4 comments about High Drama in Fabulous Toledo.

1. Lily James is as fearless a writer as anybody on the planet. She does things with her narrative that I've never seen done before, and does it in a way that is thoroughly entertaining and readable. This is a difficult book to describe, because it doesn't really fit into any one genre. I should say that I didn't come to this book as an unbiased reader, since Lily and I both belong to the same e-mail list for writers. I wouldn't have bought it, though, if I didn't like the way Lily wrote in general; and I wouldn't be writing this review if I didn't genuinely love the book. So buy it, read it, and enjoy Lily's unique way of telling a story. You won't be disappointed.



2. I want Lily James to write about my kidnapping! ... or at least about my hometown!
   This is one quirky tale about a kidnapping gone very wrong. Two parts love, one part terror, added to a heavy dose of comedic BRILLIANCE and you've got a book you'll want to read again and again.
   Lily James' ability to crawl beneath the skin of her characters and drag you along with her is uncanny and terrific - not to mention terrifying and exhilerating.
   This is a Hal Hartley film waiting to be made. Hear that HAL HARTLEY?? You need to make this movie!!
   This and _The Great Taste of Straight People_ make me a permanent member of the Lily James fan club.



3. "High Drama in Fabulous Toledo" is a funny, readable, delightful novel from an author I will be watching. If you like women's fiction but long for something truly original and fresh, THIS IS IT. Her writing style just carries you along - it's a compelling and new way of getting to know a character - which makes it one of those books you can't wait to get back to. Adventure and philosophy, sociology and brain studies fans will find much to think about here, all in the form of an entertaining read.



4. How much of what you choose to do and say is influenced by your interior life? Most of us smuggle the contraband of our dreams in our pockets, existing part-time in an isolating underground that no one ever sees, as do the characters in _High Times in Fabulous Toledo_.

   Lily James' people live parallel lives that only intersect when a ludicrously botched kidnapping forces them to confront the glaring difference between what they have imagined their lives and themselves to be, and who they really are.

   This story is a hilariously tragic fable that pierces the truth of our fantasy lives. Lily James shows us how our imaginary identities both shape our authentic selves, and isolate us from one another. A fast, funny romp that left me hoping for more from this young and brilliant author.

1 comments about Bad Trip South.

1. North Carolina police officer Jay Anderson knew he was doing wrong, but could not stop himself from beating up his wife Carrie. To help him with his anger management, Jay was seeing police psychiatrist Frank Hawkins, but in the middle of their sessions, he tells the shrink that he, his wife, and his ten year old daughter Emily were taking a vacation in Missouri over the concern of Frank.

   On the trip Jay learns that Carrie plans to leave him for fear he will start abusing their child. They stop at Long Horn Caverns near St. Louis where Emily who can hear thoughts notices two evil people. Her father is preoccupied and ignores her warning. When the leave the caverns, Crow, who just escaped from Leavenworth and his girlfriend Heddy who abetted his escape, carjack the Anderson vehicle with the family taken as hostages. On the murderous trek to Mexico, relationships change as double crossings occur. None of the five seem like they will walk away and if by some miracle if one does he or she will be haunted by this deadly road trip forever.

   Though a crime thriller, BAD TRIP SOUTH is also a deep character study through Emily's adult like perspective. The story line is action-packed, but will feel strange as readers hear what Emily hears inside the heads of the other four people. Fans will be shocked by what happens, yet believe what happens could have occurred (just not expecting it), but will also appreciate this well written protagonist driven dark suspense thriller that never slows down until the final confrontation.

   Harriet Klausner

No comments about ETA prepara un secuestro.(grupo de criminales Vascos, España)(TT: ETA prepares a kidnapping.)(TA: Baque criminal group, Spain): An article from: Epoca.

No comments about Midge and Fred..

No comments about Korean Christians kidnapped; Militants threaten to kill them unless troops withdrawn.(World Wire): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press.

No comments about Experiencias de los policías antisecuestros.(México)(TT: Experiences of the anti-kidnapping police.)(TA: Mexico): An article from: Proceso.

No comments about Threat of a Stranger.

No comments about Chile & Co.: Mrs. Fable's Ghost and the Kidnappers.

No comments about Former marine suspect in Texas student's murder.: An article from: Community College Week.

2 comments about Jennifer the Jerk Is Missing.

1. I LOVED Jennifer-the-Jerk Is Missing!I loved how Carol Gorman used comedy and adventure with a little bit of suspense. I finished this amazing book in two hours because it was so good. It tells the tale of a lying, rich, little boy, Malcolm, and his babysitter, Amy. When Malcolm says he sees a classmate and swears she was kidnapped. Amy and Malcolm try to save a helpless Jennifer and get more people to believe them this time! You should try Jennifer the Jerk is missing, and love it, too!



2. Jennifer-the-Jerk Is Missing wastes no time getting started. Right in the first chapter, we are introduced to the characters, and it isn't long before the mystery starts.
   
   13 year old Amy hates babysitting Malcolm, a bratty 8-year-old who, according to his parents, has a habit of making up stories and telling lies. When Malcolm witnesses what he thinks is the kidnapping of his classmate, even brattier 8-year-old Jennifer Smith, Amy takes it in stride, considering not only Malcolm's reputation for making things up, but also the fact that what he witnessed had a perfectly logical explanation. Further investigation, along with much arguing with Malcolm, ultimately proves that he's right, and she finally jumps into action to try to set things right.
   
   This is a pretty fun little story. There's a lot of personality in the characters. Malcolm is a constant brat, first rejecting Amy and telling her that he doesn't have to do anything she tells him, and that he's going to do things on his own. Afraid of getting in trouble with Malcolm's strict parents as well as her own, she follows along, even as she tries to reign him in and keep him out of trouble. Both characters are trying to do the right thing, except for a while, both believe the right thing is something different. Malcolm believes fervently that he witnessed a kidnapping and he must stop it, while Amy thinks Malcolm made the whole thing up and it's her duty to stop him from getting out of hand.
   
   Once Malcolm's fears are proven true, however, Amy quickly leaps to his side. Since the police don't believe them (due to Malcolm's many tall tales in the past), the two take it upon themselves to rescue Jennifer.
   
   What was rather unexpected is that the mood shifts once they get there. The book starts out mostly suspenseful, with dashes of character humor sprinkled throughout the proceedings. Once they reach the kidnappers' hideout, the story changes. The suspense ramps up considerably, but the humor ramps up even more, overshadowing the suspense.
   
   Jennifer is just as bratty as Malcolm said she was. Tied to a chair and gagged, she actually laughs beneath her gag at Amy and Malcolm's first failed attempt to rescue her. She is very ungrateful, unrealistically so to the point of character comedy, but truth be told, this is part of what makes the story so fun.
   
   I liked this book a lot. I like suspense, and I don't mind humor if it doesn't necessarily get in the way of the story. Thankfully, it mostly didn't. While the characters did act rather unrealistically at times, particularly in regards to the dialog coming from the kidnappers, I felt the character humor worked pretty well. It mostly added flavor to the characters and lightened the mood, but didn't take too much away from the suspense. The solutions to problems are fairly improbable, but then again, it's just that type of story. Once you appreciate it for what it is, the story is pretty enjoyable.
   
   Overall, a pretty fun read. Recommended for anyone who'd like a more light-hearted mystery/adventure story.