Throwing in monkey wrenches, stranger characters and even more heads-in-boxes in the process, they mostly succeed in creating a wholly unbelievable, extremely offbeat and wildly entertaining mystery. Poor Carl Hiassen (of Striptease fame) is challenged with tying up all the loose ends without playing the Demi Moore card, and succeeds in delivering an ending as strange as a manatee is large.

Above all an interesting experiment, Naked Came the Manatee is also an entertaining quick read.

There is not a great deal of mystery throughout the book. The plot is fairly simple, the characters are predictable, and the ending is not really a surprise. Kidd is interesting enough to carry the reader through to the end of the book, but not enough to make me log on to find the other Kidd books. I like Lucas Davenport better and hope there will be another "Prey" book soon.

Granted, The Devil's Code doesn't have the intensity of the Prey series. This is the story of a part time artist, part time criminal and part time computer hacker who gets dragged into a high level political investigation that involves the FBI, CIA and other law enforcement agencies. Although he is completely innocent of any involvement, Kidd -- the book's main character - needs to find the real criminals before the investigation leads to him. His mysterious and talented sometimes partner, LuEllen, shows up to help him and add spice to the narrative.

While the Prey books deal in realism, The Devil's Code is pure escapism. One of Kidd's hacker friends is murdered and his (the friend's) sister asks Kidd to help her find the murderer. This sets off an action-packed chain of events involving espionage, conspiracy, violence and suspense. But it's all fairly superficial. From virtually any phone booth or motel room, Kidd is able to access a complex network of computer hackers to get the information he needs. No dial-up problems, no slow network speeds, no disconnects - just instant response with the answers Kidd needs. For a heavy Internet user this seems a bit fictional, but that is what this is, fiction.

And the criminal plot that slowly unfolds before us is truly ingenious. The bad guys have devised a way to access highly sensitive government information for great monetary gain. But I won't reveal what this is because it would ruin the story. Read it, and have fun!

Through the different paths the Crown children have followed, we learn of how hard and exciting life was during those years. Be it movie making, or racing or even aviation, grounds were being broken in every field thanks to new inventions and daring men and women.

Again, the author has used his master storytelling to present to us the characters, their ideals and struggles and how the each strived to live their life at their fullest.

Great writing and storytelling, great book!

Needless to say, any and all new offerings by this extraordinary talent are eagerly anticipated. And how I eagerly anticipated "American Dreams," which begins where the marvelous "Homeland" ended, albeit a few years later.

I will admit, I experienced mild disappointment when first I began reading. Oh, not that the characters, storyline, and historical details are anything but typical Jakes magic, but I was expecting the novel to feature Paul Crown, the young man who (in "Homeland") immigrated from Germany to Chicago in the late 1800s to make a new life for himself as a moving-picture camera operator during the Spanish/American war. Since Paul had proven himself a worthy lead character, I was hoping this sequel would dwell on his further adventures. Certainly, Paul does make an appearance, but in "American Dreams" he has been relegated to more of a minor role. Mr. Jakes, instead, has opted to feature Paul's cousins from Homeland, Fritzi Crown, and, to a lesser degree, her brother Carl.

My disappointment, thankfully, was short-lived. It soon becomes clear that Fritzi Crown is worthy of the starring role she is given. Though not a standard beauty, with her skinny legs, flat chest, and shock of wiry and unmanageable blonde hair, this tomboy does have a "certain something," a uniqueness that makes her unforgettable to the many persons she will meet as the story progresses.

Fritzi immediately charmed me. In the opening chapter, while thwarting a possible rape beside the waters of Lake Michigan, and without the aid of her trusty weapon of choice-a sharp hat pin-Fritzi relies on her natural-born gift for imitation.

"Don't let the long hair fool you, bub," she says to her would-be attacker in a replica of his manly baritone. "You've got the wrong fellow."

The tramp's vast shock gives her the seconds needed to make good her escape. This talent, along with her quick thinking and unwavering determination, will eventually make her a star. With dreams of a stage career (much to her father's dismay), Fritzi soon heads for New York City.

Her road, however, proves difficult, and at times, perilous. We follow Fritzi's less-than-meteoric rise to stardom, from her days as a starving thespian seeking that ever-elusive noteworthy role, to her steady gain in popularity by becoming, in her desperation, an actress in silent pictures, a medium she rather detests.

As with all of his previous historical work, Mr. Jakes comes through in spades, placing the reader smack dab in the center of the early motion-picture industry, from the hills of New Jersey to a one-horse town called Hollywood. While forging friendships with the likes of Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Fritzi makes a name for herself in one- and two-reelers. Her comedic timing, unconventional appearance, and chameleon-like expressions prove a powerful box-office draw. Still, despite her healthy income and growing success, Fritzi yearns to return to the stage. She doesn't want to be labeled a "film" actress, but a "serious" actress. Can she make the split with Hollywood and return to New York City, especially after she loses her heart to a movie extra?

Along with Fritzi's story, we also spend some time with her brother. Obsessed with all forms of transportation, the young Carl Crown heads for Detroit. There, he makes friends with Henry Ford, works on the racing circuit for Barney Oldfield, and forsakes love and marriage to a beautiful heiress, all for his dream to become an aviator.

In England, Paul Crown continues his career as a camera operator. Married and with a growing family, he finds himself in the company of people like Winston Churchill, filming often-violent suffragette movements in London, and capturing on newsreel footage the darker moments in human history, especially with the outbreak of the first World War.

The bottom line? Knowing how I feel about the author, do I even need to spell it out? Well, perhaps I should, in order to make it abundantly clear...

Throughout these 500 pages, Mr. Jakes delivers the goods. I daresay, out of all Mr. Jakes's female characters, Fritzi Crown came extremely close to beating out "North & South's" Madeline Main as my favorite. And believe me, that says a lot. In my humble opinion, though "American Dreams" might not be the best book Mr. Jakes has ever written, I still believe it outshines 99% of all other historicals on offer. Like all commendable historical novels, the characters in are enchanting, complicated, and utterly human. The history is detailed, convincing, and absolutely flawless. The story is occasionally amusing, ofttimes poignant, and always gripping. For anyone who has an interest in the days leading up to World War I, early auto racing and manufacturing, or the film industry in its infancy, this book is a must-read.

There, now, I've said it. And is anyone truly surprised?

Long live the king!

Trace Edward Zaber, Owner/Editor - Of Ages Past Magazine

At the same time at least some of the content is quite technical and will go straight over the head of a real novice.

I think if you're a design student, a recent graduate, or someone attempting to get to grips with new media you'll probably benefit from this book.

For the chapter I wrote... I think it's really geared towards people with a pretty good understanding of typography already, and definitely slanted towards those building large scale sites on tight/continuing deadlines for a wide variety of systems and browsers.

And, for sure it'll be out of date pretty quick... but you can learn from our mistakes :-)

For the greater part of today's design world whom are specialized, they will find a number of articles that offer tremendous insight and fresh ideas that they can incorporate. Leaving a number of chapters that can be appreciated, but are of no real relevance to today's digital designer

As the newly promoted chief detective superintendent, McLeish is called in to investigate the death of a man who was launched into eternity, found hanging from his kitchen ceiling while wearing women's underwear. The case is sensitive in a number of ways: the victim was co-owner of a company selling time-shares to its hotels in Majorca and being investigated by the Fraud Squad, and one of the suspects is a member of Parliament.

But William Price's proved timely for a number of other suspects as well. The payout from his life insurance policy would keep the police away and save the business that threatens to sink his wife and business partner. It would also his two sons' trust fund that he raided to pay bills for expensive houses, a yacht, and other perks.

All of this would not have involved Francesca, except that Annabelle, the girlfriend of one of the sons, checks into the women's shelter where she's working. As she's counseling her, she also becomes involved with the shelter's attorney, a handsome young man who sparks a number of conflicting feelings in her. McLeish is tempted on the job as well when a former flame is charged with investigating the company.

"A Timely Death" has the possibility of turning into a very hot book, part soap opera, part mystery, but we end up with a cool, conventional story that doesn't seem to make much of an effort to distinguish itself. Francesca's estrangement from her husband due to his long hours seems shallow and unconvincing, and makes her a unlikable lead. Left to his own devices, John is a cipher, meaning the suspects have to carry the load. Only the Annabelle's growth as a character, the competent doctor dealing with her bullying boyfriend, gives "A Timely Death" its emotional power.

Spousal abuse and adultery runs alongside the red thread of murder in Janet Neel's latest in her series about the British detecting duo of Francesca Wilson and John McLeish.

As the newly promoted chief detective superintendent, McLeish is called in to investigate the death of a man who was launched into eternity, found hanging from his kitchen ceiling while wearing women's underwear. The case is sensitive in a number of ways: the victim was co-owner of a company selling time-shares to its hotels in Majorca and being investigated by the Fraud Squad, and one of the suspects is a member of Parliament.

But William Price's death proved timely for other suspects as well. The payout from his life insurance policy would keep the police away and save the business that threatens to sink his wife and business partner. It would also boost his two sons trust fund, which he raided to pay for expensive houses, a yacht and other perks.

All of this would not have involved Francesca except that Annabelle, the girlfriend of one of the sons, checks into the women's shelter where she's working. As she's counseling her, she also becomes involved with the shelter's attorney, a handsome young man who sparks a number of conflicting feelings in her. McLeish is tempted on the job as well when a former flame is charged with investigating the company.

"A Timely Death" has the possibility of turning into a very hot book, part soap opera, part mystery, but we end up with a cool, conventional story that doesn't seem to make much of an effort to distinguish itself. Francesca's estrangement from her husband due to his long hours seems shallow and unconvincing, and makes her an unlikable lead. Alone, John is more cipher than character, forcing the suspects to carry the load. Only Annabelle's growth as a character, as the competent doctor trying to escape an abusive relationship, gives "A Timely Death" its emotional power.

"The Red Pony" is not a novel, so readers expecting the cohesion and unity of a novel will be disappointed. The book should, in my opinion, be evaluated for what it is. And once you appreciate its own peculiar structure, you may, as I did, acknowledge "The Red Pony" as a powerful and beautiful work of art.

Steinbeck masterfully captures the cycles of life, death, and renewal in the lives of both his human and animal characters. He creates vivid, often visceral scenes, that are written in a quietly powerful language. There are moving moments of joy, horror, and heartbreak. "The Red Pony" is a significant achievement by one of America's enduring literary giants.