Lillian Stewart Carl's impressed me with her well-thought-out, historically accurate fantasy ever since I first read her Amazon women-inspired _Sabazel_. Now, at last, we get her most important short fiction collected in a single volume. The genesis of _Sabazel_ is included here, along with several stories that display her affection for All Things Scottish. Witty and thoughtful, there are several major awards finalists included amongst these sophisticated tales. A good read -- I highly recommend it!

At last! a new book by Lillian Stewart Carl. It has been too long since she has been published and this book did not disappoint.

I don't often buy anthologies becasue I normally find that I like only one or two pieces in a collection; but I read this whole book in one sitting and enjoyed all the stories.

Although they range from history & mythology to reincarnation to science fiction the stories are tied together by a feeling of alternate reality - these could be someone else's dreams or nightmares.

If you enjoy speculative fiction of any type you will certainly enjoy the escape from reality that this book provides.

While sifting through the antique treasures of the replica of a Scottish castle in Ohio, historians Michael and Rebecca discover two plots one ancient one modern, both linked by the death of a child and both deadly to those involved. Followed by the equally good Dust to Dust and Garden of Thorns.

In her second book about historians Michael and Rebecca, Lillian Stewart Carl takes us to a dig at a priory in Scotland. Sacked by Henry VIII during his attemps to divorce himself from Catharine of Aragon and the Catholic church, the priory is haunted, not only by Henry's victims but by the pasts of the archaeological team. You'll also want to read the first in the series, Ashes to Ashes and then the the third, but hopefully not final installment, Garden of Thorns.

Following in the footsteps of Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust, Garden of Thorns takes up the lives of Mark Owen and Hillary Chase after their meeting in Scotland.

The story takes place in Mark's home town, Fort Worth, Texas where he is working on an archaeological dig at an historic mansion.

Osburn House has a sinister past, over the years two women have died there and the method of their deaths brings back memories of Jack the Ripper. Is there a connection and does the evil live on today in the owners of the house, the wealthy Coburg family?

As Mark learns more about the horrifying past of the house; Hillary, in her job at a local museum, finds a connection between the house and the ancient artifacts she is cataloguing for the Coburgs, and that connection leads to danger and death.

There is more than one mystery to be solved in this book and all are meticulously plotted - just when you think you understand the characters and their motives another sub-plot raises new questions.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history and archaeology, ghost stories or mysteries - it has something for everyone!

Claire Godwin has always been a paler shadow of her vivacious, larger-than-life foster sister, Melinda Varek. Melinda is always the one who comes up with some madcap plan and Claire inevitably follows, just as she has this time. Melinda has been missing for over a year. She just suddenly disappeared after performing in a play about Elizabeth Spenser, a beautiful young woman who was hanged for being a witch in the 17th century. Everyone has tried to persuade Claire that Melinda just got tired of mending old tapestries in Sommerstowe and decided to travel somewhere else, but Claire knows there is something terribly wrong. She finally finishes out the school year, closes up the library, and takes the job of repairing embroidery at Sommerstowe Hall, a large mansion owned by the National Trust that is being restored to function as a museum.

Claire immediately contacts the police who investigated Melinda's disappearance when she arrives in England, but Inspector Blake informs her that without a body, there is nothing more they can do. When Claire arrives in Sommerstowe and unpacks in the little room she is renting - the very same one Melinda stayed in when she was there - she finds a threatening note stuffed under the carpet and suddenly the investigation is open again. Alec Wood, the Summerstowe police force, takes Claire's fears seriously, but there is little he can do after he has the note tested for fingerprints, etc. Or is there? For, once Claire has all of Sommerstowe riled up about Melinda's disappearance, Alec uses a map and a type of divining rod to discover that Melinda is in the rose garden at Sommerstowe. Surprisingly, Alec is right and they have found what remains of Melinda - but who killed her?

Richard Lacey, the handsome conservation architect who is in charge of restoring the hall, had a fight with Melinda the night that she died and everyone knows that there was something going on between them, don't they? After all, the body was buried on Richard's beloved estate in the rose gardens he helped dig. But then, why was he being blackmailed? And if Melinda was the blackmailer, why did the notes continue after she died? Claire desperately wants to believe that Richard is innocent because there is a strong attraction to them, but who else could have killed Melinda? Turns out there are plenty of suspects in the seemingly peaceful English town: Alec Wood, the helpful policeman, had a date to meet Melinda in the garden at midnight, and he is a practicing wiccan; Elliot Moncrief, the play's volatile director had ample time and opportunity and he and Melinda used to play around together; Diana & Rob Jackman, the owners of the popular pub, The Druid's Circle, seemed to hate Melinda and she was always working in their bar so maybe they saw something they didn't like in Melinda's developing book...? The players are all assembled and, as the real play finishes its yearly run again, Claire is certain that the killer will strike again...but who and where?

This was a thrilling romantic suspense novel with a touch of the paranormal added to make it even better. The mystery was very well developed and Carl really keeps the reader guessing with all of her characters. Every time you turn around there is another motive that pops up into place, all seemingly innocent events that, when looked at in another light, are quite sinister. This was the best part of the book because everything was so suspenseful as anyone could have done it and many people didn't like Melinda, though for very different reasons. I also thought that Carl did a great job in making many smaller mysteries to surround the big mystery of who killed Melinda, this kept the plot moving forward and the reader guessing. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and Claire's developing confidence in herself and her hunches was very convincing also. The setting was fun, the details surrounding the plot were solid and well developed, the romance moved slowly, but seemed better that way - a great novel!

Although MEMORY AND DESIRE was a little slow to start, the reader is rewarded with a well-written and memorable story.

Melinda Varek, a very successful American journalist learned about an English village where the town's people put on a play every year. The play, AN HISTORIE OF THE APOCALYPSE AS VISIT'D UPON SUMMERSTOWE was touted as the true story of a seventeenth century witch trial. The play was about Elizabeth Spenser who was accused of being a witch. Melinda decided to stay in Summerstowe and work on the play. In fact, she played a major role in the part of the doomed Elizabeth Spenser. Melinda also hoped to get material for a possible book on the subject. She disappeared after the play was over and the police were never able to solve the mystery.

The following year, Clair Godwin goes to England on a mission to find out what happened to her best friend Melinda Varek. What she finds is a quaint, picture postcard village called Summerstowe. She also becomes acquainted with the charming Police Constable Alec Wood, the play's director, Elliot Moncrief, and handsome Richard Lacey, a conservation architect for the National Trust. The gathering place for the locals and play participants is a pub owned by Diana and Rob Jackman called the Druid's Circle.

Clair senses that she is not wanted in Summerstowe and decides that the best way for her to find out what happened to Melinda is to get involved with the play and the village residents. When she starts seeing the haunting apparition of Elizabeth Spenser and her cat, she knows that there is a lot more going on than just the disappearance of her best friend.

Inspired by a legend that Alexander the Great had an Amazon lover, Lillian Stewart Carl's Sabazel is probably the best warrior-women novel ever written. Soaked through with painstakingly researched detail, this is a very authentic pre-Roman Empire historical fantasy, complete with magic, broken alliances and intrigue, not to mention LOTS of action. The fact that it takes place on a neverwhere fantasy world doesn't detract the slightest from its authentic feel. Don't let the cover fool you -- if you liked Chicks In Chainmail, only wishing it'd have been a bit more serious, this book is for you!

Amanda Witham enjoys wearing the eighteenth century garb while working as a tour guide at Williamsburg, Virginia's Melrose House even with the unbearable heat wilting her. To Amanda, her job enables her to live history and provide some joy to visitors.

Archeologists discover two-century-old bones in the nearby garden of Melrose House that prove to be the remains of James Grant who was thought to be allegedly buried in Scotland. That is a surprising find, but pales to what happens next to Amanda as the ghost of James visits her and persuades her to uncover the truth about his untimely death. Amanda agrees and travels to Scotland where James is supposedly buried in his ancestral home. As she begins to fall in love with her apparition visitor, Amanda finds herself embroiled in his past that could lead to her present demise.

This engaging paranormal romance contains time travel and suspense elements intertwined seamless to create a dynamite plot. The story line is fun and captivating especially seeing the world through the idealistic eyes of the audacious, adorable Amanda. Lillian Stewart Carl furbishes an engaging tale that entertains readers while enticing the audience to elicit more novels like SHADOWS IN SCARLET and a previous work, MEMORY AND DESIRE, from this talented author.

Harriet Klausner

This fascinating book is, as far as I'm concerned, the best of Carl's fantasies. Her literary roots are showing here -- recasting the Homerian epic Illiad in a richly realized pseudia-India, with all the elephants and temples and culture that goes along with it. A distant sequal to the excellent Amazonian-inspired Sabazel, this book lacks none of the action and intrigue of Carl's other books, but she flexes her writing muscles and really has fun here. She's been to India, and conveys aspects of that culture with quiet confidence, and uses all of her extensive research to powerful effect. Even so, her unique creation here -- the little psychic dragon -- is still my favorite touch in a throroughly unforgettable book!