Three years ago in Connecticut their daughter Carol died. Needing a change to start over, high school biology teacher Stan Earthrowl and his wife Moira buy a Vermont apple orchard. Moira has since come to grips with her child's death, but her spouse still suffers from his devastating loss.

The hope for an idyll life has not been smooth as someone wants to destroy the Earthrowls efforts to succeed. Last year, someone allegedly using the wrong herbicide poisoned a fifth of the trees. Now, some one is cutting down mature trees. Finally one of the Jamaican pickers dies from a poisoned apple. With her spouse accused of the crime and suddenly ailing from a stroke, a desperate Moira asks her neighbor Ruth Willmarth for help. However, unbeknownst to Ruth, her land is also coveted and the people who want it could be her ex-spouse, local religious fanatics, or just some land grabbers.

POISON APPLES is an intriguing regional mystery that vividly brings Vermont's personality to the audience especially through Ruth, a wonderful character. The story line will remind readers of a roller coaster as it slowly works its way up to the first peak before taking off at a rapid pace. However, the numerous extemporaneous subplots clutter the fine main tale but fans of this New England mystery series will still enjoy this work.

Harriet Klausner

Poison Apples is a page-turner that grips one with the complex characters and the issues they are facing in their lives. Wright incorporates many important contemporary issues--e.g., the difficulties of maintaining profitable family farms and orchards, the pressures of development on the land, societal value conflicts--in a real world, everyday-lives setting. This book is about regular people involved in somewhat unusual circumstances. The flow of the story and short scenes keep the reader interested in their lives and mysteries! An enjoyable read for everybody who picks it up.

"Poison Apples" is the third in a series of mysteries set in a farming community in Vermont. This one takes place on an apple orchard. It is Nancy Means Wright 's most gripping and satisfying mystery novel to date. This is not a hard-boiled mystery; its characters and plots represent ordinary, everyday life in a small community ; the story includes much domestic detail. The pace remains quick, the relationships complex. As I live in Vermont, I can say that Wright's characters are absolutely true to the values and economic status of the citizens of our beautiful, quite untouched state. Wright's female characters are especially strong. I particularly liked earthy Moira Earthrowl and closely followed her growing friendship with dairy farmer, Ruth Willmarth, an amateur detective (Wright calls her "my hot tempered sleuth") and divorced mother whose sometime boyfriend owns a funeral parlor. Willmarth has also been the sleuth in Wright's two previous mysteries. The amount of research that Wright performed regarding apples, cows and Jamaican culture (many of the orchard's pickers are Jamaican) is impressive. Some of the book's strongest appeal come from these intricate social and agriculture details. But all is not merely cozy. Quite shocking and even violent in sections, Wright's novel held my interest throughout. It's a definite winner.

but take the details about farming with a large grain of salt. There's some pretty screwy stuff in there that is just plain wrong, or else done in ways that no farmer would ever do for labor or economic reasons. For example, a milking machine catches on fire when not being used. There's no way a milking machine (singular, you notice) can catch on fire. That's like saying your electric frying pan can catch on fire when it's not plugged in and is sitting on your kitchen counter waiting to get used. The wiring for the system could catch on fire, but that's more than just one machine. It's mistakes like this that prove the author doesn't quite get it. And yes,I'm a dairy farmer. But it's a nice attempt and I'll probably read others in the series just because it does feature a farmer.

This is the first in the Ruth Willmarth series of mysteries, and it will make you want to read the rest. Nancy Means Wright is exceptionally good at capturing the spirit, dialect and values of rural Vermont. She loves her state but does not paint it out to be all idyllic, as do many other writers. This novel starts out with the shocking murder of an older woman and a dog and goes on to develop her personable characters that will reappear in the subsequent mysteries. Left by her husband to care for a dairy farm and two children, Willmarth is a gutsy, intuitive protagonist. This is a must read for those who love Vermont and for those who admire strong women protagonists.

Philip Jose Farmer makes an excelent job as always. Farmer known primarily for his Science Fiction, but has produced two Fantasy series World of Tiers and Riverworld, the latter an afterlife fantasy in the tradition of John Kendrick Bangs. Farmer words flow as easy as ever and this novel is a work of art. It aint as sexy or shocking as 'An exorcism: ritual one/two' or as deeply involving as 'The river world saga', but he builds his story up as the SF/horror/fantasy master he is. God fun, and with a nice climax as always.

The Eye, the Ear, and the Arm had a good plot. It's about three children and their adventure. I found it rather boring because it had too many details. The only reason I read it is because it was required for school.

The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm is a mix between a sci-fi and a fantasy. It takes place in the country of Zimbabwe in the year 2914. It starts off with three kids (sons and daughter of the general) named Tendai, Kuda, and Rita that get bored of their "normal" life and decide to go out and have a little adventure of their own. All of a sudden they are kidnapped and sent to work for the "She Elephant". If the don't escape, they will be bought by the masks to sere in their gang. They have to use bravery, wits, and trust to escape.
Overall I would give this book three stars because it had a pretty good plot, but it wasnt that interesting.

This is one of the most entertaining and original science fiction books I have ever read, not to mention one of the best children's books I have ever read. Taking place in a futuristic Zimbabwe in the year 2194, this tale of detectives, genetically engineered blue monkeys, and terrorists is a true edge-of-your-seat delight that will entertain both teenagers and adults.

Tendai, Rita, and Kuda, the General Matsika's three children, are tired of their technologically controlled home and their overprotective parents. They want an adventure and sneak out of the house one morning for a day of exploring only to be kidnapped! Now it's up three very special detectives: The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm, to find them. But will they succeed?

I recently had the opportunity to read the paperback version of Do You Know Me? After completing the story, I have very mixed feelings! I really enjoyed the character, Uncle Zeka. He was in my opinion, the strongest character in the book. His unintentional and well meaning antics kept the book interesting. I also liked the character Tapiwa and felt a great deal of empathy for her situation. These were in my opinion the strong points of the book. My disappointment comes within the remainder of the plot. I felt that there was an overuse of characters which made the book quite hard to follow and as a result I lost interest very quickly. I would have been unable to complete the book had it not been for Uncle Zeka and Tapiwa.

The story, Do You Know Me?, takes place in Africa where one brother living in a more modern community tries to help his older brother who has had to survive in the bush with only his wits to help him. Their ways of doing things clash and that's when the fun begins. Uncle Zeka and his antics had me laughing out loud! The characters in this story are ones you'll never forget. My favorite, Tapiwa, is a shy, intelligent girl who learns that the most valuable lessons are not always learned at school. This is an excellent book to read with your class, teachers!