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Book reviews for "Spencer,_Paul" sorted by average review score:

Redheads
Published in Paperback by Sid Harta Publishers (09 March, 2000)
Author: Paul Spencer Sochaczewski
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EXCITING AND ECOLOGICAL
I knew Paul Spencer Sochaczewksi in another life and his ability (unknown to me until now) to communicate ecological concerns in a thrilling and interesting book is beyond belief. A highly recommended read for both supporters and sceptics of what ecological issues mean to all of us.

Smart and thoughful thriller!
The30-year conservationist and writer Paul Spencer Sochaczewski brings his rich experience and gifts to a smart and fascinating eco-thriller that smoothly blends philosophical explorations with wit, sexy humor, and heart-thumping action.

The story is set in the world's oldest rainforest, home of tribal people (the Penan) of Borneo who for thousands of years have lived in physical and spiritual harmony with the ancient forests and its multitudinous life. (And according to the dust-jacket bio, it is a world well known to that the author who had spent years in the Borneo jungle as Peace Corp volunteer and World Wildlife Fund director.) But loggers armed with chainsaws and shotguns threaten to reduce this lush and final frontier to barren wastelands. That is, unless a band of quirky and desperate characters can prevent them.

Like the rich rain forest fauna, the author casts a diverse and well-conceived band of characters into this engaging battle of eco-ideals, corporate greed and political corruption--rainforest natives turned eco-guerillas by an elusive but charismatic Robin Hood figure from Switzerland; a feisty and passionate primate specialist scrambling to complete her research on the mating patterns of orangutans while trying to barter time from government officials; a doctoral student who has developed sign language communication with orangutans in the hope of shedding light on the causes of autism in children; a government administrator who is bedfellow to loggers and conservationists alike; and, of course, the "redheads" of the title, those charming and magical creatures whose needs and desires blur the distinction between human and ape.

This is a must read for anyone who cares about the natural world and our place in it.

a great read
I've always wondered how the environmental movement really works, and I know a lot more about now than I did before. In Redheads, Paul Sochaczewski does a great of being both informative and entertaining, and he tells a great story to boot. Redheads is well worth its modest cost, and the time invested in reading it is time very well spent.


Beguiled (Harlequin Historical, No 408)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (1998)
Author: Susan Spencer Paul
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Fabulous
Who am I to give this less than a 5* review. This was an absolutely wonderful book with such a different heroine at the center of romance. Radiantly beautiful but flawed, due to the act of a demented servant that tried to kill her when she was a child.

Lillian wanted a London season, and her brother Earl of Cardemore would do anything in his power to provide her that season in London, even if it meant blackmailing the handsomest bachelor in London. The Earl of Cardemore wanted Lily to be happy, and would do whatever he needed to make that happen. Her brother could make the gallant earl of Graydon, dance attendance on his sister, and he could even engineer the means to have them wed. What he couldn't prevent would be the devasted heartbreak if the truth be known.

This was a wonderful story of love against all odds. It showed that love has no boundaries and handicaps be dammed against the snobbish and uneducated feelings at the turn of the 18th century.

Definitely a superb book. I heartily recommend it!

Wonderful story of love.
An injury during her childhood stripped Lady Lillian Walford's vocal cords until the only sounds she could make were harsh and painful. Her reclusive, loving brother blackmails Anthony Harbreas, Earl of Graydon, into escorting Lily about London during her Season. Although nearly engaged to another woman, Graydon falls in love with Lily and uses a kidnapping setup organized by her brother to convince her to marry him. In an effort to shield Lily from malicious gossip, Graydon doesn't bring her back with him to London after the Christmas holiday, convincing Lily that he is ashamed of her. Secondary romances between Lily's brother and her aunt, forbidden by British law, and a fiery courtship between Lily's cousin and Graydon's best friend are threaded throughout the book.

Magnificent story with well-developed characters and views on how mutes and deaf-mutes were treated by Society. Highly recommended to historical and regency romance fans, particularly those who like a little depth to their romances.

Wonderful! Wonderful!
I couldn't put this one down.This was a very different from most romance novels because the characters weren't perfect.I liked that because it shows that anybody can have true love.Don't pass this one up!!


The Bride Thief (Harlequin Historical Romances , Vol 373)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (1997)
Authors: Susan Spencer Paul and Susan Spencer Paul
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The Bride Thief will Steal Your Heart
This follows the story of another Baldwin brother from the Bride's Portion" and "The Heiress Bride" only this is Justin's story. He was always sombre and so very serious growing up it was a delight to see him become so assertive and steal away Isabelle Gaillard after he had fell under her spell when courting her cousin Evelyn.

Justin was not stupid and only courted Evelyn whom he had seen was manipulative because it was the only way he could keep seeing Isabelle. He stole her away and brought her to his small holding Talwar.

Isabelle, had fallen in love with Justin the moment she had laid her eyes on him. He was different than most of the men courting her beautiful cousin but she had never hoped that he would even notice her. Her life was something akin to a Cinderella - the poor relation kept only to serve her relations.

The story was superb, as I've found all of Ms. Pauls bride books to be. Each book stands on its own, and this one does splendidly. Both Isabelle and Justin had only to believe in their good fortune in believing in each other. This book had all the elements one comes to expect from Ms. Paul - couldn't put it down. Find it at all costs and enjoy the superb work of this author.

Love and Jealousy
The Bride Thief is a story of love and jealousy. It shows the power of true love and the evils of jealousy. Isabelle can't believe Justin would want her as his wife instead of the rich and beautiful Evelyn, but he does. She is kidnapped and taken to Talwar with him where everything is fine until Evelyn shows up. Her extreme jealousy of Isabelle and wanting of Justin wreak havoc on Talwar.

This book has some slow parts in it but I loved it anyway. Especially when Evelyn shows up at Talwar claiming to be a changed woman. The love between Justin and Isabelle was written well. Their love story was a make-you-feel-good story. The character of Evelyn was written well also. The things she did were outrageous. I think the author did an excellent job of bringing to life on the pages the jealousy and evilness of Evelyn.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction, a love story, or a villianess.

The Bride Thief
Like in the First two Baldwin books, the bride is kidnapped again. This one is Isobella Gillard, and the youngest Baldwin, Justin. Isobella finds this is not funny and that anyone would want her. But Justin does. The only problem is selfed-center cousin, and her mean father want to keep Isobella's skills for them self. It is a wonderful addition to the Bride Triology.


Fossils: A Guide to Prehistoric Life
Published in Paperback by Golden Books Pub Co (Adult) (1900)
Authors: Frank Harold Trevor Rhodes, Paul R. Shaffer, Raymond Perlman, and Herbert Spencer Zim
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Fossil Hunting- Hide and Seek for the New Millenium
I can remember pouring over the pictures in this book,using my book light,long after the final lights out call from my parents. I traveled back in time, imagining dinosaur growls and prehistoric seashells. By day, I would wander the acreage on my Grandma's farm, scouring the weedy earth for the slightest hint of ancient rock or dinosaur footprint. I wanted my school-age children to enjoy the imaginative art of archeology and paleantology and immediately remembered my favorite book, Fossils: A Guide to Prehistoric Life. I was delighted to see that it was still in print with the same exciting drawings. I immediatley ordered my copy! I then decided to order a copy for my kids! This is a great book that will encourage your children to look beyond the video games and satellite channels and into the fascinating world of the ancient past.

Only For Beginners!
This little guide is the best choice for beginners and children. Book gives the reader an idea about what a fossil is, where and how they can be found, and some information about major fossils. All the pictures are hand drawn illustrations, so that they are not very detailed but still OK for kids and beginers. (I liked it when I was young!)


The Heiress Bride (Harlequin Historical, No 301)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (1996)
Author: Susan Spencer Paul
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Very enjoyable - great sequel that can stand alone!
The Heiress Bride introduces you to Lady Rosaleen Sarant of Seire who has been beaten into unconsciousness by her legal guardian her Uncle Anslem. Her uncle is forcing her to wed a man, although a noble, who has paid a high price for the very beautiful heiress but he is known to be foul, uncouth and an abuser of women.

By disguising herself as a common woman, Rosaleen makes good on her escape. She is about to be assaulted by those thinking she was a common strumpet when she sought shelter at an inn. Hugh Caldwell, not a Knight, although he had been asked many times by the King to be Knighted, notices her plight and through quick thinking saves her from that mess. She begs him for an escort to get her to London, and he has no intention of going there but relents and will bring her to his brother who he's sure will get her there.

Here then, evolves the story of the man saving the woman and the woman saving the man. This is a sequel to the Bride's Portion, although the story is so well written it stands extremely well on it's own. It is a story of selfless love, and the compromises that can be made when people love and trust one another. Rosaleen keeps her secret, even from the man she loves, knowing she could be killed if her Uncle or her betrothed find her. Hugh denies who he is and must come to terms with his past, swallow his pride, and forgive the father he felt betrayed him.

This truly is a wonderful story with a lot of emotion, human kindness, humor, and above all love. Terrific sequel, but can definitely stand alone. Well worth your while to try to obtain a copy of this out of print book.

VERY GOOD MEDIEVAL STORY!
This is a very heartwarming story about a knight, Hugh, and a beautiful young lady, Rosaleen. Hugh is charged with the duty of escorting Rosaleen (also a great heiress) to court unharmed.

After spending 12 years fighting for England and seeing many a horror, he knew at their first meeting that sweet and innocent Rosaleen was a prize worth protecting. And, if he could just convince her -- to stand by his side, forever & that her lands mean little to a man such as he.

Touching book - on my keepers shelf!


The Prisoner Bride (Harlequin Historical Series, No. 587)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (1901)
Author: Susan Spencer Paul
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Believe in Magic AND Susan Spencer Paul
This is the sixth of her Bride series and while all are simply wonderful, I think this may be my favorite.

The Mistress Glenys Seymour is far from being your typical gorgeous heroine and yet Kiernan FitzAllen is your untypical drop dead gorgeous hero with just enough rogue in him to make him to die for. This is why Glenys does not fall for his charms, even though he the abductor and she the abductee seem to get along so well! Glenys just does not accept that he, who could have any number of beautiful damsels, could care for her.

The secondary characters - Glenys' extended family of aunts and uncles who dabble in what could be called - a little bit of magic - lend just enough humor to give you a good chuckle here and there.

This was a wonderful romantic story and although the sixth in the series, I can see so much more happening with the descendants of these two. Great reading. I highly recommend this book.

magical fifteenth century romance
Lady Glenys Spencer works hard at keeping her eccentric but harmless relatives safe, especially those who would enjoy a witch hunt. When the family resides in Wales, no one gives them a second thought, but the six months every year in London can be dangerous. Though she prefers her extended family remain at home when Glenys goes to London to manage the vast family finances, they all insist on accompanying her.

On this trip to the bank, her relatives provide her with strange items that include a warmer cloak than she planned on wearing and several magical items to protect her on her quest. Though thinking they are kind, benign, but a bit out of their minds, she appeases the brood by accepting everything. However, Glenys will soon be thanking her family as Kiernan Fitzallen kidnaps her. Kiernan does the crime when he learns the identity of Glenys' brother, a powerful knight. He escorts Glenys to his employer, Sir Anton Legasse, who plans to marry THE PRISONER BRIDE. However, neither Kiernan nor Anton counted on love blossoming between the abductor and the abductee.

THE PRISONER BRIDE is a magical fifteenth century romance that historical romance readers will find quite charming. The story line is exciting as the lead couple battles one another even as they fall in love with each other. The secondary cast adds villainy or amusingly loving eccentricity that provides a uniqueness to Susan Spencer Paul's sixth and final "Bride" tale. On a positive note for the audience is that descendants of some of the ensemble will star in a future Regency-based series.

Harriet Klausner


Stalking Justice/the Dramatic True Story of the Detective Who First Used DNA Testing to Catch a Serial Killer: The Dramatic True Story of the Detective Who First Used DNA Testing to Catch a Serial Killer
Published in Hardcover by Pocket Star (1995)
Authors: Paul Mones and Claire Zion
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Stalking Justice
Greetings,

As an avid reader of true crime books this one rates really high on my list. I loved every minute of it as the book was well written and really held your attention. Once I started reading I could not put it down. I liked it because the author told the entire story without adding endless pages of scientific termonology that would go over the average reader's head. I would recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated with the criminal mind.

Terror leaves a fingerprint
"Stalking Justice" is a very good book. It is the story of the arrest, conviction, and eventual putting to death of Timothy Wilson Spencer for a series of gruesome rape/murders in Virginia in the 1980s. The murders took place in Arlington and Richmond. The book focuses on Arlington Detective Joe Horgas' investigation. This was also the first murder conviction that hinged on the breakthrough forensic science of DNA fingerprinting. This not only lead to the conviction of Spencer but helped free a man who had been convicted of one of the murders.Paul Mones does an excellent job of recreating the horrific crimes and crime scenes. Spencer was also linked to a series of break-ins/rapes that had been committed by a masked man. He was truely an evil person. Mones takes the reader step by step through Horgas' investigation. He shows the reader the right things that were done and also the errors that were committed by others. I grew up in Richmond and remember the panic that shook the city to it's core during the "Southside Strangler's" 3 murder spree. The number of murders may not seem large by serial killer standards, but there was a genuine fear in the city, especially by women who lived alone. I also knew one of the victim's mother. She was a teacher of mine in elementary school, so I always remembered the case. A whole other book could be written about the psychological aspects of the killer's makeup, but the bottom line is this was an individual who ritualistically tortured his victims and kept them alive for long periods of time before killing them. Luckily, he was stopped.I have a few complaints about the book. First, Det. Horgas is depicted as a one man wrecking crew while all other investigators are depicted as pig-headed or incompetent. I don't believe the entire Richmond PD was that inept. It was pointed out that several people involved had reservations about how Horgas came up with Spencer's name. While the evidence shows that Spencer undoubtedly committed the murders, the question of how Horgas pulled Spencer's name out of thin air is a curious one. I have no doubt this can happen in an investigation, but it is very coincidental that it happened this way in such a high profile one. My only insinuation is that maybe there was more information not privy to the reader. Also it was mentioned that animal hairs/fibers were found but the author never gave resolution to this. Did Spencer have a dog? Maybe I missed that in my reading. These complaints are minor as the author overall did an outstanding job. My only major complaint is that no picture of Spencer was included in the photo spread in the book. All major players were shown including the man falsely accused, but not Spencer. This was an error in editing. My last observation is in regards to the DNA analysis. The author mentions another case involving Barry Sheck, where DNA analysis was thrown out when the lab's quality control came under fire. DNA fingerprinting is revolutionary in crime fighting but it is only as good as the people analyzing the samples. Spencer was undoubtedly guilty, but for the sake of innocent persons accused the labs doing the tests have to be closely monitored. The Spencer case is also mentioned in John Douglas' "Journey into Darkness".


The Stolen Bride (Historical)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (1900)
Author: Susan Spencer Paul
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They Will Steal Your Heart
I don't know how she continually does this but Ms. Paul will steal your heart with "The Stolen Bride"

Our hero, Kayne the Unknown, ashe was known to the people in the Village of Wirth, is the type of hero one generally falls in love with - handsome, manly, and mysterious. It is no wonder that Sofia Ahlgren dreamt of him as her hero to save her from the evil clutches of the man who would be betrothed to her.

Kayne was gentle, kind and tortured. Ms. Paul heaps upon this hero all the elements to keep you interested from the first to the last pages. What is the mystery of this village smithy (?) who keeps to himself and appears so wealthy? Read and discover the layers that one uncovers to discover the soul of this wonderful hero! Highly recommend you find a copy of this ... book. Wonderfully exciting, hold your breath, ending!

I'm in love!
I wish I knew Susan Paul's secret for creating such fabulous heroes. I have fallen in love with every one of them (including the heroes she created as Mary Spencer). Here we have Kayne the Unknown who is of course noble and strong - we expect that. But he is so much more, and Susan's skill at slowly peeling away the layers of so complex and exciting a hero, compelling the reader to keep turning those pages, boggles the mind. Susan Paul's writing is always fresh and crisp without ever falling into cliché, her characters real and engaging, her atmospheres uncannily vivid. Like her other works, "Stolen Bride" grips you from the very start and doesn't release you until the final breathlessly romantic page. Highly recommended.


Eco-Bluff Your Way to Greenism: The Guide to Instant Environmental Credibility
Published in Paperback by Bonus Books (1991)
Authors: Paul Spencer Wachtel, Jeffrey A. McNeely, and Paul Spencer Sochaczewski
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Authoritative Fun
Who says environmentalists need to lighten up? I do. Jeff McNeely and Paul Spencer Wachtel demonstrate how you can, and should, have fun with a serious and often inaccessible subject. The book makes a great primer for the eco-naive, and a wake up call for the enviro-grinches that take themselves too seriously. Full of great cartoons by John Caldwell and facts you can actually remember. Great for that next one-hour flight with a window seat. Take a good look.


Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History
Published in Paperback by Checkmark Books (2002)
Authors: Spencer C. Tucker, Jinwung Kim, Michael R. Nichols, Paul G., Jr Peirpaoli, Priscilla Roberts, and Norman R. Zehr
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For school and community library military history collection
Encyclopedia Of The Korean War: A Political, Social, And Military History is deftly edited by Spencer C. Tucker and presents the reader with a thorough, comprehensive, in-depth, and deeply researched compendium of knowledge over the Korean conflict often referred to as "The Forgotten War." Entries are listed in A to Z format; black-and-white photographs sparsely illustrate the detailed, matter-of fact text. Strongly recommended for school and community library military history collections, the Encyclopedia Of The Korean War is a superbly presented reference for looking up details concerning people, places, weapons, politics, military actions and much more about this pivotal Asian conflict.


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