There are more books in this series. These books are about beach migration and practical (and impractical) ways to deal with it. Each book begins with the science of barrier islands and man's efforts to control the beach. Each book ends with how to build or buy a beach house. In the middle there is a complete analysis of each inch of shoreline. Sound dry? If you like maps and want to know some geology about your favorite beach, these books are required.

Rudolph Carlyle Evans has a utopian vision. A civilization devoid of modern technology, ruled without opposition or question by an elite, run by a warrior caste, and maintained by serfs and commoners. No "trickle down economics" here, just a return to a feudal state run by an iron hand. To quote the introduction by Robert Hertz, "In Evans' view, the main function of the common people is to beat the lily pads at night to keep the frogs quiet." Popular with the Satanists, this work is Machiavelli taken to a new level. I can't really say I "enjoyed" this book...but it is thought-provoking, to say the least.

Too many characters where thrown at me in the very beginning but as I continued reading I was able to put it all together

Linda Barnes does it again. Such a tight, intriguing, carefully drawn plot. The characters are fresh and intelligent. The roller coaster action hangs together without distraction - so difficult to do. And Carlotta Carlyle, woman detective par excellence, has not become brown and jagged with age. Boston makes for an interesting setting.

I love all of Linda Barnes' books about Carlotta Carlyle and this one was no exception, but it was not my favorite. I thought it was very interesting and it keep my interest, but I didn't want to sit down and read it in one sitting like some of her other books. It was still a very entertaining and remarkable book and I would highly recommend it to anyone

Of all the current crop of female PIs, Linda Barnes' CarlottaCarlyle may just be the best:.... This is her best book so far: cunningly plotted, beautifully written, believable and likeable. Read it once for the plot, twice for Carlyle herself. Added bonus: Barnes is the only writer I know who can talk knowledgably about music without making it seem like she's showing off.

To say the least, the first story by Cathy Maxwell wasn't bad but also not her best. My first view of Liz Carlyle makes me just mad at the publishing house for printing something and putting a price tag on it when it should have gone straight to the garbage. Her sentence structure was and "A" but I didn't buy a book to see how well the writing was but how good the story was. I don't usually put much into posting here but this story stunk so bad I had to. The supposed hero says "Oh God" so often which I find offensive but after a while thought perhaps Mz Carlyle was torn between fiction something and inspirational. So many good story tellers get rejected and this we spend good money on. In a word this book was Boring!

You can't miss with either of these exceptional authors!

IN A MOONLIT GARDEN - Cathy Maxwell
Charming - Colonel Michael Stanson had been in love with Ivy for so long that when her father asked him to pose as a tea merchant to search an eccentric scientists house for a formula supposedly stolen from him, and the prize being Ivy's hand in marriage - he reluctantly agrees. He is an honorable sort, but he'd do anything to gain the very beautiful Ivy for his wife.
As soon as he laid eyes on the scientists niece Lady Jocelyn, he is soon quite taken with her goodness and charm, so much so that he agrees to help Jocelyn make her former beau jealous. (There are a lot of undercurrents in this short story) Why does Michael have trouble remembering what Ivy looks like? Too many schemes and too many lies, as both Michael and Jocelyn find their way to both confess the real truths to one another. Both the parties find they needed to reexamine their motives for what they once thought was love - thought provoking. Absolutely delightful secondary characters! You have to love Uncle Geoffrey!

HUNTING SEASON - Liz Carlyle
All I can say is 'the kiss' - how can anyone make a thank you kiss so absolutely sensually sizzling! Wow! And mind you, this is in the first 18 pages! This glorious rake - the Marquis of Grayston is one BAD boy and I would dearly love to meet him! Alas, he is the figment (?) of the very talented wordsmith Liz Carlyle. Before he knows who she is, Christian, Marquis of Grayston is entranced with the lovely widow Lady Elise Middleton and she - in spite of all her lady like tendencies and upbringing is oh so tempted to just take him up on his offer of a 'night of passion'. Eventually, he must come to terms with what is most important to him the revenge of his sister's death, or the love of a good woman. On the sensual scale of one to ten - this rates a 10!

"In a Moonlit Garden" by Cathy Maxwell. To prove his worth to his beloved, Colonel Michael Sanson pretends to be a tea merchant to get inside the home of a scientist considered to have stolen a formula. However, Michael soon finds himself enlisted to a different masquerade after meeting the niece of his target. He begins to wonder how fickle can one get as he finds himself falling in love with Lady Jocelyn, but her intended is whom he is supposed to make jealous, not push aside. This is an engaging historical romance that stars wonderful characters.

"Hunting Season" by Liz Carlyle. Marquis Christian Villiers is obsessed with ruining Roth who caused his sister Lenora to commit suicide. He finds the perfect plan when he meets the intended bride of the dastardly villain. However, Christian's plans radically change when he begins to fall in love with the kind Lady Elise Middleton. This also is a charming historical romance that contains beguiling protagonists.

Both stories are strong novellas that readers will enjoy. Cathy Maxwell and Liz Carlyle provide strong tales with wonderful casts that testify to the talents of the writers to entertain sub-genre troops.

Harriet Klausner

After reading other women PI books (eg Kinsey Millhone) this one just didn't cut it for me. The dialogue was inane and I really didn't even care about the ending which was hard to understand. The alleged tension between Carlotta and Sam was not developed or believable. Completely mediocre, i read it because i was on vacation and there weren't any other books around.

I listened to the audio of this book and as always enjoyed C.J.Critts reading. Hardware however was not one of my favorites. Tension has popped up between Sam and Carlotta which seems to be just thrown in as an after thought. Nothing was really explained. Green and white cab company has been targeted, so has Sam. The story doesn't really pick up till near the end. Now if you are a Barnes fan you will probably want to read this, but if you haven't read any of her books try starting with the first one "Trouble of Fools".

In keeping with the last few Carlotta Carlyle mysteries, "Hardware" is much less fun and much more serious than earlier outings. This story involves the Mob, a possible hit that targets someone near and dear to Carlotta, and a murder that affects the Green and White Cab Company, and its wonderful proprietor, Gloria.

Carlotta's on-again, off-again lover, Sam Gianelli, may not be able to escape his heritage this time around--his father is head of a major Mob Family. And Sam, like it or not, is trapped in some nefarious goings-on. Only Carlotta can save him, and she is facing the wrath of two Families, not to mention the usual cast of characters, from her pre-teen and increasingly difficult "little sister," Paolina, to her raunchy roommate, Roz, to a possible new lover.

All in all, the story is a good one, and Carlotta's solution to the puzzle that has threatened so many lives is brilliant. Carlotta still plays killer volleyball, still drives like a maniac (in and out of the cab), and still keeps her cool under pressure. But she has changed a great deal since the earlier books, and is a much more serious--and believeable--person than she ever was before.

A good read, and a strong key to what makes Carlotta tick.

Author Linda Barnes wrote this first Carlotta Carlyle, Boston based female P.I. mystery, in 1987. It's a good start, which vaguely reminds me of the movie "Going In Style," where the old guys revert to bank robbery. Wait till you read where she stashes the cash!

If this book were a film, it would definitely be noir. I imagined everything in black and white throughout my quick gallop through these wonderful pages.

Having never read a Linda Barnes mystery before, I was enthralled by the gritty language, the down-and-dirty description of the Boston streets, the no-nonsense tone, and above all, the main character, PI Carlotta Carlyle.

Written in the mid 80s, this book is not outdated in the least. The plot concerns a group of Irish-American cabbies, all over 50, who may be running money and guns for the now-severly-restricted IRA. Accidentally stumbling into their activities while investigating a missing persons case, Carlotta finds herself in very deep trouble--the kind that can easily end in murder.

This is a perfect book to devour one lazy afternoon while shutting the rest of the world out. I loved it, and intend to sample more Linda Barnes mysteries from now on.

One does a disservice to an author/series if one reads book #3 or #4 or #5 and then goes back to read #1. Characters develop, relationships develop, and authors develop. I read this first Carlotta Carlyle book before I read the rest, and enjoyed it just fine. Yes, the following books get better as they go along, but you'll have missed out on several important relationship/character points if you don't read this one before you read the others.

The recent spate of scandals over her much-hyped-over Internet Publishing of her nude photos by her former boyfriend, Sam has left supermodel Lola Carlyle humiliated - and heading straight for a vacation at the Caribbeans to cool off. Her insecurities in her figure has propelled her to bulimia - and her trust in a man was betrayed. She later learns that life never rains but pours when her yacht is being "commandeered" by undercover agent Max Zamora in his escape from an obnoxious drug lord after killing off his son. Lola is held captive. She retaliates - only to damage the yacht and leaving them stranded at high sea. As Max and Lola are being trapped together in this absurd situation, they grow dependent on each other - and soon passion comes in - but will their love triumph over their differences?

Rachel Gibson has been experimenting with more deviant characters apart from those "Gibson-type", down-to-earth sweethearts. Her earlier effort True Confession unites a sheriff and a city reporter and now - a model and an undercover agent. Which is fine - when Ms. Gibson starts out well with snappy dialogues, swift action and scorching romance. However in all its fast pacing, Ms. Gibson neglects her trademark sub-characters and emotional development that renders the romance incredible but palatable. The humour ranks comparably less energetic than that of True Confession - with all its sexist remarks that are too banal. Still, Max and Lola manages to bolster the read with irresistible chemistry that shows Ms. Gibson hasn't lost her touch - completely.

Lola Carlyle contains all the expected elements of a good novel by Rachel Gibson - it's cute, funny and sexy. Despite the recipe for success, I was never completely drawn into the story.

Lola is a lingerie model hiding out after being "over-exposed" in the National Enquirer. Max Zamora, a former Navy SEAL, secret agent on the run from a drug czar. He commandeers the boat Lola's snoozing on and much hilarity and sexy scenes ensue.

The problem is, this book is NOT edited well (or at all). I'd just get drawn into the story and a glaring typo or leap of logic would jump off the page and distract me. For example, an exclusive neighbourhood becomes an elusive one, Max says "she was killed before she got to the hospital" and there's the mysterious dis/reappearing binoculars. I don't usually get bogged down in details, but the fact that I did, means I wasn't completely engaged by this book. Although it was interesting having this author set a book in the Caribbean, she does a better job with Idaho as her backdrop.

Once Lola and Max become close, she demands he give up his life in black ops so he can be safe and secure with her. Well, that's nice, but she's just met the guy, he's complained about women demanding he quit his job in his past and here we go, Lola asks too. I thought her demands were a bit presumptious.

I'd put Lola in the same category as "It Must Be Love", a good story with good characters, but somehow missing something. Here's hoping her next is in the same league as "True Confessions" or "Truly Madly Deeply".

I am so glad that I didnt listen to some of the reviews of this book that said that Rachel Gibson's LOLA was not as good as her others . I was very impressed with the way the characters grew to love each other while going through some very scary situations. The heroine Lola was a very real and honest character. She had serious issues and had realistic emotions when it came to her life and her experiences. I found Max our hero to be one of the most real characters Ive seen in a romance book for a long time. He was funny, charismatic, sexy as hell and had hangups as well. The plot was fun and exciting, the relationship that both Lola and Max has with Lola's dog Baby Doll was funny.

If you are in the mood for a funny, sexy and light read this book is for you...

Having read the five previous unfavorable comments submitted by readers to Amazon, my enthusiasm about "Flashpoint" was dampened prior to beginning the book. I've always enjoyed Carlotta's exploits and novel detectival methods(ie. hiding her treasures in the cat box under the litter). However, in spite of my skepticism about this particular adventure, I was quite pleasantly surprised.

The narrative never falters as we wander through a tangle of new and established characters. Some of the regulars carve new edges and dimensions to their persona beyond, and often in defiance of, the roles established in earlier books. As the plot twists and turns, Carlotta herself is often baffled as she stumbles through quite a few misleading clues and potential suspects.

Although Paolina's drug-lord father has provided Carlotta with substantial funds for his daughter, Ms. C. has been determined to keep their existence a secret throughout this series. In "Flashpoint" she divulges their existence to both Paolina and her mother, Marta, with a pragmatic reluctance. Carlotta realizes that the money, though tainted, is most likely the only realistic way Paolina and Marta can attain a decent quality of life without resorting to crime and prostitution. This sad commentary on our society strikes a chord of verisimilitude. The exploration of the Jewish Reclamation Fund's activites likewise illustrates the realities of striving to achieve some justice for the many neglected, persecuted, but highly deserving segments of humanity.

I look forward to the next installment in Linda Barnes's ever evolving Carlotta Carlysle series.

This is the first of Linda Barnes' books I have read and I enjoyed it very much. I could not ignore some of the similarities to Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone (single, female private eye, ex-cop, ex-wife, quirky landlord-tenant relationship, broken nose), but the plot was well paced and the mystery kept me guessing. I look forward to reading other Carlotta tales.

Am I ever glad I read this book before I read most of these reviews! Different people have different tastes, which makes life more fun, but I just can't agree with the negative reviews this book has piled up. Flashpoint shows another level of depth for Carlotta, and masterfully weaves the "usual" characters in with the new ones. Maybe she didn't have quite as much "fun" as she usually does, but business hit her right up front and demanded her attention; can't argue with that. I eagerly await the next. Please keep at it, Ms. Barnes!

This much-delayed book by Linda Barnes is not her best, but it's not her worst either.

Carlotta takes on an assignment from a former cop buddy to help investigate alleged fraud on the Big Dig - Boston's multi-billion dollar transportation corridor. While working there, she also takes on a missing person's case from a wealthy woman with secrets of her own.

If you've ever been in Boston or love the city from afar, you'll enjoy this book. Barnes catches the ambiance of Boston to perfection - better than Parker in my mind.

Barnes has aloowed her character to mature over the years and Carlotta was less foolish in this outing than in others. And it was interesting watching her put two and two together to solve both cases.

Barnes, for the most part, didn't keep major pieces of evidence from the reader although she did in one instance and the reader is sure to yell, "No fair!" or some such.

This is a good procedural - although there are better ones out there - it is worth the read if you love Boston as I do.

If you like private eye stuff, particularly set in Boston, be sure to take a look at this one. As the review title suggests, this book reminded me of Parker's early Spenser books, before Spenser became bosom buddies with the cops who used to loathe him, and before, in George V. Higgins' words, Spenser started flying, "off to London like he was trying out for his own TV series."

Linda Barnes is not Robert B. Parker, and this fact does not leave me in sorrow's clutch. Barnes knows contemporary Boston, and writes about it well, though I have to admit, there's not enough Big Dig in this for a Big Dig freak like me. There is, however, a good story, starting simply, but quickly becoming complicated. Barnes' PI Carlotta Carlyle, like Spenser a former cop, like Spenser obstinate and determined to get her own questions answered, is a PI you want to stick with, one you can admire. Carlotta gets out there and ruins her pantyhose if necessary to get the job done (though she does cuss about the cost, and remind herself to dress down the next time she has to wiggle under a fence in the mud).

Bluntly, don't get this one for the Big Dig. Get this one for a first-rate job of storytelling, and a terrific character. If Julianne Moore isn't looking at at least one screen treatment based on Carlotta, there's no justice in Hollywood (OK, I know).

Carlotta Carlyle is one of my very favorite detective characters. Everything about her is intensely real, from her six-foot height to the red hair atop her head. No way she's going to blend in. Life is difficult for her, and she finds herself scrounging to make ends meet. Driving a cab to moonlight is one choice, and doing multiple full-time detective jobs is another. You've got to love this hard-working woman.

As someone who has been living through the Big Dig project in Boston for many years, I was thrilled when Ms. Linda Barnes decided to build a story around it. All we could see during the construction was a big mess that moved daily, disrupting all traffic and making it impossible to know how to go anywhere.

Mention Boston and public works, and the idea of corruption may cross your mind too. After all, Mayor Curley served Bean town from a jail cell during his administration. So when Carlotta is hired to look into Big Dig corruption, I had the story all set in my mind. Carlotta would find the corruption and it would lead right back to the Commonwealth's most well-heeled and established citizens. Wrong!

There's a lot of humor in this story as Carlotta tries to look inconspicuous, yet find out what's going on at the work site. Someone has called in a tip that things are rotten in Denmark. She hasn't found out much by the time that a mysterious death occurs.

At the same time, she takes on an unusual missing person's case. A young dog handler has gone astray, while leaving her dog behind. It doesn't make much sense . . . and Carlotta cannot turn up many leads.

So for most of the story, you see Carlotta having problems rather than being a Superhero Wonder Woman detective. I find that refreshing.

Then, late in the book, the plot develops at a breakneck pace . . . and I couldn't read the remaining pages fast enough to find out what was going on. I was particularly pleased to see that the solution to the mystery themed into another Boston tradition, celebrating Patriot's Day.

Weaving all of the threads together is done masterfully. Even if you usually only like to read about male private detectives solving crimes, you should try this book. I'm sure you'll like it!

After you finish enjoying Big Dig (which is slowly drawing to an end now that the tunnels are open for traffic), I suggest that take a copy with you the next time you are in Boston and imagine the scenes taking place while the main construction was going on. It would make for a great Halloween night!