Book Description
Diana Gabaldon, the New York Times bestselling author of
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade and the wildly popular Outlander novels, delivers three tales of war, intrigue, and espionage that feature one of her most popular characters: Lord John Grey. In the heart of the eighteenth century, here are haunted soldiers . . . lusty princesses . . . ghostly apparitions . . . dark family secrets. And here Lord John will face enemies who come in the guise of friends, memories in the shape of a fiery-haired Scot named James Fraser, and allies who have the power to destroy him with a single blow. . . .
In
Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John glimpses a stranger in the doorway of a gentlemen's club—and is stirred by a desperate entreaty to meet in private. The rendezvous forestalled by a sudden murder, Lord John will wade into a maze of political treachery and a dangerous, debauched underground society. . . .
In Lord John and the Succubus, English soldiers fighting in Prussia are rattled by the nocturnal visitations of a deadly woman who sucks life and soul from a man. Called to investigate the night-hag, Lord John finds a murdered soldier and a treacherous Gypsy, and comes to the stark realization that among the spirits that haunt men, none frighten more than the specters conjured by the heart. . . . In
Lord John and the Haunted Soldier, Lord John is thrust into the deadly case of an exploding battlefield cannon. Wounded in the same battle, Lord John is called to tesify and soon confronts his own ghost—and the shattering prospect that a traitor is among the ranks of His Majesty's armed forces.
Capturing the lonely, tormented, and courageous career of a man who fights for his crown, his honor, and his own secrets, Diana Gabaldon delivers breathtaking human drama. And in tales seething with desire, madness, and political intrigue, Gabaldon once again proves that she can bring history to life in a way few novelists ever have.
Book Description
For the first time in the United States comes the tragic and profoundly important story of the legendary Canadian general who “watched as the devil took control of paradise on earth and fed on the blood of the people we were supposed to protect.” When Roméo Dallaire was called on to serve as force commander of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda, he believed that his assignment was to help two warring parties achieve the peace they both wanted. Instead, he was exposed to the most barbarous and chaotic display of civil war and genocide in the past decade, observing in just one hundred days the killings of more than eight hundred thousand Rwandans. With only a few troops, his own ingenuity and courage to direct his efforts, Dallaire rescued thousands, but his call for more support from the world body fell on deaf ears. In Shake Hands with the Devil, General Dallaire recreates the awful history the world community chose to ignore. He also chronicles his own progression from confident Cold Warrior to devastated UN commander, and finally to retired general struggling painfully, and publicly, to overcome posttraumatic stress disorder—the highest-ranking officer ever to share such experiences with readers.
Customer Reviews:
An important book that could have used a good editor........2007-07-16
I agree with some of the negative comments about this book. It's an important book, but a good editor should have pared away a fair amount of the "today I had a meeting with..." and other items from his daily journal. The book would have been stronger by eliminating all too many of his detailed daily journal items. He could have gotten the message across better without burying us in all the acronyms, as someone mentioned. If someone gave a speech to the general public, and used all of those acronyms, a fair number of listeners would tune out. Sorry, but it's true. Very glad that I read the book, though!
Excellent book, a MUST read for all.......2007-03-07
I had high expectations when I began reading this book due to the praise it had received. When you start with such high expectations, you normally end up being disappointed. That wasn't the case here, this book lived up to my expectations!
Dallaire's book is, I believe, the best account out there of the tragic events that unfolded in Rwanda in 1994. Due to his responsibilities, he was aware of most of what was happening in most places within Rwanda, and he was also aware of what was going on at the UN and at the security council. He's the one person who was in the best position to tell this story as it happened. He also did a fine job writing it, the book reads quite well.
The main lesson that seems to come out of this story is that all the people or organisations that could have made a difference were too self-interested to take risks for innocent people. The RPF (the Tutsi rebel army that eventually took over the country and ended the slaughter) took their time to advance since they tried to minimize their casualties, the Western countries in the security council didn't want to spend money or send soldiers, and the moderates in the Rwandan government watched silently in order to save their prestige or for their security. In the end, a handful of UN soldiers (none from the West besides Dallaire and a few Canadians) and brave and generous Rwandans were the only ones that tried to help, despite the odds that were against them.
This book does a great job at informing us and in drawing lessons from this horror. In essence, it's a great work.
if you expect stories, be prepated to be disappointed.......2007-02-21
This is a great book, a must read to balance the voice of the UN Sceptics out there. The UN Peacekeeping Missions are not all incompetent, the system is. Who is the system? It's the Security Council with their various Committees. When things go right, the Security Council gets the praises, when things go wrong, people like Roméo Dallaire gets the blames.
There are many things UN Sceptics out there do not know but love to criticize i.e. the UN does not have its own troops, the UN Peacekeeping Mission's Military and Civilian Personnel rarely has control of the strategic operations or budget of a mission; it is the UN Security Council who does. Another very important must know-point, before criticizing the quality of the troops in a UN Mission; please please first ask the question "Where are the troops from those `high quality' countries?" When you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. When there's no political will to stop bad things from happening, the Rwandan genocide is what you get.
Roméo Dallaire wrote from first hand experience, for those who could not write out because of contractual obligation. Dallaire's account was a good picture of betrayal, naïveté, and international politics we all experience.
While Roméo Dallaire wrote briefly about the Mission 's Chief Administrative Officer who seemed indifferent to Dallaire's request for urgent requirement, he failed to understand another UN internal political undercurrent, nobody will stick their neck out, not then, not now .. because they get chopped.
Someone wrote that book has too many acronyms, people and jargons, too much frustrations .. well folks, welcome to the UN world. In-depth analysis? What's that? Never heard of. This book is REALITY. Period.
A log book, no consistent story flow, yes. An amazing book, yes.......2006-10-23
I have read the reviews of some others here below that this book didn't have a good story line and looked to much like a dairy of this former general.
I agree but that is what puts this book aside from the others. As I work at the UN I know the (basic) frustrations that the he is experienced in his fight and by giving us a cold, day to day, story of how things happened, he actually managed to capture the frustration and disapointment that he wants us to experience.
Most people say that it's a good review when they can not put a certain book down. For me this book was a completly different experience. I simply HAD to put it down, my frustration became to much.
I recommend this book to anyone, its a lesson in humanity. It might be frustrating, disgusting and everything in between, but it should be a mandatory reading for every human being.
Compelling.......2006-10-11
I just finished reading this book and found it both compelling and haunting. I couldn't put it down. If you are looking for a balcony analysis this is not for you but if on the other hand you want to know what it was like... no what it was really like, day to day, and step into the shoes of someone who was there then this is the book for you. Gen. Dallaire had access to and negotiated over and over again with the top leaders on both sides of the conflict and tells the story, the few triumphs and many failings of the groups in Rwanda, the member nations, and the UN itself, like no one else possibly could. My hats off to him for taking the time to tell this story, no doubt a painful one, in detail and for having given so much personally during that year of his life to save lives and minimize the deaths in Rwanda with the cards that were dealt him. Few, I believe would have persisted as long as he did trying to make a difference under similar conditions.
Book Description
Dante Valentine, Necromancer and bounty hunter, just wants to be left alone. But the Devil has other ideas. The Prince wants Dante. And he wants her now. And Dante and her lover, Japhrimel, have no choice but to answer the Prince's summons. And to fulfill a seemingly simple task: become the Devil's Right Hand, hunt down four demons that have escaped from Hell, and earn His gratitude. It's a shame that nothing is ever easy when it comes to the Devil. Because of course, he doesn't tell Dante the whole truth: there is a rebellion brewing in Hell. And there is a good chance that Lucifer is about to be pushed off the throne. But Dante is getting really tired of being pushed around. And this time, she might be angry enough to take on the Devil himself...
Customer Reviews:
Valentine is back!.......2007-10-10
Dante Valentine is back in her third novel: "The Devil's Right Hand". To tell you the truth I thought that the previous books were much more enjoyable to read and though this book isn't as good I'd still suggest you try it out! The one thing that bugged me was Japhrimel. I'd always liked him a lot as a character and even as a demon but he seemed to take way too much controle of Danny and always kept her out of the action. In fact that still bugs me now but that's all I didn't like. Good book over all. And I agree that Lilith Saintcrow has created another thriller...
Danny Valentine isn't happy now. Besides the fact that she's become super rich and is with the love of her life things are going down hill. She's just agreed to work for Lucifer (the devil) for seven entire years of her life and her fallen-demon Japhrimel. She's now his right hand and has been ordered to kill four demons that have escaped from hell. But...is she in the action now? Or is Japhrimel been lying to her all this time? Somethings up and if you know Dante then you can already predict what's going to happen next...
Happy Reading!
awesome fantasy.......2007-10-08
In the far distant future on Earth, the phenomena known as the Awakening brought into being a vast number of psionics and those with magical abilities that hid in the shadows before entered this new world. Dante Valentine has found her necromance powers (the ability to raise the dead and ask them questions) that help her earn a living as a bounty hunter. When out on one of her assignments she meets Japhrimel a demon who is part of the Greater Flight, Lucifer's oldest son and his best assassin.
He gives up his place in hell for her becoming an A'nankhimel a fallen who has tied himself to Dante who he genetically changed into a half demon known as a hedaria. Lucifer calls Dante to him and Japhrimel accompanies her. They make a deal that they will hunt down four greater demons who escaped to earth in exchange for Japhrimel getting his demonic powers back in full. Dante is now under Lucifer's protection for eternity and full control of the Hellessvront, people places, objects, and money that Lucifer has available on Earth. When Dante finds out whom one of the demons she is to hunt is she wants to back out of the deal but nobody reneges on an agreement with Lucifer and lives to tell the tale.
The story line is fast-paced but devilishly driven by the Faustian deal. Dante is strong and independent but she is also using magic and afraid that good things and people in her life, like Japhrimel will be destroyed. Readers can actually see her struggling to accept Japhrimel's love for her. It is a torturous process with so many doubts when she feels insecure that the audience will think Japhrimel is a saintly demon for putting up with her. Lilith Saintcrow is one awesome fantasy writer.
Harriet Klausner
The boyfriend survived!!!!!.......2007-09-30
Not much really happens in this book... it all seems to be leading to the next book. But some of the things that do happen are interesting. I did find the relationship between Dante and her demon lover not very loving. One would think a relationship with a demon would be a bit warmer than this. The writer referred to them being together for years, she didn't say how many, but the two didn't relate on a very fundamental level. They were more like employer and employee. Because their relationship is lackluster, the best parts of the book are the action, dealings with an underhanded devil (what other kind is there?)and the building of a team that will be doing bounty hunting jobs for Lucifer himself.
Understanding the world they live in is tedius, terms and details not needed, can be skipped and you'll still get the picture where the action takes up. All in all, I can't wait for the next two books that are coming.
Overly Romancy With Trust Issues.......2007-09-26
Dante Valentine needs to remember that she is indeed a Necromance half-demon girl who knows runic magic. Why? Because the only relevant part of that amazing character description that matters in this novel, is the half demon toughness. Dante spends the entire novel as an emotionally recovering punching bag.
Her semi-idyllic life with Jaf is shattered by Lucifer, but Dante never takes charge of her quest to kill off renegade demons as the devil's new right hand. Why? Because Jaf thinks *he* is in charge, and neither of them trust each other enough to share authority. The romantic power struggle between Dante and Jaf overshadowed the backdrop, and the novel felt more like man vs woman than supernatural action.
Hopefully #4 will be better.
If you've started the series keep on reading!!.......2007-09-22
Dante Valentine lives in an alternate universe where things supernatural are normal. She's worked as a necromancing bountyhunter, bested the devil and moved to a new town with her demon boyfriend. The whole time having more inner conversations than outloud ones.
The first two books in the series were good reads, fast paced and the character of Dante was quarky and tough. This book seems to have lost a bit of that. She is self-concious and completely unsure of herself now. Her Demon boyfriend is overbearing. He comes off as controling, refusing to tell her things that could actually help her. But, the next book is sceduled to come out soon and I have hope that all of these changes in personality will be explained.
I would recomend this book if you've read the first two. Why quit now. It seems to be more of a bridge to move the plot to where the author ultimatly wants to go. Seeing as how we don't have to wait a year or two for another installment reading "The Devils Right Hand" will keep you up to speed.
Book Description
It was 2020. Six years had passed since the destruction of the Super Dimensional Fortresses 1 and 2, that final tragedy of the First Robotech War. But Earth was on the mend now, and from the wreckage of those ships the Robotech Defense Force had succeeded in fashioning a new battle fortress -- the SDF-3. Its mission: to cross the galaxy and make peace with Tirol's Robotech Masters.
It sounded straightforward enough; but unknown to Admirals Rick and Lisa Hunter and their crew of thousands, the Robotech Masters were already on their way to Earth!
Nevertheless Tirol would have a greeting in store for the Expeditionary Mission: an incendiary salute from the warlord whose hordes had conquered half the galactic Quadrant -- the Invid Regent! Threatened with a swift and violent end, and suddenly torn by internal struggles for power, the RDF would find itself thrust into a savage war for survival!
Customer Reviews:
Now we learn the story..........2001-09-03
of what happened to Rick Hunter and the SDF-3! The story opens six years after the end of the First Robotech War. Admirals Rick and Lisa Hunter must lead a crew of thousands to Tirol, to make peace with the Robotech Masters. Little do they know that they end up passing the Robotech Masters as they are on their way to EARTH! In the end, the Expeditionary Mission will be greeted by the Invid!
They are all back: Breetai, Exedore, Max and Miriya Sterling, a Jonathan Wolff who is not yet bitter and Dr. Lang. You even a peek at a young Bowie Grant and a young Dana Sterling.
Book Description
Red Sonja, the legendary crimson-haired she-devil with asword, and DC Comics' Claw, the cursed warrior, are thrown together asunlikely allies against a despotic evil sorcerer who was once a friend toRed Sonja but is now her sworn enemy. The problem is, that enemy may be theonly one who holds the key to unlocking the terrible curse Claw mustendure.One thing is certain: should Claw finally succumb to the dark urges thathave been slowly consuming him, the only person who can stop him is Sonja!
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04
A sword and sorcery team-up as Claw and Red Sonja join forces to try and deal with an evil sorcerer. A few problems to overcome though, given the newly pneumatic Sonja is now more likely than ever to attract Claw, which would cause sword-fighting.
So would his demonic hand taking him over and making him not so good.
Then there is the whole sorcerer may be the only one that can cure my curse, so damned if I do, damned if don't problem for Claw.
Beautiful and Trite! .......2007-07-06
I know you're thinking, "how is that even possible"?
Well first off let me say that the story is crap. I didn't know until after reading this book that Claw The Unconquerable was created back in the 70's. I thought Layman created this crap character all by himself and I was really gonna' give him hell over it.
You're off the hook on creating Claw, Layman.
But your story sucks. I don't expect just a whole lot from a character like Red Sonja (though Dynamite does a great ongoing series) but bearing that in mind, you can't just slap your readers across the face with cliche after cliche of "Bring her to me..." and "We fight for freedooooommmm!" and expect to get a positive reaction.
Layman really needs to focus on honing his craft, even for a B-grade character like Red Sonja.
HOWEVER...artist Andy Smith shows an incredible amount of promise. And maybe that was the deal all along---Layman agreed to pull a "Jeph Loeb" and let the dialogue take a seat waaaay in the back for the art (*see "Batman:Hush").
Every image of Smith's Red Sonja could double as a pin-up shot...though some of the other characters lack the same patience and care, and both of the main male characters look like Bizzaro Conans.
This is worth the buy only as a "sketchbook" of Andy Smith. I wouldn't bother reading it, though.
Remember the days when Sonja and Conan fought side by side?.......2007-06-17
The Wildstorm/Dynamite crossover with Claw and Red Sonja is the best crossover published with the fiery red heroine so far. The story and plot are pretty basic and isn't all that complicated but it is the conflict and resolution that both warriors experience that makes this book hard to put down. This is the best Sonja story since Roy Thomas was writing Conan due its realistic elements and grim atmosphere. There aren't any B-movie moments Sonja was prone to during the 80's when Frank Thorne was handling the art for her Marvel run. And you won't definitley won't find Sonja teaming up with Conan anytime in the near future due to conflicting rights issues between the companies. This is the next best thing!
Bloody good fun..........2007-03-08
Cheesecake (and beefcake) swords and sorcery. If you're a fan of the genre and your intellectual needs are modest, then this is a nice way to spend a couple of hours.
Average customer rating:
- A Disillusioned Former Rizzo Aide Looks at Political Corruption
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Shaking Hands with the Devil
John Taglianetti
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1419648365
Release Date: 2006-10-18 |
Book Description
Political ethics or lack thereof; what it takes to become successfull in Philadelphia politics. Doing well does not necessitate nor include doing good. True story names not changed to protect the innocent for there are no innocents in Philly politics.
Customer Reviews:
A Disillusioned Former Rizzo Aide Looks at Political Corruption.......2007-06-23
From 1971 through 1977, the author lived the seamy side of Philadelphia politics as aide to Mayor Frank Rizzo and State Senator Buddy Cianfrani. Rizzo spent much of his time successfully fending off criminal and journalistic investigations, and Cianfrani eventually pleaded guilty to serious federal charges involving the misuse of his state senatorial office. The author drove Cianfrani to prison, and repeatedly visited him there and did errands for Cianfrani and his fellow prisoners.
The author seemed to have a reverse Midas touch. He was offered a job with Vice-President Spiro Agnew, only to see Agnew plead guilty to corruption charges a week later. As an insurance agent retired from politics, he was asked to temporarily vacate a suite of rooms he had been using for business purposes at Philadelphia's Barclay Hotel: it turned out they were about to be used to entrap Philadelphia elected officials in the famous FBI Abscam investigation.
The author documents the ambivalance many in Philadelphia politics felt towards political corruption. Rizzo would distance himself from wrongdoing and denounce it, but quietly reward wrongdoers who were helping him in the process. Cianfrani took bribes from time to time, but would quickly spend the money on someone else--either through gift buying or gambling--as soon as he got it. Abscam defendant Harry Jannotti told the author that he cut up into pieces $50,000 in Abscam bribe money that he had taken, and flushed it down the toilet. And the author himself documents both his participation in corrupt activities and his efforts to stay clear of them.
As the book evolves, the author becomes a more and more compelling figure.
He was an atypical recruit for the Rizzo 1971 mayoral campaign: he came to Rizzo's attention when he authored a series of hostile, tough questions for a television interview. Accustomed to adulatory softballs from a favorable press corps, campaign manager Al Gaudiosi decided to recruit their antagonist to help them. Stunned at a full-time job offer, the author finally accepted an offer to do part-time research for the campaign while continuing his regular research job with WCAU television. After Rizzo won the mayoral primary, the author officially resigned and joined his campaign team.
Taking money from a campaign that one was covering raised all sorts of ethical questions, but the author was slow to act on them. He busied himself at work developing so many tough questions and for Rizzo's opponents, and negative research on them, that the station had little time or inclination to go after Rizzo.
In the general election campaign, the author scored a great coup that was both dazzlingly effective and completely outrageous: he used his contacts with debate host WCAU to get to co-author the questions for the debate between Rizzo and Republican opponent Thacher Longstreth. Rizzo and Gaudiosi refused to further engage him in debate planning (the author had fully researched different debate formats as well), but used the advance text of his questions to good effect, having Rizzo memorize persuasive answers to them, while his better educated and informed opponent was having to instantly respond to questions he was hearing for the first time. High school dropout Rizzo far exceeded expectations against Princeton University graduate Longstreth, and the wind was gone from Longstreth's campaign as a result.
Some of the research he was paid to do for Rizzo appeared odd: he was asked to critique Rizzo's record from the point of view of the black community, a request that seemed like it was to aid the campaign of State Rep. Hardy Williams, a black freshman state legislator whose campaign seemed to aid Rizzo's by helping mobilize voter turnout and splitting the opposition vote.
Rizzo would ultimately hire about 30 members of the press for jobs in his adminstration. The author says he felt "like a whore" for taking Rizzo's money while pretending to be an objective journalist, and he assumes without investigation that others Rizzo hired also were rewarded during the campaign as well and had their coverage influenced towards Rizzo by an understanding that they,too, would be joining his administration.
The author's job in the administration revolved around the development of patronage rewards for supporters and potential supporters, and the linking of existing city jobs to the Rizzo patronage apparatus. The author recounts his dedication to wooing Rizzo opponents with excellent responsiveness to their needs and requests, and his less than admirable activities.
These included seeking financial contributions from all sorts of shady characters and people whose economic interests were adverse to those of the average citizen, yielding to the ethos of personal enrichment and pressure from superiors by keeping some of their cash contributions for himself, developing a list as to the city employees in each ward, and sharing it with wardleaders and key Rizzo campaigners as a resource for organization-building, securing Cadillacs to be given to black wardleaders who would back Rizzo over strong constituent objections, recruiting violent thugs to harass opposition rallies and break up an opposition ward meeting, harass the Democratic City Committee through violence and disruption of its pre-1974 primary fundraiser, and use his vast patronage power only to build a political machine, and not to recruit well-motiavted high-quality people to government.
The author's role as Rizzo critic turned Rizzo zealot(even Rizzo said he was "nuts") alienated his original patron Gaudiosi, and led to him being surveilled at home by Rizzo aide Phil Carroll. This increased his sensitivity to privacy issues, and he was able to prevail on a member of Rizzo's notorious "spy squad" to stop wiretapping private City Council Democratic caucus meetings.
Other virtuous acts the author committed including getting Philadelphia sidewalks curbed in a fashion that increased the mobility of handicapped persons, dramatically increasing the access of the handicapped to Philadelphia city governmental jobs, turning down an offer of a key Rizzo backer of oral sex with his beautiful secretary, and deciding that he would not perjur himself if interrogated by investigators, an eventuality that never occurred. But he did not volunteer information about what he knew to investigators either.
Thoroughly sick of corruption, but attracted on a personal level to a good number of people who engaged in corrupt acts, he left politics and government in 1977, and did not return to political involvement, with the exception of a generous contribution to 1983 Rizzo foe Wilson Goode, until the 2007 mayoral campaign of insurance executive Tom Knox, where he played an important opposition research role.
The author's long absence from the political scene leads to occasional factual errors and overgeneralizations, but his book still ranks as a classic in Philadelphia politics. At a national level, there are thousands of books by disillusioned insiders; this may be the first such book ever written on Philadelphia poltics.
The author errs in seeing corruption as the same in the Rizzo Administration as in the current Street Administration; he fails to carefully examine the examples he cites. Corruption in the Rizzo Adminstration was all about maintaining a vast political machine in contravention of laws mandating merit hiring and objective considerations for awarding contracts. It was about using violence as a tool to keep the opposition too scared and too weak to fight.
The author's reprinting of ward by ward election returns makes clear the widespread geographical dispersion of Rizzo's opposition, and the narrow geographical base of his intense support. The author also makes clear the obstacles Rizzo faced as a supporter of high-profile Republicans like Richard Nixon and Arlen Specter, as a cultural conservative in a basically liberal city, as an insurgent fighting a political organization committed to the advancement of the Democratic Party.
By the time of the Street Administration, political machines had lost their status as a controlling force, and his administration's corruption was overwhelmingly about the private enrichment of campaign contributors. The Street Administration used access to political capital and favorable media coverage as far less invasive mthods of maintaining control, as did all of Rizzo's other successors.
The author makes judicious use of quotations from the ancient world. He quotes Machiavelli to the effect that only a well-informed leader can balance and synthesize conflicting advice, and Sallust's warnings about the dangers of men who rely on showmanship and natural aggressiveness instead of genuine concern for the public.
The author and this reviewer share the belief that the great tragedy of the Rizzo Administration was its lack of vision and purpose; the author accuses Rizzo of being being hostile and hateful towards those with genuine expertise in areas of public policy.
The author never fit in with the general insular blue collar aura of the Rizzo movement: while he shared Rizzo's ethnicity, he was an intellectual with army intelligence experience in various parts of the world. He lived first in a black neighborhood, and then in a liberal professional neighborhood. He had no previous ties to politics, or to the police force. While his grandfather was a barber, his father was a doctor, and he did not grow up with resentments toward the wealthy and the powerful. While the Rizzo movement was substantially about cultural conformity in the anti-Vietnam War era, the author smoked and acted as a supplier of it for his coworkers at WCAU.
The author's personal relationship to Rizzo was always ambivalent. He was a loyal hard-charger who ruffled a lot of feathers, and thus created additional political problems for Rizzo, already swamped with political problems. He developed loyalties to others he worked with, which he says infuriated Rizzo. At the low point in their relationship, in the 1975 campaign, Rizzo threatens to kill him. The author thinks that Rizzo is crazy, in over his head, and he blames Rizzo's staff for not reognizing that and reigning Rizzo in. But the author himself lives in fear of crossing Rizzo openly. Rizzo bounces him from job to job, often with pay increases, but clearly does not want him to go into the opposition camp.
Now that the author has laid the groundwork for a public understanding of who he is and what he did, this reviewer hopes he will finish the novel he is writing about Philadelphia politics, do further research, refreshing of his memory, and writing about the Rizzo Administration, and continue to speak out as a needed voice for political reform and a sage adviser about the relevance of the past towards the present.
Book Description
If you, or anybody you know has ever suffered from panic attacks, you''ll know exactly how terrifying they can be. Richard shows you how positive self talk, confronting the past, and using complimentary therapies, can banish anxiety forever. Richard also explains how we put up too many boundaries in life, making us more miserable and stagnant than needs to be the case. In the right mind, you are happy, and tomorrow is just another exciting adventure. Written by a fellow sufferer, this is a no bones account of how it really feels to live with panic, inner most thoughts included, and what you can do about them so you don''t have to live like this anymore. Work through this book from today, and your world will change from a place of fear, into one of endless possibilities. 'Make this 'Day One' of the rest of your life'
Average customer rating:
- Boring
- Look out, Dutch!
- It must be the hand he uses to scratch his butt
- No Bounty on This One
- Action promises
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The Devil's Right Hand
J.D. Rhoades
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
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Suicide Squeeze
ASIN: 0312938667
Release Date: 2005-12-27 |
Book Description
Ex-cons DeWayne and Leonard thought it was a simple plan: Swipe the payroll from a local construction company and make off with easy cash. Pity they left the owner dead. Bigger pity is that the owner's son is a violent drug-dealer who's crazier than the low-caliber ex-cons he's vowed to nail-along with anyone else who gets in his way.Bounty hunter and war vet Jack Keller is the perfect man for his job. With a brain full of combat nightmares, he's primed for every hunt, keen for the heady scent of gunfire, and high on the release each takedown brings. His new quarry is bail-jumper DeWayne, but even Keller isn't prepared for where this chase is going to take him.Caught in a violent vendetta between two trigger-happy rednecks and a psycho blinded by rage, Keller's soon spiraling into a revenge plot set to explode in the North Carolina backwoods. Add to this murderous mix a local cop with his own agenda and his beautiful partner who's hot for men on the edge, and someone's bound to see hell before the night is over.
Customer Reviews:
Boring.......2007-10-08
The only reason I gave this book one star was because it was short and I didn't have to waste too much time on it (plus I think that's the lowest I can go on Amazon ). Too many cliche's and no character development.
Look out, Dutch!.......2007-05-31
If you're a fan of Elmore Leonard, you've come to the right place. With THE DEVIL'S RIGHT HAND, author J. D. Rhoades demonstrates a talent for crime fiction that even "Dutch" himself could appreciate. The action is relentless and brutal with jarring bursts of expertly rendered violence. Rhoades shows a keen ear for Southern "redneck" dialogue and a wonderful grasp of his rural North Carolina setting. The characters are exquistely drawn, especially antihero Jack Keller, a bounty hunter battling more than a few demons, both personal and profesional. Rhoades even manages to throw in a tender, believable love story that will have you winking with knowing delight in between action scenes that will leave you breathless. With THE DEVIL'S RIGHT HAND, J. D. Rhoades proves that he is well on his way to becoming Dutch Leonard's heir apparent.Devil's Brew
It must be the hand he uses to scratch his butt.......2007-04-26
I had very high hopes for this book, as I have family that lives in Fayetteville, NC and I have been there many times in my life. I was hoping that this would be for Fayetteville what Parker does for Boston, or Crais for LA. It's not.
To tell the truth, the novel could have been set anywhere. There were almost no unique features of the city used at all. Rhodes really did not do a very good job of getting across the feeling of Fayetteville and the surrounding countryside.
Well, if the setting doesn't do it, at least you can concentrate on characters. Nope, they fall short also. For the most part they are one dimensional and cliched. I cannot say that I felt much interest in the character of Jack, or the policewoman he becomes involved with. The most interesting character in the book, a migrant worker, is hardly featured at all.
The plot is not going to break any new ground either. This is a fairly common tale of a crime that got out of control and now involves many different parties out for their own ends. This is exactly the type of story that has been done on a better scale, by authors such as Elmore Leonard.
I have to say that the most irritating part of the book is the relationship between the hero, Jack, and the Fayetteville police department. Every cop he meets is a psychopath and tries to beat the crap out of him, or anyone he knows. For his own sake, I hope Rhoades dosn't make any future trips to Fayetteville; I'd hate for him to be stopped for speeding. This just seems like a rediculous prospect: even if the police are that corrupt, they are not going to just randomly beat up bounty hunters, that's going to come back to hurt them.
Overall, I would say that there are much better novels of this type out there, so skip this one.
No Bounty on This One.......2006-08-16
Red-necked cousins DeWayne and Leonard Puryear heist a timber company payroll, and in the process, kill the owner, an elderly Lumbee Indian. But unbeknownst to the Puryear boys, he is also the father of drug dealer, enraged and hell bent on avenging dad. Meanwhile, badass bounty hunter and "Devils's Right Hand" hero Jack Keller is hunting down the hapless DeWayne for jumping bale, setting off a smorgasbord of bad cops, bad guys, and bad blood in this made-for-TV-class novel of bad acting and worse dialogue.
[...] In all due respect to the author and his loyal followers, "The Devil's Right Hand" was just weak fiction. I found the characters cardboard-thin, stereotyped and predictable in soap opera settings of schmaltzy love and sedatives masquerading as cliffhangers. Not that they were given much to work with: the dialogue is straight from comic books; the plot weak enough that by comparison, Danielle Steele is downright Shakespearian. Tough guy Keller was unconvincing and uninspiring: the ex-vet with a troubled past has been done before and done better a number of times: Lee Child's Jack Reacher or Robert Crais' Joe Pike come immediately to mind.
In the end, not much to recommend JD's second novel. [...]
Action promises.......2006-03-02
Passable action story promises more for the future. Lots of crazy people shooting each other, some humor, some good writing.
Book Description
With a bloodthirsty posse prepared to pump him full of hot lead, bounty hunter Lou Prophet tries to steer clear of the sweet young thing who's making him think twice about his drifter lifestyle.
Customer Reviews:
GOOD WESTERN HERO-TO MUCH SEX!.......2002-10-12
Lou Prophet shoots a man over a card game. Tht other man drew first and Prophet had no choice. The problem is it was the son of Gerald Loomis. Loomis is a big wheel, he is used to haveing his way and doing what ever he wants to do. He is now after Prophet. Lou gets wounded and is saved by Layla Carr, who gets him back to health. Lou knows he can't run as Loomis will follow him where ever he goes. He takes the fight to Loomis. He weaves and hides and fights Loomis and his twenty hands. There is much action and the book moves quickly. I did not like the sex part. Thats not what I read western for but I guess it helps to sell books. Lou reminds me a lttle of Smoke Jensen with the way he takes on the twenty men. Other than the man woman part it rates a five.
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