I came deceptively close to purchasing 'Caroline Masters' before I noticed at the very bottom of the front cover these words: 'Formerly Titled Final Judgement'...I carefully put it back on the shelf and figured if I wanted to re-read the book I had originally read 4 years ago, I'd go back and open up my 1st edition hardback copy of 'The Final Judgement'. My question isn't why they re-released the book, but why totally changed the title? It seems like a plot to milk money from a book that had already stopped making money a couple years ago...now maybe that is a bit too harsh and it may not be true, but if not, why so soon? I know authors, or more accurately the publishers--do this actually quite often, but it usually happens after decades, not just 4 years after it originally was published...

All that aside, this really IS a pretty good example of the legal/thriller genre. Mr. Patterson has written a good number of superior murder/mysteries, and 'Caroline Masters/Final Judgement' I am happy to say is another literary home run. If you are a fan of RNP you know he has a predictable pattern to his novels...which is to say he'll start off a story, set the stage, and then before long we are going back in time re-visiting one (or more) characters' earlier lives to find out more of why they are who they are and usually this is staged to plant the seed of doubt as to their possible guilt or innocence. In this novel, Mr. Patterson again takes us back into the earlier lives of our main character and on this journey through time we also run across moments where we can see how and why the accused just MAY be a murderer. It kept me guessing all the way through, and made me feel that my $25.00 was well spent.

WARNING: IF you have already read Mr. Pattersons 'The Final Judgement' this isn't just the same story re-written, its the EXACT same story totally un-touched--all they did was change the title. If you HAVEN'T read it before, by all means, pick it up and enjoy a great court-room thriller.

I recently read and finished Patterson's last novel, Protect And Defend. My wife had bought me another Patterson novel entitled Caroline Masters thinking that I would probably enjoy reading about the woman who is one of the central figures in Protect And Defend. In perusing the book I realized that I had read this book before but under the title of The Final Judgement. Nevertheless I read it again before returning it to the bookstore. I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did the first time I read it. If you are a Patterson fan, you know that you

meet Caroline Masters in a couple of Patterson's other novels: in the novel Eyes of A Child she is a criminal defense lawyer representing another lawyer who has been accused of killing his girlfriend's husband. Masters appears again as a strong willed judge in Degree of Guilt. Caroline Masters is a good read from the standpoint that it gives you a complete view of Masters, her motivations, her ambition and most of all her devotion to her niece Brett. This book is an excellent refresher course for those who may have read Patterson for the first time in Protect And Defend...and even if you have read this book before it deserves another read.

Final Judgement was great. Vintage Patterson. It mixed mystery, suspense, and wonderful courtroom drama with family dynamics. Patterson has a way of making his characters real. He did so with Carolyn. Why re-issue a great book under a different title? It borders on devious. Makes it seem like something it's not. Same thing was done with a William Patterson book, Black Market. It was re-issued as Black Friday. Same book. Unless you read the small printing, you think you have bought a new novel. Final Judgement was a great book. Don't detract from it by giving it a different title. Don't detract from Richard North Patterson's greatness by misleading his readers with below the board tactics and misrepresenting books as new works when they are not.

Reading accounts of the Battle of the Little Bighorn sometimes leaves a mass of confusion to the reader. Even visitation to the site does not always enable oneself to clearly picture the events of that day. This book, which does not attempt to explain why things happened does much to set the scene and completes the picture that is painted by the numerous accounts of what happened. The reader may find this book to be dry, perhaps repetitious in some place, but in the end, will appreciate the information that is provided. Be aware that reading this book will forever cause the reader to imediately reject any printed material on The Battle of the Bighorn, that is not properly (and correctly) researched. This book is a good reference for any library.

This is an excellent book because it cuts through the partisan pro Custer, anti Custer views that are the main theme in almost all the books about the battle written to date. I highly recommend all the books written by Fox on this subject because he has no pre conceived ideas or biases. He bases his interpretations on the physical evidence remaining at the site and draws his conclusions from that evidence.

I don't understand where most of these previous reviewers are coming from. This is not meant to be a "theory-book" on the battle of the Little Bighorn. All it is is as an "assessment of the 1984 field season" of archaeological work on the battlefield. As that it functions well, with complete descriptions of the recovered artifacts and many sketches and pictures. There are only about 15 pages about the way the battle itself went, and it just correlates the artifacts in a preliminary way to how the battle may have progressed. It's nothing to get upset over. As for the Kansas City reviewer, he must be on another planet. Kuhlman's work was not "ripped without mercy" in this book. As a matter of fact, I don't think Kuhlman was even mentioned at all.

After looking at the book and reading the reviews I agree most with the reader who said you must have interest in the subject matter. In the last review the reader rated the book as very good but in his own words he had stayed on a reservation and had a great interest in and a super knowledge of the subject. I can see how someone with interest would enjoy it but for me,as someone without the above after 30 or so pages this book became a chore to get through.

I met Cates at the Native American Music Awards in 2001 and many of the artists photographed for her book were there. All of them were beaming at the how beautiful the book is, and Cates was even getting autographs! She captures a lot of the truth - good and bad- about modern Native America.

When I opened the first page of this book I was totally mesermized with it and did not put it down until I looked through the whole thing. I have been all over the Southwest and have many Native friends and this book brought such warm feelings to me. I like the way it shows the different ways the people live, and diminishes the sterotype that so many think about when they think of "Indians".

Most sailors are a lot more opinionated than the author of this short book. It consists of sail plans, layouts and text descriptions of a large cross-section of modern boats. It has some puzzling omissions - the Westsail 32, for instance, didn't make it - and it only describes one or two examples of each make of boat.

It was worth buying, mainly because looking at boats doesn't give you much of an idea of hull type and interior layouts, and that's important to weed out boats that clearly wouldn't fit your needs. In that respect, it does an excellent job.

But I would have really liked to see some more subjective opinions; the presentation is pretty clinical and impersonal.

Hundreds of sailboat reviews with line drawings, profiles, and boat specs. One of my favorite "most read" books. Binding is shoddy, however. Many internal pages in my copy are falling out of the book. A result of heavy use?

Unfortunately this book has not been updated in over 25 years. Taxonomic changes in some groups of mammals have left this rather inadequate. The illustrations aren't bad except for sea mammals which have black and white sketches for illustrations. It may have been a decent guide when it came out, but I don't see the point in publishing a book which may not have the animal you're looking at in it! This book needs a revision.

This book was issued in 1976 not in 1998 as I was led to believe...... I just received my copy and it is a 3rd edition, clearly copyrighted in 1976. Apparently it was reprinted recently, but not updated. Who knows how much has changed on our knowledge of mammals over the past 25 years? Also, the binding on this paperback has left little space for the inside margin which will make this a little difficult to use and probably shortern its lifespan. RK

Peterson's field guide to mammals is one of my standard references as a mammology student. I constantly use the range maps,color identification plates, and animal descriptions. The book provides you with good identification characteristics indicated by arrows on the illustrations of each animal and a brief life history of every species north of the border. There are skull plates at the back of the book that are good for comparing different families but do not include every species and in some cases are poor positions to see defining attributes. The color plates for the most part have good illustrations but a few look hoaky like the Mountain Lion. Nevertheless, they all still provide good size comparisons and coloration of the animals. Consistant with other Peterson guides.

I got this guide after skimming it pretty extensively at a bookstore. I was impressed by the content, the nice user friendly format, and the graphics quality.

When I actually tried to use the information in the guide, however, I was deeply disappointed and angered, because (1) much of the information is hugely outdated even though the guide claims to be updated - for example, a restaurant that has been closed since 2001 is still highlighted in the guide in several places - tells you how dated the "best of" opinions written by local Napa luminaries are... and (2) the author and publisher didn't bother to verify that phone numbers were accurate, so I wound up calling wrong numbers, dead numbers, numbers for business offices of wineries only to find that I should have called the tasting room number, which these guys didn't bother to include...

in short, don't buy this book! judge this book by its "cover" and you will be fooled and disappointed.

This guide is very comprehensive-- great to help plan a trip to Wine Country. It gave us the scoop on activities, wineries, hotels, restaurants, etc. The maps are also good. The disappointment came when we tried to find dinner our first night in wine country. We literally went to 3 restaurants in a row that were recommended by the guide but were no longer in business. We wasted a lot of time driving around to find these places. In the end, we did find our 4th choice restaurant in town, and it was an excellent dinner. Moral of the story-- great guide, but can't hurt to call ahead!

Just returned from a trip to Sonoma and Mendocino counties. This book was an excellent guide and I really liked the maps detailing where everything was. Of course things change and places close or move - we only had one "surprise," when we went to Hidden Cellars and learned they'd been bought by Parducci and were now in that tasting room instead.

Otherwise, this book is terrific to have along. I recommend looking at websites on the internet before your trip - just type "Suffolk County wineries" (or whatever) in a search, and start studying! If a winery you want to visit is in the book, definitely read what they have to say. Just be aware that other wineries that are good (Gary Farrell) or great (the tiny but superb Nalle Winery) are not included in the book, and are really worth seeing. Use the guide to augment your research, but don't rely solely on this - or any other one - guide to give you complete info on a trip to the wine country.

My wife and I bought this tape for something to listen to while traveling cross country in the car. Though it's abridged, we felt the author's endorsement would ensure a quality presentation -- big mistake.

First of all, Ken Howard's voice offered little range and capability in offering distinctions between the various characters, and he clearly sounds nothing like a 29-year old protagonist. The novel's dialogue doesn't help on this last point, however, as I had difficulty being convinced that Paget could be both this jaded and self-assured at such a young age.

Most of the characters were two-dimensional sterotypes with limited depth -- especially the women, of which there were too few. These guys are supposed to be big corporate and government hardball players, and yet get flustered everytime Paget talks tough (Ohhh, I'm sooo scared of you). There also appears to be virtually no sensory information in the narrative beyond a visual context -- we know almost nothing about any of the character's personalities or their appearance and mannerisms throughout the book. This applies to descriptions and sensations of the locales as well. I suppose this could have been what was cut as part of the abridged version.

The plot stalls for about half of the book, but picks up quickly at the end, but Paget's failure in attempting to analyze and interpret his first big clue (a written note) is a big investigative oversight right from the start.

Very disappointing.

This is Patterson's first book, and in his introduction he offers an explanation for its inception. Christopher Paget appears in two later novels, "Degree of Guilt" and "Eyes of a Child" which are far superior novels than this one. Be warned, though---if you read "Degree of Guilt" first you'll pretty much know what happens in this book. Paget is a little overbearing and cynical in this one and not as likeable in his mature years. The pace is pretty effective, and the villains are appropriately nasty. I found the ending a tad bit too brisk; it just seemed to end.
RECOMMENDED IN ORDER TO ENJOY THE BETTER SEQUELS.

This is the first of the "Paget Trilogy" and is a pretty decent book. Let's remember Patterson was 29 when he wrote this back in 1979. I guess that could explain the dope references, which didn't bother me at all. A flawed main protagonist??? Oh my God, The HORROR!!! Easy read that will set you up for the much better "Degree of Guilt".

This book had an interesting and complicated plot but the writing was often confusing and, in my opinion did not flow. The ending was exciting but to read 270 slow pages before it grabs you is not worth the time. I have read 5 other novels by this author that I really enjoyed. This one is definitely the weakest.

I read this book in 1994 and in the database I keep for the books I read, I listed "Escape the Night" as excellent. I loved the young "rich boy" who faces his fears and becomes a man in this suspenseful mystery. It is also a love story or rather several different kinds of love story and the bad guy is really bad. It's "not too heavy, not too light" and I enjoyed it. Hope you do, too.

This is my first Patterson book and overall I find it to be a very well-written, if complex, and stylish thriller. The novel opens in the early 1950's and we meet the Carey family, impossibly hard-hearted father John; brothers Charles and Phillip; the self-centered, somewhat demented Allie; and the charming little boy, Peter, who grows up to be the focal point of the novel. The first section has a lot of information in it, and though sometimes hard to digest or keep the many plot mechanizations in context, it sets a very sad and lethal plot for the remainder of the book.
Grown up Peter, having amnesia after the accident that claims his parents' lives, now must face the sale of his father's company and fend off some mysterious and deadly pursuers.
What makes this book work so well is Patterson's handling of the psyche of Peter, and the difficult time he has trusting people. Several key characters are introduced including his girlfriend, Noelle; the crazed killer Martin; two psychiatrists, one a longtime friend of his father; and Ruth Levy, the mistress of his deceased father and also the sister of his psychiatrist.
The plot thickens, secrets are hidden and revealed, and the novel ends in a blazing finish that is more than satisfactory.
Not by any means a brilliant classic, "Escape the Night" is a well-written study in suspense and terror.
RECOMMENDED.

I found this to be a fast paced book with true to life, believable characters and most certainly a provocative, suspenseful stunner. In Steeltown, a struggling midwestern city on the verge of an economic turn around, two important men are found dead within days of each other. The author has created a woman as fascinating as her world is haunting. Stella Marz is the Assistant County Prosecutor. She is so driven by her job; the defense attorneys call her "The Dark Lady" because of her relentless, sometimes ruthless style. Stella has earned the title because she has only lost one case in seven years. Tommy Fielding is the first death. He was a senior officer of the company that is building a new baseball stadium, which is the cities hope for a new future. Jack Novak, a former love interest of Stella's is the second death. Feeling that someone is already following and watching her every move, Stella must make her way through all the facts before it is too late. I really loved this book because it was fast paced. I loved the ending and I am confident you will too. Honestly I feel this is a superbly crafted, must-read thriller. Richard North Patterson has written 10 other novels and he is one suspenseful author that you should look up.

There are few writers out there who can deliver a great book each time out. Patterson is one of them. Each of his books are similar in theme, yet the story seems fresh each time. Dark Lady is no different. I am always fascinated with Patterson's ability to weave events of the past with their impact on the present. Each of his characters is so well defined that we understand the reasons behind every move they make. What makes Dark Lady so great is that it is not only an amazing character study, but a fantastic mystery as well. Dark Lady may not be Patterson's best book(that title will probably always belong to Degree of Guilt) but it is an amazing read. I am surprised by some of the other reviews I have read about this book that describe it as slow and boring. I found it tense and absorbing and I was riveted starting on page one all the way to the great conclusion. Read this book and all books by Richard North Patterson.

If you've read one of Richard North Patterson's previous suspense/crime novels (among them, "Silent Witness," "Eyes of a Child," "Degree of Guilt"), you know him to be a first-rate storyteller. His law degree guarantees fine details of prosecution. His experience as a fictioneer shows that every time he asks himself "What if?" he comes up with a stunning new plot line. Patterson has special talent for terse and telling dialogue. As real-life crime becomes more bizarre, crime writers must dream up more complicated and grisly narratives. Patterson succeeds here, too. The setting of his new novel is the fictional city of Steelton. Stella Marz, the narrator and heroine, is a determined lady who works her way out of a turbid working-class background and through law school to become an assistant county prosecutor, head of the homicide unit. The "Dark Lady" of the title, she's an intriguing female who can hold her own in an all-male enclave. Jack Novak, Stella's onetime employer and former lover, is first introduced as a mutilated corpse dangling from his closet door. He's wearing a garter belt, stockings and high heels. Next, an officer in the development company building Steelton's stadium is found dead in bed from a heroin overdose. He's got a needle in his arm and a dead prostitute at his side. What's particularly horrifying is that victims' lives and reputations do not match their modes of death. Political corruption in Steelton and deceitful colleagues in the homicide unit make Stella's self-appointed task of solving the two murders a formidable challenge. Let the squeamish reader beware: Patterson's novels are always hypnotic, with in-your-face situations that make you blink. On the other hand, fans of psychological/suspense drama will relish the good read Patterson always provides.

i like the author a lot and the story, pace and writing style were good.

I liked this book, but it pales in comparison to Patterson's later works. Adam Shaw is a young lawyer employed in his father-in-law's firm who is asked to drop off a document to his friends, Lydia and Henry Cantwell. Shaw finds the murdered body of Mrs. Cantwell, and then discovers the document he was delivering was the latest edition of her last will and testament. The prime suspects in the murder are the husband whose alibi is he was out of town for the night, and their psychotic son, Jason, whose girlfriend says he was with her all night.
Nothing is as it seems from this point; there's much more than meets the eye in all of the characters' secrets and so forth. Eventually three people end up dead by the time the crime is solved. The true culprit is somewhat of a surprise, although the character's presence in the book is never really likeable. The showdown at the end is somewhat contrived, but it serves its purpose.
If you're a true Patterson fan, this book will please you but savor his later efforts.
RECOMMENDED (SLIGHTLY)

One of his early books, a bit scattered in character development and missing his usual insightful dialogue. He mixes past and present in the same paragraph/scene and you must re-read parts to figure out where he is in the story line.
Shaw basically spends the entire book in his car chasing the plot twists back & forth! There are so many minor bits & pieces that pop back up, it's a book that needs an index. I've read most of his stuff but this one almost doesn't come together till late. Not his best but he's good enough to make it worthwhile...