One thing you can say about the Superman books over the last several years is that the stories are either too difficult to follow or they are medicore at best. Which desribes this collection of stories for his poor dialoge, lack of character development, and "a sense of rushing the story along", and in the end, it is a waste of both your time and the money you paied buying the book in the first place.

Full spectrum of stories are presented here. Some fun, some touching, some exciting. I highly recommend it.

This novel is an odd companion piece to "Immortal Queen," Byrd's brilliant 1956 novel about Mary Queen of Scots. I say "odd" because it is a virtual retelling of "Queen," except while the earlier novel was told from Mary's viewpoint, "Maid" is "told" by Mary Seton, one of the Queen's maids-of honor.

There are obvious disadvantages to this method of telling Mary's story, namely, that everything of interest in the novel is related to the reader by second-hand. We are "shown" only a surface glimpse of Mary's life, and to try and compensate, Byrd throws in a throughly pointless subplot concerning Seton's (completely fictitious) love for a priest. If Byrd found it so impossible to leave the subject of Mary alone, she would have been better advised to have used a more satisfying method of retelling the story.

That said, however, while this is no "Immortal Queen," "Maid of Honour" is still far superior to the usual examples of Marian fiction, which, (with a few exceptions) tend to range from mediocre to godawful.

This was a decent read, but it didn't have the zest or that "something" that I found enjoyable in Wood's "Worst Fears Realized." The story line is okay, but not very inspiring. Stone's old girlfriend (Arrington) is in trouble. Still in love with her, despite the fact that she's now married to and has a child by someone she dumped Stone for, he runs to her rescue. That action wreaks havoc on Stone's personal life -- or I should say more havoc.

Unfortunately, Arrington's performance in this novel is lackluster at best. It was like watching a movie and wondering why a particular actor was cast for the part. Luckily, most of the other characters were well-cast and interesting and added life to the story.

In addition to crime-solving, Stone engaged in a little womanizing in this book. However, that didn't bother me especially since under the circumstances, I saw no real reason for him not to. In fact, that helped liven up the story.

If you have time to spare and just happen to like Stone Barrington, then go ahead and pick up the book. It is a decent read, it's just not great. If you've never read Wood's work, start with something else so you can appreciate the writer's talent before giving up on him just when you're starting.

Well, Stone is back and in a big way. Stuart Woods immediately continues some of the plotlines started with the book that immediately preceded LA DEAD and does he ever turn up the heat.

As LA DEAD opens, Stone Barrington and his friends Dino and Mary Ann Bachetti are on their way to Venice where Stone, who had not heeded Dino's advice where Dolce Bianchi is concerned in WORST FEARS REALIZED is all set to take his first plunge into marital bliss. After the Italian civil ceremony, but before the Catholic church wedding, Stone receives news that his friend Vance Calder, husband to his former love Arrington has been murdered at his home in Beverly Hills, CA. Everyone in the wedding part encourages him to fly to California and he immediately does so.

Trouble begins shortly after Stone arrives in Los Angeles. It is fairly obvious that Arrington, Vance's widow will be charged with the crime and Stone makes immediate preparations for her defense, as well as the handling of Vance Calder's huge estate. This plot twist is predictable, but Stuart Woods lays the groundwork well and carries the story line through to a less than logical conclusion. Along the way, he injects all of the little plot twists the Stone Barrington stories are known for. Fans of the Stone novels will NOT be disappointed with this latest installment.

All of the other features that Stone fans have come to know and expect are also present. As usual, Stone makes his way effortlessly in the world of the rich and beautiful. For a man raised by two extremely left wing parents, he has no trouble at all dealing with the trappings and material things that come from wealth. While he may not be a right wing Republican, it is obvious that Stone is comfortable with and accustomed to all of the good things that money can by. Stuart Woods keeps that part of Stone's character consistent and LA DEAD is no exception.

Despite the fact that Stone has married Dolce Bianchi in a civil ceremony, her erratic behavior after he leaves Venice to help Arrington forces him to reassess his relationship with her. His decision regarding the relationship and the marriage itself will come as no surprise to Stone fans. In addition to his reappraisal of his short marriage, Stone must come to grips with his feelings for Arrington. After Vance Calder's death, that door is once again opened and Stone must decide whether to reopen a part of his life that he once thought was lost. How he deals with all of the decisions he must make throughout the story is what makes Stone such a fun and interesting character to follow.

Because almost all of the significant action and drama takes place in California, Stuart Woods again exposes his readers to the the lifestyles of the "rich and aimless." He does a yeoman's job of detailing the sordidness behind the glitz that makes up the showbiz community. In doing so, and despite his confusion regarding Arrington and Dolce, Stone again gets to show his propensity for "musical beds." LA DEAD proves once again that fidelity is not one of Stone's long suits. His handsomeness makes him a natural target for beautifil women and in this chapter in the "Stone Barrington Saga," Stone's ability to bed the most desirable women on the planet continues unabated.

I often wonder whether Stone has a conscience, especially when he professes to love Arrington. In any case, his carnal behavior looms large in this book, as it did in all the others before it.

Like all of the other Stone stories, Stuart Woods paces LA DEAD at a breakneck speed. These books are very hard to put down and I read this one in one over night sitting. Mr. Woods' prose style is spare and long on dialog and conversations. He uses description of legal, police and other procedures only when necessary. That ability is what keeps the stories moving forward at a quick pace. I'll bet it's one of the things his readers like best; that he doesn't bore them with arcane detail and trivia about locales or his characters.

As this book ends, Stone receives an unexpected surprise and it was I twist I didn't see coming. Once again, Stuart Woods has left himself an easy opening for another Stone Barrington thriller. I look forward to it with considerable anticipation.

I have one recommendation to other readers before they read LA DEAD. If you haven't read WORST FEARS REALIZED first, do so. Much of the groundwork re: Stone's relationship with Dolce Bianchi starts with that novel and reading it first will provide the natural continuity for LA DEAD.

As Stone Barrington is planning his wedding to Dolce, he receives the devastating news that a friend, Vance Caldwell, has been murdered. Stone postpones his church ceremony, and rushes off to L.A. to find out what happened. Once in L.A., Stone, is shocked to find his one-time lover, and the now widow of his dead friend, Arrington, accused of the crime.

As Stone begins to investigate the crime he will uncover enough dirt on the so called friends of Vance to send half of L.A. to jail, and he will be forced to confront the feelings he still has for Arrington.

Not far behind is Dolce, the new Mrs. Stone Barrington, who wants her husband back home with her.

Stone, under the impression that his marriage is not legal, must clear Arrington of the murder charges, put an end to his marriage while keeping peace with Dolce's mafia connected father, and catch the real killer.

L.A. Dead is another winner from bestselling author, Stuart Woods; the pace is fast, the plot exciting, and as always the novel is peopled with colorful characters.

Mr. Woods doesn't disappoint with this Hollywood mystery...his legion of fans will no-doubt enjoy the latest entry in the Stone Barrington series.

Nick Gonnella

Way too americanized! Did anyone notice those Nine inch nails, X-files, and Buffy posters that according to the book are hanging in Raye's room at the temple? Did you know that Serena shops at Gap and Old Navy? Or that according to this book Darien gives Serena a ticket to get on the cruse ship that Raye and Amy go on, instead of using her Luna Pen like in the Anime? How about that Darien wears Nautica cologne? These are just of the many stupid additions to the book. This book ( ) soooo bad! If you are a true SM fan,. don't waste your $ - buy the manga,watch the anime, they are a whole lot better!

this sux. don't buy it. Sailor Moon is great, but this isn't Sailor Moon. If you want a good Sailor Moon book, check out the manga books. They're more money, but they're worth every penny.

I thought this was a terrific sailor moon book.

Probably the worst historical novel I have ever read. One half of the book consists of a syrupy faux-Victorian love story between cardboard characters, the other sounds as if it was lifted verbatim from one of the duller pre-World War I military textbooks. It would seem hard to make the Charge of the Light Brigade sound as exciting as the daily Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, but that is exactly what Ms. Stuart's does. Obviously the publisher is trying to cash in on the current vogue in 18th and 19th century soldier and sailor yarns by republishing this dud, but you'd do better to save your money and re-read the Sharpe series instead.

This book has strong elements of a Victorian romance novel mixed with military elements. There is as much attention to the officer's women as to soldiers. The story takes place during the amateurish British campaign (after 40 years of peace) west around the Black Sea to the Crimea in support of the Ottoman Turks against the Russians. Alexander Sheridan is a disdained but competent English officer. It's hard to like him much, for he's a bit wooden. He's been a bit of a fool in love and gotten himself cashiered from the regular army and fled to India. He's in love with one or the other of the two beautiful Mowbray sisters who suddenly appear in his battle zone. The sentimentality and reticence seen in the relations between the genders may be true to the period (1854), and overlays a still hard world. The main thread is the forlorn lost love between Capt. Sheridan and Charlotte, rather than the fierce personal and battle emotions when he joins the Light Brigade (yes, THAT infamous brigade, so yu know what must happen...). Alex and the girls' eight years together in India are entirely skipped, so tight is the focus on the romantic triangle of the moment. Dialogue is restricted to proper Victorian discreetness. We are spared battlefield carnage, as military affairs are kept in the distance. The author, a WW II British lieutenant herself, foregrounded the suffering of women surrounded by men at war, trying to survive and nurse cholera victims in appalling filth and disorder, and striving to keep or get an officer husband while crazed with fear or jealousy.

The Crimean battles are mostly described in offialese from the generals' and units' perspectives, with no overview of the strategy. There's nothing of the personal fear and shock of raw troops, or the novelistic here. At least until the inadvertant Charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade, when we get to see through Sheridan's eyes the confusion and horror of that affair, when "cannon volleyed and thundered...someone had blundered" (Tennyson). Amid the filth it lift's one's heart to see Emmy Mobray open the way for Florence Nighingale to begin the army nursing profession. The presentation is good and includes two vintage maps.

There is another book (X-Men Visionaries Joe Maduirea) I got that is basicly the same quality of paper as this one, and basicly I recieved one copy, and it was defective. As was the replacement order as well.
Marvel luckily uses better quality Glossy Stock paper nowadays - but really on this particular book, and the other book that is similar to this (which I recieved 4 defective books in a row), this book is just horrible paper quality and horrible glue quality. Pages fall out, and the cover comes off.