The Hunt: A Novel

Book Description

Touched by a killer, she feels the fire of revenge.

Twelve years ago, Miranda Moore miraculously survived the torture of a serial killer who was never caught. Since then, Miranda, a former FBI trainee and now a member of a local search-and-rescue squad, has witnessed with horror the recovery of the mutilated bodies of seven young women, all victims of her tormentor, known as The Butcher. When another beautiful Montana college student goes missing, the Feds get involved, and an agent, a man Miranda once trusted with her heart, arrives to take over the investigation–forcing her toward a painful choice.

Now, while Miranda battles her demons, while friends, lovers, and traitors are caught up in a frantic race against time, a killer hides in plain sight–waiting to finish the one hunt he has left undone.

After the hunt, go in for the kill.

Download Description

Allison Brennan is the author of The Prey. For thirteen years she worked as a consultant in the California State Legislature before leaving to devote herself fully to her family and writing. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thiller Writers. She lives in Northern California with her husband, Dan, and their five children.

Visit the author’s website at www.allisonbrennan.com.

From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Another Winner.......2007-05-08

Again, Ms. Brennan has written a stay up late, edge of your seat, can't put down book. If possible it was better than The Prey. I say worth every penny!

"...a taut, well-paced romantic thriller that will leave you desperate to read the third and final book in the series. .......2006-05-25

"...a taut, well-paced romantic thriller that will leave you desperate to read the third and final book in the series. Hunt it down in the shops now!"

Miranda Moore is no ordinary woman. Twelve years ago she escaped from a serial killer, The Bozeman Butcher, but her best friend, Sharon, wasn't so lucky. Neither were several other young girls from the local college who he hunted and tortured for fun. In an effort to control her life and deal with 'survivors guilt', she enrolled with the FBI under the watchful eye of her mentor and lover, Quinn Peterson. But when he forced her out of the programme because he felt she hadn't joined the FBI for the right reasons, Miranda never thought she'd see Quinn again. Not that she wanted to, after how he treated her.

However, with The Butcher still on the loose, and holding another victim captive, Miranda felt compelled to assist in her capacity as a search and rrescue specialist. She owed it to the victim's families, her dead best friend and perhaps her sanity. Unfortunately she is still vulnerable, and before long Miranda and Quinn are reunited and their old feelings resurface. Is it now too late to return to how they were? With the killer back on the scene, and Miranda his latest quarry, they may never have the chance to find out.

When I picked up this book I wasn't sure what to expect. How could it be as good as The Prey, Ms Brennan's debut book? Nothing could beat that, or so I thought. As you can tell, I was not disappointed. The Hunt, the second book in this trilogy is just as good. In fact, in some ways The Hunt is even better. Allison Brennan has yet again pulled out all the stops to create another gripping masterpiece. As an entertainer she knows how to pack a punch!

From the meaty dialogue to the thrilling, nail-biting plot, Allison sends her protagonist and all those who are dear to her to hell and back several times. Readers who love to hear gruesome details from inside a serial killer's mind, whilst peeking inside the forensic investigations as they unravel hidden clues, will be enthralled by her talented storytelling capabilities.

Also, if it's love you want, there are some great romantic and tender scenes to keep you happy, too. What a plot! It is obvious that a huge amount of planning and thorough research has been undertaken to produce such a believable and exciting story. I could quite easily imagine this being made into a film or a TV drama series. I only hope we get a chance to see it over here in the UK! This is a taut, well-paced romantic thriller that will leave you desperate to read the third and final book in the series The Kill, coming soon!

Suspenseful, but graphic.......2006-05-24

This is my second book by this author and while I did enjoy it some of it was disturbing to me. I found it a little too graphic and upsetting in parts, but the story was very suspensful and keeps the reader guessing. The romance was also a plus. I will now start the Kill and see how that goes. Hopefully it is a little less graphic.
But I like this writer and will continue to buy her books!

Blah.......2006-04-25

I was in the thinking that this was a romance/suspense/mystery book. Yeah, it had suspense and mystery but it failed majorly in the romance section. And the characters weren't well developed either. Miranda, who escaped the killer years before is really annoying for many reasons. It's hard to get into the book when you don't like the lead character. I felt bad for her because of the things she survived and I wished I could have liked her but it didn't happen. That combined with the horrible romance triangle, I was inclined to skim through most of the pages. And I did.

If you are tempted by the summary like I was, do yourself and favor and don't buy it.

A chilling five stars..........2006-04-06

Jeepers creepers!

I didn't know if Allison Brennan could top the creepy atmosphere she created in her debut, THE PREY.

She did. In THE HUNT, she doubled it.

Oh man...

THE HUNT is fantabulous. With a gutsy heroine, a truly twisted killer, an explosive storyline and a number of crafty suprises, this gritty, often horrific, thriller is almost impossible to put down.

Miranda Moore lived through a week of hell 12 years ago at the hands of an elusive serial killer, the Bozeman Butcher. Since then, the haunted, driven Miranda-the only survivor of the Butcher-is obsessed with stopping this cold, cruel monster who destroyed her life.

Miranda, the Butcher and several other notable characters, including FBI agent Quinn Peterson (from THE PREY) and Sheriff Nick Thomas, are wonderfully sketched. Miranda, in particular, is finely tuned-a conflicted character alternating between strength and vulnerability. Her internal struggle is, at times, gutwretching.

In truth, a reader may even feel a stab of pity for the Butcher as the story of his horrifying childhood unravels within THE HUNT.

Ms. Brennan's fluid style of writing, her remarkable talent for pacing suspense and her intriguing characters combine for a killer thriller. The dynamite romance in this story is just icing on the cake.

THE PREY propelled Ms. Brennan to the top of her genre. THE HUNT should cement her position there.

Debbie Jett, reviewer
romancereaderatheart.com

Dragon Hunt (Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Warcraft continues
Decent
Nice pictures - generic story
Not a bad start
This book is my life

Dragon Hunt (Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy, Book 1)
Kim Jae-hwan , and Richard A. Knaak
Manufacturer: Tokyopop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1595327126

Book Description

Set in the same rich universe as Blizzard's upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game World of Warcraft, Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy is a fresh take on the Warcraft universe using original characters and storylines. The three manga volumes follow the adventures of Kalec, a blue dragon who has taken human form to escape the forces that seek to destroy his race, and Anveena, a maiden with secrets of her own. What starts as a flight for survival turns into a quest to save the entire High Elven Kingdom from the forces of the Undead Scourge.

- From the artist of the best-selling King of Hell, cover art by Charles Park (Street Fighter, Robotech, X-men)
- Written by Richard Knaak, the New York Times best-selling author of Warcraft, Diablo, Dragonlance and English adaptor of Ragnarok
- Since the debut of Warcraft in 1994, it has sold more than 14 million copies of various iterations of the popular PC game
- Check-out the World of Warcraft game and Blizzard's website, battle.net

Customer Reviews:

Warcraft continues.......2007-08-09

This is not your typical book. Because it is TokyoPop it is (forgive me) more like a comic book. As such I read it in about 20 minutes. It was entertaining though.

Decent.......2007-06-27

An interesting read and imaginative take on Warcraft lore. My only real gripe about this book (and trilogy as a whole) is length. You can pretty much finish all three books in one short sitting.

Nice pictures - generic story.......2007-05-17

The art is quite good, but the story and characters are generic pulp fantasy, the same as you would find in any fantasty franchise from dragonlance to forgotton realms and not very appealing.

Not a bad start.......2007-01-09

I've played all the War Craft titles and have been playing WoW since launch and even have spent time inside the inner workings of Blizzard. Once again I am late in the review stack and others have done a great job so I will just say that the story is fair and the action is decent. What stands out the most is the artwork...blew me away and had me pausing at times to reflect...which is saying something seeings how my forte is reading text not artwork. Great job!

Also reading backstory and lore concerning Azeroth are never tiring and do nothing but enhance the game most of us love and are already playing. There are a few good pages of backstory on the Titans, Burning Legion, etc. prefaced in the book making it all worthwile. Good stuff and gobbled that up.

The price of the book is well worth what you get. So between the backstory and the artwork shes a winner...onto the next!

This book is my life.......2006-07-22

my neighbor graham told me how hot this book was so i was like im definietly gonna get this book. The cover was so hot i couldnt believe it, so i pulled out my walden books gift card and bought it. YESS!! now i can read on my vacation and do a school presentation on it. This book is filled with romance and pure emotion. Graham was definietly right about this book, it ROCKSSS!!! The charachters are very adventuourous and hot and i love their moves and styles. This book is now my life i read it everyday and i even act out the scenes in my basement, it tought me amazing moves and techniques now i can spit fire and fly and pretty much whoop anyone. Graham tries to beat me 1 on 1 in duels but i always win because i literally study this book and graham is a just a fool for even trying hes only read the book 5 times LOL. Im on my 65 time and still going and i eat sleep and breathe this amazing novel. i dont really know what its about but I LOVE IT, it is SOOO AMAZING. Im thinking about joing the warcraft play at the local theatre im playing the role of rasheed hes a exclusive charachter only for master readers unlike graham. Soo if you want to come over and join my warcraft reading club your welcome and you can even listen to it on TAPE!!! Lastly i practice daily shrines in front of my book and really praise it with my heart, graham sometimes joins me. So if your looking for a godly book to read for the rest of your life like me and graham and become true duelist buy this book please.

Average customer rating:

This is the series that started it all...
great time traveling experience
Return of The Justice Society (Spoilers!)
Classic Tales of the World's First Superhero Team
Woo-hoo, more Earth-2!

Justice Society, Vol. 2
Paul Levitz
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1401211941

Customer Reviews:

This is the series that started it all..........2007-06-28

Not to long ago Geoff Johns wrote the majority of the first of two Justice Society series for DC Comics (he's writing the second one as you read this...) but this book and the first one are the genesis of the modern day series. These books are hard to come by, if not impossible due to limited print runs on the series, if you do find them you're probably paying an arm and a leg for them. If you're a fan of the Justice Society of America I strongly urge you to get not only this book, but the first volume and it's companion Huntress: Daughter of the Dark Knight as you're missing out on a true treat and some classic comics.

great time traveling experience.......2007-03-18

It was a lot of to read stories that ushered in the first 'personality' conflicts in the JSA...I still miss Earth II..I grew up on those guys...(of course some people say I still haven't grown up) It started up some great story lines...(Robin and Huntresses relationship, coming out of retirement, Star Sangled Kid confusion over finding 'his place', etc..)
Great memories...Wish they'd print more Comic Calvalcade..and a complete World's Finest in the archive form

Return of The Justice Society (Spoilers!).......2007-03-13

A follow up to the Justice Society TP Vol. 1, this compilation completes the run of the reprinted All-Star Comics reboot of the 70's. Wisely marketed by DC to cash in on their Infinite Crisis mini-series (and by association, Earth-2) Justice Society: Volume 2 includes editor's notes that originally referered readers to companion series of the time which featured Powergirl and company, but have been updated to refer readers to recently released companion TP compilations. Though possibly considered above average artwork and writing for DC Comics of that bygone era, the page/panel compositions at times seem crowded and character anatomies seem contorted into awkward poses. The scripts, especially the captions, seem dated. Still, this book, along with Justice Society: Volume 1, The Huntress and Powergirl TPs, are pure nostalgia and must-haves for any Earth-2 completist's collection. Included are the final story arcs which originally appeared in Adventure Comics #s 461 to 466 after All-Star Comics was cancelled and feature the first appearance of the Huntress, the death of Bruce Wayne and the Gotham Twin Towers nearly tumbled by a super villain!

Classic Tales of the World's First Superhero Team.......2007-03-09

The second volume of JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA reprints the JSA's last few adventures in ALL-STAR COMICS (67-74) and their brief run in the pages of ADVENTURE COMICS (461-466). These stories of heroism, tragedy, and the family dynamic inherent in a multi-generational superhero team are still very readable and thoughtful, with excellent dialogue and wonderful art by Joe Staton, the "Earth-Two" artist for DC in the late 70s. Of particular interest is the JSA vs. JSA story from #69, which introduced the Huntress, and the story from ADVENTURE #462, which features the death of the Golden Age Batman. Highly recommended for everyone, but particularly those fans who have rediscovered the JSA in the pages of the current comics.

Woo-hoo, more Earth-2!.......2007-02-18

THE JUSTIC SOCIETY VOLUME 2 collects more of the adventures of the original Earth-2 super-team. These are DC's Golden Age heroes and villains, written as if they had aged somewhat consistently into the `70s. Clark Kent is now editor of the Daily Star, Bruce Wayne is police commissioner of Gotham City, and new heroes such as Power Girl and the Huntress join other still-active members of the Justice Society. These fun stories are written by Paul Levitz, with art by Joe Staton. Unfortunately, there are no inks from Wally Wood this time around. Rest in peace, Wally.

Collected here are All-Star Comics #68 - 74 and Adventure Comics #461 - 466, featuring battles with the classic villains Psycho-Pirate, Thorn, the first Huntress, Sportsmaster, Fredric Vaux, and others. Also featured is the death of the Earth-2 Bruce Wayne. Now don't yell at me for ruining the surprise - it's actually essential that you know this ahead of time. The reason is that the stories are not printed in narrative order, so there are a couple of stories where the Huntress is mourning Wayne, her father, even though he was just fine in the previous story. His death is not featured until much later. Did it ruin the book for me? Nah, but it would have kept me from constantly going back to see if I'd missed something. Anyway, this is a great book to have if you are curious about the DC Universe before the Crisis on Infinite Earths. I must admit, it was a fun place!

The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan Novels)

Average customer rating:

First class
Love this book and the movie too!
Excellent thriller/adventure book!
My first Clancy book... the one that hooked me!
submarine ride through the Atlantic

The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan Novels)
Tom Clancy
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0425133516

Amazon.com

Somewhere under the Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision: the Red October is heading west. The Americans want her. The Russians want her back. And the most incredible chase in history is on....

The Hunt for Red October is the runaway bestseller that launched Tom Clancy's phenomenal career. A military thriller so accurate and convincing that the author was rumored to have been debriefed by the White House. Its theme: the greatest espionage coup in history. Its story: the chase for a runaway top secret Russian missile sub.

Book Description

Beneath the Atlantic's chilly waters, the captain of Russia's top secret missile submarine, Red October, secretly intends to defect--and U.S. intelligence agent Jack Ryan is eager to help him succeed. The Hunt for Red October is the runaway bestseller that launched Tom Clancy's phenomenal career. A military thriller so accurate and convincing that the author was rumored to have been debriefed by the White House. This techno-thriller is complete and unabridged, with a remarkable and gripping narration by one of the audio's best readers. 10 cassettes.

Customer Reviews:

First class.......2007-08-28

This is the gold standard of cold war naval politics. I recommend the reader to watch the movie too. Most interesting to me are the personalities of Marco Ramius, Jonesy and Manusco. Although Ryan is the reason the story unfolds all the military, executive and diplomatic characters so perfectly depicted by Tom Clancy is the reason that makes the story so great. Tom Clancy also shows the reader the details of the SOSUS network and the skills and risks of submarine navigation.

Love this book and the movie too!.......2007-08-26

This book is astounding and a must have for any Tom Clancy Fan. I actually saw the movie first before reading the book. So naturally the actors faces from the movie filled the pages.

A must have. This is a cold war story at its best.

Excellent thriller/adventure book!.......2007-06-01

Jack Ryan is a great character and Tom Clancy is a great author. This book has a slow beginning but turns out to be a great story. The storyline is excellent and engages the reader in a series of twists and turns that take you from the bottom of the Atlantic to Washington D.C. and then across the world to Moscow. I really enjoyed the sections that are on the Dallas; they are extremely detailed and painted a picture in my mind of what it would look like. My favorite part of the book is when Jack had to fly out to the Atlantic to brief the fleet commanders, it was and extremely detailed and even made me feel like I was strapped into a helicopter over the stormy Atlantic. The intricacy of everything that was described was extremely good. The research was conducted beautifully and goes into great detail of everything that is talked about. This is an excellent book and is very fast paced. I read this after Patriot Games and can't wait to start my next Clancy novel.

My first Clancy book... the one that hooked me!.......2007-05-03

I read this book years ago while I was doing my A-Levels (pre-U), and this book was the one that made me a Clancy fan.

From then, I got all his Jack Ryan books until Executive Order.

While the others may have past their expiry date (do-not-read-again-onced-read), I still find reading Red October a joy once a while.

This techno thriller grips you with the intricate details of submarine & anti-submarine warfare. The writing style and flow makes it easy and interesting for the reader to follow.

The other feature that turns the pages is the conflict between a phd scholar, business savvy, ex-marine who clashes with the typical military sterotype. He being a reluctant, but it-had-to-be-done attitude, gives this hero a very honourable image. An image that one would want to relate to.

The first copy I bought of this book has long since gone... probably I had left it on a table or chair somewhere, but I still have my second copy until today. A good read.

submarine ride through the Atlantic.......2007-04-07

Take a submarine ride through the Atlantic during the 'cold war'. Another engrossing war games novel by Tom Clancy. Not as good as "Red Storm Rising" but right up there. He moves us quickly through the scenes aboard U.S. and Russian ships and submarines, along with making stops at the Capitol and the Kremlin. The tension builds, as the U.S. maneuvers to try and stop Russian subs from killing the defecting Red October. Exciting read, with occasional poetic interjection. Clancy delivers a powerful clash of cultures.

Wish you well
Scott

Essential Spider-Man, Vol. 8 (Marvel Essentials)

Average customer rating:

The Punisher is now more important than the Green Goblin to Spider-Man
GREAT COMIC
Response to previous review
Great stuff -- but false advertising

Essential Spider-Man, Vol. 8 (Marvel Essentials)
Len Wein , Bill Mantlo , Marv Wolfman , Archie Goodwin , Stan Lee , Ross Andru , Mike Esposito , Dave Hunt , Frank Giacoia , Jim Mooney , Tony DeZuniga , Sal Buscema , Don Perlin , and Steve Lieber
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785125000

Book Description

Spider-Man is as amazing as ever against adversarial alumni like the Lizard and the Kingpin, as well as up-and-coming enemies such as Stegron and Jigsaw - with the lesser-known larcenies of the Big Wheel and the Spider-Squad to fill his spare time! Featuring the first appearances of Rocket Racer and Will O'the Wisp! Forgotten chapters from the Green Goblin legacy and the Clone Saga! Spider-Man's origin and Peter Parker's college graduation! And J. Jonah Jameson at his best and worst! Guest-starring the Punisher, Nova the Human Rocket, the Human Torch and the X-Men! Collects Amazing Spider-Man #161-185 & Annual #11, Giant-Size Spider-Man #6 and Nova #12.

Customer Reviews:

The Punisher is now more important than the Green Goblin to Spider-Man.......2007-06-07

I already knew that I graduate high school the same year as Homer (and Marge) Simpson as well as Kevin and the gang on "The Wonder Years," but while reading "Essential Spider-Man, Volume 8" I discovered that I would have graduated from college the same year as Peter Parker. The only problem was that I graduated a year early while it took Peter "twelve" years to get his degree (he graduated back in 1965, but of course comic book years have their own weird math that you never really bother to figure out). Then again, despite what you see on the cover Peter Parker does not really get handed his diploma in this volume (what you see above is not the cover of the actual book, so just go along with me here for now), and you get one guess as to what alter-ego messes up Peter's graduation plans. However, do not start panicking that you do not see Aunt May at Peter's "graduation," because there is a reasonable explanation for her absence (although Joe Robertson should not be on the cover given that explanation).

That last observation is not really a digression, but speaks to why I was becoming less and less interested in reading Spider-Man comics back in the mid-1970s when these particular stories were first published (1976-78), which is that too many of the stories struck me as second-rate versions of ones I had enjoyed the first time I read them, when they were written by Stan Lee and drawn by Steve Ditko and Johnny Romita (Sr.). For example, once again Aunt May is at death's door and once again being Spider-Man is causing problems in saving her life, because once again Harry Osborn is running around as the Green Goblin (okay, it is more complicated than that but once again amnesia seems to be hereditary). Once again Spider-Man thinks he is going mad, once again J. Jonah Jameson trots out another version of the Spider-Slayer, and once again Peter stands at Uncle Ben's grave and rededicates his life to the proposition that "with great power comes great responsibility."

My biggest disappointment is that there is this subplot running through the early issues where we know that JJJ has photos of Spider-Man dumping the corpse of Peter Parker into a smokestack. We know that this was the clone of Peter, but JJJ does not know that. This could turn into something interesting but when we finally get to the payoff, it lasts exactly four pages and that is it, which only underscores that you will only find one really memorable moment in these stories, and it has to do with Peter rather than Spider-Man (and it is not his graduation from college. I also discovered that because the Frank Miller version of the Kingpin from his run on "Daredevil" comics turned the character into a major super villain, right up there with Doctor Doom and Magneto, seeing Wilson Fisk as a more pedestrian villain in these old issues is rather disappointing. Peter's relationship with Mary Jane seems like it is just as much on and is it off at this point, at least when Lee Wein is scripting the stories, and then Marv Wolfman shows up and immediately ups the ante. In the blast from the past department I liked the reappearance of Betty Brant (notice she is seen on the aforementioned cover), who provides a nice perspective on Peter's life.

The best stories here are those involving the Punisher, who first shows up when Spider-Man is tangling with Nightcrawler, and then again when the Hitman is the bad guy. At this point the Punisher provides a strong contrast for our hero, embodying the good vigilante versus the bad vigilante, which also provides a critique a comic book world where you wonder how many times a supervillain can get out of jail.. But then we have Stego the Dinosaur Man, who ends up being a tag-team with the Lizard, and one of the other new villains--Will-O'-the-Wisp, Photon, Rocket-Racer, and Big Wheel--are that impressive either. The net affect is that the character is treading water, and if it were not Spider-Man I probably would not have been reading these comics then or now. "Essential Spider-Man, Volume 8" brings together issues #161-86 of "Amazing Spider-Man," Annual #11, the cover of "Giant-Size Spider-Man" #6 (go back to Volume for Annual #4 for what was actually in that one), and, for purposes of continuity, "Nova" #12. Len Wein is the writer for most of these issues, with a few exceptions, until Marv Wolfman took over as scripter on #182. Ross Andru is the penciler on almost every issue here, with Sal Buscema doing #181 and the "Nova" issue. The title might be in descent, but at this point it is only suffering from a slow leak.

GREAT COMIC.......2007-06-01

IF you like Spider-Man you'll love this one and don't forget to get the ones before this Volume because then you'll be clueless on whats happenen so great buy now...

Response to previous review.......2007-04-25

The previous reviewer stated that Giant-Sized Spider-Man #6 is not included in this volume. This is not entirely true. The contents of that issue are not re-printed, but the cover is included in this volume. There is also a note on the table of contents stating that Giant-Sized #6 reprints the contents of Annual #4. It doesn't make a huge difference since you still don't get the actual contents of the issue, but I thought it should be made clear what this volume contains.

Great stuff -- but false advertising.......2007-04-05

I love this era of The Amazing Spiderman. Maybe I'm biased because the very first Spidey title I ever bought was ASM #168, but I love Len Wein's writing. Most of his 30-issue arc can be found in this volume (the first section, issues 151-160, are in Essential Spiderman vol 7) and it's a great ride. While some of his plots were a little cheesy (Hammerhead's ghost and the Kingpin's "life-force" machine), his narration and dialogue were first-rate. And his cliffhangers were truly exciting. In addition, he made great use of ASM's supporting cast and gave each of them new dimensions. Furthermore, he and artist Ross Andru really incorporated New York City into their plots which gave the series a real sense of place.

BUT --- on both the front and back covers this volume lists Giant-Size Spiderman #6 as being included and it is NOT. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe the editors realized at the last minute that #6 reprints ASM annual #4 (which is already featured in an earlier Essential Spiderman volume) and therefore why reprint a reprint? Maybe they were thinking that people who will purchase this volume already have the earlier volume and wouldn't want to see the story twice. If that's the case - they're in error. This is the first Essential Spiderman I've purchased and I would have appreciated reading GS ASM #6, reprint or no reprint. Why not simply go ahead and include it anyway? They included Amazing Spiderman Annual #11 (not written by Len Wein) and it's pretty bad.

In any event, not only is GS ASM #6 advertised on the front cover (as well as in it's press release) but they use the cover image for this volume's back cover as well!

It's a small quibble, I know, and there are more important problems in the world, but I figured it's better to speak up than to remain silent. Peace!

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Because I had to . . .

Ghost Hunt, Volume 7
Shiho Inada , and Fuyumi Ono
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: 0345491394
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

A HUNGRY HOUSE

After a series of disappearances in an old mansion, the intrepid ghost hunters of Shibuya Psychic Research try to unearth the gruesome secret of this scary maze of rooms and passageways. The discovery that the house has a history of murders leaves everyone fearing for his and her own safety. What mystery is this dark manor hiding? And will SPR crack the case in time to save one of its own from a terrible fate?

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-05-09

I have read the whole series and I have loved them all, I love the suspense of the book and it is kind of freaky in some places.
My only complaint is that there are some mistranslation errors in it. Which can be confusing at times.

Because I had to . . . .......2007-04-10

I just had to make a review for this vol. Vol 7 picks up where vol 6's sort-of cliffhanger left off. However, I must admit I was really surprised to see how the cliffhanger was resolved.

Combined vol 6 & 7 make for the best reading of the series so far. The storyline is highly engrossing and propelled by the actual plotline and less by the characters. But that is par for the course in this series. These two works can be considered stand alone works - since the story would be just as engrossing without any background information on the characters. In fact, you could almost begin the series here and determine if you really want to buy the previous works (afterall there are some really good previous works as well).

As always, the characters aren't the highlight of the story and play supporting roles to the plotline. The work is very dialouge driven which requires a degree of concentration. Additionally, this work discusses the actual history of vampirism!

The art is getting better and better. The artwork in this vol begins to really touch into the horror relm and at times is really creepy. (For added effect begin reading it at night - alone.) At one point in this vol the art almost completely drives the story to a really suspenseful and exciting ending.

In short, if you are looking for a good suspenseful read I would suggest picking up vol 6 & 7.

Elfquest Reader's Collection #11b: Wild Hunt

Average customer rating:

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
"The Wild Hunt": Beyond monsters and tyrants...

Elfquest Reader's Collection #11b: Wild Hunt
Joellyn Auklandus , Wendy Pini , Lorraine Reyes , and Steve Blevins
Manufacturer: Warp Graphics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0936861703

Customer Reviews:

A.W.E.S.O.M.E........2001-10-09

I am a major Elfquets fan and I thought this book was amazing. I just got this book so I was quite exicited to read it so I finished it in one day. The first half of this book was great telling the story of the time after Ember and her tribe join up with her father Cutter and his tribe. After the breif family reunion both tribes split up again Ember's tribe with a few new occupants and some lost from the last book are off in search of what's left of Winnowills bad magic and to destroy it. In this story there are a few new elf chrildren one of Tyleets and another from Krim. This story also has a love qurrel between Tier( of whom joins the Wolfrider tribe in this book), Ember, and Mender. This is help settled at the end by Yun daughter of Skywise. Though the first half of this story is a thirler the second becomes a major downer. Not only did the artwork sink down to a all time low but its just disappointing how the elves get easily tricked by the human girl Gifa daughter of the Djun and of whom gets killed in the end by her own...brother. So I would recomend this book but you should be prepared for a small disapointment at the end.

"The Wild Hunt": Beyond monsters and tyrants..........2000-03-22

Book 11b in the Elfquest Reader's Collection reprints the first part of the "Wild Hunt" series (with the conclusion to the present story set to appear in Book 11c, "Shadowstalker"); the story revolves around the adventures of Wolfrider chieftess Ember and her tribe, as they contend with the evils plaguing their home in the New Land - monsters created by their late enemy Winnowill, and the vengefulness of the defeated dictator Grohmul Djun. (The WH episodes in this book first appeared between 1996 and 1998.)

The early episodes concentrate - seemingly - on the elves' battle against a vicious sea-creature named "The Redeemer". When the series first appeared, some readers were disappointed at what they considered an unoriginal, man-versus-monster plot. Gradually, though, it became obvious that the true theme of this tale was the superstitiousness of the humans, and their continuing fear of the "point-eared demons" - and when Ember's folk finally confront the Redeemer, they must also confront the hostility and credulity of the five-fingers: a much tougher enemy, indeed, than any monster, as the conclusion makes clear.

Fine as this early part of the story is, the series hits its full stride only as the plot moves to the next turn of events: the vanquished Djun's scheme to overthrow - through his children - the elves who cost him his empire. The result of his conspiracy stretches the elves' ability to deal with humans - and, in Book 11c - their very existence - near the breaking-point; the travails of Tyleet, the elf most sympathetic to the human race, are especially heart-rending.

The first eight episodes of WH featured artwork by Steve Blevins, who also pencilled most of the episodes in "Legacy" (Book 11) and "Huntress" (Book 11a), the two preludes to this story. Of the various artists who have drawn EQ episodes, Blevins has come closest to replicating Wendy Pini's unique style; and indeed the last two episodes by his hand, though uninked and therefore on the light side, are surprisingly nuanced and detailed for the black-and-white medium. The remaining episodes in Book 11b - and all those in Book 11c - are the work of Lorraine Reyes, and represent a complete shift in style: sharp, angular, and undeniably inspired my Japanese "manga" comics. Hers is not Pini-esque drawing and is not intended to be; at the same time, it is wonderfully lucid, and some of the best pencil work yet seen in an EQ story (though many of the Reyes-drawn episodes were very indifferently printed, especially the first one in this book).

As the showcase of the Elfquest canon for the past four years, "The Wild Hunt" has added newfound depth to the two-decade-old series; most importantly, without slavishly copying Wendy Pini's early work, WH has come closest to the essential spirit of the best-known EQ stories, and deserves to be considered their rightful heir. Recommended - even though the sequel will be more moving still!

Average customer rating:

Short on plot, long on lecture

Leaves a Warm Fuzzy Feeling

a bridge to Hounds & the fury but fun

Audio edition disappointing

Too Many Characters!
The Hunt Ball: A Novel (Foxhunting Mysteries)
Rita Mae Brown
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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The Hounds and the Fury: A Novel

Full Cry: A Novel (Foxhunting Mysteries)

Outfoxed: A Novel (Foxhunting Mysteries)

Hotspur (Foxhunting Mysteries)

Sour Puss (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries (Hardcover))

ASIN: 0345465504
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

“A rich, atmospheric murder mystery . . . rife with love, scandal . . . redemption, greed and nobility,” raved the San Jose Mercury News about Outfoxed, Rita Mae Brown’s first foxhunting masterpiece. In The Hunt Ball, the latest novel in this popular series, all the ingredients Brown’s readers love are abundantly present: richness of character and landscape, the thrill of the hunt, and the chill of violence.

The trouble begins at Custis Hall, an exclusive girls’ school in Virginia that has gloried in its good name for nearly two hundred years. At first, the outcry is a mere tempest in a silver teapot–a small group of students protesting the school’s exhibit of antique household objects crafted by slaves–and headmistress Charlotte Norton quells the ruckus easily. But when one of the two hanging corpses ornamenting the students’ Halloween dance turns out to be real–the body of the school’s talented fund-raiser, in fact–Charlotte and the entire community are stunned. Everyone liked Al Perez, or so it seemed, yet his murder was particularly unpleasant.

Even “Sister” Jane Arnold, master of the Jefferson Hunt Club, beloved by man and beast, is at a loss, although she knows better than anyone where the bodies are buried in this community of land-grant families and new-money settlers. Aided and abetted by foxes and owls, cats and hounds, Sister picks up a scent that leads her in a most unwelcome direction: straight to the heart of the foxhunting crowd. The chase is on, not only for foxes but also for a deadly human predator.

No one has created a fictional paradise more delightful than the rolling hills of Rita Mae Brown’s Virginia countryside, or has more charmingly captured the rituals of the hunt. No one understands human and animal nature more deeply. The Hunt Ball combines a rounded, welcoming world with an edge of unforgettable white-knuckled menace.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Rita Mae Brown’s numerous bestsellers include Rubyfruit Jungle, In Her Day, Six of One, Southern Discomfort, High Hearts, Bingo, Venus Envy, Dolley, Loose Lips, Alma Mater, Outfoxed, Hotspur, Full Cry, and a memoir, Rita Will. With her tiger cat, Sneaky Pie, she also collaborates on the New York Times bestselling Mrs. Murphy Mystery series, including Cat’s Eyewitness. Brown is as well an Emmy-nominated writer and a poet.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Short on plot, long on lecture.......2007-02-02

Normally I love Rita Mae Brown's stories. I can't wait for them to come out! But this one I found to be disappointing. It had virtually no plot and little interesting interactions with the animals but what felt like an inordinate amount of "lecturing" about various and sundry things. Frankly, it was dull which is something I never thought I would say about one of Ms. Brown's books.

Leaves a Warm Fuzzy Feeling.......2006-12-15

In spite of the fact that I am not entirely convinced that the foxes enjoy the sport of fox hunting as much as the people do, and as much as Rita Mae Brown proclaims, I enjoyed the Hunt Ball, much as I have enjoyed her other books, both the Sneaky Pie series and the Sister Jane series. I appreciate the way Brown gives voice to the animal characters and uses them to make observations about humans, and I also share her obvious love and respect for the animals in her stories. Her characters are likable, and the feeling of community is welcoming and a nice place to spend a few hours.

In this book, as in all of her books, the mystery is peripheral to the plot, and is rather contrived, but that's not why I read the books. I read them because I always feel that these are people who, should I show up on their doorstep, would bring me in, offer me a nice plate of cookies and then put me to work along with everyone else.

So if you are looking for a nice, tight mystery, this book isn't it. But if you are looking for friends and a welcoming spirit, then by all means pick up these books. You'll be glad you did.

a bridge to Hounds & the fury but fun.......2006-10-23

It's wonderful to have another visit with Sister Jane and the crazy people who populate her world. I liked the mystery but the mystery isn't really why I read Rita Mae Brown's hunt books. I read them because I love rural Virginia, dogs, tales of the hunt and character studies.

I liked the fact that there weren't neat endings in this book. One of the students at the local girl's school is an emotional mess, she is making progress but doesn't miraculously turn into a great kid by the end of the book. Another plus for me was be being mercifully spared another sex scene between Sister and her enthusiastic new boyfriend in this book. That was a relief.

I only have a few complaints: I may the only one but I really think Crawford got somewhat wronged in The Hunt Ball. He's a jerk at times, he's crass, a snob, his reaction to Shaker's punch was childish and he loves to show off his wealth but his money goes a long way to making the hunt possible. In the real world Shaker should've either apologized for belting him and or had to face assault charges. The last time a likeable character messed up in this series she had to face the consequences and went to jail. Shaker's transgression is treated like it 's no big deal because he's a beloved member of the pack and Crawford is only tolerated for his money. I didn't like that. Also, the animals had too small a role in this installment of the series and I missed them.

Hunt Ball seems to be a bridge novel and should be read immediately before The Hounds and the Fury. Perhaps in a later edition the two books will be published together.

Audio edition disappointing.......2006-10-19

Rita Mae Brown reads her own work in the audio version of this book, not a good decision. Sometimes (like with Barbara Kinsolver), the author's reading enhances a book. Unfortunately, Ms. Brown's inept reading was distracting. I think, overall, I liked the book, as I've liked all her previous works. But with her very odd pacing (she sometimes ran names together, so for the first several chapters I thought there were nuns in the book - Sister Charlotte, for example) and her inability to "voice" the characters differently, I kept getting lost. Several times I had no clue whether the speaker was animal or human. I'd not read any of the Hunt Club books before; maybe it would have helped if I had already known all the characters.

Too Many Characters!.......2006-06-16

This novel seemed like a rush job. The characters are so prolific that you barely get to know who's who - is it human, animal or hunting history being shared. Too much to sort out and too little meat to make it worth it.

Average customer rating:

Christian lit, marketed VERY deceptively
Disturbing but Intriguing
Not what it appears to be . . . .
Not Skin Deep
A masterpiece with this contemporary novel

Uncharted
Angela Hunt
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1595542345

Book Description

"I'm beginning to think the island wants to keep us here."

It was supposed to be an adventure. A little time off to honor the memory of a friend and complete a service project in the tropics. Do good deeds while getting a tan.

But when a storm rocks their plans, five long-time friends from college find themselves hurled onto a desolate island, and relief fades to fear. Here nature rules with a vengenance. The lone shelter from raw conditions is a sinister cave. Are they victims of a bizarre psychological experiment? Or could this godforsaken place have the power to maroon them forever?

Customer Reviews:

Christian lit, marketed VERY deceptively.......2007-08-21

The blurb promises it's a cross between Castaway and The Big Chill; the blurb talks about five friends marooned on an island; everything about this book's marketing has been planned to get you to read it without realizing it's Christian lit. In the interview in the back, tho', Angela Hunt explains she wrote it "because Hades is a terrible place. I don't want anyone to go there" and explains the entire book through references to Scripture. I don't mind Christians writing and reading Christian lit, but I resent them marketing their books in a way that is intended to deceive non-religious (or non-Christian readers). This book is an evangelical tract; if that's not what you're looking for, it's not the book for you.

Disturbing but Intriguing.......2007-08-06

I have read a lot of Angela Hunt's christian fiction but found this book a departure from her regular writing. Described as a parable by the author, I found it both intriguing but disturbing at the same time. Those readers who are of the christian faith will find something to contemplate within its pages. The book starts out as a group of old college chums try and honor the memory of a much beloved member by going on a week long junket to build a school on a tropical island - a humanitarian mission, if you will. What results is the story of their experiences after landing on a deserted island. Without giving away too much of the story, the ending provides hope. Not for the people on the "uncharted island" but for the child (next generation) of one of the castaways. An easy read this is not, and it left this reader with much to discuss and contemplate after it was completed. Some will not identify with the "situation" the characters find themselves and will consider it simply a product of the author's too vivid imagination. Others will see it as a warning, which I think, was the author's intent.

Not what it appears to be . . . ........2007-06-22

A beautiful tropical island paradise on the cover, a tale of shipwreck, and allusions to the currently popular TV show "Lost," and the movie "Castaway." All this might logically lead one to the conclusion that this is an amusing adventure novel, or even thriller.

Be aware that this is not so. This book is actually blatant propaganda for the author's version of Christianity.

Is there anything wrong with that? No. Does the book suck? No. Is it an amusing adventure novel? No.

The cover, descriptions and even the author's bio all carefully contribute to the misleading facade of an amusing adventure novel, though.

All's fair in the war to convert the heathens, apparently.

Not Skin Deep.......2007-06-13

This page turner is full of mirrors in the most unexpected places.

I couldn't put it down. Angela Hunt deserves her best-selling status. She is a masterful storyteller and this book is one that shows her skill from start to finish.

The twists, turns and excellent characterization are enough to recommend this book to anyone who loves a compelling read. However, the underlying spiritual themes are powerfully written, convicting and unsettling. Another reason to read it. After all, eternal destination is not worth leaving to chance.

This is the first of Angela Hunt's adult novels that I've read. I will be reading more.

A masterpiece with this contemporary novel.......2007-06-06

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Carter is on the beach when she discovers a bottle washed up from the ocean. It holds some pages from a book and the legible word "Sarah." The woman who is with Sarah forces the teen to toss the bottle away since it might carry some unknown disease. This brief prologue scene is in the present and the remainder of the novel flashes back to a year earlier.

In short chapters, readers are introduced to six different people who met as college students about 10 years previously. As a way to earn some extra money, they sold a thin, self-published hardcover titled HAPPILY EVER AFTER for businessman John Watson. The book retailed for $14.00, and Watson gave them seven dollars for each copy sold. Of these six individuals, only David Payne, now a pediatric surgeon, read the volume and made a faith commitment. Each year he makes a missions trip and pointedly invites his five friends to come on the journey, yet each time they give some excuse. This year Dr. Payne plans to go to the island of Kwajalein and help the people of this remote Pacific island. After emailing an invitation to his five friends, he drives home only to be killed by an SUV that hits his vehicle.

All five friends decide to attend David's funeral. As they meet, they each carry their own baggage from the past. Karyn Hall lives in Manhattan with her daughter Sarah and works on the soap opera "A Thousand Tomorrows" as Lorinda Loving. While selling the books, Karyn met and fell in love with Kevin Carter, who eventually became the Chief Marketing Officer at the Old Time Candy Company in Atlanta, Georgia. When Sarah was a child, the couple divorced because Karyn wanted to move to New York City to revive her acting career, even though Kevin's business was in Atlanta. Lisa Melvin cares for her elderly parents and runs a small children's daycare in Seattle. Susan Brantley Dodson had married an older wealthy man and moved to Houston, Texas. After her husband's death, Susan is immersed in a wealthy Texas lifestyle. Finally, Mark Morris owns and operates several car dealerships in the Cocoa Beach, Florida area. Impressions count for Mark, so instead of flying to the funeral, he makes a point of driving a gold Mercedes Benz.

At the funeral, they're pressured into going on the missions trip and build a school on the island of Kwajalein in David's memory. Unfortunately, the flight is forced to land on a different Pacific island, so John Watson charters a boat to take them to their destination. But when a sudden storm wrecks the boat, David's five friends --- the only survivors --- are stranded on an uninhabited island, where they struggle to create a fire and find fresh water. They take refuge in a cave and discover a strange spot where they see a vision of their past life. Through their experiences on this island, each person discovers new truths about his or her life.

Bestselling author Angela Hunt has crafted a masterpiece with this contemporary novel. Readers plunge into six different lives with concern for the characters' well-being and are led to a unique spot of understanding for their own spiritual journey. After reaching the final page, readers will want to return to the story in order to gain additional insight into each character's life.

--- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin

Average customer rating:

Nietzsche's Gentlemen.

Blood Hunt: A Novel
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0316013374

Customer Reviews:

Nietzsche's Gentlemen........2006-10-07

Oh, the blessings of being an author with too much time on his hands. I can just picture Ian Rankin sitting in the house (farm? cottage?) he and his wife bought in rural Dordogne, having whizzed through the manuscript for yet another increasingly well-written John Rebus novel and -- having left behind all other employment across the British Channel and neither inclined to carpentry nor gardening -- feeling his mind growing restless, in need of occupation. Now, wouldn't you have started looking for another outlet for your creative energy had you been in his spot?

The result of the aforementioned process, which Rankin describes in the foreword of a 2000 (alas, so far [???] British-only!) compilation uniting all three novels in one volume, were a series of thrillers written under the pseudonym Jack Harvey: Jack for his newborn son, Harvey for his wife's maiden name.

In "Blood Hunt," the last of the three books, fans of Inspector Rebus meet an old acquaintance; George Reeve from the first Rebus novel, "Knots and Crosses." Only here he's the good guy -- well, mostly; because there isn't such a thing as a clean-cut "good guy" in *any* Ian Rankin novel. In any event, "Blood Hunt" introduces us to Reeve's back story; his life as an outdoors survival teacher, and his own memories and nightmares of his service with the SAS -- after we've already gotten a fair share of Rebus's in "Knots and Crosses" -- particularly the Falklands campaign, during which he met the man who would soon turn out to be his biggest nemesis; as much as Reeve will later become a nemesis to Rebus.

Further, we learn that Reeve had a brother; a journalist on the trail of a story centering around a chemical company headquartered in San Diego. When that brother is murdered, Reeve's instincts as a hunter are awakened -- and like a bull terrier he pits himself to the heels of those responsible for the murder and doesn't let go until he has brought them to justice: *his* kind of justice, that is, which isn't necessarily that of the police, but one they understand only too well. The SAS call themselves Nietzsche's gentlemen -- believing in the self-proclaimed amoralist's teachings that the will to power is all that matters and all that controls life; and the novel's conclusion is very much in keeping with that adage.

As a back story to the first Rebus book, "Blood Hunt" works only just so -- while the essential facts are in synch with Reeve's and Rebus's SAS past, to truly click with "Knots and Crosses," this book would have had to be written about a decade earlier, or vice versa, which in turn wouldn't square with the later Rebus books' historical and political references ... you get the picture. Read as a stand-alone, however, this is a tightly-plotted thriller, every bit as violent as the second Jack Harvey novel, "Bleeding Hearts" (there's a reason why blood figures in both books' titles) and, while based on a conspiracy theory that easily dates it as a mid-1990s release, as strong as both "Bleeding Hearts" and the best of the Rebus books on characters and settings (Scotland to San Diego, London, France and back, with -- literally -- a cliffhanger finale on the Outer Hebrides' rough mountainous territory). And then there's that children's rhyme that I don't think I'll ever hear quite the same way I used to ...

Although I'm happy enough for Rankin's success with Inspector Rebus and wouldn't want any story featuring Edinburgh's finest (and most hard-drinking) D.I. missing from my bookcases, in a way I regret that Rankin had to shelve Jack Harvey after only three books. So just in case, Mr. Rankin, in the unlikely event that you should ever resurrect that alter ego (or write another non-Rebus novel under your own name): I promise I'll read that one, too, and probably with just as much pleasure as any of your other books.

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