Product Description
A series of books designed to help the reader get more out of their chosen sport or game. Suitable for the active participant and passive enthusiast. Each book is packed with information, photographs and illustrations to explain the core skills, tactics and rules of the game. ... Read more

Product Description
After Jewel and Eoin have fled from their native Slievmordhu to the kingdom of Narngalis, they encounter many dangerous situations which ultimately leave Eoin in the hands of the deadly unseelie wights. With nowhere else to go Jewel finds refuge amongst the plateau-dwellers at High Darioneth. Teeming with siofra, trows and other eldritch wights their land is under the tight rule of the weathermasters and Storm Lord Avalloc, who have the power to tame and summon the winds ...When Jewel learns that the legendary Dome of Strang is no longer guarded, she decides to continue her journey to Orielthir to unravel the mystery of the hidden stronghold and with it the truth about her father's legacy. Her discoveries lead her on further quests, accompanied by a handsome young weathermaster who has secretly fallen in love with Jewel. Together they encounter marvels and misfortunes and discover that the key to all their riddles ultimately lies with the extraordinary Well of Tears ... ... Read more

Product Description
A pretty young woman's heart lies in pieces, as her dashing young lieutenant leaves for the continent. When he returns years later, he seems to still adore her, although he is certainly worshiping her from afar as his eccentric sister meddles in their affairs. A grand dance will become the final proving ground, as she must deal with another handsome rake smitten by her charms. And through it all, Cupid readies one last arrow to break--or heal--two hearts! A Regency romance original. . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not much more than a teaser for Book 3
I haven't been able to read the first book in this series by Harbaugh,though I've read summaries and, of course, there are clues in this book asto what happened, so I don't feel too lost. With Cupid's Darts, though, Ihave to say that I agree with some of the other reviewers here. Kenneth andAimee - and the anti-hero, Francis - held little interest for me. It wasPsyche and Harry who provided all the humour and interest, and I reallyfelt as if I was just skimming this book in order to allow me to get on toPsyche's story.

This is disappointing, because I usually rate Harbaugh'sbooks much more highly. I do feel that I'll be rating the final book in thetrilogy higher, though!

Utterly pointless
While I was totally enchanted with Cupid and Psyche, I could not care less about the title characters: Aimee and... what's his name again? The book does contain some amusing scenes, but I would have rather seen moreCupid/Psyche romance.

Unforgettable
Good characters, interesting plot..I hope she writes a sequel..cupid as one of the characters is very ingenious, hilarious - a keeper!

Great book!
Ms. Harbaugh is a very original writer. She has written a great fantasy Regency with Cupid/Eros as one of the characters in the book and the source of the conflict. The story has humor and pathos and a lot of wonderful plot complications. Bravo! ... Read more

Product Description
Patricia Dawson's idyllic life is suddenly thrust into a hellish nightmare that will not only redesign her life forever, but that of her husband, Roger. Becoming an unsuspecting victim of circumstance, she is abducted and left for dead.
Despite the arduous task of overcoming the complete loss of her memory and the demonic fallout from her near fatal attack, she manages to rebuild a new life with new friends and falls in love with the man who saves her.
But when two other people's lives are threatened, her attempt to help them, places her in harm's way as she crosses paths with her own assailant. As she unearths truths about her past life and that of her new lover, the explosive events challenge her core beliefs, and her very sanity. Will she be able to find the inner strength she'll need to mentally survive this evil for the second time around, or will death that she cheated the first time, finally claim her life?

So entertained was she by popular fiction, particularly mysteries and suspense, Patricia began, almost unconsciously, to plot the outline for a thriller of her own. Sustained by self-determination and the promise to her brother, Bob, to bring her idea to fruition, Patricia developed her budding story into her debut novel, Blow Dart.
Author Biography by Sandra Smiley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Can't wait for the sequel!
ASIN:1608443140 Blow Dart: The Abduction]]

Imagine your wife being kidnapped seconds before you get there.Imagine having no clue why anyone would kidnap her.Imagine not having any ransom demands.Imagine finding out that she is not the only woman this man has kidnapped, and that he has tortured his other victims.Imagine that you are a police officer on top of all that!

If you can't put yourself in his place, imagine that you are a woman waking up in a strange hospital, with no memory of who you are or how you got there.The only person who has any clue as to what happened to you is the kind, handsome SINGLE doctor who found you near-dead in the woods, who doesn't want to give details about the injuries you've sustained or the probable causes.

Ms. Gayle takes horrifying themes and turns them into a gripping story of triumph. Far from being predictable, the twists and turns will keep you wrapped up in the story to the very last sentence.

Not a bad story for a first time author.....
I just had the pleasure of reading Blow Dart: The Abduction by Patricia Gayle.Having read many mystery novels, I felt that this story was pretty good given the fact that this is Ms. Gayle's first novel.What would make it better? In my opinion (and others may disagree), I wished that the dialogue was stronger, particularly given the scenes that Ms. Gayle was describing.In fact, I felt at times that she was ready to do so, but for some reason held back for the audience, which I think is a common fear amongst many new authors (ie: what would Grandma say if she read this quote?).When the dialogue was weaker, I felt as though I was reading about something that would happen in an afternoon soap opera as opposed to the "9:00pm-wait for the kids to go to sleep" movie. That type of story may appeal of course to many others, so I do want to point that out for those readers.

So in a nutshell, a pretty good underlying story.It did not take me long to read it at all.Keep writing, Ms. Gayle!

J.R. Reardon
author, Confidential Communicationsand Dishonored

"BLOW DART: THE ABDUCTION" IS BESTSELLER MATERIAL
Patricia Dawson is one of those characters a reader remembers all their days.She has spunk, kindness, beauty, intelligence and she is relentlessly brilliant under the greatest duress.Angela on the other hand is like a Patricia Dawson with innate experience and fearless tenacity.Yet all the the characters, from the noble Roger and Sam, to the putrid Bradley Forrester make this the incredible suspense novel it is: in fact every character is memorable, relevant, and provide ingenious, entertaining dialogue and express themselves through grievous circumstances and unimaginable pain, in this action-oriented, plot-driven masterpiece.

Patricia Gayle, has not only authored a phenomenal tale that stretches the range of the readers emotions in believable fashion through uncanny, remarkable events but has etched her name into the classics of all time as her career as a serious talented writer is established through this novel and I look forward to either a series with Trish Dawson and/or other exciting suspenseful creations from Ms. Gayle.

Once in a while an author surfaces born to write their genre... born to write for the masses.Patrica Gayle is that caliber an author.

Universal Enzyme Part I

In a word... brilliant!!
In a word, brilliant! I am a fast reader when I'm interested in a book but my pace is faster when the book is extremely good. I finished this book which shall now be classified as one of my favorite books, in only a day and a half! This book is a fast paced thriller that grabs your attention from the first page never letting go until the very last word. My anticipation for the next one was heightened after reading the epilogue. Ms. Gayle leaves readers thirsty for more!

Patricia Dawson is an extremely good friend and because of that she is thrust into a position she does not deserve to be in. She is happily married and innocently offers relationship advice to two of her closest friends. As a result, she ends up fighting for her life as well as that of her best friend. Patricia is left in the woods barely alive and is rescued by a man that she eventually falls in love with.

Ms. Gayle's amazing storytelling ability allowed me to feel a range of emotions that mirrored those that Patricia felt-- fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, rage-- toward her captor. In addition, I was pulled so deeply into the story that I also felt anger towards her rescuer for allowing her to continue to forget her past. His selfishness mirrored that of the murderer/captor although he was the hero for bringing her to safety after finding her initially. I know the story would've been extremely short if the author didn't allow this to happen but his behavior angered me just the same.

Without telling the story I must say from start to finish, Ms. Gayle captured my attention providing twists and turns that left me astonished. Each time I thought I knew what was going happen the story took another turn. Each scene more vivid than the next, I felt like I was there when each person was fighting for their life or running to safety. I was clearly able to see the black van, its license plate and smell the sweat of the captor and basement. It is hard to believe that this is Ms. Gayle's first book. I look forward to reading her next book and liken her work to that of one of my favorite authors--Patricia Cornwell.

Well done and I eagerly await the next masterpiece!

Captivating you won't be able to put this book down.....
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!It was amazing.The book was interesting and kept me quessing the whole time.The final line just blew me away.I can't wait until the next one is published. Awesome!!I can't say it enough.Great work!If you like suspense this book is for you.You won't be able to put it down. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful read
This is a GREAT book and so poetic, I am so glad I read it! She is a wonderful author who pulls your right in.

Lovely...
I found this to be a lovely story. The writing reminds me of something you would find in an Emily Bronte novel. For those who love the old classics, this is a book to read.

Preachy and Pretentious
I'm very fond of Cecilia Dart-Thornton and find her descriptive prose most evocative and lyrical.However, I also appreciate that she is not entirely to everyone's tastes.Her language is very eloquent and flowery - she never uses a plain word when she can use something more elaborate.Whilst this makes her world a rich and engaging place to visit, it does mean that you may be required to keep a dictionary near by!I have enjoyed this, and her detail-rich folklore in previous books and enjoyed it in this one.However, because of the nature of the language, the speeches of the characters come across as particularly pretentious and stilted, not quite ringing true.

What I did not enjoy, however, was the fact that Dart-Thornton was clearly using this particular book to try and force her views of animal rights down the reader's throat.Now, please understand, I myself are an avid supporter of animal rights, believing that they should be treated humanely and with compassion.It just felt very much to me like this book was acting more as a soapbox for the author to preach to her audience.I prefer such preaching to be rather more subtle, but was instead left feeling guilty for not being a vegetarian.This rather darkened my enjoyment.Perhaps this is what the author is seeking to achieve.

Still, save for this little bugbear, I found this a rich and enticing read, with colourful characters (particularly the urisk) and whilst it does act somewhat as a "bridge" style novel (obviously spanning the way to something more), it still proved a pleasurable read.

coming of age fantasy
Asrathiel was born into a family that has known much tragedy.As a young girl, her mother slipped into an enchanted sleep unable to awaken.Her father left her in the care of his father to journey to the uncharted lands to find a way to break the spell.Rich in weather magic known as bri, Asrathiel is the youngest at nineteen to become a weathermage.She feels set apart from the rest of humanity because she is immortal and invulnerable.She wants to travel to distant lands and wield the pure magic sword Fallowblade that is her birthright though not all of its properties are known.

She accepts a posting as a weathermage at King's Winterboune where weathermasters are still respected.The king of Slievmordhu Uabhar wants to be high king of Tir and he sees the weather masters as an impediment to his ambition.He has several people spreading lies about them to the population and many turn against him.When Asrathiel meets with him she doesn't trust him but she has no idea that he is about to plunge the world into civil war or has an ultimate plan for her and her colleagues.

WEATHERWITCH feels likes an in betweeners book that is setting the stage for the last novel in the Crowthistle Chronicles.In many ways it is a coming of age tale as the heroine must decide what she wants as she outgrows her girlhood dreams yet yearns for something even she isn't sure of what it is.There are some cute scenes between the protagonist and the urisk, a seelie being of magic that attaches himself to her and vexes her as he well as amuses her and shares her immortality.There are many sub-plots left dangling which will hopefully be answered in Fallowblade.

Harriet Klausner

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Useful but short
Thus far, it has been a useful companion, and it has the basics down fairly well. It covers all major subjects and their subsections, from engine to body. It has basic fault diagnostics, and service recommendations. I've yet to find false information or bad advice. Note however, there are illustrations that do not represent the whole range of cars this manual covers. They're correct for some, wrong for others.

That being said, it is a little short, and is missing information on certain parts. I've been restoring and fixing classic cars for years, so I like to think I know what I'm doing (don't we all). What I need is more detailed information on this particular car, and less of the general information. This book provides a good balance of both, but along with its length, it does tend to fall a bit short on the details. That's when you turn to the factory issued shop manuals.

This book is a valuable asset to anyone who owns one of thes
This book is a valuable asset to anyone who owns one of these cars becouse of the info on the 6 cylinder engines.Info on 8 cylinder mopars is easy to find, but this book gives you all the specs and info on the 225s. Myonly complaint about this book is that it does not go in depth on thelittle 1 barrel Holley and Carter carburator in these cars, but Haynes alsohas a book covering the complete rebuild of the Holleys that is alsoaplicable to the Carters. This book stays beside my tool box when I amworking on my Valiant.

Good but too specific
This book is very valuable for who own or make repairs on those cars, but regarding engines it just mentions the 6-cyl units, forgetting the small0block and the big-block Darts. Onm the rest the book is good. ... Read more

Product Description
When John desires Mary or Mary desires John, what does either of them want? What is meant by innocence, passion, love and arousal, desire, perversion and shame? These are just a few of the questions Roger Scruton addresses in this thought-provoking intellectual adventure. Beginning from purely philosophical premises, and ranging over human life, art and institutions, he surveys the entire field of sexuality; equally dissatisfied with puritanism and permissiveness, he argues for a radical break with recent theories. Upholding traditional morality - though in terms that may shock many of its practitioners - his argument gravitates to that which is candid, serene and consoling in the experience of sexual love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Potentially Ground-Breaking Study of Mark
This title is for those who take a serious, learned interest in the gospels. Long considered the simplest of the gospels, Mark may actually be the most subtle - and artful - of the four. The key to Mark is the chiasms, mirror-like patterns that tend to bracket certain scenes and events, a long-forgotten practice that was common in the Classical world. The odd repetitions and confusing syntax in Mark, often seen as a product of the author's poor Greek, are actually hints to the chiastic code. Through Mr. Dart's careful research of chiasms in Mark, he reaches several startling conclusions.

First, the entire gospel is built of multiple chiastic patterns, in a way that brackets the gospel's pivotal themes. Second, the so-called "Lost Gospel of Mark," sometimes seen as a later (and suppressed) addition, was actually a key element of the original gospel, a point which Mr. Dart contends is proven within the gospel's chiastic patterns. Third, Mark had an agenda to diminish the role of Jesus's family and the traditional apostles.

The conclusion, as best I can deduce it, is that Mark deliberately shifted the theme of Jesus's teachings beyond the established hieararchy of the "Jesus Movement" within Judaism toward the universality that became Christianity. The author disputes the homoerotic connotations often associated with the Secret Gospel of Mark, contending that the scene in question suggests a long-lost ritual quest for oneness, and that the scene may have been Mark's fictional creation anyway.

If you see your faith as a quest for deeper meaning, if you can live with the "open door" of doubt, and if you just can't resist a deeply compelling mystery right at the core of western culture's deepest foundations, then this book is for you. I give it four stars rather than five because I believe the author put too much emphasis on specific chiastic patterns and too little on the ultimate meaning of his findings. Still, this title may ultimately prove revolutionary in answering some of Christianity's deepest questions.

Decoding Mark -The Truth & Proof About The Secret Gospel of Mark
Utilizing the little-known presence of word Puzzle-like mosaics called "chiasms," nationally recognized author John Dart painstakingly reconstructs Mark's Gospel in his recent book entitled 'Decoding Mark', showing exactly how the previously removed and concealed sections of the `Secret Gospel' indubitably belong in the original, and identifying sections that were added by a later editor (redactor). Any noteworthy biblical researcher worth their salt should recognize the peculiar presence of an ancient writing device called "chiasms", and educated scholars have proposed a few dozen in the Gospel of Mark alone.

However, veteran commentator John Dart, a popular interpreter of biblical research and word-puzzle militant, reports that Mark contains within its encrypted pages more than 150 chiastic patterns, large and small! The bigger shock is that this concentric mosaic word matrix prove, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the barely clothed beloved young man affair from the Secret Gospel of Mark discovered by Professor Morton Smith at Mar Saba Monastery in 1958, was indeed a part of the original Gospel of Mark! Another hidden key to the Kingdom presented in Decoding Mark is an editor who deleted the original story and inserted a miracle-laden section that 'Luke' never saw. The Secret Gospel reveals the critically important lost testimonial role played by this rich young man, beloved by Jesus, as the foremost interior joint-hero -along with the risen Christ- of the original narrative core of the Gospel of Mark. This book will lead its readers into the Innermost Sanctuary itself of that Truth, which lays veiled beneath Seven. An absolute must read for any scholar on the Golden Path that leads to lifting the veil of the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved.

And he says to me, "Write: Happy are they who have been called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb" ...These are the true words of God.

The Greatest Story Never Told! This book hints of a very controversial story of a long-lost disciple loved by Jesus who stays with him for six days,and on the evening of the seventh day: the young man comes to Him wearing nothing but a linen veil over his naked body for an all-night ceremonial rite where Jesus teaches him the Secret Mystery of the Kingdom of God. Dart's book details how this is by far an integral part to the original version of the Gospel of Mark.


Author John Dart (Los Angeles Times, Christian Century), is a popular interpreter of biblical research and incorporates his intrinsic bible-decoding skills astonishingly making a solidified case that the ancient writing device known as 'chiasmus' sets the hacked story neatly back into the earliest version of the oldest biblical gospel, where it comes to rest... beautifully illuminating a rather evocative account of Jesus and a young man.

Moreover, when placed back in Mark 10:46a: "Then they come to Jericho," and 10:46b: "As he was leaving Jericho..." the place where Clement of Alexandria indicates these secret fragments occured, it fills a well-known lacuna in the Markan narrative.

This young man seems to play a rather important, yet veiled, role in Mark. Most notably, his reappearance in the empty tomb announcing 'He is not here, He has risen!'(Mk 16:5)suggest that this secret story of this young man's own ressurection served to foreshadow Jesus'.

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says:
'His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a Rich Man in His death, Because he had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in his mouth' [Is.53:9]....but that all the Writings may be fulfilled:
"And having left Him they all fled; and a certain young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his naked body, and the young men lay hold on him, and he, having left the cloth behind, did flee from them naked."
[Mark 14:50-52] Only to return and follow the Lamb wherever He goes [Rev. 14:4]. Thus, Simon Peter was following Jesus, and another disciple[Jon 18:15]. Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following; the one who laying back on His bosom at the Supper and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" [Jon. 21:20]

Jesus said, "Recognize what is in front of your face, and that which is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. For there is nothing hidden that won't be revealed, and nothing buried that will not be raised, and there is nothing covered up that will remain unexposed." [GrGospThom 5:1-2; 6:5-6]

The beginning of the Knowledge of the Truth is to Marvel at what is already present, laying this down as the first step toward the Knowledge of the Secret things beyond. This book is crucial proof that 'the Secret Gospel' is NOT a hoax, and never was. Among good scholars, the debates the late Professor Morton Smith's research has initiated are just 'the top of the Ark'; no doubt they will continue for decades to come.

Meanwhile, 'The Secret Gospel' invites readers to peek back behind the veil, and behold the Two Witnesses of the Testimony of God joined One to Another atop the Mercy Seat. Then, and only then, may the 'Secret of the Kingdom of God' be revealed to you; "...yet for those on the outside everything is in parables; so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven." [Mark 4:10]

Jesus said, "After all, there is nothing hidden except to be brought to Light, nor anything kept Secret that won't be exposed. If anyone here has two good ears, use them!"
[Mark 4:22-23]

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which even if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that were written.
[Jon. 21:25]Decoding MarkThe Secret Gospel: The Discovery and Interpretation of the Secret Gospel According to MarkThe Disciple Whom Jesus Loved - The Bible v. Tradition on the beloved discipleMan Jesus Loved: Homoerotic Narratives from the New TestamentClement of Alexandria and a Secret Gospel of MarkJesus and the Shamanic Tradition of Same-Sex Love

Lots of Goodand Interesting Ideas Well Presented
As a journalist, John Dart has a nice, easy to understand and charming style. He presents a hypothesis that he's obviously excited about, and it is a hypothesis well worth considering.
He suggests that the gospel writer Mark organized his work around a series of chiasms (basically words and ideas arranged in a mirrored form: A, B, C, B', A').
Using this concept, he finds evidence that Morton's Smith's "Secret Gospel of Mark" along with a number of passages from Luke were in the original Gospel of Mark, while a section in the middle of Mark 6:47-8:26 was added later.
Another important hypothesis is that the original writer put in 16 miracles for Jesus to match the number of miracles done by the Jewish prophet Elisha. A later editor added 8 more to have him outdo Elisha.
I would have liked to have seen a bit more references to the gospels of Matthew and John, for example can you find these chiasms or other chiastic patterns in them? And it would have been nice to have more speculation about the author Mark and why he hated the disciples and Jesus' family so much, although there are a few paragraphs on this.
Altogether a fascinating, pleasant and enjoyable book for anyone interested in the gospels or any serious students of ancient literature and history. ... Read more

Product Description
Ellie Bernstein joins forces with a homicide detective to investigate the murder of Jeannie Dobson and the "accidents" that are befalling her fellow members of Weight Watchers. A first novel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Perplexing Mystery
Ms. Dietz has a good story plot line through out. I just was less than awed. I felt for the characters and wanted to get through it. There were times that I couldn't put it down. Yet there were times that classified as a cozy, things were a little too detailed from other cozy mysteries that I have read. She kept all the character story lines separate and I was impressed.

Ellie was learning to get over things that had happened in her life. She was looking out for the people she helped lose the weight to get healthy. She has a good heart and had the right motives. Peter Miller was human in this book as well. He had a case to solve but he made sure all the people in the group who had been attacked or could be next had protection. I also loved Wanda. She was there and stuck through it even though her husband was less than supportive. She kept plugging along and brushed it off.

This mystery was interesting but some of the minor characters drove me bonkers. If someone were to go on this kind of endeavor of losing weight, support is something that is needed throughout the whole journey. I was less than impressed with some of the minor characters. I don't want to say a whole lot just because well the book fell flat in parts. Humor is needed but Tubby and Lulu seemed to take it to the negative extremes. Yeah, not sure I want to pick up the next one. I am hoping it is better. It was an interesting mystery and had no clue who was behind it all. The clues were there once it was revealed. Like I said previously, things were a little over the top.

Seriously, UGH
I agree with the others who were critical of this awful book. I too hoped it would be a good cozy, with thoughtful characters and a decent mystery. I ended up skimming to the end, just to see which horrible person was the killer (and you could take your pick, I didn't like any of the characters). At the ending I rolled my eyes and then threw the book in the trash. I love books, and have never, ever thrown one away. I wouldn't even pass this so-called mystery on to anyone else to read. There are so many great authors, don't waste your time on this one. In addition to the other authors mentioned to read instead-- please read Dana Stabenow, J S Borthwick, Jan Burke, Nevada Barr, Jerrilyn Farmer, Paula Gosling, Sarah Graves, Charlaine Harris, Carolyn Haines, Joan Hess, Jill Churchill (and I think Churchill was mentioned-- it bears repeating). And so many more--

Great book for dieters
OK, I have read both the good and the bad reviews, and I am somewhere in between.I am a Weight Watchers member, so that aspect made the book more interesting to me, because I understood the struggles, joys, jokes and tears of the members of the Weight Winners circle.The WW parts made the book more enjoyable for me.That said, my first impression upon reading it was that it was not written by a professional author.(I was surprised to see Dietz had other novels out there.)Some characters were pretty stereotypical, and the dialogue was sometimes too rapid fire between the Ellie and Peter.It seemed like it would have fit in with a 1940s sexual tension film noir flick, but I didn't think it worked that way in print.However....I did enjoy this book, probably more so that the average reader because of my WW experience.

UGH, Indeed!Heroine is Stupid Creep. Read Something Else!
Ugh!This first-in-the-series 1999 mystery was creepy in ways the author never intended.The heroine is a diet group leader; the victims, members of the group.Even given that setting, the morbid fascination with weight and eating overwhelms this routine plot.There are near-fetishistic descriptions of tongues and teeth and lips in the act of mastication. Also overdone is the implicit contempt for people who are heavy.

In this book, fat people are stupid and crude (confusing semen with "piss" -- I ask you!); fat people are smelly, dirty, and ugly; fat people are wife beaters and worse; fat people don't want, deserve, or get to have sex (but people celebrating losing weight are so attractive and so lusty, they can't even wait to get home).

Our murderer is seen as extra-evil because he's killing off the soon-to-be-thin.The subtext is that the death of a fat person is not as much of a loss (forgive the pun!), and the death of at least one of the victims is greeted with, "Oh, but she was so close to her goal weight!" That's the tragedy -- not that she's dead, but that she died before making goal. The author also spends a great deal of time noting that one near-victim escapes burning alive through a narrow window only because she had lost so many pounds and inches; had she not, well, fry-time!And it would have been her own fault, so there!

Of course, all this applies only to the unrepentant fat.People trying to lose weight are treated with elaborate faux-pity disguised as treacly "support."

The heroine fulfills all the Stupid-Woman clichés of the genre.She boinks the detective, with no regard for the conflict of interest therein (and if the heroine doesn't notice it, surely the author should?)She tells him, over and over, that she's a pretty good detective herself, though there is nothing in the book's set-up to suggest this.She insists, completely without foundation, that the deaths of four people of her group of twenty or so -- in a single week -- must all be accidents, and not murders at all.She not once but several times intentionally evades the guards which have been set on her for her own protection.She turns felon to "obtain evidence" -- evidence which could never, of course, then be used in court, right?So let's add obstruction of justice to breaking and entering, not to mention remorselessly lying to her new lover and putting his job at risk amid great professional embarrassment -- none of which the author mentions even in passing.And last but not least, during the inevitable chase scene, she -- what? you know this part? -- SHE FALLS DOWN.Yes!Not even over a tree root!Not even from a broken heel!She falls down because, well, that's what women in peril DO.

I picked up (at the library, thank goodness) a couple of other books by this author but just couldn't get started.The weight fascination continues in 2000's "Beat Up a Cookie" -- the back cover's focus on the heroine's 55-pound weight loss was enough to turn me off that one, though since it's part of this series, you'd expect some of that.But I'd also picked up "Fifty Cents For Your Soul," a slightly-out-of-genre horror mystery with an entirely different cast of characters, written in 2002.By the third sentence of Chapter One, the heroine is obsessing on skim milk versus whatever, and that did it for me.Ptui!

If you want mysteries about food -- with a heroine who wants to lose weight but doesn't need to mention it on every page -- try the first eight books in the Goldy Bear catering mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson.Until the series goes irredeemably bad with book #10 (Sticks & Scones), those books are pretty darned good, and while Davidson lets her heroine slip into Stupid Woman behavior now and then, at least it's NEW behavior (being manipulated by her son, not calling the cops often enough on an abusive ex) instead of the old standards Dietz serves up amid all the rice cakes and carrots.

I loved this one and its a MUST for weight watchers!
Okay, I admit it, I'm a Weight Watchers member and was intrigued by the plot of this book because of the focus on dieters and mystery.And to put it bluntly, I was also looking for something to keep my mind off food.And guess what? This book worked - I lost 5 pounds in the time it took to finish the book, less than a week. Every time I wanted a doughnut or a chocolate eclair, I read another chapter. Having said that, I should add that you'll love this book even if you haven't counted a single calorie in your life. It is fun trying to find out who is killing the Great Dieters of America -and why. Now I just have to get my hands on Denise Dietz's other mysteries, so I can keep my eyes on the page - and my hands out of the cookie jar! ... Read more

Product Description
With the US under threat of the Soviet "bomb" in the early 1950s, it was decided that an "Ultimate Interceptor" was needed to protect America's airspace. While the Convair design was chosen, it was clear this design would take far too long to come to production, so a less advanced version of the design was put into immediate production. This was the F-102 Delta Dagger, which entered service in 1956, followed by the F-106 Delta Dart in 1959. The F-106 was the USAF's primary continental air defense interceptor during the 1960s and 1970s. This title follows the design and development of the USAF's "Ultimate Interceptor". Includes, overall and in detail, the F-106A and F-106B variants, as well as the F-106 Advanced Proposals. Includes a 7-page modeling summary. Illustrated with 146 b/w and 30 color photos, 25 b/w line drawings. 72 pages. ... Read more

Product Description
"You go to sea in that?" a New Jersey longshoreman asked Tristan Jones.

"That" was the tiny Sea Dart, finally reunited with Jones after months at dockside in England, still bruised and bedraggled from their legendary travels across South America. Readers have long enjoyed the astounding stories of these excursions as told by Jones in The Incredible Voyage and Adrift. But Sea Dart has sailed other seas with other captains and has her own extraordinary tales to tell.

Logging thousands of miles-at sea, in freshwater, and even over land-Sea Dart has raced tides and dared river rapids, crossed a desert and a mountain range, and been pounded against rocks and sunk in harbor. She has played many roles ashore as well, from her engagement as the set of a children's television show to her position as guest of honor at an Explorer's Club dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Today, as Sea Dart works with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation inspiring children to pursue their own seagoing adventures, Sailing Among the Stars, shares her incredible story with the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Finally, the WHOLE story of this famous boat.
I had the opportunity to read the manuscript before publication. It's a fascinating story of how this boat, built in Great Britain, sailed all over the world before finally ending up in Idaho. Yes, it recount's TristanJones' adventures with Sea Dart, but it goes far beyond that, telling aboutthe others who have owned the famous boat, both before and after Tristan.There are heros and villains all along the way. It's an amazing story ofsurvival-for the boat! You will believe a sailboat can have a soul. ... Read more

Product Description
Guaranteeing a good time, Darts! is the ingenious calendar that doubles as a dartboard for endless hours of fun. Printed on each month's spread is a dazzling, custom-designed, full-color board for a classic or newfangled game—Air Strike, Cricket, Pyramid Power, Moonwalk, Hypnotist—including detailed, easy-to-follow instructions. Packaged with the calendar are six colorful, completely safe, blunt-tipped magnetic darts that are attracted to a metal insert in the calendar. It’s perfect for dorm rooms, game rooms, and offices, and will encourage everyone to gather around for a game—or many!
... Read more

Product Description
The sequel to the classic novel and movie, Beaches. The movie starred Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great easy reading book!!!!
After seeing "Beaches" and reading it, it only came to reason toread the sequel.And, boy, was it good!!!Anyone who saw the movie has toread the books!!!!They will make you laugh and cry, and you can justpicture Cee Cee standing on the beach, hands on her hips with a nasty lookon her face! Trust me, you pick one of these books up, you'll read it fromstart to finish!

I loved this book, it's a must read for all!
This book was the best book i've read in many years. I was hooked from thebegining, and stayed up all night reading it! it is emotionallyenthralling, especially for any that love the original BEACHES.

A MUST READ BOOK FOR ALL!!!!!!!!!
I found this book when looking for the first one, and I was really satisfied. I tought it would lack Beaches special indescriptible feeling, I really wanted t read the first one.. but I'm really glad I found this one and read it.. IT IS A GREAT BOOK... it makes you think and realize life. This book puts you in touch with you deep inside. If you liked the movie, you would love this book.. it even leaves you wanting more Beaches.. even a movie of the sequel. You must definitely read this book!!!!!

Fantastic, a must read for "Beaches" fans
Well....after being a HUGE fan of the movie & book of "Beaches" I thought a good sequel was not achievable, but I was wrong....a must read for those who loved "Beaches"

I'll Be There was an exelent book.
I thought that I'll Be There was an exelent book.It made me laugh and cry, as well as feel emotions that I have never felt before.The book was easy to read.Even non-readers should love it and be able to slip into the story line in no time.I hope all of Iris Rainer Dart's books are as good as this one was. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Suriname Adventure
Four wildlife biologists step from a small plane and into a remote rainforest to begin the adventure of a lifetime. Their goal: to find, study, and hopefully save an elusive and tiny amphibian. They are searching for the blue poison-dart frog. Ron Fridell's book, The Search for Poison-Dart Frogs, written for the Wildlife Conservation Society, puts the reader on the rivers, the grassland trails, and the mountain slopes, as the biologists hike to the only place in the world where blue poison dart-frogs live-Suriname, South America. Along with native guides and translators, the U.S. researchers travel by dugout canoe and on foot, enduringhigh temperatures, intense humidity, and clouds of mosquitoes. Along the journey, the reader learns about scientific field study, poison-dart frogs, and the determination of conservationists to study these tiny members of the animal kingdom. Brillant color photographs capture life on the trail and the astonishing beauty of poison-dart frogs. The Search for Poison-Dart Frogs is a personal story, a scientific story, and a story that enlightens and inspires readers of all ages. ... Read more

Product Description
"To The Point: The Story of Darts in America" is the first book to detail the history of the sport of darts in the United States. Although its release has been eagerly anticipated in America's large darts shooting community, the book is written and structured in such a way as to appeal to the general interest audience.

The story begins with a description of a darts match in Boston, where 10,000 members of the Minuteman Dart League compete on pub and club teams every Tuesday night in season. In the second chapter the author explores the history and mythology of the sport in Great Britain. From there the reader is taken on an authoritative and entertaining tour of a century of dartsplay in the United States.

The book's sharply drawn characters and lively prose are enhanced with an interesting array of photographs and illustrations. These include a late 19th century photograph of a bowler-hatted darts team and American darts photographs of the 1940's from Time-Life,Inc. and Temple University's Urban Archives. The final photograph in the text is a classic action shot of Stacy Bromberg, ranked number one woman dart shooter in America, at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis in April, 2001.

The research for the book is thorough, even the location of the first dartboard in America is pinpointed (Ridge Street and Nicetown Lane, Philadelphia). The reader is taken along on the author's field expeditions which include a darts-pub crawl in Philadelphia, a trip to the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution and a sojourn in Albany, NY where darts team scores in the newspaper, "Knickerbocker News", in the 1930's, are discovered. The author, ranging across the country in search of clues and provenance of darts in America, finds a richly textured, exciting segment of American culture that has been,until now, if not overlooked, certainly under-reported.

The author traces the evolution of the American-style darts games many Americans grew up playing. Also covered in-depth is the "darts explosion" of British-style darts in the 1970's and the effect of the introduction of viable electronic darts machines in the mid-1980's. The book ends with a report on the "world war" between darts promoters in the 1990's and a look at the future of the sport in America.

"To the Point: The Story of Darts in America" is a fascinating portrait of an American pastime which grew to be more than just a game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

To the Point...the story of Darts in America
A great read for anyone who is a fan of the game of darts!Very informative and entertaining.Well written.

To the Point: It is a history book.
I love the game of darts. When I first started playing I wanted to get as many books on the subject that I could find. My main purspose was to read about how I could become a better player by reading what the experts had to say.This was one of the books that I bought. The book is interesting if you are looking for exactly what the title says, "The Story of Darts in America". If you are looking for more or tips on how to be a better player than find another book.I do still have the book, and I do pick it up from time to time and read a little bit of it. I enjoy it now more than I did when I first bought it. I think it is recommended for someone who loves the sport and is interested in it historically, not for a beginner that wants to learn to play.

Best Dart Book Ever
I never knew the history of darts until I read this book.I recommend it to anyone who plays darts, or is just a dart spectator. ... Read more