I read this book after reading Ann Rule's "And Never Let Her Go". I was actually very glad that I had read her book first, because had I not I would not have understood anything about the background of the people involved, which this book did not go into. It was gripping and definately readable but it just sort of covered the story from the time Capano murdered Anne Marie through the trial. If a person just wants an overall view of the case, this would be the book. But if you want more details and more information into the lives and background of these people, I would recommend Rule's book.

A great case, but not enough background on the individuals involved. In true-crime I like "details", the who, what, why, where and when answered in creative and interesting ways. In "Summer Wind," all the questions were answered, but it was more like reading a newspaper or magazine article then a book. The Capano family is full of troubled people and yet no reasons other then money and privledge was given as a reason for their selfishness, alcoholism, drug use, and womanizing. I wanted to know more about the childhood of Tom Capano. Mr. Anastasia focused only on his aulthood. I wanted to know more about his wife and daughters and their reaction to this terrible murder. All in all an interesting case but ultimately disappointing account of it.

This book ranks right up there with HELTER SKELTER in my favorite true-crime books. I live in Philadelphia, just a stone's throw from Delaware, the locale of the story, and I heard plenty about the Anne Marie Fahey case at the time it happened.

TSW is the story of gubernatorial secretary Anne Marie Fahey and Tom Capano, a high-powered attorney with political aspirations and connections. This is a story of appearances. To all observations, Anne Marie was vivacious and fun-loving; what wasn't readily apparent was the fact that she was a troubled young woman with eating and emotional disorders that stemmed from a dysfunctional upbringing. Tom was Delaware royalty, the scion of a wealthy Italian-American family who had the brains to take the Capanos to new levels both politically and socially. To all who knew him, he was the biggest mover and shaker in the state. What wasn't readily apparent was the fact that he was a manipulative, obsessive lothario who preyed upon helpless, insecure women.

You will be glued to this book as you read how Capano literally tried to get away with murder and the anguish the Fahey family experienced as all attempts to locate their sister were in vain. The culmination came with the incriminating discovery of the cooler and the decree of the death penalty, which Capano appeals to this very day.

"The Return of the native" is the first novel that I have read of Thomas Hardy's. The novel begins with a detailed yet beautiful description of the Egdon Heath, which to a Hardy beginner would appear too descriptive to go on reading. However, once the characters are introduced and the plot of the story begins, it is an unstoppable read. I have read a Hardy's poem titled "The convergence of the Twain" that reveals Hardy's faith in "Immanent Will" that drives the events of this universe. This novel reinforces that faith of his. Though a reader can clearly see a solution to the problem that the characters are in, the characters themselves are helpless pawns in the hands of the Immanent will that drives the show. A not so unusual story, more or less predictable in the plot, gains its advantage from the beauty of Hardy's language. I have not come across a better author who can so exactly transform what he visualizes/sees into words. The book is definitely a treasure to be kept and re-read.

I don't know how many times I've given up on Hardy novels - I pick them up with the best of intentions, but his language is just too ponderous for my taste. His works are undeniably masterpieces, but one must work agonizingly hard to pry the story out of the book. However, under Mr. Rickman's masterful interpretation, Egdon heath and its tragic inhabitants leapt from the book (or, as it were, the car speakers) and into my imagination, and I found myself eagerly anticipating my next road trip. I'll leave it to the other reviewers to describe the book itself, and say only that Mr. Rickman's rich voice makes Hardy's words not only tolerable but a mesmerizing (no pun intended, Rickmaniacs) sensual feast. If you're a Hardy fan or a Rickmaniac, this collection of tapes is not to be missed.

Warning: This audio book is highly addictive!!!
Maybe you have to like Thomas Hardy before making your mind up to settling down to listen your way through all the 12 tapes. But you will learn to yearn for just another chapter of this, after the first tape. Another word to the yet undecided: the Return is not half as dismal as Jude the Obscure or Tess of the Durberville.
On top of the drama between six persons and the heath, which figures as another dramatis personae, there comes Mr. Rickman's superb reading. He gives every person not only his or her own characteristic voice. But his descriptions of the landscape make you see the scenery (apart from the introduction, the description of Mrs. Yeobright's garden on the day of her fatal excursion is compelling. He makes you feel the sweltering heat of that day). Just two highlights certainly are the dicing-game on the midnight heath (tape 6) as well as Clyms and Eustacias final dispute (tape 10). But the whole recording in itself is a highlight.
Just one technical afterthought: It would be sensible to edit it on CD. Tapes do not keep so well in the long run and I tremble that one day the tapes may give up.

As a social critique of Enlgish and European society, this book is very effective. It is also beautifully written. But it should not be read as the depiction of what society should be like. Thomas More, a wise and brave man executed by orders of Henry VIII, knew that Utopia shouldn't be taken very seriously, and that is exactly why he used the word Utopia to name his famous island. Utopia, in latin, means "in no place", that what can not exist. The problem is that this simple fact was not understood by many. And so, "utopianism" was born. The preposterous belief that there is a universal and definitive form of organization for human societies led to disasters like Nazism and Communism. By organizing everything perfectly (according to who?), these systems become the negation of the very essence of the human being: its innate imperfection and its need to be constantly changing, always on the move. It is simply impossible that some political, economic and social system resolves once and for all the troubles of humanity. Problems are exactly what make humans progress and reform constantly. Besides, the State has proven indispensable for survival, but also limited in what it can accomplish (in Utopia, the State provides everything for everybody). Stagnant societies degenerate and disappear, or remain to live from the charity of dynamic societies. Closed, perennial social systems, simply don't work: there is abundant proof in history, ancient or recent. "Utopia" is an excellent account of human shortcomings and a good tale, but it is not, nor was intended to be, a recipe with solutions for the world. Aldous Huxley and George Orwell have shown us what might happen in a supposed Utopia. The Communist world was worse. And Anthony Burgess clearly shows us in "A Clockwork Orange", that in "perfect" societies, the only way to practice freedom is violence. Let's not be perfect.

Utopia is a classic masterpiece that conveys More's vivid imagination of the Island of Utopia. Although most of the characters are fictional, it is intriguing to learn about the true values of European societies during the 16th century, when More actually wrote the book (although many scholars believe that the exact year was 1515). Truthfully, the book is quite easy to understand. All More tries to do is convey his own views of how society should be through Raphael. Moreover, the use of imagery in Book I is quite fascinating, including the constant references to Roman and Greek myths and beliefs. It is also quite remarkable to see that the story begins to be more and more interesting after More and Giles come back from dinner. To make a long story short, I think it is a great book because of the actual time it was written in since most pieces of literature written at that time were either lost or destroyed.

As a social critique this book is very effective with answers to many arguments. Thomas More is a wise, brave and educated man who was executed by orders of Henry VIII, and wrote Utopia more as an explanation of why society needed to be far from perfect in order to be enjoyable. Utopia, meaning in Latin "in no place", was written entirely in satire, and many have said that it was a great source of entertainment for the more educated as they watched those less educated argue on the side of a Utopian state while quoting Moore, and having never seen the satire present while reading. Mr. Moore's Utopia touches on every aspect of the human existance as it would be experienced if we prescribed to this way of life. I found many of his discriptions colorful, and commonly found myself of the verge of anger before realizing that Mr. Morre was more often than not simply playing the devil's advocate.

This was very enjoyable for me. I would recommend that everyone take a risk and read this one.

1952, 7:00 p.m., Anytown, USA -
Police detectives Jack Pierce and Norman Cohen have only 11-hours for a final interrogation of Albert Jay Smalls. Smalls - a young vagrant who lives in a drainpipe, trying to live by selling things he finds - is the prime suspect in the murder of 8-year-old Catherine Lake. But, the police don't have enough evidence to hold him. A true race against time for detectives Pierce and Cohen. They have 11-hours to get more evidence, a confession, something . . . or the suspect walks!

Speaking of time . . . the detectives had 11-hours; I finished this book in 7! Reached the 1/2-way mark before going to bed. Next morning, put on the coffee and started reading again. Author Thomas H. Cook kept pulling me in further and further. This is my first book by Cook and I WILL read him again.

'The Interrogation' is all about atmosphere.

If it were a movie it would be a classic black and white film noir starring George Raft.

If it were a painting it would be "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper.

If it were a sound it would be the echo of unseen footsteps in the dark streets of an empty city.

Thomas Cook has masterfully created a bleak and silent city filled with solitary characters that are almost without exception imprisoned by their own loneliness, loss and guilt. At the center of it all is the marathon interrogation session going on in interrogation room 3. Oddly, this sparring between the detective and the child murder suspect is by far the most personal and intimate exchange in the book. We hang on every question and response, whether verbal or by body language. Is he guilty? Will he crack? What will they do to him if he doesn't? What will the new day bring? Keep reading and find out.

Seldom have I read a genre book so skillfully written. This is the first of Cook's books that I have read and it most definitely will not be the last.

Word has come down from the top, Albert Jay Smalls, prime suspect in the murder of eight year old Cathy Lake, is to be released at 6:00 am tomorrow morning. With no witnesses or direct evidence to link him to the crime, the police have held Smalls for over a week, hoping he'll break and confess. But his steadfast denial has never wavered, and now detectives Norm Cohen and Jack Pierce have twelve hours, one last interrogation, to make their case or let him go. It's September 12, 1952, and these next few hours will forever change the lives of everyone involved in the Lake murder, as Cohen and Pierce race against the clock to find not only the truth, but justice..... Award winning, master storyteller, Thomas Cook weaves a compelling and intricate tale, that moves deftly, back and forth, between the crime itself, the continuing police investigation, and this last interrogation of Smalls, towards a stunning and powerfully haunting conclusion. This eloquently written, intelligent novel is tight, tense and suspenseful, and filled with vivid, riveting scenes, brilliant characterizations, and seemingly unrelated plot twists that keep the reader off balance and guessing to the end. Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, The Interrogation stands alone in its skill and art, and is a gripping drama that should be placed at the top of everyone's "must read" list.

After reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, I think that i now have seen slavery in a totally different way. the hardships that Uncle Tom faced were awful, and I can see why a Civil War was started after people read this novel. I give Uncle Tom's Cabin a four, because it clearly showed the difference between the fate of someome who rebels against the system, and someone who sits back and goes through the system. It is not a five however, because i believe this book is severely flawed. Little Eva, is about five or six when she is introduced, and then later passes away. She seemes to look on death as a good thing, which is totally unrealistic for a child of that age. Eva says things like "the time will come soon, when i will have to leave you, I will leave, never to return." and "I am not nervous- I am not low-spirited, and I know I am going, before long. If it were not for you Papa, and my friends, I should be perfectly happy. I want to go- I long to go" Now these are not things that come out of a childs mouth, so this part of the book is not believable. Also, I think a good book should have well rounded characters. Characters who are flawed. Uncle Tom is too good, he is whipped tourtured, and beaten and all he thinks about is wanting to save Simon Legree's soul. I believe that every person has a little bit of good in them. This is not shown in Simon legree which makes him also, an unbelievable character. The book was by no doubt a well writen book, and I look up to Harriet Beecher-Stowe for having so much courage, that ever when she recieved death threats from slavery supporters, she went along and kept writing this book.

Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of the best American novels written to date. It is a wonderful fictional tale about two slaves, Eliza and Tom, who follow two very different paths during their lives as slaves. They both live in Kentucky under the same master. As their master goes in to debt, he is forced to sell them to a slave trader. Fearful of loosing her child, Eliza takes the very dangerous path and runs away with fellow slaves leading to a bloody skirmish with a group of drunken bounty hunters. Tom on the other hand, chooses to follow his master's orders and get sold into the Deep South. By following his faith in God he believes God will guide hi through his life as a slave. Harriet Beecher Stowe uses her descriptive style of writing to capture the reader's imagination, and show them the horrors of slavery. One interesting topic the author brings up all throughout the novel is the idea of how can a southern slave holder feel right even after they have read the bible and how their slaves know passages that describe their right to freedom. Another great thing the author does in this novel is give a great ending by telling what happened to each of the different characters after they have ended their lives as slaves. I think this book is a classic American novel, however I believe its message is shallow and cannot compare to that of the Jungle's or even or some of Jack London's or John Steinbeck's works. For these reasons I giving Uncle Tom's Cabin a 4.5, but it still deserves five stars. This book is a must buy for every American.

Uncle Tom's Cabin is about the evils of slavery from many different sides of the issue. The main character (Uncle Tom) is a good, always obedient, Christian slave that's master has to sell to pay off a debt. He has several masters, one very kind, one just normal, and one very brutal. It reallly shows how horrible slavery was. After reading it, it became obvious to me why there was a war to put an end to this terrible atrocity. Uncle Tom shows us how it is possible to do the right thing, face horrible punishments (being beaten almost to death), and still love everyone, including his evil master which he also forgave. It was one of the most memorable books I have read. I recommend it to everyone and I think it should be required reading for all schools. I think this book definitely deserves five out of five stars.

Elizabeth George has managed to meld the standard genres of cozy and police procedural (with a dash of hard-boiled thrown in for spice) into a marvelous series-opening mystery. Sergeant Barbara Havers is from the East End of London and bears resentment against the priveleges of the upper class. Ironically (and to her chagrin), she is teamed with Inspector Thomas Lynley, who also happens to be the Eighth Earl of Asherton, to solve a gruesome axe-murder in rural England. George takes the cozy setting of the English countryside, brings in the inner workings of Scotland Yard, and drops in a few grisly murders to create one of the most readable mysteries I have encountered in years. I intend to read all of George's Lynley-Havers novels.

This is the first book in the Lynley/Havers series, and it is quite a powerful one. Ms. George has very strong characters. She is also not afraid to tread in dark and secretive areas, as this book does. She does not tread softly either. Rather she enters in with "gumboots"! This is one of the best psychological thrillers I've read in some time, and I intend to continue with the series. Lynley and Havers are a great team. Yes, you'll find that you lose patience with Havers as she blunders her way through some very dicey situations, but don't be fooled - she is extemely intelligent under that dumpy exterior. Lynley is a true English gentleman, and a very deep character in his own right. Unrequited love has a place in this book along with other kinds of "love" that are not nearly so wholesome.

The first in this superb mystery series, A Great Deliverance introduces most of the major characters that inhabit Elizabeth George's later books.

George's characters are clearly well fleshed out - care is taken in giving them distinct and memorable personalities. Both DI Lynley and DS Barbara Havers leave strong first impressions - him for being charming and composed, Havers for being just the opposite. The affable Simon St. James makes his first appearance, along with his lovely new wife Deborah. Also, Lady Helen Clyde rounds off the list of characters that readers grow to love in later books.

In this mystery, when Roberta Teys is found clutching her dead father's decapitated body in quiet Keldale, DI Lynley, the eight earl of Asherton, is called in to investigate. Much to her distaste, DS Havers is assigned to work alongside him. They must, however, work together in order to unravel the mystery. They find themselves digging into the past and uncovering hidden family secrets and later enlisting the aid of the St. James'.

Both Havers and Lynley are forced to confront personal demons and come to terms with their own failings before they can resolve the matter. They manage to put aside misconceptions of each other, and take a positive step towards the friendship that characterizes the rest of the series.

After reaching its climax, the mystery ends neatly, with all the loose ends tied together satisfactorily.

Along the way, the book gives tantalizing hints into the relationships between the characters, ensuring that you simply have to read the next book in the series, if only to see the development of these relationships.

All in all, a great beginning to what is later a great series - A Great Deliverance is a must read for all mystery fans!

I devour mystery books, and am especially fond of series that include the same characters over and over. So I was inclined to like this series from the start, but was pleasantly surprised by the way George develops her characters to an unusual degree. However, they are uneven are far as how interesting they seem (which I suppose is true in life as well). Every time the plot involves Deborah I just want to put the book down and snore. She's sweet, she's a photographer, she has curly red hair, she is devastated by her inability to have children; that's all we know. But really, who cares about her? Not me. And would Simon get over his leg already? On the other hand, I find Helen Clyde to be hilarious, very witty. Lynley, a wee bit dry for the central character. But Barbara Havers has now become my favorite mystery character of all time. I am so excited to read Deception on His Mind, where she has an even larger role. Thank you, Elizabeth George, for making this complex, funny, unglamorous and wholly likable person. My only complaints: it makes no sense to me that Barbara has no real friends. Why not? She's very cool. She should have a close gal pal. Second, I hope that life begins to treat Barb a little better pretty soon; I somehow felt personally crushed by some of the things that have happened to her. One last comment about this book: there were absolutely zero clues as to the perp in this book. And no hints in this person's behavior as to their psychotic crimes until they were explained in the end. I like to have at least a slight chance of sussing the mystery out myself!

Elizabeth George has outdone herself in her latest novel, "In the Presence of the Enemy". This novel involves the usual characters - Detetctive Inspector Thomas Lynley, Simon St. James and Barbara Havers as they try to resolve the kidnapping of a young girl. As the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into the plot, Ms. George's talent for creating believable characters becomes apparent. In addition to how each character reacts to news of the kidnapping, there are subplots and twists which keep the reader intrigued. The personality of each character if finely developed and maintained throughout the book. And the ending was a total suprise to me! It left me thinking about human actions and interactions for many days. If you like mysteries which keep you challenged and constantly thinking, then this is a book for you

If you've never read any of Elizabeth George's novels, this is as good a place as any to start. By the way, she writes novels, not just "mystery novels."

This book works as a novel, as a mystery, as a puzzle, as a soap opera, as a sheer entertainment page-turner, and as a travelogue. You get a lot of bang for your reading buck.

Poor, poor Barbara Havers... I think there should be a society for the prevention of cruelty to characters. I feel so sorry for her.

Fantastic (in both senses of the word) plot twists.

As it happens, I am extremely dense about guessing whodunnit. I just read mysteries for the atmosphere, the characters, the story, the procedure, and the background. But Elizabeth George has pulled off what for me is a very rare experience--I didn't guess whodunnit, but at the end I actually feel that I ought have been able to.

In this, the third installment of the Lynley-Havers series, George expands upon her literary approach and succeeds resoundingly. Set at a typical British public school, Well-Schooled in Murder deals primarily with class and the subtle, but sometimes brutal, means by which class distinctions and pecking-orders are maintained. Disappointing however was the de-emphasis upon Havers, except for some interesting insights into her private life. I felt that this book more than either of the previous could have provided Havers with an opportunity to indict the British class system, but she merely slaps it on the hand with a few salty remarks. Regarding the mystery itself, George's skill at plot development increases with each outing in this series. Fans of Simon and Deborah will be pleased to learn that their lives and histories are explored much more fully than before and that these characters have evolved to become as important (if not more) than Havers. While pleased with the ever-improving excellence that George applies toward character and plot development, I hope that she returns to the original theme which made the first novel, A Great Deliverance, shine -- the conflict/cooperation between Lynley and Havers as representative of the evolution of Britain from an aristocracy to a meritocracy.

"Well-Schooled in Murder" is an entertaining and well-written mystery by Elizabeth George. Detective Inspector Lynley and Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers investigate the brutal torture and murder of a young British boarding school student named Matthew Whately. As in so many police procedurals by such skilled authors such as Ruth Rendell, George explores the hypocrisy and brutality that underlie the British veneer of politeness. With believable dialogue and careful plotting, George develops her large cast of characters very well. She explores such social problems as class snobbery, abuse by older students against younger students, and the strained relationships between parents and children. George also gives glimpses into the private lives and psyches of Havers, Lynley, Simon St. James, and his wife, Deborah, all of whom have severe personal problems. With compassion and insight, George's novel reveals that when people are grossly dishonest with themselves and with their loved ones, they may destroy not only relationships but often people's lives, as well. I recommend "Well-Schooled in Murder" for fans of British murder mysteries. It has a well-developed plot and interesting and complex characters.

In college I took a class in detective fiction and this was one of the six books that we had to read -- it proved to be my favorite.

The murder of a child from a British boarding school whose parental lineage is a bit of a mystery is found by Deborah St. James. This places a huge emotional strain on her as she recently suffered a miscarriage.

Enter Detectives Lynley and Havers on the scene. (This book also explores their personal lives outside of the crime scene as you get a very clear dichotomy of their social standing -- Lynley with his fine house and surroundings; Havers with her aging and ailing family members. This was heavily debated in our class and it was interesting to see how George pulls it off so well.) They explore the inner sanctum of the all-boys school and learn more than they expected (although something tells me Lynley already knew what to expect and just didn't want to mention it) along with some more than suprising twists that left many a jaw on the floor.

Elizabeth George has always had a deft handling of her characters and their emotions and this book is no different. With this book, she really hit her stride.

FOR THE SAKE OF ELENA is my introduction to Elizabeth George and her detectives Lynley and Havers. I enjoyed the twists in the plot; as soon as I had made up my mind that a certain character was guilty, a new piece of evidence would be discovered to deflect suspicion. All of the suspects were introduced early enough for the reader to ponder the guilt or innocence of each. I look forward to more of George's work.

This was my first Elizabeth George book, and I enjoyed it. She is an intelligent writer, and she knows how to develop characters. I certainly want to read more of her books. The Cambridge touch here is a good one as is the artistic information that comes out during the course of the book. There are enough twists in the plot to keep most people guessing.

This is a good novel. not merely a crime or mystery novel...a good novel.

the writing is good, the characters are great and interesting, the plot is probably her ebst so far, but could well have done with a bit more development.

The way she deals with deafness was quite good, very unpatronising, but if she wanted it to become more of a theme, she should have spent a little more time with the Deaf people assosciated with the story, instead of just glancing over them as she seemed to.

But there is one point where she comes miserably unstuck.

Right at the beginning...the first chapter even. The writer is told the golden rule "never lie to your readers"....which, in this novel, was something Elizabeth george definitely does.

I am trying to think of ways to describe her flawm whilst at the same time not telling you who did it. Let's just say...the way a certain person acts at the start definitely works against the fact that they turn out to be the murderer. It's wrong psychology...the way the characters had acted, when we find out they were the murderer, is just nonsense.

However, in all other aspects, this is a great great book. In this series, it is second only to A Traitor to Memory.

It has one of the best motives of any crime novels i've ever read. some people have said it's very unbelieable and would not have given rise to the sort of feelings shown in the killing of Elena. But those people just do not understand....when i read what Tony Weaver was made to do, i was horrified. Being a "creator" (albeit of a differnt type of art) myself, i can well understand what drove the killer to do the deed.

This is a marvellous book in the fact that by the end of it, almost all your opinions of the characters have compeltely reversed. Well, i certainly found mine doing that.

At the start, i liked Justine, but by the end, i just plain hated her. Anthony Weaver first comes across as quite a nice man...but then his true personality is revealed. I started off disliking Gareth Randolph, but by the end felt very sorry for the poor lad. And Sarah Gordon, who i started off as being completely indifferent to, i came to feel intense sympathy for, and liked a great deal. Glyn Weaver, i started off feeling sympathetic toward, but by the end i just couldn't stand her.

This is a great book, highly reccomeneded. However, you must of course start at the start. With A Great Deliverance.