This was a most unusual book. Two murders have been committed in the same place. One during the reign of Richard 111 and one during the present day. Both are interlinked and the current investigation requires the understanding of the previous murder before it can be solved.

This was my second L. P. Holmes' novel to read. "Night Marshall" was my first. Just like "Night Marshall", "Rustler's Moon" is a-mover-&-a-shaker. Your interest will never wane. Need several hours of entertainment? Then, try either novel.

Women of Substance was one of my all-time favorites.And Barbara Taylor Bradford followed that one with a number of books that, if not earth shattering "mind grabbers", were eminently readable. But in the last few months I have read several Bradfords that did not even begin to capture my interest. It is hard to believe that these books came from the same author. I have just finished The Women in His Life and was delighted to find a book that is right up there with Woman of Substance. You could almost tell from the first page that this was written by "the first Mrs. Bradford"! Wish the author would slow down, be less prolific, and give us more of what we know she can do.

The characters and storyline that Barbara Michaels created started out with potential. I found the book entertaining at least half way through, however from that point this story took a turn for the worst. Overall I did not find the mystery of the quilt that interesting there was not enough detail regarding the quilt and the past to keep my interest. Maybe if we would have heard from the people whose lives were previously effected by the quilt it would have brought more interest and character into the story. I am an avid mystery reader & I did not feel this book fell under any mystery catagory. When the climax of the quilt is resolved I no longer cared for the story or the characters as to me is seemed has a weak ending to the "puzzling" quilt. Once the author lets you know how this problem was resloved you know longer want to read this book. From there it leaves you feeling unsatisfied. You know how things will end romatically so why read on? I would give it 2 stars has it was not unreadable yet definatley did not leave the reader with a since of satisfaction.

Barbara Michaels has churned out another page-turner in her genre of romantic suspense. As always, the heroine is young, plucky, a bit naive but willing to learn. The plot device here is a haunted quilt.

Michaels is an accomplished writer whose characters are well-fleshed out, whose plots are timely, whose dialogue rings true. Some readers prefer her archaeology novels written under another name, but I like her Michaels novels better.

"Stitches in Time" is a great rainy-day, read-on-the-couch book and if it's your introduction to the author, it will lure you into getting more of her books.

I, for one, really liked this book. This was my first Barbara Michaels book, and I enjoyed it so much, I started reading all of Barbara Michael's books. This book is about Rachel, and it has psychic scary stuff in it. I really enjoy books (and movies) where the scary stuff isn't blood and guts psycho killer stuff. I like the characters, I love the fact that in all her books, she always has a bunch of cats and dogs, and I always feel so comfortable, I could be sitting at the kitchen table with these people, having a conversation and helping to figure out what is going on! And I love that the people in the story do regular things--let the dogs out, keep the cats from going into the shop, opening a can for food, these are regular people, just like me!

I was so intrigued that Pat, the "grumpy old guy" had a similar experience and it had affected him so strongly that he recognized instantly that Rachel was "shadowed", that I went out and did some searching and found the book that deals with him--Amie Come Home.

If you are looking for a pleasurable escape, I recommend this book. I've loaned out my copy 3 times, and 3 times I've ended up going and buying it again because the person that borrowed it from me loved it and asked if they could just keep it.

Enjoy!

This is the first book of Barbara Delinsky's I've read that I didn't like. It was so predictable. I can't believe men really talk like that in real life. I couldn't wait to finish it.

Harlequin's latest 2-in-1 collection is a combination of a 1984 Harlequin Temptation, 'Bronze Mystique,' by Barbara Delinsky and a new Harlequin Intrigue by Gayle Wilson, 'Secrets in Silence.' I'm always skeptical of these collections. They usually exploit the better selling author, in this case Delinsky, by reprinting one of her older books that is dated and nothing like the books she's writing now, while drawing attention to the newer author who might not get it otherwise. Since the newer author's book is more contemporary and suited to today's readers, it comes off better than the reprint and makes the old favorite look weaker. That was the case in the last one of these 2-in-1 Intrigue collections, with Delinsky's 'Threats and Promises' and the then-new 'Her Secret Past' by Amanda Stevens. The difference is more noticeable here since 'Bronze Mystique' was not even an Intrigue. Why not reprint an actual Intrigue in an Intrigue collection? Nora Roberts' 'Night Moves' seems a perfect fit with this book. Anne Stuart's 'Catspaw' fits even better, with her Wilson collaboration on a new 'Catspaw' sequel coming out next month. Wilson's book is so good only something like those books would have been able to withstand direct comparison in a collection like this.

I found the book inexplicably chosen instead, Delinsky's 'Bronze Mystique,' to be a solid read. Anyone reading it in 1984 might like it even more. But the series romance novels of 1984 were very different than most of what we see today and I don't think it's fair to completely judge it in today's terms. Readers may want to keep in mind that the book is seventeen years old and does read like it. Those more familiar with Delinsky's current work and bestsellers will likely find something far different here. The romance is good, though the story is very slowly paced and the subplot takes a while to develop. Ironically, that would normally make it a perfect companion for a Wilson story.

Wilson's 'Secrets in Silence,' though, is nearly worth the price of the collection by itself. I've had a wide range of responses to this author's Intrigues over the years. One thing has remained the same for all of them: I've never understood why her books were Intrigues and not Intimate Moments. None of her Intrigues have been plot heavy or mystery oriented whodunits, the two elements that typically separate Intrigues from Intimate Moments. I've never been able to tell the difference between her brand of romantic suspense and the Intimate Moments version.

'Secrets in Silence' is a first. For me, it's the first Wilson contemporary that is unmistakably an Intrigue and doesn't feel like it could be an Intimate Moments. Most of her books to feature a whodunit ('Echoes in the Dark,' the Home to Texas books, 'Her Private Bodyguard,' 'Never Let Her Go,' 'Heart of the Night') failed as mysteries because there were too few suspects and so few developed secondary characters that it was too obvious who the villain had to be (like most Intimate Moments). 'Secrets in Silence' is the first to feature a large cast of characters and a number of suspects to keep readers guessing to the end. It's the first Wilson Intrigue to feature a heavily plotted, intricate mystery that's as important as, if not more than, the romance. Quite simply, this has to be the best contemporary murder mystery Wilson has ever written. So of course, it's not being published as an Intrigue. What irony.

The story: Ten years after a little girl was murdered in a small Alabama town, Callie Evers has come to investigate. She's found a connection that links this case to the murder of another little girl. No one seems willing to discuss the murder that tore the town apart, especially not former police chief Ben Stanton. Stanton was torn apart for bungling the case and failing to charge the killer. Now he may have a second chance. Callie has become a target of someone who doesn't like the questions she's asking. Can Stanton finally close the case that's haunted him all these years and save one more victim from a deadly killer?

If 'Bronze Mystique' was dated in a bad way, 'Secrets in Silence' reminds me of old Intrigues in a good way. It's a throwback to the kinds of books the line used to publish and the stories of authors like Jenna Ryan, Bethany Campbell and even Stuart's 'Hand in Glove.' Dark, atmospheric, full of small town secrets, it's the kind of story I've missed. Some category readers may want to be warned that this story contains some mainstream elements not everyone will be comfortable with. The murder of children is not an easy topic to read about, and I found some parts of the story unsettling (and rightfully so). This may not be a story for everyone. Those that do try it will likely find a wonderfully engrossing and suspenseful tale you won't want to read in the dark. It's one of the best Intrigues of the year.

Normally, I wouldn't recommend paying a higher price for a category-sized novel and a reprint. In this case, 'Secrets in Silence' is worth the price all on its own. One of the very best by the author.

I throughly enjoyed this story. An earlier Delinsky, and less complex than her bigger books perhaps, but one of her best romances.

Taylor Greer adopts an abandoned Cherokee girl, aged 3, and names her Turtle. A strange incident at the Hoover Dam thrusts Taylor and Turtle temporarily into the limelight and they appear on the Oprah Show, where they are noticed by Annawake Fourkiller, a lawyer and member of the Cherokee Nation. Annawake decides that Turtle belongs among the Cherokee people rather than being raised by a white woman, and thus begins Taylor's panicked flight to escape the prospect of losing Turtle.

Some very interesting characters inhabit the book, but none of them are particularly realistic. Taylor is relatively normal, but the others are somewhat off-center. Taylor's boyfriend Jax, is a rather unsuccessful musician, her mother Alice just left her second husband because he watches too much TV, and the Cherokee clan that is trying to reclaim Turtle is something else!

In spite of the fact that the characters are bizarre, the plot was interesting if somewhat contrived; and any mother could relate with Taylor's fear of losing custody of her daughter.

I read this book after reading Barbara Kingsolver's most recent novel, Poisonwood Bible, and was somewhat disappointed at the character development in Pigs in Heaven. Of course, they are completely different novels, but I felt she did a much better job of creating believable characters in Poisonwood.

Common throughtout many fictional novels, the issues of family, love, and truth are all dealt with in Barbara Kingsolver's, "Pigs in Heaven". Unlike many other novels that either deal with one of these themes, or all of them sporadically, the events and themes throughout "Pigs in Heaven" are interconnected. This type of plot webbing makes the book much more intresting, allowing the reader to become involved with many different characters, instead of just one or two. When I began this required reading assignment, I was not instantly intrigued by the beginning. Actually, I wanted to throw the book away after the first chapter, because it did not grab my attention. I knew I had to read the book, so evry night I made myself read a chapter. By the third night I noticed that I could not put this book down. What I loved most about "Pigs in Heaven", where the characters. Barbara Kingsolver has a gift for making her characters painstakingly realistic. At times I felt like I was Taylor, trying to keep Turtle, or I was Jax, trying to keep a hold on my love. Sometimes, I was Annawake who was trying to preserve the culture of the Cherokee Nation. In "Pigs in Heaven", readers will have something in common with all of these characters, just as I did when I read this novel. The book provides a setting that is not mentioned enough in American Literature, the Cherokee Nation. It allowed me to look beyond the Indian identity that I was use to, where Indians wore feather and shot arrows, to the real life situations that happens on Cherokee reservations. "Pigs in Heaven" is a great book for when you just want to relax, and let the book become a part of you.

In the novel Pigs in Heaven, Barbara Kingsolver has demonstrated her outstanding ability to captivate the reader. However, this novel produces many controversial issues that are prevalent in the world today. The issue of Turtle, for example, is surfaced when Annawake comes across the young Cherokee, appearing on Oprah. This incident sets off a series of events that constructs the rest of this extraordinary novel. Kinglsolver uses common, everyday language in order to relate this story to her readers. The book's two main characters, Taylor and Turtle Greer, immediately captivate anyone who opens this novel. Even though there is an extreme moral dilemma about whether or not Turtle should stay with Taylor, the reader has the tendency to sympathize more with Taylor as opposed to Annawake. Annawake, a young lawyer, fresh out of law school, is very determined to keep the Cherokee nation intact. This determination partially comes from the loss of her twin brother Gabe, who was taken away by a white family. Unfortunately, these dilemmas went unanswered at the end of the novel. Although uplifting, the ending seems somewhat convenient and unrealistic. Overall this novel was a joy to read and I would be more than willing to recommend it to a friend.

I was anxious to read this book after noting the good reviews it had recieved, but was very disappointed. The entire book dealt more with the details of remodeling Inns than it did with the characters. Too much time wasted telling a story that was mediocre at best. The ending was also tedious. dead end after dead end leaving no time for a proper conclusion.

This is a love story with a mysterious twist. It slips back and forth from present to the past, and the heroine discovers that the sad childhood she had has more to it than she actually remembers. She was a part of history. This story has a historical basis for her sad childhood. I was intrigued and went on-line to check out the news of the subject and discovered that my memory was correctly tweaked and found articles about English children in orphanages. A great listen!

Barbara Taylor Bradford really touched me with this book. I normally read mysteries, thriller, and suspense. This book held my attention through out the book. I really felt Merediths' pain and struggle. I recently saw the movie on channel 8, the producers did the novel no justice. For those who saw the movie and did not read the novel, please read the novel. This is must read.

Ms. Michaels really missed the mark on this one! This book had real potential for being a good thriller, but too much time was spent on mundane events and it turned out to be a long, boring read. If someone has recommened Barbara Michaels to you, I would suggest "Stiches in Time", or "The Dancing Floor" - she really is a good writer. This book is not worth reading.

This book was great. I loved Michaels' technique of slowly unveiling and manipulating each character's dark secrets of the past. She managed to ignite the actual thrill and intrigue of the political game, and this heightened my enjoyment while reading this novel. During the story, Erin becomes so caught up with Rosemary's political problems with Buzz Bennett, that she is simply oblivious to the sickly dangers that lie around her during every day, every moment of her stay. Erin manages to solve the mystery behind the mysterious Richmond fire that killed a number of tiny children and in the process, she discovers the ugly side of the political arena. I enjoyed every page to the fullest degree. In the story, politics is presented to the reader as an exhilarating game; an adventurous game; a dangerous game. This book is certainly a perfect curl-up-at-homer for a rainy afternoon.

I thought the subject of politics was scary enough, but then I read Mrs. Michael's book. Politics took a whole new meaning for me. I am not usually naive, but if Smoke and Mirrors is anything like true politics than I have been oblivious. Mrs. Michael's weaves a thrilling tale that kept me on the edge of my seat through the use of very believable characters, and an enticing plot. The story makes you think, and get involved, and it is obvious that Mrs. Michaels is a born story-teller.

Peter Hoeg throws a slew of themes at the reader (addiction, the divide between humans and animals, the nature of intelligence), but the book never really succeeds in engaging the reader. And the sympathy one feels for Erasmus (a well-drawn character) does not make interspecies romance palatable. "The Woman and the Ape" provides a lot of fodder for book club chatter, but it is not a pleasurable read.

This book is based on quite an interesting idea, and it would bring that across had it not been so badly written. For a fable it is trying to be too realistic, for a story it isn't trying to be realistic enough. I had quite a hard time believing several crucial points in the story, mostly due to the fact that Hoeg is telling me everything, never showing me anything so he can make me belive what I read. When I finally accepted (not believed, accepted) that Madalene was an alcoholic, I was led to believe that she could fight it (right after an almost delirium) in just a couple of days...sure. I also had a hard time believing her strange relationship with Adam, and I guess weird relationships do exist, but I was mostly annoyed by the fact that I should also believe that so many couples have never actually seen eachother naked, as in the end of the book everyone is in shock about the existence of the other apes. Some have even been able to make kids and not let their husband or wife notice that they were hairy all over. Quite an accomplishment I would say. I love a good plot, I love interesting ideas, like this one was, especially as they defend a principle, contain a moral theory, but I would like it to be brought across with some level of realism. Make me believe it could've happened. And I'm willing to believe in superintelligent apes. Even that you can fall in love with them. That was actually the most believable part, Madalene's love for Erasmus. Not enough for me to forget about the rest though.

Peter Hoeg is one of those rare writers -- whose every book is a literary treasure. I have yet to be disappointed by anything he has written. And this book -- the woman and the ape -- is not exception. Hoeg does such a masterful job at raising questions about our own species and our relationship to the Earth, that this book should be read by environmental studies students. Hoeg also entrances his readers -- once again -- with sensual writings, sensitive characters, and a magical air (as he did with Smilla's Sense of Snow), that this book should also be read in literary classes. ... simply: it is a book to be read. and shared.

This book begins with an interesting premise -- that JFK modeled his relationship with his wife on his relationship with his dear sister, Kick. Fair enough, but where's the evidence? It's all speculation, and it may not be true. The book is well written and highly sympathetic to a woman I agree was gallant throughout her life, but it also strays wildly from other published Kennedy accounts without much substantiation. The Mary Meyer in this book bears NO resemblence to the one in the excellent Burleigh biography. Janet Auchincloss is treated much better in both Spoto's recent book on JBKO and the new JANET AND JACKIE book available on amazon. Rose Kennedy seems very different in the Laurence Leamer book on all the Kennedy women than she does here. And JFK himself? Are we to believe that he was a paper tiger, a playboy who would have been nothing without the brilliant behind-the-scenes machinations of his wife? And let's not forget that this wife -- who was referred to as a Dresden doll when she was named deb of the year by Cholly Knickerbocker and graced movie magazine covers from the moment she hit the national scene -- was supposedly crippled with doubts about her own appearance. The author says the couple was sexually incompatible; yet Jackie was pregnant five times in ten years. Also, if the President were merely looking for a partner he was compatible with, he could have easily settled on one mistress -- not the parade described here. Clearly his sexual escapades had more to do with his own psychology than with his relationship with his wife. I enjoyed the author's Hepburn bio very much and approached this book with great expectations. Alas, they were not met.

Being a Kennedy bibliophile, I was pleasantly surprised to find information in this book that had not been previously disclosed.
The title is somewhat misleading as the author does devote much of the book to Kennedy politics. But, for the first time I got a glimpse of what life was like for Jackie and how much she endured. Reading about Jack Kennedy's sexual adventures makes Clinton's escapades seem trivial. Had Kennedy not been assasinated he would surely have been impeached down the line!

A good read for those who find the Kennedys interesting.

I loved this book. I've never read anything before that made me feel like I really knew Jackie Kennedy - but this book makes me feel not only that I know what it would have been like to meet her, but also that I know how she felt at every single moment during her husband's presidency. For the first time I can understand why she stayed with a man who was constantly cheating on her, and how she could have continued to love him. The account of the assassination brought tears to my eyes. When you know the truth of what had been going on in the Kennedys' personal lives at that time, the events are even more heartbreaking.
The book also gave me an incredible insight into Jack Kennedy - how the same man could have bungled things so terribly at the Bay of Pigs and then become such a great leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The world was on the brink of nuclear war then, and this book gives a minute by minute account of how decisions were reached - which is very relevant now when the USA is facing another terrible crisis. If you want to understand how a real man can become a hero, faults and all, read this book.