons, Sam struggles to identify a master felon.

MURDER ON THE MAURETANIA, the second Dillman-Masefield historical mystery set on the ocean cruise liners, is a wonderful tale that brings readers along for the ride sans seasickness. The story line is entertaining as readers obtain a glimpse at the ship, its passengers, and its crew mostly through the eyes of the undercover sleuth and his assistant. The enjoyable who-done-it adds to the fun of an exciting sea voyage. Sub-genre fans will book passage on Conrad Allen's next ocean adventure.

Harriet Klausner

If only this classic book were back in print-not only is it a biography of George & Gracie, but it has several pages of pictures(many never before seen)as well as an appendix in the back giving the synopsis of every television episode from October 1950 thru September 1958. The book is a good alternate to Gracie-A Love Story written by George himself. On another note, if I may go a step further, why doesn't Nick-At-Nite pick up the series, surely it's been in syndication for about 40 years? It'd be great fun seeing them again-George, Gracie, their son Ronnie, Blanche & Harry Morton, & Harry Von Zell. Though they are quite dated, these shows are still screamingly funny today. Gracie Allen was the 2nd funniest woman in television, the 1st being the incomparable Lucille Ball. Highly recommended, especially if you are able to find it!

George Burns writes an easy, fun book about the Burns and Allen comedy team. It's apparent from his writing that he never would have made it in vaudeville--and perhaps as an actor--without Gracie. I finished the book feeling that Burns's love for his wife was because she made them a success and kept him employed. He wrote mostly about the "professional" Gracie, not the personal Gracie. But he also wrote that she was a private person, so that may have been his intent.

With that in mind, it was a delightful book full of opportunities to chuckle. I enjoyed reading about vaudeville, the introduction of radio and then of TV, and how they had to move with the times and change their act. I learned about different actors with whom they were close. And I can't help but be impressed with Burns. Though his wife was the one who received the lion's share of acclaim, it never bothered him. He enjoyed giving her all the credit for their success. He was doing the work he loved--comedy--and he loved her.

His devotion to and admiration for his wife's talent is evident. What is his advice for having a long, happy, satisfying marriage? Marry Gracie.

I first read this book immediately after it was published, and its content has remained vivid in my memory ever since then. George Burns had written a valentine to his much-loved late wife, Gracie Allen. Because their medium was humor, and because they targeted an audience that was mainstream, it always was easy to miss that the basis of their act really was a classic love story. This touching book makes that point clearly.

Last night, I attended the Broadway play in which Frank Gorshin recreates a retrospective of George Burns' career. On the way to the theatre, I told my companion all about this memoir. Well, the playwright must have relied heavily on this same memoir in crafting his script, because many of the anecdotes I recounted also turned up as part of the performance. What a tribute to George's storytelling skills that my memory of this book had remained so fresh after all of these years.

In addition to being a memoir, GRACIE: A LOVE STORY also proves to be an excellent social history of the evolution of the entertainment industry during the 20th Century. From vaudeville to "talkies," talkies to radio and on to television and feature films, in the course of reporting his own journey, George provides an eyewitness account. In the process, George makes his readers laugh, and he makes them weep.

Ultimately, however, this book about GRACIE truly is...a love story!

George Burns may have been a comedian, but he wrote one of the best love stories ever! This book starts from the beginning of his first encounter with Gracie Allen. He chronicles their careers and home life with honesty and truth. I don't believe he left anything out! This was one of the few books I have read that made me laugh out loud, and sob like a baby. I did not want the book to end! George wrote with so much love and honesty, it gave me a new understanding of this great person. God bless his memories!

In the glory days of the Atlantic steamships in the early 20th century, the ultra-wealthy mix with criminals in the first class section of the great ships. The Cunard line has hired detectives Genevieve Masefield and George Porter to work their ships--this time the beautiful Caronia. In general, crime on the ships is limited to pick-pockets and drunken fights in the lower class sections. On this voyage, however, the purser suspects drug smuggling, and Scotland Yard policemen are escourting home a couple accused of murdering the man's wife and fleeing to the new world. Somehow, Genevieve and George must get to the bottom of all of the mysteries, while keeping their identities a secret and blending with the mogels who make up the aristocracy of the new world of capitalism.

Author Conrad Allen is convincing in his descriptions of these great steamships, providing enough historical detail to fascinate while not overwhelming the story itself. As always, Genevieve finds herself the target of unwanted attention, this time by a young professional bicyclist (perhaps the Lance Armstrong of his day), who had lived for nothing but his training, but can now think of nothing but Genevieve. When one of the Scotland Yard policemen is killed, both Genevieve and George have more important things to worry about than an unwanted attraction--once again, there has been a murder on the ship on which they travel. Unless they can find the killer, their careers as ship detectives will be over.

MURDER ON THE CARONIA is a pleasant read with entertaining, although sometimes flat, characters. The drug smuggling plot seemed to be undone by relative stupidity on the part of the smugglers rather than by any intelligence on the part of the detectives, but perhaps this is to be expected by smugglers. Allen's smooth writing and the fascinating environment of early 20th century steamships kept me turning the pages.

I am not an avid reader. Since there is a lot of garbage on tv. I decided I need to start reading. I borrowed this book from the library. I could not put it down. It easy to follow. This book has it all: suspense, mystery and love. It is must read. I went back to library to find the other book but did not have any. So I must buy Conrad Allen's book. It took only 5 days to read.

In 1908, the Cariona's purser informs Cunard Line detectives Genevieve Masefield and George Dillman that rumors of illegal drug smuggling exist. Also two Scotland Yard police officers escort two murderers on board to return them to England. Outside of that, George and Genevieve need to do their usual observations to insure no cons or stealing occur. This is a simple task for the two undercover sleuths as there are only two thousand plus passengers sailing from New York to Liverpool.

As Genevieve and George "patrol" separately except at night when they share a cabin, someone steals jewelry from a passenger. They begin to investigate the theft, when someone murders one of the British coppers. Meanwhile Genevieve tries to get the female prisoner Carrie Peterson to confess that she poisoned the wife of her lover and the duo tries to stop drug smugglers tainting the reputation of this glorious liner. As when they sailed on the Lusitania, Mauretania, and Minnesota, Genevieve and George work several cases at the same time to insure the safety of the law-abiding people traveling by sea.

The fourth sea voyage starring Dillman and Masefield is a delightful historical mystery that showcases the period as much as the lead detectives are. The era comes across in full detail, but the load of data is cleverly interwoven into taut story line even with several subplots on going at the same time that smoothly merges into a taut tale that readers will want to go on this sea cruise.

Harriet Klausner

aking a break from the Atlantic cruises, ship detectives George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield take a job on a Pacific route. The shipping company suspects smuggling--and even has identified the likely smuggler, but without evidence, they can do nothing. It is up to Dillman and Masefield to find the evidence. Before they make much progress, though, a Priest is murdered. With both known and unknown violent men aboard, the pair are in soon in danger.

Set in 1908, shipping is still elegant and class-conscious. Masefield blends in effortlessly with the rich and powerful, yet feels guilty for using her friendships to betray her friends. Dillman is more practical but no less anxious to protect Masefield's feelings--and her life.

Author Conrad Allen does a fine job describing early 20th century shipping, the politics of a failing China and a rising Japan, and the class-conscious and elite world of first class cruises. Although MURDER ON THE MINNESOTA is marred by occasionally stuffy dialogue, it is still an enjoyable and highly readable mystery. Fans of the series will definitely want to grab this one. Readers new to Dillman and Masefield can pick up MURDER ON THE MINNESOTA without needing to read the earlier novels.

George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield did such a good job unmasking the murderer on the Lusitania, the cruise line has hired them as ship detectives. For nine months the duo sailed from England to New York but their faces were becoming too recognizable so when the Great Northern Steamship Company asked for their services, they were free to accept.

They boarded The Minnesota in Seattle with their destination the Orient but the captain is worried about one of the passengers, Rance Gilpatrick, an unsavory smuggler. Everyone who knows Rance believes he is working his trade on the ship but nobody knows what he's smuggling or where he has stashed his booty. While George and Genevieve are working different angles to get close to the gangster, a Catholic missionary priest is garroted to death. The target was really a diplomat who was going to conduct secret meetings in Japan. The daring detective duo hope to keep the diplomat safe while finding out what Rance is up to if they want to keep their perfect ocean sailing record unblemished.

MURDER ON THE MINNESOTA is a picturesque mystery, so much so that readers will feel the urge to take a cruise to the Far East just like the protagonists did. The story line is fast paced with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader from guessing what the villain's ultimate goal is. Once again Conrad Allen shows his natural talents as a wonderful historical mystery storyteller who makes the first decade of the twentieth century come vividly alive to his readers.

Harriet Klausner

George Pelecanos introduces us to 2 new characters, Derek Strange and Terry Quinn. Both are ex-cops, but there the similarities end. Strange is in his 50's, is a private investigator and black, Quinn is in his late 20's, works in a second-hand bookstore and is white. This book is as much a commentary on racial tensions in today's society as it is a well-crafted thriller.

Strange and Quinn meet after Strange is hired to investigate the shooting of an off-duty black police officer by another policeman. The other policeman was Quinn. The two team up because Quinn would also like to know the truth as to what really happened that night, and is also keen to prove that he is not a racist.

A subplot involving a drug-dealing father and son team and their dealings with their suppliers and distributors keeps pace with the main story and inevitably mixes together in a happy union creating a sizzling finale of revenge and violence.

Once again, Pelecanos' characters are heavily influenced by music and have definite ideas on what is "good" or "bad". The use of music is a big indicator of the personalities of each character and is a very clever and unique means of characterisation.

Unlike some of Pelecanos' earlier characters, I found both Strange and Quinn to be strong, capable and (to a point) moral. Overall, they are likable men. This has led me to look forward to more books involving them. Right As Rain is a compelling mystery containing all the elements that has made Pelecanos books so popular: violence, drugs, music...and Washington D.C.

Right as Rain is gritty social realism at its best. Pelecanos works against the straight-jacket of the detective genre to bring us a novel that is equal parts detective novel, social commentary, and roller coast ride entertainment. In the end, it's easiest just to call Right as Rain a detective novel, but it could just as well fit on the literary or mainstream book shelf inside a bookstore. It is that good!

One honest word of caution to anyone who may be reading this review trying to make up her mind whether or not to buy or read Right as Rain -- it is a very "male" novel. It is macho. It is violent and gritty in its depiction of drugs and drug use, and women take subordinate roles to men. If you want great women characters go read Jane Austen, if you want a shotgun and Sharmba Mitchell, Pelecanos is your man.

Right as Rain is the story of private detective Derek Strange and former cop Terry Quinn's first meeting and first work together. Quinn has been forced into retirement for shooting and killing a plain-clothed black cop (Chris Wilson) in a morally compromised situation, and the story is primarily about his ability to redeem himself. The race issue is described in multi-textured layers where honesty proves the better line to walk than PC social convention.

Both Quinn and Strange have mature issues to work through. For Strange, he must decide how much to commit to a role as father and husband, while working the thankless streets of D.C. And at the center of their work is the lost junkie sister (Sondra Wilson) of the cop Quinn killed. She may hold the answers to why Wilson was going ballistic on a slimeball kid named Ricky Kane, which drew Quinn into pulling his gun in the first place.

All of this makes Right as Rain sound like a heavily weighted character novel, and while the characters are heavy the novel itself never gets weighted down. Pelecanos's pacing is about as good as any writer writing today, regardless of genre. You get the sense that he just writes each chapter on the fly, and when done well this makes for the best kind of novel -- one with a pulse, man. One with a very strong pulse.

I highly recommend Right as Rain to ...anyone who likes really good fiction. I'd also suggest checking out "Shame the Devil," a novel who's opening twenty-five pages may be the best opening twenty-five pages I've ever read. Pelecanos doesn't mince words. When he gets into writing a novel, it's the fiction equivalent of Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. The fight is for truth, justice and moral redemption, and the result is an undisputed knockout!

Stacey...

Oddly, no one from DC has thrown in their 2 cents on the latest Pelecanos book, so I guess I'll give it a shot. I've lived in DC for 20 years, my family is from here, and Pelecanos is only the second author I've come across who writes about the DC that I know and recognize (the other Edward Jones, check out his story collection "Lost in the City" if you can find it). In this new book, he steps away from his established characters Nick Stefanos and Dmitri Karras, and launches a new duo, black, middle-aged PI Derek Strange, and younger, white ex-cop Terry Quinn. Through them, and the story of Chris Wilson, an off-duty black cop shot by Quinn, Pelecanos displays the racial awkwardness and tension that pervades Washington, D.C. The central message of the book is that everyone, regardless of race, carries preconceptions with them about other groups. That doesn't make them racist-that term is reserved for those who carry hatred in their hearts.

Strange is hired to investigate the shooting of her son, Chris Wilson, leading him to Quinn, who works in a little used bookstore in Silver Spring (Like all the locations in the book, the store really exists, it's a few blocks from my office and I sometimes swing by on my lunch break). The two men fall into an uneasy partnership as this discover more about he events that led to Quinn's killing of Wilson. They make an engagingly effective odd couple as they verbally spar with one another about race, underneath their respective flaws, they're good men. At the same time, both men are struggling to make relationships work, Strange with his divorcee secretary, and Quinn with a Latina student/waitress. As with most of Pelecanos's men, they often make selfish or simply clumsy moves in looking for love. And like most of those same guys, they have well-defined tastes in music, cars, movies, and books.

Following the tone of Pelecanos's previous work, what is gradually revealed is a sordid tale of drugs and corruption, with some powerful drug pushers, and a few violent rednecks. All this unfolds in a world instantly recognizable to Washington natives, where drug dealers work in the open, neighborhoods revolve around local restaurants, and corruption has spread to even the upscale oases (the well-known high-end restaurant Red Sage being one example). As we have come to expect from Pelecanos, everything comes together in a cinematic violent climax offering some attempt at justice. If you've read and enjoyed previous books of his, you're likely to enjoy this one as well. It's got two great new characters, and is a bit more explicit in examining racism, but is otherwise very much in keeping with his previous work.

George Pelecanos is one of today's best crime writers. I've read all of his novels and I can honestly say that I've never been disappointed. In his latest novel, Soul Circus, Mr. Pelecanos returns us to the Washington D.C. of Derek Strange and Terry Quinn. It's a Washington that most of us don't know about. Drug dealers, gangs, guns and violence abound, but that's not all these neighborhoods are about. Mr. Peleconos takes us deep into our capitols neighborhoods and culture.
If you've been keeping up with Mr. Pelecanos's writing you'll know that, Harriet Klausner pay attention here, this is Derek Strange and Terry Quinn's third appearance and Mr. Pelecanos's 11th novel.
As I said before I've enjoyed every one of his novels but the ending to Soul Circus is a surprise that I wasn't prepared for. It may just signal the end to Derek Strange's stories. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
If you've read Right as Rain and Hell to Pay then pick up this novel as soon as possible. If you haven't'..What are you waiting for?

The popularity of George Pelecanos is on the rise, and with good reason. Soul Circus is the third installment of his Derek Strange series, and it more than meets the high expectations set by the previous two. Pelecanos is to Washington, DC as Robert Crais and Michael Connelly are to Los Angeles. He knows the streets, the people, and the culture and his writing reflects the knowledge of an insider. His depictions of urban youth, gang violence, and drug culture are on the mark and he pulls no punches.

Character development seems to be a strong suit of Pelecanos, as Derek Strange is one of the best around. There is not a reader around who will dislike him. He is not perfect - in fact, he is quite flawed. He's married, but he's reluctant to fully immerse himself in family life. He opposes the death penalty and hates the drugs that plague his neighborhood, but at times resorts to violence and illegal activities himself. He is constantly trying to help the younger men with whom he comes in contact, but realizes that he can only go so far.

Terry Quinn is his partner, and he is just as flawed as Strange. He does not believe in stronger gun control laws, and hates when he is 'punked' due to the fact that he is white. He is prone to violence and has a temper. He often steps over the line, but he is just as loveable as Strange and brings a great deal to the story.

Soul Circus is a novel filled with violence and the death of the young. It is at times brutal, and Pelecanos does not flinch when he relates the reality of murder to his readers. He does not, however, portrey all those involved in the drug trade as evil thugs. No character in this book is drawn so black and white as to be wholly good or bad. From Mario Durham, who is constantly laughed at for wearing a pair of used 'ordans,' to the feared Granville Oliver on trial for his life, everyone has their flaws, and all have redeeming features.

This book can be read as a stand-alone, but readers would probably maximize their enjoyment of this novel by reading Right as Rain and Hell to Pay beforehand. They are both excellent as well.

With his 11th novel bestselling author George Pelecanos offers another powerful, disturbing and highly readable story set on the mean streets of Washington, D.C. Private investigator Derek Strange with the aid of Terry Quinn again takes center stage as turf battles erupt in violent grabs for territory and money.

Accomplished voice performer Richard Allen adds just the right amounts of menace and bravado to his reading, ably inhabiting the skins of both good and bad guys.

When a D. C. crime boss is captured and imprisoned he seems a shoo-in for the ultimate punishment. Lawyers representing the gang leader hire Strange to help in getting a lighter sentence. A witness is needed to cast doubt on testimony against the drug lord, and that witness might just be an angry former girlfriend. After all, hell hath no fury like a you-know-who.

Meanwhile with the crime boss in jail two young drug dealers are jousting for the apparently up for grabs neighborhood and profits to come. It is, as Pelecanos makes clear, a vicious circle that goes round and round in an amoral neighborhood where fear rules and friendships are forsaken.

Pelecanos writes thinking man's thrillers, as his legions of fans will attest.

- Gail Cooke

George Pelecanos Hell to Pay is an enjoyable read full of quick wit and fast dialogue. Pelecanos focuses on Derek Strange, a private investigator in DC and his partner Terry Quinn. The novel follows several story lines, some of which become intertwined, some of which don't. Reading it reminded me of watching an episode of C.S.I.--addictive, enjoyable, filled with various, disturbing story lines. The characters are very well-done, rounded, believable. All in all, an enjoyable read which I think will appeal to all--not just fans of crime novels.

Working for the Aiding Prostitutes in Peril non-profit organization, Montgomery County sleuths Karen Bagley and Sue Tracey specialize in locating teenage runaways. They hire DC private detective Derek Strange to help them with cases in the District. After proving his worth to his retainers, Derek and his partner Terry Quinn are sent to bring in fourteen-year-old Germantown runaway Jennifer from the cold mean streets of the city.
While Terry works the child prostitution case, Derek has a more personal vendetta to handle. Someone(s) killed the quarterback of the Pee Wee football team that Derek coaches while the kid was at an ice cream stand. At the same time Derek anguishes over the lad's murder, his longtime lover is all over him for his frequent visits to the massage parlor.

No one describes the neighborhoods of Washington DC better than George Pelecanos who take his audience on quite a vivid tour of the other side of Washington. The two subplots are well written and exciting, but the action is the streets of the city, homicide hot even on a wintry night. The characters are believable and make the story line sing while augmenting Mr. Pelecanos tour guide of the nation's capital. Fans of gritty urban investigative tales will want to read HELL TO PAY and its predecessor RIGHT AS RAIN because these are some of the best the sub-genre offer.

Harriet Klausner

Washington D.C. private investigator Derek Strange, a 50-something black man who keeps a well-run office in his old neighborhood, but prefers working from the street, and his younger, hot-head, white associate, ex-cop Terry Quinn, team up again (after "Right as Rain") to rescue a 14-year-old suburban white girl from her new life as a prostitute.

It's an old story with a predictable arc, like the tragic act of senseless violence brewing separately from page one. And that inevitability is a central theme in George Pelecanos' warmhearted, gritty, streetwise series. While the music pounds, shouts and wails to fit his (and others') moods, Strange fights the ugly lure of street swagger by coaching a youth-league football team and instilling respect not only for teammates but the opposing team as well. Meanwhile he's wrestling his own demons and endangering his relationship with Janine (also his office manager) by massage parlor sorties.

Though the spotlight stays on Strange, Pelecanos switches viewpoints to include boys trifling with murder; Strange's young office helper, Lamar, a frightened kid trying to stay alive; Quinn, his life saved by the woman he's falling for, and others reflecting the streets that make up Strange's D.C. - pimps, broken drunks, young mothers, prostitutes.

The story, with its throbbing undercurrent of violence and wasted lives, generates plenty of suspense. Quinn ready to meet any insult with his fists, Strange working on a longer, slower, but perhaps more deadly fuse, work both sides of the color divide, mixing it up with dangerous, confident, soulless people, death an inflection away. Strange is an involvingly complex character, wise and impulsive, moral and angry, goodhearted, blunt, smart, sometimes annoyingly opaque. And Pelecanos brings D.C. alive as an edgy place of thriving, striving neighborhoods marred by drugs and easy money, hot cars and dead-eyed kids. A stand-out series.

This book does suggest 11 different strategies, but doesn't really explain well how to successfully win on all them. Most strategies are built on the previous ones. It's very good for giving you an overview of what strategies you can play in Craps, but doesn't really tell you how to make it profitable. This book is great for a beginner. If you are familiar with craps already, you might want to pass. Good explanation of Place and Odds betting.

This was my very first craps book and it taught me how to play. It does have 11 craps strategies in it but they are not real "systems" just methods of play. Now looking back it is pretty basic but when I didn't know how to play they all looked advanced to me! If you don't know how to play or you are a beginner, this is a great book for you but if you already know all the odds and some systems you won't like this. It will make a great gift for someone who doesnt know how to play though.

The basic intermediate plays were all laid out in an easy to read disciplined format. All eleven strategies were extensively described and I read the exact proceedures for where, when and how to place all eleven bets! A GREAT book!