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To methis book has thrills,cills,and more action than you can stick on a tooth pick. This book is great for the family.
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We begin with our man Trent arriving in town to investigate a murder. The plot is brisk, without enough clues to make it a whodunit. Trent's an established painter with a national reputation as an amateur detective and newspaper correspondent. An amateur sleuth would be incomplete without a nemesis, so we have a long-time friendly rival, Inspector Murth. The presumption of a long history and the effortlessness of the characters' interactions was drawn beautifully. All is revealed through what the characters say and do, not by long narrative descriptions. I rather wish this was only the beginning for Trent and not the end.
The book is based upon the premise that dying is a uniquely personal matter, a singular experience, hence not subject to benefit from our own experience. The only experience likely to provide some possible insight into how we feel or react when this event is immediately upon us, is the experience of others who have managed to die unafraid or helped others in the process. The author has a well honed talent for relating the stories of real people, stories which touch upon the many aspects of dying: what the dying person brings to the experience, the role of family and friends, of the physician, and of the chosen environment. Johns reaches the reader by virtue of her personal involvement with many of the people about whom she writes. This is not the work of a "researcher" of other people's views on the matter, but of a dedicated hospice volunteer. She has thought deeply about the subject and our different reactions to it, based upon personal involvement.
She does a particularly fine job of exploring the matter of assisted dying, not as a strident advocate of one position or another, but by providing us with the context in which this most diffiult of all decisions must be made. Of particular interest to me was the observation, that in the not too distant past, the "family doctor" was part of the family and considerations of liability and legal implications did not enter into the decision making process. Most likely a lifelond acquaintance, if not friend, the family doctor was there to help the individual and the family to weigh the alternatives. Than, - people felt more comfortable with making this decision without the pressure of institutional interests entering into the process
In Dying Unafraid, Fran Johns has succeeeded in creating for the reader a mental, spiritual and emotional framework within which each of us can contemplete and discuss the roles we must assume and the views we bring to bear on the subject of dying.
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'Murder in Little Egypt' was an excellent read. It seems well-researched. It uncovers a side of people that is rarely exposed. It makes it even better if you are familiar with the area, southern Illinois, and the people involved in the book.
This book is unnerving to the soul yet unforgetable. My mother bought this book a couple of years ago do the fact that Dr. Cavaness was her doctor and also the doctor of some other members of my family.
Although i was only eight years old at the time Dr. Cavaness murdered his son Sean, I still remember my parents and family members discussing it. In private of course, but being a sly little girl i would hide behind the couch or stand in the hallway unnoticed and listen quietly to the conversation at hand.
Egypt, as the title refurs to is better known as Southern Illinois. Little Egypt, lies between Eldorado and Harrisburg Illinois. My home town area.
The news spread across the area within days and disrupted and discouraged the lives of friends and citizens of Dr. John Dale Cavaness, a respected, well known and well liked doctor, who lived in Harrisburg and practiced at Pearce Hospital in Eldorado. I found the details of Seans murder to be sickening and heartbreaking. I was in tears as i continued to read about their lives and how twisted it was. When my mother gave me this book she asked me if i remembered the story of what happened. Briefly i did but i had no idea of the turmoil behind it. The details and lives of the Cavaness's are well understood and i just couldn't put the book down until it was finished. It made me think twice about what doctor i choose.
Poirot's last case was written by Agatha Christie (1891-1976) in the 1940's. She's one of the worlds most read criminal authors, known as the queen of crime. She's written lots of detective stories and she's also used another name Mary Westmacott, under which she wrote six romantic novels.
Poirot's last case takeS place at a small hotel called Styles, out In the countryside of England not too far away from London among people from the upper middle-class. Captain Hastings receives a letter from an old friend Hercules Poirot, a detective who has worked together with Hastings many times earlier. In the letter he urges Hasting to come to the hotel where they once met for the first time the Styles, because there is to be a murder. Lot's of things happen during the time when they try to solve the murder.
All the people living at the hotel for the moment are somewhat involved in the matter of the murder. Hercules Poirot is a person that you never really get hold of during the story. He's described as a crippled old man and, even though he's old and can not walk, he still has his brain working. He's much more on the ball then you first think.
Captain Hasting is a man that really appreciates seeing his old friend again but gets really confused sometimes and also he does believe in what every person says. I never get the feeling that he dislikes people, only one because he dislikes that mans manors. He seems to be quite naive and very trusting as his friend describes him.
Other people are The Franklins, The Luttrells who are the owners of the hotel, Mr. Norton, Judith the captain's daughter, Boyd Carrington and Miss Cole. All are living at the hotel for one or another reason.
The story is well written. You quickly get in to it but it's not that you can say what's going to happen. After half the book you will go on reading until the end because you want to know who the murderer is. That's where Agatha Christie shows what a good writer she is. She leaves you clues but it's only that we think we know who has done it, which in the end turns out to be completely wrong.
The language she uses is fairly easy to understand. There are some words I did not know such as scientific words and some descriptive words. But the book is easy to read. The chapters are divided up well and you don't lose the line through out the story.
I liked this book, it caught my interest quickly which for me is important. And it's an exciting story that holds your interest until the end. This was the first novel I read by Agatha Christie but I'll indeed read more of her. I would recommend her.
I'll rate this novel the third best I have read only after Murder of Roger Ackryod and Murder on Orient Express. I finished the novel last night and found it hard to sleep after that. Its too good.
Finally we saw the perfect murderer, who did not do anything to be found guilty of murder. The flow was smooth and being the last case of Poirot, you are tempted to suspect everybody in it. In fact this novel should be read after you have read a substantial number of Agatha Christies. Hastings keeps on giving references to past cases.
In one sentence I can sum it up as it was a wonderful and nostalgic experience going through the pages. A MUST READ.
I came across this book after I had read MANY other Poirot's cases and I was familiar with the surroundings. Lady Agatha takes us back to Styles Court, where we first met the little Belgian man with the egg shaped head. And so, the circle is closed.
This is, in my opinion, the most mature of Christie's stories. Poirot faces the ultimate assassin: an individual capable of the perfect crime. He understands his methods, but also finds it impossible to intervene. And so he takes the matter on to his own hands, although knowing that no crime can go unpunished.
Maybe the essence of the book is in the last few lines, hidden by a mark on a man's forehead. Don't miss it.
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This book is a job well done, and fits right up there on the shelf with the Classics of True Crime.