Product Description
A client from a decades-old case reaches out to Boston PI Spenser-but can he rescue troubled April Kyle once more?

Longtime Spenser fans will remember that once upon a time, though not so long ago, there was a girl named April Kyle-a beautiful teenage runaway who turned to prostitution to escape her terrible family life. The book was 1982's Ceremony, and, thanks to Spenser, April escaped Boston's "Combat Zone" for the relative safety of a high-class New York City bordello. April resurfaced in Taming a Sea-Horse, again in dire need of Spenser's rescue-this time from the clutches of a controlling lover. But April Kyle's return in Hundred-Dollar Baby is nothing short of shocking.

When a mature, beautiful, and composed April strides into Spenser's office, the Boston PI barely hesitates before recognizing his once and future client. Now a well-established madam herself, April oversees an upscale call-girl operation in Boston's Back Bay. Still looking for Spenser's approval, it takes her a moment before she can ask him, again, for his assistance. Her business is a success; what's more, it's an all-female enterprise.Now that some men are trying to take it away from her, she needs Spenser.

April claims to be in the dark about who it is that's trying to shake her down, but with a bit of legwork and a bit more muscle, Spenser and Hawk find ties to organized crime and local kingpin Tony Marcus, as well as a scheme to franchise the operation across the country. As Spenser again plays the gallant knight, it becomes clear that April's not as innocent as she seems. In fact, she may be her own worst enemy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (81)

Great product and service
Once again I am pleased with the condition and timely service of my book order from Amazon.Robert Parker's Spenser Series is fun reading.Not so indeapth that you have to test your brain power but carries a great story line.Easy to follow and read from book and book without over doing a repeat of characters.Brings to life the people and places in the books without going to deep.

a good read
Robert B. Parker is able to give you a quick, easy, interesting read and what more can you ask of an author than that?This is another Spenser novel and an enjoyable one at that.

J. Robert Ewbank author, "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

Hundred Dollar Baby
Another good Spencer Book. Be sure to read this series in order. You miss a lot of background if you don't. The whole series is great.

Back to basics with very good results
Parker has had my attention for many books, but lately they were getting wackier and less interesting.But in Hundred Dollar Baby, he has gone back into the past and plucked out a character that we all have read about two other times - April Kyle.This time she has more going on and the storyline is very intriguing.The plot is a little more complex and that makes this more like the older style books.

Spenser is hired to help April again, but finds himself at the end of many lies by just about all of the characters in question.Hawk is back in the supporting role and Susan is just there, but not at the center of attention.

April is attempting to start up a chain of very high end prostitution houses in larger cities across the U.S.She is in bed (not literally) with Patricia Utley and several not so trustworthy individuals.

The dialogue is crisp and the writing very concise.This is Parker at his best.

Borrring!
Okay, I'm new to Robert B Parker's Spencer (other than old TV series with Robert Urich). But this thing was a disaster! Predictable. Too much cutesy dialog. And what's with Susan and her Harvard Ph.D.? So what? Give it a rest! Characters one dimensional and shallow. Seems Mr. Parker was wanting badly to wrap this turkey up but just couldn't find a way to do it. So he plods along with a plot that was clear after the first 25 pages (or sooner). Yeah, yeah he's made $$$s writing for years and has been a top crime writer for years. Taking nothing away, but maybe it's time to do something else. Have a Jessie Stone waiting in the wings to read, but after this one am a bit gun shy (no pun intended) of whether or not I want to waste time. Wasn't knocked out with this one. ... Read more

Product Description
When Spenser's closet ally, Hawk, is brutally injured and left for dead while protecting booking Luther Gillespie, Spenser embarks on an epic journey to rehabilitate his friend in body and soul.Hawk, always proud, has never been dependent on anyone.Now he is forced tomake connections: to the medical technology that will ensure his physical recovery, and to reinforce the tenuous emotional ties he has to those around him.

Spenser quickly learns that the Ukrainian mob is responsible for the hit, but finding a way into their tightly knit circle is not nearly so simple.Their total control of the town of Marshport, from the bodegas to the police force to the mayor's office, isn't just a sign of rampant corruption--it's a form of arrogance that only serves to ignite Hawk's desire to get even.As the body count rises, Spenser is forced to employ some questionable techniques and even more questionable hired guns while redefining his friendship with Hawk in the name of vengeance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (108)

MERELY AVERAGE--NEITHER WELL DONE NOR REALLY BAD
The good news is that COLD SERVICE (2005) is a bit better than BAD BUSINESS (2004). The bad news is that it isn't much better.

COLD SERVICE is basically a fantasy book--a macho revenge fantasy--in which Spenser assists Hawk in killing the men who shot Hawk in the back and killed the man Hawk was hired to protect, as well as that man's wife and two of his three children.

Basically about 87 percent of this story is a paint-by-the-numbers piece, and we get the usual Parker touches--events recapped with Spenser telling his girlfriend what has just happened and her providing minimal queries of a moral-psychological nature; scenes with Spenser's dog trying to join the girlfriend and Spenser in bed; scenes with Spenser cooking for his girlfriend; and of course dozens and dozens of comments about the weather and traffic and seagulls and pedestrians to help Robert Parker pad out some of the chapters from 2 or 3 pages to a weightier 4 or 5 pages.

As usual, the local police and the Feds (who allow Hawk and Spenser to do their vigilante-killing-spree thing without any objections) all belong to a fantasy land. Only the street names and store names of real Boston have a close connection with this imaginary "Spenserian Boston."

But that's okay--if that is where you want to spend a few hours instead of playing online in Facebook's Farmville or some other cyberspace fantasy land. After all, in the 1950s and '60s, Ian Fleming's James Bond Thrillers provided basically the same sort of macho "time out" from reality for many people, including Pres. Kennedy--and me.

Three things that seemed to be improvements over BAD BUSINESS were (1) the kind of crime/criminals involved were somewhat more realistic (though very stereotyped), (2) Hawk&Spenser (as a unit) basically committed fewer crimes (although there WERE a lot of people murdered by Hawk), and (3) the brief descriptions of how it feels to be recovering from serious injuries/wounds rang fairly true (I judge from my own experiences).

As for "plotting," it seems more than a bit shaky. Even Spenser seems to notice at times; dialogue OFTEN runs like this: "We go in there and kill 'em all." "How do we do that?" "Through the front door." "What's the rest of the plan?" "That's the whole plan." (Am I the only person reminded of Beavis and Butthead cartoon episodes?)

SEMI-SPOILER ALERT: Very few readers will be happy with the way Hawk's final showdown with the Chief Bad Guy is presented at an abandoned shopping mall--two men go in; one comes out--you already know which one--and neither Spenser nor we have any idea what happened inside the mall. Nor does Robert Parker.

Finally, the REALLY good news is this book can be read so quickly that nobody will be wasting many precious hours of his or her life on it.

SAME-SAME-SAME
TYPICAL PARKER---IT'S ALL IN THERE---SAME OLD--SAME OLD---SAME OLD.

BBBUUUTTT-----WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT READING A PARKER ""SPENSER""???

THEY ARE JUST FUN TO READ---FOR A BREAK---NOTHING SERIOUS---JUST FUN.

Spenser helps Hawk exact revenge
Having been shot 3 times in the back, it takes quite a bit of time for Hawk to recover. Eventually he is ready to seek out the shooter and the killers of the family that left behind a small child--a family he was hired to protect. Hawk's investigation, with help from Spenser, reveals a corrupt group of Ukrainians supported by the mayor of the Marshpoint. A simmering territorial gang war in the area further exacerbates the situation and Hawk realizes that revenge is rather complicated. Needing to acquire money from the mayor to help the small child but also desiring to kill those involved with the initial shooting, Hawk and Spenser devise a plan to kill the Ukrainians, get the money, and slow down the budding violence in the area.

The story progress along quickly with the easy banter of Spenser and Hawk shining forth as well as the occasional moral dilemma of killing people being mentioned. Hawk's own relationship is in question and we find several insightful psychological moments scattered throughout the book.

It is a fun read full of Parker's concise language and terse dialog. Unnecessary descriptions are avoided and while we don't know these people in depth, we do know enough to understand how they will react in certain situations. Once again, we connect well to Spenser, not as well to Hawk, and we cheer for the cause of helping the little boy. This makes for a feel good kind of story in spite of the pervading violence. In the end, the bad guys suffer and the good guys win.

Yet, the story did not seem very original, nor even plausible. We have heard it all before and from the beginning, we knew how it would end. The anguish of indecision, those heart-wrenching moments of man against himself, did not come through in any kind of emotional sense. This made for a predictable read without much depth of thought. Not one of my favorite Parker books. Perhaps the same story set in a Western would have been more appealing.

Superman Bromance in Boston
I'm an enormous fan of this series who somehow fell out of the habit of reading it.Now I remember why.In the first dozen or so books Parker was equal to Chandler, after whom he clearly modeled himself.Unfortunately the work has deteriorated to a couple of notches above a comic book.In this offering the iconic laconic Hawk gets shot in the back and Spencer has to help him get his revenge.The ultimate bad guys are---wait for it---Ukrainian mafiosa backed by an Afghan heroin lord who've taken over an entire eighty-thousand-person Massachusetts town.Something like Dr Doom and Latvania or wherever it was.So of course Spencer and Hawk, aided by a couple of other guys, have to clean up Dodge.En route they encounter a mysterious CIA agent, a mysterious FBI agent, and a mysterious foreign assassin, all of whom pitch in to help, pausing only to express their undying admiration for Hawk and Spencer.Whose dialogue, incidentally, seems to consist exclusively of intimations of mutual esteem and preening over their toughness.Their bromance is actually getting kind of weird----what's next, Provincetown?But even worse than the relationship between the men is their relationship with women----Spencer's mooning over Susan would make a cat barf, and his endless repetitive explanation of Hawk to the latter's current girlfriend borders on the pathological.On top of it all by my estimate Spencer---a Korean war vet---has to be at least 73.Formerly Parker at least nodded to Spencer's age; here he completely ignores it.

I used to read and reread the earlier books.This one goes straight from airport to tag sale.

Characters have lost their roots
I have read all of the Spenser books up to this one, and always enjoyed them as a change from my normal reading.They are always witty, quick and I like the characters.But this book has begun the spin into the zone of the unreal.The plot is not realistic.The doors all open without hestation, the knowledge is gained without sweat, the friends are coming out of the woodwork to help, Hawk and Spenser are taking on a huge organization in Marshport but there is no drama from it.The characters of Hawk and Spenser have crossed the line - once they were the outcasts, the rebels on a cause, now they are the mainstream with police, mob and the FBI helping and looking the other way.It's too much.

The story starts after Hawk is gunned down and moves to his convalescence.The psychologist in Susan and Spenser is front and center on the emotional rehabilitation.A little more of Hawk is revealed and that sets up a conundrum:With this information, as small as it is, is it too much?Has Hawk become too human?Not sure that I like knowing more about him.

The verbal banter is still topnotch and the wisecracking enjoyable.The storyline, while a very large stretch, is still entertaining.I hope that Parker comes back to the roots of the characters and gets away from this type of plot in the next Spenser.
... Read more

Product Description
After losing his Midwestern ophthalmology practice to a for-profit medical giant, and then his family to a commuter airline tragedy, Dr. John Stapleton's life is in ashes.Abandoning his home and practice, Stapleton retrains as a medical examiner and relocates to a city that suits his changed perspective: the cold concrete maze of New York City.

Stapleton thinks he is past pain and past caring, but as a series of lethal illneses -- capped by a particularly deadly outbreak of a rare strain ofinfluenza -- strikes the young, the old and the innocent, his suspicions are aroused.And when the apparent epicenter of these outbreaks is revealed to be a hospital controlled by the same for-profit giant that cannibalized his old ophthalmology practice, Stapleton fears he has stumbled upon a conspiracy of catastrophic proportions.

Solving the mystery leads to his unlikely pairing, both professionally and personally, with Terese Hagen, an art director at a hot Madison Avenue advertising firm.And as he gets closer to discovering the real explanation behind the killer contagions, he finds his life is on the line -- for there are those who will pay any price to keep the diabolical truth from being revealed.

Contagion anticipates some of the uncharted consequences of managed health care, in an age when even the wariest consumer may be at risk.It is a terrifyingcautionary tale for the millennium, as health-care giants collide.It is Robin Cook at his unerring best.
Amazon.com Review
When not one but three different extremely rare diseases killseveral patients at a New York hospital, forensic pathologist JackStapleton suspects it's more than just coincidence.He thinks there'sa connection between the appearance of the mysterious microbesresponsible for the deaths and the HMO that owns the hospital--thesame HMO that once destroyed his flourishing medical practice.IsAmericare deliberately killing off its sickest patients--those whocost the most money to treat?Or is there an even more sinistermotive behind the strange goings-on at Manhattan General, not tomention the attempts on Jack's life? And what is beautiful TereseHagen, the hard-driving creative director of a Madison Avenue adagency, doing in the middle of this slightly muddled, but stillengrossing, tale of greed, medicine, and mayhem? Like MichaelCrichton, whose Andromeda Strainremains the classic in the genre, Cook is sometimes heavy-handed whenit comes to character development, and his fulminations about thedangers of managed care often get in the way of the plot. Still,Contagion will make you think twice about taking your next caseof flu to the ER instead of your own bed. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (68)

Spectacularly bad
This is bad in a big, big, big way.

Unlikable, wooden, two-dimensional characters.

Stiff dialogue.

Character backstories that have nothing to do with the plot and that do not inform the characters' actions.

Black characters drawn with cliched, caricatured strokes.

The ONLY things that kept me reading to the end were coffee-induced insomnia, a mild interest in the author's asides on H1N1, and a masochistic drive to see how the author ties up all this drivel.

A plot that spreads like wildfire
This book is one of Cook's better efforts. The plot is quick and well-thought out, but it becomes a bit convoluted and some elements stretch the bounds of plausibility. Still, you know with Cook you will get a good-intentioned doctor railing against the medical machine with a plot that moves. For me, I can accept that. I enjoyed the book, I just won't try fooling myself into believing it's great. It is, however, pretty good.

Do Not Go To Manahattan General If You Want To Live!
After loosing his ophthalmology career tohealth care giant AmeriCare, Dr. Jack Stapleton turns to a career as a forensic pathologist. It is a routine day a work for the ME until a body arrives in the cold room that had died of a strange disease. After examining the body, Jack comes to the conclusion that the person has died of the plague. He then goes to Manhattan General Hospital where the body came from to let them know of his finding. Ironically, the hospital is owned by AmeriCare, the health care giant that took his first career from him. Eventually, after many diagnoses of even stranger and rarer infectious diseases and a few threats on his life, Jack decides to once again go back to Manhattan General where he is not welcome to investagate these strange and highleyuncommon diseases. As he continues to uncover evidence linking Manhattan General to this string of deadly Diseases he makes more and more enemies and finds himself running for his life. Along the way he meets and becomes friends with a women in advertising, plays street basketball with men who have strong ties to gangs, dodges several attempts on his life from unkown assailants, gets kidnapped, and stumbles onto the shocking people responsible for the string of deadly infections all while he himself is starting to show signs of being infected with a contagion of some type.

All of this makes for a very good medical thriller. If you do not have some knowledge of medicine you may need to google a few desriptions that Cook uses, but for the most part it is a very enjoyable read. The book reads easy and has a conclusion that I just did not see coming. The only negatives for me were, some extremely long chapters(no place to stop reading so that I could go to bed) and it was a bit wordy in some places(just to much detail that was not relevant to the plot). I will definitely be reading the next instalment with DR. Jack Stapleton.

Not Cook's Best By Far
This was one of those books that I just could not finish.I skimmed through the last 100 pages just to get a general idea of how the story ended.I agree with many other readers here that the plot lines are just totally implausible (I live in a small midwest town and even I know gang members do NOT talk or act like that) and the dialog is extremely leaden and awkward.Robin Cook has written much better books than this!

An Interesting Medical Thriller
Personally, I quite enjoy reading Medical Thrillers and would say that Contagion was a fun read. The plot and the characters are well built and the story moves on an interesting pace. Although at times I got a little lost due to the Medical Jargons and reference to specific bacteria, I never lost track of the plot and enjoyed the book from front to back. Would definitely recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Renaissance man Spenser - he of the acerbic social commentary, the gourmet cookery, and the steely abs - turns his considerable talents to the unraveling of a thirty-year-old murder mystery. During a 1974 holdup in a Boston bank by a revolutionary group calling itself the Dread Scott Brigade, Emily Gordon, a visitor cashing traveler's checks, is shot and killed. Despite security-camera photos and a letter from the group claiming responsibility, nobody saw who shot her, and the perpetrators have remained at large for three decades. Enter Paul Giacomin, the closest thing to Spenser's son. When Paul's friend Daryl Gordon, Emily's daughter, decides she needs closure regarding her mother's death, she turns to Spenser, who must reach past the lack of clues and missing FBI report to seek the truth.Amazon.com Review
In this 30th entry in one of mystery fiction's longest-running and best-loved series, Spenser--the tough yet sensitive Boston private eye with no first name--takes on an unsolved murder nearly three decades old. The client, an actress, is a friend of Paul Giacomin, Spenser's surrogate son (who first appeared in 1981's Early Autumn). Her mother was slain by leftist radicals at a bank holdup in 1974, and now she wants to know who fired the shot. As Spenser digs into the past, he soon learns that powerful people on both sides of the law want the case left alone--badly enough to kill.

These death threats provide a fine excuse for Hawk, Spenser's extremely scary (yet sensitive) bad-guy pal, to tag along in nearly every scene as bodyguard. The interaction of the two friends is one of this series's familiar pleasures, as is the presence of Susan Silverman, Spenser's longtime love interest. Another pleasure is Parker's stripped-down prose, a marvel of craftsmanship as smooth as 18-year-old Scotch. (Plus we get the first meeting between Spenser and Jesse Stone, hero of another Parker series.) Alas, the whole enterprise feels a little tired. The plot never generates much sustained suspense, and the author's adoration for his central characters renders them at times almost cartoonesque. Still, Back Story is excellently prepared comfort food, even if it isn't five-star cuisine. --Nicholas H. Allison ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Plot is vague
Robert B. Parker created interesting, fully rounded characters, wrote marvelous often-funny dialogue, and established an atmosphere that felt exactly right.Unfortunately his plots often felt vague--as is the case in this umpteenth Spenser opus.I tried to keep it all straight, but I found myself lost and had to go back and re-read portions.It didn't help much.

The plot seemed to be heading for some great denouement, but for me it fizzled.I won't give it away by going into the details.I thought it should have been more meaningful than it was.

Still, Parker's Spense For Hire novels are interesting if only for the dialogue and the characters--including a dog.

back storyby robert b parker
I am a hugh Spencer for Hire fan and because of that a fan of Robert B. Parker, who writes the books.Back Story is teriffic, taking all kinds of twists and turns.It was picked because it is one I was missing in my collection.I wouldn't hesitate to reccommend this book or vender to any fan.

A later spencer for hire novel
How killed the young actress's mother?
The militant groups holds up a bank
and a young mother is killed.
The 28 year old mystery open old wounds that
some important people want left closed.
For me the Spencer character begins to feel
two dimensional for all the author's effort to
make him seem more? Somehow he comes off
here as a pig who is bigoted about hippies
more than 20 years after the fact?
The second half of the novel with the MOB
involved just left me feeling empty.
I didn't like the overall effect.

Classic Spenser
A classic Spenser novel, maybe a bit better than some of his other recent books. If you haven't read Robert Parker before, you'd probably want to start with some of his earlier Spenser novels. These can probably be described as classic PI noir novels, with unrealistic but entertaining plots and dialog. The characters are reasonably well developed over the course of several books, but the emphasis is on the action and the wry wit.

Average at Best
I've read most of the Spenser novels, and I thought BACK STORY was a relatively weak entry in the series.

The plot of BACK STORY involves Spenser investigating a murder committed during a 30-year old bank robbery.Parker has constructed an intricate plot here, but I felt the storyline was a bit too convoluted, with Spenser rushing from place to place to place (San Diego, LA, Maine, etc.) almost non-stop.Most of the scenes are too short and not well developed enough.Most of the supporting characters are also quite thin.As a result, I didn't find this book particularly suspenseful or engaging in the end.

Still, BACK STORY is mildly enjoyable because Parker's writing style is enjoyable.The dialogue is sharp and funny, and the plot interested me enough to complete the book.Parker doesn't write a great book every time, but his novels are almost always entertaining.

So BACK STORY isn't bad, but don't make it your first Spenser novel.My advice is to start with the earlier ones first, starting with the GODWULF MANUSCRIPT and GOD SAVE THE CHILD.





... Read more

Product Description
Don Domenico, head of the last great Mafia family, the Clericuzio, moves to Hollywood to begin a new life. His past evil and savagery is to catch up with him. It is also to catch up with successive generations, as his grandchildren struggle to escape the family's dark and menacing past.Amazon.com Review
Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, knows athing or two about the Mafia and about the movie business; here hebrings them together. In the prologue, a Mafia don oversees the doublechristening of two infant boys, Dante and Cross, into the Clericuziofamily. Later, when Cross is tapped to take over as the"Hammer" of the Clericuzios, their prime hit man, he provesnot cold-blooded enough for the role. Dante takes his place, and Crossmoves from Las Vegas to Hollywood, which proves to be an even worseden of iniquity. When he falls for a movie star Athena Aquitaine, heexhibits the "fatal flaw" the old don always warned against:loving a beautiful woman. A taut novel of sex and money, of love andpower. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (115)

Took a looonnngggg time to devlop then spike!
This book did take quiet a lot of work to keep up and was very dull and boring at first and I kept waiting for it to get interesting and even a plot. I was amazed at the last batch of chapters but it did have a sadly predictable ending. How did the Don C know how Dante was killed? Just a guess? 'Cause I said so?' Ummm No, cross had no choice but to do what he did against dante and the characters emotional flow and some of their dillemas seemed a bit corny and cardboard like. Athena with the austic child and murdeous ex that cross put away. There were no good guys here only evil vs evil and some of it was pretnesious at best.Puzzo's characters, a lot of them or key figures tend to be obese or smoke cigars. Puzo was like that himself. I mean through his books a lot of his characters are like that, big fat men who smoke big fat stogies. A little repetive there. Though the ending did end with a slam it was very sudden like a volleyball spike and I felt bewildered and a bit like 'what just happened'. Not the best way to end a very long drawn out book.

The Last Don
another good read.the interesting differences of 2 mens lifes who were baptized the same day as infants and how their lives intertwined throughout the years

Send it to dance at the bottom of the ocean
Pah!

The first half of the book I enjoyed as good brain candy. But then the characters' thinking and actions got stupider, the word bloat expanded, some of the story lines became super annoying, and there was an entire group of characters I couldn't keep straight (specifically the Loddstone cronies) and I didn't care to squander a single synaptic spark to sort them out.

It was all I could do to finish the durn thing. I thought I wanted to see how the absurdity rolled out, and I did, but I find that only an hour later, I can't remember a thing about it.

And what stupid names for characters: Athena Aquitaine, Skippy something or another, etc.

Here's an example of nonsense: There are only two black characters in the book. Very minor, but critical. One is a just-starting-out actress who, by the way, always grins, never smiles. The other is a druggie who is also a police informant. OK, so the druggie gets shot, allegedly just after he shot/killed our "hero's" father. Wouldn't you know? In a city with millions of people, it turns out that the one black character happened to know the other one, and furthermore, she happened to know that he never touched guns, and furthermore, she happened to meet - for the first time - our hero just days after his father's murder, and she divulged this critical info.

To top it all off, are we dupe readers really supposed to buy into the idea of some sort of good-and-evil thing between "Cross" and "Dante"? As in, a battle between the "good" gangster/killer and the "bad" gangster/killer? Please.

I originally gave this two stars; I'm taking one away.

the Don has already known about the outcome of the war
When the readers come to know that the Don has already known about the outcome of the war between Cross De Lena and Dante Santadio, they are surprised for one last time during the course of their act of reading `The Last Don', a novel filled with a lot of surprises sprung upon by the veteran novel writer, Mario Puzo. `The Last Don' was released in the year 1996 as a comeback novel by the great Italian veteran story teller. As the name suggests, this novel revolves around the last Don in the series of books by Mario Puzo. The novel revolves around the long lasting dream of Don Clericuzio to see his heirs establish themselves in the legitimate society.But the lead role in this novel is taken up by the heroic Cross De Lena whose wit, charm and romance takes the breath away from the readers. The way in which he executes the communion and crucification, the two different ways in which a person can be executed reminds the readers of the Don himself. He is gentle as a rose when he makes love to Athena Aquitane, the Hollywood actress who has been portrayed as the most beautiful and lovely person on the globe. Next comes Dante Santadio, the villain. He, unlike Cross always believes in brut force rather than his wit. This paves the way for his downfall. The execution of Dante by Cross in one of the most curious fashion is beautifully constructed. The revelation that Dante has come from the bloodline of Santadio comes in timely as the readers are amazed by the Italian master story teller's skills. The Italian master has once again proved that he is the best mafiaso novel writer the world has ever produced. The book of `The Last Don' is just the proof of history repeating itself.

Loved it!
Another good one by Mr. Puzo...of course it isn't the Godfather...what ever could be?!But it was still a real page turner.Cross and Athena...the short midget nephew (the commentary about him was hilarious)...all these different sub-stories going on...and then how they all fit together...absolutely loved it!I loved Pippi and Cross...such a great book! ... Read more

Product Description
Paul Madriani's defense of a soldier on trial for murder-and the explosive government secrets it could reveal-propel Steve Martini's latest thriller.

The Arraignment, Steve Martini's most recent bestseller featuring defense attorney Paul Madriani, has proved his most popular yet. Now Madriani is faced with daunting ballistics evidence: a so-called "double tap"-two bullet wounds tightly grouped in the victim's head, shots that could have been made only by a crack marksman. Paul's client, Emiliano Ruiz, is an enigma-a career soldier who refuses to discuss his past though it is clear that he is a battle-tested pro. Ruiz is accused of killing a beautiful businesswoman and guru of a high-tech software empire catering to the military. A key to the case: the murder weapon is one used solely in special operations, where the "double tap" has become the signature of the most skilled assassins.

Ruiz is sitting on secrets-there's a seven-year gap on his military risumi, for which Madriani can find no details. And, more troubling, he discovers that the victim and her company were involved in a controversial government computer program designed to combat terrorists. Madriani finds himself in a deadly legal quagmire-with a client who is unwilling to cooperate and prosecutors who stonewall his every question about the victim's shadowy business and his client's past. Justice, and the unvarnished truth, has never been so elusive-or so dangerous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

Top notch legal fiction
Steve Martini definitely is at the top of my list for engrossing legal fiction.I ended up reading the 400+ pages in this book within one day.There just weren't any convenient stopping places where I wanted to put the book down. Martini delves deeply into the trials in his books and he varies the emphasis in each.In this one, much is made before the trial as to what evidence will be allowed and what won't.The portrait of the prosecuting attorney, Lawrence K. Templeton, is deeply etched and especially a plus factor in the novel. Very highly recommended for lovers of lawyer fiction.

It's not a "legal thriller", it's a "legal procedural"!
Despite being firmly slotted into the legal thriller genre, Steve Martini's novel "Double Tap" is most unequivocally not a thriller. And while that may sound like bad news for potential readers and existing Steve Martini fans, that statement is most unequivocally not a condemnation or criticism of what is an exceptionally interesting novel.

The story is simple. Madelyn Chapman is a powerful, wealthy, beautiful, and extremely self-indulgent business woman - the CEO of a high-tech software firm whose main customer is the US government. She has been found in her home murdered with two very tightly grouped gunshot wounds to the head. This particular style of murder is called a "double tap" in the trade and is typically the signature of a professional assassin who, by the bye, is also a superb marksman.

The case against Emiliano Ruiz, a career soldier, is rock solid and defense attorney Paul Madriani is worried about his inability to explain certain obvious gaps in his client's military résumé that Ruiz steadfastly refuses to clarify. In the face of almost overwhelming evidence against his client, Madriani doggedly investigates the case and begins to bump into dangerous secrets that the government, the military and the new CEO of Chapman's firm would prefer stay under the darkest and deepest cover.

In the same manner as a police procedural is not a suspense thriller, "Double Tap" is not a legal thriller. It's definitely a legal procedural with an almost encyclopedic wealth of fascinating minutiae on the details of a trial for capital murder - the pre-trial investigations that would be undertaken by a defense attorney; motions and counter motions; side bars; forensic examination of evidence; objections sustained and over-ruled; side bars; characterization and selection of "expert" witnesses; potential grounds for appeal and mistrial; jury selection; discovery; arraignment; witness lists; required disclosure of evidence; media coverage; and much, much more.

Steve Martini's description of Emiliano Ruiz's trial for murder was compelling and utterly absorbing - the proverbial page turner, to be sure - but, sadly, the ending when it came was almost anti-climactic. In all fairness, the clues were all there and the characters had definitely been introduced in the course of the novel. To call the ending "deus ex machina" would be quite incorrect. But, in comparison with the body of the novel, it arrived with a bit of a thud and was definitely a let down.

One star reduction from what would otherwise have been a five star barn burner. Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

A Great Novel That Ends with a Fizzle
I suppose Steve Martini was going for an unexpected ending when he wrote this novel, but to me it almost seems like a cop-out.

Don't let that dissuade you, though, if you're a fan of legal/thriller novels.The amount of detail and research put into this novel by Steve Martini is incredible and makes the book very, very believable.Also, the court room drama is engaging and precise due to Martini's own experience as a lawyer.

The bottom line: for anyone who enjoys government/military/legal thrillers, I highly recommend this novel.You won't be disappointed... unless you expect a huge ending like I did.

great twist and turns
This is my favorite book by Madriani so far. I like action and this has plenty. I may read it again in a few years.

Makes Grisham look like am amateur
Taut, suspenseful. Madriani is a tough lawyer, unrelenting detective, and unrepentant, yet thoughtful advocate. Martini's writing, as always, is full of twists and turns, with an ending that will make you sit with your mouth open shaking your head. ... Read more

Product Description
small tear easily taped, good as new, most important 4 CD's ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

One of the most important military books in history
The Warring States period Warring States Period 475-221 BCE is a history of constant warfare, of alliances and counter-alliances, and of treaties made and broken.The nature of warfare evolved during the period.During the Warring States period, political stability was impossible to gain by adventurous military action.With the advent of swelling ranks of soldiers, protracted sieges, and an ever increasing drain on state treasuries, warfare became a serious matter for study.

Thus, the opening remark of "The Art Of War" states--without exaggeration--war had become the most serious business of the state, the key to survival or ruin. The author of this and other pithy aphorisms on how to successfully fight a war was Sun Tzu.Sun Tzu scholars place his writing "The Art of War" in the Warring States Period, based on the descriptions of warfare in the text. The book has received great exposure in the west starting in the eighteenth century after being translated by a French missionary.It has been reported that Napoleon studied the text and effectively put many of its teachings to good use.For the past 2,000 years, it has been the most important military treatise in all of Asia, even known by name with the common people.Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese military figures have studied it and employed its concepts to good effect.This is especially evident in the military tactics of 20th century revolutionaries like Mao Zedong and Ho Chi Minh.

The book is comprised of 13 chapters.The thesis of Sun's work is one should employ an army after a thorough analysis mandated by careful planning and the formulation of an overall strategy before embarking on a campaign.Sun emphasizes rational self-control, influenced by Daoist teachings throughout the book.

Chap 1-Laying Plans
18. All warfare is based on deception. 19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

Chap 6-Weak Points And Strong
8. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

The best translation is the Samuel B. Griffith edition

Strategic Thinking
Individuals who find themselves uncomfortable with planning and strategizing - will find something engaging in this CD adaptation.

After hearing Tony Soprano (HBO "The Sopranos") opine about this book, I had to get a copy myself.Difficult to understand at first, but you will not be disappointed.

Vashti Horvat

Much Wisdom!
Very philosophical and full of wisdom that can be applied in many areas on life.Goodcommon sense truisms.

Too much military history.
The Art of War is what it is and there are many different translations and commentaries.The question is what this version adds to the work.Ralph D. Sawyer is a "Chinese warfare scholar" and it shows.His commentary is an essay on the miliatry environment in which Sun Tzu's theories were created.There is lots of information on how particular military campaigns of the time may have influenced Sun Tzu's thinking and how Sun Tzu's work may have influenced particular military campaigns.On the surface this sounds interesting.The problem is that it reads like a high-school history text.Lots of armies, regions, and leader names that are unfamiliar and similar.Lots of accounts of the numbers of soldiers in the armies, the styles of deployement, etc.If you have an interest in Chinese military history the commentary may be very interesting - for me, I was having trouble keeping my eyes open.However, there are only a couple audio versions available, so this is still worth it if you want to "hear" Sun Tzu's work.But I recommend you turn it off when the commentary begins.Your milage may vary.

Great gift!
I bought this book as a gift and the reader loved it. ... Read more

Product Description
6 Cassettes, 10 hours
Performace by Joe Mantegna

Spenser is back and embroiled in a deceptively dangerous and multi-layered case: someone has been killing racehorses at stables across the south, and the Boston P.I. travels to Georgia to protect the two-year old destined to become the next Secretariat.

When Spenser is approached by Walter Clive, president of the Three Fillies Stables, to find out who is threatening his horse Hugger Mugger, he can hardly say no: he's been doing pro bono work for so long his cupboards are just about bare. Disregarding the resentment of the local Georgia law enforcement, Spenser takes the case. Though Clive has hired a separate security firm, he wants someone with Spenser's experience to supervise the operation.

Despite the veneer of civility, Spenser encounters tensions beneath the surface southern gentility. The case takes an even more deadly turn when the attacker claims a human victim, and Spenser must revise his impressions of the Three Fillies organization- and watch his own back as well.Amazon.com Review
Why is somebody shooting Walter Clive's horses at Three Fillies Stables in Lamarr, Georgia? That's what toothy, patrician Walter wants the droll, hulking Boston detective Spenser to find out. Walter worries that his racetrack phenomenon Hugger Mugger, worth millions, is next. So Spenser goes south to a place where "the heat felt like it could be cut into squares and used to build a wall," as he puts it in the crisp Chandleresque lingo that made him famous in dozens of novels.

The Clive clan is one weird bunch. Take Walter's daughters, his three "fillies." Penny is like her dad, all impeccable looks and icy efficiency. Stonie and SueSue take after their sinister mom, who left the family to live with a guitarist in San Francisco and changed her name to Sherry Lark. Penny helps Dad run the business, while her soused sisters cheat on their pathetic husbands, Cord and Pud. (Pud's short for Puddle; his dad was named Poole.) As unsightly family secrets spill, Spenser feels like he's in a Tennessee Williams play. Then someone on two legs takes a bullet, and the mystery gets tense. Spenser gets plenty of sarcastic mileage out of upper-class horse-country twits, crooked security guards, dumb jocks gone to seed, and wily Southern lawyers, and the story saunters well. What's best are the endless wisecracks, the unflattering thumbnail character sketches, and sharp sentences like this one: "Like all jockeys, he was about the size of a ham sandwich, except for his hands, which appeared to be those of a stonemason." --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (96)

a good read
Now this is an excellent Robert B. Parker novel about Spenser.I enjoyed it very much and could not put it down.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"

A typical mystery in the horse racing world
Dabbling in the horse racing world, Parker's Hugger Mugger is an entertaining mystery with a typical, yet enjoyable plot. Spenser is employed to discover who is shooting horses, and put an end to the activity. An early run-in with a security company followed by encounters with several dysfunctional family members lead him to realize that the shootings are not what they appear. Suspecting that the shootings are possibly a diversion, confirmed when the father and owner of the race horses is found dead, Spenser uncovers the truth about the security company, the sister currently running the show, and the family secrets long buried. Passion and greed contribute to the story, and Spenser fleshes out the culprits, righting the wrongs and fixing the inheritance as designed by the father.

Along the journey we meet a hippie, a couple needing jobs, several homosexuals, a pedophile, some tough guys, and some people from Spenser's past. Several chapters involving his significant other, Susan, show Spenser's sensitive side and provide a romantic slant to the otherwise tough guy story. Robert Parker's smooth prose, terse and direct dialog, carefully crafted plot, and assortment of quirky people come together for another solid and entertaining read. Without extraneous characterizations or rhetorical descriptions, Parker gets right to the heart of the story and presents the situation accurately. We discover the same truths as the detective and are not privy to any information not received by Spenser. This gives the book, and all Parker books, a decidely connected feeling to the events as they unfold. We share Spenser's fears and celebrate his victories.

Yet this book seemed rather mundane in many ways. A man is killed before the truth of his heirs is discovered and the darkness of the family members comes to light. Punching, shooting, and sex are the aside events and the story ends in a rather predictable fashion. The excessive times with Susan (lots of flashing of each other and lots of sexual banter) became superfluous and did not add to anything in the story. The horse racing environment was fun but not tension filled or emotionally involved.

Excellent writing and a well-crafted story make up for what is essentially an unoriginal plot. An enjoyable, relaxed read but nothing profound or emotionally moving. Parker fans will enjoy Hugger Mugger but anyone searching for great depth of story may need to go elsewhere this time.

Typical Spenser...
Hugger Mugger by Robert B. Parker is a mystery from his Spenser series.Unlike many of the Spenser books, Hugger Mugger has a little surprise in that it does not take place in Boston.In fact, the private eye finds himself in the horse country of Lamarr, Georgia.

Walter Clive is the rich owner of Three Fillies Stables, named after his three daughters.Although he has a security company guarding his spread, three horses have been shot by an unknown assailant, one fatally.Another Clive horse, Hugger Mugger, has the potential to be a world-class champion.Clive hires Spenser to discover who is doing the shooting before someone kills Hugger Mugger.So Spenser drives down to Georgia, only to find that the Clive's resemble a family from a Tennessee Williams play--only with more high drama.Spenser suspects that someone in the Clive family is responsible for the shootings.But when the shooter kills a human, the stakes are raised.

Spenser is his usual self, and Parker's dialogue and observations are first-rate.In describing a Georgia lawyer, Parker writes "He had on a gray seersucker suit and a very bright floral tie.His white hair was long and brushed back.His white Vandyke beard was neatly trimmed, and there was about his person the faint aura of bay rum and good cigars and satisfying fees."But what makes Hugger Mugger really click are the quirky characters.In addition to the Clive family, there's Dalton Becker, the black sheriff's deputy from Lamarr.Then there's Tedy Sapp, a gay bouncer and body builder.And southern-lawyer Rudolph Vallone could have walked out of a Faulkner novel.You can just feel the humidity and the Southern-charm (which might be used to hide a killer).

Hugger Mugger is like most Spenser books--fast, fun and entertaining.When I read them, I wish the television series was still in production.

Quick and entertaining
My first intro to the Spencer character in this book came via the television series, Spencer for Hire.What fun it was to get a more in depth picture of Spencer.In the book he is both more complex and more sexual than portrayed on tv.Plus, his sense of humor comes across betterand the quips between he and Susan are great.

This story of Spencer's investigation of horse shootings was formulaic in the sense that there were no extraordinary feats of daring, no complicated codes to decipher or international trails to follow.Just a straight-forward, whodunit, with a little humanitarian subplot.It was perfectly entertaining and lasted as long as a made for tv movie...but with no commercial interruption.

I will definitely read more of Parker's books.

Another hit by Parker!
A perfect read for any Robert Parker fans out there, Hugger Mugger features Spencer down south, meeting some very interesting characters both enemy and friend. Parker's ability to spin a tale is always impressive and this book is no exception! ... Read more

Product Description
In "Compelling Evidence", defense attorney Paul Madriani is forced to leave his job with the prestigious firm of Potter, Skarpellos after having an affair with Potter's wife. Then on the eve of Potter's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, he's found dead. And it's up to Madriani to prove that Potter's wife--and his ex-lover--isn't a murderer. And in "Prime Witness", the rural college town of Davenport, California, has been rocked by two sets of double murders. It's up to Madriani to find the killer. Abridged. September '98 publication date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Steve Martini Collection
Thanks for promptly getting this to me.We are in process of listening to it as I write. we enjoy listening to books on tape/CD, makes the story so much more alive and the characters realistic in your mind's eye!

Your description of the condition was perfect.Although the box showed wear and tear, the tapes are in great condition.As expected when I received in mail.

Thanks again! ... Read more

Product Description
A cheating husband and a wayward wife provide Spenser with an unconventional and dangerous surveillance job.

When Marlene Cowley hires Spenser to see if her husband, Trent, is cheating on her, he encounters more than he bargained for: Not only does he find a two-timing husband, but a second investigator as well, hired by the husband to look after his wife. As a result of their joint efforts, Spenser soon finds himself investigating both individual depravity and corporate corruption.

It seems the folks in the Cowley's circle have become enamored of radio talk-show host Darrin O'Mara, whose views on Courtly Love are clouding some already fuzzy minds with the notion of cross-connubial relationships. O'Mara's brand of sex therapy is unconventional at best, unlawful-and deadly-at worst. Then a murder at Kinergy, where Trent Cowley is CFO, sends Spenser in yet another direction. Apparently, the unfettered pursuit of profit has a price.

With razor-sharp characterizations and finely honed prose, this is Parker writing at the height of his powers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

"D" AS IN DISAPPOINTING
As a long-time Spenser fan, I am sorry to report that BAD BUSINESS is itself "bad business." It is a shoddy piece of work.

The writing is so "thin" it seems as if Parker triple-spaced it. Almost any short story in any issue of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE will have more substance to it.

Many of the chapters (so-called) are only 2 or 3 pages long. Another thing that irritated me is neither Parker nor the publisher cared enough to bother proofreading this book! It is FULL of typos of all sorts. And did I mention yet that the "characters" are one-dimensional? They are as fleshed out as a row of pencil dots . . . .Would you believe that one of the main villains actually hisses? Repeatedly? Like a reptile?! And bites both Hawk and Spenser?!

As for plot holes, they are abundant: nobody in a huge company that sells electrical power (like ENRON) seems to be doing anything to earn money (and only two people in management notice this); a pistol is found with a man who was killed by a shot in the head, but the police do not check whether it actually fired either of the two bullets found in the room (nor is anyone concerned about the number of bullets left in the gun); the police (and Spenser) never think about checking the keys of the dead man's computer for fingerprints, although a suicide note has supposedly been typed on it by him; police in two counties seem content to let a private eye do all the work of solving two murders for them; worst of all, the private eye gathers evidence illegally on MULTIPLE occasions, and yet we are to believe that the main villains will be convicted.

Finally and quite incredibly, it is clear that Spenser has no computer in his own office, let alone one with Internet access (nor, apparently, does his genius psychiatrist girlfriend), and yet on several occasions he has questions about public figures that could easily have been at least partly answered by Googling their names.

But that is just the bad news. The good news is that anyone can read this book at lightning speed, so that very little of the valuable time of anyone's life will be wasted by it.

As far as constructive criticism is concerned, I can think of two suggestions. (1) Follow the path of Ruth Rendell in her short story "The Case of the Shaggy Caps" (1977). This is a well written Puzzle Story which ends inconclusively despite having a solution that is convincing: the detectives agree that very possibly the guilty person cannot be convicted--and Rendell takes the story no further. Or (2) make the story a Full Monte case of vigilante justice (why just stop at having the "Saints with Guns" commit only blackmail, robbery, breaking & entering, assault & battery, and kidnapping?)--have Spenser end BAD BUSINESS by implying that his helper Hawk "disposed of" the worst two villains without bothering to involve the cops or the courts.

Audio book with Joe Mantegna
This is my first Robert B. Parker novel, and I'm listening to it in the car.My attention has been spotty, as I get distracted by my driving and thoughts, so I won't review the story.I will say that the reading is very well done.Joe Montegna handles both men's and women's voices well and attempts to give each character a distinctive voice.He's not always completely successful at this as there are many characters, but he brings out the subtleties of the dialogue nicely.I thought his characterization of Hawk was especially well done.The only thing I didn't like was all the "he said" "I said" and "she saids."This is easy to filter out when you are reading; a little harder when listening.But if you like audio books, this is definitely good quality.

One quibble:I wish all audio books would add a statement like "end of CD number 1."It's just a courtesy that I would appreciate.

Eek
As a Spencerphile, I hate to write this review but, like Spencer, I just can't let things go. "Bad Business" may be good financial business for Robert Parker, but it's just bad writing.

It's as if all the quirks and typical Spencerian comments, such as "We'd be fools not to," Hawk's "Shore nuff," and Susan sipping an ethereal gram of her drink ad nauseum, are tossed into a computer and spat out at random. There are no relationship connections or progressions, no insights into human nature, no side details to catch our eye, and not even a tentative grip on a plotline.

The only additions are these fretful questions: How many "knockout" women can throw themselves at Spencer in a few pages? How annoying can the doting dog talk become? How many times can we re-emphasize Susan's lack of commitment? And - here's something new - how many times can you read the term "wife-swapping" without choking on even a miniscule femminist feeling? Plus how can the stereotyped dull accounting drone be the only interesting point in the book?

As Spencer would say, "Eek."
In sum, "Bad Business" is plotless, charmless, and character-free. Please come back Spencer; we miss you.

Many plots
First, I read a lot of mysteries and I'ma very strong, long term fan of the modern semi-hard-boiled, yet sensitive, Spenser series by Robert B. Parker.

But ... Bad Business is different from most of Parker's - it doesn't seem quite "fair" in the sense the reader could not have put it all together before the end (at least THIS reader certainly couldn't!).Spenser is fine, Susan is fine, Hawk is fine, just too many other characters, too many plots, too many hard-to-believe circumstances - the ending seems contrived ... one of numerous possible scenarios, most hard to believe.

Sorry, it was OK, but far from his best ... which are REALLY good!!If you're new to the series start with another one, i.e., better and more representative.If you're committed to reading them all, maybe you'll do better with this one than I did ... :>)

Bad Business is Pretty Bad
I listened to this book; Joe Mantegna narrates. Either Parker can't write or Mantegna can't read. The combination made for a very annoying experience as the two-dimensional characters were made even flatter by Mantegna's choppy reading. Every syllable is too clearly enunciated: I do-not-like-what-I-see; you-are-not-a-nice-man. It's ghastly. It's like listening to a nervous 5th grader reading aloud in front of his classmates. Joe Mantegna is truly terrible.

Robert B. Parker thinks that we're going to get a frisson of sexual excitement reading about the "depraved" businessman and his hijinks. Yawn! The cover of Vogue magazine is racier than this ridiculous, phoney-baloney story of money, power and sex.

I still don't understand what makes Susan Silverman so interesting. I still don't understand why Spenser's bullying is supposed to be cute. Hawk is a virtual caricature of the tough black dude but in the end, he does his master's bidding. Spenser's still his boss.

I think I have started whining so I'd better stop now.

After listening to this book, I vow never to read another "Spenser" novel and never, ever to listen to anything narrated by the wooden Joe Mantegna.
... Read more

Product Description
Pretty working-girl Jackie Burkeis in a tight spot. She's just been picked up atPalm Beach International with fifty grand and someblow stashed in her flight bag. Lucky for her, theFeds want something Jackie's got: the inside trackto Ordell Robbie, the notoriusly slick armsdealer. And they're ready to deal -- Ordell in exchangefor her freedom. But Jacki's got another ace upher sleeve... Enter Max Cherry, bail bondsman. Big,tough, basically decent Max is on the verge ofdivorce and tired of the same old grind. That's whereJackie comes in. The fifty big ones are peanutscompared to what Ordell's got locked away inFreeport. But when a blond blowhead and a none-too-brightex con try to muscle in on the action, it's timeto pull and old bait and switch -- where the goodguys are played off against the bad guys -- andwhere Jackie and Max hope to walk off into theFlorida sunset with a hot half million in cold cash.Amazon.com Review
Readers who come to Rum Punch after having seen Quentin Tarantino's1997 film adaptation, Jackie Brown, are in for a few surprises. Mainly, Jackie Burke is a 44-year-old white woman (butjust as hard-boiled as Pam Grier), bail bondsman Max Cherry has a much moreprominent role in the proceedings, and the novel takes place in Miami--notLos Angeles. The core of the story, however, remains the same: when thecops try to use Jackie to get at Ordell Robbie, the gunrunner she's beenbringing cash into the country for, she hatches a plan--with help fromMax--to keep the money for herself. It all comes together in thetraditional Elmore Leonard style, where the conversations are as crisplywritten and suspenseful as the action scenes. --Ron Hogan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

Forget the movie if you can
It's always hard to read the book after you've seen the movie, and in this case it's particularly difficult to erase Quentin Tarantino "Jackie Brown," one his rare missteps.But don't let that keep you from reading RUM PUNCH, the novel that was the basis for that film.Leonard's losers, dreamers, and baddies seemed out of place in Tarantino-land, and the book's taut, hyper-real dialogue didn't translate well to the screen.In the book Jackie Burke (not Brown) and Max Cherry are great together, and gunrunner Ordell Robbie is just too much.Like all of Leonard's best books, RUM PUNCH is tart and tangy.(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

I love the Leonard women...
Women definitely star in this novel with with Jackie, Melanie, and even Simone.All in all, this is Elmore Leonard at the top o his style with twists and keen insight into the human character.

quinten tarriotinos JACKIE BROWN
this is the book that quinten tarrintinos movie Jackie Brown came from. it was a good read and alot like the movie. its about a flight attendant that gets busted transporting coke into the USA. she strikes a deal with the ATF to set up a gun smuggler that she knows... what happens.. ? read it and find out!

Pretty Good Elmore Leonard
Rum Punch is a pretty good representation of Elmore Leonard's style.The story focuses on a flight attendant attempting to bring half a million dollars into the country, and then in true Leonard style, all the colorful characters (some on the side of law, others not) who try to gets their hands on the money.

The book features some strong dialogue, particularly when the gun runner Ordell Robbie is speaking.Another strong element is the way that Leonard easily switches perspective--from the flight attendant to the gun runner to an ex-con to a bails bondsman.While the book is good, it is not on the same level of Leonard's Get Shorty.I think the book's one flaw is that while the twists are good and the story rings true, there is nothing particularly unique about the story.

The book was made into a movie titled Jackie Brown, which despite changing the title and locale (from South Florida to Los Angeles), is surprisingly faithful to the book.The movie is okay, but the book is better.

couldn't get into it
I enjoyed the film based on this novel, but couldn't get into reading it. I don't know why, maybe it's just me.Maybe because the characters in the movie were changed too much...I don't know...but I just lost track of the book less than half way through. ... Read more

Product Description
A Florida prison break unites two very different people--federal marshal Karen Sisco and bank robber Jack Foley--as their fascination with each other leads them to the heist of the year in Detroit and a confrontation with vicious criminals specializing in home invasion. Amazon.com Review
When Jack Foley, a career bank robber, surfaces aftertunneling out of a medium-security penitentiary in Florida, he comesface to face with Karen Sisco, a beautiful federal marshal. Though thebarrel of her shotgun is pointed right at his face, she doesn't shoot,and Foley's accomplice, Buddy, overpowers her and puts her in thetrunk of a car. Foley gets in with her and the car takes off, theescapee seemingly home free. In the cramped darkness of the trunk, thecriminal and marshal find they have much in common and by the time thecar reaches its destination, the two have become infatuated with eachother. After Karen manages to escape, she and Foley try to reconnectoutside the confining roles of kidnapper and victim. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

Classic Leonard
GET SHORTY's Chili Palmer might be just a little bit cooler than this book's hero, bank robber Jack Foley, but Foley is still pretty damn cool.Only in an EL novel, would a felon on the run put the moves on a US Marshal.Their meet-cute moment in the trunk of a car is a hoot.Reviewers have complained that the movie version of OUT OF SIGHT with J. Lo and George Clooney tops the book, but I disagree.They're each good in their own way, but EL's writing has a wry, interior texture that's never adequately captured on the screen.As usual, the plot is inventive, the characters jump off the page, and the dialogue is better than eating chocolate.

I'll be reading more Elmore
Good one. Although this is the first book I've read by Leonard, I'll def be doing another! Great characters and development of place. Good pace and no bull. Slighlty quirky and fun.

Another Round of the Good Old Stuff
It's been several years since anyone posted a new review of "Out of Sight."Well, I just read it for the first time, and it is vintage Elmore Leonard.

The book's plot moves along nicely, there are interesting characters and situations, there is typical excellent dialogue and there are some very funny lines - mostly from Buddy.

If you're looking for a "beach" or "airplane" book - this one is tough to beat.I strongly recommend "Out of Sight."

Another Winner
In typical Leonard fashion, this is a book you can't put down. The two main characters are so meant for each other and so evenly matched--and so destined to a face-off at the climax of the book. Simply said: it's a wonderful read.

WASTE OF TIME---
This was one of those books that fizzled out causing me to feel I wasted my time. By the end, I could not care less what happened to whom or why. ... Read more

Product Description
An alcoholic attorney takes on what looks to be an absolutely losing proposition--the defense of four outlaw bikers accused of a savage murder. 2 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Good storyline but sexual references overdone.
This was the first book I have read by Freedman. The story line was great and I had a hard time putting the book down. However...
the story could have been told without all the descriptive sex acts and slang, vulgar words for body parts. It certainly didn't add, nor was it necessary, to the story. I'm not a prude, but this was way overdone. I have just started reading another of Freedman's books and the same sexual content is in the first couple of pages. Not sure I want to continue with this second book and have to plow through all the unnecessary sexual descriptions to get to the meat of the story.

very good read ...
This was very hard to put down.
The author took me through several impossible-to predict plot twists that I enjoyed greatly.
Minor gripe:
At the end of the book I saw several obvious places where the hero just plain failed to investigate critical gaps in the testimony.
I like a book more when I'm not saying to myself - why didn't he follow up on xxxx?

Expected Better
After reading "The Disappearance" I thought I had found a great mystery writer in J.F. Freedman. My disappointment in "Against the Wind" was profound. Although the plot itself was interesting, the descriptive sexual exploits in the book made it almost repulsive and, in my opinion, verging on pornography. The lawyer's constant flopping into bed with other women took away any admiration I might have had for him as a hero.

This author could be one of the greater mystery writers of our time if he would leave out the sleazy and "more explicit than is needed" sex talk. He does not need to cheapen his novel in this way as he has enough writing talent as it is to write a best-selling novel. It almost angered me to see him degrading himself in this way. I will give him one more try in the hopes that he wisened up in his later novels.

An absolute KNOCKOUT!
It is almost hard to believe that this is a debut novel - it is that outstanding.It is completely first-rate, with powerful characters, fabulous dialogue(albeit, quite raunchy & graphic) and a frightening plot that grabs you & won't let you go.I could not put it down, which is saying alot, because I read books in this genre constantly.I can't believe it took me so long to come across this (THANKS, AMAZON!), but I am so glad I did.I will now set out to read more by Mr. Freedman, to be sure!Highly recommended!

Worth a Look
In this first novel by J.F.Freedman, the reader can see his initial effort at writing fast moving thrillers with the raw power and flawed characters that typify all of his novels.

Will Alexander, an intelligent defense attorney who finds himself ousted from his own law firm while learning his wife is leaving him and taking his beloved daughter with her, is hired to represent the leader of four motorcycle gang members accused of a vicious murder. Will struggles to make sense of his life while attempting to clear the names of the accused. He discovers that the pieces used to convict don't quite fit together and the defendants may be victims of prejudice and stereotypes. Despite the procedural flaws (and there are enough to bother the experienced readers of legal thrillers), there is enough violent, homophobic behavior, prison violence, and legal maneuverings to hold your interest in this fast-paced novel. If you enjoy J.F. Freedman's later works, you might be interested in taking a look at AGAINST THE WIND(...) ... Read more

Product Description
Senior FBI agent Nick Pellisante is closing in on notorious mob boss The Electrician, when the scheduled sting goes spectacularly awry. Two FBI agents are dead, the boss is wounded, and Pellisante vows the Electrician's next move will be from a jail cell. Andie Echeverra, a part-time actress, and a single, full time mom, is assigned her next role as Juror #11 in the landmark trial against Mafia Don Dominic Cavello. Everybody is on edge. No one has ever crossed the man whose orders have made entire families disappear. Though Cavello's influence extends across blue uniforms and black robes, the case should be open-andshut. But the legal system fails with devastating results, and Nick and Andie are the only ones left to seek justice. To stop the Electrician, they must take matters into their own hands. They are the judge and jury now. James Patterson spins an all-out heart-pounding legal thriller that pits two people against the most vicious and powerful mobster since Sam Giancana. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (148)

Didn't like the audio book...
however I'm not sure if it was the reader or the actual story. But I was really bored with this story...definitely wouldn't recommend.

False advertising
This book seems like a courtroom thriller/action book. It does have a bit of both, but not enough to qualify really being within either genre. It's no great book, and makes for a nice, light read (definitely better than Maximum Ride)

I understand that everyone has their own writing style, but I found Mr. Patterson's own to be rather irritating. He often forgoes a lot of detail and some of his scenes simply feel thrown together. if Mr. Patterson would work on fleshing out scenes and thinking more about his characters and their actions, he'd be a better author. Quality over quantity, after all.

Loved this book-Judge & Jury
I heard about this book from a gal walking the treadmill next to me in my gym.She raved and said she could not put the book down.
So I ordered it and found the same feeling.Could not wait to see what was going to happen next. In the beginning of the book the main character is chasing the villan. The man is caught and now there is so much that happens with a Juror at the trial.
I do not want to give away anything.It really, really is a page turner.
I have now sent the book on to a friend in another state and she called to say that she could not wait to see
what will happen in each chapter.Great fun read.

Judge & Jury
What a book. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Highly Recommended.

Neither an interesting courtroom drama nor an action packet mystery thriller
*** This review contains spoilers ***

With Patterson it's either hit or miss. This one is a miss.
The story revolves around an FBI agent, a juror, a mafia don on trial and a whole lot of bad writing. I tried to get into the story, but it was neither an interesting courtroom drama (like Grisham's) nor an action packet mystery thriller like some of Harlan Coben's stories.
While the FBI agent is desperately trying to see a convicted don, he indirectly becomes the reason for the death of juror number 9's young son. Time moves forward and as expected, the FBI agent falls in love with the juror, the mobster escapes bail and we are left with a grueling read (chapter 40 through 110) to find out where he's hiding and how the agent and the mother will get their vengeance.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one. Instead, read some of Grisham's books...ANY of Ghrisham's books. ... Read more

Product Description

On a freezing December night, with a full moon hovering in the black sky over New York City, two people are brutally murdered -- the death scenes marked by eerie, matching calling cards: moon-faced clocks investigators fear ticked away the victims' last moments on earth. Renowned criminologist Lincoln Rhyme immediately identifies the clock distributor and has the chilling realization that the killer -- who has dubbed himself the Watchmaker -- has more murders planned in the hours to come.

Rhyme, a quadriplegic long confined to his wheelchair, immediately taps his trusted partner and longtime love, Amelia Sachs, to walk the grid and be his eyes and ears on the street. But Sachs has other commitments now -- namely, her first assignment as lead detective on a homicide of her own. As she struggles to balance her pursuit of the infuriatingly elusive Watchmaker with her own case, Sachs unearths shocking revelations about the police force that threaten to undermine her career, her sense of self and her relationship with Rhyme. As the Rhyme-Sachs team shows evidence of fissures, the Watchmaker is methodically stalking his victims and planning a diabolical criminal masterwork....Indeed, the Watchmaker may be the most cunning and mesmerizing villain Rhyme and Sachs have ever encountered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (126)

TWISTS AND TURNS
It is difficult to review a suspense novel without giving away too many details.My initial impression, however, was that the novel included two story strands that were inartfully combined.Then the plot heated up and all the individual situations started to be woven together.What one thinks is the primary story does not become the principle situation.The story continues to go deeper until three new scenarios are played out.There might be too many variations as the reader could become confused trying to analyze the action.Deaver had to write this book from back to front.I thought is was a masterpiece of story telling and would recommend it for readers that want a light adventure.

mystery
RJeffrey deaver is one my favorite authors.Cold Moon did not let me down.truly a page turner. I read all of his novels.If u r looking for an excellent #1 novel to read please order Cold Moon.

An enjoyable thriller
An evil killer is murdering innocent people, and leaving a ticking clock at the scene of the crime. Rhyme and Sachs are on the case, trying to track down this ruthless killer, before the person can strike again. But, as usual, with Jeffery Deaver, all is not what it originally seems!

I thought this book was a very enjoyable read for the most part. It seems the author has created a very devious and evil killer, in the Watchmaker. I really enjoyed how Rhyme, Sachs and the rest of the gang, slowly put together the evidence, in order to capture the ruthless killer.

However, in the last third of the book, the twists and coincidences, became a bit too ridiculous and far fetched for my liking. For this reason, I am giving the book four stars, instead of five.

The Cold Snooze
This book starts with great promise about a sadistic serial killer but becomes so unbelievable I could not continue and gave up 3/4 of the way through - and I am glad I did after learning the ending. Deaver's need to literally 'info dump' massive plot twists is a damning testimony to the ridiculous and unworkable plot. Do not invest your time in this unbelievable story. I should have learnt my lesson after the epic snoozefest that was 'the bodies left behind'.

First Time
This was the first Jeffery deaver book I've read.
It's a nice surprise. He keeps you guessing with twists and turns until the very end. I'm adding Deaver to my lists of writers to watch. ... Read more

Product Description
Lily Ellsworth--erect, firm, white-haired, and stylish--is the grand dame of Dowling, Massachusetts, and possesses an iron will and a bottomless purse. When she hires Spenser to investigate her grandson Jared Clark's alleged involvement in a school shooting, Spenser is led into an inquiry that grows more harrowing at every turn. Though seven people were killed in cold blood, and despite Jared's being named as a co-conspirator by the other shooter, Mrs. Ellsworth is convinced of her grandson's innocence. Jared's parents are resigned to his fate, and the boy himself doesn't seem to care whether he goes to prison for a crime he might not have committed.

As the probe goes on, Spenser finds himself up against a number of roadblocks--from the school officials who don't want him asking questions, to Jared's own parents, who are completely indifferent to the boy's defense. Ultimately, Spenser discovers a web of blackmail and some heavy-duty indiscretions--and a truth too disturbing to contemplate. Before the case reaches its unfortunate end, he is forced to make a series of difficult decisions--with fatal consequences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (90)

Not One of HisBest
I really enjoy Spenser and the Spenser cast of characters.I didn't care for this one, though.Really predictable and not very exciting.
Spenser features Pearl way too much.The ending was weak.I'd recommend many other Parker books, but not this one.

The Audio Version
I've never read Robert B Parker but, I am currently listening to the book on satellite radio.A great book - eh.A good book - yeah.The Reader is doing a pretty good job with the audio version, enough to make me set a reminder to listen at the same time everyday.It is definitely entertaining and has you wondering if "he did it" and where the book is going.Probably worth the $15 bucks that Amazon wants for it.

A Satisfying Read
In this latest outing of the likable, wise-cracking Boston gumshoe, we find him being gently persuaded to delve into the case of a boy who stands accused of a horrible crime.To the delight of many Spenser fans, Susan's presence is minimal throughout the tale, but to the dismay of those very same fans, Hawk is nowhere to be found (though there is a brief reference to Hawk by Spenser when he seeks to enlist the aid of a local hood).

In spite of the lingering presence of Susan throughout (she's attending a professional conference out of state while the gumshoe is on the case), I found myself laughing at key points in the tale.I enjoyed reading Parker's clipped, sharp 'prose'.He certainly has nailed the dialog thing.

In fact, I think I will pick up the next tale in the Spenser series and give it a slow, careful read.I am amazed at all the life lessons Parker drops here and there.Every book he writes is a true intellectual treat.

A New Low for Spenser
Almost no action, no Hawk and very little Susan. I yearned for something to hapen for far too many pages.

Finding out what happened and why
Spenser is dogsitting for Susan when Lily Ellsworth seeks Spenser's assistance for her grandson, Jared Clark.Jared has been identified as one of two Columbine-style school shooters and has confessed.The police and Jared's lawyer don't want Spenser to investigate.

The parents of Jared had moved to the town to be part of it.Jared's co-defendant had never been what his mother wanted him to be.Wendell's mother describes him, he is a bully.(Jared's parents cleaned out his room, leaving not even a speck of him in it.)

Susan remains in Durham for the duration of this mystery.Spenser gets ideas by talking with an attorney friend, Rita Fiore.It turns out the school shooting presents an interesting case to solve.The shooters are known but the reasons aren't.

Spenser begins with the knowledge that no one wants to know why the shooting happened and he unravels things from that point.Anyone who cares about schools and teenagers will find Parker's careful portrayal of the school and the town realistic. ... Read more

Product Description
The brilliant new Spenser novel from the beloved New York Times-bestselling author Robert B. Parker.

Called upon by The Hammond Museum and renowned art scholar Dr. Ashton Prince, Spenser accepts his latest case: to provide protection during a ransom exchange-money for a stolen painting.

The case becomes personal when Spenser fails to protect his client and the valuable painting remains stolen. Convinced that Ashton Prince played a bigger role than just ransom delivery boy, Spenser enters into a daring game of cat-and-mouse with the thieves. But this is a game he might not come out of alive...

Completed the year before he passed away, Painted Ladies is Spenser and Robert B. Parker at their electrifying best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Spotting the Fakes
The plot of Parker's latest novel, Painted Ladies, which centres on the theft of a Dutch masterpiece, is handled with all of Parker's customary deftness, tautly maintaining the tension and interspersing typically sharp Spenserian dialogue with scenes of sudden, shocking violence. But is the new novel a success? Would we pay much attention to it if it had appeared without the context of the preceding series? The two great strengths of the earlier Spenser books - that delving into Spenser's own persona and also into the layers of American society - are largely missing. Despite its Jewish elements the novel makes no real attempt to penetrate the cultural and moral maze of Jewish America. And perhaps it would be unrealistic and over-demanding to expect it.

However there are characteristic and welcome Parker touches, such as his sympathy for the young and vulnerable, which typically even extends as far as the villains. Even the bad guy Herzberg started out with good intentions and, as Susan points out in the closing pages, his descent into crime was in part driven by the historical damage inflicted on him and his family.

Also characteristic is Parker's merciless skewering of the phoneyness and pomposity of academe. What the novel does succeed in doing is to explore and link various kinds of deception and bad faith. Its dominant theme is fraudulence and inauthenticity, themes that perhaps spoke particularly to Parker in age. The `painted ladies' are not just the figures in the genuine and fake paintings but false-seeming characters. No-one is as they seem. Set against their falseness is Spenser's gritty integrity - but even Spenser's occasional attempts to masquerade as a cop in order to get information is emphasised in order to underscore the central theme.

In this new novel Spenser stands somewhat apart as a character. He makes clear his determination to solve the mystery entirely through his own efforts in an attempt to prove and justify himself. Those familiar cops, Quirk , Belson and Healy, put in an appearance, but not Hawk, apparently undertaking a CIA mission in central Asia, and other `friendly' villains - Vinnie, Chollo, etc - are similarly absent. Susan lends emotional and analytical support but is also much more unobtrusive than usual.

Not only does Spenser stand in greater isolation but also in a more retrospective light. It may be the effect of hindsight in the wake of Parker's death, but there seems something nostalgic and, one might add, almost terminal, about the figure of Spenser in this novel. Did Parker, one wonders, have the sense of an ending for Spenser and perhaps also for himself? Apparently there are two more works in the posthumous pipeline -an as yet untitled `Spenser holiday' novel due shortly, and finally Sixkill, scheduled for May next year. It will be interesting to see what further they can add to Parker's notable canon.

Fortunately, It's Not Yet Time to Say "Farewell, Spenser"
"But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil." -- Romans 13:5 (NKJV)

I once heard Robert B. Parker remark that he didn't care if publishers didn't bring out his latest novels right away, just as long as the advance checks didn't bounce. Despite the loss of this prolific novelist, there are still a few more books to come out . . . so this is not farewell. I'm glad of that, both because I want more Spenser and because Painted Ladies isn't the right book for the series to end on.

As the book opens, Spenser takes on a job that doesn't thrill him, chaperoning an unappealing popinjay professor who will be taking a ransom to exchange for a valuable stolen painting. The hand-off doesn't go as planned for the professor or for Spenser, and Spenser finds himself in the role of solitary avenger (there's no Hawk in this story) with a few helpful nudges from his friends in the police. The plot heads off into a more remote direction than you might expect in the beginning, and it takes awhile to see who all the bad people are. Once the players are in place, you'll probably deduce the outcome before Spenser does. But that's all right; you're in it for the wisecracks, aren't you?

Like many of the more recent Spenser stories, it's bare bones and it won't take you long to read it. But despite that, Robert B. Parker charms us with Pearl's romance and lots of Spenser and Susan together. "Ain't love grand?"

Unfortunately, this book is also available in what seems like a particularly overpriced Kindle version. Does the publisher still think that greed is good?

Persistence
The 38th Robert Parker novel to feature private detective Spenser was completed at the time of the author's death last January. Painted Ladies ratchets up the ways in which Spenser confronts danger and takes personal risks. When asked to protect art historian Ashton Prince as he exchanges cash in ransom of stolen art, Spenser can do nothing when a bomb explodes and kills Prince. Spenser returns the fee he didn't earn, and persistently pursues the case to its resolution. Along the way, the tension is high as Spenser confronts skilled opponents who try hard to kill him. Susan Silverman keeps Spenser grounded to earth, caring for each other, while he puts his life in danger. Readers of the series will not want to miss this installment, and any reader who likes crime fiction will likely find this book to be enjoyable and entertaining.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

RIP Robert B. Parker
In this last Spenser novel there is almost everything one expects from a Parker book - including extremely short.The plot is driven by witty and erudite dialogue; Spenser and Susan are madly in love; Pearl is still a spoiled dog; Rita is still hoping for seduction; and Spenser can steal beat up a thug.Unfortunately, Hawk never appears.In the development of the characters, Quirk, Belson and other cops now use and root for Spenser.Gone are the days when he was the meddling private eye that got in their way.All of these traits are comfort food for Spenser fans.

There are two things about this book that make it a step up from other recent Spenser books.The plot is a good one.Spenser is hired to protect a professor as he pays ransom for a stolen painting.The mission fails miserably and Spenser is on the case for his pride rather than profit.The plot enters the art world and Holocaust survivors.The supporting cast is strong with a whacky poet, a fanatical holocaust art restorer and, of course, pretty damsels in distress.

The second thing is a strong return of Spenser the English literature quoter.There were far more literary references and quotes than in recent books.I always found these enhanced the books and usually brought a smile and a "How did he think of that?"They may be fillers, but they enhance the experience.

This was a fun short book that was a major notch up from Mr. Parker's other recent offerings.

Better-than-Average Entry in the Series
I've read almost all the Spenser novels, and I'm pleased to say PAINTED LADIES -- the second-to-last entry in the series -- is one of the better ones.This is a fun piece of entertainment.

I mainly read the Spenser novels for the witty dialogue and sharp prose.But in PAINTED LADIES, author Robert B. Parker also delivers a surprisingly complex plot with a lot of surprises.It seems to me that Parker decided to challenge himself a little with this novel, and the result is a satisfying pageturner.

If you're new to Parker's work, my advice is to first read the initial ten Spenser novels, which were written during the 1970s and 1980s. In those books, Spenser was a younger and more conflicted man, and the plotlines had more depth to them. I also recommend the first few entries in the Jesse Stone series, as well as the baseball novel DOUBLE PLAY.These books represent Parker -- who died earlier this year -- at his very best.

But the later Spenser novels are fun as well, and PAINTED LADIES is a strong effort. I look forward to reading the final Spenser novel -- SIXKILL -- next May.

Three and a half stars. ... Read more

Product Description
After an old gypsy woman is killed by his car, lawyer Billy Halleck is stricken with a flesh-wasting malady and must undertake a nightmarish journey to confront the forces of death. Movie tie-in. Book available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (155)

The book that killed Richard Bachman
This is the book that resulted in Stephen King being forced to reveal that he was Richard Bachman.It's very clear why.From the first page, this can only be a Stephen King novel.Looking back on it now, I'm amazed that King thought he could get away with this one being published under a different name.It's an excellent story that moves along at a quick page.At 300 pages, its one of Kings shorter works, but it will stick with you well after you read it.

I said that this is the book that killed Richard Bachman, because after this, Bachman "officially" died of cancer (though King did eventually release two more books under the Bachman name).

quick read
A quick reading book that is terrific. Stephen King shows his versatility with this book.

I Love Stephen King's Thinner!!
I love this book!! It's the first Stephen King book I have ever read and it took me by surprise! Great story, very sad, and when I first read the book early this year, I couldn't stop thinking about it, especially the ending. To me it was terrifying! I've always admired King, now I admire him even more!! Good job!! Waiting for Stephen King's "It" in the mail! Nice!

Review From Books & Wine
Stephen King is the master of giving me the creeps. This book was no exception. Billy Halleck, an overweight well-to-do lawyer, messes up big time and hits an old gypsy woman with his car and kills her. Billy gets off scot-free which pisses the gypsies off, so they curse Billy. Billy loses weight faster than an anorexic, wasting away to nothing. I guess what really creeped me out the most was how the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. It got me thinking about how much we depend on doctors to fix us if we get sick and how scary it would be to have a mysterious disease no one had seen before. Needless to say, this was worth a read during a long summer day.

Classic King
This might not be King's best, and it's a fairly short story compared to some of his other works, but if you're a King fan, you should not be disappointed. I actually saw the movie first before reading this book, and it was nice to compare. Overall, compared to King's other works, this might be considered a 'light' read, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

It's interesting to see the reactions of Billy's family to his sudden weight loss, and I also liked the parts with the Gypsies. Part of me says Billy had it coming for what he did to the Gypsy, but part of me also cannot help but feel a bit bas for him. One lesson is clear - don't **** around with the Gypsies. :D ... Read more