A great PI series. This book is on the edge of hard core without all the gore. The character development gives you an insight into the feelings of the book and the plot development keeps you wanting to read on and on. I met Janet Dawson at a booksigning a number of months ago. Bought this first book to try "one of these days". When I finally got around to trying it I could kick myself for waiting so long. It is wonderful. If you haven't tried it, for crying out loud, get it. Just don't do what I did and wait for awhile. Buy it, read it, NOW!!!

This book gave me real world examples, concepts and gotchas related to JMS. I found it very useful for understanding how to implement JMS with my J2EE application. It explained JMS in a fluid style that was easy to read.

This book goes beyond theory and explains how to use JMS in different situations.

Excellent book covering so many practical issues for JMS systems. The architectural insights were certainly useful for someone new to JMS.

The only complaint I have is the title - this books covers so much more than just Programming issues!

Well done Shaun.

Excellent guide for practitioners. Instead of regurgitating the JMS spec, Shaun focuses on architectural as well as design issues related to JMS. Shaun has distilled his wealth of knowledge on this subject developed through Java Center engagements in this book. Don't miss it.

Private Investigator, Jeri Howard is out to find the real cause of her present, but just past away client, Rob Lawter. She goes undercover, travels, worked double shifts to find the answer to how Mr. Lawter died and what was the cause of it? This book is packed with gradually piled on suspense that can't exactly keep me interested. There seems to be a lack of description of the characters and the settings. Or maybe I'm just slow. It does include accurate information when it comes to describing the cities mentioned in the story, San Francisco and Oakland. Could get a higher rating, it just doesn't have what I want in a mystery novel. I would highly recommend this to San Franciscans and Oakland-ERs.

THE PLOT Private Investigator Jeri Howard is back and she's lost a client. Rob Lawter comes to Jeri and retains her services, tells her he'll brief her later, but he takes a header out of his apartment window -- suicide, accident or murder? Jeri investigates and takes a job as a legal secretary (her previous employment) at the company where Rob worked as a paralegal. All she has is a determination to help her now-dead client and an anonymous threatening note he received warning him about "blowing the whistle". Lots of people enter, stage left, and most of them stick around for the duration making it hard for Jeri to pin them down.

Was it one of the lawyers? Was it the corporate bigwigs who took over the company in a hostile takeover and are they going to take the company apart piece-by-piece? Was it the plant managers conspiring to hide some terrible secret? Was it the brother-in-law who is trying to convince everyone that Rob committed suicide? And what do Rob's neighbours know about what happened that night?

WHAT I LIKED There are no super-human powers of deduction shown here by Jeri. She is a plodder -- one piece of the puzzle at a time, turning it around and around to see if it fits anywhere. And a lot of the time, she doesn't know what to do with the pieces and doesn't try to make them fit anywhere. The writing is up to Dawson's normal first-rate level and it is particularly interesting to see how Jeri goes about her non-investigating tasks around the office. The office, and the office politics, are made real by describing Jeri's experiences -- all of them, including the rules for working the photocopier. They set the tone for the workplace and most writers would have left them out. Dawson includes them, and the story is better for having them.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE Jeri can be a bit of a dunce at times. Several "clues" leap off the page at the reader, but Jeri misses them, or rather, completely misses the significance -- at the time. There are a couple like that, so quite often the reader knows where the story is going when Jeri doesn't, and it is only to the credit of Dawson's writing that you don't say "Hurry up and get there already."

Secondly, at the end, Dawson doesn't play fair -- there are two "clues" that turn everything around for Jeri, the final pieces of the puzzle, and she doesn't show them to the reader. "Foul!", I cry.

OVERALL RATING There is nothing overly exciting about the book, but it is a decent entertaining mystery, and the descriptions of the office raise it up a notch. The fouls at the end lower it a bit, so an overall 3.5 out of 5.0. Wouldn't want to buy it in hardcover, but it would be worth a paperback purchase.

There is a familiar ring to the Bates food manufacturing company. Could it be another LBO company deep in the heart of Oakland that Jeri Howard finds so familiar? An excellent book full of Bay Area flavor -- which is what draws me to Dawson's books. She's a wonderful, entertaining writer and you find yourself right beside her in the produce district sleuthing for clues.

Jeri Howard is not among the strongest representatives of the female PI genre, but these stories are well plotted and believable. This installment has a neat plot twist after making an early point on the evils of stalking and harassment. This book is recommended for a solid, entertaining read.

As always, Janet writes a great story

I have consumed every one of Janet Dawson's series involving private eye Jeri Howard. I love the characters and Jeri's sense of humor, as well as the realism in the issues which she confronts. I heartily recommend any of the Jeri Howard series to anyone who likes mysteries involving female detectives and lots of character!

This author is developing into a rival for the Paretskys and Cornwells of the genre. Jeri is an engaging, courageous and honest protagonist and, along with secondary characters, is well-drawn by the author. The plotting here is compelling and frighteningly topical. Jeri and her exploits rank highly on my must-read list.

I was so excited to see another Jeri Howard adventure by Janet Dawson as I've read all her previous ones and thoroughly enjoyed them as bits of fluff that held your interest for a plane ride or a w/end at the beach...thought that this would go in more deeply about the "hidden children" but she whet one's appetite for more but barely skimmed the surface....didn't pay for that trip to Paris...and as previous reviewer stated, the two stories never really got together to make one really good story...I still liked the one set in Monterey the best..."Never turn your back on the ocean"....It still was like spending time with an old friend...keep on writing, Janet Dawson...this one showed a definite change in your writing...more depth...thanx for a good read...anyone who read her previous books, will enjoy this one as well...

Private detective Jeri Howard is excited over her latest assignment. She is to travel to Paris to bring home a runaway, teenager Darcy Stefano, the daughter of wealthy parents. When Jeri arrives in France, she learns that Darcy is paying homage to her beloved grandmother, who, as a French Jew, was hidden away from the Nazis during the WW II occupation. Jeri accompanies Darcy as she visits various holocaust memorials and other Jewish sites. Upon completing her quest, Darcy and Jeri return to California.

A few months later, The Stefanos hire Jeri to once again track down their errant daughter, who has vanished from her school. Jeri begins her investigation with the school. She quickly uncovers a Neo-Nazi movement that apparently Darcy previously discovered. Jeri knows that it will take all of her skill to keep Darcy alive from the Nazis who are not ready to divulge their existence.

WITNESS TO EVIL is a strange novel in that both parts are well written and fun to read, but the two halves fail to blend together into a credible novel. This is one time where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. Jeri remains a very good female sleuth and the story line is well designed and written, but Paris and California never connect.

Harriet Klausner

This is one of my favorite operas but unfortunately this recording stinks. Scarpia probably had a hand in the engineering. While the performance is of high quality the dynamics are very poor. Whoever mixed it was playing the magic flute or intoxicated with the elixir of love. The quiet passages are recorded at such low levels that I have to increase the volume to hear them, but only to find myself forced to rush over to lower the drastically over amplified loud passages. As I have a much better recording (Caballe-Carreras-Wixell on Phillips) I end up looking at this book and playing the other. This was most disappointing since I also have the companion La Boheme and Butterfly and those are excellent. Save your money on this one.....

The score in this book is perfect, it's a copy of an Ricordi Edition, if you are a conductor you can use it, don't confuise with the comment of the hardcover edition, the hardcover dosn't have the full score of the opera only this book. it's a good edition, if you like this opera buy this book.

It was once said that Puccini's "La Boheme" was all music and no drama, while "Tosca" was all drama and no music. Yet, at least to modern listeners, "Tosca," with its resonating themes, its incredible orchestrations, and its compelling story line of love, lust, loyalty, and betrayal continues to fascinate. The full score will aid the discerning listener in enjoying the scope of Puccini's genius as music and drama come together in a breathtaking rush of melody, aria, and incredible pathos. One of opera's most detestable, yet evilly engaging, villains, Baron Scarpia, stalks with regal ominousness. Floria Tosca sings one of the most poignant arias, "Visa d'arte. Visa amore." And as the plot thickens, the listener is carried to new heights of musical drama as the lovers plan their escape. But Scarpia's evil hand reaches from beyond the veil of death to thwart their flight to love and freedom. Puccini's orchestrations, his soaring melodies, and his sense of place and time have thrilled audiences for generations. Enjoy it again with the full score, and your favorite recording!