Product Description
Thoughtful, poignant, and hilarious personal essays collected by the editors of Creative Nonfiction explore the meanings of Italian-American identity.

In the twenty-one nonfiction narratives collected in Our Roots Are Deep with Passion, established and emerging writers with family ties to Italy reflect on the ways that their lives have been accented with uniquely Italian-American flavors. Several of the essays breathe new life into the time-honored theme of family—Louise DeSalvo honors her grandfather, nick-named "the drunk" because he spent his life of hard work drinking wine instead of water, and James Vescovi portrays the close of the stormy relationship between his father and grandmother. Other stories tackle the mystical side of Italian-American life, like Laura Valeri's account of a summer vacation séance in Sardinia that goes eerily awry. And elsewhere, Stephanie Susnjara charts the history of garlic in society and her kitchen, and Gina Barreca offers an unabashed confession of congenital jealousy.

Lee Gutkind, founding editor of Creative Nonfiction, the nation's premier nonfiction prose literary journal, and Joanna Clapps Herman have brought together artful essays by novelists, scholars, critics, and memoirists from across the country. The pieces are as varied as their authors, but all explore the unique intersections of language, tradition, cuisine, and culture that characterize the diverse experience of Americans of Italian heritage. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

NOSTALGIA
This book is wonderful for us in our 60s who grew up with Italian grandparents or parents. The essays are reminiscent of holidays, activities, everyday life & phrases from our youth. While it is always pleasurable to remember the "good old days", it is nice to share these memories with our children. This book is a great way to do it.

Essays cover everything from food and romance to cultural history
OUR ROOTS ARE DEEP WITH PASSION: CREATIVE NONFICTION gathers new writings by Italian American writers, compiling over twenty essays on the ways in which Italian ancestry enhances the lives of Americans. Essays cover everything from food and romance to cultural history, and offer both Italians and non-Italians an affection survey of Italian impacts on American culture.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Alot of Fun, Hard to Follow
This play is alot of fun. I myself have been in it aand i must say it one of the best shows ive ever been in. However it is extremley hard to follow. Its not always clear what is going on and who the charchters are talking to. But that can easily be fized by watching the movie along with it. It a fun show... enjoy the read. ... Read more

Product Description
Minute Mysteries, created to engage and entertain the whole family, features an infamous cast of colorful characters-all played by Joe Mantegna. The larcenous, cartoon-like shenanigans of Riddlin' Mick, Boom-Boom Lavinia, Lefty McEnoy, and about 25 others are captured in this splendidly effulgent, radiantly brilliant performance. But the best part is that you get to solve the lighthearted puzzlers. Wannabe sleuths of all ages can cleverly deduce the clues. So buckle up and hang on for 20 fast-lane brain-teasers. And if you don't beat Lt. Harry Rhyne to the solution, he'll give you the answer after a cool jazz riff. 1 cassette. ... Read more

Product Description
When Harry Addison gets the call that his brother, Danny, has been killed in a bus explosion in Italy, he rushes to Rome to investigate and to bring the body home. Danny Addison was a priest serving at the Vatican, and Italian authorities believe he was responsible for the assassination of the Cardinal Vicar of Rome--one of the closest advisors to the Pope. But when Harry recovers the body, it bears only a faint resemblance to Danny. Is his brother still alive? Was he an assassin? Harry must find out--even if the truth is more terrifying than anything he could have ever imagined.Amazon.com Review
This massive thriller pits a scheming prince of the Church whobelieves he was once Alexander the Great against the Addisonbrothers--Harry, a Hollywood lawyer, and Danny, a Vatican priest. Itseems that Danny had the bad luck to hear another cardinal'sconfession outlining a heinous plot to poison China's water supply inorder to win the Vatican bankers a multi-billion-dollar contract torebuild it--and of course to take advantage of the opportunity toconvert a quarter of the world's population and ensure the Church'sworld domination into the next century.Spanning the globe fromVatican City to Beijing, from Los Angeles to Switzerland, the actionnever stops. And whenever it seems to falter for more than aparagraph, someone among Folsom's picaresque cast of minor characters(a nun, a dwarf, a CIA station chief, a beautiful televisionjournalist, and an African poet, among others) turns up just in timeto give it a nudge.The narrative is not as fluid as it could be, andthe plot might have been devised by a conspiracy theorist with a tastefor chaos physics, but fans of Folsom's intense novel The Day AfterTomorrow won't be disappointed. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (109)

Trite and Salacious
More from a left-wing loon. Like its predecessor "Day after Tommorow" this book reeks of propaganda. Just when more legitimate scientists have rendered man-made global warming as political,and not scientific, this clown takes another shot at an institution that has done more for the oppressed of the world then any entity in history. If anyone was going to poison the people of China, it would be the government of China. The writing is erratic and errotic(in a cheap sleazy sort of way). Maybe this guy got his start by writing for Penthouse Forum. Don't worry at least there wont be any crazed Catholics issuing a fatwa on Folsom.

Preposterous
I enjoyed Folsom's debut novel, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, enough to try this follow-up.I found it quite the disappointment.

DAY OF CONFESSION is a pretty bad book.It starts very strongly, but the plot eventually spins out of control, with one preposterous event after another.I found my jaw dropping at the outlandish stuff that Folsom came up with to move the story forward.

Even worse, most of the characterization in DAY OF CONFESSION is flat and stereotypical, and I cared for nobody in the story.There's a lot of action in this book, but it is repetitive and boring for the most part.Folsom tries to spice things up with a lot of violence and graphic sex, but it isn't enough to save the over-the-top plotline.

I think Folsom is a novelist of great potential, but I wish he would invest more time in creating realistic plots and likable characters.I would give this book a pass.

Not "Day After Tomorrow"
I really enjoyed Folsom's previous novel "Day After Tomorrow." I'm not sure if he will ever top that one, but he didn't do it with this one. To be fair, his writing style is entertaining and his characters are refreshingly off-kilter. His writing and plotting and descriptions require slow reading, a thoughtful progression through the story. And that may be why this one didn't hit as hard as "Tomorrow": the time and mental energy was not as rewarding here. Still, I'll buy his next one, and hope he will at least match "Tomorrow."

Page Turning
This is my favorite Folsom novel to date.It is much better paced than The Exile or Day After Tomorrow. The main character is better developed and you get the sense that he truly is confused, which is important.It makes him more believable.Some of the other reviews have mentioned that the plot is improbable, which it is probably is.But like The DaVinci Code, it is just a story.I don't think Folsom is claiming his novel is true.It is a good page turner.My husband bought this for me to read on vacation and made the mistake of giving it to me a few days before we left.I had finished it before boarding the plane.....it's good.

Phenomenal page-turning thriller - best I've ever read!!!!
I was drawn into this book within the first 10 pages. I started reading it on vacation abroad, and couldn't wait to find some down time so I could catch up on where I left off in the book. It is the best book I've EVER read. I HIGHLY recommended this book and have recommended it to many others who have also agreed that this book was a true page turner and suspense-filled thriller. This book is far better than Folsom's other book "The Day After Tomorrow." ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! JosephAnthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. (born November 13,1947) is an American actor, producer, writer anddirector. He is best known for his roles in box-officehits such as Three Amigos (1986), The Godfather PartIII (1990), Airheads (1994), Forget Paris (1995), UpClose & Personal (1996), and The Simpsons Movie (2007). ... Read more

Product Description
Back Story
When Spenser tries to solve a thirty-year-old murder as a favor to an old friend, the lack of clues and the fact that an FBI intelligence report is missing force Spenser to reach out in every direction–to his old friend’s estranged hippie father; to Vinnie Morris and the mob; to the mysterious Ives–and test his resourcefulness and courage. Taut, tense, and expertly crafted, this is Robert B. Parker at his story-telling best.

Widow’s Walk
Spenser is back, this time to investigate the murder of a prominent local banker with family ties to the Mayflower–and perhaps the Mob. Unfortunately, Spenser’s up against a wall; leads go nowhere, no one knows a thing. Then a young woman, recently fired from her position at the victim’s bank, turns up dead as well. With its lean, crackling diaglogue, crisp action, and razor-sharp characters, Widow’s Walk is yet another triumph from master of suspense Robert B. Parker. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

excellent
cd, was as presented, in excellent like new condition and was deliveredin a very timely manner!!!
i was very pleased

Hours of interesting listening....
Mostly kept me interested. Both stories somewhat predictable for me. Still they were entertaining for my long drives. ... Read more

Product Description
Spenser knows something’s amiss the moment Dennis Doherty walks into his office. The guy’s aggressive yet wary, in the way men frightened for their marriages always are. So when Doherty asks Spenser to investigate his wife Jordan’s abnormal behavior, Spenser agrees. A job’s a job, after all.

Not surprisingly, Spenser catches Jordan with another man, tells Dennis what he’s found out, and considers the case closed. But a couple of days later, all hell breaks loose, and three people are dead. This isn’t just a marital affair gone bad. Spenser is in the middle of hornet’s nest of trouble, and he has to get out of it without getting stung.

With Hawk watching his back and gun-for-hire Vinnie Morris providing extra cover, Spenser delves into a complicated and far-reaching operation: Jordan’s former lover Perry Alderson is the leader of a group that helps sponsor terrorists. The Boston P.I. will use all his connections–both above and below the law–to uncover the truth behind Alderson’s antigovernment organization. Alderson doesn’t like Spenser poking around his business, so he decides to get to him through Susan. But what Alderson doesn’t realize is that Spenser will do anything to keep Susan out of harm’s way; nothing will keep him from the woman he loves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Going to miss Mr.Parker
I was saddened by the passing of Mr. Parker.Have read all the Spenser series and the Jesse Stone series.Greatly enjoyed Now and Then.

Now and Then
I'm a big fan of the Spenser series so this is a great addition.Parker created a "real" character!Joe Mantegna is Spenser's voice.

Spenser is as Spenser does
Spenser does love, loyalty and crime solving, with the aid of Hawk, Susan and pink champagne.

"I said" it's maddening!
I agree with Publisher's Weekly with one difference - the unrelenting "I said", "she said" was far more irritating than it was laughable. Think nails on a blackboard grating! I tend to choose fairly simple mysteries to listen to during my 2 hour daily commute, but this flaw ruined what could have been an enjoyable story....I had to give it up mid-way through the first CD just to avoid walking into my office ready to pounce on someone!

Read one-you read them all
Same stuff.Nothing new here.Hey Bob, how about making things more interesting, knock off Spencer's main squeeze Susan!!!BORING CHARACTER!! ... Read more

Product Description
Bobby isn't just a baseball player. Gil isn't just a salesman. What will Gil sacrifice to raise the Sox from their depths? 2 cassettes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

My Review
The Fan is a fast paced thriller that will appeal to both to fans of the genre (no pun intended) and to the sports geek who wants to expand into other reading areas. The storyline is fast-paced with quite a bit of suspense and more than enough baseball and behind the scenes of professional sports for the sports enthusiast. The novel does a nice job of switching back and forth between the protagonist (a knife salesman who is down on his luck), the sports star (who also is battling through a career slump) and the media. It's an entertaining book that moves along pretty quickly and is really good for an escape from the day to day.

Of course, if you've seen the film with Robert DeNiro and Wesley Snipes, there aren't a whole lot of surprises in the book, but there are a few differences. The film actually did a really good job of capturing the feel of the book though and although there are some changes here and there, both the book and the film work at accomplishing their ultimate goals.

One Man's Obsession Becomes A Psychotic Journey Into Madness
Gil Renard is a man on the edge, in more ways that one.Unable to keep his marriage together, unable to have a positive relationship with his son, and unable to climb the corporate ladder except for the glossy traps he surrounds himself with.The right car, the right suits; but his attempt at gloss fails when it comes to his one room apartment in a broken down building.Gil barely controls his rage, his drinking, and his contempt for his own son.Lost in his glory days of being MVP pitcher (which we discover was only Little League), he's obsessed with Baseball and player Bobby Rayburn in particular.

Bobby Rayburn is a talented player, batting .314 last season and commanding the largest salary the Sox have ever paid.But there's one problem with him joining the Sox, another teammate Primo has his number: Number 11.Bobby is a womanizer, a player who's in the game for money and fame, who often scorns at his legion of fans.He takes advantage of being away from his wife Valerie and five-year-old son Sean to bed different women every night.When his abilities suddenly take a nosedive, he at first believes it must be due to his eyesight, but discovers his problem lies much deeper than the physical.

Jewel Stern, a sports reporter for JOC radio, loves her career so much she's given up a normal life for it.Though she sees herself becoming "long in the tooth" as a woman, her career advancements more than make up for it.

When Gil finally loses his job, the full force of his psychotic behavior breaks out, leaving behind no more boundaries.He's served a court order to stay away from his son, begins to drink more, and winds out in his old town digging up his father's grave to retrieve his old Little League trophy.He takes up with old friend Len Boucicaut; a childhood friend from Little League who's become a backwoods piece of trailer trash.It's Boucicant that teaches Gil that even legal boundaries are to be scoffed at.Gil, driven by his desire to be "closer to the game", takes his friend's advice and finally finds a way through his madness to get close to Bobby Rayburn.

The book alternates chapters between Gil's life, Bobby's life, and Jewel's life; as each of them begin to closely intertwine as the story progresses.The characters are realistic with individual personalities.There is, of course, a lot of baseball description in the book, and though I'm not a sports fan I still found the storyline intriguing and captivating.'The Fan' is an excellent tale of one man's degeneration into total madness.

On a personal note, I saw the movie before reading the book, and despite highly different physical descriptions I could only picture the characters from the movie.The endings are quite different, though each story is done very well, so I recommend watching the movie after reading the book.Enjoy!

Taut, tense, and terrifying
Bobby Rayburn, the best hitter in professional baseball, has just signed on with the Boston Red Sox, an act which most believe will ensure the team a pennant.There's just one problem--early in the season, Bobby becomes mired in a slump of epic proportions.

Gil Renard is also in a deep slump.His life is a shambles--he's lost his job, his ex-wife won't let him see his son, and he's drifted into a life of crime to make ends meet.The only things that make his life bearable are baseball and his beloved Red Sox.

Two men, at crossroads in their lives, with little in common except baseball.The Fan tellsthe tale of how they meet, and the deadly and bloody results as hero worship degenerates into loathing.

Abrahams masterfully draws readers into his narrative, never relaxing his iron tight grip on their attention; then, just when you think you might have guessed where he's going, he delivers a knockout punch guaranteed to leave you reeling right until the very last line of the novel.The last few chapters go by in a blur, as you turn the pages with ever increasing velocity.Taut, tense and terrifying, The Fan is vintage Abrahams, another satisfying thriller from a true master of suspense.

A Great Read
This is a haunting book. I mean that in a good way. You probably know somebody who is only a couple of clicks away from turning into The Fan. It's an especially appealing book if you love baseball, of course. The author does a great job of making you continue to feel for The Fan even though he is very selfish, and not merely disturbed -- although he is clearly that, too.

The Fan Review
I think this was a good book.Just when the suspense started to ease up, the author would drop a bomb on you.The book started so strong, but the finish was far from great.The ending left you hanging, but not a good hanging, a ending that didn't conlcude the book or characters.This book was a 4 until the author got tired of writing and wrote a ending like a 5th grader. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Superb Resource for actors!
"How to Be a Working Actor" is an excellent resource for beginning actors or old veterans. Mari Lyn Henry and Lynne Rogers are extremely accomplished. These talented ladies include all the information you need to build a strong career as a working actor. Each chapter is specific, detailed and up to date. I am pursuing a career in New York and have found it an invaluable resource. Bottom line: Get this book!

Practical Reading
This book is extremely valuable for the young actor.The problem is that this is only one perspective on the business of acting.It is acurate, but must be followed with caution and be advised that it will be outdated next year, due to the nature of the business.

Essential Reading for Actors
As a recent graduate, starting a career in New York seems intimidating, but after reading How to be a Working Actor I feel much more confident and prepared. This book is inspiring me in my career. It includes in-depth, essential advice about what to wear, headshots and resumes, living as an actor, showcases and understanding the unions, as well as auditions and interviews. I thought I had a good basic knowledge of the industry, but this book gave me a lot more. I'd recommend it to anyone pursuing a career in New York or Los Angeles... or in the regional markets; they're covered in here too!

A must have for any aspiring actor
Getting started in many careers is undeniably the hard part. "How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, and Television" is a comprehensive and through guide to help actors get started on the right foot and not be waiting tables for the rest of their lives. With essential advice on how to put together a professional wardrobe, creating a solid resume, communicating the right way with ones agent, working on and improving ones weaknesses in the craft, and so much more. "How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, and Television" is a must have for any aspiring actor and for community library collections on Theater and Cinema. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great!
I bought this collection on audio CD to listen in my car as I drive to and from work, and I have to say this made sitting in traffic almost tolerable! great stories and excellent detective work by Lincoln Rhyme! A+++

A Wonderful Collection of Lincoln Rhyme Novels.
THE LINCOLN RHYME CD COLLECTION
BY Jeffery Deaver
PUBLISHED BY Simon & Schuster Audio
REVIEWED BY Barbara Rhoades

This audio book is three times as much enjoyment if you are a fan of the Lincoln Rhyme series.It contains three of Jeffery Deaver's book:The Coffin Dancer, The Empty Chair and The Stone Monkey.It also has an excerpt from Mr. Deaver's newest book "The Twelfth Card".

The Coffin Dancer:What do you get when you cross a quadriplegic, forensic science and an apartment full of high tech equipment?You get Lincoln Rhyme, the best detective in New York City.And he has to face The Coffin Dancer again.He has killed Ed Carney, husband and co-owner of Hudson Air, a small freight company.Rhyme is called in to help the NYPD stop him.

Rhyme forms a team of the best people, Amelia Sachs, his right-hand person, Tom, his faithful care giver, DelRay, the street hardened black cop and Mel Cooper, the best lab technician anyone could ask for.This team has 48 hours to stop The Coffin Dancer before he kills Ed's wife, Percy and Brit, Ed's best friend.

The Coffin Dancer is very good as he leaves no trace evidence.So in order to catch him, they must be able to think like he does.From an airplane blowing up to safe houses being breached to landing an airplane safely that has an altitude bomb aboard, the Dancer keeps the team on its toes.And just to keep things interesting, Amelia and Rhyme have a romantic entanglement going!

Joe Mantegna reads this book and has the ability to provide each character with their own voice.A listener has no trouble knowing exactly which character is speaking.Mr. Mantegna speaks clearly and uses inflections in all the right places.

The Empty Chair:Corporate greed is the theme of this story.Garrett Handlin lost his parents and sister when he was only a child.He begins an interest in insects to ease the pain of this loss.Then as a teenager, he kidnaps Mary Jo and the Lydia.

Lincoln Rhyme comes to a hospital near Tanner's Corner to have surgery in the hopes of getting more movement.The Tanner's Corner sheriff comes begging for Rhyme's help to solve the kidnappings. Rhyme has some time before the surgery and begins an investigation.

Garrett is captured and Sachs believes he is innocent.She takes matters into her own hands and breaks Garrett out of jail.In the chase that follows, Sachs kills a deputy.

Not until the final moments of Sachs' trial are all the facts reveled and the real culprit is known which clears Sachs of the murder charges.

Joe Mantegna has a way with voices so you know just who is speaking.His inflections are a perfect addition to the actual words of the story.

The Stone Monkey:This is a story of human smuggling and the need for political asylum.The first few chapters are rather long and drawn out as the story is being set up.It reminds me of the way Tom Clancy goes into great and long details of setting up a story.After the first few chapters, the story returns to the true Lincoln Rhyme writing so being patient through them pays off as the rest of the story is great.

"The Ghost" has smuggled in Chinese dissidents but sinks the ship and begins killing all the passengers when the NYPD shows up just before the boat makes landfall.Between the INS, the State Department, the NYPD and a Chinese police officer, you don't know who to trust.Lincoln uses his forensic techniques to figure out who "The Ghost" really is and prevents him from being returned to China where he would go free rather than pay for all the people he has killed.

The secondary story is about Rhyme's upcoming surgery which Sachs doesn't want him to have.Listen to see what his decision will be.

The Twelfth Card:This is a small excerpt and tells a tale of a girl in today's world wanting to learn about her slave ancestors and what happened to him.She is reading in the History Museum when she notices she is being stalked.She is clever and gets away but in doing so sets off the alarm.The stalker blends into the crowd and returns to the Museum to see what the police have come up with........and this is where the CD ends.

The Civil War history is of interest to me so I will be sure to get The Twelfth Card and finish listening to the whole story. ... Read more

Product Description
Six cassettes, 9 hrs.
performances by Joe Mantegna

Pronto—For 20 years Harry Arno has operated a sports book in Miami Beach, taking bets on all the pro games. And for 20 years Harry has been skimming off the top of the profits, short-changing his silent partners, the local wiseguys. Harry is ready to retire to a villa on the Italian Riviera with his girlfriend Joyce, when he becomes the fall guy in an FBI assault on organized crime and ends up running for his life.

Get Shorty—In a novel filled with his signatures—nerve shattering suspense, crackling dialogue, scathing wit—Elmore Leonard proves once again why he sets the standard against which all other crime novels are measured.

In GET SHORTY, he takes a mobster to Hollywood, where the women are gorgeous, the men are corrupt, and making it big isn't all that different from making your bones: You gotta know who to pitch, who to hit, and how to knock'em dead.

Riding the Rap—It seemed like a brilliant idea. Three mismatched bad guys—a Palm Beach pothead, a Bahamian ex-con, and a Puerto Rican gardener turned mob enforcer—get together to carry out the perfect crime: kidnap retired Miami bookie Harry Arno and let him pay the ransom with his ill-gotten wealth. He can't go to the cops later. No one will miss him. It's perfect. Or so they figure.

They figure wrong. Harry's former girlfriend, ex-topless dancer Joyce Patton, misses him a lot. Now she's sending her current boyfriend, Stetson-hatted federal marshal Raylan Givens, looking for Harry. And Raylan always gets his man. And in this case, he also gets his woman—the last person to see Harry, a sexy psychic named Dawn. Dawn may be clairvoyant, or she may be in on the kidnapping. Either way, she gives Raylan a lead, and he's hunting on Florida's 24-karat Gold Coast for three loco hombres∧ trying to bring Harry back alive& ... Read more

Product Description
A new mystery in the Bernie Rhodenbarr "Burglar" series finds Bernie in trouble financially and out on one last caper, during which he discovers a nude body and is suspected of stealing a valuable baseball card collection. Simultaneous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Extremely Involved Plot
While Lawrence Block has never shrunk from complexity, this story takes the cake.

Lawrence wants to be able to solve a "murder in a room locked from the inside" mystery and does so here.But there's more than just the mechanics in play.In this story, he also creates extraordinarily complex relationships and interrelationships for us, and uses Bernie to unravel each of these many complexities with some really tortured machinations.

Don't you just love it?I did...

Fast, fun, and breezy
You'd think Bernie Rhodenbarr would know better than to stop for mysterious, attractive young ladies who ask him to perform random burglaries, but that may just be his cross to bear. The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams is deeply enjoyable and endlessly amusing, a hugely pleasant read. Highly recommended.

Everyone knows everyone
Block ranks right up there with other writers who just know how to write (others include Ed McBain and Donald Westlake) .Dialogue and the ability to keep us needing to turn the page are the hallmarks of all of Block's works.Block sets up impossible to figure situations and manages to sort it all out.Be prepared for everything that happens to be somehow interconnected, I don't know how he does it.As Block puts it, "Coincidences are God's way of letting us know He is up there."Warning: try to read in no more than three sittings, you'll never keep it all straight.

The mystery is as addictive as Bernie's burgling
Not since Bilbo Baggins has a burglar been this engaging...how do you help the police solve a murder when you were at the scene of the crime committing larceny?And then you tried to trade the frozen Ted Williams.Just kidding.Remember when baseball cards came with bubblegum and mustard?Ah, the joys of Americana.Ah, the fun of a Lawrence Block mystery.A burglar with a bookstore?Hey since authors feel books rob them blind sometimes...speaking of authors, there's an interesting bit going through with Bernie Rhodenbarr's lesbian dog-groomer pal/sleuth Carolyn who thinks that Kinsey Millhone (Su Grafton's brainchild) is a lesbian.And there's a classy hint of lesbian romance in the air with the wife of one of the characters Bernie tangles with.Carolyn remarks, "I figure he'll be an easy act to follow."Block, however, isn't.

My favorite of the serise
Take a sarcastic on agian off agian burgler and add one lesoban dog gromer.For good measure also add a halfway honest cop and a cat named Raffels.What you get is a really fun serise of mystery books that will always hold a special place in your heart.

in this particular edition of the serise berny Rosenbar is doing all he can to resist the temtation of breaking and entering.When a new landlord rasies the price of the rent he really doesn't have a chocie, he wants to remian honest but he also wants to keep his store.

What you end up getting in the end is a great book with hilarious charecters.I recommend to all. ... Read more

Product Description
When a corrupt U.S. attorney general learns that the woman he had ordered killed a decade ago had escaped, he reissues the contract to silence her, but the innocent woman receives help from the original hitman and another with Mafia ties. Read by Joe Mantegna. Reissue. Book available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Plenty of suspense, action, and killing
"Deceptions" moves along rapidly, with some unpredictable moves and few pauses, with an interesting spin on crime and passion that involves the mob, the Justice Department, the CIA and even some artists. How often do you come across an artist who is also a hired gun? The two main male characters grew up together as Italian-Americans in New York, with their circle as youths including several others who appear during the book, including various mob figures. Both were promising artists, and one went on to a successful career as an artist, and one was successful in a significantly different line of work.

A couple of crimes from long ago form the hook for the plot, as people try to keep those crimes secret or exploit them to their advantage. One crime involves a key mob figure and the other a key government figure, hence the high stakes. Be ready for a steady stream of killing throughout the novel, including a high number of "good guys".

One weakness in my opinion was the development of Mary. She seemed just too over the top for my taste. Too gorgeous, too sensual, too wild of a background, etc. That's still a fairly minor comment, as many other characters were a bit exaggerated in their talents and emotions.

a real page turner...(how cliche!)
sex, violence, and deception\!I thought it was a great book. Passed iton to many friends who also enjoyed.I am looking forward to more titlesby this author!

A thriller from the first to the last page!
I was quite happy with this book almost as soon as I started reading it.By the second chapter I was hooked!An excellent read, it is fast pacedand once you think it's all over, something else happens that just keepsyou from putting it down!I look forward to reading Michael Weaver'sprevious book as well as anything he writes in the future.I recommendthis book to anyone who likes political thrillers, mobsters, sex andmystery!An excellent choice! ... Read more

Product Description
Advertising executive Marty English is on the fast track to success. His recent coup--a multi-million dollar deal to promote a pharmaceutical company's new herbal line--makes him a shoe-in to replace his firm's aging president. Unbeknownst to his friends and coworkers, Marty is also the estranged son of Chicago's most powerful Mafia Don. And when it turns out that Marty's new pharmaceutical "deal" also has implications for the mob and the CIA, as well as for the future of millions of dollars in a secret Swiss bank account, Marty becomes a hunted pawn in a world he thought he had left behind.Amazon.com Review
John Grisham meets Mario Puzo in this entertaining thriller by the godsonof a real-life Mob boss. Marty English (born Iglesia) is an ad whiz and sonof a Chicago gangster who finds himself entangled with the Mafia after hisfather, Tony Iglesia, is poisoned with a potent new drug that's cheaper,stronger, and easier to produce than cocaine. Was Tony killed because hewouldn't risk the wrath of his partners in the Colombian cartel by floodingthe market with the drug? The secret may lie in the computer disk thatarrives in the mail a few days after Tony dies, but Marty is too busy todecipher the mysterious glyph on the disk or track down his father'skillers. First he has to produce a 30-second commercial for a newclient--Arrow Pharmaceutical Company--in time for the Super Bowl, which isless than three weeks away. If he can pull it off, Arrow'smultimillion-dollar account will save his foundering ad agency andincidentally put himin line for the CEO's job. Nothing is more important--not the threats onMarty's life by men who've already killed once for the disk's secrets, notthe ultimatum issued by his girlfriend, a beautiful photojournalist who'sbeen pushing Marty for a commitment. The action builds to a breathtakingconclusion in the Belizean rainforest, where he's warned off by a Mayanshaman, pursued by the Mob, ensnared by a renegade CIA team, and seduced byArrow's beautiful marketing director. Lively and fast-paced, with enoughhigh-tech drama to enthrall fans of Robin Cook and Michael Crichton,30 Seconds delivers suspense and thrills enough forbig-screen treatment. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

This Mafia-CIA conspiracy story smacks of reality
T.S. Eliot once penned the memorable line: "Human kind cannot bear too much reality." Most of the current crop of action-fiction that I have read lately is merely far-fetched fantasy, and poorly written, at that. But "30 Seconds" is the real deal. I don't know how much of this story was really based on true life events, but I suspect that there was a very strong undercurrent of historical fact driving the authors. Most such books, people read as an escape mechanism, with the comforting sense of assurance that it's all just a made-up fantasy tale. But I put down "30 Seconds" with the inescapable feeling that the book contained more truth than fiction. While that realization might make some uncomfortable, it might make others more alert. I sincerely hope that the book accomplished the authors' intended purpose, which I suspect went far beyond just selling books. Salud.

Plenty of Action
This is an action packed and unique Mafia story worthy of the best writers of the genre.It's even more exciting when you know it's written by a couple with real-life family connections to the mob, Sam and Bettina Giancana.You see how someone's life can just get swept up in troubles and adventures... and romance... when you're busy making other plans.This book has it all and I agree with other reviewers - a great movie prospect!

Great book to be made into a movie.
i listened to the version of this book, and from the moment i started i could not stop it was a great story line with non stop action. All i want to know is where's the movie?

Drab and boring!
I couldn't manage any more than forty pages of this pathetically stuffy book.I consider myself a well read person and for me to give it only two stars should be telling your it's absolutely miserable.Reading thedialogue is like watching a bad adult video - and that's pretty bad!Istumbled upon this book by typing in the word 'assassins'.I recently readboth The Brotherhood of the Rose and The Covenant of the Flame, both byDavid Morrell and they were EXCELLENT.Those are books that make you wantto take a day off from work and finish - certainly not 30 Seconds.I'mreally sorry I wasted my money on this.Don't make the same mistake I did.

Exciting, fast pace, would make a great movie
Sam and Bettina are very creative writers.They can make a story come to life.This book holds your interest from beginning to end.The ending is great.I can't wait for the sequel.Don't miss this exciting read. ... Read more