This is really a lovely book for clearing up concepts in pulmonary physiology. Dr West, one of the globally famous physiology author, integrated pulmonary pathology with the underlining physiology in this thin book. He tried to help students understand what goes wrong in numerous common lung and airway problems with the interesting cases he presented. As he pointed out in the preface, he intended to make this book as concise as possible in order to fit the modern cirriculum by sparing more time for students to deal with the expanding syllabus in molecular science!!

While I used John West's books in school(respiratory physiology; pulmonary pathophysiology)and I did not think that those books were any good(I had to use Levitzky's pulmonary physiology to better understand the material) I must say though that this book is great. The way he combined the most important material from those 2 books and incoorporate it with case studies is excellent. I recommend this book for respiratorist and medical students.

Despite the title, this isn't so very far along in the series and in fact features the introduction of the very politically correct "Ms. Liz Probert." The cases are the usual set, and Rumpole faces his usual trials and tribulations, most notably from a new member of chambers who wants to make everything much more efficient. The eponymous tale is one we've seen dramatized, where Rumpole has great success betting on a "four-horse accumulator," tells a judge exactly what he thinks of him, and is (of course) frustrated when his go-between leaves the country with his winnings.

Entertaining, as always.

Rumpole has an assortment of foes in this collection of 7 stories: Judge Bullingham, his Head of Chambers Sam Ballard, dishonest prosecution witnesses, police officers, prosecuting barristers, and even the barrister defending his client's co-defendant in a case of armed robbery where a bank guard was wounded. No wonder he thinks of winning a fortune betting on horse races and moving to Spain in the last story, "Rumpole's Last Case". You should enjoy reading this book to find out how many cases Rumpole wins and if he really retires.

Once again, Joe Nickel, with John F. Fischer, shows that he is a researcher and investigator with few peers. He has tackled several "unexplained" mysteries, and explained them.

Using available-- if not common-- historical records, as well as first-hand investigations where possible, Nickel has managed to explain such mysteries as the Crystal Skull, the "moving" coffins of the Barbados Vault, and specific cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion. These are just three examples of some of the cases investigated and fully explained within the pages of this book.

This book is a must for those who are truly interested in learning about the world's mysteries, rather than blindly believing the claims of credulous writers who simply wish to sell books to... well, credulous readers.

Joe Nickell shows that he is neither a fanatical skeptic nor a quack paranormal investigator in this sometimes humorous look at the occult mysteries. What instantly got my attention was his debunking of so called ghost hunters with "a psychic in tow", which is exactly how I feel about them. If people state the supernatural is visible physically, then science and forensics should be able to prove these claims. If not then these claims are a hoax. Mr. Nickell does an excellent job of pointing out these hoaxes. All in all this book is a must for true paranormal investigators who prefer to apply science and common sense to claims, instead of unproven flim flam like psychic abilities in their research. Mr. Nickell is a true "ghost hunter" and this is a great book to take along any "chase".

I couldn't get enough of this book. I've always enjoyed the idea of Studs Terkel's WORKING and fantasised about perhaps writing an updated version. But, someone beat me to it (Thank Goodness, cuz it was never gonna get done otherwise).

WORKING is a little antiquated, however, so not entirely enjoyable. I had to take everything with the thought, "Yeah, well, this was 30 years ago." Thank you John Bowe et. al.

It's voyeristic to read this book, yes, but it's also comforting to see people talk about their jobs with love and hate: the same mixed feelings everyone has. We do need love and work in order to be happy. If a human has something to do, s/he atleast has something to think about (good or bad). Idleness is horrorific.

I reccomend this book highly.

If you liked Studs Terkel's working you will like this book. The folks form word.com talk to people from every possible occupation, such as coporate lawyer, stripper, taco bell worker, CEO, etc. Each of them gets a couple of pages at least, and they talk freely about what their work experience is like. Some people love their jobs, some people plan on quitting soon. It is like talking to these people yourself. Gig is a fun read. There are lots of nicely obsereved details. The UPS guy talks about having to wear certain color t-shirts. An artist talks about liking the smell of paint. A temp guy talks about the need to look busy. It has a very high hard-to-put-down quotient. Also, I think it is a important book. This is the way people really think about their livlihood. A nice antitdote to coporate bs. Best read I have had in a while.

This is the kind of book I try to ration to keep from reading cover-to-cover during the first sitting, but end up devouring anyway. Each one of the stories in it is immediately intriguing, and each one you read makes you more curious about the next. The stories are full of fascinating tidbits of information and insight into the everyday lives of Americans from all walks of life. It's the kind of information you can't and don't get from the media, even in in-depth articles and reports. If you've ever wondered what goes on in the lives of people you interact with only tangentially, buy this book. It makes for an amazingly engrossing and enjoyable read.

This is possibly the saddest novel I have ever read. I have been thinking about it ever since I finished it. Few novels have evoked so much emotion in me. Tess makes me feel sad, frustrated, and angry.
Tess of the Durbervilles is the story of Tess Durbeyfield, the daughter of poor, alcoholic parents who learn that they are of a noble bloodline and send Tess off to work for her noble "cousin" Alec Durberville. While there, Alec rapes Tess and she has his illegitimate baby. This event ruins Tess's life. She is no longer pure, and virginal, and therefore brings shame upon her true love Angel Clare when her past is revealed.
It is hard to believe, in this day and age, that Tess is shamed and ostracized because she was the victim of a horrible crime. Hardy's novel is a powerful statement on the questionable morality of Victorian society. Tess, who is a heroic, brave, caring, selfless woman, is not worthy of Angel because she is somehow impure due to the rape. Angel, who has lived with a woman out of wedlock and is clearly not a virgin himself, feels justified in punishing Tess when he learns of her past.
The writing is beautiful, but the story tragic. It will stay with you a long time.

Please ignore the immature high-school student reviews and understand that this book is a masterpiece. Hardy analyzes the relationship between human desire and society's mores to an unprecendented degree. The characters are multi-faceted and very life-like. Hardly aptly avoids the mistake of creating mere carciatures of the pure woman, idealistic intellectual, and spoiled playboy. Moreover, his use of religious allusion is excellent although this may alienate the modern, secular reader. And perhaps this is the problem with some readers. Finally, Tess is an admirable and strong woman who had difficult circumstances. How many people would act as admirably in her circumstance? Not many! The reviewers that criticize her actions should realize this and that they ignore one of Hardy's key points: Don't be so judgemental! This is one of the best books I have read and believe me, I have read a lot of the "good" books.

I'm many years out of college and thought I should start reading some more of the classics. Previous favorites of mine have been The Sound and the Fury, Jane Eyre, and Pride and Prejudice. I saw Tess of the D'Urbervilles on my sister's bookshelf and for about a year I considered reading it. Finally, I picked it up and began. Wow! I read it in about three days. I never expected I would feel so much by reading this book. I cried when she baptized Sorrow herself. Her concerns that he be buried in the churchyard and her efforts to ensure he was were touching. I wanted to help Tess Durbeyfield. I thought she was a very complex character--she was sweet and unworldly but she wasn't actually stupid. And she was strong in many ways--for example, her family relied on Tess for so many things--eventually even their support. In fact, I hated her family for not working harder and making their own sacrifices. All the burden was on poor Tess. I also wanted to shake some sense into Angel. He really did wrong by Tess--although he eventually realizes this, it comes too late. The only thing I really did not care for was the sudden inclusion of a minor character (who we met earlier)into the end of the book and the implication that she would play an important role in the future of a major character. I barely knew this minor character and NOBODY could compare to Tess of the D'Urbervilles. If you are reading this to find a good book, ignore the negative reviews by high-school students and buy this book NOW. It's unforgettable.

Let me first echo the sentiments expressed by others and comment on what a beautiful edition the Univ of Nebraska Press has produced. The margins are indeed wide and the type very readable. This edition is easily held, the illustrations nicely complement the text and the binding is quite durable. The introduction by Joyce Carol Oates is helpful albeit pedantic. Also, those who've read the Univ of Calif Press edition of Frankenstein will notice some overlap between this introduction and the one that Ms. Oates wrote for that particular edition. Nonetheless, the introduction is valuable.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of those stories, like Frankenstein and Dracula, that seemingly everyone has heard of and believes they understand("mythopoetic " in the language of Joyce Carol Oates). Much like the aforementioned works, the actual details of the story may come as a surprise to those who assume they know the story based solely on the popular understanding. For that reason alone I think the book is worth reading.

Dr. Jekyll is a respected if somewhat reclusive London doctor who has, through the course of years of experimentation, managed to create a solution which brings to the fore his evil alter-ego. Unlike many gothic literary villains, Hyde is not imbued with superhuman strength or exceptional gifts of any kind. In fact he is of a smaller and less imposing stature than most men. What he does possess however is a complete lack of compunction with regards to others. Hyde for example ruthlessly runs down a small child who gets in his way. As is the case with Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll creates something that he can't control and which eventually destroys its creator.

The inhumanity that the fictional Hyde displays can be seen in the non-fictious world on a daily basis. As such, there is a realism to the story which is missing from many horror stories past and present. The fact that such a short and captivating work exists in an attractively packaged edition makes this one classic that will be a joy to read for all.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a clasic so, naturaly, I had high expectations. I certainly was not let down. It has a totally unique style with much detail and extensive writing. Yet, this novel is a very quickly read novel, unlike other excessively detailed books like Dracula. This book is not boring. This book is fun. It doesn't ruin the plot with too much detail like other books. Other fantasy books are usually not even close to realistic. Whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is close to being conceived realistic. This book has a general morbid feeling to it where other fantasies are sometimes cheerful and happy. Robert Louis Stevenson is a realy good writer in my opinion.
He uses a very wide range of vocabulary. Stevenson uses many 19th Century terms that seem weird and different to me.
One thing bad about his writing is his punctuation. He uses way too many semicolons and comas. He makes one sentence out of six or seven sentences.
This book was not the best book I ever read, but was not the worst either. it was mediocre. however It was miles ahead of Dracula. Dracula is boring, whereas Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is fast paced, quick, and fun to read. its pritty morbid which is kind of a down side, but Since it is very short it is a good book on my list.

The University of Nebraska Press edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is beautiful! The illustrations by Barry Moser, woodcuts that progress chronologically through Dr. Jekyll's life as it is described in hints throughout Robert Louis Stevenson's story, are atmospheric and evocative; a picture of a boy being guided by his father, for example, echoes Dr. Jekyll's comments that he has a "fatherly" interest in his alter-ego, Hyde, while Hyde has a son's "indifference" to the father; the cover illustration is a portrait of Dr. Jekyll's father destroyed by Mr. Hyde on a rampage.

Joyce Carol Oates's introduction is worthwhile, especially for those readers who know the story, as most English-speaking people do, in its basic framework, but who have not yet actually traveled the dark road with Dr. Jekyll and his friends.

It is a pleasure to read a classic book in such a carefully crafted edition. Too often books such as this are printed in cheap editions with narrow margins and lousy type; this one fits comfortably in the hand and is easy on the eye as the reader is drawn into this allegorical nightmare.

This review refers to the University of Nebraska Press edition only.

Good Book

The book called, Gangland: How The FBI Broke The Mob by Howard Blum was a good book to read. I pick this book for the interest in the mob and how it works. The book is a big book and it holds a lot of details. Gangland is about the Gotti Family and the boss John Gotti. In the beginning of this book it really explains the FBI agents life and it also talks about how they were on to the mob. Howard Blum talks about what the mob is and what there about. Gangland tells you how they busted the mob one by one and who turned on his own boss to get them busted. If you really like mob stories and want to learn what happened to this family of gangster's, then read this book.

I have always been a fan of true crime books dealing with the American mafia so I could be a bit biased in this review. I really enjoyed this book. It is a very interesting view of what took place with John Gotti. It had a lot of detail about how the FBI worked with other law enforcement organizations, and the techniques they used to gather the evidence that turned John Gotti into a ward of the state. This book moves fast and never gets bogged down in legalese. Another positive with the book is the author is a reporter and not a FBI official, therefore the writing is better. It is an interesting study of an important event in the American Mafia

Gangland is the most thorough and professional telling of the fall of John Gotti. I was already familiar with the characters from other books, primarily "Boss of Bosses," so I was very pleased to wrap up the story as told by this highly skilled author and journalist.

The biggest difference between this and other mafia books is that almost all other books are written as first person accounts by the participants (i.e. FBI agents, mobsters, etc.). As an unbiased observer, Blum can tell the entire story in all of its fascinating detail - from FBI squad rooms to the inner circle of Gotti's most private mob retreats. This professional detachment does not in any way hamper the personal details of the story. Blum can still make you feel like an insider. Probably the best example of this is when he recounts Gotti and Sammy "the Bull" Gravano's murder of Gambino crime family boss Paul Castellano. When you read the story again later in the book - as part of Gravano's confession - it brings chills down your back yet again. You can sense the excitement of the government agents and prosecutors who are hearing the story for the first time. It is a true pinnacle in American organized crime history.

Gangland is a required companion to other fine mafia books like "Donnie Brasco," "Boss of Bosses," and to a lesser extent "Underboss." The only thing to remember is that its journalistic approach is markedly different from the "I was there" approach of other books. Just stick with it as everything unravels perfectly in the end.

Oh boy...Case really goes all out in his books to make you think, "Omigosh...what IF this really happened?" In "The Genesis Code," it's a real spellbinder in that it proposes just how far do we go with genetic engineering, or cloning? It opens in a small village in Italy where a priest practically has a stroke in hearing an old doctor's confession. What possibly could it have been? Then the priest is off to Rome to secure a meeting with a cardinal to relate this horrifying unimaginable sin.
Enter Joe Lassiter, a well to do private investigating enterpreneur, who gets involved with all this when his sister and her young son are savagely murdered and then burned to a crisp in their home. Lassiter's trail leads him all over the globe, ultimately to a fertility clinic (or is it?) in Italy. The book, like other Case novels, opens with this jarring prologue and then meticulously details lots of technical information, mysterious men, secrets, secrets and more secrets, and a look at a very unusual religious sect, determined to bring the Catholic church back to its days of Latin masses, and to completely ignore the Vatican II council.
It moves well, though, and I agree that Lassister takes a long time to figure out what's going on. However, by the end, it all makes sense and resolves with a disturbing scene with a young boy and a fish bowl. As in all of Case's works, however, the main flaw is that his climaxes seem to zoom in and then poof, it's over...but even so, my friends, it's a great read.
RECOMMENDED.

I read Case's second novel first, and was fairly impressed by it. It was a bit amaturish when compared to the likes of Clancy, Chricton, or DeMille, but was still a good entertainment read. Case's first book, The Genesis Code, is not only a page-turner of the first degree, but is also extremely thought provoking and a bit controversial.

After dealing with the murder of his sister and nephew, Joe Lassiter, the story's main character (head of his own investigative firm), decides to jog around the country and world in search for answers. Who REALLY killed them? And more importantly, why? It is not until clues start leading him to Italy and in the direction of a break-away Catholic group that the reader starts making connections to the story's fast-paced, "edge of your chair" first chapter. In this chapter, a priest in a middle-of-nowhere town in Italy takes confession from a local doctor... what he hears shocks him, almost to the point of death. It sends him on a journey to the Vatican with knowledge that could change the world forever.. Case leaves you hanging after the highest members of the church, including the Pope, debate the priest's disturbing news.

Case ties together his plot nicely. He brings information from the book's opening chapter back during the middle of the action, at which point the reader can start guessing the doctor's sin. The sin, having to do with biblical figures, DNA, and a mother's love, is truly amazing. It leaves you wondering, "What if?"

This book is extremely well written, combining techniques similar to Tom Clancy and Micheal Chricton, with a little of Nelson DeMille's talent and humor tossed in. It is a wonderful pick for a thriller lover.. you'll be sad when you finish, constantly wishing that you could pick it up and continue reading, only to find out that you are done. I highly recommend this "good to the last sentence" book! I loved it, and so will you!

John Case provides an excellent mixture of suspense and intrigue in this biomedical thriller. Spining an intricate web that connects science, medicine, religion, and murder, he guides the reader through a thrilling maze of characters, questions and secret agendas that lead to a surprising conclusion.

The first few chapters set the stage as an old village doctor's confession to the parish priest sets in motion a deadly chain of events. Case leaves the reader to wonder what was so disturbing about the doctor's confession, dropping clues along the way to tease the readers curiosity. Each clue, like a piece of a puzzle allows the reader to get a clearer picture of the answer....as long as the reader can put the pieces together! Yet, it is not until the final chapter that the pieces finally come together to provide the staggering answer to the puzzle.

Case's knowledge of investigation provides a vibrant touch of reality to the novel, which is supplemented with thorough knowledge of religion and science. The book is also packed with action, intrigue and suspense. As a result, the book is able to raise interesting questions about science, religion, and ethics while giving the reader an adventure of a thrill ride. It is almost like a mixture of Jurassic Park, James Bond, and religion.

As a theologian, I am considering using it as a case text whenever I teach a class in science and religion. Definetely a must read.

This book was a major disappointment for me, although that should not have come as a surprise since the quality of Mr. Douglas's books has declined steadily since the first one I read, Mind Hunter. The premise is a good one--he uses his modern "profiling" techniques to provide insights into some older, well-known murders. But his performance here is mediocre & this book proves to be his weakest yet.

The first four chapters deal in detail with Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, the Lindbergh kidnapping, & the Zodiac killer. While the overviews are decent & his analysis more or less sound, of necessity he relies heavily on the writings & research of others & there is really nothing in these chapters that you could not find more extensively in a book devoted exclusively to any of those cases. The next chapter includes three more famous cases (the Black Dahlia, Bambi Bembenek, & the Boston Strangler) & the same criticisms that apply to the first chapters apply to this one except that his descriptions & analyses of the cases are much sketchier.

The book really falls apart though, in the last full chapter, which covers JonBenet Ramsey. Douglas has ties to the Ramsey family & their lawyers &, while he makes a couple of good points in favor of the "intruder" theory, his allegiance is obvious & he often does not play fair with his readers. His attempts to defend the Ramseys from any & all allegations are fairly pathetic & seriously call into doubt his objectivity. As an example, he makes a big deal out of the fact that the Ramseys submitted to having samples of their hair, etc. taken saying that if they were guilty they would never have done so. But this is disingenuous--the crime scene was the Ramsey house which would have been full of their hair & DNA so matching their samples up with something found in the house would really be meaningless. On the other hand, the Ramseys have consistently refused to be interviewed by the police--interviews which, if they were guilty, would be very dangerous for them. Douglas also belittles the fact that the Ramseys hired lawyers right after the crime saying that any potential suspect would have done so. While true, it was this "lawyering up" that prevented the police from having contact with the Ramseys & from properly investigating the crime. While one could understand a suspect refusing to talk with the police even if he were innocent, it is much more difficult to understand the motivation of a parent whose daughter had just been brutally murdered to impede the investigation of the crime in such a substantial way. Interviewing & clearing the Ramseys, or using the information they provided to match up with other leads, could have focused on some other suspect & possibly solved the case. Regardless of who committed this crime, & it could very well have been an intruder, Douglas's tortured excuse making for the Ramseys pretty much ruins this book & his credibility in general.

For someone who has never read anything on the crimes discussed in the early chapters, this book will provide a decent overview & reference for further reading. But the contents are nothing special &, in the case of the JonBenet chapter, are much less than that. Two stars.

Not since his first work, MINDHUNTER, have I read a Douglas book this interesting. Mindhunter set the pace for all the profiling narratives that followed. Although nobody does it better than Douglas, his subsequent works were somewhat lacking because they did not grab the reader with the same tenacity as his first novel. He takes a somewhat new direction with THE CASES THAT HAUNT US and in turn a better book surfaces.

In CASES THAT HAUNT US Douglas looks at some of the more infamous murders of all time and adds his professional perspective. Whereas he can offer nothing new (after all there have been thousands of books on Jack the Ripper for example), he does weigh some of the more mentioned theories and shows their strenghts and more often than not, their weaknesses. He picks some of the all time chilling real life horror stories....Jack the Ripper, The Zodiac, The Boston Strangler, The Lindbergh Kidnapping, and even the infamous Jon Benet Ramsey case. All the chapters are intriguing and well thought out. He does an outstanding job of showing how some of the conventional thinking on these cases is flawed and in turn relays his years of hands on experience in the field. Along the way, he peppers his views with recollections of cases he has touched.

The main point of controversy in this book in sure to be the Ramsey killing. It is no secret that Douglas was called in to offers his thoughts on this tragic event by the lawyers representing the Ramseys. While I do not agree that he sold out as some would insist, I do question his desire to hire himself out to the main suspects in this grisly event. (in all fairness to Douglas he does contend that after the initial consultation fee he refused to accept further payment and even paid for subsequent flights to Atlanta). This chapter should not prevent anyone from reading the book. Rather, it ranks as one of the more interesting sections of this work. Douglas offers his own insights and makes convincing arguements for an inturder theory. You dont have to agree with the man to respect his logic, reasoning, and experience.

Overall the book reads at the speed of light. All of the chapters with the possible exception of the Lizzy Borden case are well written and really grab the reader's attention. True crime fans will have to read this book.

Douglas and Olshaker have done their usual stellar job in recounting several famous unsolved murders and approaching them from a 21st century perspective. They strip away all the sensationalism that surrounded these cases and focus in on the profiling that has proven correct so many times. What kind of person would have committed this crime? In this particular way, leaving behind these particular clues? This book has the some of the answers.

The cases given such scrutiny are London's Jack the Ripper murders, Lizzie Borden and the hatchet murders of her father and step-mother, the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby, California's Zodiac killer, and the JonBenet Ramsey murder. Other cases encapsulated in one chapter illustrating the power of motive to make or break a case are the Black Dahlia homicide, the Lawrencia Bembeneck case, and the Boston Strangler killings.

It is fascinating to get to the heart of the matter, especially in the Ripper and Borden cases, and zero in on "just the facts" of who was there who had the motive, means, and opportunity to commit these crimes in this particular way? In the days before criminal profiling and behavioral analysis, it seemed as though it must be a crazed fiend running around killing people. Certainly not a God-fearing, Sunday School teacher of good family bashing in the heads of the parents to obtain a higher level of existence for herself. That speaks strongly to motive: who else but Lizzie (and her sister Emma) stood to gain if her parents were dead? Not a crazed fiend, but the Borden sisters themselves.

Obviously a crazed fiend was responsible for the Ripper murders, for which Douglas produces a likely suspect. It was either this man, or someone very much like him. Someone who, after the last murder, disintegrated to such an extent he was institutionalized and died soon after. This makes more sense than, say, an elaborate conspiracy plot involving members of the Victorian royal family.

Douglas dissects the crime to its individual components and adds them up to a behavioral profile and then compares this to the existing suspects. The best match is the likeliest culprit. Douglas seems less arrogant here than in other works; perhaps he worked on analyzing his own behavior!

Also, another reviewer made the point that Douglas is inconsistent with his findings. His or her example is that Douglas doubts that an intruder broke in to the Borden home, killed Mrs. Borden, then waited 90 minutes and killed Mr. Borden. But it made perfect sense to Douglas that someone broke into the Ramsey home and waited hours for them to come home, go to sleep, and then abduct and murder JonBenet. His findings do make sense when you consider that the Borden home was an extremely small (even for the day) house, with no place to hide without being seen by someone. The Ramsey house was a very large and warren-like, which could have afforded an intruder ample places to wait for hours.

I've got to say, Douglas has definitely changed my mind on the JonBenet Ramsey case; the combination of a compromised crime scene, incorrect suppositions, and tabloid sensationalism have contributed to a hopelessly muddled case which will in all probability never be solved. But Douglas is pretty persuasive that it was not John and Patsy Ramsey.

I noticed a few typos, but all in all, a ripping good read!

In his mid twenties, Danny Cray cringes at the image of the starving artist as he has chosen to supplement his meager earnings as a sculptor with sleuthing. His latest customer, charismatic and wealthy attorney Jude Belzer hires Danny to do some research into whom and why someone has been attacking the reputation of a client. Danny easily succeeds and in return receives a nice fee.

Jude asks Danny to dig deeper so the part time detective flies to the Vatican to conduct more research as lure of the first class accommodations are too impossible to resist. However, Danny uncovers a lot more than he was supposed to and he now knows the deadly game his benefactor plays. His discovery leads to Belzer sending his thugs to dispose of Danny, who now flees for his life.

When it comes to an action-packed thriller, the writing team of John Case is as sure a bet as fans will find out. The latest tale, THE EIGHTH DAY, never eases off the throttle as readers follow Danny walk deeper into trouble one step at a time. Though this theme of relative innocence deluded by glamour into a deadly scenario is as old as the bible, readers will root for Danny to defeat his much more powerful foe even if it takes unrealistic spins for him to have a slim chance. The case on this book and previous novels by this writing duo (see THE SYNDROME and THE GENESIS CODE) is that the story line always goes at hyperspeed driven by a likable hero in over their head against a clever villain.

Harriet Klausner

What a wild ride! This was one of the most intriguing, fast-moving, exciting, enigmatic plots I've read in many years. Artist and part-time P.I. Danny Cray takes a job doing a little investigative work for the devil, I mean, a mysterious billionaire in order to make some quick cash. But as he gets deeper and deeper into his investigation, he realizes that everyone connected with this man has either committed suicide (one guy by entombment) or been murdered. The plot is thicker than cajun gumbo and covers the globe, from the Middle East to Norway. I highly recommend this well-written book. Just be prepared to lose some sleep because it's unputdownable. Fabulous story, Mr. Case!!!!!

See book description above.

A John Case novel never seems to disappoint my reading fix. His scientific thrillers are timely, and once you start reading, hard to put down.
One of the main subjects in the book is nanotechnology. This subject has been the theme of several books over the last couple years but Case does a superb job by taking you all over the world on an adventure that includes everything from 'The Contrade' (a brutal horse race in Italy) to the land of the Kurds. There is also talk of Yezidis', Anchorites, 'Black Writing', and more.
A well rounded thriller sure to keep you entertained.

Highly recommended.