I am very close to my mother and as years pass I fear the inevitable. I think I purchased this book to convince myself that when my mom passes, she will not be far from me.
This is a collaboration of short stories written by many different woman who have had many different realtionships with their mothers. Some of the stories seemed far fetched to me, or I had questions of "what would give you even the slightest idea that that particular thing or occurance could have been a sign from your mother???" but more often or not, it was touching to know these woman, what ever they may have expierenced, gave them comfort that their moms were letting them know they were still loved and not forgotten. And then they were some stories that sent me reeling with tears and chills up my spine. Either way, it is a good read.

How can anyone deny the incredible bond of a mother and her child? The connection comes alive in this book. Not only will you read it, you will re-read it! And you won't want to lend it for fear of it being too far away, but you will find yourself buying it for a couple of friends (if not more!). Enjoy this book for in honor of the relationship you had, have, or want to have with your Mother! Great Mother's Day gift!

The words in the opening dedication page, For my mother...and yours...what a lovely way to enter this gift of love, to our hearts, from all of the hearts who shared their experiences after the loss of their mothers.The experiences were all unique and wonderful affirmations that our loved ones are always willing to be near us in "whatever way is meaningful" to us. So it seems although the experiences were very different, according to each authors perspective and interpretation... I found all of them to be exquisitely profound and beautiful! The stories that resonated with my own experience were the ones in which nature played a large part...especially hummingbirds and butterflies that appear at special moments, and feel comforting, and really are signs from our loved ones,as I experienced these and many more wonderful signs from my son and then my mother...and we are always connected by our love for our love never ends.As I walked past the books at [local store] to see if they had Angel Cards (they did)...I know that all of the ladies who shared their stories believe and understand what I mean when I say that "this book found me!" Linda Hartley, author of "Letters from Heaven" Website

I had a friend recommend this book to me, she is a friend of Sinclair's. I was truly delighted that she did, as this is a very well written and thought out book, i am definitely going to get her new one. It was most frightening to think that probably some of this happened in the old days and unfortunatly, maybe in our time. Keep up the good work.

Finally a series of exciting adventure mysteries written for intelligent women. Trade Ellis is a character who comes to life--she's a little bit modern and a little bit country; a very nice blend. She's a strong willed and clever detective with a keen sense of humor--really sharp. The mystery that unfolds in The Sporting Club kept me guessing what would happen next. I enjoy a good mystery--this series was written to pleasantly entertain but will also stir you up. I loved it! It was as good as the first book, The Last Song Dogs, and I can't wait until the next one comes out! If you like adventure mysteries and want a believable character you need to read this book.

Browning offers readers a door into the captivating world of Trade Ellis, a modern cowgirl who juggles detective work with a rich ranch life. Browning's crisp description sucks you in. Suddenly you're horseback riding amongst Saguaros and sandy brush; laughing at the antics of a playful pot-bellied pig, and meeting Trade's latest client, a romance writer harboring some very gruesome childhood memories. Browning's quick wit, and her ability to paint a vivid Southwestern landscape peppered with crisp characters create a "can't put it down," fast read that will keep readers entertained. Trade's observations like, "She was wearing shiny alabaster cowboy boots that looked as though they'd never kicked a road apple" will have readers, like me, eager to buy book three, to share Trade's next adventure.

John teaches concept as much as technique and that is important. John encourages you consider broad principals and define your goals. Having participated in several symposiums and a clinic, most of everything I do was influenced by John Lyons and this book was an important part of that. The foundation for training my own Andalusian Stallion is largely based on concepts from this book. I believe you also need two important videos by John: "Round Pen Reasoning" and "Leading and Loading". John never claims to be the only enlightened trainer, but in my view he is one of the best. You can dedicate a lifetime to learning about horses, and this book is a great starter. But in the end, you will learn the most from your horse not from other books. I believe John would agree.

I am not a horse trainer, and had never trained a horse before. However, I applied John Lyon's methods and had very satisfying results. I trained two horses, one of them is now a competition horse which because of its size and conformation (arabian like) would never have been expected to give what it does (its jumping far more than my experienced 10 year old jumper, and he's only 5 and only learning). The trainer has told us its because this horse has such a good disposition towards people and is so attentive and always willing, results of its initial training program, I'm convinced. And it wasn't even done by a proffesional! I highly recommend Lyon's methods. However, I had to read the book twice! Once to get the idea of what the system pointed at and to see what the puzzle looked like with all its pieces in place. Only in the second reading, done mostly in small parts at a time and just before practice was I able to go ahead and be sure of what I was doing and how I should do it. If you are not patient and do not have the time to slowly try to grab the meaning of this, perhaps the video should be a smarter choice.

This book is the end all say all of horse training. Not onlydoes John Lyons take you step by step through the creation of anobedient and willing partner, but he does it with out ever hurting or threatening to hurt the horse. By using John Lyons methods your horse becomes willing and eager to do what you ask of him, not bullied into listening through fear of punishment. I would heartily recomend this book to any horse owner who wants thier horse to be a life partner, and not just a beast of burden bullied into cooperating.

This is the third in the Trade Ellis series. In this outing, Trade, a full-time rancher and part-time private investigator is asked to investigate the death of an acquaintance by the dead woman's husband who is soon everyone's choice for number-one suspect. But Trade has her doubts about his guilt.

The first two books in this series were tightly written with strong character development. In this outing, Browning could have used a good editor. By the middle of the book I was very tired of being told how hot June was. While the heat can and should be part of the book, reminding me at every turn that it was June and it was hot quickly became tedious. A good editor might have helped Browning tighten up her writing as well. By about page 283, I was wondering if the book would ever end. It did, but with Trade not taking the necessary precautions for her safety that I would have expected an intelligent woman investigating a murder would take knowing the murderer knows she's investigating and that it is only a matter of time before she puts two and two together and points her finger at him/her.

I really liked the first two books of this series. I am hoping that this is a transitional book - the second-book doldrums saved for the third book, and that Browning will be back on track with book four of the series. This was not a badly written or plotted book, it was, rather, just too long and tedious.

This book is more detailed and longer than the previous two in the series. I enjoyed the character development and the more complex plot.

For animal lovers this entire series is a treat. Trade Ellis has her horses, dogs, and a pig ... and they are family. It is the mixtures of strong mystery, tough female protagonist, western rural flavor, and the relationship with her animals, that make this series fun.

Oddly enough, the dialog and character of Trade Ellis remind me of (a female version of) Spencer. Her thoughts seem so natural.

I look forward to more in the series.

If you plan to ride or walk in the Southern Arizona desert on a dry, hot June day, don't start at dawn even though it's cooler. Wait til about nine and you'll catch a breeze.

That's just one example of the many sketches of Arizona desert and ranch living you'll find throughout Sinclair Browning's Trade Ellis series. Trade, like Browning, is a real cowgirl and a genuine desert rat. try this: "The brittlebrush and ocotillo had gone dormant, leaving their leaves on the desert floor in an effort to conserve what little water they could suck up. The prickly pear cactus was now as flat as thin battered pancakes and the giant saguaros looked like they'd been fasting". Abbey and Bowden, you got company.

But this isn't a nature treatise - it's a detective novel. And a damn good one. Like Browning's earlier "The Sporting Club" the primary story is based on a real incident. A bull-riding cowboy marries a wealthy heiress almost twice his age. They go camping in the desert, drink a lot, and even though she's a good swimmer, she's found drowned the next day.

That's the real story of Margaret Lesher and T.C. Thorenson and her 1997 death. It's mirrored by Browning's fictional Abigail Van Thiessen and J.B. Calendar. The real story ended in a ruling of accidental death. Browning's wonderful imagination does much more with the fictional version.

After Abbie's death, JB hires rancher and part time PI Trade to prove him innocent. Like any good detective (or lawyer or political consultant) she's never quite sure about her own client. And there's a great secondary story involving Mexican druglords and Trade's ranch foreman and his ex-wife that makes the acion even tenser.

As a whodunit she scores big, revealing as the story unwinds an increasingly plausible list of subjects. She admirably fulfills the basic requirement of a mystery by keeping you mystified to the end. It could just as well be the colonel in the library with the candlestick. If you liked Browning's earlier Trade Ellis yarns like The Last Song Dogs you will like this one even better. She's become a master of this form and is in the front rank of nust western mystery writers, but anybody else writng anywhere today.

This enjoyable romp through Arizona introduces you to colorful characters as Browning tracks her way through drug-dealing territory and an Hispanic grandmother who refuses to give up on her jail-bound grandson. The protagonist, Trade Ellis, tells the story in a pleasant voice. She's a strong, vibrant character. I admired the ending of the novel because the action was credible rather than overdone: the details had been carefully set up along the way. I do think the novel was too long; we get too much of the protagonist having lunch, etc.

Browing is putting together a terrific series with this cowgirl/sleuth. I've read all of her books, and I eagerly wait for the new one each year. Tucson is handled perfectly. I've also heard Browning speak at Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon. She is a fascinating woman, as are her books. She and this series deserves wider recognition. Read Crack Shot as soon as you can.

Open up "The Last Song Dogs," a debut mystery by Sinclair Browning, and the temptation was irrestible to deconstruct its private investigator, Trade Ellis.

She's part Apache, comments on the culture clashes and takes part in native American ceremonies. Tony Hillerman? She's single, in her fourties, dates sometimes and tells her story with that sometimes world-weary edge of the outsider. Sue Grafton? Plus, when she's not investigating, she's running her family's 600-acre cattle ranch outside Tuscon, Arizona. Hmmm, Marnie Davis Kellog, only without the money?

No author would appreciate that kind of treatment, but Trade is composed of such disparate parts that it was hard to take her seriously at first. It even seemed a bit of a spoil to pair her with a conventional mystery involving the murder of a squad of high school cheerleaders 25 years after the last pom-pom was thrown. A Western noirish title like "The Last Song Dogs" deserved better.

Anyway, cheerleaders we got so we're stuck with them. Trade went to school with the members of the Song Dogs, so when three of them died within three months: one by salmonella poisoning, another shot and robbed, and the third brutally killed, the surviving women ask Trade to investigate. The resulting mystery runs along conventional lines. Trade tracks down the remaining Song Dogs, as well as the classmates who knew them. Some of the women have married well, some haven't, and one even spent time in jail for manslaughter. There's a creepy character with an unusual collection, and Trade gets followed and run off the road. Eventually, she cracks the case, but not before pulling a boneheaded stunt that had to be done to set up the standard final confrontation. Yet, while the story ran along conventional lines, Trade is an amiable detective to follow, and one hopes for a better story next time.

In La Ciegna, Arizona, lays Trade Ellis' Vaca Grande ranch. Trade not only is a top notch cowhand, she also works as a private investigator. Her cases typically consist of insurance scams and cheating spouses. However, currently she has the biggest case of her career. Someone is systematically mutilating the Song Dogs, her own high school's cheerleaders from twenty-five years ago. Of the eight, four have died under very ugly circumstances in the last three months.

Two of the surviving individuals, Charlene Williamson and Buffy Patina, hire Trade to ferret out the killer. Trade quickly finds evidence that clearly links the murders. However, determining who is the culprit remains difficult. In high school and the subsequent years since, the Song Dogs, known as the high school's "golden girls" have made many enemies.

Sinclair Browning's debut novel is a rousing success. The mystery is cleverly formulated as the perpetrator once revealed by the author becomes obvious (in a Monday morning quarterbacking way). Trade is a likable individual, who seems real because she knows fear even though she intrepidly continues her task. THE LAST SONG DOGS hopefully is the first installment of what should be a delightful series.

Harriet Klausner

Sinclair Browning's new mystery series character Trade Ellis is a ranch-owning cowgirl private eye who shares a great many personal characteristics with - Sinclair Browning. The author, known to her friends as "Zeke", grew up on a ranch in Cochise County and calls herself " a dirty shirt cowgirl". Which has much to do with why her Trade Ellis persona is both authentic and believable.

Trade lives northwest of Tucson in a small village that's clearly Catalina, where Browning has lived for the last 20 years. Trade drives a big Cummins diesel 3/4 ton Dodge pick-up, the kind of vehicle that makes macho guys drool. It also happens to be the vehicle of choice for Browning, who you may catch driving down the road in her own Dodge, the custom license plate " WRIDER" paying homage to her two greatest loves - horses and books.

Southern Arizona landmarks abound in her fiction, and the mountains and cafes in The Last Song Dogs ar no exception. "Song dog" dear gringo is another term for coyote. It also happens to be what Trade's old high school cheerleaders called themselves; and as their 25 year reunion is about to commence, somebody's knocking them off one by one. Another authentic biographical note: Browning was herself a member of her high-school cheerleading squad.

Browning also does a great job with her other characters. Anyone who has ever been to a later high school reunion will recognize many of them (and their behavior), as well as a few folks from those working Arizona ranches that have yet to be converted to tile roofs and golf courses. And the plot moves and twists fast enough to keep the pages turning.

Browning is known for two previous historical novels: Enju, concerning the Camp Grant massacre, and America's Best, based on the true experiences of her husband's family as prisoners of the Japanese in the Phillipines during World War Two. She's also the co-author of the very successful Lyons on Horses now in its 20th printing (including a German edition).

Dog's Western ranch material and native American lore will surely fascinate both westerners and urban dwelling yankees much in the way that Tony Hillerman's books have built a captive audience among those who think everything west of the Hudson is Indian COuntry.

Like Hillerman, Browning is the genuine article. Most of the New Yorkers who publish this stuff can't tell, as evidenced by a simple perusal of their non-fiction offerings. (See Earp, Wyatt, as an example). Browning is good enough that she could convince most of them that boiled jackrabbit ears are an Arizona ranch delicacy.

Fortunately, she hasn't. Instead, she writes gloriously about Southern Arizona and produces a first-rate suspense novel to boot. She shares with Hillerman one other valuable commodity. The lady can write! Publisher's Weekly says: " The action moves briskly and is boosted by the motley cast of characters and Browning's inspired descriptions of the Southwest landscape."

Theose who are already into the increasingly popular subgenre of mysteries based on contemporary western female cops and P.I.s - written by women like J.A. Jance, Nevada Barr and Sue Grafton - will enjoy adding the first of Sinclair Browning's Trade Ellis series to their reading. But even if you're not a devotee, this is a great read by one of Southern Arizona's most enjoyable writers.