This graphic novel reprints one of the classic X-Men stories of old -- the Dark Phoenix saga. For those who might not be up on their comic history, the Dark Phoenix Saga told the story of how Jean Grey -- one of the original X-Men -- found herself cruelly manipulated by the evil mutant Mastermind until she finally lost control of her own powers and became a threat to the very future of the universe. In the end, it falls to the X-Men (led by Jean's lover, Cyclops) to either bring her back to sanity or destroy her. This was perhaps the pinnacle of the Chris Claremont/John Byrne creative team and certainly very few subsequent X-Men stories have come close to touching the quality of the Dark Phoenix Saga. Chris Claremont's secret as a comic book writer was that he never wrote down to his audience. While some others might have simply said, "Hey, it's only a comic book," and cashed in their paycheck, Chris Claremont approached his X-Men stories with a sincerity and integrity that elavated the best of his work out of the super hero genre. As always the characterization of the individual X-Men is strong with Wolverine truly coming into his own. Even the usually somewhat dull Cyclops is given one of his few chances to shine in this story and Claremont manages to present a multifaceted view of this sometimes overly upright figure. The dialogue, especially Cyclops' final monolouge on the moon, is also far more powerful (and at times genuinely witty) than what is generally expected from a "comic book." Over the course of this story, Claremont and Byrne introduced several characters that would later become key ingrediants to the X-Men's success -- the Hellfire Club, Dazzler, Kitty Pryde, and all of them show their future promise from their very first appearances.

I was a kid when these issues first came out and I can remember what an impact they had on me at the time. Not to be overdramatic but back in 1980, the fate of Jean Grey affected me much the same way the fate of Jay Gatsby affects me now. Now, some might scoff at that or say that its easier to please children but that's not true. Even more so than adults, children and young teens can spot when someone's just going through the motions. Every year, hundreds of new comic books are released. Most cease publication after less than six issues. X-Men survived. It takes a lot to make an impact on you when you're young and that was what made Claremont and Byrne's X-Men so popular. Unlike future writers and artists, they never took their audience for granted. With the Dark Phoenix Sage, they crafted one of the great legends of my youth. When I recently reread it, I do so for the sake of nostalgia but I was overjoyed to discover that even though I'd gotten older and subsequent events in the X-Men had cheapened a lot of what those earlier issues were about, the story hadn't suffered. As both a piece of childhood nostalgia and as a story held up on its own considerable terms, the Dark Phoenix Saga is a powerful piece of work and it is a must-have for all comic book fans -- past, present, and future.

In the Dark Phoenix Saga, Chris Claremont and John Byre, firing on all cylinders, create the greatest comics story ever. It is a story that fits logically in the greatest run by an artist/writer team in a comic series ever (chronicled in the Essential X-Men Vol.2 graphic novel), but one that also stands so well on its own.

In a story where so many things are done right, it stands out because it is a primarily a story about conflict. There is conflict on virtually every page. Not just shot-em up, video game violence, but internal, character-driven conflict.

There is conflict between Prof. X and Cyclops over leadership of the X-men; between the fiery Wolverine and the control-freak Prof. X; Jean Grey struggles to control her dark side; Cyclops tries to mold the fiercly independent members of the X-men into a tight-knit team; Jean & Scott try to maintain their relationship thru the mounting chaos....

The X-men, the ultimate ousiders, rely on each other time and again and yet, their most powerful member turns on them and then saves them - repeatedly.

The X-men have a truly worthy opponent in the Hellfire Culb.

Obstacle after obstacle is overcome before the truly life and death battle at the climax. The escalation of tension is evere bit as gripping as when I read the original comics as a kid. Its lost none of the magic or mystery. There is none of the letdown so often felt when we re-visit the source of our nostalgia.

There have been a half dozen stories that were much more revolutionary than the Dark Phoenix Saga - from the death of Gwen Stacey in Spider-Man, to The Dark Knight, the Watchmen and Crisis on Infinite Earths over at DC. Yet, for my money, Dark Phoenix is better - not for its novelty or originality or life-like art, but because its that good.

This is simply one of the definitive Marvel comic stories, nearly perfect in every aspect.

For me, much of the appeal to this lies in that is simply a super-hero story, capturing the essence of the genre like nothing else. So many of the critically acclaimed comics are heavy on the emotional philosophizing that at many points they cease to become entertaining. The Dark Phoenix Saga never quits, throwing harrowing action and life and death drama at you throughout. A reader can't help but wonder what he or she would do placed in any of the character's shoes. There is no "right" or "wrong", but simple necessity and loyalty which drives the characters.

Chris Claremont pulls out all the stops; it really appears that he is trying to write the X-Men to their peak. He most probably does, and John Byrne's work never looked better. There are simply no faults to be found.

Had this been a stand alone series, it would surely be placed alongside DC's timeless classics. But the story fits perfectly in the trade; the reader never wondering what had previously happened in earlier issues.

This story is great for everyone, young and old. Fans of heavy-duty stuff like Watchmen may snub their noses at this, but they would be foolish to do so. If you want a reminder of why super hero comics are so engaging, read this.

John Saul's "Shadows" is decent book, but leaves the reader unsatisfied in some respects. The plot involves an exclusive school for the gifted where a devious technology is used at the expense of the students. One of the downfalls of the book is the lack of character development. The author doesn't seem to know what he wants to do with the roles of several characters. The main character, Josh, plays a somewhat inconsequential role in the climax of the novel. The growth of other characters were left somewhat underdeveloped. Further, the author reveals the primary mystery a little too soon. However, the novel is cleverly written to touch the emotions of readers (though, I won't elaborate to preserve the mysteries of the novel). Overall, it was a good (but not great) novel. Reviewed by Jay A. Goklani

This is my first John Saul novel. I admit he is no Steven King, but this was a good entertaining book. I think his writing style is a bit elementary but the topic of artificial intelligence and gifted children is quite compelling as he weaves his story line.

In Shadows, John Saul plays the vulnerability of the gifted child against a modern day mad scientist. The weaving of brilliant children, technology and obsession with power make this story a schematic tapestry of a futuristic Grimms-like fairy tale. Though the book has a slow start, it is well worth the wait as Saul takes the reader from the dusty town of Eden to the beautiful setting of the Barrington Academy, a private school for gifted children. But within the magnificence of the old mansion lie secret rooms and gory experiments. It's a thriller to the end, and will scare any parent with a gifted child into a few sleepless nights

Three young men seek entry to one of the strongholds of the extraterrestrial Masters who have conquered the earth. Two are successful, and they strive to learn as much as possible about the enemy so that they may report back to the last existing colony of free humans. I preferred this novel to the previous one, "The White Mountains." Both novels share the same deficiency, a tendency to relate certain events too sketchily and a failure to develop key characters, in this case the German boy, Fritz. However, the Masters themselves and Wil's adventures in their city are fascinating, and John Christopher's style does make for a fast-paced story. My interest is piqued and I look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.

I am an avid fantasy ansd sci-fi reader. If you like either Genre this is the book for you. It is well thought out and has a very involved plotline. If you enjoy reading i suggest this and the other books in the series...The white mountains...The city of gold and lead... and The day the tripods came

"The White Mountains" is fine as a stand alone book; but any reader who enjoyed it will want to find out the answers to so many questions left unanswered. What would happen to the main characters: Will, Beanpole, and Henry? Will we ever learn more about the Tripods? And, of course, will the Tripods ever be defeated?

"The City of Gold and Lead" answers some of these questions. It explains the Tripods and how they came to dominate the world and enslave mankind. It informs us of the new lives that Will, Beanpole, and Henry have in the White Mountains. It introduces us to the characters of Fritz and Julius who become major figures in the struggle against the Tripods.

It also answers the question of the fate of Eloise, the beautiful girl who Will befriended in "The White Mountains." (It is disappointing that the ONLY female characters of any importance in the entire trilogy are Eloise and her mother, the Comtesse.) Personally, my favorite part of the series was Will's temptation by the good life at the Castle of the Red Tower where he met Eloise. In "The White Mountains" Eloise said goodbye to Will forever because she had been chosen to serve the Tripods in their city and would remain there as a slave for the rest of her life. One of main reasons I felt compelled to read "The City of Gold and Lead" was to find out what happened to Eloise and would she ever be freed from that slavery. The reader will discover the answer to that question at the Pyramid of Beauty in "The City of Gold and Lead."

Although "The City of Gold and Lead" answers many questions left from "The White Mountains," it also leaves the reader with new questions about the fate of a major character, the conflict with the Tripods, and the future of mankind. There are so many unanswered questions that most readers will have to read "The Pool of Fire," which is the last book of the series, to fully enjoy "The City of Gold and Lead."

This book is short, but it seems to plod along. It feels forced, as though Steinbeck was straining to write about normal people when possibly he couldn't relate to them anymore. The characters are O.K. But nothing like the characters in the other books I have read by him thus far: Grapes, Eden, Cannery and the Pearl. Basically I was disappointed. However, I will still seek out more Steinbeck to read since most of the other works I have mentioned were so monumental. Every writer is allowed a dud here and there, especially one who has such an amazing track record.

"The Winter of our Discontent" was published in 1961, just before Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize in 1962. The story is set in the late 1950s in New Baytown, a small (fictitious) New York -New England town which, Steinbeck tells us, had flourished during the whaling days of the mid-19th century. The main protagonist of the book is Ethan Allen Hawley. Ethan ("eth" to his friends is descended from early pirates and whaling captains. His family had lost its capital through speculative business ventures during WW II and Ethan, with has backround and his Harvard education, is reduced to working as a clerk in a small grocery store he once owned. Marullo, an Italian immigrant, owns the store and calls Ethan "kid".

For a short novel, the book includes a wealth of characters, many of which I found well described. There is Ethan's wife Mary who is impatient with the family's impoverished lots and eager for Ethan's economic success as well as the couple's two children, Allen, who is writing an essay called "Why I Love America" and the sexually precocious daughter Ellen. We meet the town banker, Mr. Baker, a bank clerk and a friend of Ethan's, Margie Young-Hunt, twice married and the town seductress, and Danny Taylor, Ethan's childhood friend who has thrown away a career of promise and become a drunk.

The book describes the deteriorations of Ethan's life as he gradually loses his integrity and succumbs to temptations to lift his life, and the lives of his family members, from its materially humble state to a state consistent with Ethan's felt family heritage and education and with the desire of his family for material comfort. The story is sad and told in a style mixing irony and ambiguity that requires the reader to reflect and dig into what is happening. The story ends on a highly ambiguous note with Ethan's future left in doubt.

The book describes well the lessening of American standards and values. The book seems to attribute the loss to an increasing passion for commercial and economic success among all people in the United States. Juxtaposed with the economic struggle are pictures of, in steinbeck's view, what America was and what it could struggle to be. I think the images are found in religion (much of the story is, importantly, set around Good Friday and Easter and these holidays figure preminently in the book), and in America's political and cultural heritage. In the old town of
New Baytown, America's history figures prominently with speeches from American statesment such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Abraham Lincoln tucked (suggestively) in the family attic. The book is set against a backround of New England whaling and reminds the reader inevitably of a culture that produced Melville and a work of the caliber of Moby Dick.

The most convincing scenes of the book for me were those where Ethan ruminates his life in his own mind and compulsively walks the streets of New Baytown at night. I was reminded of Robert Frost, a poet of New England and his poem "Acquainted with the Night" which begins:

"I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light."

Steinbeck captures much of the spirit of this wonderful poem.

The plot of the book seems contrived at is climax and depends too much on coincidence. The characters, and their inward reflections on themselves, the descriptions, the setting, and the theme of the book, mingled between a love for our country and a sense of despair, make the book memorable.

Steinbeck comes forth with his usual superb character development as expected. What was unexpected was how relevant his question remains today. Is everyone dishonest in business? Is that what it takes? What happens to an honest man when he tries to get ahead?

The story is set in the typical small American town. If you have ever watched small town politics, you know the cast. Except for Ethan. He is unique because he is honest. He is also "a failure" because he is honest. He has a wonderful wife - never openly begrudging and always accomodating. But then he has two kids, both of whom want to know why he isn't rich or when he will be. They are the future, as children naturally are and the question plays out between them too. Then there is Margie. Like a carbon copy of the perfect wife, she is the perfect "confidant" if you get my drift. As a woman, the contrast between them begs study. But it also pushes the fidelity angle too as Steinbeck goes into her relationships with various men. Like Young Goodman Brown (Hawthorne, I think) who goes to meet the Devil fearing what various people would think only to find out that they are all already there, Hawley questions of morality go there too.

But the true grit of this, for me, is the honesty factor. When being asked by his family when he will be rich, one of his responses is that there are two kinds of money - no money and not enough. It will never be enough. At what point do you stop "bending the rules". Do you "bend the rules" to get a house and security and then behave as an honest and decent man? Or do you then have the "not enough" kind of money and have to keep going. Is to be rich necessarily to be dishonest? And in the return to honesty and decency, will the money be lost?

This is an excellent book - and always will be. As long as we keep doing things we wouldn't "normally" do to make money, i.e. trade off our family and values to do this or do that. Are we being who we want to be? Are we striving to be the best spouse, neighbor, parent or does business come first? And, if so, why? Is that really success?

Like most children, I grew up with the stories of Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretal, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and a host of other Grimms Fairy Tales. Now I am grown, my children are grown, and I just happened upon this book and decided to treat myself, to bring back memories of a past childhood maybe. Well, it didn't completely do that, as the stories are certainly not, for the most part, the stories that I knew as a child. They are not the glossed over, perfect happy endings that we think of when we think of 'Fairy Tales'. This book has the tales the way they were originally written, complete with enough violence, blood-shed and gore that would make even Freddie Kreuger cringe. But they are also full of humour, life lessons and morals that we could all learn from. The notes at the back of the book are also very informative. Each story title is given it's original German translation, with information on when it was first published and the source from whence it came. The section of Omitted Tales is particularly interesting. These tales were originally ommitted due to either their gruesomeness, similarity to other tales or for other reasons stated in the notes at the back. For those people who want the 'real stuff' and not the 'sugar coated variety' then this is for you. Highly recommended.

True, some (but not all) of the Brothers Grimm stories are gruesome and parents would find it unesay reading them to their children as fairy stories, but then they were never intended to be read predominantly by, or to, children. The Brothers Grimm wrote down their collected oral tales mainly for the bourgeois audiences of 19th century europe, and Jacob Grimm said that whilst the stories were mainly for an adult readership, the fact that children were also beginning to read them was just a bonus. Certainly many of the tales are different to the sweet and innocent versions portrayed by Disney. Don't expect to find cute little animals here! However, expect to find tales with a moral and a recipe for living, as prevelent today as they were nearly 200 years ago. It's a great book, especially with the added bonus of Zipes' introduction which details the history of the Brothers Grimm and their reasons for writing down the tales. Buy it to read to yourself, not your children!

An excellent collection of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Its good to find collections of their tales out there that are not just watered down versions. Jack Zipes, who has also translated wonderful editions of the thousand and one nights and a collection of French Fairy Tales(both highly recommended) does an excellent job with the Grimms and provides interesting commentary about the orgins of the tales. My favorite story in particalar was one about a tailor, I can't remember the name.(Yes, I know there are a million stories about tailors but this was the one where the tailor gets blinded and his traveling companion treats him horribly) This edition even includes all of the stories that were even too violent for the Grimm Brothers. One called "How Some Children Played at Slaughtering" is especially unappetizing. All in all I recommend this book to anyone who would like a little enchantment in their lives. By the way, the cover of this book is just gorgous, nice illustrations inside also.

The book was okay, I got angry at the way Elizabeth was being treated. Todd, Enid, and Jessica all completely dumped Liz to become popular, and if you read farther in the series will all get what they deserve. One character I felt kind of guilty for like was Celine, Liz's roommate. She treated Liz as bad as the others, if not worse, but it was a lot more humorous. Celine is such a witch, if they make a series I would like to play her.

I really liked the way the book managed to convey Liz's feelings about moving away and starting over at University. I didn't like the fact that Jessica was acting inconsiderate, I mean I know she can be a bit rude but, it was nasty of her to move in with Isabella rather than stay with her own sister. It also annoyed me that Enid felt the need to change her name just so that she could be 'cool'. I think she was pretty ungrateful to Liz after all Liz had done for her during her time at SVH. If you ask me, Liz is better off without her anyway. Todd just irritated me, and I was so glad to see the arrival of sexy Tom Watts. I loved the chemistry between him and Liz - they definitely make a great team. Todd deserves airhead Lauren. Liz's roommate Celine is so funny, I loved her 'drama queen' persona. But, I have to admit that if I lived with her, I probably would have strangled her. Alison Quinn is also irritating as well - snobby witch. You just know that she's out to make trouble for the Wakefields - especially Jess. I was disappointed to see that some of my favourite characters were missing but, I'm sure they'll soon turn up at some point or other in the series. I highly reccommend this series. I also agree with the other girl, those 'twins' on the covers just look funny. Ha,ha - I love their dress sense! NOT.

The Wakefield twins are now 18 and moving out of their house to take residence at Dickenson Hall on the Sweet Valley University campus. For the five Sweet Valley High graduates (Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, Todd Wilkins, Enid Rollins, and Winston Egbert), college is a whole new world filled with endless possibilities. But for Elizabeth, it means disappointment and abandonment. First, her twin sister, Jessica, moves out of their dorm to become roommates with a rich, popular sophomore (Isabella Ricci), who is basically a replacement for Lila Fowler, Jessica's high school friend. Then Elizabeth's boyfriend, Todd, starts pressuring her to put out or else. And to top it off, her best friend, Enid (aka Alexandra), doesn't want anything to do with her because of her new image.

Then there's Winston, who's stuck in an all-female dorm because of a computer mistake that has him listed as Winnie instead of Winston. For most guys, this would be a dream come true, but for Winston, it's a total embarrassment and a major problem since he's trying to impress the Sigmas (a fraternity), and he can't do that with a dorm full of girls calling him Winnie and basically humiliating him.

During the whole process of registration and moving in, more than a few students develop mad crushes on each other. Jessica, for one, stirs things up by dating a black student (Danny Wyatt) who has one too many enemies; and then she falls for another guy (Michael McAlley) who she meets by crashing into the back of his sports car. Next to fall in love is Enid/Alexandra, who ends up "sleeping" with the guy she's just met. And then there's Elizabeth, who is secretly being watched by an admirer.

"College Girls" is the first book in yet another Sweet Valley series: Sweet Valley University. About a handful of the old Sweet Valley crew make appearances, such as Bruce Patman, Steve (the twins' older brother), and Lisa Fowler, but it looks like this series will mainly spotlight Elizabeth, Jessica, Enid, Todd, and Winston. (...) Recommended for Sweet Valley fans.

that a book on such a serious topic could be so much fun to read? If someone had come up to me and asked "Would you like to read a book about free will?", I probably would have just said "No way." But Blue Avenger turned out to be one of the funniest things I've read in a while. It all starts on his 16th birthday, when David Schumacher decides to change his name to Blue Avenger after a character he created. In doing so he becomes a unique sort of superhero, simply solving everyday problems, like finding the perfect lemon meringue pie recipe. (I tried it, and it really honestly doesn't weep.)There's plenty of humor along the way, as in the memorable condom-buying scene and classroom discussion. There's a romantic side, thanks to his close friend Omaha Nebraska Brown. There are small seemingly meaningless moments that come back in the end, somewhat like Harry Potter. And of course, there's the free will issue- it really makes you think without taking over the story or getting boring and technical. I knew very little about free will before reading this, but now I can honestly say I have an opinion on it.

Is it realistic? Not really. But will it make you think and laugh out loud? You bet. And that's the whole point anyway.

Blue Avenger
Norma Howe

Would you ever change your name? What would you change it to? Would you change it to a character you like drawing? You probably wouldn't but David Schumacher does. Then simply by changing his name to Blue Avenger things start to happen......

He meets a beautiful girlfriend named Omaha, saves a school principal from a swarm of killer bees which gets him 2,000 dollars in return!!! Everything has gone perfectly, everyone knows his new name and Blue avenger is rich.

David Schumacher is an ordinary boy with an ordinary life who wants to be important and help people. He doesn't know how to go about doing this, until his sixteenth birthday, when he decides to change his name to Blue Avenger. With his new, unusual name, Blue becomes brave and courageous. Within a matter of days, he becomes a town hero. First, he rescues his principal from a swarm of killer bees. He then discovers how to make 'weepless' lemon meringue pie, even getting his recipe put in a nationally famous advice column. Furthermore, Blue delivers his new girlfriend, Omaha Nebraska Brown, to her half brother's wedding that's at a jail in Walla Walla. He also finds a dermatologist who will allow Blue to anonymously pay for his friend's acne treatment. But, most importantly, Blue solves gun problems in Oakland by getting the mayor to outlaw bullets and replace them with tranquilizing 'winger stingers.' So, Blue Avenger finally gets the recognition he craves and fulfills his destiny. This entertaining book with the underlying theme of free will vs. destiny is suitable for anyone 12 and older.

When I read this book, I had never watched Buffy or read a book of it. And now I totally love Buffy! This is a great book! Buffy is really cool, but I wich Oz was in it. (Seth Green rocks, everyone!) You should buy this book. I haven't read any other Buffy book,s but I'm really looking forward to reading "The Harvest" THat's the first one.

Although this book is not quite as entertaining as _Halloween Rain_, it merits a high rating for its well-written content. If you watch the television series and enjoy the episodes written by Joss Whedon, you'll find that the intellectual writing of John Vornholt will keep you reading. The action in the book is sparse, but there are a few tense moments where you worry just a bit for Buffy. Like the previous books, the focus of this book is mostly on Buffy, Xander, and Willow... with a little Giles thrown in the pot, but so far, in this book and the ones before it, Cordelia and Angel content has been lacking. The mood of this book is not quite as dark as _Halloween Rain_, but I found the book very well-written... but lacking in the "teen-talk" and "Xanderisms" the television series is known for. If you're looking for a well-written book with a good plot (a carnival and some powerful sorcerors who walk with the night), _Coyote Moon_ is an investment worth making!

"Coyote Moon" is the first Buffy, the Vampire Slayer book I have read. I have been following the series since it started. "Coyote Moon" seems boring, if not corny, at first. But the book gets better by chapter 3, when Buffy notices that the carnys at the carnival are very strange. From then on, the book becomes a good read, save for the fact that the characters are lacking. Buffy, Willow, and Xander are off a little, saying and doing things that they would probably not say or do in the series. The book has a good plot, I would recommend reading it, but don't read it if you are expecting it to be the same as the TV series. The plot is very good...the characters are lacking, and have no real depth.

I have read several books by Daphne DuMaurier, and My Cousin Rachel is my favorite. This novel is not light reading, but it is intensely gripping in all of its twists and turns. It is truly a work of art. It has an unusual ending. I don't care for reviews that give the plot away, but I just want to say this; at the end the reader is left to make up his or her own mind as to whether Rachel was good or evil. I chose to come to the conclusion that she was good. Other readers may have reached a different conclusion. My Cousin Rachel is an outstanding piece of literary achievement! The movie was very good although it did not do the book full justice. I thought that Olivia DeHavilland was perfectly cast as Rachel.

This book is great. I just happened upon the film version of this book a couple months ago and liked it enough to give the book a try. It was my first Du Maurier and I loved it. Since then I have read Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, and Frenchman's Creek.

My Cousin Rachel is definitely the best of the bunch, with Rebecca at second. THe other two are very enjoyable but a little far-fetched.

Before I read this book I had no idea what Du Maurier was like, I just assumed she was some trashy twentieth century writer like Agatha Christie (sorry AC fans). I would put "Rachel" on par with Thomas Hardy's work- its that good. It could be called a gothic novel, though it is more modern in approach. Overall somewhat similar to Jane Eyre or Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

This book is a bit slower than her other works, but much more believable, in depth, and serious. It is a frustrating mystery at the end, was Rachel good or bad? I like to tell myself that Du Maurier herself never decided, never "knew", and that is why it is so ambiguous.

This book (and the 1952 film, with Olivia de Havilland and Richard Burton) have haunted me since I first read the book over 20 years ago. It's a mesmerizing and artful tour de force, building high atmosphere, suspense and intrigue - and using relentless ambiguity. Du Maurier (12 or 13 years after "Rebecca" - and in my opinion the added maturity shows in more complex characters, circumstances and moral nuances) masterfully spins her tale, weaving in vivid images of a warm and fertile Italy contrasted against those of a cool green England with an economy of description. A naive young man (Philip) in his early twenties, raised by and adoring of his bachelor uncle (Ambrose), is plunged into suspicion on news that his beloved uncle has suddenly and mysteriously died abroad soon after marrying a previously unknown cousin (you guessed it - Rachel) in Florence. Ghastly fantasies mount as Philip awaits Rachel's arrival in England. But she turns out to be a worldly woman of unanticipated charms, who turns young Philip's head entirely. Is she a villainous murderess? Or merely a world-wise woman torn by affection for a dashing much younger man, bearing a marked resemblance to her husband of so few months? Delicious issues are raised, including what are the moral constraints of a woman in a world which allows her few ways to financial freedom. Does the fact that a woman understands finance necessarily mean that she doesn't love a rich husband? Is an Italian woman with a mastery of healing herbs necessarily a poisoner? Can a world-wise woman who has long since lost her innocence nonetheless be captivated by the dewy youthfulness of a young man? And, as with all du Maurier, all of the events occur in lush and beautifully described surrounding events and places. I'm a big reader, and this is one of my big favorites!

I bought this book after being intrigued by the ads for the miniseries on TV, which I missed due to work. I'm a big fan of Michael Crichton (I believe I've read "The Andromeda Strain over a dozen times) and the techno aspects of his books. I also enjoyed the movie "Breakout," and was looking forward to another "viro-thriller."

Unfortunately, this story left me wanting. It did start well, immediately captivating me while reading Prof. Helm's adventure in the Bavarian forest. It kept up a good pace until the last quarter of the book, when it disappointingly became mediocre and predictable. Mr. Nance also seemed to introduce new characters on a whim, just because he needed them at that certain point in the story line. How many government departments and companies does Dr. Rusty Sanders have friends working at? I was also disappointed that Mr. Nance did not immerse more into the technical aspects of the story, detailing with greater accuracy the mechanics of virus infections or the workings of the aircraft and other equipment, along the lines of Tom Clancy. Especially considering that his character development did not enable me to have feelings for any of story's main characters.

I would say the story is acceptable as a time filler, such as while on an airplane (or, maybe not considering its plot). Not one I would ever consider reading for a second time.

I love the way Nance mixes aviation, secret government plots, and national burocracies. His writing style is very detailed. The plot involving the CIA is full of exciting twists, turns, and wild goose chases that build excelent tension, however if you do not follow it closely you will be easily confused. I, being an aviation enthusiast myself, found the aeronautical aspects of the book to be very thrilling, although somtimes a bit unbelievable. Over all it is an excellent read.

This was the first book I ever read by John J. Nance, and it is my favorite by far. From page one, you are drawn in to the plot, and can easily get a certain feel for each character. Soon, you are turning the pages nonstop, with one new event overlapping the next. If you haven't read it yet, I highly suggest you don't read another book until you read this one. The aviation scenes are extremely exciting, and the end is very thrilling and realistic, providing Nance's best book yet.