5 comments about Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery (Unabridged).

1. There isn't really any mystery. My 3rd Grader figured it out. There are no Red Herrings. No surprises. It's pretty lame. It's pretty much the same as the first one. A formula to make money... it's so obvious. It uses the background of a classic children's book and mixes it (unsuccessfully) with a lame mystery. I've read both and because I am huge fan of Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz I decided the formula could be charming. It's not. It's just to sell books to consumers like me. Stephen King reccommended the first book. I think it's just more that he likes the author. The book really isn't good at all. It's not enjoyable. The characters are flat. Ingrid is basically more of the author than a girl. What girl that's 13 reads Sherlock Holmes? The formula for this series doesn't work. It's not charming. She doesn't have cool friends. There needs to be more shout outs to the books it's using to market with... blah, blah, blah. There are much better books out there... and much better mysteries (that are actually mysteries). This book is just lame.



2. some 13 year olds read Sherlock Holmes. Not all kids have been affected by the dumbing down of America.



3. Once again Peter Abrahams returns to the world of Echo Falls, where young Ingrid Levin-Hill is just trying to get by, navigating the slippery slopes of being a kid in the 21st century. While basically she's got a warm and protective family, there's always some friction going on, just like real life. In this book Ty's problem with anabolic steroids becomes more and more the center of Ingrid's worries. She notices things about him her mom and dad are just to preoccupied to see, or too blind, for they're proud of him and his success in organized sport in school.
   
   Meanwhile her dad, who as we all remember works for a corporation owned by the richest man in town, feels threatened by the incursion of a new, chic, blonde dynamo who's become thisclose to the boss. Ferrand's not only wealthy, but evil, and Ingrid wouldn't put it past him to dump her dad in favor of this new executive woman, Julia LeCaine, who as it happens is also the new coach of her soccer team and sort of ruthless. At 99 Maple Lane everyone's got a secret (except Mom, and I bet that will be in the next book in the series) and the gorgeous scenery of Echo Falls is often ironically counterpointed to the nasty behavior of its human residents.
   
   Grampy (Aylmer Hill) is still alive, though he's sinking, and his farm is under siege from developers led by the same Ferrand Group that his son-in-law works for. It would be a great coup for Dad in the company if he was the one who secured the land away from Grampy. Ingrid doesn't want to see that happen.
   
   In the middle of all this, she is falling in love, not a huge passionate love but a solid friendship with Joey Strade, the solid son of the town's Police Chief. Ingrid doesn't really know how she feels about that! Peter Abrahams weaves all these threads into a fantastic thriller for kids of all ages. Ingrid's love of Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes stories guides her through a world of trouble. "As Ho;mes told Watson," she reminds herself, "Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details." I rate this book higher than DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE and, unlike the other reviewers here who claim they knew the answer to the mystery right away, I was honestly baffled and shocked by the multiple endings. What will be next for Ingrid? "An Awfully Big Adventure"? Without a doubt.



4. Behind the Curtain is the second book featuring thirteen year old Ingrid. This mystery series is set in the small town of Echo Falls. Ingrid seems to be your typical middle school student who likes playing soccer, acting in plays, and eating ice cream. She is not too thrilled with school, math class in particular, but loves Sherlock Holmes. She is very good at observing small details like Holmes, her hero. It is through observing various oddities, like her dad throwing away the newspaper or her brother's increasing acne, that she begins to realize all is not well in her house.
   
   Peter Abrahams does a good job of keeping the story moving and interesting while also interspersing it with the mundane things that a young teen must do such as homework or a trip to the orthodontist. The mysteries are convoluted enough to be intriguing, yet there are an abundance of clues so that an astute reader could figure them out. The issues Ingrid ends up investigating are pretty serious and do not necessarily have feel good happy endings. There are a few loose ends left at the end of the book: Why was Grampy at the hospital? Why was Chloe so upset? Hopefully these will be addressed in the next edition of the Echo Falls mystery series. I'm looking forward to it.



5. The title refers to The Wizard of Oz. Ingrid is playing Dorothy in a school production. Also, symbolically, in real life. Just reading the cover you can guess who the wicked witch is. And it doesn't take long to figure out who's the Wizard behind the curtain. I haven't read or seen Oz for a long time, and I'm not great with symbolism, so I'm not sure who the Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow, etc. are.
   
   Yes, it was pretty obvious who the bad guys were and what was happening "behind the curtain" early on. Didn't bother me at all.

5 comments about Blackbird Singing.

1. Everyone believes that Robert and Monique-Jones Walker have it all. He is the NBA's finest player and she is an internationally renowned news-anchor. They both love and adore their-nine year old daughter Tonya. However, the perfect world abruptly collapses when Tonya is abducted by an insane hacker.

   It becomes apparent that this is no ordinary celebrity kidnapping. No ransom appears. Instead, E-mail notes, ugly faxes, and nasty pictures are sent to the media. Revenge for some apparent slight seems to be the motive. As the Walkers become more desperate by the minute, others see this as the international case that will bring them fame and fortune even if it costs the victim her life.

   BLACKBIRD SINGING is a taut thriller that will either elate readers with its unending excitement or leave them feeling extremely nauseous. The story line is fast-paced and graphic, and genre rules are smashed in not so pleasant ways. This will definitely leave some of the audience (not just purists) upset, but actually adds to the overall demeanor of the tale. The characters are intriguing, but extremely sad, anxious, and tragic. Jay Amberg scribes a brilliant kidnapping who-done-it, but some individuals will have problems with the lack of relief from the unending madness of the culprit and the melancholy of the Walkers. A bit of comic or other relief from the constant downward spiral would have left everyone singing the praising of Mr. Amberg.

   Harriet Klausner




2. Jay Amberg's "Blackbird Singing" is a sensational thriller, that one only hopes is the first of many. Tom Hopkins, the lead detective in a much publicized kidnapping, is very likeable and believable. As a reader you will want to become better acquainted with him. What we do learn is that he is able to match wits with the cunning, delusional, computer-genius kidnapper who has captured the daughter of the famous Chicagoland basketball hero, Robert "Sky" Walker. We also learn that he is as vunerable as the rest of us. If you are a fan of John Sandford's "Prey" books or Robert Tannenbaum's many thrillers, you will enjoy Jay Amberg's "Blackbird Singing".



3. I agree with the reviewer below who compared this book with John Sandford's "Prey" series. Blackbird Singing's hero, Tom Hopkins, is very similar to the Lucas Davenport hero of the Prey series. The only reason I gave this book 4 instead of 5 stars is because you need a scorecard to keep track of who's who and who does what for whom. Otherwise I really enjoyed this book and hope to see more stories involving Tom "Hoop" Hopkins.



4. I love a good detective thriller and this one certainly fills the bill. Likeable, hard-working Commander Tom "Hoop" Hopkins faces seemingly unsurmountable odds in trying to catch the cyber-kidnapper of Tanya Walker, 9-year-old budding-gymnast daughter of the Chicago Bulls' superstar player, Sky Walker, and his glamourous anchor-woman wife. Lots of characters get involved in this fast-paced story and I'm still having trouble figuring out what to do with Pit Bull, the sleazy t.v. reporter...but that's okay. The story twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my chair. I had started to bed and finally gave up and just got a cup of tea and finsihed the book! I hope there are more books forthcoming about this group of dedicated law enforcers...Hoop, Carl Henderson of the FBI and others. We gotta catch that brutal Saville. Surely he can't get away to Europe never to be heard from again. This book is truly a "thriller" in every sense of the word. A really good read!



5. Jay Amberg's "Blackbird Singing" tries to be a thriller involving a twisted hacker out on a spree for revenge and infamy, a very good local cop, and a kidnapped girl, the daughter of a basketball superstar in Chicago. The novel tries to turn convention on its head by the way it ends, but the violence in here, and some of the one-dimensional scumbags who reap the whirlwind deservely, bring it down into the mire of mediocredy. The villian was so irrating that I wanted him to die, just because he wouldn't stop with the old Beatles music musing that are so annoying.

No comments about The Dog Hermit.

No comments about The verdict is in.

2 comments about Run for Home.

1. This is the first book that has made me gasp out loud, feeling empathy for the children, almost to the point of tears for Kerry. Because I can visualize the locations, I feel so much closer to the characters. A good deal of humor amongst the `dark' core of the tale, told with anger and venom at an astonishing pace. The tension is constantly building with the `need to know' carrot being dangled ever further just out of reach. There is always something interesting or unexpected happening with minimal physical descriptions allowing the narrative of the story to do the work. Just when you think you've worked it out. The `reality rug' is wrenched relentlessly from beneath your feet. Given that my attention span, could be challenged by a `Houghton Feast' goldfish, this page turner had me absolutely riveted to the spot; although I did needed a pause, a rest, break, from time to time before I became as mad as the "Lumsdon" family itself A coffee, a phone call. Any interruption was welcome from the intense pressure had I allowed myself to experience! Totally fantastic. Compulsive reading once was not enough. Like a seasoned comedian, while you're laughing at one joke. You've missed three others. While you're thinking of what's coming next, you're missing out on the details and I had to `back read' several times to `keep up' with the story. A fierce pace with a multitude of characters, all deftly described as we are forced into their lives at ravishing speed, without the time for remorse or judgment, you'll either love it or hate it!
   "DON'T JUDGE, JUST RELAX, READ AND ENJOY KNOWING YOU CAN PICK IT UP OR PUT IT DOWN BEFORE OR AFTER THE `WATERSHED."
   I did, and I want more!
   
   Thanks Sheila, It's the most entertained I've been for ages.



2. i never put this book down from start to finish and that is the god's honest truth. what a brilliant undiscovered writer where have you being Sheila i truly dont no, the book companys should have picked this writer up years ago. The book was not to be put down. I loved the lumbsdon family and all the different storys in this one group of people. This book made a change to everything i have read in the way that it talks about things that are happening in this country. I loved the slavery story line and the way sheila describes the paragraphs realy makes you think that it is realy happening. Keep this up Sheila as i cant wait for the next part in your wonderful talent. MUST READ

5 comments about Steal Away.

1. This may be the most annoying book I've ever read. The main character, with whom the reader should at least sympathize, made my skin crawl. She represented every negative stereotype of women ever perpetrated. She is inept, ineffectual, irritating. She was so useless as a mother that I didn't care who kidnapped her son -- he'd be better off with anyone but her.

   Her "poor pitiful me" demeanor, her delight in her own incompetence, her willingness to tolerate emotional abuse from her husband (abuse that, frankly, I wanted to inflict on her myself) made this reader hope that she would be done away with before the book's end.

   I am amazed that a woman writer could and would create such a caricature of a character, much less hang a novel on an idiot like this.




2. This is possibly the worst book I've ever read. I literally was skimming the pages 1/2 way through just to get to the conclusion. The female "heroine" is so weak kneed and pathetic it's amazing she can tie her shoelaces by herself not to mention track down her missing son! She kept complaining how everyone thought of and treated her as a crazy person and honey! if the loony bin fits...!

   I realize this was a first book attempt and heaven knows I don't have the talent for writing but if you read this book just go in with eyes wide open.




3. This book sure garnished mixed reviews! Some loved it while others hated it. I thought it was pretty well done. Not all of us are heros or heroines. Many women and some men are only forced to act on their lives only when confronted with situations out of their ability to control, such as one that arises in this book. A child is snatched by strangers, and the ability of those strangers to take that child is given by those who love that child the most. In WWI America they had these advertisements saying "Loose lips sink ships." The carelessness of an aunt, the lack of observation by parents at sports and dance situations, the lack of concern most people show for their neighbors and often their friends help lead to a child disappearing.

   It is absolutely imperative that people understand that most children who are kidnapped are kidnapped by family or acquaintances. Stranger abductions like this are rare, but they still frighten parents and grandparents.

   It is easy to judge the mother, Rachel, for being weak and bowing too much to her husband's whims. I've met women like this, but when confronted by problems, they often shine. They also learn things about themselves and about their families, their husbands that they chose to ignore. Rachel persists. She badgers, she shucks her life of all the unimportant societal standards in order to find her son.

   My big problem with this book was not with the characterization. We are all different, and the author was portraying someone who had chosen to ignore the things that were wrong about her family and about her life. For the most part the plot was strong, but I thought the ending was curt. It left too much up in the air.

   Karen Sadler




4. I first read this book because I like the author's mysteries under her nom-de-plume (Kate Flora) long before I had kids of my own and like some reviewers dismissed the 'psychic' feelings of the main character Rachel as literary hooey and an elegant plot device. Now a parent of two-year-old twins, I find the same feelings within myself and, when re-reading it on a sunny afternoon while the twins played, found myself shuddering and staring at every strange van in our neighborhood. In her non-literary former day job, I'm certain Ms. Clark had been exposed to every sort of child trauma and tragedy and she writes about them with the compassion of an insider to the human drama that unfolds. As I write this, I am remided of the two Amber Alerts that were issued within the past week and how every parent needs to be aware. But aside from the reality of what she writes, I found myself turning pages wanting to see what happens next and if all would end well (as it usually does in fiction if not in real life).



5. A child is kidnapped. The mother is desperate to get her son back. She comes across as a ninny to me. The author tries hard to convey the emotions of her characters instead of letting the story tell it. The dialog seemed wrong at times and small mistakes in the flow of the story. I would never read a novel by Katherine Clark again. Stay away from Steal Away.

No comments about Technology and collaboration meet to help recover America's abducted children: the AMBER Alert Highway Network Alerts professional truck drivers of recently ... article from: Defense Transportation Journal.

2 comments about Resurrection.

1. This book was a reminder of the reason why we don't feel safe to take our eyes off our children for one second.

   I was three years old when this happened and lived in the neighboring city, Coquitlam. I can still remember how scared everyone was when we all started elementary school a couple of years later.

   The author has done a great job of keeping the reader hooked on the book throughout Abby's horrifying ordeal.

   Abby was indeed a brave and courageous child that overcame great obstacles while in confinement and after she was discovered.




2. A chilling page-turner... to think of the strength that Abby had at that age, remarkable and unbeleivable!
   I grew up in that area, and was 4 at the time. This unthinkable act put a fear into the community for many years. It was a topic throughout my school years, reminding of the dangers that exist, even with people that you know and sometimes trust.
   Very well written... a must-read!
   Abby's strength, even today to face Hay in court, is really quite inspiring!! I can't even begin to fathom what Abby was put through...

5 comments about Modoc Sundance (The Frontiersmen, 2).

1. The Lava Beds war erupts in Nov. 1872 near Tule Lake (then known as Lake Rhett) at the California-Oregon border with a bungled attempt to arrest Captain Jack, leader of a band of free-roaming Modoc Indians. Sean Belanger presents the ensuing conflict as a seminal event in Western history, one of those rare moments that divide history between 'before' and 'after' - in this case, Western History. Belanger's standpoint is that two conflicting sets of Indian policies dominated in the 1870s: the first - William Penn's idealized evangelization into an agrarian ideal ; the second: outright elimination of peoples that might resist Manifest Destiny. Little Bighorn and Wounded Knee might never have occurred without the Modoc War. Thanks to Sean Belanger for explaining this to us. The text consists in brilliantly crafted novelized history, innovative, and lively. I found myself reading it over and over again, as if facing Captain Jack, Gen. Canby, and Pres. Ulysses Grant.



2. The bright cover of Modoc Sundance depicting heavily decorated Indians with full-feathered headdress would be nice on a novel written about the plains Indians. The Modoc's, like most Northwest tribes were not "feathered" Indians but wore fur caps through the winter and caps made from cottonwood or inner pine bark in the summer. Their normal attire prior to and during the Modoc War era was generally Levi's and flannel shirts having easily adapted to the white Yreka, California settlers ways of dress. The cover's complete pictorial inaccuracy of the Modoc,s should have been a warning. As a historical novel, after the cover, the story goes quickly downhill.

   Tule Lake was not, according to 1770's era maps named Rhett Lake as indicated by the book. Although John C. Fremont gave the name to the lake in the 1840's, it seems that Tule Lake was in use well before the war. The conflict between evangelization and government policies was just one of a number of causes of the war. Some of the most important figures, from both sides, are totally missing. Many of the more important events leading up to during the war are never mentioned. If you are looking for any degree of historical accuracy you might try "Alice in Wonderland."

   There are numerous books on the Modoc War. If you are intereteed in the history of the Modocs and their war you could do better.




3. This is a piece of fiction, inspired by the events that occurred near Tule Lake, Ca. in 1872. It reads like a good old book from Cormack Mc Carthy. The publisher would have been better inspired to use a photo of modern California Indians, not plains Indians. Still, the story is highly entertaining and should be made into a film.



4. This mostly-truth, part-fiction rendition of the events surrounding the 1872 Modoc War and the fate of Modoc renegade Capt. Jack is a must-read. Belanger's book contains interesting information that I found nowhere else, including details on Jack's surrender, his betrayal by Shaman Shoks, and the (rather gruesome) dissection of his body by Army docents. Also, Canby's character is brilliantly rendered. The fictional protagonist, James Wallace, is interesting, and all other characters are both genuine and well-researched. A great book, both entertaining and highly informative.



5. The 1872 Modoc War makes a fascinating backdrop and I learnt a couple of interesting things about the sad fate of Modoc renegade Capt. Jack which I couldn't find in other books. This is a fictionalized account of the Modoc War, make no mistake, and the author's choice of introducing a fictitious character, Jim Wallace, amidst otherwise perfectly historical characters is a risky one. But the gamble pays off, and the book is replete with interesting details. The author's attention to such details, while never forgetting about the big picture (this conflict, the author says, heralded Wounded Knee and the other brutal massacres that ensue) make this book a truly fascinating read. I found this book to be extremely well-researched yet very entertaining. One nitpick, though: Queen Moon's character was underdeveloped.

1 comments about The Price of Failure.

1. Kidnappers enter the home of English Lord and Lady Awkwright and abduct their daughter, Victoria. For the next two months, the Awkwrights and the police receive no demands or even hear anything from the abductors. Two months later, Victoria is released, having been raped and infected with the HIV virus. The police, not knowing that this is the first gamut in a bigger plot, write the case off as the work of a bunch of amateurs, who failed to get a pence for their efforts.

   The married Detective Constable Carr, who just became a father, becomes the victim of blackmail from the same group when he is caught gallivanting with a prostitute. He reveals to the kidnappers detailed information on police plans to catch them and protect a potential victim. Somehow, Carr knows he must find a way to do his professional duty without destroying his spouse, who already suffers from post natal depression.

   Nobody today writes tighter thrillers with not one throw away word as well as Jeffrey Ashford. His current suspense novel, THE PRICE OF FAILURE, is a brilliant tale that readers will absolutely devour. Carr is a great character, facing a monumental moral dilemma that threatens to consume him. Trent, the leader of the villains, is one of the all time great criminals of fiction. This reviewer strongly recommends all the Ashford novels plus the Inspector Alvarez books (see A MAZE OF MURDERS, AN ARTISTIC WAY TO GO, and AN ARCADIAN DEATH, etc.) written under the pseudonym of Roderic Jeffries.

   Harriet Klausner