3 comments about A Decent Ransom: A Story of a Kidnapping Gone Right.

1. 'A Decent Ransom' is a deliciously twisted story told by multiple narrators; these shifting perspectives keep the pace quick and the reader guessing. Bold, quirky and outrageously entertaining. Booklist, Sept 15, 2008 issue



2. A Decent Ransom is a seriously clever book. I literally could not put this down. The plot in this psychological drama is seemingly simple - a beautiful mentally fragile woman is kidnapped for a ransom that never arrives, leaving the kidnappers out of pocket and with a serious moral dilemma about what to do with the girl. The twists that follow are truly surprising and unpredictable. Just when you think you've got it worked out, the action takes an unexpected turn; I can't reveal what happens without spoiling it - suffice to say nothing in this novel is as it seems. The characters are well developed and multi-dimensional; with the exception of the young boy Phoebus who is the quintessential hero in every sense, there isn't a clear cut villain or hero, which is what makes the story so real. The multiple perspectives work a treat. This is a thoroughly entertaining and engrossing read.



3. This is about Phoebus
   A teenager of few words
   Who also s-s-stutters
   
   It's also about Kenny
   His older, controlling brother,
   A redneck in a sombrero
   And the only friend Phoebus has
   
   Then there's Janelle
   Also known as Mai Lin
   Who lives with her best friend Lien
   They gyrate around poles
   And speak Engrish funnee
   
   And let's not forget Kathyrn,
   Wife of Rupert.
   She gets kidnapped,
   And to add insult to injury
   The rapidly diminishing ransom
   Never gets paid
   
   But mostly, it's about Phoebus.
   
   This is a page-turning drama laced with humor, intrigue, betrayal and manipulation, with more dark twists than an octopus playing Twister with an agitated lady squid. It's like nothing I've read before.
   
   Switching between the well-developed characters, the story spools out gradually, teasing and taunting the reader, giving just enough information to hide the hook, and then the author reels you in for the sucker punch finale.
   
   Like the movies Babel and Crash, one of the great things about this book is the way the author skillfully connects her characters when you're least expecting it, making for a story that you won't want to put down.
   
   
   
   Amanda Richards, October 6, 2008

5 comments about Taken (MIRA Single Title Hardbacks).

1. In Fairfax, Connecticut, widow Kate Bickford watches her eleven years old son Tomas stroke the winning hit in a Little League game. Afterward he goes to purchase a sundae while his mom goes to their minivan to wait for him. Her child never shows up. When a few minutes pass and no one knows where he went, a stunned Kate heads home assuming a communication mix-up, but Tommy is not who greets her.
   
   Inside her home waiting for her is Tommy's kidnapper, former Special Ops officer Steve Cutter, who coldly explains how to get her son back before he departs. Complicating matters for the frantic mother is Cutter has left her a mess in her basement freezer; the murdered corpse of Sheriff Fred Corso, the coach of Tommy's baseball team. The police believe Kate killed Fred in a probable lovers' quarrel and do little to search for Tommy as they do not believe her that her son is in trouble. Kate knows she needs professional help on her two-front war. She retains attorney Maria Savalo to deal with the cops and child abduction recovery expert Randall Shane to deal with Cutter; she needs both to rescue Tommy.
   
   Chris Jordon pens a tense character driven chilling tale that grips the audience from the moment that Kate meets Cutter who has already TAKEN her son, invaded her home, and murdered the sheriff. Readers initially believe that the kidnapper is only after some easy money and willing to kill to obtain it, but soon realize that his motive is much stronger and deeper than cash. Though the behavior of law enforcement seems odd with the alerts on child abductions, fans will consider this one of the short list novels for thriller of the year.
   
   Harriet Klausner



2. If you like your thrillers fast-paced and leanly written, this novel is a good choice.
   
   The action pretty much starts right within the first few pages: Kate Bickford's 11-year old son has been kidnapped, and she is desperate to find him. Her quest to find her son involves a lot of twists and turns, and the author does a good job of keeping the action moving. I read this book in one sitting.
   
   The major downside of this book is the rather flat characterization. Kate Bickford, the central character, doesn't have much of a personality. I felt sympathy for her plight, but she ultimately seemed rather bland to me. I also found much of the dialogue in this book to be rather pedestrian.
   
   I recommend this novel to people who enjoy a good suspense story that is fast-paced and easy to read. But if you're looking for sparking dialogue or fully-developed characters, I would recommend checking out the work of Robert Parker or Harlan Coben instead.



3. The book was lacking. The story line dry, the writing routine, no real excitment and the characters were like cardboard.



4. I'll be looking forward to reading the next book in the series, and you can tell that Mr. Jordan has worked hard trying to give his characters the personalities of people who might live next door to you, in Connecticut. His research into child abduction runs deep, deep enough to make you wonder, why is he so into this topic? No wonder he is writing under a pseudonym (or so it says on the jacket). His sleuth has some of the personality traits of TV favorites MONK and HOUSE, which is to say, canny network executives might well consider making a TV version of TAKEN, it could serve as a pilot for a series in which young people are ruthlessly taken away from their parents, and then the bizarre sleuth could be consulted and hired and then use his expertise to reunite parents and children. (In fact there's a character called "Dr. Munk," in a sly tip of the hat to two beloved eccentric TV heroes.)
   
   In these days of war, when young men and women are taken from their families and flown overseas to fight in the desert war, we are all seeking comfort in one way or another. Even though Kate Bickford doesn't have a son old enough to fight in the US Armed Services, he is old enough to be a child soldier in Rwanda or one of those places. When he disappears, at first she thinks that the coach, Sheriff Fred, may just be giving him "extra tuition." What she never suspects is that little Tomas has been snatched from her and likely as not, she will never see him again, or perhaps in the cemetery.
   
   What happens next is all about the spoilers, so I won't give it away. On the upside, Chris Jordan thinks as quickly on his feet as his namesake, Michael Jordan, and he is all over the court with this one. He can write individual scenes, such as this one, "Lyla's eyes shine with an unbearable, incandescent joy, or madness, or both." It leaves you guessing. "Clutching my hand, as if we are little girls about to visit the best dollhouse in the world, she leads me up the stairs and down the hall to her son's room." His narrator, Kate, is in touch with her own childhood in numerous ways, including reaching for metaphors. The downside is, although the story moves in surprising ways, you never really feel sorry for Kate, who does so many idiotic things that when they make the movie version, they should get Jessica Simpson to play her. Randall Shane however, survives his encounters with the Bickford family just fine. Maybe William Macy, or someone handsomer, like Dane Cook, might do just fine for a longrunning crime show. Too bad "TAKEN" was "taken" already (for a series title).



5. I think the book is fast paced and well written. It's different than the usual books I read but I'd says it is comparable to Stephen Hunter's "Dirty White Boy". This is the first Jordan book I've read and I'm hoping Mr. Shane is a character in other books.
   
   Jordan's character development is fine by me and the book keeps you interested. Almost a cover to cover read in one sitting.

5 comments about Motif for Murder: A Scrapbooking Mystery (Scrapbooking Mysteries).

1. I was introduced to Laura Childs scrapbooking mysteries after reading an ad for one of her books in a scrapbooking magazine. I haven't been disappointed. The continuity of the characters through the series is good. I enjoy the mysteries and the scrapes the main characters get into. I hope to keep seeing more of her series each year.



2. I can't say this is the most compelling, or the funniest, or the best cozy mystery series - but if you're a scrapbooker, it's "cute". I like the characters, and I love the idea of centering the story around a scrapbook store owner. This was not my favorite in the series. Carmella's relationship with her hubby is definitely getting annoying, and for someone bright enough to solve crimes (though often accidentally), she does some really dumb things. The cops in this series might not be the most effective, but Carmella "gets lucky" way too often - it's a miracle she's still alive. I will keep reading the series, and hope that Carmella grows into a more believable heroine.



3. I keep reading these, hoping they'll get better... after all, they are about scrapbooking! But unfortunately I keep getting disappointed. If the editing errors ("summersault??")and sentence fragments don't get you, the ridiculous plot will.
   
   The biggest letdown? Laura Childs is a pretty good writer. Her prose flows and the descriptions are fun and colorful. I suggest she get a better editor, one who actually does his or her job.



4. For mystery fans, Motif for Murder is no heavyweight. It's a somewhat fluffy but entertaining read. There is definately suspense for the reader though, and I personally didn't solve the mystery until Carmela did in the book. If you are a fan of fun mysteries, such as the series Psych on USA, you will like this book. If you are more a Law & Order type, you may find this a bit lightweight for your taste.
   
   Childs also pays a lot of attention to the personal life of her heroine Carmela and her troubled marriage. This was another part of the plot that served to relieve the typically heavy mystery feel of many mysteries, which pay little attention to the personal lives of their characters.
   
   One of the most fun parts of the book are the scrapbooking tidbits sprinkled throughout the book. They lend a unique flavor to the book but do not glaringly interrupt the flow of it either. For a person with little to no interest in scrapbooking, they won't be hit over the head with it in this book. But for a person with an interest in the topic, its presence is a very enjoyable element, including a section of scrapbooking tips at the conclusion of the book.
   
   Another special interest included in the book is New Orleans cooking. The book pays special attention to culinary details and also includes a segment of Cajun recipes at its conclusion. Not having tried the recipes, I can't attest to their quality, but they did make interesting reading.
   
   Overall, I will say that as a non-mystery fan and a scrapbooker, the book was a light and enjoyable read.



5. I can't say enough about the Scrapbooking Mysteries series by Laura Childs, each one is wonderful and entertaining and she never fails to please! Carmella is fast becoming one of my favorite characters! Each book contains scrapbooking tips and yummy recipes as well.

1 comments about Italian Mysteries (Gothic Classics).

1. I am with Valancourt Books, the publisher of this book, and I wanted to post the book description from the book's back cover, since Amazon has not done so. More information on this and other titles is also available on the Valancourt Books website:
   
   "He drew aside the covering which concealed the face of the subject...guess, if you can, the horror, the astonishment, when, in the countenance of the deceased, I beheld my own mother!"
   
   The worthy doctor Urbino di Cavetti is kidnapped and led blindfolded to the bedside of a young woman. A mysterious nobleman offers him an immense fortune if he will consent to cure her...of her life!
   
   Horrified, Urbino refuses to murder her, and must flee his native Venice with his family to avoid the powerful stranger's vengeance.
   
   They flee to the isolated Castello della Torvida, which local peasants affirm to be haunted. But the spectre the servants see and the supernatural warnings the family receives are the least of their worries when Urbino's niece, the lovely Paulina, is kidnapped by the lascivious Marchese di Valdetti.
   
   Confined a prisoner in Valdetti's castle, Paulina must choose: become the Marchese's wife, or fall victim to his insatiable lust! Can her friends penetrate the mysteries of the haunted castle and save Paulina in time?
   
   With a colourful cast of characters and an intricate plot, Italian Mysteries was among Francis Lathom's most successful Gothic novels. This edition, the first since 1820, includes a new introduction and explanatory notes for modern readers.

2 comments about 100 Days in the Jungle.

1. I do not doubt that the individuals characterized in this book had a harrowing and dangerous experience, but the accuracy of their adventure is brought into question by the obvious inacuracies of their discription of life in Ecuador. I found their description of the airport almost laughable. Airport Security Guards beating poor destitute locals with a stick!! I have lived in Quito for the last 5 years and have traveled through the airport many many times and have NEVER seen anything like what was described. I have also worked in the area they were captured. I agree that a certain danger exists in this area and one needs to be very careful. However, I have a hard time believing everything else when I found so many obvoiusly incorrect details. I think that the naritive would have been just as good and even more interesting had there not been inserted all the incorrect details to supposedly make the story more interesting. There a enough interesting stories here in Ecuador without all the literary license.

   Reader: Please take with a grain of salt all the violence and "agressively" poor people. I sincerely hope that the rest of the books narritive of the 100 days in the jungle is much more accurate that thier description of Quito. Despite all of this I found the book interesting and recommend it.




2. The airport at Quito is not that wild...does it need some order, yes? Are people getting hit by police? NO! That is absurd.

   I find the story intriguing, but craziness like the airport story, locals not telling the police about guerrillas, and the mere fact that the spanish used in the book is atrocious. Vamos means "Let's (we) go." Not "Vamoose" like Yosimite Sam. Also, Joto is called Hoto many times...where was the editor? There are other ridiculous translations and misuse of Spanish. It did not seem to be intentional because when the oil workers used their spanish it fit the situation...the other misuses did not fit.

   If you want to read a kidnap tail...read this. If you want to read about the real Ecuador...go to another source.

5 comments about What is Mine.

1. Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (8/06)
   
   The plot could have been ripped from the headlines. Child missing! Those words are every parent's worse nightmare. Ann Holt brings us a suspenseful, believable book in "What Is Mine".
   
   Emilie is an eight-year-old girl. She is abducted on her way home from school. Soon another child is missing, a boy named Kim. But this is only the beginning. Parents are frantic whose child is next. Then Kim is found dead in his parents' basement with a note attached. Police have few leads.
   
   Johanne Vik is an FBI profiler. She is juggling her time between her work, her special needs daughter and her obsession with a forty year old case of missing children, a case that destroy a young man's life. Johanne is asked to assist in the investigation of the recent abductions, which she declines. After more abductions, she is drawn into the investigation - But is it too late? Emilie is still missing.
   
   The experts say there are three reasons for child abduction "ransom, parent custody situations and pedophile." There is no ransom note, the parents are not involved, could it be a pedophile or could the experts be wrong. Could there be a fourth reason.
   
   Where are your children? Who are they with? Too often parents drop their children off at an event without checking to see if there is a responsible parent watching over them. Too often parents leave children unattended. We never know who is watching and waiting for the opportunity to snatch one of our precious children away from us. Is there someone watching, waiting, hoping you will let down your guard? Parents are responsible for the safety of their children.
   
   I enjoyed this book but found the plot to be slow in places. The background information drags the plot down. This is not a thriller. A thriller takes you on a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. This has a plot that slowly develops much like watching a pot of water boil. Slowly you see bubbles rise until at last, the bubbles become a full boil.



2. My mother gave me this book and insisted that I read it. I'm not a big mystery/suspense fan, but I have to say that this one was a vast improvement on the Mary Higgins Clark novels that my mother usually suggests. I have to admit that I couldn't put it down because I wanted so badly to know what would happen. I also enjoyed Ms. Holt's writing style, although maybe the style wasn't exactly hers considering this was a translation. I can't read Norwegian, so I guess I'll never know :o). However, the "heroine", Johanne Vik, was nothing short of annoying. She was indecisive and in my opinion, a "witch with a 'b'". The only question I have is--is "stocky" considered an attractive trait in Norway? Because Ms. Holt described most of the "attractive" men as "stocky" as well, and those two words usually aren't used together when American authors describe men. Just curious about that.
   
   Anyway, if your a mystery/suspense book kind of person, like I said, this one was a vast improvement on some of those types of books written by American authors.



3. I just finished reading the German translation of this book and was completely sucked in right from the beginning. The characters and storyline had a lot of depth. The characters seemed real and there were short, little details in the story that would keep you guessing as to how they played into the plot. Really a fantastic book.



4. Wow! Great Characters! depth and feeling! I loved it. I cannot wait for more. A fantastic Tale from Mrs. Holt



5. WHAT IS MINE is the first novel to appear in the United States from stellar Norwegian author Anne Holt. At first I was concerned that the novel being translated would loose some of its vitality but that is certainly not the case. Anne Holt is a superb, intelligent author of psychological thrillers. Her plot here is fascinating and could have been filled with gratuituous violence, but it is not. We are in the hands of an excellent wordsmith here.
   
   The story revolves around the murders of children and the material is handled respectfully and realistically. Our two main characters are also fascinating and very believable, very complex. Johanne Vik is a former FBI profiler who is a single mother of a mentally challenged daughter. Officer Adam Stubo is dealing with recent loss and tragedy and the relationship that develops between these two is filled with pathos and stronlgly carries the novel.
   
   The story involves Vik's investigation of a man who was committed for crimes she thinks he did not committ and all the recent child abductions/murders. The suspense runs rampant and red herrings are all over the place. The pacing, character development and strong plot will have you at the edge of your seat. The book is also rich in Norwegian culture and the ways of their society. We are educated on how things are different over there as the information flawlessly flows with the story. The country is also described in strong detail.
   
   I highly recommend this debut from a new author. An excellent psychological suspense thriller.

1 comments about So Innocent, Yet So Dead.

1. This was a hard book to read. In fact, I had to force myself to read it. And I read it only because I felt I owed it to that little girl to know, as much as can be known, what happened to her.
   At the time she disappeared, I was a newspaper editor just across the county line and her disappearance was big news. Then, the way the she was found....Shocking. That sort of thing just didn't happen where we lived. I interviewed the sheriff and a couple of Texas Rangers about it. But the full impact of what truly happened didn't hit me until I read this book. After what happened to Jon Benet, people have a different view about little girls being in beauty pageants. This little girl was with her parents at a flea market. A giant garage sale. A swap meet. I'm grateful to Bill Davis for taking the time and going through the waves of emotions to write this book. Someone needed to and he did.

5 comments about The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper.

1. Even though I haven't read this book in about 8 years, I still remember it as my favorite childhood library book and am currently traking down a copy to own. I read this book every Christmas for years and am very familiar with it. The story is magical and uplifting. A true classic.



2. Marvin the Magnificent, Raymond and Fats are three mice out to enjoy life ... in Macy's department store. When the toy department's Santa gets kidnapped they are on the case in the best manner of old-movie private eyes. But how can three mice track him down and rescue him before Christmas?

   Narrated by Marvin himself, this story is absolutely hilarious. Don't be stopped by the mice. It was one of my favourite books growing up and I still recall it with great fondness (and a vague sense of irritation that my children's books got sold a few years back).

   There are at least three other books about this mouse trio, and I think a couple of them are still in print. This one, however, is my favourite, and worth looking for in your local library/used book store.




3. When I was very little, my sister would read this story to me every Christmas. It was our little tradition. As we grew older, I came to read it on my own. I had two Macy's holiday traditions- The Thanksgiving Day Parade and this story about three lovable mice that take up living in a Macy's over Christmas and the mystery of a missing Santa. I have just found a copy of this book and I can't wait until my fiance have children to be able to read it to them every year. It's definitely a story worth handing down!



4. This is a really good book about rodents and they are determained to find the Santa that dissapeared in the Macy's store in New York



5. This is an excellent chapter book for children from 8-12. It is a sequel to two previouse books (The Great Cheese Capoer and The Great Rescue Operation)however, it does not require that the other books be read first. They all can be read independent of the others. There are 14 chapters in this book. When the Macy's Santa is missing who can solve the mystery. Three brave mice, of course! Children enjoy this book very much.

1 comments about Held Hostage: The True Story of a Mother and Daughter's Kidnapping.

1. I went to the book signing and was so moved by what Michelle Renee and retired detective Rudy Zamora had to say. I could not wait to get home and read Held Hostage. This book will draw you in as if you are living the crime and you will not want to put it down. It is a true story of strength and hope. If you are a victim of a crime, no matter the intensity, you need to buy this book. If you want to read a book that will draw you in and keep your attention from front to back than you need to buy this book. It is an amazing, true story of a women and her child abused by the system. You will not be disappointed.

5 comments about The Missing Girls: A Shocking True Story of Abduction and Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. I picked this book up because I remembered the story of the two missing girls, but I never knew the outcome. I was very interested in what happened. Unfortunately this book is so poorly written I don't think I can finish it. Whoever was the editor/ghost writer for this book was either blind or an idiot. Don't waste your money or your time. I really hope a talented person or even semi-talented person decides to write this story over, anything would have to be better than this book.



2. I tackled this book with relish, but found that it was too drawn out alot of time, and should have been condensed a little. Ms. O'Neal, while to be admired for her efforts, did seem to overplay her role in this case. Also, being a family member, she was very "soft" on her comments on Ashley's mother, who should've never allowed her daughter to be near that man. At least the man was found and convicted, so the family has some closure. A recommended read if a true crime fan, but not for the reader just looking for a good story.



3. The entire narrative concentrates on how the author was the "only" one who was capable of finding the truth. In some deluded wanna be V. I. Warshawski way, writing with hind sight being 20/20, she was obviously correct and always on the right trail... Or maybe just cashing in on the fact that she lived in the area at the time that it occurred and therefore can claim some fame. It is a poorly written recap of news articles available to everyone.



4. This book was well-written and it gave good insight into the whole case of the murder of these two young girls,Miranda and Ashley. I read true crime often and I believe the best true crime stories present a solid background that explain things like family dynamics,environment,different types of social behaviors and things like that.
   
   The reason I say the book is disturbing is, of course the nature of the crime against these two children and how this evil man could do the things he did to them. Especially Ashley-someone needs to explain to me how her mother allowed her to go and live with this man, a man who eventually raped her and took her life. I also do NOT believe that a man as depraved as Weaver did not ever assault/molest his own daughter. I think she was scared to tell the truth-but it's either tell the truth and get counseling for what she endured-or suffer with the nightmares for the rest of her life. I just really hope the daughter got help, and as for Weaver I hope he got hell in prison.



5. I haven't finished this book yet but, with less than a hundred pages to go, I've read enough to get a very good sense of what its like.
   
   While this book has got the basis for a good story, I think Linda O'Neal should have left the telling of it to someone with better writing skills than her. Not to mention someone who could tell it a little more objectively than she. I don't know if I can completely blame her for this book, seeing as how she's just one of its three writers. What I do know is that her sections (which I assume were at least partially written by her, if not completely) are sloppily written. The narrative moves back and forth between the missing girls case and various unrelated events that occur in her day to day life. I don't know why all that info about her mother was included. Not that it was boring or anything. It could have been an interesting story if placed in the right book. It just didn't have anything to do with this one.
   
   This case is certainly interesting. And it's definitely a tragic story that deserves to be told. I bought this book so that I could read more about what went on in this case and I'm not really disappointed in that regard. I knew the very basics of this case but there was more that I wanted to know. And I did learn more about the case from this book, assuming that what I was told was fairly accurate. I realize that it's morbid curiousity that prompted me to buy this, not a desire for great literature. But still, this material could have been handled so much better. When the book goes out of Linda's head and into a sort of neutral perspective, it's better. In those sections, the story remains on track and doesn't veer off into reflections on food and mothers and cars named Marilyn and so on. This is why I feel it should have been written more objectively.
   
   Check this book out if you're looking for some more info on this 2002 case, but keep in mind that it's quite frustrating to get through. It could have easily been a hundred or so pages shorter. And even then, it would have still needed some heavy editing.
   
   You know, I got the feeling that there were times in the book when Linda O'Neal was trying to turn this into her own story when, really, the story is supposed to be about the crimes committed against those two little girls. Everything comes back to them and the way society failed them. It's not about Linda blowing her own horn about her hard work on the case, it's not about her loving husband or how she's related to Ashley Pond through her husband's ex-wife. The point is that what happened to Ashley and Miranda should never have happened in the first place. Linda does make this clear but that's really what she should have focused on when telling this story. She should have cut all the other stuff out. The whole idea behind this book just rubs me the wrong way. It just seems wrong to me that someone would help write a book about how her tireless efforts and fearless hard work saved the day. Yeah, I know that Ashley and Miranda are still dead, but anyone who reads this book can't deny that it feels like it's a celebration of Linda's work. I do think there are things to admire about her but I think that when a person writes about her own adventures in a flattering way, it's a recipe for disaster, especially if this woman doesn't seem to have much experience when it comes to writing well. It would have been best if the book had taken a more objective approach to the whole thing.