Can't Take My Eyes off of You: A Novel

Book Description

The notion that Dilbert creator Scott Adams has secretly bugged every office, cubicle, and conference room in America-a belief widely held by Dilbert fans-has been debunked by pointy-haired experts. This discovery leads to an even more sinister yet inescapable conclusion: that the lunacy you thought was unique to your workplace is spreading with a viral malignancy across the nation's business landscape.

Yes, the Corporate America brand of insanity has garnered a majority market share among white-collar managers and so-called leaders at companies large and small. Product features (let's not call them "benefits") of this insanity include inflated executive salaries, irrelevant performance objectives, insipid management fads, inscrutable e-mail, interminable meetings, and oppressive work environments.

Dilbert is the inadvertent poster child for the Corporate America brand. In his 25th collection, he and his power-hungry dog, Dogbert, provide much-needed comic relief to working stiffs toiling in cubicles everywhere. Dilbert is featured in 2,000 newspapers and is read by 150 million fans in 65 countries and 19 languages.

Customer Reviews:

Short but worth it.......2006-07-28

Ok, so as you could guess, this is a small book compared to the other Dilbert collections, but you'll get your money's worth. Blah blah blah, reality of offices, ineffective management, unmanageable coworkers, evil contractors, malicious subdivisions, all here, as a Dilbert fan would expect, and holds what I consider the best dilbert strip: Dogbert explains corporate investing. You'll find some of these comics elsewhere, but for a dilbert collection fanatic, a worthy buy.

As Dilbert books go.................2006-02-25

Another great collection of Dilbert from the master of business humor!!!!! I still laugh out loud when I read it.

Can't get enough Dilbert!!!.......2005-10-20

I don't work in an office, but Dilbert applies just as well to those of us in the education field (change pointy-haired boss to pointy-haired principal and you get the picture) I have read Dilbert from the beginning, and I love it all. Dogbert will always be my favorite, and there is plenty of him in this book, along with Dilbert, Wally, Alice, Asok, Catbert...the whole gang. Great book!

Dilbert 25.......2005-10-03

I have read Dilbert from the first day. I don't think it is as cutting edge as it once was, but I still look forward to each one. This is as good as any.

The perfect way to end the day: Dilbert humor.......2005-08-07

This is one of the best Dilberts ever and I've read quite a few. Though it makes me skeptical about what my future boss may be like, it is still hilarious.

The New American Splendor Anthology: From Off the Streets of Cleveland

Average customer rating:

The New American Splendor Anthology
More interesting than it has a right to be!
Please welcome back Harvey Pekar
Pekar in the 1980's
From Off The Streets Of Cleveland Comes...

The New American Splendor Anthology: From Off the Streets of Cleveland
Harvey Pekar
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0941423646

Book Description

American Splendor is the series that sparked a revolution in comics and brought graphic novels to the attention of post-adolescent readers everywhere. Here is the best of American Splendor and other comics by Harvey Pekar, including never-before-seen material.

Customer Reviews:

The New American Splendor Anthology.......2007-05-15

If you can't love Harvey Pekar, you can't love anyone. He is a lovely man, with as many neuroses as the rest of us, who listens and watches and reports on the people and world around him. His kindness and caring for the people who populate his world - these are real stories with real people Harvey knows, including his family- is obvious and makes reading his work a delight. I found the Pekar books to be like peanuts - I kept wanting more and more and hate to finish one - unless I have another ready to read. Harvey's 'comics" are the first graphic novels I've spent time reading, and I am hooked. The drawings add immeasurably to the story - a format I would like to see developed further in the future.

More interesting than it has a right to be!.......2004-12-17

Seinfeld, a show about nothing? Pbbbb. Never thought it was that special. Heard about this guy named Harvey Pekar who writes comics about well, nothing. Not nothing really but ordinary, mundane everyday things. Saw the movie, liked it, picked up the Anthology at the library. Hooked. Want more. More. The first friggin' page had me hooked, the old fella telling Harvey about the rag peddlers cry. 'PAAAY-PER REGGS'. The thing is I don't think Harvey needs every dollar now. Between the movie and his work being reissued and the new found interest in him and his comics, he's probably laughing, or brooding, all the way to the bank. Good for you Harvey Pekar!

Please welcome back Harvey Pekar.......2004-01-29

This is the second American Splendor Anthology. It features material that was written after the first Anthology came out, plus some older stuff that was left out of the first book. If you like Harvey Pekar's stuff, you will love this book. For people who became interested in Harvey because of the movie based on his life, you will be interested to find the comics based on his David Letterman appearances here. Also, Toby and the "Revenge of the Nerds" story is featured here. For Harvey's hardcore fans, there are some rarities here, such as pre-American Splendor comics from the early '70s, and Harvey's Forwards to other people's books. Buy this book, Harvey can use the money.

Pekar in the 1980's.......2003-09-16

This is another great collection of Harvey Pekar's AMERICAN SPLENDOR "comics". These are some of his later ones, from the mid 1980's up until 1991. They include his stories on his Letterman appearances.

If you've read the movie tie-in collection and have become a Harvey Pekar fan, this is the best collection to pick up next.

From Off The Streets Of Cleveland Comes..........2002-01-05

This comprehensive collection of American Splendor autobiographical comics by Harvey Pekar features the artwork of many prominent underground comic artists, including Jim Woodring, Joe Zabel, Gerry Shamray, Chester Brown, Spain, Drew Friedman, and R Crumb. But Pekar is truly the dominant force here. Whether he is trading records, arguing with people at work, getting sick, or losing the library's copy of "Confessions of Zeno," you'll get right inside his head as he muses, worries, broods and gets [angry] at the people in front of him in line. Strong stuff with a hard edge of realism.
Compiled from the American Splendor comic books published in the 70's and 80's (which are now largely unavailable), this is highly recommended for those who dig underground comics, new forms of biography or jazz (Pekar is also a renowned jazz reviewer and writer who sometimes talks about music in his comics).
This is not a psychedlic "head" comic, and it does not try to be hip. Harvey is no hippy, he's his own person. There is some social commentary in there too.

Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine: A Novel

Average customer rating:

An Amazing and Simple Story
Entertaining
A Man's Take
A simple read
A Haunting Writer

Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine: A Novel
Ann Hood
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Mothers & Children | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0312195559

Book Description

This novel begins in 1969, and as Peter, Paul and Mary croon on the radio and poster paints are splashing the latest anti-war slogans. Suzanne, a poet, lives in a Maine beach house awaiting the birth of a love child she will name Sparrow. Claudia, who weds a farmer during college, plans to raise three strong sons. And Elizabeth and Howard marry, organize protest marches, and try to raise their two children with their own earthy, hippie values. By 1985, things have changed. Suzanne, now with a M.B.A., has taken to calling Sparrow "Susan." After personal tragedy, Claudia spirals backward into her sixties world-and into madness. And Elizabeth, fatally ill, watches despairingly as her children yearn for a split-level house and a gleaming station wagon.In this beloved, critically acclaimed first novel, Hood's clear, brave, and penetrating voice captures the spirit of three friends struggling to resolve their lives in a complicated time warp called lost youth.

Customer Reviews:

An Amazing and Simple Story.......2004-01-06

An amazing and simple story of what shapes the people we become. The characters were like people you know.

Entertaining.......2003-06-16

Though not deep literture by any stretch of the imagination, this book made me fall in love with Ann Hood. The themes explored here (the sixties, lost idealism, familial relations, the complexity of romantic relations) are frequent themes in her novels. so much so, that they become fairly redundant after awhile. this, however, is her best outing. Rather than probing deeply into the pysches of her characters, Hood instead takes the reader on an entertaining skim of thier surafaces, which are interesting enough to make the read a pleasant one. this book is kind of like a well made tv movie: insubstantial but entertaining, impossible to turn away from once you're hooked. an earlier reviewer compared the style to those of Ann Tyler or Alice Hoffman. I think thats an accurate comparison, although Hood may even be a little more accesible due to the fact that the novel is zippier and less bogged down in ulitmately irrevelent detail.

A Man's Take.......2001-05-04

I read this book a LONG time ago, and I have been searching for and reading Ann Hood ever since! Maybe it was my age and maturity - whatever - when I read it, but I LOVED it! I'd highly recommend this or any Ann Hood to everyone. For me, it was an eye-opening look into the woman's side of things. It made me think, and changed my point of view in a big way.

A simple read.......2001-04-09

Though it's not my favorite book of this year, but it was a pleasant, quick read. I wish that Ms. Hood had written in depth about her characters ~~ instead, I got a fuzzy image of each one of them, which is disappointing because she could write more about Claudia, Elizabeth, Suzanne, Sparrow and Rebekah. They are the kind of women that I'd be interested in knowing a little better than the sketch that I was given in this book.

Claudia, Elizabeth and Suzanne were friends in college during the 1960s. Then one summer, each of them fell in love and got pregnant for the first time. Claudia and Elizabeth remained friends, while Suzanne moved to Boston to raise her daughter Sparrow alone. Claudia and Elizabeth married their respective lovers and raised families on a gorgeous farm ~~ with crabapple trees and daisies on that farm. Suzanne left her lover Abel because she refused to have an abortion ~~ and in turn became a hard, brittle woman whose daughter could never understand. Elizabeth also had a daughter Rebekah ~~ that she tried to understand but it wasn't till she was diagnosed with cancer that she was able to finally reach out to her daughter.

There is a thin story line here ~~ and that alone is disappointing. Ms. Hood could have written more about Elizabeth and Rebekah, Suzanne and Sparrow, and Claudia's inability to let go of her son who drowned. The ending leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

If you're looking for a quick read and something light, then I would recommend this book. It is well-written, but there isn't enough substance there to hold your imagination like a good author tries to do. It quite doesn't match up to my expectations of what a good book should do. It is sufficient enough if you need something light to read.

A Haunting Writer.......2001-01-04

I read this novel and Hood's "Three-Legged Horse" and "Something Blue" a few years ago. They are simple, slight novels that take only a short time to read, but they have lived with me since, becoming almost iconic.

I am not particularly good at remembering plots or names, but fragments - the lobsters that a child thinks have been brought home to be pets which are then boiled alive... the child struck dumb by the fear inspired by the bizarre death of his father, and the death itself - remain with me always.

Book Description

Before Thorn fell in love with crime-scene photographer Alexandra Rafferty, he was involved with Anne Joy, a beautiful woman who abandoned a violent life to forge a new, happier one in the Florida Keys. But her past includes her sadistic brother Vic, now a wealthy rogue businessman who specializes in the hijacking of pleasure boats and who delights in cruelly murdering their owners. Vic is obsessed by his sister and will do whatever it takes to drive his sister's lovers away-even murder. When Vic decides that he must possess the land on which Thorn's beloved home is built, nothing will stand in his way-not even the life of a little girl, the daughter of Thorn's closest friend.

Download Description

Passion and intrigue heat up the Florida Keys as Thorn and Alexandra Rafferty--returning from BLACKWATER SOUND--face down a brutal killer who has kidnapped the daughter of Thorn's best friend.

Customer Reviews:

James W. Hall does it again........2006-02-21

Thorn and his friends face off against some bad guys in a well-crafted, fast-paced thriller. The plot involves a unique and interesting, high-tech approach to stealing millions plus a kidnapping close to home.

implausible plot - annoying!.......2005-08-09

I have enjoyed other James Hall books but the plot line in this one was so implausible, it was annoying. I finished the book, but I wish I hadn't.

Not up to snuff.......2004-06-06

I am a big James Hall fan and think he is the best of the Florida mystery/detective writers. In a league with Connelly, Crais and Lahane. This is a book searching for an idea. Half way through for the first time ever I thought I might have to put down a Hall book. It picked up then but there were just too many gaps. Where did they get a seaplane? How did it land so close without detection? How much punishment can Thorn take? Why is Thorn so contrary when he evidently leads a charmed life. I'll read more but hopefully there will be a return to form.

A high octane character rich thriller.......2004-02-28

Thorne, the hero of so many of James W. Hall's thrillers is once again faced with a difficult situation. An insane "pirate", Vic Joy, wants his land in a prime location on the Florida Keys to build a very large resort. He resorts to kidnapping Thorne's best friend Sugerman's daughter. Thorne tries to use his past relationship with Vic Joy's sister, Anne, to discover where the child is being held. It is a race against time to rescue the child before the insane Joy decides to kill her.
James W. Hall never fails to please with his high octane thrillers rich in characterizations and depiction of the South Florida locale. OFF THE CHART is no exception. There is, however, a certain sense of predictability in the plot. A recurring theme in James W. Hall's books is the maladjusted siblings. This has been used in several prior Hall novels. Names of the villains are very original and memorable whether it is the notorious Butler Jack or the current Vic Joy. Technology has finally caught up with the characters in that contact with the kidnapping victim is via satellite internet connection. The plots of the books by James W. Hall are well planned. It is apparent the author knows where he is taking us and both reader and author have fun on the ride. As with all the thrillers by Jim Hall, this one comes highly recommended.

A GRITTY THRILLER SUPERBLY READ.......2003-09-02

Talk about a part you can sink your teeth into - Thorn is it! However, voice actor John Bedford Lloyd sinks more than his teeth into this gritty thriller, he invests his vocal chords, his pinpoint phraseology, and his emotions. A rare reading this!

The sometimes somnambulant, sometimes violent Florida Keys is Thorn's home. He relishes his privacy, and cherishes his small domain. There has been love in his life. Once there was Anne Joy, a beautiful woman escaping but not forgetting a past scarred by violence.

Her brother, Vic, hardly seems to be a blood relation - he's sick and sadistic, determined to wreak havoc in the life of all who came into contact with his sister. When he learns of Thorn's relationship with her Vic becomes intent on grabbing Thorn's home.

Nothing will stand in this psycho's way - not even an innocent, small child, the daughter of Thorn's best friend. The chase is on, and it torpedoes from Florida to the coast of Central America.

Hall is in his heyday with this one. The same can be said of listeners who relish steamy, suspenseful thrillers.

Book Description

Jonathan, Mickey, David, Arno, and Patch have it all: they've got rich parents, live in Manhattan's trendiest neighborhoods, and attend the best schools. But when the five friends enroll in a School-at-Sea program, how far will good looks, credit cards, and privilege take them? Not far enough! Three weeks o0n a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean should spell smooth sailing. But with Jonathan missing Flan, Mickey and Arno fighting over the same girl, Patch playing the hero, and David having a wild time of his own, the guys just might be ready for a little shore leave...

Customer Reviews:

Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-03-24

TAKE IT OFF is another installment of the INSIDERS series that describes the innermost thoughts of A-List teenage boys. This is a very funny book because the characters seem like what real, rich A-List boys would act like.

In this particular book, the boys crew that consists of Mickey, David, Arno, Patch, and Jonathan take a "cruise" over winter break together that is a program that Patch's parents wanted him to go on. He of course couldn't go without all of his friends. The cruise is supposed to be a learning experience that teaches the students about history, classics, and sailing. They sail from Athens, through the Mediterranean, around the Iberian Peninsula, and on to London. Along the way all of the crew gets "expelled" from the ship except for Patch.

You will have to read the book to find out how, why, and what they do about it!

I really liked this book, because it was funny, easy to read, and super insightful. One of those books that should only be read next to a pool, or on the beach! A super-fun read!

Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

A Great Book In A Great Series.......2005-09-17

The novel is a great book to read. The novel flows perfectly; there is never a point when the story becomes boring. This is the best teen series that follows life though the eye's of teenage guys. The characters are all unique and accurate represntations of teens today. I would recomend this book to anyone!

One of the best stories i've read!.......2005-08-08

For those who get tired of always seeing bitching stuff and the teenage problems from a girl's view, this is a change and its really addictive! I agree with the gossip girl writer, the only cure is more. I cant put down the book and i'm already craving for the next sequel, which unfortunately will only arrive in november. The story unravels the lives of 5 A list guys, who are almost perfect but are made to face up with the problems in their lives, despite their good looks and credit cards. Its a great teenage series!!!

Average customer rating:

In the best tradition of Connelly and Sjowall and Wahloo
A Wonderful Series!
A Wee Frustrating but Still Good Stuff
great work-classic crime thriller

Off Minor (A Resnick Novel)
John Harvey
Manufacturer: Arrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Series | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0099421569
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Little Gloria Summers’ body has been found, hidden inside two plastic bin bags in a disused warehouse. Somewhere in the city, a child killer is on the loose. Then Emily Morrison vanishes and a week later there are still no clues. Years of patient police work have taught Inspector Charlie Resnick that those who jump to easy conclusions are often the last ones to solve a crime.

Customer Reviews:

In the best tradition of Connelly and Sjowall and Wahloo.......2003-07-29

Charlie Resnick is inspector in Nottingham, where the 6 year old girl Gloria disappears. After a few months her body is found by a young couple making love in an abandoned warehouse. A few months later another 6 year old girl, Emily, disappears. At first sight the disappearances look very similar and there are quite a few possible suspects. It is up to Resnick and his team to sort out who was involved in what. In the end both crimes are solved, but it takes until the last page before it becomes clear to the reader what happened exactly.

Charlie Resnick is an inspector in the tradition of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch including his love for jazz music. We also follow Resnick's colleagues, who are not all equally likeable, but that only makes the characters more realistic. There is also quite a lot of criticism on society in the tradition of Sjöwall and Wahlöö. All in all this book is a very enjoyable read.

A Wonderful Series!.......2002-03-23

I just discovered the Charlie Resnick series and I am loving it!
John Harvey has created a believable, compassionate protagonist in Charlie. Charlie's a bit of a schlump--loves his food and isn't too concerned about grooming or fashion. He loves American Jazz and he loves his cats. This British police procedural series introduces us to the detectives in Charlie's crew and we grow to know and like them all.

When two little girls go missing and one is found murdered, Charlie fears he may be dealing with a serial killer. The story jumps quickly back and forth between characters and this method of story telling proves very effective after one becomes accustomed to it. The two little girls are the same age, but from different economic circumstances. Harvey does a fine job in showing us the devastation their disappearances cause their respective families.

Harvey is a fine writer and skilled at picturing the despair, danger and frustration of Nottingham's mean streets, where gangs of unemployed or underemployed youths take out their rage on each other. His Charlie Resnick is a bit of an outsider himself, having been born of Polish immigrants. He never seems to feel quite comfortable embracing either his Polishness or his Englishness. He's something of a loner. His marriage failed and his relationships usually fizzle as well.

He has great sympathy and concern for the victims he meets in his work, and for his crew of detectives, but his most solid relationships are with his four cats. I recommend this series without reservation.

A Wee Frustrating but Still Good Stuff.......1999-08-25

A strong fourth entry in the Charlie Resnick series, the plot revolves around the dissapearance of two small girls, and the uncertainty as to their abductor is maintained until the very end. As in the previous books Harvey continues to the develop the personal lives of the police force, although the focus her is less on Resnick as it is on others. It a bit bleak since it isn't really clear why Resnick keeps rejecting the romantic possabilites presented, and the one member of the force who seems headed toward happiness doesn't acheive it.

great work-classic crime thriller.......1998-06-05

Six-year-old Gloria Summers simply vanished from the Lenton Recreation Ground where she was playing. Her parents are distraught and the police are totally stymied, as their investigation goes nowhere. Sixty-three days later the corpse of the little girl is found.

In a nearby neighborhood, six-year-old Emily Morrison has disappeared from her family's garden where she was playing. Like the Summers, Emily's family is distraught and at the end of their rope with despair. A desperate Inspector Charlie Resnick, feeling the pain of both families, begins a desperate search of the streets of Nottingham in order to avoid a second fatality from what appears to be a serial killer.

OFF MINOR is a reprint of a classic British police procedural that will thrill fans of the sub-genre. The story line is gripping, forcing readers to care and finish the story in one sitting. Charlie is one of the leading lights in mystery tales and the support cast adds a touch of authenticity to the novel. This reviewer strongly recommends readers who enjoy police procedurals or even just a damn good story, try the entire Resnick series because they are consistently of a quality level that would have pleased Dr. Deming.

Book Description

After landing a job at a major cosmetics company through a connection of his, Kaitani has finally gotten the chance to experience real work. But while his eagerness for the new product is admirable, he's utterly discouraged by Fujiwara, his rotten boss from hell! Kaitani plots to find Fujiwara's weakness, but though a colleague's misunderstanding, matter's take an unexpected turn! What's in store for Kaitani now that he's discovered Fujiwara's secret... and his sex appeal?

Customer Reviews:

Good story, makes you want to read more........2007-08-06

the story continues from where the previous novel left us. The connection between the seme and uke is somewhat a bitter sweet one. Sometimes while reading, i think our seme is quite a selfish bastard. Sure he doesn't mean to harm but the poor uke kept on putting up with his constant harassments. Overall i enjoyed the series, the author should write another follow up to this novel.

Excellent!.......2007-04-05

I wasn't sure about this story in Vol. 1 but have really gotten into it now. A good read.

I don't know how to feel about this book!.......2007-02-28

On the one hand I like Konohara's style. She isn't flowery/poetic like Kannagi in Only the Ring Finger Knows (which has its own charms, don't get me wrong) and her characters are mature adult men with other life problems outside their interest in each other. I actually enjoy the slow build-up of her storylines, only intruducing the yaoi themes when the time is right.

On the other hand there are numerous points of contention that I cannot let alone.

First, and again I have to reprimand DMP for their un-proofed manuscripts, was the translation. The awkwardness of the OtRFK series of novels is nowhere near being approached (Kelly Quine did the translation again and the work is comparable to before), but there are so many simple typographic errors throughout the book that could have easily been corrected had they had an actual, professional, editor on staff to read the thing! DMP might be the yaoi publisher with the biggest library of titles to offer, but they are also the biggest corner cutters when it comes to proofing their translations (in both manga and novels, novels are just longer so I guess they don't even bother to do "all that work"). I find typoes in BeBeautiful titles, but it's like one or two in the whole volume, not on each page.

Anyway, setting my continuing frustration with DMP aside, there are problems I also have with the work itself.

Volume 1 set the story up from Kaitani's perspective that Fujiwara was an uptight jerk and we should not only sympathize with his plight, but cheer him on as he performs horrible act of "revenge" upon horrible act of "revenge" on his boss. At first it was comical, but in volume 2 it seems to have taken on a darker edge. Unfortunately for Kaitani, the jig is up in volume 2 and Fujiwara is reavealed to in fact be a very reasonable man and we the readers are not only left with a sense of dissatisfaction with Kaitani over his continuous childish and selfish behavior, but also one of dissatisfaction with ourselves for going along with him up until now.

I felt like an enabler who got in too deep as I watched the act of betrayal and selfishness Kaitani subjects Fujiwara to in the middle of the book (even when I saw it coming). I don't want to spoil anything so I can't get into details, but I felt dirty. Fujiwara finally trusts Kaitani, one of his first male friends ever, and Kaitani shatters that trust because he isn't getting what he wants right away! And Fujiwara still comes back to him! I actually sat there and thought, "because I didn't do anything to stop this before now I have enabled this terrible thing to happen to Fujiwara at the hands of this jerk!" It's a book! I have no influence on what happens!

I guess I should credit Konohara for making me feel such strong enotions about her characters, but is it really that she wants us to dislike her hero? I have to wonder.

A number of the characters come off differently in this volume. It's as if, as Kaitani's hold on the reader's preception is stripped away, we get to see totally new sides of old characters. For example, Higashiyama turns out to have become the equivalent of an old coot about relationships when he tells Kaitani to not act on his feelings, and it takes Tomoharu of all people to give Kaitani motivation. Even that girl that Kaitani had a crush on in volume 1 was reintroduced as a more reasonable person now that Kaitani didn't monopolize our perception of the situation.

Yet another thing I had a problem with was the baffling fact that Fujiwara enjoys the physical act! It's not too much of a spoiler to tell you that Kaitani forces a physical relationship on Fujiwara, but Fujiwara, while being forced bottom to a man, actually and mysteriously suddenly is revealed to enjoy the relationship. They start sleeping together in the volume and we all see that coming, but suddenly a month has passed and Fujiwara is not only used to it, but is enjoying it? Where does this come from? Why did Konohara skip ahead of the story like this? She left out a huge development of character motivation and I for one, refuse to just "accept" that this is how Fujiwara feels. I want to see the build-up, like the rest of the story is carefully built up, not thrown in instead of drawn out to make the book fit the page count.

At the end of the book, Konohara mentions in the afterward that the story has "for now" come to a conclusion, but the story is so open-ended that I have to wonder if this really will be the case. There are so many issues that have yet to be resolved between the characters, particularly as it concerns Fujiwara's unfathomable interest in Kaitani in the first place. I just wish Konohara had actually spent more than a paragraph establishing how that happened from his perspective. Not only has the question arisen of whether or not Fujiwara remembers what happened to him at the end of volume 1, or whether Kaitani has any interest in exposing the truth, but also of how Fujiwara's perception of the other man might change as a result of finding out. There are so many directions that could be gone with the storyline (as there were with Don't Worry Mama as well), but I don't know if we'll ever see anything of it.

Yuki Shimizu (of Love Mode) does the illustrations yet again for Konohara's novel, but again they are so few and far between and most of them (aside from one racy image in the middle to keep us interested and one "heartwarming" one at the end) are pretty uninteresting.

In all I would recommend this continuation of the story if you have liked the Don't Worry Mama series up to this point. I warn about the frustrating aspects, but I also encourage the objective eye one can use in seeing through the dirt to find the gold. Konohara has a way with words and I recommend giving her a chance. I wouldn't start with this volume though, I'd start with the first Don't Worry Mama book.

Average customer rating:

Hands Off! Volume 8 (Hands Off!)
Katsumoto Kasane
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Shojo (Girls) | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1595321608
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Book Description

The missing pieces of the puzzle brought to light by Tatsuki's kidnapping slowly fall into place. As usual, Tatsuki is trying to solve all problems by himself--but things aren't so simple this time. Now Kotarou must at last face his past, present, and future if he's to discover the secret of his power and the link it holds to Tatsuki. But at what cost? Prepare for the mind-bending conclusion of Hands Off!, and the fate of three friends blessed and cursed with ESP...

Average customer rating:

VOYAGE TO INSANITY
extremely well written, but lost momentum
Not worth your time
A fast moving detective thriller
I'm a huge McCullough fan, but she needs more practice

On, Off: A Novel
Colleen McCullough
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0743286421

Book Description

Proving once again that she can triumph in any genre of fiction, Colleen McCullough, the bestselling author of The Thorn Birds, now presents her readers with a gem of a murder mystery about a serial killer.

At the heart of this brilliant blend of suspense, forensic science, eerie and sadistic sexuality, and good old-fashioned storytelling is a dedicated but lonely detective, Lieutenant Carmine Delmonico. The year is 1965, the setting a university town in Connecticut, and serial killers are still referred to as "multiple murderers." Profiling hasn't even begun, so Delmonico has to go it alone on a frantic learning curve that has the killer always two steps ahead of him.

The story begins when parts of the body of a young woman are found in a research center for neurology privately funded by one of the university's greatest benefactors.

It swiftly develops that the killer is very possibly a member of the research facility and that this is not his first murder. With great cunning and daring, he targets a "type" of young woman, following which the women are subjected to unspeakable torture and rape, and finally a horrible death.

The suspects are many and varied, and include a wealthy and ambitious young Indian eager to win a Nobel Prize; the professorial head of the institute, who does something peculiar in his basement; an internationally renowned epilepsy clinician; a neurochemist with a taste for fine food, wine, and music; a Japanese with rarefied and strange tastes; and a business manager named Desdemona Dupre, a tough, well-educated woman, full of common sense, for whom Delmonico feels a growing, risky attraction.

As the serial murders begin to mount -- the killer is getting more and more bloodthirsty and bold -- and the media and anguished parents begin to put pressure on the governor, Delmonico and the forceful, enigmatic Miss Dupre are drawn deeper and deeper into the secrets of the suspects and toward an old family scandal as shocking as it is bizarre. But is the scandal something quite separate, or does it lie at the roots of the present killings?

Colleen McCullough artfully maintains the suspense and holds back the truth until -- literally -- on the last page, with the impact of a thunderbolt, she presents the reader with one final terrifying and unexpected twist.

Her book is a classic murder mystery, written with all the flair and skill that have made Colleen McCullough one of the most popular novelists of her time.

Customer Reviews:

VOYAGE TO INSANITY.......2007-09-15

What a departure this is for Colleen McCullough. Best known for The Thorn Birds and her historical writings, this book journeys into the genre of the serial killer thriller and the brutality of this excursion is one that will leave the reader horrified and disgusted, but quickly turning the pages to discover the identity and motivation of the murderous monster capable of committing such appalling crimes against innocent teenage females.

The story begins in October 1965 with the gruesome discovery of the torso of a young girl found at a neurological research center in Connecticut. This is back in the days before we coined the term "serial killer" or utilized DNA testing as an aid in crime solving. The protagonist of the piece is one Lieutenant Carmine Delmonico, an old fashion sleuth, who continually seems to be a few steps behind the clever murderer. His suspects are a myriad of research center employees and directors, each with obsessions and varied quirks as well as a few camouflaged secrets.

The killer is devious, driven and bold and the outcry from the media and terrified parents of potential future victims makes the Lieutenant's job a real tightrope walk.

Readers who are turned off by scenes of torture and rape should steer clear of On/Off. If, however, you would like to use your wits to see if you can arrive at the complete solution to the puzzle and can "hang in there" until the last page you will be presented with an ending that will leave you agape.

extremely well written, but lost momentum.......2007-06-08

As I was reading this book I was planning to rate it with 5 stars, describe it as one of the best ever, and check the library for her other books. Her writing talent is marvelous - there were many sentences and short passages that I re-read just to savor the language. McCullough's serial killer suspects, primarily the scientists and other staff at a research facility, all have their little secrets, hideaways, peculiarities, history, making this a book with quite a few "bad guy" possibilities. The problem for me came around the last 1/3 of the book. The killer(s) changed methods, which was never explained by McCullough. S/he/they started leaving the corpses around other suspects' property, which she never developed. The police zeroed in on the probable killer(s) too soon to maintain the suspense. The cover blurb, promised a "terrifying and unexpected twist" on the last page; the twist was neither terrifying nor particularly unexpected. However, I must admit given the knowledge that there would be a final twist I spent much of the book trying to predict it and came up with quite a few possibilities.
Nonetheless, this is a beautifully written book, and I look forward to more McCullough mysteries.

Not worth your time.......2007-03-27

I love a good mystery. I love a well written book. I love a book that is fast-paced and just keeps you wanting more. Well, that is not this book. After hearing that Colleen McCullough, the woman who wrote "The Thorn Birds" decided to try her hand at writing a mystery suspense novel, and being lucky enough to find it in the library I decided to grab it. I had never read anything else by this author, but of course trusted that this book must be good since she is so loved by so many, was I ever wrong in making that assumption. The very beginning of this book is promising but thereafter it is a let down in so many ways. The painstaking investigation of the many suspects just seems to go on endlessly. Of course, each one of these people appears to be quite capable of having commited the horrible crimes in question. This book is so hard to read. I found myself not really caring who did it or why. The one person who held my interest in this book was the lead detective, Carmine Delmonico. A real problem with this book though is the author, who by the end of the book forgets just how much credit she has given to him all through out this book for being able in 1965 to solve the case without the help of todays modern technology. But to then have him not know the big surprise at the end of the book was downright laughable. Ms. McCullough, you can't have it both ways! I will not give the ending away for anyone who still wants to read this book but come on, you made your brilliant Detective Delmonico comes across like an idiot at the end of the book. Also, the way that you rushed to explain things at the ending of the book (unsuccessfully, I might add) in the last few pages was like, okay I have to wrap this baby up so let me just get on with it and end it. Talk about a let down. Talk about letting your readers down. I would not recommend this book to anyone, and after reading this book, I wont be reading anything else by this author, ever!

A fast moving detective thriller.......2007-03-03

Colleen McCullough is an accomplished author. From the magic of 'Tim' to the futuristic 'A Creed for the Third Millenium' and in various historical settings, she brings detailed analytical skills, and a love of language.

This novel provides us with a series of murders with no shortage of suspects for our intrepid detective (Carmine Delmonico) to investigate. Set in a research centre known as the Hug the action moves quickly, the characters are well drawn and there is a lot of information about the operation of a research facility. Clearly, Ms Cullough has drawn on her training as a neuroscientist to fill in some of this detail.

I enjoyed this novel. It was an interesting change of direction from Ms Cullough, and I hope that she writes more in this vein.

Recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I'm a huge McCullough fan, but she needs more practice.......2007-01-07

Colleen McCullough is at her best when she writes sweeping epic novels that span generations. I found On, Off to be too much in a short period of time. I got lost with her introduction of the "suspects," one after the other, and as each suspect was revisited later in the book I had to flip back to refresh my memory as to who each one was. The ending was odd, and I didn't completely understand it. I felt it didn't tie up all the loose ends or answer all the questions, and in fact didn't quite make sense with a plot point that had been established before, namely, that an opthamologist had confirmed the "sister's" "blindness."

The subplot of a Black Panther-like group protesting the killings was unnecessary. I felt it was a contrivance to eliminate the murderer before he went to trial.

It was a good first effort, but Ms. McCullough needs more practice to perfect her forary into this new genre.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books