He managed to survive Culloden, but the battle left him with an acrimonious aftertaste following the atrocities of the English. Alex Leslie changed his surname to Malfour and escorted children across the Channel to France. There he found homes for all of his lost sheep except for Meg and Robin who refused to stay with anyone but Alex.

Comte de Rochemont offers Alex an opportunity to make money and to take vengeance on the English. The French noble obtains papers for Alex to work as a privateer and outfits a ship the Ami. Alex sets sail across the Atlantic to steal English cargo with ultimately Brazil and its diamonds as his destination.

Alex captures the English vessel Charlotte that contains Lady Jenna Campbell as a passenger. Because of a disfigurement, Jenna has been treated by her family as the "devil's child". She was heading to Barbados to marry before Alex abducted her. Alex detests the Campbells for their betrayal at Culloden, but admires the courage, spunk and nurturing of Jenna. As they fall in love, their perils have just begun.

Though the aftermath of Culloden through star-crossed lovers may be the most frequent theme in historical romance novels, Patricia Potter purveys a fresh look through her strong cast as readers see the impact on children. The story line is loaded with action yet enables the audience to understand what drives both lead characters ands several key secondary players. Fans of the era and anyone who relishes a robust romantic adventure will want to read Peerless Potter's powerful tale.

Harriet Klausner

Captain Will Malfour was not always a priate, but instead a Scottish lord named Alex Leslie. A miserable battle at Culloden Moor ended leaving many dead, but leaving Alex Leslie scarred in more ways than one. In an attempt to get back at the British for the masacre at Culloden Alex finds him self protecting ten small orphaned children and pursuing a path he would have never dreamed. As unlikely as the path he takes, is the love he finds along the way. Lady Jenna fills up a void in his heart, but will he be able to overlook the plague her family has been for Scotland as well as for himself, and let himself love her the way she loves him?

A very moving tale of romance set in a historical period. Ms. Potter has a knack for weaving many spectacular events into one cohesive story. You will not be disapointed.

Patricia Potter has outdone herself once again!
Her chacters grab you from the start. I cheered for Jenna as she grew into her own person. Alex had my heart the moment he walked onto the page. I couldn't put the book down. The entire cast of chacters drew me in. I felt like I was riding the high seas along with them.

Thank you, Patricia. Please write us more wonderful tales!

In this fourth installment of the Kay Scarpetta series, we find the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia chasing a most challenging miscreant - a murderer with no pattern to his destruction except the intent to play games with the authorities hunting him. The book is a must-read for those addicted to Cornwell's well-researched suspense novels, since it sets the stage for a showdown in From Potter's Field. But a major plot hole revealed in the first few pages leaves the reader feeling cheated for the remainder of the novel.

We enter the story with Scarpetta recovering from the death of a close friend. While this development certainly bodes well for future plot twists, it leaves the reader frustrated with the current one. The few details of the death surface mostly at the end of the story and while we're told of Scarpetta's devastation, we really don't witness it. Seasoned Cornwell fans are accustomed to these shallow depths in characterization but it nonetheless puts a damper on an otherwise entertaining mystery.

Somehow as I became initiated into the world of Kay Scarpetta I missed this gem. It was great to backtrack and discover what has become one of my favorite books in the series. The story is SO imaginative and original! The suspense is taut and kept me on the edge of my seat. And most of all, there is Kay, a three dimensional, refreshingly human heroine. No, she isn't perfect. As the possibility of an affair with a married man arose, I wasn't "appalled" by Kay, I was heartbroken for her. Driven by work, shattered by lost love, reaching for someone to bring her back to life emotionally ... her feelings may not be noble but they certainly seemed human to me. A powerful woman in a controversial, conventionally male field, and reviewers ask why so many people hate her? It seems very realistic that the head of a high-profile state agency would find herself with enemies. While I have no real criticism of this book, I do have a comment on the rest of the series. Part of why I enjoyed this one so much is Lucy. As the series progresses, Lucy's life gets so complicated and convulated and dangerous that it is her character, not Kay's, that strains credibility. It was refreshing to revisit a time when Lucy was a teenager whose biggest (immediate) problem was access to a car.

Ever since I read "Postmortem," the first book in Cornwell's famous Kay Scarpetta series, I was hooked. Cornwell's characters are all so real and the plots, although obscure, are completely believable as you read them. Cornwell does an excellent job of putting the reader in the thick of Scarpetta's mind; you will feel her pain as well as her success. The Kay Scarpetta series is definitely one of the best collections of crime fiction books ever written, and I believe that "Cruel & Unusual" has been the best of the books that I've read so far.

In her fourth adventure as the chief medical examiner of Virginia, Scarpetta must investigate a peculiar string of homicides. The book begins as, on the night of an execution, Scarpetta recollects the heinous sexual crime committed by the criminal that was just executed (Ronnie Joe Waddell). Later that night, after she performs Waddell's autopsy, Scarpetta is informed of another brutal homicide that was committed in the exact same fashion as Waddell's crime which occurred just minutes before Waddell's execution. This homicide, however, is only the first in a string of homicides that, in one way or another, are linked directly to Waddell even though he is now dead -- or so he seems to be. In the weeks following the execution, Waddell's fingerprints suddenly disappear from the FBI's computer, and since Scarpetta forgot to fingerprint Waddell during the autopsy, the police have no way of knowing whether or not it was Waddell that got executed. The reader is left to speculate about the source of these eerie murders as Scarpetta's credibility and reputation come under heavy fire for the mistakes associated with the missing fingerprints. As the reader impatiently waits for answers, both Scarpetta and homicide detective Pete Marino must work together to discover the startling connection between these recent deaths, which are (as the title suggests) all "cruel and unusual."

As I said earlier, "Cruel & Unusual" has been the best book in the series so far. I felt that this book was the most suspenseful of the four that I've read -- I absolutely could not put this one down. Cornwell's penchant for realism combined with suspense dominate every page of "Cruel & Unusual." I highly recommend it to fans of Cornwell or of crime fiction in general. If this is the first Scarpetta book that you read, I guarantee that you'll want to read every book in the series -- it is fiction that is simply second to none.

Well, there's a willing suspension of disbelief and then there's a Willing Suspension of Disbelief. You'll need a whopping dollop of the latter to make it through this thing -- all 76 "chapterettes," the Epilogue and Author's Notes. (I won't even mention the author's "pitch" for his next novel, The Witness, starring -- Ta Daa! -- the hero from The Committee; pp 387 - 412.)

Now listen, I'm a certified Grassy Knoll nut, too, but this book is a piece of work. The premise is terrific, the first three or four chapterettes fascinating and then -- doink! -- reality sets in and you're certain your leg is being pulled. Gradually the book becomes more and more unbelieveable and then the work disintegrates into the "And then . . . And then . . . " school of fiction.

Most characters, aside from our hard-boiled, scotch drinking, cigarette puffing hero, are merely stick-figures lumped into the plot in anticipation of the movie rights. The chapterettes jump from pillar to post as Nugent tries to keep all the conspiracy balls in the air at the same time and move the action along.

There's enough heart-thumping and chest-heaving and bullet-splattered debris flying around these pages to last a lifetime. Maybe the hero needs a check-up with his cardiologist. The way his heart keeps pounding when the chips are down (and that's a lot of times), maybe he should lay off the fags.

We start with the execution of a key witness testifying before a Senate committee looking into the assassination of Martin Luther King. Before long we're caught up in a search for the missing 18 pages of the diary of John Wilkes Booth, looking for clues to a chain of political assassinations through the years in the USA. Cool stuff, eh? That's what I thought, too. But it's downhill from there.

I will say the best read in the book comes at the Author's Notes. More grist for the mill.

Finally, native Washingtonians will find the book a howler. All this blood, all this gore, all these political shennanigans, and no CNN? No Washington press corps? No Tim Russert? No Wolf Blitzer? No police chief Ramsey? Minimal intrusion from The Washington Post??? C'mon! Where's Dan Rather when you need him?

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up The Committee...but after 30 pages, I couldn't put it down...not only is it one of the best thrillers I've read in years, but it's also a fantastic U.S. history lesson weaving together pre-Revolutionary War figures with Civil War and Civil Rights movement conspiracies...not since James Ellroy's American Tabloid has a novel delved so deeply into the underbelly of U.S. history, leaving one wondering where fiction ends and reality begins, and in the process allowing us to re-think the "true" motivations behind the founding of our country...this is a fabulous novel, history lesson, political tract, and all around thriller.

In THE COMMITTEE, P.M. Nugent uses primary sources about assassinations to weave a thriller of what might be and what might have been. It's both fascinating and horrific---especially when you read the sources at the back. Prepare yourself for blood and drama: the first death occurs in the first chapter. If you liked A CIVIL ACTION, you will tear through THE COMMITTEE.

All that remains is a definite page turner. Dr.Kay Scarpetta seemed to bite off more then she can chew, in her small town of Richmond, Virginiah where she is top medical examiner. In a wirlwind of conspiracy, friendship and love; Scarpetta must find the truth to a string of murders; one involving a rich, influential woman's daughter. Young couples are being murdered and found dead months later, in a secluded area with no clues as to how they died. All of their vehicles found are found at rest areas, and all that remains with them is a jack of hearts. Can Scarpetta solve these murders, while juggling: Amy her journalist friend, Marino her best friend and partner, Lucy her niece growing up to quickly, and the brief return of Mark, her one true love.

Like all Cornwell's Scarpetta books, this is a little cracker. Well worth the admission price.

The story is, as ever, complex. There are twists and turns in Scarpetta's personal and professional life which leave the reader wondering just how strong she has to be... then the character herself breaks down in tears to let you know that even the toughest of Chief Medical Examiners has a beart.

Mind you, as these books are written in the first person, Scarpetta never fails to sieze an opportunity that she "kindly" does something. No sooner done than said, eh old girl? A picky thing, but it does irritate me.

Nonetheless, I have every Scarpetta book. And I've read them all more than once.

Patricia Cornwell is a stylish writer, her heroine is stylish, and by god she wields a Stryker saw superbly. If you like whodunnits, you'll love Scarpetta.

But don't read "Southern Cross". It's really, really awful.

This was my first book about Medical Examiner, Kay Scarpetta. I've read each one following, but this one stuck in my mind the most. The way that Scarpetta puts everything together, while staying together herself, is very impressing. I mainly chose this book because Ms. Cornwell's books seem to take a dive. I've enjoyed each of her other books, but not as good as this one. Diving into the world of a Chief Medical Examiner was never something I expected to like, but I was really amazed at how consumed I became by this book, I could not put it down. Following in the footsteps of Scarpetta was an experience that one won't soon forget. I thought it was excellent, and I can't say a bad thing about it!

The eyecatching illustrations first drew my attention to this delightful book, and I was further charmed by the imaginative verse. It really is an exceptionally creative way of stressing the importance of reading and learning whilst capturing a child's imagination.

I believe that The King of Skittledeedoo will become a classic character for this generation. My daughter (who's five)certainly agrees. She is currently taking the book to bed with her every night and won't go to sleep until I've read her the entire story.

I look forward to the sequel and many more years with the subjects of Skittledeedoo!

I love to hop. Sometimes I cannot stop. But when I heard the story of the King of Skittledeedoo, I wanted to stop, hop, and cheer the king who is so funny that you should send him some money. He made me want to make funny stories that sound funny liike Skittledeedoo, too. I love that word and the whole town of Skittledeedoo. The king is so funny that he forgets to put on his clothes when a fire hits and then he cannot read or write to show that he is the king so nobody believes he is the king. Is he? You tell me! You have to read this book. It will make your tummy giggle and gurgle from laughing. Then you can read. That's what happened to me. Now I can read.

Now in its second edition, Patricia Rust's The King of Skittledeedoo is an exciting children's picturebook (with no relation to Skittles brand candy). The vibrant drawings by San Wei Chan depict the king, his land and his subject in simple yet colorful shapes. The enjoyable text is entirely in rhyme, and tells the story of a king with a problem - his kingdom has burned to the ground! He can no longer prove himself the king, for he can't even read or write simple words such as "mother." But two children take the king to school where he learns his three R's and qualifies to become King again. The King of Skittledeedoo is a highly enjoyable and entertaining story with a positive message for young folks, and best of all, proceeds from its sale advance the cause of literacy worldwide.

With this book Patricia Cornwell secured herself a multi-millions dollar career and countless follow-ups. Postmortem is extremely well written, the prose flawless, and the personal and forensic details absorbing. Don't expect and nice character as a protagonist. In Postmorterm a serial killer goes around Richmond, Virginia and kills young women. It's not a laughing matter, and Cornwell handles the narration and pace with a touch of realism which is scary to say the least. Maybe this has to do--apart from her ability to write convincingly--with the fact that the serial killings in the novel are based on a real case which also happened in Richmond, Virginia. Perhaps the only problem is the ending is a little weak but then Cornwell once claimed, 'I don't do mysteries'. And she doesn't. This novel takes you into the head and life of the postmorterm examiner. Keep in mind that Cornwell had taken some artistic liberties from the sake of dramatic tension, and that her protagonist, Kay Scarpetta, involves herself in duties which she would not normally be authorized to handle in real-life situations. Neverthelss, it's a rollercoaster of a book, and for those who have never read a Cornwell, start from the beginning, and read this one. For the record, as the years go by, Cornwell's novels are declining in quality. See my other reviews.

With this book Patricia Cornwell secured herself a multi-millions dollar career and countless follow-ups. Postmortem is extremely well written, the prose flawless, and the personal and forensic details absorbing. Don't expect and nice character as a protagonist. In Postmorterm a serial killer goes around Richmond, Virginia and kills young women. It's not a laughing matter, and Cornwell handles the narration and pace with a touch of realism which is scary to say the least. Maybe this has to do--apart from her ability to write convincingly--with the fact that the serial killings in the novel are based on a real case which also happened in Richmond, Virginia. Perhaps the only problem is the ending is a little weak but then Cornwell once claimed, 'I don't do mysteries'. And she doesn't. This novel takes you into the head and life of the postmorterm examiner. Keep in mind that Cornwell had taken some artistic liberties from the sake of dramatic tension, and that her protagonist, Kay Scarpetta, involves herself in duties which she would not normally be authorized to handle in real-life situations. Neverthelss, it's a rollercoaster of a book, and for those who have never read a Cornwell, start from the beginning, and read this one. For the record, as the years go by, Cornwell's novels are declining in quality. See my other reviews.

With this book Patricia Cornwell secured herself a multi-millions dollar career and countless follow-ups. Postmortem is extremely well written, the prose flawless, and the personal and forensic details absorbing. Don't expect and nice character as a protagonist. In Postmorterm a serial killer goes around Richmond, Virginia and kills young women. It's not a laughing matter, and Cornwell handles the narration and pace with a touch of realism which is scary to say the least. Maybe this has to do--apart from her ability to write convincingly--with the fact that the serial killings in the novel are based on a real case which also happened in Richmond, Virginia. Perhaps the only problem is the ending is a little weak but then Cornwell once claimed, 'I don't do mysteries'. And she doesn't. This novel takes you into the head and life of the postmorterm examiner. Keep in mind that Cornwell had taken some artistic liberties from the sake of dramatic tension, and that her protagonist, Kay Scarpetta, involves herself in duties which she would not normally be authorized to handle in real-life situations. Neverthelss, it's a rollercoaster of a book, and for those who have never read a Cornwell, start from the beginning, and read this one. For the record, as the years go by, Cornwell's novels are declining in quality. See my other reviews.

The Kay Scarpetta series is best read in chronological sequence, as each new novel builds on developments from the previous ones, and knowledge of this history is to some degree assumed. Thus, if you're going to read one of the series, this is the one.

Some reviewers here criticize the lack of non-stop action. To the contrary, I think the style is highly effective. Cornwell indulges in her well-developed, diverse characters with introspection and dialog. Furthermore, investigations are not a linear progression -- everything isn't always wrapped up in a tidy little package, every piece of evidence isn't used, and every fact isn't explained. But that's life.

The series has also been criticized for being a bit "nerdy". But that's appropriate -- it's strength. The use of evidence and the examination of the crime scene reminds me of my favorite crime author, Canon Doyle. The magnifying glass is replaced by a substantially more expensive apparatus, but the attention paid to analytic methods and thinking is quite enjoyable.

The combination of rich character development and intellectual analysis makes this a really enjoyable book, and worthwhile series. I really highly recommend it. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is I reserve that for the highest tier of fiction, and I'm not sure this is quite there. But it's certainly some of the best work I've read in a long time.

Mrs. Cornwell is one of these authors that writes a couple of good books and all the rest of her books sell a very well quantity only because of those written in the past. Obviously, she really knows how to do the thing she does, she criated her own style out of nothing and she has more than just "a couple of good books". Patricia Cornwell is famous and has an intriguing life that would give to the readers a very nice biography.

BODY OF EVIDENCE is the best Kay Scarpetta book I've read till now. No other book by Patricia Cornwell moved me so much and gave me such pleasure. It's modern and it has also very nicely written characters that you'll love. And a wonderful plot, for sure. You won't be disappointed if you read that book. It's really worthwhile. One of those rare books by Patricia Cornwell that you buy and don't regret for doing it.

Okay, I'd say 4.5 if I could, but I can't, and I believe that ratings (like grades) ought to be rounded up. That being said, I really liked this book. Read it in just under a week, which is quick for me. Really liked the main character but I could live without Marino. He's a little too Republican for me, tho. Perhaps he grows a heart later in the series. I've read comments suggesting he does, so perhaps all is not lost. I found that the story moved along very quickly, nonstop action, which is why I read it as quick as I did. I had to keep reading cuz something was going to happen very soon, all the time. I got used to the formula and subconsciously turned page after page. I liked the end, tho I do feel it was rushed. I didn't think it was predictable, however I probably should have predicted such an ending. But I didn't, so who knows. I still found it chilling, and I loved the way she ended the chapter right at the climax. Lord, I was almost afraid to turn that page. Not all sure why Beryl left Key West, tho.

All in all, a good read, and I shall read more of PC.

I don't think the real point of Black Hands, White Sails was to teach you about whalers. It was more or less another book about the struggle of blacks in America. There's only so much a person can read about whaling. I learned a lot while reading this book, and it had a lot of information in it. I reccommed for those insterested in the struggle of blacks or fans of whales. If you don't like either of these, try going to the library and reading a little first.

This book is indeed a must read and should be made a prerequisite for all that read Moby Dick. I found this book to be a riveting account of whaling and the importance that people of color visited upon this industry. I was very much overcome with emotions with every turn of the page as I learned how many of my ancestors came to live in New Bedford, MA and what they must have endured.

This book is a must read for black historians, civil war historians, and whale experts, which I am. I was completely unaware of the presence and dynamics of the life of black whalers. The serious risks of whaling far outweighed the risks of abduction by slave patrollers or even a life burdened by segregation and discrimination. I was particularily interested in the use and abuse of whale ships in the Civil war. A stone fleet of 15 whaling ships from the North were loaded with stones and sunk in Charleston harbor in an attempt to block the harbor in 1861. The attempt failed because the waters were too deep. Sountherners then became hell bent on destroying whale boats. The Confederate steamer Alabama sunk over 70 whale boats during the war. The Shenandoah sunk 34 more after the war. Black heroes and self made men are hailed, as well as those who were cannibalized by hungry crew in desparate times. I couldn't put this book down.

Amazon says this is out of print. NOT SO! It can be gotten thru the National Parks Service National Women's Museum in Seneca Falls, NY. The woman who wrote this lived an extraordinary life, as a slave child, and as a freed woman. Yet by many standards she is just an ordinary person living her life, doing what she CAN do. It's a nice read. She's not trying to be anybody's heroine, more simply I think she was writing to tell herself who she was, that she could survive, that she could be of service. Neither boring or exciting (so far), simply real.

It's a short book (especially when you consider the added historical footnotes and pictures), but very valuable. It's so rare to hear the perspective of someone who was a slave, and who then lived free in the post-war period. Her heartfelt tales of the bigotry of the _post_-war period to me were even more memorable than her focus on the war itself.

"A Black Woman's Civil War Memoirs," by Susie King Taylor, was first published in 1902. A new edition, edited by Patricia Romero and featuring an introduction by Willie Lee Rose, appeared in 1988. In that new intro Rose declared, "There is nothing even vaguely resembling Susie King Taylor's small volume of random recollections in the entire literature of the Civil War, or in that of any other American conflict insofar as I am aware." Indeed, this book is a rare and valuable historical document.

Taylor was born a slave in 1848 on an island off the coast of Georgia. She gained her freedom and worked as a laundress for an African-American Union regiment during the war.

Taylor recalls how she learned to read and write and then herself became a teacher. She offers fascinating details about her life with the troops. She had many different duties beyond laundry service. I loved the episode where she recalls concocting "a very delicious custard" from turtle eggs and canned condensed milk, and serving it to the troops.

Taylor condemns the lack of appreciation shown for both black and white Civil War veterans. She also condemns early 20th century racism. Reading her book I was reminded of W.E.B. Du Bois' classic "The Souls of Black Folk," which was first published around the same time; I think the two books complement each other well.

Taylor ends on a note of hope and pride, noting "my people are striving" for better lives. This book is, in my opinion, an important milestone in African-American literature.

The book was kind of boring in the begining but it got bewtter as you read along. It was an interesting case. If you like horse racing mysteries you would probably like this book.