Once again we meet up with Garth Ryland, editor of the Oakalla Reporter and sheriff's deputy. This time he faced with a task of finding a killer of a man who was found dead in his own elevator. The victim was a 400 pound man with a knack for collecting rare items from flea markets.

Once Garth realizes a painting is missing he assumes that this murder was a robbery gone wrong. And as he starts his investigation he quickly finds evidence of a hidden past and violence.

Another great read from a terrific author. You will not be let down from this novel or the series.

...I finally read all of Louis L'Amour's books and short stories. The other writers I've tried have left me cold, but Nesbitt has the touch.

There is one flaw in the verisimilitude in "Coyote Trail," I think, and that is having Quinn feel bad about Newman not thanking him outright. That's a modern touchy-feely sensibility that the real cowboys of the period weren't necessarily burdened with.

Delightful and written with such clarity and honesty. You enter into the mind of a boy growing up in a time when life was simpler but the thoughts and feelings are universal to anyone's childhood. From learning to accept his newborn sister into the family, declaring war on the babysitter aptly named Witch Hazel, and describing the love of kick ball and the never-to-forget first crush, the anecdotes are hilarious observations into relationships he has with his parents, his siblings, his friends and neighbors. And he delves into each of the characters wholeheartedly. I thought I was the only one who criticizes my Mom's cooking! Written with imagination, the stories jump a little in time as he weaves his memories around his baby sister Susie, but the personal pictures help to define each anecdote and helps the reader to visualize and bring the story to life. And oh, I was worried the book would end sadly, no pun intended, but the author kept it so light throughout, that the ending was very very touching.

I read with interest the reader reviews on this book before I purchased it and saw mixed opinions and many comments, but the one that stood out the most was something to the effect of "this book might be too much for the casual Laura fan, but great for those who want to dig a little deeper." I heartily agree with that and think that needs to be stressed. If you've only ever read the "Little House" books, perhaps you should start with some of the lighter books and biographies about her. If you are like me, however, and can't get enough information about the true life of Laura, this book is fantastic. Its focus is a bit shaky at first, as it breezes through the first 20 or so years of her life in first third of the book. At that point it changes focus so much that it is almost like two books in one. Here is where we meet Laura the writer and witness her long path from town columnist to published national author. Throughout this section of the book her daughter, Rose, plays a pivotal part and has her own biography of sorts within these pages. While at first I was reluctant to read about the controversy over how much Rose actually helped her mother write the books, once I got into it I was fascinated and hooked. This book is a biography, a history book, the story of a young pioneer, and a look into a complex and conflicting mother/daughter relationship. And for those out there who simply can't get enough of Laura, curl up and dive in.

One other note: I learned a lot of new information about facts that were left out of the Little House books or changed to make the story flow better for children. John Miller even goes so far as to call her Little House books fiction. I don't completely agree with him on that point, but I did learn a lot and wanted to know more about the actual accurate early life of Laura. Miller makes reference in this book to Laura's first attempt at novel writing; an unpublished manuscript called "Pioneer Girl." I did a little research and found that copies are available from the Herbert Hoover Library in West Branch, Iowa. It is costly, but worth it for the biggest fan. It is definetly an adult read, though, don't plan on reading this to your children as a bedtime story.

Hope this review was helpful - enjoy!

Miller pretty well refutes the contention that Rose Wilder Lane ghostwrote the "Little House" books. There is no question that she edited her mother's manuscripts, and without her connections in the publishing industry there is a good chance the books might not have been published at all. However, the books were and are Laura's.

It's also important to remember that the "Little House" books only cover Laura's life up to her marriage, and that she in fact lived less than 15 years in DeSmet. She spent the remaining 63 years of her life in Missouri. I always thought that Missouri was an odd choice of destinations, but there in fact were compelling reasons, and Miller does explain them.

Some have criticized this book because they feel that it almost becomes a biography of Rose Wilder Lane about halfway through. A more careful reading gives an explanation for why this seems to be the case; Rose left massive amounts of personal archives, letters, and other documents when she died. On the other hand, Laura ("Mama Bess")left very little of this kind of information behind, and were it not for Rose's archives there would be even bigger gaps in the narrative. Miller does mention that a roomfull of possessions left behind in Laura's parents' home in DeSmet was discarded by the new owners of the house, and it's just possible that some of her letters were lost there.

If some people wish the book provided more in-depth detail about Laura's life in Missouri, then they should also wish for even more information about Almanzo. At the end of this book we know only a little more about him than we did at the end of "The First Four Years." He was apparently a man of few words, either spoken or written, so he largely remains an enigma. What little we do know about him comes from either Laura or Roses's writings.

One thing we do learn is that Laura never lost her pioneering spirit. In 1925 she, Rose, and a good friend of Rose's drove all the way to the West Coast from Missouri. A transcontinental auto trip in 1925 was sitll a major adventure, and even more remarkable when undertaken by three women. An account of this adventure surely would have made for good reading, but apparently neither Laura nor Rose thought of it.

This has been something of a rambling review, so I will conclude that Miller did very good work, and that any true fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder or her daughter would do well to read it.

This book gives a much more balanced account of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life than other recent biographies. John E. Miller creates a richly detailed portrait of the real Laura Ingalls Wilder, one that is well supported by his documentation. The relationship between LIW and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, is examined in great detail. Miller's assertions about the relationship between mother and daughter ring true. His statements are clearly supported by his research. He does not attempt to negate Rose Wilder Lane's contribution to the Little House Series. This book gives a good picture of the complexities of the mother/daughter literary collaboration. One comes away with a better understanding of and an appreciation for both women. "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" is an interesting, well written, and highly readable biography. A most welcome addition to the shelf of any admirer of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books!

James Wambaugh has a long and somewhat successful history of writing both fictional and non-fictional stories. From Onionfield to The Blooding his style remains the same, detailed but fast-paced enough to always keep the reader interested with the feeling that he has been there and done all this before. The greatest criticism of Wambaugh is his sometimes quirky use of syntax, which leaves the reader with the question of what is the meaning of his sentence or paragraph. Putting that aside, as in The Blooding, Wambaugh makes a factual and sometimes boring story come alive for the reader of Fire Lover. He even did quite well in the middle of the book when he had to cover the second trial and all of its detail without being too repetitious and going over all that went on in the first trial. After all there is only so much you can write about a fire and keep the reader's interest alive. In all, I liked the book and give it my recommendation.

I've read all of Joseph Wambaugh's books, from THE NEW CENTURIONS to FIRE LOVER, and this was the least enjoyable.
FIRE LOVER probably doesn't measure up because there's not a whole lot of suspense. We know from the synopsis that arson investigator John Orr may have been the most notorious arsonist since Nero. Orr was a brazen offender, setting fires in the middle of the day when customers were in the stores, leading to the death of four at Ole's Home Center in South Pasadena. But he makes one big mistake, leaving his fingerprint on yellow legal paper that was used, along with a cigarette, a rubber band and three matches, to start a fire similar to the one at Ole's Home Center. The fingerprint was almost ignored because of the jealousy between firemen and police arson investigators.
Much of the book involves courtroom gymnastics. There are so many closing statements that you tell yourself, "this must be the last one." But you're wrong. There are more of them during the penalty phase and Wambaugh cites them all, practically verbatim.
Wambaugh is also famous for his irreverent narrative tone. This works in CHOIRBOYS, where we assume the narrator is a man in blue, but here he's supposed to be an objective journalist. He refers to jurors, lawyers, and judges as "...strange fish that lazily glide, blowing gas bubbles that pop ineffectually on the surface of the litigation tanks in which they live and breed." He likes this strange fish motif so much he uses it over and over again.
All of this said, I'm still looking forward to Wambaugh's next fictional tome. It seems an eternity since FLOATERS.

I have always enjoyed Joseph Wambaugh. It seems a few years ago, he went through a "dark" period when his books were almost if not actually depressing. But "Fire Lover" is a very good book. What I like about Wambaugh is his insight into people and organizations. The interplay between the police departments, the fire departsments, the Federal Arson invesigators, etc, is very very interesting. Fire lover is a true story about a serial arsonist who is also the arson investigator for Glendale, California. He may have been the most prolific arsonist of the 20th century.

My only complaint is that the trial part of the book might be too long. But as usual, Wambaugh shows his insights into how the system works, or sometimes does not work. The system worked here, but it was a very long journey.

I think over the writing career of Joseph Wambaugh, we owe him a debt for telling us outsiders how police departments and now fire departments actually work. I feel we owe them a debt that they do work. The book is a very good read.

Suspense and murder set against the façade of an eerie New York apartment building form the backdrop for this latest novel from veteran author John Saul. When Caroline Evans' husband is murdered while jogging, her world is turned upside down. Trying to raise ten-year-old Ryan and twelve-year-old Laurie on the meager salary of an antique store employee, Caroline barely has enough money to survive. When she meets Tony Fleming, her circumstances seem to improve.

Upon their marriage, Caroline and her children move into Tony's apartment in The Rockwell, an ancient apartment building abounding with rumors of dead bodies and ghouls. Though many of the residents other than Tony are elderly, they seem unusually friendly towards the children even as Caroline begins to redecorate Tony's apartment. But Ryan's outspoken aversion to his kindly step-father and Laurie's nightmares put a damper on Caroline's newfound happiness. And when Laurie's sickness comes on the heels of the illness of their young neighbor Rebecca, Caroline begins investigating Tony's sacred study. The secrets she discovers there give Caroline a chilling sense of foreboding as Laurie's evil dreams intensify and she weakens further.

Mr. Saul has craftily executed the quintessential suspense/horror novel with the normality of the book's beginning being marred by the introduction of terrorizing elements. The mystery is a gradual evolution captivating the reader's attention. The only drawback is the somewhat abrupt ending after such a spellbinding build-up.

No one can touch a nerve better than John Saul. His Suffer the Children was one of the most disturbing books I have ever read, and with Midnight Voices he brings us another tale of children caught up in the grip of evil.

Many neighborhood children fear the Rockwell, the huge, ancient apartment building on Manhattan's Central Park West. Rumors of witches living in the crumbling apartments and bodies buried in the basement abound. Yet despite the gloomy atmosphere of the place, there is no real evidence to indicate the stories are anything but rumors.

Then Caroline Evans, a young widow with two children, who is struggling to get by after her husband's brutal murder, marries Anthony Fleming, one of the Rockwell's inhabitants.

Soon her children are disturbed by the sounds of unidentified voices late at night. Then Caroline's daughter begins having terrifying dreams of strangers' entering her room at night and touching her. She grows weak, appearing to have the flu, but the homeopathic remedies given her by the doctor who lives in the building, the doctor her stepfather insists should see her, does little to help her.

Caroline's best friend, the caseworker of a foster child living in the Rockwell, is murdered, and soon Caroline discovers a secret about her new husband's past. Knowing something is terribly wrong, she determines to take her children and flee the Rockwell and its inhabitants, but it is already too late. Her daughter has already fallen prey to the evil that dwells there, and Caroline is powerless to help her.

Despite an ending that seemed a bit predictable and anti-climatic, John Saul's mastery of suspense never lets the story falter.

Recommended.

###

When Brad Evan's was killed while jogging in Central Park at night, he had ignored the feeling he was being watched for the past ten weeks. His death leaves his widow Caroline broken hearted and broke. She takes a job working in an antique store where she meets Irene Delamond who lives at the Rockwell at 100 Central Park West, a building more exclusive than the Dakota.

Irene takes an immediate liking to Caroline and decides to set her up with Anthony Fleming, one of the Rockwell tenants. Within a year, Carolina marries Anthony and she and her children from her first marriage move into 100 Central Park West where the tenants, most of them elderly, take an extraordinary interest in the two youngsters. It isn't until Caroline stumbles upon something terrifying in her husband's office at home that she realizes that Anthony and his friends want something more from her and the children than friendship.

Fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz will be thrilled with the latest offering of John Saul. MIDNIGHT VOICES is a chilling work of horror that slowly but believably builds toward an inevitable climax. Readers will love Caroline who will do whatever it takes to protect her children from those malevolent Dorian Gray like beings wearing the mask of mortality.

Harriet Klausner

Usually with any book I can just jump on and write up a review as soon as I'm done reading. The Mothman Prophecies was a little more in depth to do such a thing, so it's taken me a little longer. I am one of those who has read the book and not seen the movie, so hopefully I'll give you some better insight than those who saw the movie first, then read the book. I'll give this review my best shot.

This is the classic "don't judge a book by it's cover" type book. There's maybe 1 chapter on Mothman himself. There may seem to be no plot, but from what I got from the book, the plot is that Mothman was the base of the largest UFO "outbreak" in modern history. Keel goes on to describe how weird just go weirder. You must read this with an open mind in able to enjoy it. You can't start out with an open mind, and then shut it, because it'll be no good. Wait until you're done with the book before you say its trash. Certain things towards the end will perk you up.

The book isn't very well organized. I am very disappointed with this. Keel has way too many witnesses in able to be doing this, and it will screw you up at times. You may want to take gradual notes while reading just so you can go back and say, "Okay, now who was Jayes again?"

Keel also admits that this book was the first time that he let some information out as to techniques used, similarities in witnesses, etc. All of these things are pretty much known today, being that the book was published in 1975.

As far as "proof" goes... Nobody has proof, as far as I know, that extraterrestrials are really out there. Everyone who writes books on them are using THEIR ideas/theories. To me, John Keel has some better theories than a lot of writers out there.

If you want to hear plenty of accounts with UFO's and Men in Black involved, this is the book that you want. There are more stories in this book than I can even think of right now! Be sure to pick it up. Either you'll like it or you won't.

~Natalie Kilpatrick

Keel is a true investigator. He leaves no path untread upon in his search for the truth behind the UFO phenomenon. His countless accounts of the Men in Black and their games will inform you as to their place in all of this, frighten you and even make you laugh out loud. His work helps defend the theory that aliens are inter-dimensional rather than extra-terrestrial.

Even if you are not a UFO buff, this is a smooth, yet thorough induction into this strange and all too close world. Even for you non-believers, the connections made in this book will at the very least gnaw at you and most definately entertain you.

I've probably read over a hundred books on paranormal and UFOs and still have them. I found 'Alien Agenda' by Marrs and 'Alien Rapture by Fouche - Steiger to be my favorites, and I have read them more than once. Alien Rapture - The Chosen by Fouche is being made into a screen-play by a major studio in Burbank CA. Also see all the books by Jim Marrs.

The Mothman Prophecies is a great book. Even though the book isn't very organized, if you look hard enough, you gain somewhat of an understanding about the FBI, MIB (Men in Black), the mothman and other paranormal creatures. This book tells the stories of the people that live in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, who are witnesses to the Mothman and UFO's. Throughout this book John A. Keel gets off the subject and sometimes the book doesn't always make sense. But, don't let that bother you. Despite the fact that this book has no point and is plotless it is still a great book. It's a suspenseful page-turner and even leaves you questioning which stories were real and which stories weren't.

I must say that Jim Hougan's Kingdom Come was one of the finest thrillers I have read in years, and I read alot! about 3 books a week. First Horseman kept my interest, was nicely paced and well written. The MAJOR flaw was the utter stupidity of Frank Daly- the main character. He seemed to be far too naive for a "veteran journalist" For example, when he sees a cult member going through his car, her explanation is , he left his lights on.
And he buys that!!!! Come on now!!! He knows he is battling a very vindictive and dangerous cult and seems utterly incapable of putting 2 and 2 together when it comes to obvious things, throughout the entire book. So much so, that the reader loses confidence in him and cannot identify, because nobody with half a brain would be so gullible. This flaw is repeated throughout the book. Also, Daly is directly responsible for the "microwaving death" of a young student, yet doesnt express any guilt, another disjointed example of a non-too believable lead character. This may seem picky, but when one reads a thriller, it becomes increasingly annoying- so much so that you want to reach into the pages and slap some sense into the so called investigative reporter.

This book contains all the things that scare us all in real life: North Korea, Cult, Epidemics, potential war, etc. With all those factors, the book could have been more stimulating if the author John Case was more focus. I wish Case was more concentrated on vividly following the main plot. The story seemed out of focused in the middle of the story. The 375 pages could have been trimed down to 300 pages with more focused and direct writing.

Tasi-ko, a small North Korean town, is under siege by what the visiting doctor called the "Spanish Lady". Soon afterward, a plane destroys everyone in the town except Kang, who happened to be outside the area seeking help. Kang escapes to South Korea and explains to the authorities what happened to his town. Eighty years ago, the "Spanish Lady" killed thirty million people and now it is back.

Washington Post reporter Frank Daley is looking forward to joining the scientific expedition heading to the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen for what could be a major part of the story of the year. The team will try to recover strains of the "Spanish Lady" from some deceased minors, allegedly preserved by the frozen tundra. Frank misses the trip north due to a storm, but catches up with the ship and crew on their return. However, everyone seems frightened and no one will talk about what they found on the island. The obstinate Frank keeps digging in hope of finding a deep throat, but instead he learns that Armageddon may be just around the corner.

THE FIRST HORSEMAN is a first rate biomedical thriller that will become one of the top novels of the year. With our shrinking world, the story line could have come off of yesterday's headlines. The novel highlights the return of a pandemic outbreak that shook the planet eight decades ago and could come back even deadlier than before. With this book and THE GENESIS CODE, John Case makes a case that he might just be the leader of modern day biomedical thrillers.

Harriet Klausner

As a Cathlic born in the mid 20th Century, I grew up under the benevolent shadow of John XXIII and was looking forward to reading a biography of the man who had such a great influence on my spiritual life. But, in all honesty, I was very disappointed by Mr. Cahill's book which I found to be very superficial and subjective.

The first 90 pages or so gave a synopsis of the history of the papacy which I suppose was trying to set the stage for the time in which John XXIII lived but I really didn't see any need to go back to the first century. The more relevant time frame for the history would have been from the early 19th century when all European institutions came under question and concetrationg on the papacy of Pius IX and Vatican I.

Mr. Cahill also tended to use leading terms such as "propaganda", "puritanical", "cloak of infallibility" or "contemporary reader" to make his point that Catholic Tradititon was not only historically questionable but archaic and perhaps bogus to the enligthened "contemporary reader". Ironically, while John may have had no problem with honest historical analysis, I can't help but believe that he would have taken issue with Mr. Cahill over some of his other implications.

Angelo Roncalli was truly the pope of the century as another writer has put it. He had a vision of the full potential of the Catholic Tradition in a modern society which is a vision that seems to be getting lost today as a more conservative wind blows through the Catholic Church. But, Mr. Cahill barely scratched the surface with regards to this beloved man. The book offers some basics but its hardly worth the price.

I just completed reading this book and found it to be a concise biography of a great man. I do admit that it left me wanting more.

It is obvious that Thomas Cahill has enormous respect for Pope John XXIII and feels that he is the most important pope of the modern era. I do agree with this.

I am a "cradle" Catholic who had lapsed for about 10 years and recently returned to the Church. However, I still have many problems with the conservative nature of the Catholic Church today and reading a book like this (as well as Hans Kung's book on the Church) gives me hope that the Church can return to the spirit of Vatican II.

POPE JOHN XXIII is not a long book but the author does try to cover a lot of territory as he traces the history of the church and especially the papacy from its beginnings to the present day.He also manages to give us a short biography of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the 258th successor to the apostle Peter.

Two passages in the book stand out as beacons of optimism. The first is a description of John walking up the central aisle of Saint Peter's at the start of Vatican II while 2500 bishops, patriarchs and abbots sing and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The second passage contains Cahill's prediction that the Holy Spirit will descend again on the church as it surely did at Vatican II and also 2000 years ago at Pentecost in Jerusalem.

For those who love the Roman Catholic Church, another Pentecost will be most welcome.

I just finished reading some of the reviews and I have to wonder why people are so critical of Richard Blow. How else would one write a biography of a person with whom he worked such a short time. Someone said the Kennedy family should sue. For what? I thought he was gracious with his words about JFK, Jr. and it certainly was not just about Richard Blow; I got a little glimpse of what JFK, Jr. was like as an employer and friend. Someone else said he thought John was his secret love. Oh please. Can't men have loving relationships without it being a "gay" thing.

The book was well-written, interesting, a brief overview of the editor and his struggles with his magazine. End of story. It was about nothing else; yes, Richard Blow wrote some things about himself because how else can you write a book about someone you worked with if you don't talk a little about yourself.

Thank you Richard Blow for your insights.

I was not anticipating much new information when I decided to read "American Son," as JFK, Jr. has had his life chronicled since he was born. To my surprise, Mr. Blow, has added a new
dimension to my understanding. This book details life at
GEORGE magazine and of how Kennedy related to his employees, to the media and to his everyday life. I found it fascinating and
was especially interested in his developing interest in flying and the various experiences he had in the air.... One has heard rumors over the years about John and Carolyn. I guess we'll never know the real truths, but Mr. Blow has given us his
take on their relationship and I found it interesting and readable.

I thought the idea of a book about John Kennedy, Jr.'s tenure at George magazine was a good one. Instead of a slick and glossy tome about "America's Prince" or "The Most Beautiful Man in America," his former associate, Richard Blow, has fashioned a interesting account of the beginnings and ultimate ending of a man's search for identity and purpose.
That JFK, Jr. was able to put together a political magazine as he saw that world, does indeed make for fascinating reading. The inner workings, in-fighting and eventual ending of a publishing phenomenom is a nice change from the usual tabloid fare that we are used to seeing about members of the prolific Kennedy family.