Camillla is a great addition to the slate of female investigators. She's clever, and resourceful in handling family problems (including dealing with a gaggle of troublesome sisters, and a widowed father), and solving crimes (with her trusty, rusty albatross of a sidekick, Alvin). She attacks her work with zest. Beautiful setting in Canada's capital city during the May tulip festival. Witty and crisp writing. Neat Atlantic Canada connection with family origins. Great entertainment. Read this first, and then catch the follow up book - Icing on the Corpse.

Camilla MacPhee bursts onto the senses like a sarcastic gin and tonic. A tough lawyer with a very no-nonsense approach (and a deep disrespect for all things feline), Camilla finds herself in the very unhappy situation of being best friend to a murder suspect.

It doesn't help that the victim was an out-and-out unlikeable fashion critic who seemed to thrive on blasting women in power for wearing pumps that didn't match. No one liked her, and someone didn't like her enough to kill her. Now Camilla has to use every bit of wit she has (and she has plenty) to solve a crime before her friend ends up in jail. She just has to juggle her friends cats, the world's worst assistant, and a detective determined to date her sister, and a potential romance of her own - oh my!

Set in Ottawa during the tulip festival, this is a great book for anyone who likes a tough, albeit cranky, heroine with attitude. The mystery itself is engaging, and Camilla's life just sucks you right in. I for one, can't wait for "The Icing on the Corpse," which is the upcoming sequel.

Well-written and witty, SPEAK ILL OF THE DEAD is a delight! Its protagonist is Camilla MacPhee, a trained lawyer whose beloved died in an accident caused by a drunk driver. Camilla responded by becoming an advocate for victims of violent crime, running her tiny agency on a shoestring -- a task made more difficult since she's saddled with Alvin, the son of an old friend of her father's and the least productive office assistant since Bartleby the Scrivener.

As if she needs any more problems, Camilla's best friend from childhood, Robin Findlay, is the chief suspect in the murder of a celebrity fashion writer. Other suspects abound, in theory, since the late unlamented had the personality of a pit viper but, alas, Robin is on the scene with blood on her hands. Camilla must clear her friend by pinpointing the actual killer, if for no other reason than to rid herself of responsibility for Robin's six cats. A venerable story line, it's true; there are no new plots under the sun. But there are fresh new characters like Camilla, her loving (if overbearing) family, and the inquisitive Mrs. Parnell across the hall, to name only a few.

Cat fanatics be warned, though; Robin's are ordinary animals, absorbed in their private feline concerns; they do not solve the mystery. Camilla does that herself and, tagging along on her investigation, the reader gets to see a bit of the Canadian capital in tulip festival time and meet some interesting, amusing people.

This book is incredible, as a new Arabian breeder, I was feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information and various breed types. I've read a number of books, but overall this one instills the knowledge that even I can have an impact on this beautiful athletic horse. AND it gives me a process and insights on how to go about it. THANK YOU Bazy and Mary Jane!!!!

And Ride Away Singing is an excellent resource for information on Al-Marah Arabians and Crabbet Arabian horses in general. There are many photos, both black-and-white and color, to accompany author Bazy Tankersley's anecdotal history of the breed and her farm. There is also a complete index, which makes it easy to look up people and horses.

Aside from its historical value, ...And Ride Away Singing contains plenty of lessons for Arabian breeders of all experience levels. Tankersley, who has bred over 2,200 purebred Arabians, shares her formula for assessing the quality of her horses with an emphasis on useful conformation. She also laments the overall decline in correctness among halter horses ("Superstars are made, not necessarily born, and you can make a superstar out of a very average kind of horse") and how few breeders hold judging cards today.

Is ...And Ride Away Singing worth reading? Yes, particularly if you're the type of person who appreciates a well-built, functional horse over an untrainable lawn ornament. Admirers of the Al-Marah breeding program will especially enjoy it because the book reveals a number of Tankersley's secrets for breeding better horses. Big money, big name trainers, and big scams are conspicuously missing from this historical account, and that's OK with me.

COVER: 'The moment I set eyes on a handsome, rich man I shall marry him, not much hope of that happening to you, darling.'
Felicity was the glamorous sister with a successful career as a model. Mary Jane was the stay-at-home with no talents to speak of and a face that never merited a second glance. So it was hardly surprising when Sir Thomas Latimer treated Mary Jane as no more than a future sister-in-law. If only she hadn't been fool enough to fall in love with him.....

Another of Betty Neels' wonderful ashes to happiness stories! This is a real favorite of mine. The heroine, Mary Jane Seymour, spent her young adult life caring for the elderly aunt and uncle who had taken her in when she was orphaned. Though a rather loveless arrangement, her hard work managing their home and nursing them both lovingly until her uncle's final passing had put that same uncle in the frame of mind to leave her a small cottage in the village. This was especially providential as her uncle's heir was a nasty piece of work with an appropriately nasty wife! Enter Dr. Thomas Latimer, who is intrigued by Mary Jane from first sight, though it takes him some time to get around to realizing that she is the treasure he has been waiting all his life to find. Mary Jane sweats a hand to mouth existence out of the tearoom she runs in the large main room of the cottage. She is kind to all old people and animals and the entire town loves her. Her haughty sister, selfish to her toenails, deliciously plays the evil witch! :) You will be entranced throughout the lovely story and will be sorry to see Thomas and Mary Jane finally figure it all out, for even though it is what you have been longing for - their great happiness means the end of your sharing their lives. We can only hope that they appear once again in another of Betty's books. This story will delight first time readers and will greatly satisfy and warm her loyal fans.
What a lovely lady Betty is... and what lovely ladies she paints for us.

Dearest Mary Jane is another wonderful book written by Betty Neels who is my favorite romance book author, I really enjoyed reading this book and liked the characters a guy named Thomas Latimer and a lady named Mary Jane Seymour and I really recommend it!

This is one of the funniest children's books I have ever read. I would recommend it to adults!I understand that Ms. Pennypacker is about to publish some new material. I hope to see more writting about Ivy and all the other zany crew in her new books. Bravo!

Dumbstruck is one of our favorite books. It stretches our imagination and takes us into the best kind of childhood fantasy. Borage and Armilda Clott get what they deserve when their orphans exact their revenge... We can't wait for Sara Pennypacker's next book and hope it's just as good. 10 times better than James and the Giant Peach

Boating Writers International announces that Mary Jane Haye, author of "Eye on the Sea: Reflections on the Boating Life" (Breakaway Books) has been awarded First Prize in their contest for the best book on recreational boating published in the years 1998 and 1999. One judge said of the book: With "Eye on the Sea" author Mary Jane Hayes focuses on the boating life with the microscope of the soul. The book acknowledges the disappointments. It faces down its retributions. Then, credibly and in superb prose, it testifies by personal example to the blessings that boating gives its people." Boating Writers International is made up of writers, photographers and broadcasters who work in the marine industry representing media from local and national newspapers, regional and international magazines and radio and television. The award was announced at the Miami International Boat Show on February 18th and carries with it a cash prize.

Once you start reading this book, you can't put it down. It's lyrically beautiful writing, full of images that delight the soul. You actually are aboard her vessel with Hayes and her husband, experiencing everything they do. And it's not all pleasant, as she relates in her chapter, "On an August Gale." You, too, see those monstrous waves and wild winds, not to mention the green/black sky. But I particularly liked her chapter on salty dogs. Anyone who has seen these canines with ears flapping in the wind will laugh. This is a great gift book, and not just for boaters.

"A Forbidden Passion" is an excellent collection of short stories by Uruguayan writer Cristina Peri Rossi. The stories have been translated from Spanish into English by Mary Jane Treacy.

Rossi's work reminds me of the stories of Jorge Luis Borges: she frequently plays with notions of reality, psychology, and geographic dislocation. "The Trip" in particular is a Borgesian gem in which she writes about an imaginary language that has some remarkable characteristics. Other tales satirize religion and politics, or reflect on artistic creativity itself. Overall, this is a richly imaginative collection that is full of irony and witty absurdism.

This collection of short stories is an excellent example of the literature of Cristina Peri Rossi. A master of language and logic, CPR constantly undermines them to spare the reader from his or her own inclination to fall in the trap of cliches.

Language and logic are only tools for simplification. Once readers free themselves of the binds that trap them on a linear logic, the circularity of language and its meanings, they can capture the stories as an image. Unlike other famous Latin American writers, who tend to take the reader by the hand on a wonder journey, CPR leaves the reader defenseless to the image.

If you have a private roof deck, you have to check this book out. I started designing a garden on my roof and the photographs in this book were inspiring. If you don't have a roof deck, well, this is great for all those New Yorkers who wonder just what is on top of some of New York's buildings (from high-rises to brownstone walkups).

Happy Gardening!

Remarks by Gregory Long, Presdent of The New York Botanical Garden, spoken at Rockefeller University in May, 1999. "This book is truly a relevation. Who knew until Mary Jane Pool and Betsy Pinover Schiff revealed it to us, that there were so many varied and significant gardens in New York City? Who would have figured that New York City is probably the gardening capital of the world? Who among us know that we possess such a vast network of important designed places out-of-doors? Of course our park system is loved, but our garden system is a new idea... Gardens in the City: New York in Bloom is a celebration of our garden heritage and tradition in New York City. There's never been such a compilation in our history, and now that we can see our tradition so clearly, we are proud of it indeed."

This is a historical approach to 27 hotels that remain ideal stopovers for celebrating the charm, folklore, rugged settings and history that typify the Rocky Mountains of North America. Included are phone numbers and addresses. Today it is possible to be a guest in a hotel that once welcomed Buffalo Bill Cody, Poker Alice, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and many other frontier characters.

These hotels still play their original roles and remain ideal stopovers for celebrating the charm, folklore, rugged settings and history that typify the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is possible to be guest in a hotel that once welcomed such frontier characters as Buffalo Bill Cody, Poker Alice, WildBill Hickok or Calamity Jane.

In reading this book it brought tears to my eyes many times. My son is verbally apraxic. I can share the Hale's excitement in knowing for the first time what their son is thinking and what he wants to say. Charles is truly an inspiration. His parents Mary Jane and Martel are true saints. In a world where people want easy solutions, they never gave up on Charles. They never stopped searching for new possibilites for Charles to communicate.

I feel this book is an absolute must read for anyone who deals in anyway with handicapped children or adults. This book is a breakthrough to a better understanding and a better way of helping handicapped people. This book will eduacate our special needs providers on a new level.

This book will also let parents know they are not alone and to continue to fight for your children, you are the only one who will. Never loose your hope or faith.

I thank Mary Jane and Charles for allowing us into their lives and for showing us brighter, promising futures for our loved ones.

With much respect and admiration!

This is a book about the best in all of us. A reaching across the greatest differences in humanity to discover the essence of our beings. It's also a story of uncommon heroism and the power of a loving family.

I feel I can speak eloquently about this because I also know, as the author of this book, what it means to find a whole person where others felt there was just a shell and not have people believe it or actively try to pull it away. It's the story of a mother and father's discovery that their child, who is a severely autistic 36 year old man, is not only very intelligent and aware, but has a depth of wisdom and love that is very rare.

But in keeping with her son Charles' attitude, Mary Jane doesn't dwell on the hurt and betrayal of those who don't believe in what Charles is saying, but joyously celebrates this wonderful discovery and what Charles tells us in his own words about autism and the controversy over Facilitated Communication (FC). I talked with five adult autistics using FC for two years and I have no doubt that every word that Charles says is his own. If you want to know about autism, this is the first place to start. For those that have used FC, they will find many new insights.

Jane's presentation is even and lively. I particularly enjoyed the biographical sketch which gives us a look at two wonderful parents in their journey together raising a very special but difficult child. I have been a worker and not a parent of special children, but I am a parent and have a special appreciation for what these parents go through. When they do it right like Jane and many more, it's especially enriching knowing them. These parents become just as special as their kids. But now, thanks to parents like Mary Jane, we can get a more complete picture of just how special their children are. Make no mistake about it, what we are learning through FC about consciousness and the human condition is equivalent to Copernicus' discovery of the Earth being round instead of flat. These special people have a very important function amongst us, and while Jane's son Charles doesn't flaunt it, you can assuredly hear it in his words. Think of this book as Rainman finally having a chance to talk.

Mary Jane Maffini hails from Sydney, Nova Scotia and currently lives in Ottawa with her spouse and "various neurotic pets." A graduate of Dalhousie University, she is a former librarian who broke into writing via the publication of numerous short stories, which garnered many awards. Her short story fiction has appeared in: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Chatelaine, Storyteller, On-Spec, Over My Dead Body, as well as many anthologies. The Icing on the Corpse follows up the award winning Speak Ill of the Dead.

Camilla MacPhee, lawyer, embattled sister of three stiff-necked debutantes, and social crusader is once again on patrol as victim's advocate for Justice For Victims. One of her clients, Lindsey Grace, has just testified against Ralph Benning, ferocious wife batterer. But Canadian law put Ralph back on the streets in eighteen months. His first move was to revisit his former wife, who turns up dead. Camilla, her friend Merv of the Canadian Mounties, her rebellious and ever-surprising employee Alvin, and her elderly neighbor and Harvey's aficionado Mrs. Parnell rush over to help Lindsey. Somehow they all fall asleep, and Camilla's friend Elaine, Executive Director of "Women Against Violence Everywhere," ends up as primary suspect when Ralph's frozen body is found as an ice sculpture. Elaine rushes to confess to the murder that Camilla knows she didn't commit:

"As soon as it slammed shut, I turned to my alleged client. You're enjoying this.' Well, it is an opportunity. Think of the profile for WAVE. You know, Camilla, at first I thought we had a disaster but on sober second thought, I realize this will give us some major media coverage."

Ms. Maffini has honed her writing skills to a sharp point with The Icing On The Corpse. She juxtaposes Camilla's grim effort to solve the murder and save her friend against her hilarious efforts to deal with her sister's upcoming wedding and the issue of shopping for a bridesmaid dress. Using a skillful combination of snappy dialogue, endearing characters, and terrifying action, Maffini snares the reader from page one until the alarming denouement. Camilla stays in lovable character throughout the entire book, as women everywhere cheer her on.

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

Victims' advocate Camilla MacPhee lashes on her skates and scoots across the Rideau Canal in her second Ottawa adventure, this time on the trail of a serial batterer. A sucker for a cause but nobody's fool, she organizes a group to "stand on guard" for the criminal's threatened girlfriend. As the capital city gamely dons toques and parkas to celebrate its annual Winterlude, a suspicious ice sculpture has the police knocking on doors. Suddenly Camilla finds herself enmeshed in a complex plot involving blackmail and murder, making tracks in her clunky Canadian Sorel boots and looking over her shoulder.
Along for the ride is her acerbic assistant Alvin, who beats the cold by transforming his apartment into a Florida beach complete with sand, Buffett music, and margaritas. Living up to her reputation as a deft hand at character and repartee, Maffini adds an unforgettable ally in the sherry-swilling Mrs. Parnell, who wields a walker like a grenade launcher. Meanwhile, assaulting her by cellphone and shopping sprees are Camilla's Learish family of sisters, the eldest about to be married and pecking at her to behave.
Maffini sets up a dessert tray of likely suspects with a plot as tasty and addictive as the festival's flaky cinnamon pastry known as bear paws. The windchill may be forty below, but the warmth and charm of this spunky heroine on her zany crusade will send the reader heading to the bookstore for the sequel.