This is the story of the eldest son Dunstan deBurgh and Marion Warenne. It starts out with Marion being rescued by Simon de Burgh and brought to Castle Campion (home to the de Burgh clan)where she stays for the next 6 months before even meeting Dunstan - the eldest de Burgh son. Marion has sustained amnesia and after months of of trying to find out who Marion is the discovery is made and she is to be returned to her Uncle. After putting it to a vote of the 6 de Burgh brothers, Dunstan was elected to return her to her Uncle.
Dunstan had his own property to care for and was very much aginst having to take the time to return this 'piece of baggage' back to her uncle. Marion still did not remember her past but knew, without a doubt, that if she was returned she would be killed. Consequently the trip to return her was one escape attempt after another as she tried to run away from Dunstan.
Dunstan had his own problems, honor bound to do complete this mission his father gave him, and trying to tell himself that he was not feeling any kind of attraction to this 'little brown wren'. Stubborn to a fault, he did NOT believe in love and this was something that did not happen to real people.
What a delightful trip! Naturally, these two get to spend some time together - alone - and what a reckoning this becomes! WOW - Dunstan is one lusty kind of knight and the passion is returned from this 'little brown wren' ! Definitely a page turner and one you must try to get your hands on because you will want to read this one over and over again! The best!
The book is set in the old Southwest, with a set of very believable characters, good, bad, and all varieties in between. The author has clearly done his homework on the geography, customs, and language.
I won't give too much away, but the substance of the book is an exploration of a what if: What if a town in the New Mexico Territory had fallen for one of the great public policy delusions of contemporary America? The consequences are disaster. Trimble's working out of the ramifications are exciting, well-hewn, and illuminating.
I hope the author has more books like this one in him.
The story is set in the New Mexico Territory in 1878, in the quite little town of Gold Creek. There is a cause and effect to all our actions. What happens when the residents get complacent about their lives brings to light what can happen in any age, not just "the Wild West".
This is a story that is as fresh as this morning's newspaper. I couldn't put it down until I finished. There are very few books today that I can say that about. If you want a book that will hold your interest, entertain, and give you an insight into human nature, this is a book you should not pass up. A great read.
List price: $14.95 (that's 30% off!)
I like the 'random # table' and 'combat results table' Dever uses in this book (and other RPG books of his). The book is just like a video game with all the options that you can do (Which makes those "Choose Your Own Adventure Books" I played as a kid a big joke) and many options in the battles (fight, cast a spell from your staff, flee, use item, etc.). The story is gets a little complex as your character uses his newfound powers of the moonstone to defeat an evil wizard in book 4.
I recommend this book for lovers of creative murder/mystery novels with an added touch of humor.
Wolf Among The Sheep is Blain's first Nick Wolf detective mystery. Nick is a Second Grade Detective with the Skuller County Sheriff's Police. With twenty years under his belt, Nick is divorced, hates cats, loves dogs, and hates Fundamentalists...especially the type who dominate women. Nick is called upon to investigate an apparent car accident which resulted in the death of one Julie Looper, whom the townspeople knew as Sharon Mowry. Julie/Sharon had gotten involved with The Flock, a group of Fundamentalists headed up by Sam Harshman. Then a psychologist named Dr. Elizabeth Peterson is brutally murdered the day after, right after Nick interviews her. He is the only one who sees a connection, especially after reading Dr. Peterson's descriptions of the seduction of converts to these groups:
"Dr. Peterson had gathered enough experience with this group that some patterns had begun to emerge. The first stage she called the seduction. That was where the potential member came into their initial contact with the group but hadn't yet joined. They maintained their skepticism and their identity at this point. This is the stage that she called 'love bombing' began. Established members of the group were encouraged to pay a lot of attention to the prospect at this point. Lot of phone calls and expressions of concern, gifts and favors out of the blue, that type of thing."
Nick Wolf differs from your basic pulp detective in that he absolutely adores his children and misses being married. In fact, his paternal instincts are his prime motivating force in uncovering this crime. A likeable character who is completely unaffected, Nick is someone the reader can immediately identify with. His caustic wit is his way of handling the horrors he encounters, and his sidekick Benjamin Lowenstein completes an "Odd Couple" type of relationship that is touching and funny. Blain does an excellent job of depicting what life is like in rural America. Life is simple, but people are still as complicated as they are in larger cities. It is the quest for control and power that creates the criminal mind...no matter where one lives. A great read.
Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer