No comments about Scam plays on fears of kidnapping.(News and Trends)(Security managers to keep confidential information about executives)(Brief Article): An article from: Security Management.

No comments about KIDNAPPING OF SANTA CLAUS: A Christmas Operetta.

No comments about 2 Kidnapping Hwangtaejabi (in Korean).

No comments about The Persian price.

No comments about Address Of The Committee Appointed By A Public Meeting, September, 1846, For The Purpose Of Considering The Recent Case Of Kidnapping From Our Soil (1846).

No comments about Los enigmas del "caso Olot".(secuestro; investigación; España)(TT: The enigmas of the Olot case.)(TA: kidnapping; investigation; Spain): An article from: Epoca.

5 comments about Vengeance (Unabridged).

1. I read this series and enjoyed each book. Kaminsky introduces us to Lew Fonesca, a process server recently located to Sarasota (FL) from Chicago. He has an assortment of supporting characters Flo, Sally, Ames, Harvey and an elderly shrink named Dr Ann Horowicz. The books do not have to be read in order, (I read book 3 before I read book 2) each will stand alone, but to appreciated the character development it is better to read them in sequence.



2. I love Kaminsky's hangdog, uber-depressed Lew Fonseca...he's Columbo on Prozac. But this audio version didn't quite capture the spirit of the novel. The reading was a little too bland (in the wrong places) and too spritely in others.



3. Let's get to the heart of the matter: boring 'hero,' uninvolving characters, stilted dialogue, fragmented dual storylines, unappealing locale. 'Nuff said: I won't be back for more.



4. While not as intriguing as some of Edgar Award-winner Stuart Kaminsky's other series characters (Toby Peters, Inspector Rostnikov, Abe Lieberman), Lew Fonesca, a widowed, depressed Sarasota process server who moonlights as an unlicensed private eye, is an appealing, dogged personality.
   
   In this first appearance he takes on two missing persons cases and is struck by the contrast; one a wealthy, pampered matron, the other a hard-knocks teenage runaway with a brutal, abusive father.
   
   But soon his trail is littered with corpses and for the first time in years Fonesca finds himself responding to a woman. Of course she might be a murderer.
   
   Far from hardboiled, Fonesca doesn't like guns and isn't likely to shine brightest in a fight. He makes his first appearance in a well-plotted story with almost as many surprises as murders.



5. There are some good things about this book: plot, characters and pace chief among them. However, the negatives made this book a disappointing read. I wanted to like it, I really did, but...
   
   1) Poor editing. There are mistakes everywhere that were very distracting and made me feel like I was reading a cheap factory produced romance novel. I can deal with some, but it seemed like nobody proofed this. For example, early on Lew orders two burgers and a Coke from the DQ. Then, after a brief altercation, he orders a burger, a fish sandwich and a blizzard. It's like the author forgot that he had already ordered up his lunch. Another distracting line right out of the book was describing the occupants of an office complex and stated, "an accountant" twice... in the same line!
   
   2) For being the luckiest guy in the world, Lew sure does walk around with a chip on his shoulder. I mean, he goes out looking for a girl and randomly finds some high school kids who just happen to know the girl and the school she attends. Then, sitting down next to a random trucker eating some breakfast, the trucker just happens to know "Dwight" the father of the girl that Lew inquires about because, you know, they are both truckers so obviously they know of each other. And then the principal of the school, after he states that the school has over 5000 kids, well, he just happened to have driven by the missing girl's address just the other night! Deus ex machina is found in almost any book and is often necessary to progress a plot line, but this was ridiculous! Once again, it made it feel like a cheap read.
   
   This was my first book by this author, I picked it up at a FOTL sale. Unfortunately, I won't be picking up anymore of his books... there are just too many good ones out there, especially in this genre.

5 comments about Hero's Song: The First Song of Eirren.

1. This book was the most descriptive, most acion-packed, most challenging, most suspenceful book I have ever read In my entire life.



2. It was the best book ive ever read. I even recogmended it and the second book in its series to my whole class. I've read both of them. Hero's Song was pure action, while Fire Arrow had a tiny bit of romance, but not enough to make it mushy. I recogmend both books.



3. Most fantasy runs along the same lines, usually lines set by such people as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, or Lloyd Alexander. And as good as parts of "Hero's Song" were, somehow it just didn't seem to click into the niche that would make it a classic.

   Collun, the hero, is a gentle gardener in a rural village, living with his mother and his very distant father. His sister, however, is a more feisty and adventurous type, but then she vanishes at a party in another city. Collun's mother is devastated and horribly worried -- and even more so when Collun decides to go find her.

   Collun ends up bringing along his bard friend Talisen to a nearby inn, where they encounter a warrior woman disguised as a boy, Brie, and a sinister morg that tries to capture Collun and kill Talisen. And as the three of them set out, they also pick up a mysterious wizard named Crann, and an ethereal Ellyl named Silien. They encounter more companions and dangers, as they approach the hideous Firewurme...

   This book has definite promise ý the usage of Irish myth, language and names are all expert, and some of the descriptions are breathtaking. Unfortunately, when you pare it down to the essentials, it is a pretty ordinary fantasy story with stock characters: we have the naive country hero, the tough warrior girl, the wisecracking sidekick, the wise old wizard, the ethereal elf... all of which we've seen elsewhere, and usually written better. And despite the extensive background for Eirren (Ireland, I presume) it feels very shallow. And the way that Collun and Talisen acquire companions is unimpressive ý they run into people, and the people decide to come with them.

   Dialogue is a big problem ý with the exception of Talisen, at times, the characters all sound alike; their speech patterns are almost identical. The fat, cheerful innkeeper has the same speech pattern as the beautiful, mysterious Silien. And their personalities are very much the same: Collun doesn't really seem to have much emotion or drive, and his quest doesn't feel like there's much behind it. Brie is a typical woman-warrior, with a predictable past, and ends up being irritating rather than interesting. Silien and Crann don't really register either. Talisen is the one bright spot in the characterizations ý he's charming, cute, annoying, and possesses the personal quirks that the others lack. And though Gwynned can't be described as a "bright spot," he is more three-dimensional and striking to the reader.

   The writing is admittedly very beautiful and well-done. Without being too descriptive, Pattou gives us pictures of the places, things and people that Collun and his friends encounter. So is the "maze riddle," and the menace of the morgs and the strange evil queen.

   As a previous reviewer noted, there are some teeth-gritting similarities to Lord of the Rings in places. But this story has no objectionable content, though some kids may be bored by the slower pace. It's a pretty generic story, without the richness of Tolkien's world, the quirky depth of Lloyd Alexander, or the charm of C.S. Lewis. But it's a pretty nice read as well.




4. Hey, i'm just sayin that i'm a heavy fantasy reader, and i read this thing and is seriously kicked .... the plot was great, it was very well written, and i even got in trouble more than once in skool for readin it wen i shouldn't have been, kuz i couldn't put it down. I admit it was a bit slow at the beginning, but once you get to the Travelers Rest, it shot off like one of Brie's arrows. There were alot of twists and turns that you didn't expect, and some things that just shocked you all together. It wasn't your typical fantasy, either. Edith made up new races and creatures, and instead of a regular bad..., the guy is a freaking gardener! okay i'm just saying that this book kicked ..., and read it, you won't regret it!



5. This book has a tone that is light and airy, as most fantasy books do. The author of this book is obviously a happy person who likes a happy ending. The tone of this book keeps the reader happy and not rally scared or sad at the events that take place. I like the way the author kept a character in the book that keeps the tone positive even in the most dire of situatations. ... So you see how the tone of the book can be a very positive one, and the author does very well in keeping that positive tone.
   I thought this book was very well written in terms of tone. The author is one I respect and admire, and I also love this book. A fantasy reader will find its use of action and plot very intriguing, with the tone as it is. The book is one of my all time favorites and I'm sure the people who have read it will agree that, if made famous, this book will become an instant classic. ...

No comments about Georgia Digest (Judgment 752 Kidnapping, Volume 14).

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