3 comments about Money for Nothing: Politicians, Rent Extraction, and Political Extortion.

1. What motivates politicians? How do they act? If you are interested in those questions your should read this. The author starts from earlier work in the area by Stigler and Posner - but then extends their models in a number of areas. McChesney has a remarkable ability to take a complex area of economics (public choice) and write in an interesting and understandable fashion. This book is probably going to be read mostly by academics but deserves a wider audience.



2. Fred McChesney here develops his original idea of rent extraction -- and it's an idea that renders understandable much of what the government does. (Want to know why the NRA and politicians perform a perpetual, public dance with each other? Read this book. McChesney's explanation will surprise you.) This book is a marvelous example of the best in public-choice scholarship: clearly written and cogent.



3. Fred McChesney's book "Money For Nothing" builds upon public choice economist Gordon Tullock's work on how lobbyists obtain economic benefits from politicians. While Tullock's theory - known as "rent-seeking" - is gaining mainstream appeal, many economists now offer similar explanations for other aspects of legislative behavior that aids some interest groups while harming others. McChesney's theory of "rent-extraction" breaks new ground not yet covered by these economists.

   McChesney defines rent extraction as "the political practice of extorting payments from private parties by making threats to expropriate wealth." In other words, he claims that politicians can take money from citizens by threatening to harm them and accepting bribes in the form of campaign contributions to leave them alone. He points out that if individuals have accumulated wealth and wish to keep it away from the government, they will be willing to pay politicians to leave them alone until the costs of doing so exceed the benefits of doing so.

   Therefore, while Tullock's theory involves politicians accepting payments to create political favors in the form of rents, McChesney's involves politicians accepting payments to avoid destroying existing private rents. He explains the differences between the two by stating: "With the former (rent-creation/bribery), the beneficiaries of political action compensate the politician for increasing their welfare. With the latter (rent extraction/extortion), persons whose welfare would otherwise be diminished by political action compensate the politician for not effectuating that diminution."

   He does point out that constitutional protection of private property and freedom of contract can prevent politicians from acting upon their threats. However, he claims the erosion of these protections has made the problem much more severe during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

   To support his view that rent extraction imposes enormous costs on the economy, McChesney provides a wealth of evidence from recent policy debates. For example, he cites the United States Federal Trade Commission's efforts - at the request of Congress - to impose warranty and defect disclosure requirements on used car dealers as an attempt by individual members of Congress to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for voiding the rules. In this instance, he provides statistics on contributions made by the National Auto Dealers' Association to members of Congress who voted to repeal the regulations. In discussing the Supreme Court's response to the wheeling and dealing, he points out that the dealers were essentially tricked into paying to repeal legislation that Congress never intended to enact anyway.

   On the Clinton health care plan, he states that stock prices of pharmaceutical firms began to fall before the policy was formally proposed. He emphasizes that investors knew that once price controls became an issue, the firms involved would have to spend money fighting the legislation by making campaign contributions. Thus, the firms were expected to lose enormous sums of money whether or not the bill was actually passed. Most importantly, he points out that the firms were never able to recover any of the money they lost in the process.

   In addition to legislative threats to impose price caps, he cites situations in which politicians threaten to repeal existing price caps to obtain contributions. For example, he states that proposals to raise admission fees at Yellowstone National Park have met with resistance from local merchants and users who benefit from lower prices. In other words, politicians can even threaten regulatory systems that they inherited from previous regimes in order to extract contributions from the firms that benefit from those systems.

   McChesney relates his theory to law and economics by applying the Coase Theorem to his logic. He claims that, in a world without transaction costs, there would be no regulation because markets would allocate goods to their highest bidders. Therefore, in his model, the existence of regulation is treated as a political market failure in which private individuals fail to accurately appraise the credibility of threats made by politicians.

   McChesney offers a simple, straightforward way to make sense of much of the regulatory excess observed throughout the economy. Although his treatment of tax code reform may require some clarification, his model will eventually enjoy the same mainstream appeal that has been afforded to Tullock's over time.

5 comments about I Married a Dead Man (The Best Mysteries of All Time).

1. Last week, I was in-between books, not knowing what to read, and went browsing through my bookshelf. I found a paperback I had bought some 20 years ago, never having read it. It was Woolrich's "The Black Curtain." I was awe-struck. Not only with the plot, but his prose just jumped out at me. After years of Grishoms, Pattersons, Kings, Balduccis,and others, I realized that THIS was what a true genius writes! He uses words that you swear should never belong in some sentences, yet work. Of course, I then went to the library and read "I Married A Dead Man", which was even better. It was like reading a VERY suspenseful film noir script...only better. There is a quote on the cover of this book by Ray Bradbury that reads, "...Woolrich deserves to be discovered and rediscovered by each generation." How true. If you've never read Woolrich's work, you owe it to yourself. And if you have, then you know what I write here is accurate.



2. I Married a Dead Man is a remarkable work of fiction. The plotting is less than air tight, but that's easy to forgive in view of the stellar success author Cornell Woolrich achieves in setting mood and creating suspense.
   
   Helen is about 19 years old, so we are told. Pregnant and alone with exactly 17 cents to her name, her situation is dire to say the least. But Fate steps in and through a confluence of highly unlikely circumstances associated with a horrible train wreck, she is given the opportunity to assume the identity of another young woman. Now she and her newborn son can live a life filled with love, security, wealth and privilege.
   
   But happiness obtained dishonestly comes at a terrible price. Inevitably, Helen, now known as Patrice, is forced to confront her past. As the reader stands by helplessly, Helen is pulled into a downward spiral of depravity from which there is no escape.
   
   Except for the prologue and the epilogue, I Married a Dead Man is narrated in the third person. Yet it is told completely from Helen's perspective. The reader sees, hears and knows only what Helen sees, hears and knows. This has the effect of allowing the reader to experience the fear and terror Helen faces right along with her. Woolrich has written this novel in a style best described as haunting, almost surreal. Suspense permeates each chapter as we know that, ultimately, disaster is unavoidable. We just don't know how or when it will manifest itself.
   
   Darkly moving, with a palpable aura of impending doom that is skillfully sustained from beginning to end, I Married a Dead Man is a great novel. Highly recommended.



3. This reminds me of one of those postwar French novels where everything slowly screws itself into a tight ball of failure, and finally we the reader, feeling as if we've got an anvil on our chests, cannot wait for the final explosion of failure and inevitable burial of the cast. This is not a "mystery" novel in that there's little mystery, but a suspense novel of the dark and cynical kind, and while I generally like those, I did not find much to enjoy in this book and it fell short of literature in "educating" me about humanity. It is well written; no doubt there, as Woolrich is far more literate than all but a few contemporary authors. However, I did not attach to anything except a mounting sense of horror, and if I need that, I can always turn on the news. I would recommend this to students of the history of mystery and noire writing.



4. 'I Married a Dead Man' is classic American noir fiction. Deceit, death and mystery are all packaged in a tight novel. Cornell Woolrich's expert use of descriptive language transports the reader back to the 1940s, in a setting where the unwashed mingle with the genteel rich. We have our heroine, a forelorn young mother, living a double life with a kind, wealthy couple who believe she is the wife of their deceased son (...yes, a fantastic set of circumstances justify this case of mistaken identity). As this false relationship turns more real (ie, a real bonding forms) our heroine becomes a victim of blackmail. The ending? Not what you will expect.
   
   
   Bottom line: yes, the story is contrived but delicious reading nonetheless. Recommended.



5. The first version of I Married a Dead Man appeared as a novella in the April 1946 issue of Today's Woman. By 1948, when the book was published under the pseudonym William Irish, Cornell Woolrich had expanded his novella and completely rewritten its ending, resulting in a fine American Noir novel that has been filmed at least three times. The best known movie version of I Married a Dead Man is the 1950 film starring Barbara Stanwyck for which the title was changed to No Man of Her Own. The movie is an excellent representation of the film noir of the period although it was somewhat weakened by the studio's decision to use the original ending of the novella rather than the stronger, more compelling, ending of the novel itself.
   
   Helen, a very young woman, finds herself seven months pregnant and abandoned by the father of her child. All that the father of her child has left her is a five dollar bill and train tickets from New York to the West Coast where she hopes to start a new life for herself and her baby. By the time that she is seen struggling to find a place for herself and her one suitcase on an overcrowded train, Helen is down to her last seventeen cents and is near despair. But fate has a surprise in store for Helen and the young couple who befriend her on the train, a surprise that offers Helen the chance to provide her child with the kind of life she never dreamed possible.
   
   Does she have the nerve required to snatch that chance when she recognizes it? Is her love for her new baby so strong that she will do anything to ensure the child's future? By the time that Helen has to answer those questions for herself, she finds that circumstances completely beyond her control have made it possible for her to live a life she never dreamed possible if only she keeps her mouth shut. But of course, fate is not that kind, nor is life that simple. That's the rest of the story, a story that would have made Alfred Hitchcock smile, and one that I'm not going to spoil for you.
   
   Cornell Woolrich deserves to be better known than he is today. He was a contemporary of Dashiell Hammett, James Cain and Raymond Chandler, all of whom have remained largely in print for the last 60 or 70 years. But despite the fact that during the period between 1940 and 1948 alone, Woolrich produced six novels under his own name, four as William Irish and one using the name George Hopley, his work is not easily found today. Woolrich has been called "the Hitchcock of the written word" and, in fact, between 1938 and 1950 Hollywood producers turned some 15 of his stories into movies, the most famous of which is Hitchcock's own Rear Window, a film based on the 1942 Woolrich novella It Had to Be Murder.
   
   So if you are a fan of Cain, Hammett and Chandler but have read all of their work, Cornell Woolrich is a name you need to remember. Finding his work will require some extra effort, but Woolrich is a worthy addition to anyone's American Noir collection.

5 comments about High Priestess (Tarot Card Mysteries).

1. David Skibbins once again draws us into the unique world of Berkeley through the eyes of Warren Ritter, the alias (one of cseveral) of a 60's radical still in hiding from his deeds. What better place for a left over hoppie to hide out than Berkeley? And Skibbins descriptions of the East Bay are evocative and powerful. In High Priestess even more of Warren's past catches up with him and he finds himself trying to solve a series of mysteries while facing some truths about himself.
   
   The story is tightly written both as a muystery as well as a journey into one man's life..past, present and future. I can hardly wait to read Skibbin's next in this series.



2. I absolutely loved David Skibbins debut novel of the Tarot Card Mysteries, "Eight of Swords". I could not put it down. The characters were extremely different and quite multi-faceted, the mystery well-plotted, and rapidly paced. "High Priestess" was good, but it lacked the vitality of the first book. The historical references were somewhat overwhelming and at times dragged down the book's action. The characters were not as well-drawn as they had been in "Eight of Swords" and Sally, the returning love interest played far too nominal a role in this story. The tarot card reading at the beginning of the book was nicely done, as were the descriptions of the tarot cards, and the Berkeley area. I definitely want to read "The Star" but hope to see more character development and a bit less political history.



3. HIGH PRIESTESS's protagonist, Warren Ritter, is a bipolar smartass with a few secrets, only one of which is his collection of a few identities, each with its own driver's licence and legal residence. Warren is a kickass turd--definitely not someone you want living next door--at least for most of the story, he feels dangerously out of control. Horrors come out of the walls, Warren's past seeps into his present and he's involuntarily plunged into the middle of an inquiry into attempted murder.
   
   As a rule, I'm not fond of one-liner remarks--I don't find that kind of humour funny--but this author has ways of stringing snide impressions one on top of another, sometimes they're preposterous and sometimes witty and wise, until you just can't take it, you snort and a laugh escapes. For instance, Warren is an impostor psychic who makes his living giving Tarot card readings to an unsuspecting public. Warren is well aware he is a fraud, but he sees his role as somewhere between television and therapy, something indispensable to a modern Berkeley.
   
   Warren doesn't talk about being bipolar as an illness. He talks like it's a gift, a prize, for a select few. His descriptions of his state of mind are captivating and involving, from taking his regular medicine doses, to his powerful manic states, to his nearly overwhelming depression. There is something very sweet about his waking up to guilt-inspiring angels perched on the foot of his bed. And when he screws up (which he does fairly often), he thinks (in a conversational way) about whether he should kill himself now or later.
   
   HIGH PRIESTESS is my first David Skibbins, so I had hopes this book would stand on its own, without the series holding it up. I think that goal has been accomplished. I'm definitely interested in Warren Ritter, and I want to know what else he does. If you like mysteries where the storyline mostly follows the thoughts in the protagonist's head, and where he views his place in the world, then you'll really like HIGH PRIESTESS.
   
   
   Theresa de Valence, Mystery Fiction Reviewer



4. Richard Green, known locally as Warren Ritter, has been on the run for 30 years. A former Weatherman, he is now a tarot card reader in Berkeley (using the Warren Ritter identity) and a successful investor in Seattle, using still another identity. He has become bipolar and has bad dreams. He is hiding his past. This novel is a continuation from Eight of Swords, which you need to read in order to fully understand this novel.
   
   More of Richard's past is now catching up with him. Perhaps Berkeley is a bad choice for hiding out. The location seems to attract strange people like a dog attracts fleas. He is asked by a former associate to look into the deaths of members of a Satanic cult. The police do not seem too interested in the deaths of undesirables. He proceeds reluctantly (a little blackmail threat involved) and stumbles into problems he would rather avoid. The investigation causes problems with his friends.
   
   I found myself skimming some parts of the novel. It was like going into a mission for a free lunch and having to sit through a lengthy service. There are long winded lectures (regular church and satanic church). There are details of his bad dreams. There are a few too many plots and subplots wound through the novel involving all sorts of bad people and bad relationships. It was sometimes like the author could not stay focused.
   
   The details of Richard/Warren's flight from the past are finally revealed. There are a few surprises as the villains are identified. He can be as vindictive as the next person when it comes to revenge.



5. Second Book in David Skibbins' "Tarot Card" mysteries.
   
   Our hero Warren Ritter (aka Richard Greeene) has been running from his past as a member of the radical Weatherman Underground group in the 1960s. He's changed his name and gotten plastic surgery, and has moved to Berkeley, California where he works as a tarot card reader. Two people from his radical past show up, though, and blackmail Warren into investigating a series of murders involving the leadership of the Berkeley Church of Satan.
   
   Great characters and an excellent plot! I do recommend, however, that if you haven't read "The Eight of Swords", that you read it first. Warren's life is just too complicated to understand without reading the first book first.

3 comments about The Spaniard's Blackmailed Bride (Harlequin Presents).

1. This book was a bit of a roller coaster to me, and not in a good way. The main characters are Diablo (the devil) and Briar are dry. I wasn't really appreciative of Diablo riding rough shroud over everything and everybody because he was trying to prove to everyone that he was worthy or being excepted into the "old money" society of the upper crust of Australian society in the way that he did this was to blackmail Briar into marriage "Briar" the heroine who was born with the Proverbial Silver Spoon, in her mouth and could give him the acknowlegement from those in upper echelon he craved.....This is the first time I read a book Trish Morey that I wasn't all that thrilled about, their love story was just unbelievable and not in a good way. Borrow it from someone if you just want to read it but its not a keeper in my opinion.



2. I wish I could give this author a half star as an insult, but since I can't I have to settle for one star. The bride was stupid, miserable, stubborn, moody, spoilt, ungrateful, rude, insulting and loyal to the wrong people. All she ever did was secretly gorge on birth control pills and complain about everything. The hero was not much of an improvement. Why he wanted to marry her in the first place or insist on staying married to her, is beyond me. She was the worst Harlequin (I can't even call her a heroine)female character I have ever had the misfortune of coming across. At the end of the story the author tried to rush to a happy ever after by making her seem contrite but it still did not work in the least. This book was so bad I just wanted both of them to go off some where and just die!
   
   This author, like most of the harlequin bunch, (with the exception of one or two)are just hopleless at writing a proper romance story. Why is it that the Harlequin Presents line produces such rubbish with such regularity - month after month after month - and expect readers to buy them? These authors are not good romance writers; they are people who write books they try to pass off as romance so they can collect a cheque. In fact, how they got a job writing in this genre is a complete mystery. I know I can do a whole lot better. I have wasted enough (too much)money on such boring, can't-even-call-them-a-decent-read books. I WILL NOT BE BUYING ANY MORE FROM THE HARLEQUIN LINE, NOR WILL I EVER RECOMMEND ANY Harlequin Presents to any other readers. THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE LAST!!!



3. Trish Morey amazes me each time I read one of her stories and this time is no exception. The Spaniard's Blackmailed Bride is full of punch, power and passion and will have you reaching for a box of tissues.
   
   Briar Davenport has no choice but to marry Diablo Barrentes to save her parents dignity, status and fortune. For if she does not marry Diablo, they will all be living on the streets, no longer living in Sydney's elite society and the life they've been accustom to having for generations.
   
   At times, this was a difficult book to read as you could not miss the attraction Briar felt for Diablo, how he could with just one look or slight touch ignite and melt her heart. But even more so was the inner fight Diablo felt each time he was near Briar and how he tried to shield himself from the emotion she stirred in him.
   
   Briar's feelings and honour bound behaviour for family was extremely moving. However, as she gets to truly know Diablo those feelings and conflicting emotions for her new husband and then her feelings for her family......well let's just say you will feel the power of it all!
   
   
   
   
   A marriage of convenience through blackmail? You'll just have to read it to find out! Lust, attraction, all rolled into one and two unforgettable personalities....the devil himself, Diablo and the proud and stubborn Briar. Thanks Trish Morey for this story so full of attraction and passion.

5 comments about The Up and Comer.

1. The main character, Philip, is an anti-hero that is amoral, complex and intriguing all at the same time. The book is an easy page turner and the ending is very fitting.



2. I first read this book several years ago, but I can't stop re-reading it. The protagoinst of this book, Phillip Randall, is, to put it mildly, ethically challenged. Basically, Phillip is just a guy who already has it all and is willing to do whatever it takes to get more, more, and more. He's perfectly happy to take advantage of the opulent lifestyle provided by his wife's father's money, to climb the corporate ladder at his law firm no matter what the ethical cost, and, when the mood strikes him, to sleep with his best friend's wife. He does these things with no remorse - Phillip is a pretty happy guy and believes, in his very Manhattan WASPY upper-middle-class way, that he is entitled to all of these things, and more.
   
   It makes sense, then, that when someone threatens the pleasant lifestyle he's grown so accustomed to exploiting, Phillip takes action in a way that most of us would be horrified about in real life. The beauty of this book is that the author puts you right inside his head and makes you part of what Phillip is doing - and while you find Phillip disgusting, you also can't help but like him. You will live vicariously as Phillip's life starts to snowball, and you will alternate between hoping Phillip gets caught, and then hoping he gets away with it.
   
   It's a plot that's been done before, but in my opinion, this author does it better than almost any of his contemporaries (except possibly Jason Starr). Roughan does an amazing job capturing a certain psychology of a certain type of guy most of us have come across in life. The narrator's voice is readable, darkly funny, and infectious. This book has a fantastic plot, great characterization, and a perfect ending. Roughan presents us with a traditionally unsympathetic character, takes us with him to do unspeakable things, and even makes us identify with him, all without compromising the moral center of the book.
   
   I loved this book in every way. My only complaint is that Roughan isn't writing more books just like this one. This author is a great talent with a unique voice and I recommend all his books, but this one is by far his best.



3. Simply put, if you like books that move quickly but still are well written, have very clever satire, and still have a good plot with strange but believable characters, you will like Howard Roughan's "The Up and Comer". I don't know how I missed this book when it was released but Mr. Roughan truly can write in this genre. I often find books of this type to be simply trash, ones you might finish but never really admit to having read. This one is different. Someone who willingly allows their life to get out of control and thinks they can always put it back on the rails. That AND is very funny along the way. Read this book. On the beach, on a plane. It is not serious literature but it is seriously good.



4. Like a lot of people, I never heard of Howard Roughan until I read James Patterson's novel HONEYMOON, which Roughan co-wrote. I thought HONEYMOON was better written than the average Patterson novel, so I thought I would give one of Roughan's earlier novels I shot. I'm glad I did.
   
   THE UP AND COMER is a very witty, darkly comic novel. It is also a novel that features an remarkably unlikable character as its protagnoist. New York attorney Philip Randall has married his wife Tracy for her family money, while at the same time having an extramarital affair with his best friend's wife. He is also very smug and offers a lot of acerbic (yet funny) commentary about city life in New York. Eventually, something goes terribly wrong with Randall's life. The way he handles this crisis, and the violent complications that ensue, lead to a very suspenseful read. In some ways, this novel reminds me of another novel, James Siegel's DERAILED.
   
   I must admit that I found Randall to be very off-putting at first, because he is such a louse. However, this book gets better as it goes along, and Randall is a very different person at the end of this book than he is at the beginning. In the end, this novel is something of a morality tale, and I enjoyed it immensely.
   
   In short, I highly recommend this book to people who like their suspense mixed with a little dark comedy. I sincrely hope that Roughan writes more books.



5. It's 2 am and I have a 7 am golf tee time. I'm on page 243 and I am wide awake. Why? Because I can't turn the pages to the Up and Comer fast enough. Am I getting my point across? Absolutely one of the finest pieces of fiction to come along. Great character development, perfect plot, a little bit of spice -- all this adds up to the perfect book. Word of advice -- make sure you've got an uninterupted 8 to 12 hours because once you start, you won't stop. Make it 10 Stars for Up and Comer!!!!!!!

5 comments about The Franklin Affair: A Novel.

1. Simply had little to do with Ben Franklin. Wanted a historical tale of intrique and got little of any interest. Do not want to ruin it for those that have not read it, but if you are looking for anything of any content about Ben Franklin, this is not the book. Left a few things open, lets hope it is not for a sequel.



2. At once a mystery in the conspiracy (i.e., "DaVinci Code") mode while also being a gentle and fond poke at academia, "The Franklin Affair" is an old-fashioned, fun read that only misses the mark slightly by leaving a few loose ends dangling. It's rare that a book these days leaves you wanting more, but this one does. In particular, it leaves you wanting a definite resolution to the central mystery. On the other hand, since the premise of that mystery is rather shocking, maybe the ambiguity is wise. No matter, "The Franklin Affair" is a brisk, clever, playful page turner that is sure to give a particular chuckle to American history buffs, who will recognize that nearly every character is named after a signer of the Declaration of Independence.



3. 
   A nice story for a Sunday afternoon, particulary if you're the type to enjoy Colonial Williamsburg or Phila. streetscapes. Very nice if you have some first or second hand knowledge of professional historians.
   
   I could not help but think of Rebecca Lee as an Ann Coulter with black hair, and kept envisioning Jim Lehrer, like affable Wally morphing slowly into Ben Franklin with age. I will read another Lehrer novel for sure.



4. Jim Lehrer has written an entertaining little novel around a group of Ben Franklin scholars. It begins with the death of the oldest member, Wally Rush. Upon his death, R. Taylor, his protege and fellow Franklinite receives a letter from him, allegedly from the late 1700's accusing Ben of a crime. As Taylor conducts a low key investigation, we find out more about R., Wally and the rest of the Franklin "crowd". Intriguing, but not a "real" mystery.



5. Sewn into the hem of an eighteenth-century cloak stored away in a museum, curators in the early twenty-first century discover twelve pages of handwritten notes, in code. When eventually deciphered these pages seem to indicate that shortly before his death, Benjamin Franklin paid an unemployed dock worker a sum of money to murder, thereby silence, the lowly-born woman who had given birth to Franklin's illegitimate son William. The notes are apparently the minutes kept at a sort of judicial hearing attended in secret by Washington, Hamilton, Adams, and Madison, in order that the question of Franklin's guilt or innocence, and what to do about the accusation, be decided. Are the pages a modern forgery, an eighteenth-century hoax, or did one of the most beloved Founding Fathers truly spill blood to preserve his reputation? I wish I knew. After finishing this novel, I still don't. Lehrer wastes his first eighty pages on flimsy character building, then it's true he finds his stride for about the next hundred, but the trouble is, I'll tell you now, the ending is one of those variety that makes your head hit the table, because it's so frustrating. Books that fail to answer questions are rudely-composed. Why write what you don't finish?

5 comments about Twisted City.

1. even as a light read there is nothing original about this book.
   
   it seems like this was written in 2 weeks in front of a tv.



2. In TWISTED CITY, Starr does what he has done in a few of his other books--paricularly Hard Feelings and Cold Caller--inviting readers into the mind of a seemingly ordinarily protagonist with dark secrets, and making us care about the character's fate because of great writing and storytelling. But what I admire most about Starr as a writer is he never writes the same book twice--he constantly pushes the envelope and comes up with provocative ideas and new ways to tell his crime stories. In Twisted City, there is a new Starr twist, so to speak. Unlike the protagonists of Hard Feelings and Cold Caller, David Miller is not an instigator. In fact if the events of the first chapter didn't happen, Miller probably would have continued to live an average, uneventful life. And the sub plot of Miller's relationship with his dead sister is truly inspired...But go into this book like I did, without knowing many of the plot details, and get ready for an adrenaline-filled, all-night read...This is quite simply the best novel I've read all year.



3. This book is filled with uninteresting characters. The main character is a loser who and the reader has a hard time feeling for him. The dialogue is weak and the book is very shallow. It reminds me of a made for cable movie - not even good enough to be a broadcast. The ending is utterly disappointing because you know the main character is already such a dork. The book does read fast but is disappointing the entire way leaving you unsatisfied.



4. Jason' Starr's writing is taunt and compelling and he weaves a twisted little plot well enough to keep me reading. The only real let-down for me is that this book seems to "stop" rather than end. After working his way through all of the twisted turns, Starr brings everything to an abrupt and unsatisfying halt. If the ending was supposed to be a surprise, it wasn't. An average reader will figure out (or at least strongly suspect) David's past history from the get-go. "Twisted City" is a good noir tale, but ultimately unsatisfying.



5. I'm a huge noir fan (Hammett, Cain) and am always looking for new noir fiction by contemporary writers. Most of the time, I am disappointed to find that what is being marketed as "noir" really doesn't get the power and the style of the original form. Not so here. This is not a neo-noir knockoff, but a fantastic, twisted, intricately plotted book in the style of a classical noir work, but with a new and modern spin. It kind of knocked my socks off.
   
   You shouldn't read this book (or any noir, really) if you are easily skeeved out. But if you like noir, you'll love this. The author has an original, accessible, extremely engaging style. I was drawn in from the beginning. You might be able to guess some of the themes of the book, or, as a reviewer said below, some of the protagonist's past history. But even if you do, really, that isn't even half the story. The fun is watching the plot unfold and ultimately getting inside - way inside - the narrator's head. I guarantee you won't see plenty of the twists coming, and the ending (even if you suspected it was coming) is written in a way that packs a major, creepy, darkly funny punch.
   
   I liked this book so much that I came back here to put all the rest of the author's books in my Amazon cart. If you like dark fiction, mysteries, and old-time noir in particular, check out this book. Starr does the masters proud. Can't wait to read more of him.

2 comments about The False Prophet: Conspiracy, Extortion and Murder in the Name of God (Berkley True Crime).

1. Taylor Helzer was a devout Mormon who lost his moral compass after diving into the teachings of a "self-help" program and heavy drug use. Charismatic since a child, he managed to manipulate his brother and a lonely woman into sharing his belief that he was a prophet who would save the world from the Apocalypse. His plan was to kidnap the top leaders of the church and force them to write letters to Mormons declaring him the new leader.
   
   Author and journalist Claire Booth gives an excellent narrative of the shocking events of the summer of 2000, when the Helzer gang brutally murdered five innocent Bay Area residents -- including the daughter of blues musician Elvin Bishop -- in an effort to extort money he hoped would finance his plan.
   
   Booth gives us insight into the real nature and history of all the people involved -- the victims, their families, law enforcement, the killers -- and shows us how Helzer transformed into the false prophet.



2. This extensively-researched true crime story reads like a novel. The players come alive to a disturbing extent. I hope Ms. Booth continues with her crime writing efforts.

5 comments about Trippin.

1. Madetra can only hope that the new travel club, DAT Club, can spark what is left of her fizzled marriage. In an attempt to rekindle her marriage to the ever-boring Darryn, Mad is stuck between a rock and a hard place to keep her loins and temper in order.
   
   Kaylantra is Madetra's spicy twin sister. Never one to turn down money or fun, she is excited about the new travel club that she and her sister have put together. Has she finally met her match with the fine news anchor Finesse?
   
   Finesse is none other than fine and he knows it. He has come across many women in his day and still has not found "The One" to settle down with. Maybe this travel club thing will give him what he is looking for - a good time and beautiful women.
   
   Destanie may be thick in the waist, but she is cute in the face. Finally finding her true love in Finesse, she is determined that no one will stand in her way even if it means getting rid of the competition.
   
   Gerald's dream is to one day become a famous baseball player. Due to an unforeseen injury, he has to start from step one. While doing so he is enjoying the liberty of being a massage therapist, especially his visits with Madetra. Hoping that she will see what a good man he is, his involvement with the travel club can only bring about new and exciting events.
   
   E'an cannot get enough of Madetra. His love for Madetra is bordering obsession, but for some reason he cannot get her to understand how he feels about her. Thanks to his good friend, Gerald, he will be a member of Dat Club and he cannot wait to show Madetra what he is all about.
   
   Darryn is the perfect man and husband. Always doing the right thing, he is tired. He has other preferences that Madetra is just not meeting. Hoping that the travel club will make Madetra happy and stay off his case, he will do what he has to keep the peace.
   
   Michelle Buckley has brought her second effort with a different and unique twist from Bulletproof Soul. Though Trippin' is the opposite of her first novel, you still receive the quirks that have come to be Michelle (i.e. a**toe and shullbit.). In saying this, Michelle's efforts will leave you loving or hating her.



2. I think this book was a breath of fresh air something different for the urban lit fans..Although it had way too many characters for my taste this was a good read..I would have liked more from the characters though. I also would have liked for more to develop with Madetra and Darryn..it's funny how nobody got suspicious that everybody from DAT club died except Madetra. Overall Michelle did a good job on this one.



3. Michelle Buckley brings seven individuals with very different personalities to life in the novel, Trippin'. They all enlist as members of the newly formed Destination: Anticipation Travel (DAT) Club which was formed by the vivacious, Dr. Madetra Price. Madetra married her college sweetheart and forms the travel club in hopes of sparking new life into their marriage. The club is comprised of people who harbor dark secrets. These deep secrets include drug addictions, dealing and supplying drugs, extorting money and sex from others and living a sordid lifestyle. It is interesting for the reader to witness the drama unfold as each of the seven characters expose different agendas as the basis for joining the club. The explicit and sometimes devious scenarios will raise your brows.
   
   Unknowingly, all members of the DAT Club share a connection to Madetra that digs deeper than their club affiliation and can possibly lead to a fatal outcome. Madetra's husband, Darryn, is a meticulous accountant who begins to transform before readers' eyes as he struggles with some unexpected habits. Kaylantra, Madetra's twin sister is an adult entertainer whose goal always seems induced by excessive currency. When introduced to the right person, her hardened exterior appears to dissipate. Madetra shares office space with E'an, a psychiatrist who is obsessed with Madetra's life and relationships. Gerald, a massage therapist who goes to unethical lengths to secure his place in a relationship with someone who might not necessarily have had time for him if life were as fabulous for her as she leads others to believe it is. Finesse, a television anchor gets involved unsuspectingly with another member of the DAT Club and sheds a bit of his self-assured demeanor. Destanie is also a television producer; however, she is borderline psychotic and driven to ruin any happiness for Finesse.
   
   Many of the scenes are predictable and calculated. It is initially confusing to keep track of each of the seven characters, particularly because the book is busy from the onset. However, midway through the novel, the role of each character becomes a little less chaotic and somewhat easier to manage. People are sometimes unable to move on without closure. Madetra's efforts to put closure to all of the resulting situations she endured as part of the DAT Club are unforeseen. The steamy, sizzling raw encounters will leave readers fanning the flames of passion while feeling a sense of trepidation for the victim.
   
   APOOO rating: 3.5
   
   Reviewed by Detrel
   APOOO Book Club



4. "Trippin is absolutely riveting. The drama enclosed in this intriguing tale evolves into a thriller that will have readers on the edge trying to decipher what will happen next.
   
   "Madetra and her twin sister Kaylantra start a travel club called the "DAT Club" which stands for the Destination: Anticipation Travel Club. The members of this elite club agree to travel together on four fabulous vacations."
   
   "Madetra is a doctor and married to Darryn who is an accountant. She's hoping to put some spice back into their relationship after being married for eleven years. Darryn is looking for some exciting one on one time with his wife and also hoping to score some drugs."
   
   "Kaylantra is a stripper hoping to get a chance to spend time with Finesse who is an anchorman. Finesse is trying to escape from Destanie who is stalking him. Destanie is determined to have a relationship with Finesse, no matter what. She comes up with a plan that will destroy many lives in the process."
   
   "Gerald is a masseuse and drug dealer who has a crush on Madetra, who happens to be one of his clients."
   
   "E'an is a psychiatrist who shares office space with Madetra and also has a crush on her. His feelings soon become demented and destructive."
   
   "Unbelievable havoc develops. Someone is seeking revenge and decides to kill off several members of the DAT Club. An accident occurs and there is a killer and a blackmailer on the loose."



5. I just finished this book and it was a drama filled ride from beginning to end!!! Highly Recommend!!!

2 comments about The Big Sleep.

1. I'm not much into crime fiction, Bunker and Ellroy excepted but Chandler's prose - oft imitated but seldom bettered - still rates as some of the best in this (or any other) genre. So take the writing, add the drawl and empathy that Elliott Gould (see also The Long Goodbye)brings to the proceedings and you have a classic recording. The packaging is tacky, the sound reflects the date it was recorded but the end result still delivers. Trust me - this is one to load up on your phone, iPod or good old fashioned cd player.
   
   Beach Bum - Cornwall UK



2. Nearly seventy years after it was published, The Big Sleep is still an interesting detective story with an intriguing style. This was Raymond Chandler's first published novel and it made him a celebrity. In an old interview I read somewhere, Chandler said he was going against the grain of the then-popular British detective novels that climaxed with the gathering of all the suspects into a single room while the detective revealed his brilliant solution to the crime. He meant Philip Marlow to be a more realistic and gritty detective. He succeeded. Marlow became America's favorite private eye, both in print and on the silver screen.
   
   As I read the book, two thoughts came to me. First, the Chandler style has been copied and parodied so much, that you can easily forget that this was the original. The second is that although the novel was written at the time as a modern story, it now reads like someone wrote it today as period literature. This adds to the book's charm, sort of like the Chinatown or The Sting.
   
   Raymond Chandler goes in and out of fashion, but if you want to curl up with a good mystery written by one of the masters, you can't go wrong with The Big Sleep.
   The Shut Mouth Society
   The Shopkeeper