Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Tom Wopat (born September 9, 1951) is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Luke Duke in the long-running 1979 television series The Dukes of Hazzard, along with John Schneider. He also played Jeff, one of Cybill Shepherd's ex-husbands in the TV series Cybill.Wopat was born in Lodi, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and made his television debut in the daytime drama One Life to Live; however, he achieved television fame in the popular long-running television series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985). ... Read more

Product Description

After six exciting thrillers in seven years, bestselling author James Grippando is at last bringing back the main character from his blockbuster debut novel, The Pardon.

Product Description

The plan is simple. A favor really. All Nick Travers, a former professional football player-turned professor, has to do is drive up Highway 61 from New Orleans to Memphis and track down the lost brother of one of his best friends. But as Travers knows, these simple jobs seldom turn out smoothly.

Customer Reviews (11)

Danger in Memphis
In this 3rd book in the Nick Travers series, Ace Atkins sends his blues historian to Memphis and incorporates a little soul into his series. One night while sitting in his long-time friend Jojo's bar, Jojo's wife Loretta drags Travers aside to ask him to find her brother for her. She had recently received a visit from a couple of men looking for him and wanted to make sure he was alright. However, the word was that her brother, broken down soul legend Clyde Jones had died recently in Memphis where he had been living as a homeless shell of a man. No one could confirm Clyde's death for him when Travers asked around, in fact, his questions made some people downright uncomfortable.

Meanwhile in Tunica a young woman by the name of Abby who is still trying to come to grips with the murder of her father and mother is being stalked by Perfect Leigh. Perfect works for Levi Ransom a member of the Dixie mafia and a very dangerous man. Abby is eventually captured and is in the process of being interrogated, none too gently, when Nick's path crosses hers in dramatic circumstances, immediately casting him as her knight in shining armor and Ransom's bitter enemy.

The story quickly progresses from a missing person's case to a fight for survival as Nick gets caught between the Dixie mafia and a white supremist group who call themselves the Sons of the South. Apart from a small continuity problem towards the end where we seemed to jump from scene to scene without any logical reason, this is another enthralling music-base mystery.

Ace Atkins is starting to make a habit of coming up with some very off-beat characters to play his villains, rather reminiscent of James W. Hall and his unique portrayal of rogues. In his previous book, LEAVIN' TRUNK BLUES, Atkins introduced us to Annie and Fannie, a couple of killer prostitutes with a love of Archie comics and, in Annie's case, a special relationship with her knife. Now, in DARK END OF THE STREET we get a hit man who is not only a devotee of Elvis Presley but who believes Elvis is a divine being. Although the man is obviously an efficient and remorseless killer it's rather difficult to take a man seriously when he's kneeling and praying to his higher being, Elvis Presley.

He has also done a terrific job of capturing the atmosphere of Memphis through the style of music Travers recalls, the bars he frequents on Beale Street and the house styles that are noted as he moves through the city. I enjoyed experiencing the feeling of visiting Memphis almost as much as the story around which the visit was based.

Blues Mystery Thriller III
This is the third novel in the adventures of Nick Travers, who is supposed to be teaching the history of the blues at Tulane University in New Orleans, but spends his time solving mysterious deaths linked to blues musicians instead.In this escapade, Loretta, Nick's sort of foster mother, asks Nick to locate her estranged brother Clyde James, a blues singer.Loretta lost track of Clyde when he degenerated and dropped out of sight after someone killed Clyde's wife and another musician.The murders are unsolved.

In addition to Loretta and her husband Jojo, Elvis worshiper and antagonist Jesse Garon, a.k.a. Jon Burrows, continue from Ace Atkins first novel.There are several new three-dimensional characters.Perfect Leigh is a beautiful, young, ex-beauty queen cum scam artist a la mistress auditioning for killer.Perfect is stalking Abby MacDonald, a tomboy who doesn't shave.Perfect works for Levi Ransom, the owner of the Magnolia Grand casino and member of the Biloxi mafia.In his search for Clyde, Travers goes to the Magnolia and, in the nick of time, saves Abby who is getting waxed by Perfect.Thereafter, the story gets complicated.

DARK END OF THE STREET has a complex array of interrelated subplots.It requires some leaps of faith and the ending, from around chapter sixty on, seems disjointed, as if the author were pressed by a deadline.Nevertheless, it's a good read.

Don't let your personal politics fool you...
Whether one is a dyed-in-the-wool Southern liberal like me or a conservative like my fellow reviewer from Savannah (see below), this book resonates. One should not let one's personal politics get in the way of recognizing that Atkins is one of the best thriller writers of his generation. Actually, if he continues to improve, he'll be one of the best writers of his generation, regardless of genre. To insinuate that he employs a "plastic construction of unbelievable characters" is absolutely ludicrous. The plot of Dark End of the Street is nuanced, its characters completely based in reality and richly realized.
Here in Mississippi, my friends at all ends of the political spectrum loved this book for its ability to bring our home to life, in all its wounded glory. In Dark End of the Street, I see the abiding love all Southerners, black or white, have for this region as well as the deep-rooted shame of slavery and racial oppression that still permeates the landscape.
Many people will never understand the dichotomy of the modern South. Ace Atkins does.
READ THIS BOOK.

complex
This mystery contains a nice complex mix of characters and
locales.The "detective" is a minor staffer at a major southern
university who is researching early blues performers, and one
of his friends and benefactors asks him to try to find her brother, who, a blues man himself, disappeared about 30 years
before.Since he has been gone so long, he is presumed dead,
but as Nick, the searcher, looks into that disappearance, he is
surprised, under unpleasant circumstances, to learn that others
are also looking for the same 30-year-missing man.
His search brings Nick into contact with other blues performers,
gamblers, politicians, and some unsavory characters in the employ of the "Dixie Mafia."
As the search goes deepr, and becomes more complex, the action
heats up, and the violence becomes more pronounced.
Rather puzzling, though, is Nick's love for the "Old South,"
which couldn't have been that good for many people, especially
the old-time musicians he listens to and admires, because of
racial segregation, but he conforts himself with thoughts and
visions of the "Old South," while he continues his search for
the present missing brother.
His search uncovers many unpleasant truths about both the past
and the present, and he is only able to keep alive due to luck
and the "help of a few friends."
The reader will be engaged by the need to follow 30 years of
southern social and music history, while Nick fights some of
the nastiest psychopaths in print today.
Interesting reading.

Unlikely characters and events
It is hard to believe that an investigative reporter that had done much real life investigating could picture a bailbondsman/bounty hunter as a co-hero rather than a real (low) life bloodsucker.It may fit, however, a "yellow dog" writer that blames all bias on "R's" and omits the likes of Robert Byrd, Lester Maddox, Jesse Jackson, etc.
If you enjoy plastic construction of unbelievable characters that are fit into an unlikely stream of events in a weak plot, this is just the novel for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Approx. 5 hours
3 cassettes
Read by Tom Wopat

Ryan wants just one thing: to be a cowboy--a working cowboy--on the large Saddlebow Ranch in Wyoming, where he and his family live.But Ryan's older brother Gil's involvement with the Mountain Patriots Association, a local militia group, places Ryan in the middle of unavoidable confrontation and disaster.As a consequence, Ryan learns what it really means to be a man, what it takes to build a good future, and how to find his place in a changing world.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Reviewof the book Walker's Crossing

Gerard
Walker's Crossing
By Phyllis.R.Naylor

Just imagine you being a 12 year old boy that has always wanted to be a cowboy for all of your life and then your dad rips your dream away from you and says since one the cowboys had did something illegal and accidentally hurt your father and he says that you are not allowed to be a cowboy cause of what happened.
Then when you think you're off the hook and will not get in to any trouble cause your dad has died your brother joins the C.P.F. the Cowboy Protective Force.

This kids name is Ryan Walker and he always wanted to be a cowboy when he grew up,
After a few weeks his father was in a accident with a cowboy and some of his friends got it to a fight and he got shot and was sent to the hospital. They got the bullet out of him and he got stitches.When he came home from the hospital and they asked what had happened to you? and dad answered I got shot by a cowboy and Ryan said no they wouldn't they couldn't, no then dad said yes they did and they got away with it and I don't want you to a cowboy ever then out yells Ryan noooooooooo why then dad says because of what they do and the way they act and that's the end of that now go to bed.


So if you want an adventure and mysteries book just go and pick up Walkers Crossing By Phyllis.R.Naylor

Walker's Crossing
Walker's Crossing was The best book I have Ever read. Usually when I read a book, I get bored and I don't finish the book. When I read Walker's Crossing, I read the book. I was very interested in the book. I used to want to be a cowboy when I was younger.When Lon Walker got hurt,I thought it was cool that Gil Walker and Ryan Walker helped out on the Ranch.If I was a girl, I would want to be a Junior Rodeo Queen too.Charlene never gave up.I learned alot about what cowboys really do on a Ranch.I urge everyone in the world to read Walker's Crossing. It's a great book.

Historical Fiction
"Walker's Crossing" is an excellent example of historical fiction as it brings to life the prejudicial views of the Ku Klux Klan and shows how prejudice affects a community.Ryan Walker is a seventh grade boy who lives on a ranch in rural Wyoming. All Ryan wants is to be a cowboy for Saddlebow Ranch, where his father is the foreman.Ryan's good-for-nothing 22-year old brother, Gil, becomes involved with the Mountain Patriots Association, a group formed to drive out all "minorities" from the area.

Ryan's best friend, Matt, becomes a junior member of the Patriots and starts spreading racial propoganda around their junior high school.Then a friend's father is killed in a helicopter crash caused by the Patriots, and Ryan tries to help his friend deal with the loss of his father.Ryan's brother, Gil, is put in jail.

Throughout the book, Ryan is described as being "too tall and too skinny", made fun of because of his appearance.This story uses prejudice and differences among people to explore how we find common ground and acceptance in order to build character.Ryan remains true to his friends, despite ridicule from others, and finds an inner strength he did not know he possessed.At the end of the story, he is offered that job at Saddlebow - and Ryan learns that honesty, integrity and trust win over hatred and ignorance.

A wonderful story for young people and adults alike.

Unique coming of age story set in contemporary America
I had purchased "Walker's Crossing" just prior to hearing Phyllis Reynolds Naylor speak at the Keene State College Children'sLiterature Festival.She spoke briefly about this particular book and Iglanced at the first chapter quickly!I was hooked!

The book takes youto a small ranch in Wyoming where you meet a junior high boy--Ryan--whodoesn't fit in at home and is the tallest boy at school by far.He isteased about his height and tongue-tied in front of girls.

To makematters worse Ryan's older brother Gil has become interested in apara-military hate organization run by one of Gil's new friends--Matt. Many of the boys in Ryan's class are impressed by this organization andcan't wait to be old enough to join.

Although Ryan's parents are not veryempathetic Ryan has mentors in the ranch hands who allow him to help themrun the ranch.Ryan is a real help and feels that ranch life is the onlylife for him.His father dismisses Ryan's desire--wishing instead that hisolder son Gil would becoome a rancher.

Even the adults in this book arevery confused about their feelings regarding Jewsimmigrants and anyonenot descendants of twelve northern European countries. An important book!! ... Read more

Product Description

These classic stories, taken directly from the text of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, will delight and inspire children before bedtime or on the go.

Product Description
When Dr Rennie Newton is summoned to jury duty, she brings to the courtroom the same degree of dedication and composure that she displays in the operating room. And it is this commitment to duty and precision that compels her to return a not guilty verdict in the trial of notorious killer, Ricky Lozada. But it might prove the most regrettable decision of her life ...When a rival colleague is brutally slain, Rennie is cast as prime suspect even though Lozada's menacing shadow looms over the murder. Not only does Lozada seem to be insinuating himself into every aspect of her life, but the police also seem intent on invading her privacy - particularly Wick Threadgill, an embittered detective with vengeance on his mind and a point to prove. As the stakes continue to rise, Rennie and Wick decide to forge an uneasy alliance - but what they both have yet to realise is that when the killer strikes, they won't see it coming ...Amazon.com Review
When Dr. Rennie Newton's jury duty on a case involving a contract killer ends in an acquittal for Ricky Lozada, her carefully composed and very private life begins to unravel. First, someone breaks into her house to leave her an anonymous dozen red roses. Then her colleague and one-time rival for the chief of surgery job is murdered in the parking lot of her hospital, which makes her a prime suspect, especially when the police learn that she's killed a man once before. None of that stops Detective Wick Threadgill from falling in love with her; unlike his partner, he's sure that Lozada, not Rennie, is behind Howell's murder. And it soon becomes clear that the killer is so obsessed with Rennie that he'll do anything to have her--including killing again. Brown, master of the romantic mystery, goes into darker territory here, but she handles it with her usual deftness and turns in a well-paced if not particularly heart-stopping thriller with the requisite happy ending for Rennie and Wick. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (87)

Sandra Brown in her usually excellent form
This is not the best of her books I've read, but it is interesting and keeps you wanting to go on to the next chapter.Sandra Brown is one of my favorite writers, this is one of her GOOD books.

The Crush
Received the CD in a very timely fashion.I have confirmed all CD's are within the case and assume they are not scratched (They've never been scratched before).

Quirky characters doing improbable things
This review is for the Grand Central Publishing (Hachette Book Group) paperback edition, reissued November 2008, 470 pages of story. THE CRUSH was on the USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling books list for 14 weeks between October 2002 and November 2008, reaching the peak position of 18. Sandra Brown has 48 novels on the USA Today best-seller list.

Dr. Rennie Newton is on the jury that acquits Ricky Lozada, a hit man who keeps getting away with murder. During the trial, Ricky constantly eyes the beautiful, never-married Rennie, a workaholic surgeon dedicated to saving lives. Soon after Lozada's release, he kills Rennie's colleague who had been recently appointed to chief of surgery, a position Rennie expected. Lozada did it because he has a crush on Rennie. The cops think Rennie hired him.

This is fast paced and suspenseful story overlaid with a romance novel formula. It's a good read for those who can tolerate a cast of quirky characters doing improbable things.

Not the best
I usually love Sandra Brown books but this one took me forever to get though.I didn't really care one way or the ohter about any of the characters.A very average book.

great suspense!
I love sandra brown novels. The crush is filled w suspense, romance, fear, murder,everythjing!!! Its a great read! ... Read more

Product Description

The Camel Club exists at the fringes of Washington, D.C., has no power, and consists solely of four eccentric members whom society has forgotten. One man leads this ragtag crew. He has no known past and has taken the name "Oliver Stone." Day and night, Stone and his friends study wild conspiracy theories and the machinations of government, hoping to discover some truth that will hold America's leaders accountable to its citizens. Yet never in Stone's wildest nightmares could he imagine the conspiracy they are about to uncover, in...


THE CAMEL CLUB: After witnessing a shocking murder, the Club is slammed headfirst into a plot that threatens the very security of the nation, full of stunning twists, high-stakes intrigue, and global gamesmanship rocketing to the Oval Office and beyond. It's an event that may well be the catalyst for a long-threatened Armageddon, and all that stands in the way of this apocalypse are these unexpected heroes.


THE COLLECTORS: Headquartered in a caretaker's cottage in Mt. Zion Cemetery, Oliver Stone discovers that someone is selling America to its enemies-one classified secret at a time. When Annabelle Conroy, the greatest con artist of her generation, struts onto the scene in high-heeled boots, the Camel Club gets a sexy new edge as the investigation of two chilling murders hurtles them into a world of espionage that threatens to bring America to its knees.


STONE COLD: One by one, men from Stone's shadowy past are turning up dead. To almost all who know him, Harry Finn is a doting father and loving husband who uses his skills behind the scenes to keep our nation safe. But the other face of Harry Finn is that of an unstoppable killer with his sights on Stone. As the Camel Club and Annabelle fight for their lives, the twists and turns whipsaw, leading to a finale that is as explosive as it is shattering.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Camel Club
I had read these three books previously and enjoyed them very much.They keep you right on the edge of your seat all the while reading/listening to them.I recently got married to a fellow who doesn't read much but does enjoy listening to books while we are traveling so I bought the set of 3 books so when we are on a trip we can listen to them.I am probably not really reviewing the books as they should be done but at the time I thought they were well written and David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors.I am also getting the 'Christmas Train' for him to listen to.

camel club CD;s
I had listened to the second of the three books before I discovered it was a series. I was excited to find this set, and was not disapointed.David Baldacci never fails to deliver a good story.

The Camel Club Audio Box Set
If you have the time, the unabridged version is far superior to this abridged version. Divine Justice completes the set, (for now anyway) and is also a great choice for David Baldacci fans. ... Read more

Product Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown, comes three riveting audiobooks in one special package.

THE SWITCH
Read by Jan Maxwell

Gillian Lloyd switches places with her identical twin sister, Melina. The next morning Gillain is found brutally butchered in her own bed. Determined to avenge the murder, Melina vows to stop at nothing to learn the truth. But soon she is on the run from police, the FBI, and the mastermind whose evil plot to engineer the perfect "switch" could result in disastrous consequences on a global scale.

ENVY
Read by Victor Slezak

Book editor Maris Matherly-Reed receives a tantalizing partial manuscript submitted by a writer identified only as P.M.E. Curiosity compels her to track down the author, Parker Evans, and work with him to complete the novel. But as the story unfolds, Maris becomes convinced it is more than just fiction. When someone close to her dies, the presence of evil looms even closer...

THE CRUSH
Read by Tom Wopat

While serving as a juror on a high-profile murder trial, Dr. Rennie Newton finds herself defending the inalienable rights of the accused -- even though there is considerable evidence of his guilt. When she arrives home, five dozen roses ominously await her. As she becomes the obsession of Lozada -- the accused murderer she helped acquit -- Rennie is drawn into a ferocious endgame with an embittered cop who wants Lozada -- by any means necessary. ... Read more

Product Description

After six exciting thrillers in seven years, bestselling author James Grippando is at last bringing back the main character from his blockbuster debut novel, The Pardon.

Miami lawyer Jack Swyteck is in trouble. With more than a decade of experience in the criminal courts, Jack doesn't handle many civil cases. But this one is different. His ex-girlfriend is being sued because she thought she was going to die.

When Jessie Merrill was diagnosed with a deadly disease, she worked a deal with an insurance company to get cash fast. In exchange, a group of wealthy investors were supposed to collect on the policy at her death. But Jessie was misdiagnosed, and the investors want their money back. Now.

At the trial, Jack pulls off a brilliant victory and Jessie gets to keep the $1.5 million from the investors. Two days later, her body turns up in Jack's bathtub. As the evidence mounts against him, Jack finds himself on a collision course with dark secrets from the past and a possible killer who is beyond suspicion.

Customer Reviews (37)

Obvious and Not 'Beyond Suspicion"
I recall after struggling through Grippando's first book, "The Pardon," I swore I'd never read him again, but when I saw this in a used book store it occurred to me he had probably improved, so my mistake was giving him another try.Granted this is not one of his latest, however, it tells of a lawyer who defends an old girlfriend and wins the case (not a spoiler).Then he discovers a lot of negatives about her and is also dealing with a wife who has horrible nightmares (which to me explained a situation which happend in her early years, but we're not supposed to 'get it.')The plot moves along in what I would call a leaden fashion and the focus is on the wife Cindy who is totally messed up and the husband/lawyer is always comforting her.Cue the violins.Enter more characters, Russian mafia, undercover snitch and all that.Getting towards the end I felt so much time had been devoted I was durned if I wasn't going to finish the thing.I didn't really care about any of the characters by then but at least it ended.Oh and the author tries to inject some humor but fails at that also.He is no Paul Levine or David Rosenfelt - who is hilarious!

Be warned.I am amzed at all the complimentary comments attributed to other authors and to newspapers.I guess authors have to do it to satisfy their publishers?

i liked it
i don't read much, but this book kept me very interested (which is rare for a book, i usually get bored too quickly)

Well done thriller
I think James Grippando delivers just as suspenseful novels as John Grisham, though he does not have the same fame and popularity. His protagonist criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor Jack Swytek finds himself accused of murdering his former girlfriend and being targeted for murder himself after he discovers that he inadvertently helped her scam the Russian mafia in a viatical settlement case. At the same time he finds his marriage on the rocks because his wife Cindy has a lot of deep seated problems that surface after the murder of his ex-girlfriend.

Contrary to some of the negative reviews, I thought that the plot was carefully developed, the twists were plausible, the suspense and mystery never let up (particularly the ending), and the action was nonstop. This novel will not only keep you entertained, but will also keep you guessing. It is a very enjoyable read. Don't be discouraged by the negative reviews from reading it.

New Author For Me
I just discovered Grippando and am very glad that I did.I really liked this book and I can say as a lawyer that his characterization of legal issues is much better (more realistic) than most writers in the genre.

I won't downgrade the book for this, but I must point out:I have since read several more Grippano books and there are entire passages that seem "blocked and copied" from previous books.He likes to make fun of the work "interesting" for example, and uses the same device in several books to make his point.He also uses gratuitous references to pop culture.I get them (because of my age bracket), but it really is a lazy way to evoke a mood and will ultimately "date" his writing.

Anyway, very enjoyable.

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "BETTING ON DEATH... THEN DEALING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DECK!"

Jack Swyteck is a Miami criminal lawyer... the son of the former Governor of Florida... and is married to Cindy... who still has nightmares... after having been raped by one of Jack's former clients. The "trigger-effect" of this entire fast-paced enjoyable thriller, is when Jack's former girl friend Jessie Merrill comes back into his life as a client. Jessie... sensual... as well as conniving... was first diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) which meant sure death... and then the diagnosis was changed by Dr. Marsh to lead poisoning. When under the diagnosis of ALS... Jesse got involved with a Viatical company... which specializes in contractual arrangements in which a business buys life insurance policies from terminally ill patients for a percentage of the face value. Jessie collected one-million-five-hundred-thousand-dollars in advance against her three-million-dollar life insurance policy. When Jessie miraculously is re-diagnosed with a non-fatal illness... she is sued by the Viatical company... hence Jack's defense. Seven years earlier Jessie had dumped Jack, but when she came calling, Jack's wife Cindy felt sorry for the "dying" Jessie... and gave Jack the okay to defend her... putting jealousies aside.

When Jack wins the lawsuit all hell breaks loose... it turns out the "money" behind the Viatical company comes from some very bad men. Jessie winds up dead in Jack's bathtub... Jack's indicted for murder... and we have a pulse-pounding thriller that includes the Russian Mafia... blood being drained from dead bodies... AIDS infected blood being sold... undercover informants... scary "crunching" sounds in the leaves... and more. The author deftly keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout... and Theo Knight six-foot-five-inch-two-hundred-fifty-pound former death rowinmate that Jack saved from execution in his first book "THE PARDON" has a great supporting role as friend... wise-cracking-sidekick... and muscle. This is the third James Grippando book I've read ("The Pardon and "Last Call") and it is by far the most complete and action packed from start to finish.
... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Rennie Newton is summoned to jury duty, and delivers a not guilty verdict in the murder case against notorious contract killer Ricky Lozada. It will be the most regrettable decision of her life, because Rennie's trial with Lozada doesn't end with his acquittal. ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Rennie Newton is summoned to jury duty, and delivers a not guilty verdict in the murder case against notorious contract killer Ricky Lozada. It will be the most regrettable decision of her life, because Rennie's trial with Lozada doesn't end with his acquittal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Crush
When a colleague is killed, Dr. Rennie Newton is shocked to find out it was a deliberate precision killing. Gossip starts to fly when it is disclosed that she and the deceased doctor were in line for the same job and fought often. Rennie's situation gets a lot worse when she finds out the man suspected of the recent death is none other than Ricky Lozada. She recently served on the jury at his trial.

Wick Threadgill is on leave from the Fort Worth police force. He has been accused of losing perspective after the death of his brother Joe. It is assumed that Ricky also committed this murder. His partner Oren has asked him to come and discretely watch Rennie because Oren is convinced she is the key to finding Ricky.

Wick determines early on that Rennie is innocent. As he gets closer to her, they find themselves unable to deny the attraction between them. When Wick realizes that Ricky has an attachment to Rennie, he will do anything to protect her.

This is one of my favorite books by SB. Ricky is one of the creepiest killers I have ever read. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I also liked Rennie and Wick. They had chemistry overload! ... Read more

Product Description

A deadly tide poisons ocean waters... a ghost ship drifts empty in the calm open sea... a Soviet luxury liner explodes into flames. The ocean's secrets hide a sinister conspiracy -- and the tide of terror comes crashing home when the U.S. President disappears from his yacht. As the fate of the U.S. government hangs in the balance, Dirk Pitt must face down a vicious Asian shipping cartel -- and seize one desperate moment of revenge! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Before 9/11
Yes, this book was before 9/11!Yet, within this book the twin towers has a force of evil lurking within the building!!

If you have not read this book within the whole Dirk Pitt series of books (somehow I missed it until now!!The only one!!) it is a must read, just to bring the twin towers back up again!!

I would recommend this book for first time Cussler readers as well as Cussler lovers who, like me, maybe, missed this one!!

Buy it and you will agree with me!Twenty seven stars - is that within the rating system??Well it should be!!=:)

Dirk Pitt vs. the Manchurian Candidate
THE LOWDOWN: Everyone's favorite ultra-cocky adventure hero is back, and this particular adventure is a highly political one. Involving high tech science, decades-old mysteries, political kidnappings, nefarious Russian and Korean villains, and a band of hardcore civil war re-enactment troops, this novel is where I believe Cussler really began to hit his stride, with books like Cyclops, Treasure, and Inca Gold coming after.

THE PLOT: Dirk Pitt's latest love interest dies while she and Pitt are exploring a shipwreck that happens to be leaking an ungodly man-made poison. As he searches for the Korean masterminds responsible for attempting to ship the poison, he gets pulled into another one of their schemes, involving the abduction of America's leaders and a diabolical Soviet plot to control their minds.

THE PROS: In a word, "fun." This book is fun. It features one of the boldest plots to date, even if it does borrow from the "Manchurian Candidate" a little bit. The "mind control" process described in the book seems like science fiction, but I think that extra bit of wierdness makes the book that much more appealing. The villain is one of my favorite of Cussler's creations: a diabolical old Korean lady in a wheelchair who is much deadlier than you'd think, and the climax of the novel is equally off the wall, involving a Confederate riverboat chasing a barge full of Korean mercenaries downriver. The subplot involving the possibility of a political weasel suddenly being next in line for the Presidency if Pitt failed was also an interesting touch.

THE CONS: The major issue with this book is probably the "Yellow Peril" syndrome that it seems to be suffering from. Most of the villains are either Korean or Russian (granted, this was written during the Cold War, but still...) and all of the heroes are white Americans. The politics tend to bog this novel down a bit too, spending a bit too much time on the political fallout of the plot and not enough on Pitt, causing half the book to go by before the action really starts up.

Dirk begins to grow up
One of Clive's most complex story lines. It is a good read. Dirk's character is still not too good, but it's very entertaining.

Great story
Clive Cussler can really spin a great tale.I wouldn't miss any of his books.

Hell yeah Clive!
I am a huge clive cussler fan and while I could not figure out what the plot for this one was going to be, the story itself is amazingly intricate. i was in awe of the things the Dirk and Al had to accomplish in this one. You will enjoy, I promise you that. ... Read more

Product Description

The journals of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark remain the single most important document in the history of American exploration. Through these tales of adventure, edited by American Book Award nominee Landon Jones, we see the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and western rivers the way Lewis and Clark first observed them -- majestic, pristine, uncharted, and awe-inspiring.

Landon Jones has selected the most memorable journal entries left behind by Lewis and Clark, and edited them for all readers -- those steeped in the lore of the expedition, as well as newcomers to the unforgettable journey.

Customer Reviews (6)

The Essential Lewis and Clark
Book came in great condition in a matter of just a few days.I was pleasantly surprised.Haven't been able to get it read yet so don't have any opinion at this time on the content.

I recieved this item folded in half..
The book itself is good, but I wasn't sure if this is a review of the sender as well. If so, the book I recieved was folded. The sender said that the book was new but if it's folded and damaged that doesn't mean it's new...

Clark Heals the Natives while Lewis become suicidal
Landon Jones has extracted the most essential parts of the Lewis and Clark Diaries.This is good news for us, as the diaries are incredibly long, hard to read, and focused on detailed accounts of botany, geography, meteorology, and other requests of President Jefferson.

We hear about a full range of relations with the natives.Generally the Indians traded fairly and were helpful to our heroes. In the west, this was less the case, Lewis & Clark only survived a few encounters due to the credible threat of their US Army issued superior firepower. Our heroes also relate everything else that happened, fortunately Clark was an experienced medical man, familiar with treating social diseases common on the frontier.

Regarding their diet, I dont even like eating pork, yet these hardy figures subsisted on dog and horse.They had their lucky days when bear, deer, and salmon were handy, but more often then not, it was a dinner of roots and less desirable meats.

Lewis penned a letter to Jefferson upon the return to St. Louis. He was a bit optomistic in saying that the transcontinental route was a competitor to established water routes. That was not true for another 60 years until the railroads were built.

This is a fun book to read, even better to listen to.

You Are There
This review refers to the Unabridged Audio Cassette edtion of "The Essential Lewis and Clark" Landon Y. Jones, editor

These selections from the journals of Captains Lewis and Clarkduring their explorations in the early 1800's is not the complete text of their writings, but after 6 hours of listening you will come away with more then 'essential ' knowledge of what took place. The selections will take you the entire distance of this important and historical journey, and you will feel like you are part of it. Read by two great voices, Peter Friedman ("Brooklyn Bridge"), and Tom Wopat ("The Dukes of Hazzard"), each giving the Captains very individual and wonderful voices, and making it easy to know who's journals you are listening to.

Through the rivers and mountains, the Great Plains, you are there with them. It's not only an important piece of American History, but great adventures to get caught up in every step of the way, as they navigate unknown and untried routes, meet with native Americans, friendly and unfriendly, fight the elements, wild animals and mosquitoes that nearly ate them alive. So many adventurous episodes to savor in their words. They named the rivers, carved routes for the future, at times facing danger and hunger. I especially enjoyed hearing of their meetings and relations with the various tribes of Indians.

The selections read are unabridged and their every thought captured for us to savor. I found Lewis's writings to be veryanimated and lengthy detailed accounts of the journey. Clark's seemed more abbreviated, but, to the point. Both put you right there with them and are eloquently written. Exciting and adventurous as they are an important and treasured part of American History. There is also a narrator to set the scenes and follow the path.

Highly recommended not only for history buffs, but for those studying this part of American History in school.If I had had this audio edition 40 years ago in History class, I certainly would have paid more attention! The journals can't help but spark your interest. It is great for adventure story lovers.
There are 4 two sided cassettes with excellent sound quality.

For those looking for more explorations of the sea,check out:South a Memoir of the Endurance Voyage
also recommended:
The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty

Enjoy the read... I did...Laurie

If this were a movie you'd say it's a good story but...
... but the events described in the journals actually happened, and they are fascinating! Their means of travel, of survival, of communicating with the Indians, of hunting game and chasing and being chased by bears -- all described in such detail that you can easily picture it. In addition to being adventurers, these men were romantics and intellectuals. It is no wonder that once their journals reached the east, people started coming west in droves to see the beautiful lands and abundant game they described. The CDs are great for a long drive or the daily commute. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

mandatory reading for testosterone laden males
this should be on the mandatory readig list for all males- sure to make for "at least" a more sensitive husband! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

really good theme and moving issue
The woman reading the part of Carrie sounded so pathetic, simpering, and vapid as to detract from any real strength this character may have had.
I loved the sympathetic theme of the soldiers' bodies, brave men who died in battle, it was incredibly moving. The hospital situation was also very compelling. Zaccariah's character was rather vague. Actually all the characters' personalities were a little empty for me. but I really did enjoy the book and its sympathetic message. I loved the photos on disc 5 of Carnton plantation and intend to find out more about this amazing legacy. ... Read more