Cold Blooded (Zebra Romantic Suspense)

Customer Reviews:

GOOD READ.......2007-06-01

I LOVE HER BOOKS. HAVED READ A BAD ONE YET. READ EVRY ONE OF HER BOOKS I GET MY HANDS ON.

That's not writing, it's typing........2007-02-15

I gave this one star because you don't get the option of no stars. The book is a combination of a Harlequin romance novel and a Friday the 13th movie, and not any better written than either. I provide a few examples for the disbelieving. Ms. Jackson's characters frequently "plunge" their hands into their pockets or sleeves. Does a person really do that? I think not. Perhaps "shove," perhaps "force," on occasion, but certainly not all the time. In addition, Ms. Jackson's heroine drives a Ford Ranger. The engine of that Ford Ranger is always "rumbling." Ms. Jackson has obviously never listened to a Ford Ranger. The engine of a Ford Ranger "hums," or perhaps "whines" if you rev it up to a high RPM, but it does not "rumble." The only engines that rumble are old Detroit iron V-8's. A Camaro with a 327 rumbles, or a Mustang with a 390 rumbles, but a Ford Ranger does not rumble. Finally, what are Camel straights? I've never heard the term. I asked a number of people who work at gas-and-go marts. They didn't know what I was talking about. I assume what Ms. Jackson means is Camel regulars, or no-filters. Perhaps "Camel straights" is a New Orleansism, but I don't think so.

When you add that kind of tin ear for reality and dialogue to characters with all the substance of stick figures, the book is masochistically painful to read. It reminds one of the time Truman Capote was on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Carson asked Capote's opinion of some current pot-boiler on the NYT bestseller list. Capote's response was, "That's not writing, Johnny, that's typing."

Better than Hot Blooded.......2007-01-17

I really enjoyed this book, couldn't put it down until I finished it. Was so different than Hot Blooded.
Another serial killer is loose in New Orleans, this time he is killing women on All Saints day, and however the saint's die, that is how he kills the women he kidnaps.
Olivia Bechet was inherited her Grandmother's ability to see things before they happen, like esp.
Olivia sees through the eyes of the serial killer, she sees the awful murders while they are happening.
The police think she is a fake, a loon, until she talks to Rick Bentz, who solved the Rosery Killings in Hot Blooded.
Rick is skectical at first until the murders are exactly like Olivia has described.
Rick wonders if she could be involved, or knows who the killer is.
The killer dresses as a priest and Rick has a half-brother who he hates that is a priest.
Olivia starts investigating on her own and meets a priest that happens to be Rick's half-brother. She thinks he is too good-looking to be a priest.

Olivia is attracted to Rick, and James, Rick's brother. But Rick has sworn off women, booze, and smoking. James is a priest so he is untouchable, or is he?

Things spark between Rick and Olivia, and then he dumps her. She gets close to James, but can't go through with it.

The murders in this book were really grewsome. There were so many suspects that it was hard to figure out who the killer was.

Although the epilogue made no since at all, it was a good book.

Give it a try.

Excellent sequel to Hot Blooded.......2006-03-09

NOPD Detective Rick Bentz takes center stage in this explosive sequel to "Hot Blooded." A visit from a woman who claims to have second sight and has "witnessed" a murder has Bentz and his partner Rueben Montoya rolling their eyes. When they respond to a murder identical to what she described, they soon become believers. Each killing is styled after a martyred saint.

Olivia Benchet inherited more than a rickety old house from her grandmother - second sight skipped a generation and beckons at her door, "seeing" the murders, usually from the victim's point of view. Bentz has been burned by love. Still smarting with his wife's infidelity with his brother (that resulted in the birth of his daughter), the last thing he wants is to get involved with Olivia. When both throw caution to the wind, they don't worry about what will happen the next morning. Citing that it was a mistake, Bentz tells her they cannot do it again.

Olivia suddenly finds herself attracted to two men when she seeks assistance from a local priest, and has some undecidedly unholy thoughts about him. No one is more shocked than she when she learns that Bentz and Father James are brothers.

Soon Bentz finds that both his daughter and his lover are handpicked to be the next martyred saints. Will he be able to get to them in time?

Like other readers, my main criticism is that there was no reason for the killer's actions, other than he was psychotic. Be warned - it is not for the faint of heart - the killings are ritualistic and sadistic. Author Jackson has managed to pen a sequel as exciting as the first, and the best part is that it is not necessary to read the first novel - it is excellent and can stand on its own (though the epilogue might throw you off...).

Sequel to "Hot Blooded".......2005-07-30

This book was definently worthwhile reading about the same characters chasing yet even more twisted murderers in the city of New Orleans. Follow along as Detectives' Rick Bentz and Rueben Motoya chase around the villians that are haunting the night.
Definently a great sequel to the first novel, "Hot Blooded".

Cold Blooded (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

Average customer rating:

Lots of potential but...
No Babble, No Boring Trial - Just The Facts of People & Places
A Winner
Excellent Read
Remember "Blood Simple?"

Cold Blooded (St. Martin's True Crime Library)
Carlton Smith
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312994060
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Book Description

California attorney Larry McNabney was a wealthy and well-connected legal ace and the proud owner of a champion show horse. When his wife Elisa reported him missing in September, 2001, she claimed he abandoned her after a heated argument and joined a cult.

When Larry's body was found in a shallow grave three months later, Elisa was gone. Driving a red convertible Jaguar, her brown hair bleached blonde, Mrs. McNabney was already speeding toward a new life in Florida-and a new identity.

Who was Elisa McNabney? She was a female fugitive wanted in the murder of her trusting husband. She was an insinuating beauty with 38 aliases, and a rap sheet 113 pages long whose criminal career was about to come undone. But in the wake of Elisa's stunning confession and conviction, there was one more shocking surprise yet to come from the poisonous black widow...

Customer Reviews:

Lots of potential but..........2007-09-05

This book was just okay. The storyline is excellent for true crime, but the author's presentation is bland. I had a constant feeling of "the book is gonna get really good now", and while it is good, it never drew me in to where I couldn't put it down.

No Babble, No Boring Trial - Just The Facts of People & Places.......2007-06-01

Typically I am not much of a Carlton Smith true crime fan; however, I found Cold Blooded to be a tremendous piece of writing for the true crime genre. Most often writers are prone to present a bit of background, followed or preceeded by the known details of the crime and then the remainder of the book is generally the trial and sentencing of the accused; and, more often than not, is written almost word for word from trial transcripts.

Not so in Cold Blooded! There is NEVER a dull moment in this book! The life and doings of Laren (aka Elisa) Jordan/McNabeney is better than any beauty salon gossip any day! And Carlton Smith details these events in a fast paced, attention gripping style that makes putting this book down difficult!

Highly, highly recommended for true crime fans!

A Winner.......2007-03-25

Reviewer Jim Greenhill's analogy with the Coen brothers Blood Simple, a modern film noir was excellent. The thing great about this is that it's real. Much sadness and heartbreak but I thought this was a very well written book and I've read a lot of true crime. I firmly believe the saying "Truth is stranger than fiction," and this is once again confirmation on that point. The book and characters are unbelivable and twisted but most are frighteningly unaware that they are so. Even the main character is a person who seems driven to do what she does. It brings questions to mind about hereditary factors, brain chemistry or maybe the idea that there may or may not be good and evil

Excellent Read.......2006-05-28

This book was written almost perfectly. As a true crime reader I go through many books and find the Author stays on one situation to long or goes over and over again on it and then the suspense leaves and/or I have to skip a few pages here and there because they drag out the history of the town and then drag out the trial. This Book did neither. The Author did a wonderful job. It was a horrible story of Murder and greed and you will not be able to put down the book.

P.S. I have to correct the poster "Rick Eeee".She posted that the Victims wife was a Lawyer. This is not true Elisa was not a Lawyer.

Remember "Blood Simple?".......2005-02-07

At the risk of being callous--since this book recounts a true story that brought death & pain to real people--the most astonishing thing about Carlton Smith's outstanding "Cold-Blooded" is that it turns out sometimes the consequences even of murder are just downright funny.
The last half of the book takes on the quality of the classic noir film "Blood Simple," with a murder victim who just won't die & a couple of murderers caught up in a waking nightmare, trundling their would-be victim around in a wheelchair, preventing searches of the trunk of their car only as a last-second afterthought, surrounded by hundreds of witnesses, improvising their way through an appalling crime.
"Cold-Blooded" is very well done. The three key characters are Larry McNabney (murder victim), Elisa McNabney (grifter) & Sarah Dutra (grifter's apprentice). Smith gives life to all three for us. He takes a complicated series of crimes--those involving financial dealings at a law office could've been particularly distracting--& handles them brilliantly, not bogging the reader down or allowing the narrative to be distracted by some of the potentially fascinating but ultimately dead-end subplots.
This should be a movie. Cast correctly, with a good screenplay, it would be excellent.
Until you've read the book, you're maybe not going to understand how there could be humor in the story. Safe to say that all three main characters' stories resolved in exactly the ways that the three people had been living their lives. They made their choices, and they resulted in predictable outcomes. It's hard to feel too much sympathy for any of them.
I always grapple with Amazon's rating system when it comes to true crime, because there are the true classics of the genre ("In Cold Blood," etc.) & then everything else & it seems so unfair to judge all on the same scale. However, I have no hesitation giving Smith's book five stars. It's an excellent piece of writing that takes voluminous research & parses it into an extraordinary, compelling story. Well done!

The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer

Average customer rating:

Well covered book but not the best written
Tight. concise review of the facts
Great True Crime Writing!!
Reality TV Confession Leads to Real-Life Conviction
A good, quick read -

The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer
Anthony Bruno
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440213312
Release Date: 1994-08-01

Customer Reviews:

Well covered book but not the best written.......2007-09-06

I thought this author covered a lot of ground in this book but I do not his writing style is the best. This is a middle of the ground book covering a vicious criminal. I would have liked to have had more detail with his intereaction with teh Roy Demeo crew but instead this is skimmed thru. maybe the author was not privy to that info and another author needs to detail that.

Tight. concise review of the facts.......2006-09-06

This account of the Iceman is concise and deals mostly with the events leading to his arrest. It briefly touches on Kuklinski's early years, family life, and other criminal activities both proven and unproven. But a more detailed account of those facets of Iceman lore can be found in the new book by Philip Carlo. This book sticks to the facts without any hyperbole.

Great True Crime Writing!!.......2004-01-24

This is probably one of the best true crime books I've ever read. Anthony Bruno does a wonderful job of keeping the reader hooked, as he tells the stories of killer Richard Kuklinski and ATF agent Dominick Polifrone. Because he's telling both of their stories, it may seem like he bounces around a bit, but I think he did a wonderful job of keeping the points of view separate, and therefore reducing any potential confusion. If you like true crime stories, you won't be able to put this one down until you're finished.

Reality TV Confession Leads to Real-Life Conviction.......2003-02-22

This is the title of the New York Times article (2/21/03, page B1) about the current criminal charges leveled at serial killer Richard Kuklinski whose exploits Anthony Bruno wrote so brilliantly in THE ICE MAN (Dell, 1994).

Today Kuklinski now stands accused of the 1980 shotgun slaying of NYPD Officer Peter Calabro. In 1999 a reviewer here was critical of THE ICE MAN because author Bruno wrote about "the undercover agents who sought to bring [Kuklinski] down because the cops are always the stereotypicals. Big Yawn!"

The lives of police officers may be a big yawn to that person, but hopefully not to the majority. I applaud Anthony Bruno for recognizing & recounting just how much of themselves police officers put on the line to bring the likes of Kuklinski to justice... It is as fine a read today as it was 9 years ago. Like a fine wine, maybe even better.

A good, quick read -.......1999-12-29

I wouldn't say it's a great work of literature but Bruno does an excellent job describing the life of the professional killer. For whatever reason, the book was able to really capture my attention. I read it in a few hours.

A Cold-Blooded Business (Kate Shugak Mystery)

Average customer rating:

lovely series
Another excellent outing for Stabenow
Pretty near perfect, and still my favorite Shugak
Drugs & Death on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline!
Kate Works the Pipeline

A Cold-Blooded Business (Kate Shugak Mystery)
Dana Stabenow
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0425158497

Customer Reviews:

lovely series.......2006-08-30

I got one of these books somehow and then went shopping to find the whole series. Bought some of them used since that is the only way to get them but you can see how much I liked the series. I am going to give them all to my local school library after I finish them. They will make great books for the teens and the teachers to enjoy. Lots of action, information about the Alaska lifestyle and the various groups living there, and writing that keeps your interest from start to finish.

Another excellent outing for Stabenow.......2006-07-22

I'm not an aficionado of mysteries. I make three exceptions: Robert P. Parker, Kathy Brandt, and Dana Stabenow. Stabenow, like Brandt, makes excellent use of her locations. Alaska is basically a character in each tale of sleuth Kate Shugak. Stabenow has a knack for drawing the reader into a different part of the Alaskan realm in each book, while keeping us interested in Kate's life, loves, and perils. This is another fast, enchanting read by a master of her craft.

Matt Bille
author
www.mattwriter.com

Pretty near perfect, and still my favorite Shugak.......2006-05-19

_________________________________________
Kate Shugak, a former investigator for the Anchorage DA, now lives on her
homestead near Niniltna and the Quilak range, near the Canadian border
east of Anchorage. Kate is an Aleut, the first in her family to go to college.
A major part of the charm of the series is the meeting of the Native and
white cultures. And Ms. Stabenow is a crackerjack storyteller.

The series is up to #14 now. It's not critical where you start - I've yet to read a
poor one. My favorite, "A Cold-Blooded Business" (1994), takes Ms. Shugak
to the North Slope oilfields. Ms. Stabenow spent 6 yrs working on the Slope
and it shows. Kate's new boss Toni is evicting a couple of entrepeneurs
from the camp:

'After a moment the door cracked. A large, round blue eye peered out. It
encountered Toni and paused. There was a long sigh, and the door opened
further, to expose a six-foot platinum blonde in a minuscule leather cowboy
vest... There was a lot more breast than there was vest. Kate sternly
repressed what she assured herself was merely a momentary feeling of
inadequacy...

A gentleman was just rising from the bed, buckling his jeans. "Why, Bob",
Toni cooed. "I haven't seen you in ages. Where've you been keeping
yourself?"

"Up yours, Hartzler", he snarled.

"Oh, goodness me, did I knock a moment too soon?" Toni wondered aloud.
Belle and Jane both giggled as he snarled again and shouldered Kate aside on
his way out.'

I started on Ms. Stabenow's mysteries after reading, and liking, her
"Star" science-fiction series - "Handfull of Stars", "Second Star" & "Red
Planet Run" - good space-operas all, light-hearted and fun. In part these are
the Klondike gold rush transposed to the asteroids - better done than most
such, and clearly written by someone who knows some mining history. Ms.
Stabenow passes a reality check in an area I know well, and thus gains
credibility for other background material.

In short, Dana Stabenow is a fine, conscientious writer and a helluva
storyteller. Highly recommended.

Review copyright 1998 by Peter D. Tillman

Drugs & Death on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline! .......2005-09-19

Aleut detective Kate Shugak, formerly a gifted investigator for the Anchorage D.A.'s office, moved back to Alaska's far north country after a horrible child abuse case left her scarred physically and emotionally. She now resides on a 160-acre homestead with her half-wolf, half-husky, half-breed canine named Mutt and makes her living as a private investigator. In "A Cold-Blooded Business," the business refers to cocaine and stolen antiquities, an unexpected added attraction.

John King, CEO of the Alaska Division of Royal Petroleum Company, hires Kate for $1000. per day, plus expenses, to discover who is importing wholesale drugs into the Base Camp and Operating Area at Prudhoe Bay and retailing the product to his employees. His internal security has been unable to halt the cocaine infiltration. The use of these drugs has resulted in lethal accidents and could potentially cause a major shut down of the Trans-Alaska pipeline, killing many people in the process. Kate goes undercover as a roustabout, an entry level position assigned the "dirty work," from chauffeuring to picking-up garbage.

Ms. Shugak, a Native American and environmentalist, finds herself appreciating the luxuries the oil company offers and almost hates herself for it. Employees are provided with gourmet meals, steak twice a week and prime ribs on Sunday, pool facilities, sauna, exercise room, etc., and congenial company. She is disturbed by how easily she grows accustomed to these "perks." A relative loner, Kate finds herself liking many of her co-workers, even her prime suspects. But the play is fouler than she ever imagined, involving the theft of ancient artifacts from sacred graves, as well as massive drug dealing and using, terrible greed and murder...perhaps even her own.

Kate's lover and former colleague Jack Morgan and her grandmother, Ekaterina Moonin, two terrific characters, appear in this novel. Grandma is not happy when she discovers that her own flesh and blood has gone to work for big oil!

Dana Stabenow won an Edgar Award for the series' debut mystery "A Cold Day for Murder." Her Kate Shugak novels are consistently good to excellent, and one of the reasons I enjoy them so much is their Arctic setting and the details of native life and culture. The author's descriptions of the region's physical geography are wonderful. And Kate Shugak is super savvy, tough, prickly, and vulnerable, although she hides it well. She has a deep loyalty and abiding love for her people and the land.

A terrific read and a winning sleuth series!
JANA

Kate Works the Pipeline.......2004-04-06

It is such a pleasure to read these early entries in the wonderful Kate Shugak series, and to get to know our main character book by book.

In this fourth book in the series, Kate, working undercover to find the source of a mighty cocaine habit among workers on the Pipeline (unnamed, but obviously a conglomerate of existing pipeline behemoths), hires on as a roustabout in Alaska's Far North. Knowing that her very presence at the oil company's home base will offend her formidable grandmother for all time, Kate nevertheless quickly gets used to the work, the comraderie--and most of all, the nonstop food, akin to a cruise ship. Between gorging herself on luscious steaks, homemade fries and all-you-can-eat ice cream sundaes, Kate begins to sense the evil and dangerous drug busines that lurks beneath the surface.

With some much-needed "down time" with lover Jack and wonder dog Mutt (half huskie, half wolf) to clear her head, Kate uncovers a plot that threatens to undermine not only the giant oil company, but her very life as well.

Customer Reviews:

Great book to reinforce science concepts!.......2007-08-08

Reading this book to my class will make the difference between birds' and mammals' hot-bloodedness and reptiles', amphibians', and fish's cold-bloodedness much easier for my third graders to understand. It also is on the school's Accelerated Reader list, so they can then reread the book on their own and can take a test on it.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about animals and their characteristics.

Average customer rating:

the Great Big Book of Snakes & Reptiles

Manufacturer: Hermes House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Best Book of Snakes (The Best Book of)

ASIN: 0681046074

Product Description

Discover the amazing world of snakes, crocodiles, lizards and turtles, with over 700 photographs and illustrations. Exciting and accessible information provides an insight into every aspect of reptile life and behavior. Stunning photo-features zoom in on habitats, life cycles and survival tactics. This is an ideal reference book for 8 to 12 year olds and supports school studies on life processes in the natural world. Well illustrated.

Diamond: The History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair

Average customer rating:

Diamonds and lessons in globalization
Interesting Gem
multifaceted intro to the diamond trade
Great overview, but lacks follow-through
"...as if a curtain had been ripped aside and there was the diamond business, spattered with blood, sorting through the goods."

Diamond: The History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair
Matthew Hart
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452283701

Book Description

For centuries, diamonds have symbolized wealth, prestige and love; however, behind those symbols lies a world of deceit, monopoly and war.

Hart follows the diamond trail around the globe, from the basement room where Gabi Tolkowsky, the world's greatest diamond cutter, faced the 599-carat Centenary diamond, to the fogbound smugglers' paradise of Africa's Diamond Coast. He records the heroic struggle of the 24-year old woman who discovered a multibillion dollar diamond mine on the Arctic Circle and describes the company that feared her most, masterminds of the great and shadowy diamond cartel.

Combining history, science, business, and adventure, Diamond captures the essence of this priceless gem and the world that surrounds it.

Customer Reviews:

Diamonds and lessons in globalization.......2007-09-08

Though my background in diamonds - not counting some jewellery I got my better half sometime ago - is almost nil, I picked up the book because of the attractive title and jacket ... and I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the journey narrated by Matthew Hart.

The book, peppered by anecdotes and stories, presents a great overview of the complex diamond trade. The book is as much about globalization of business as it is about shining stones for which consumers pay millions. And this is where the author creatively weaves narratives around aspects of the Business of diamonds: production and extraction, value addition during each aspect of the chain, marketing and promotion and the complexities of pricing and gobalized supply chain.

The chapter (Rosy Blue) on the Indian contribution to the modern value chain of the diamond industry was especially interesting to read. Not many of us realize that much before Indians became synonymous with the global hi-tech and software industry, Indians were already well entrenched in the international diamond trade. The parallels between the two industries are unmistakable:
* Hundreds of thousands of cutters and polishers (programmers and designers?) work offshore in back-offices
* There has been a strong ambition to move up the value chain: by gaining representation as DTC sightholders (or management consultants to Fortune 500 clients)
* The majority of foot-soldiers in the trade remain `invisible' though a few leaders are the visible face of the trade in Antwerp (and in global technology consulting)

Interesting Gem.......2007-06-30

I thoroughly enjoyed the read. A good over view of the orgin, history, exploration, marketing, and commodity of the diamond market, without the dry technical jargon. I was completely facinated by the gamble one takes by purchasing large stones in the rough, and the tedicious craftsmanship that goes into cutting and polishing a beautiful diamond. I loved the history and discussion on famous diamonds and their journey though the hands of royality, soliders, religous conflicts, and theifs. Made you stop and think, what are diamonds really worth? I would of enjoyed color photos thou!!!!!

multifaceted intro to the diamond trade.......2006-07-04

This book covers the history of diamonds and the diamond trade from a series of viewpoints. Starting with a light introduction to diamonds before the 1800's, the book's emphasis is mainly on the last 200 years. Focusing on London, Antwerp, Brazil, India, the Diamond Coast, South Africa, Canada and a little on Russia, the book gives a good introduction to the geography of the diamond trade. The book shows us the lives of diamond miners, speculators, polishers, and the middlemen that connect all of these roles together to get stone from ground to a woman's hand. The text itself reads easily, and is part history book, part travelogue, part journalistic expose.

The history of De Beers is outlined, and its connections with various governments and high-up officials is touched upon, but this book is by no means a work of muckracking. The authorship is recent enough to cover blood diamonds from Africa, but not recent enough to include mention of diamonds as a source of capital and liquid wealth by Islamic terrorists. All in all a good book but not a great one. Worth the time to read it though.

Great overview, but lacks follow-through.......2006-03-12

I came away from this book with a picture of the global market for diamonds and how it's all tied together, from the palatial desks of moguls in London to the shacks of miners in Africa. Author Hart covers it all -- how diamonds are mined, processed, marketed, stolen; the ever-weakening power wielded by the De Beers cartel; the new low-end processors in India who have changed the dynamics of the trade. He does an especially good job elucidating the complex world of "war diamonds" emnating from bloody civil-warring states like Angola and Sierra Leone.

Author Hart is well-qualified for the task, having written on diamonds for numerous publications; but his ability to initiate a really engrossing story and drop it in mid-stream without taking us all the way there was frustrating for me as a reader. There were too many times when he started with an intriguing aspect of the trade, but moved too quickly to another aspect, leaving the reader hanging. How do the garipeiros, who found the "big pink" along a Brazilian river in chapter 1, live? Who gave them their $2 million for the big pink? Was it delivered in cash in a paper bag? How did the garipeiros spend the money so fast? After Eira Thomas finds a diamond pipe in the frozen Canadian north, he ends with this: "the pipes that Thomas found... contain some 138 million carats of diamonds. The deposit will support a mine for twenty years and supply the market with an annual $400 million worth of rough" -- that's it; that's all. What happened to Eira Thomas? Did she go on to find more pipes? Exactly how do the Canadian pipes alter the dynamics of De Beer's cartel? For a book like this, the devil is in the details -- the details that provide color and texture and take the readers along for the ride. Too often, Hart leaves out the details and doesn't finish the story, leaving the reader frustrated. The book would have really been enhanced by a few color plates of diamonds -- famous diamonds, rough diamonds, tiny brown diamonds cut in India, the big pink -- even if only two page's worth. In addition, as with so many books nowadays, copyediting is below par, with some really egregious typos in the text.

Still, this book is a great overview, and I feel that I learned a lot. Despite the limitations, anyone who loves gems, jewelry, commodities, and the romantic world of high-roller big business will enjoy this book.

"...as if a curtain had been ripped aside and there was the diamond business, spattered with blood, sorting through the goods.".......2005-12-03

p.187
This book made me glad that my wife and I twenty years ago decided to get neither the traditional diamond engagment nor wedding rings. I gave her a nice strand of pearls (probably another book out there) and we exchanged diamondless rings when we wed.
Chapter 9: Diamond Wars was horrifying in the sheer numbers of dead and maimed. Whenever teenage boys are fed drugs to go and slaughter civilians, there's more to it than idealogy, it's fed by sheer corporate earnings.
Recommended further updated reading: the reports on [...] account how the Kimberley Process, designed to eradicate the conflict diamonds, has in part been used to legitimize them.

Average customer rating:

AWESOME
VERY GOOD READ
The player gets played!!!!
I read this book in one day...
Hard to put down

Cold Blooded
The Urban Griot
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0743278844

Book Description

Omar Tyree -- writing as The Urban Griot -- delivers a thrilling novel about a jaded college girl who when scorned becomes more lethal than the hardened criminal with whom she falls in love.

When Janeia Goode, a beautiful undergrad studying psychology at Chicago State University, meets Warren Hamilton, known as Molasses --or Moe for short -- she knows he is dangerous, and yet she finds him to be exciting, mysterious, and undeniably sexy. Janeia realizes that she is a good girl in love with a bad boy -- and she must keep his life as a hit man a secret, or else.

Although Moe does reveal to Janeia his life as a paid killer, and she seems to accept it, his skill as a notorious womanizer proves to be his most dangerous habit. After an attempt on Moe's life lands him in an emergency room, he begins to reconsider his many enemies, but he does not take into account the scorned women he has manipulated over the years, up to and including his current love, Janeia.

Soon Moe and Janeia are locked in a deadly game ruled by pride, passion, and the desire for love, loyalty, and vengeance. Cold Blooded will thrill readers who are already hooked on Tyree's racy tales of urban reality and romance.

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"Omar Tyree -- writing as The Urban Griot -- delivers a thrilling novel about a jaded college girl who when scorned becomes more lethal than the hardened criminal with whom she falls in love. When Janeia Goode, a beautiful undergrad studying psychology at Chicago State University, meets Warren Hamilton, known as Molasses --or Moe for short -- she knows he is dangerous, and yet she finds him to be exciting, mysterious, and undeniably sexy. Janeia realizes that she is a good girl in love with a bad boy -- and she must keep his life as a hit man a secret, or else. Although Moe does reveal to Janeia his life as a paid killer, and she seems to accept it, his skill as a notorious womanizer proves to be his most dangerous habit. After an attempt on Moe's life lands him in an emergency room, he begins to reconsider his many enemies, but he does not take into account the scorned women he has manipulated over the years, up to and including his current love, Janeia. Soon Moe and Janeia are locked in a deadly game ruled by pride, passion, and the desire for love, loyalty, and vengeance. Cold Blooded will thrill readers who are already hooked on Tyree's racy tales of urban reality and romance. "

Customer Reviews:

AWESOME.......2006-02-20

I really enjoyed reading this book. I finished reading it in about 8hrs. I really wished thing could have worked out for Molasses and Janeia, but it turned out that she was more cold blooded. Sometimes you have to do what have to do.

VERY GOOD READ.......2005-09-06

THIS BOOK WAS BETTER THAN AVERAGE BUT IT WAS A LITTLE TOO SHORT.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE THE AUTHOR GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FEMALE LEAD ONCE SHE BECAME TOP DOG. BUT ALL IN ALL I ENJOY O. TYREE'S WRITTING STYLE.

The player gets played!!!! .......2005-03-15

Janeia Goode is a college student who is intelligent, until it comes to her choice of men. She likes bad boys, and Molasses fits the bill perfectly. He is handsome, has money, is mysterious and is dangerous. How he got his nickname is pretty interesting, and will make you chuckle. Janeia finds herself falling in love with this man who is hired to kill and not feel bad about it. Janeia knows what Molasses does, but she sticks by him regardless. Janeia is that "Ride or Die" kind of sister. There is another thug that likes Janeia, but she is not feeling him, and that's Dollar Bill. Dollar Bill likes Janeia because "She is down for the streets even though she is educated."
Molasses gets around, his "job" has him traveling to Dallas, Brooklyn, and LA. He gets paid big bucks for he does. One job had him making $250,000. He has Five rules he follows, and 2 of the rules, he does not kill women, and he does not kill children. Molasses has a side kick named Charlie that helps him out by making sure Molasses has the "tools" he needs to get the job done. Molasses has this one officer on his tail, Officer Barrett who is investigating Molasses. He knows Molasses is up to no good, but Molasses is slick, and Officer Barrett is unable to find anything on him, but he is keeping his eyes on Molasses. Molasses has a mother who thinks he is an ATM, and never bothers to ask how he gets his money. There is one scene in the book where Molasses is in the hospital and his mother asks him how much money he has on him. Guess she was more concerned about the money, then the fact her son was almost murdered.

Janeia gets very angry when she finds out that Molasses is stepping out on her with another woman. Exactly what was Janeia expecting? He is a bad boy, and bad boys cheat, bad boys can't be held down by one woman, and Molasses never said "I Love you back", so Janeia should have licked her wounds and moved on.

Janeia instead decided revenge is the only thing that will help heal her heart, and the ending of the book will be predictable, but still a surprise. It was Janeia's choices that upset me. Maybe that was the point of the book. I was annoyed how the author pretty much had everything planned out so while reading I was forced to feel a certain way. Some of the dialogues made me groan in irritation. In addition I can't relate to the appeal of wanting a bad boy. I run from bad boys because nothing good ever comes of getting involved with one. I also had a hard time with the fact that Molasses would tell any woman what he does for a living. No hit man would ever tell a woman what he does. I'm giving the book three stars because it was interesting. This is the type of book you will read once and be done with it. If you can borrow it from the library you will be better off.

I read this book in one day..........2004-10-31

from start to finish! It kept me going all the way!

Cindy Boyd
author of Letting the Dog Out
www.lettingthedogout.com

Hard to put down.......2004-10-28

Okay where do I start? First off I want to say, this book was very interesting and good from start to finish. When I picked this book up, I didn't think it was going to be this D*** good, but whoa and behold it is. I like all of the Urban Griot's books, but when he writes under Omar Tyree, something just happenes, and the books are dry and corny (sorry) but I have to keep it real. The last good book Omar had out was 'Just Say No' The book was really good and well developed. I don't know if two different personalities are there, but please keep the Urban's.

Encyclopedia of Reptiles, Amphibians and Other Cold-Blooded Animals

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This is not just a reference on reptiles.

Encyclopedia of Reptiles, Amphibians and Other Cold-Blooded Animals

Manufacturer: Smithmark Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Veterinary | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

This is not just a reference on reptiles........2003-09-07

This book is adapted from Purnell's Encyclopedia of Animal Life (pub. in the USA as "International Wild Life"). 252 pages, weighing a hefty 3-1/4 lb. Top rate color photography throughout. A fascinating book.

The chapter headings are:
The Invertebrates,
The Forerunners of Vertebrates,
The Emergence onto Land,
The Arrival of the Amphibians,
The Reptiles

THE COLD-BLOODED PENGUIN from the Walt Disney Picture, the Three Caballeros

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THE COLD-BLOODED PENGUIN from the Walt Disney Picture, the Three Caballeros
ADAPTED FROM THE SCREEN VERSION BY ROBERT EDMUNDS
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JZOONK

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