Reviews (3)

Buy it through amazon.co.uk
This book is titled Venetian Reckoning in Europe and can be bought in paperback through Amazon's UK website.

Sometimes the underworld is so ugly...
The fourth in a five book series (oh, that Donna Leon would keep writing these....), Death and Judgment brings us back to our dear detective, Guido Brunetti and his family, and his work in Venice.I will steal from a reviewer who suggested that Leon writes three novels in one: about murder, about Venice, and about relationships, because it is true and it is just this that brings us back again and again to see what Brunetti is up against this time.An important lawyer is found dead on the train from Padua to Venice (and of course, Brunetti's supervisor, Patti urges him to consider this a simple robbery "gone bad").At about the same time a large truck slides off an ice-y mountain road in Northern Italy and the dead bodies of a number of young women are discovered in the back (crushed by the load of lumber in the truck).Then when the dead lawyer's accountant is also found murdered, Brunetti slowly begins to find the connections and uncovers a horrible web of international prostitution and a pornographic film industry built by some truly evil but highly influential and powerful Venetian citizens.As Leon always involves us with Guido's family, especially his dear wife (and local English professor) and children, this novel is no different and Guido's precocious daughter actually helps him solve this case, which has a typically complex yet logical conclusion.

Perceptive characterisations - excellent unfolding of plot
Donna Leon is a quietly perceptive and at times a forgivingly cynical narrator of human foibles and relationships under the stress of daily life, politics, bureaucracy and crime.This novel once again brings Commissario Guido Brunetti's empathetic pragmatism and integrity into conflict with the entrenched egocentricity and greed of Venice's and Italy's ruling classes. This is a piece of literature, not just a wonderfulnovel of crime and detection. Leon manages to make usquestionour assumptions about everything from political apathy and corruption, to what is honour, and how we live out our values. What a gift this woman must be to her students.Highly recommended for a desert island collection, as well as being a great primer for visitors to Venice. Not to mention being a damn good read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - General    4. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Editorial Review

Roy Eberhardt is the new kid--again. This time around it's Trace MiddleSchool in humid Coconut Grove, Florida. But it's still the same old routine:table by himself at lunch, no real friends, and thick-headed bullies like DanaMatherson pushing him around. But if it wasn't for Dana Matherson mashing hisface against the school bus window that one day, he might never have seen thetow-headed running boy. And if he had never seen the running boy, he might neverhave met tall, tough, bully-beating Beatrice. And if he had never met Beatrice,he might never have discovered the burrowing owls living in the lot on thecorner of East Oriole Avenue. And if he had never discovered the owls, heprobably would have missed out on the adventure of a lifetime. Apparently,bullies do serve a greater purpose in the scope of the universe. Because if itwasn't for Dana Matherson...Read more

Reviews (378)

HOOT
My book for my review was called Hoot. Hoot is about a boy named Roy . Roy is the main character in the story. The author's name is Carl Hiaasen. I would recommend this book to girls because I have know some boy who have read this book and did not like it. Hoot is my favorite book. I have read it 7 times! I think this book is best for girls. From ages 9 to 12 it is more of a kid book than an adult book.

HOOT
My book for my review was called Hooot. Hoot is about a boy named Roy . Roy is the main characterin the story. The authers name is Carl Hiaasen I would recamend this book to girls because I have know some boy who have reed this book and did not like it. Hoot is my favorite book. I have read it 7 time! I thik this book is best for girls. From ages 9 to 12 it is more of a kid book than an adult book.

Read this book--its good!
Roy Eberhart, Mullet Fingers, and Beatrice Leep are trying to save little baby owls and their existence from Mother Paula's all American Pancake House, Inc. They do a series of stuff to the construction site so they couldn't build the pancake house in Coconut Cove, Florida.Mother Paula's knows they are there, but they want the pancake house anyway. I recommend this to kids who like fiction and who are very adventurous people.
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Subjects:  1. Animals - Birds    2. Burrowing owl    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Environmental protection    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    10. Nature & the Natural World - Environment    11. Nature & the Natural World - General    12. Owls    13. Juvenile Fiction / General   

Editorial Review

Best-selling author Michael Connelly, whose character-driven literary mysteries have earned him a wide following, breaks from the gate in the over-crowded field of legal thrillers and leaves every other contender from Grisham to Turow in the dust with this tightly plotted, brilliantly paced, impossible-to-put-down novel. Read more

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Reviews (218)

Brothers in Crime
From a previous review . . .
Great legal thriller!
I read The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly based on the recommendations of users here at amazon.com.Let me say, I was utterly pleased!! This is a great book, easy and fun to read, which keeps you guessing!!

Great Suspense and Intelligent Writing
This is a really, really good thriller. I think it's better than 'The Closers', too. It doesn't insult your intelligence and it's fairly informative about the legal trade as well. It's a quick read and is enjoyable; no matter what genre you prefer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Attorney and client    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    4. Legal    5. Legal stories    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General    8. Bargain   

Reviews (29)

A Look Into What Makes Reacher Tick!
In his eighth book involving Jack Reacher, Lee Child shows us the episode that led him to eventually leave the army. Set at the time of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, there are people in the service who are worrying about how they will survive the inevitable restructuring of forces that will result. Unfortunately, some are doing more than worrying. They have decided to force an outcome that protects their interests. Unfortunately, some people have to die to make that happen.
Revelation!!!
I hate to say this, but Child ripped the main structure of the plot, as well as the precise ending, from, of all things, an episode of KNIGHT RIDER titled 'Dangerous Maneuvers' from the fall of 1982. Everything is there: the army brats bonded together by accident,the love interest being not entirely white,
Young Jack Reacher and the Case of the Dead General
I first started reading Lee Child with Persuader, the seventh book in his Jack Reacher series.It was good...really good, and I started picking up the series from the beginning.The eighth volume, The Enemy, was therefore a double treat:not only was it was the first book to be written after Persuader, it was also the first one that looked at Reacher's past as a Military Policeman in the U.S. Army.And as anticipated, this book was as much of a pleasure to read as all the others.
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Subjects:  1. Espionage/Intrigue    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. Thrillers    5. Fiction / Thrillers   

Reviews (68)

A nice surprise
I got "Black Order" without knowing the author or hearing anything about the book. I have to give props to a book that makes me seek out more by that author, which is exactly what happened after reading this one. Since then, I've only read an earlier Rollins book ("Amazonia") but I can already see that in later books, he's willing to inject a little more humor. "Black Order's" Fiona is one of my favorite characters I've encountered in a long time. She's fiesty, hilarious and so cool. The writing is more colorful, the way he frames the stories is more skillful in this book than "Amazonia." And it's got enough meat for the smart set: lots of history, travel, nature, philosophy. I heard the audiobook version and it did drag a little when the science got too heavy -- but there was enough fast-paced action to balance it all. Rollins has to be a fan of the James Bond and "Indiana Jones" b/c you definitely see elements of those in his work. That's all fine with me because I say: bring on more Sigma Force!

Great Read!!!
Best of his books so far!A fast-paced, exciting way to escape for a few hours like all of this author's books.It also has some thought-provoking ideas.One of the few adventure books I will keep to read again.It traces the line between realism and the supernatural like Preston and Childs; adds a dose of covert action like Vince Flynn and then throws in a few of physicist Freeman Dyson's ideas on quantum physics and our innermost being (see Infinite in all Directions.)Fascinating combination and a great read!

Children of the Bell
James Rollins novels are generally readable, but several of his most recent, in particular Map of Bones and this new release, Black Order show greatly improved structure and narration.While SIGMA Force stories have appeared before, Rollins has greatly developed the basis of this series, and the result is characters that have some claim for personality and glimmers of original plotting.In a genre that isn't particularly noted for novelty and depth of plot, this is a welcome change.If you have enjoyed Rollin's stories before you will like this new work even better. Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    4. Science fiction    5. Suspense fiction    6. Thrillers    7. Fiction / Thrillers   

Reviews (34)

Well Done!
I linked all of the main characters a lot and enjoyed the plot.Although she tends to beat you over the head with it, I really like how Brockmann writes strong and relatively non-cliched non-white characters!Lindsay - a 100lb Asian who can more than handle herself - is wonderful, but the scene in the bar just drags on too long to be believable.Overall though, very well done.And certainly better done all the other romance novelists that - when they do have people of color in their stories - keep them peripheral, like literally in the kitchen, or using what the author thinks is typical "urban" language.

Too Psycho
SB's books hadn't thus far dwelt in the mind of the bad character.This one does--far too much for my taste.I tried skimming the parts about the killer as did another reviewer, but after a nightmare, I gave up.It was too gruesome, kind of like Ann Rule's books.
SHE ROCKS AGAIN!!!!
Once again Ms Brockmann has a winner.This is one of the best books I have read.This book made me laugh out loud and at the same time I was finishing reading one page as I was turning it to find out what was going to happen on the next page.She really is in to the mind set of that human we call a male.Can't wait for Izzy's story!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Espionage/Intrigue    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Romance    5. Romance - Suspense    6. Suspense    7. Fiction / General   

Reviews (129)

Hated it....
This was the worse book I ever read. As a matter of fact the book was so bad I gave up on it. I didn't care about reading it to the end. Given the fact that the main male character seems to only process criminal information when having sex (some of it blackmail sex) should tell you all you need to know about this book. If you like reading about the exploits of a characters sex life with a secondary tie in to a criminal investivation, then this is the book for you. This book was one huge YAWN!!!!!

1st Ellroy book
Cherchez la femme, French for seek out the woman.Yes, Ellroy likes females and dedicated this book to his mother (Geneva Hilliker Ellroy, 1915-1958).The intro is a must read.I thought the book would be more about the girl, Elizabeth Short.Most of it is about the two cops, Bucky Bleichert and Lee Blanchard (Fire and Ice). I got into it after about 30 pages and did now want to put it down.Not my usual genre to read but I love movies of this genre and wanted the background for the upcoming movie.I praise him for the authentic vocabulary of the time period (Aug 1942 to Sept. 11, 1949) is when the book takes place.Elizabeth Short died about Jan 16th?Police report on her was 1/17/43.Lots of twists right up till the end.Like I said the vocabulary and old terms were the best: zoot suits, Bop coming into its heyday, Packard and DeSoto autos, rurales, correct use of ersatz and spiel. Nationalities came into play as it was at that time with German innuendos, Jew Boy and all that stuff. Not to offend, just the facts.Worth reading if you want to know what the 1940's were like.I love learning about the 1920's to 1960's. (Born in 1955 myself).Would love to go back to be an adult in the 1940's or 50's.My favorite time period!Enjoy.

I just wanted to finish it to move on to my next book
I received this book as a gift. I read in this genre from time to time and usually the pace of the books is riveting. Here I was very restless and not interested in the characters. So many things happened that seemed far-fetched that I couldn't give the author much confidence. In the end I was happy to finish the book to just be done with it and disappointed at the ending. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Movie / TV Tie-Ins    3. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    4. Mystery & Detective - Historical    5. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (5)

An oldie, but a goodie
Don't be deluded by the publishing date. This is NOT a new story. If you're an IN DEATH fan, this does not pick up where the most recent book left off. This was originally published as a short story in a book of short stories named OUT OF THIS WORLD in August of 2001. But, if you're a fan it won't matter. Nothing earth shaking happens in it, so this story could be "anytime" in the later half of the series.

Should have read the details. . . .
The reviews posted on the site are longer than the book. It is less than 100 pages long and about 1/4" thick. I know it is a "value" book but it's a tiny, quick read that would be more suitable to a Good Housekeeping magazine (granted not PG rated!) than a book.

The Faces of Murder Are Varied and Complex
The above quotation, which J.D. Robb utilizes to introduce this novella, effectively captures the essence of the murders which form the basis of this story. INTERLUDE IN DEATH was originally released in an anthology titled OUT OF THIS WORLD, a collection of futuristic stories by four well known women authors.It can be understood as a standalone story, but its brevity does not allow the amount of character development or background information that is available in the full length novels. Thus, my rating reflects those factors and I believe will be shared by listeners familiar with the series' main characters, who undoubtedly will find this more enjoyable than those unfamiliar with the ... IN DEATH series.This story takes place during the spring of 2059, it was published chronologically after BETRAYAL IN DEATH, the twelfth full-length novel in the series.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    4. Romance - General    5. Romance: Modern    6. Fiction / Romance / Suspense   

Editorial Review

In Read more

Reviews (347)

Wrong voice
for those of you that enjoyed the first 7 books on cd and thought the voice was perfect - will not like the voice on this one.the voice is nice - but it is in no way a jersey girl!!names are pronounced differently - and once the wrong name is used.I will think hard before I order book 9 on cd!

Stephanie Plum needs to grow up and get a brain
I read the first 5 series and loved it, 6 and 7 was ok but was getting a little tiring.Now that I've read 8, I am just going through the motion of finishing out the series (I have a thing about finishing series).
Hard to put down!
Mother Evelyn and daughter Annie have disappeared, and Evelyn's grandmother isn't thrilled and is desperate to make sure they are safe.That's where bounty hunter Stephanie Plum comes in-it's up to her to find them.Evelyn's ex isn't thrilled either, and has also hired a clever bounty hunter to find her-Jean Ellen Burrows.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    5. Mystery/Suspense   

Editorial Review

Conspiracy theories--everybody has one. The difference with this conspiracy is that it's all too real. David Baldacci's Read more

Reviews (166)

Great book!
I am new to Baldacci having read one other.This was an awesome book.Although the ending was a tad predictable, it was still a great read.I recommend it to those who like suspense combined with a little terrorism and espionage.

Ignore the mediocre reviews - READ IT!
Despite the mediocre reviews from others, I highly recommend this book.There's enough reviews out there to give a plot synopsis, so I won't go into that.What I'll go into instead is the fact that this book is a wonderful, supersonic-paced read that you'll enjoy.Many reviews says this is simply not a believable plot - - YOU be the judge.Bottom line: It's a politcal thriller with a faced-paced plot that is well worth your time.It's on par with Clancy's earlier works.In the current political climate, I don't find the plot outlandish at all!

One of the worst books I've ever read
I don't write many reviews but I felt that I HAD to for this horrible piece of crap! How can a major publisher allow a book like this to be released? With it's ridiculous plot, incredibly boring dialogue, and horrible characters it's like reading something written by a dim-witted high school english student.
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Subjects:  1. Baldwin, James - Prose & Criticism    2. Espionage/Intrigue    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Espionage / Thriller    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Suspense    7. Thrillers    8. Fiction / Suspense   

Reviews (11)

Not Agatha
My wife likes mysteries -- I don't. I find them contrived and artificial. Ms. Winspear writes stories. "Messenger of Truth" is a riveting tale of postwar England. The characters have flesh; the locations have color and the prose is wonderful. The mystery is only the plot.
*TheNO-MAN's-LANDcalledWAR*
The 'big guns' among amazon.com reviewers have made their pronouncements. The character of Maisie Dobbs, young private investigator created by J. Winspear, is universally admired for her rise from a youth as housemaid to graduate of Girton (a Cambridge University college), with benefactors ranging from a nun to a doctor, and a society hostess.The London of the early 1930s is evoked: when politicalunrest sometimes involved those sympathetic to changes in Germany - and the lower classes struggled with what today we call 'a tight job-market'and the tentacles of poverty.
A TELLING PORTRAIT OF POSTWAR ENGLAND

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Subjects:  1. Dobbs, Maisie (Fictitious character)    2. England    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    5. London    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Mystery & Detective - Historical    8. Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths    9. Mystery/Suspense    10. Veterans    11. Women private investigators    12. World War, 1914-1918   

Reviews (7)

HARBINGERS is a Must-Read!
There went another all-nighter spent tearing thru F. Paul Wilson's new book HARBINGERS. This author is so good at laying that trap for his readers. You know, the one that makes you go, "Okay, just one more chapter, really - and then, I'll go to sleep." Well, after the not-as-good INFERNAL, Repairman Jack is back and never better than in this new installment. And, this time out, Jack is run thru the wringer like he's never been before. But, as usual, Jack finds a way to "fix" things. Well, kind of.
Jack back on track
I have been a huge fan of the Repairman Jack books over the years.Like many other devoted fans, I was very disappointed by the last installment in the series, Infernal.Infernal was not a bad book, but it seemed clearly a few steps below the rest of the Repairman Jack novels.I feared that perhaps F. Paul Wilson had wrung all of the good stories he could from these characters.Thankfully, Harbingers proves that such fear was misplaced. I literally could not turn the pages fast enough and absolutely could not go to bed until I had reached the end. I won't share plot details here, but I will say that this book is as well-paced, emotionally involving, and as intricately plotted as any of the earlier books.In sum, it is a spectacular return to form by F. Paul Wilson.

A fantastic ddition to the series
Still not quite himself after the recent events with his brother the judge (see INFERNAL) Repairman Jack relaxes in Julio's Bar in Manhattan.Fellow regular Timothy asks Repairman Jack for a favor of finding his missing teenage niece Caitlin, a case that the police say is too early for their involvement.Jack agrees to check around as he knows law enforcement will not get involved until it is too late.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Missing persons    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Repairman Jack (Fictitious character)    8. Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General   

Reviews (3)

Weird in the positive sense of the word
This is a clever book that is neither a thriller nor a psychodrama nor a satire on academia yet it's all three of these. It is bizarre - I mean that as a compliment. The various key characters are, shall we say, not exactly functional. The story risks getting stuck in one line of narrative -- psychodrama -- and then brillantly switches to detective mode and then to a combination of both. It is disturbing in its mood as well as its story line. I found myself pulled into that mood and both disliked that fact and at the same time did not pull back. There are paragraphs, particularly about characters that never appear to represent themselves as living persons, that are disturbing. The ending is disturbing, too.
Death of a Writer is a crowning achievement.
Michael Collins once again provides us with a story that both intrigues us with its brilliant and engaging plot and dazzles us in with its beautiful and literary style.Few paint between the lines with such an over arching sense of place and character as has Collins in his most recent novel. Death of a Writer places us into the deeply angry and disturbed mind of a man whose gifts have been squandered within the highly political and egomanical environment of a small liberal arts college English department.In his failed attempt at suicide, professor E. Robert Pendleton is discovered to have written a manuscript of epic influence. It is here that the line between truth and fiction become blurred and the reader finds they are locked into a mystery to compelling to put down.
5 STARS AND A STANDING OVATION
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Subjects:  1. College teachers    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    4. Mystery & Detective - General    5. Mystery And Suspense Fiction    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Novelists    8. Women graduate students    9. Fiction / General   

Reviews (15)

Good 'ol detective stories!
No fancy writing, no sci-fi, no special effects...just good 'ol detective stories. Sometimes that's just damn fine with me, you know?

The Black Ice
Harry Bosch is great. He plays by his own rules and defends the little guy against the establishment. Hope Mr Connelly continues the Bosch series....

Wow
Great introduction to this writer's work. Well paced plots with lots of tension and believable characters, without too much navel-gazing. Each title in this 3 novel set is what a thriller novel should be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bosch, Harry (Fictitious chara    2. Bosch, Harry (Fictitious character)    3. California    4. Detective and mystery stories,    5. Detective and mystery stories, American    6. Fiction    7. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    8. Los Angeles    9. Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural    10. Mystery/Suspense    11. Police    12. Thrillers    13. Fiction / Thrillers   

Reviews (19)

Incredible Character Development and Plotting!
I have been a fan of Karin's other series since the start so I was a little disappointed when I discovered this was non-series.Well, that disappoinment didn't last for long!This book and the characters are much, much darker which I enjoyed to see from her.
Compelling Plot, but Unlikable Characters
Karin Slaughter is an enormously talented writer, and I was looking forward to TRIPTYCH, her first standalone novel.This novel is a compelling read, but as a few other reviewers have pointed out, the four major characters in this book aren't particularly likable.
Not A Good Idea...
I've read all of Slaughter's books since her first, BLINDSIGHTED, and each one only became better than the last.I raced through FAITHLESS (which is great, by the way) to begin TRIPTYCH.....and am totally disappointed in this book. It simply isn't worth the read.Karin Slaughter has followed Patricia Cornwell in departing from her tried and true main character and format to do a stand-alone book.
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Subjects:  1. American Mystery & Suspense Fiction    2. Atlanta (Ga.)    3. Fiction    4. Fiction - Psychological Suspense    5. Mystery/Suspense    6. Psychological    7. Psychological fiction    8. Serial murderers    9. Suspense    10. Fiction / Suspense   

Reviews (6)

Wallander investigates another perplexing mystery
Henning Mankell's captivating "The Man Who Smiled", while written about 12 years ago has just been recently been translated into English.Mankell's style has great appeal resulting from an abilty to use the realistic immorality existent in society to fabricate his plots.His protagonist Swedish police inspector Kurt Wallander is a believable character, with a plausible array of human foibles.Years of police work has taken its toll and both his health and emotional state.
Gotta Love Kurt!
Henning Mankell has done it again (or actually did it 13 years ago)--he's written an interesting mystery with a much more interesting hero, Inspector Kurt Wallander.I won't give a summary here of the book, because I'm sure the publisher and other reviewers have done that already.The reason these books are fun is the Swedishness of them!
One of the weaker of the Wallander mysteries
I am a big fan of Mankell's Wallender mysteries, thus I was excited to see that this had finally made available in English.I was struck before I started reading that the gap between its publication in Swedish and its translation into English was very long, several later books that refer to events in this one were actually translated before this.After reading it, I suspect that the delay was because somewhere along the line, people were aware this book was flawed.