Book Description
Things are a little complicated for the Beacon Street Girls right now...Charlotte's dream is to be a writer. But she doesn't seem to care that The Abigail Adams Junior High opened its newspaper, The Sentinel, to seventh-grade writers. Why? Because she's got a heartbreaking secret and it involves moving...again!
And just when Charlotte really needs her friends, they've got major problems of their own. Maeve has a really great idea for a community service project, "Blanket Brookline with Love." But try as she might, she can't seem to get it off the ground. And the new girl, Isabel Martinez, is creating major tension. Avery and Katani don't like her, but Maeve and Charlotte do. What will this do to the Beacon Street Girls' friendship? Will it ever be the same?
Customer Reviews:
Postive reading for girls- a Mom's point of view.......2007-06-09
I bought this book for my 12 year old daughter. I feel it is a wonderfully written book series for "tween girls." It is very positive- sometimes a bit too positive for real life at times. If reading books like these make girls think about how they treat each other and be kinder to one another, then I say it's a good thing! I am reading the books after my daughter finishes with them. And enjoying chatting with her about the different issues contained in the stories.
At times the story can be a little hokey/unrealistic. The girl's homeroom teacher assigns the students tables to sit at lunch, and has a tablecloth on each table. Charlotte has a klutzy moment and notices her zipper is down. She unknowingly zips the table cloth in her pants, making a huge mess and angering the other girls at the table. The girls start off not liking each other and are told a sleepover might help them to work it out. At the sleepover the girls become best friends. I have never had any of these things happen to me in real life, but it makes for a good story. And brings the girls together. In the stories, aside from the hokiness, the girls have real life problems- lying to their parents, being the new girl, overextending themselves, weight issues, being bullied, parents separating, having an ill parent, etc. I feel the author wraps it all up in a positive but not perfect story book way.
I liked that the girls all represent something different. They are of different ethnic backgrounds, have different issues & problems as well as different personalities & talents. The girls compliment each other very well. The BSG
(Beacon Street Girls) try to protect their friendships and are very supportive of each other. In the books, there are girls who are nasty. The BSG, aren't fond of those girls but are never mean or cruel in return. Hopefully, this will encourage the girls who read them to be kinder to people/ friends than they had been. I can't wait to read the next book!
I LOVE BEACON STREET GIRLS!!!!!!.......2006-09-30
My mom just brought me these BSG books and they are the best. Everyone should read them. I only read two of them so far but we are going to buy the rest soon. If you are a girl and you like to read you HAVE TO get these books TODAY!!!!!
I LOve THIS BOOK.......2006-03-12
This book was my #2 favorite book ever. Next to the Sisterhood Of the Traveling Pants! You are a very inspiring author and I have decided to write a book simalar to this one. My BROTHER even liked this book! Once again you are a very inspiring author & thank you for writing this series of books.
I LOVE IT.......2006-03-10
I started reading this book and I couldn't put it down. I thought that it was so great and true to life. I love the Beacon Street Girls books and I would really suggest reading them.
Booorrrring!.......2005-11-21
my mom got me this book cause she read about it in a newspaper or something. i think it has a stupid title. i read that loads of girls suppposedly loved it so i tried it anyway. but i think its grown ups who like this book cause its not like real girls. this book is like a tv movie for girls ( not even cable) but written by a guidance counsellor or a shrink not a real writer writing from their heart or their life. its like the book is good for you but not good. i think girls could write better themselves. its 2 babyish and 2 adult. btw the books got one of everything like a menu at an appleby's or denny's: one asian girl, one african american girl, one red head, one blond, one shy one, one "drama queen," got it? 2 many girls.I like babysitters club better or harry potter. And one has a father moving to oxford in england to teach, like the best college in the world. how many dad's do that? and her mom is dead, and another girl's mom is sick and another girl's mom and dad are breaking up but she can save them. the writing is ok and i kind of like a couple of the girls but i would not read this again or read another one or buy a cd or anything.
Book Description
Charlotte Ramsey is the new girl again. After causing the biggest cafeteria blunder in history, Charlotte's assigned lunch partners-the very stylish Katani, irrepressible Avery, and super-friendly Maeve-can't wait to dump her.
Can it get any worse? Absolutely! Nobody is talking, and Katani wants out of the group. What a mess! Can the girls become true friends or will they remain worst enemies forever?
Customer Reviews:
cool book reveiw by silverfeather.......2007-07-30
this book was pretty good but the others in the series are better. i really recomend the series!
mom's review.......2007-01-16
I am a mom of an avid reader, aged 9. I am always concerned that, because she can read well, she will choose books that may be challenging in length and context but may be too advanced for her socially and emotionally. I just finished this, book 1 of the series, and am happy to say that this looks like a series I can get behind 100%. The series revolves around the friendship and loyalty of a group of diverse middle school girls who create a club in an attic. In book 1, the author tackles the subjects that kids at this age deal with (diverse backgrounds and interests, snobs, crushes, learning diabilities - one girl has a laptop not because she's a rich snob but because she has a learning disability)in a language they understand...hip slang, cyberspeak, etc. The values of loyalty, honesty, civic duty and friendship are paramount in this story. Moms and Dads, fret not. Only positive messages found in this book. I look forward to my daughter reading these and getting hooked on a series based on strong girls and their friendship.
A Delightfully Funny Read! .......2007-01-04
This is the first installment in the Beacon Street Girls series. And, by far my favorite book of them all. Probably because this story is being told from the views of the original four BSGs (Beacon Street Girls). It's a fun read for girls my age (11). But you have to admit, the whole "As soon as they meet, they despise each other and in the end are friends" thing gets really old and overrated. I understand the reason they didn't like each other was first impressions, but still, "Never assume", that's my motto. It may surprise people but Annie Bryant, is not just one person writing these funny but somewhat serious books, but a whole team writing together. And from reading these books I realized that I have a bit of all the BSG in me. I love creativity like Isabel, I can imitate voices like Maeve, I love writing and reading like Charlotte, I love animals like Avery, and I love fashion like Katani. I really enjoy the message of being yourself. So really, there's something for everyone in these delightful books. The summary of the book is basically Charlotte is new and she doesn't hit it off very well with the other girls when they should be trying to be working together as they are working on an assignment. It's a very funny read and I definitely reccomend it!
Fantastic Find!.......2006-08-05
I bought this book for my niece hoping that she would discover the wonders of reading if she had material that pertained to her life. Not only did she love the book, but she seems to have an insatiable desire for the series! Nothing makes me happier than to hear her bubbling about how Katani resembles her best friend at school! She has truly found herself in these books. I reccommend this book for anyone who wants to incite a passion for reading in a little girl!
Worst Enemies/Best Friends (Beacon Street Girl Book #1).......2006-08-04
Worst Enemies/Best Friends is a book that starts with a girl named Charlotte who just moved to Beacon street. (She lived in Paris before)! She has to of course start at a new school. It is the first day of school when she figures out that everyone in her class is told that they have setting arangments! everyone at her tabe hates eachother and are Worst Enimies! One day their teacher gave them an assingment to wite a letter to her if they have any rule they would like to cange. One girl at Charolttes table asked if they could have a sleep over and then beable to sit where ever they want! The teacher said yes! after the sleep over the were best friends and became the Becon Street girls or BSG as they said!
Product Description
A series of mean emails and not-so-funny jokes in the latest tween novel from the Beacon Street Girls provide parents with an opportunity for frank discussion with preteen girls about online dangers. In Just Kidding, the Beacon Street Girls and their preteen readers learn about cyber-bullying, gossip, no-jokes zones and how the Internet can spread rumors, spoil friendships and contribute to hurt feelings.
Book Description
From the busy Atlantic waters to the rugged Pacific coast, explore the country's most historic and beautiful lighthouses with amazing 3-D pop-ups. Lighthouses! A Pop-Up Gallery of America's Most Beloved Beacons features more than 25 color photographs and original illustrations showcasing America's coastal guardians.
From the historical to the technical, author Al Mitchell, a renowned expert in the field of lighthouse study, explains the important roles played by each beacon through the years.
This unique tribute includes 5 amazing, architecturally accurate 3-D pop-ups designed by acclaimed paper engineer Linda Costello.
Beautifully illustrated pop-ups stand approximately 9 1/2 inches tall and 5 inches in diameter and demonstrate each lighthouse's unique design and function.
Pop-ups include some of the most famous landmarks in the country: Cape Hatteras Light, North Carolina's distinctive black-and-white barber pole; Old Point Loma Light, the beacon for California's Gold rush traffic; and Florida's prominent Ponce de Leon Inlet Light.
This is the ultimate book for admirers of lighthouses and architecture.
Customer Reviews:
Lighthouses.......2007-07-30
This is a beautifully crafted book. It has obviously been put together with care. The pop-ups are well done and work perfectly. The illustrations are stunning, soft and lovely. There is a well researched history about each lighthouse, even the binding and cover show that it is special. While it is not a book for a young child, older children who are interested in this subject or know any of the buildings should enjoy it. Any adult who is interested in lighthouses will definitely want this book. For a collector of pop-up books it is a wonderful addition to any collection.
Amazon.com
Lovers of Victorian-style mystery are no doubt familiar with Anne Perry's two series of novels set in 1880s London. These set the standards of the period piece genre, wooing readers with their precisely calibrated mixture of grubby urban realism (read murder) and the tea and gossip of refined drawing rooms. With The Death of Colonel Mann, the first installment in her new Beacon Hill series, Cynthia Peale takes her own stab at that combination, but on the other side of the Atlantic.
When Colonel William D'Arcy Mann is found shot to death in his Boston hotel, few Brahmins mourn his passing. The Colonel had published far too many of Boston's highest caste's indiscretions in his gossip rag; those who had escaped such public ignominy had paid an equally high price, for Mann was not averse to a spot of genteel blackmail. The cast of suspects is large, and Peale's team of amateur sleuths is perfectly placed to ferret out the murderer. Addington Ames and his sister Caroline can trace their blue-blooded lineage back to the Ark, although their social standing teeters precariously when Addington is so gauche as to actually discover the Colonel's body. And unless Addington and Caroline can solve the crime, their beautiful young cousin Val's engagement (the ne plus ultra for a proper young Victorian woman) will be at risk---her future mama-in-law has a decided aversion to scandal.
Addington and Caroline are an amiable pair, as is their boarder, Dr. John MacKenzie, who plays Watson to Addington's Sherlock when he isn't wondering how to court his hostess. Peale falls short of Perry's narrative mastery, however: where Perry effortlessly blends historical detail, evocative descriptions of the London cityscape, and plot, Peale's setting seems awkwardly contrived; her Boston cobblestones do more to trip up the narrative than to smooth its passage. Despite these flaws, Victorian Boston may yet yield fans for Peale, currently at work on the second Beacon Hill mystery. --Kelly Flynn
Book Description
Victorian Boston is the splendid setting for a deliciously scandalous murder in this seductive historical mystery.
When Colonel William D'Arcy Mann is found shot dead in his Boston hotel suite, there are few to mourn him but many who will feel the repercussions of his untimely demise.
Mann was the publisher of a scurrilous gossip rag in which he exposed the indiscretions, great and small, of Boston's highest caste--unless they paid the hush money he demanded.
By discovering the body, Addington Ames, a resident of Louisburg Square, Beacon Hill, has violated at least two tenets of the Boston Brahmin code of behavior to which he was born--his name has appeared in the newspapers, and he has been questioned by the police. But it's his reason for visiting Colonel Mann in the first place that is by far Ames's greatest concern.
His orphaned young cousin, Valentine, has made a most desirable match, but she has unfortunately been indiscreet, and the love letters she wrote during a failed summer romance have somehow fallen into Colonel Mann's hands. If her fiancé were to discover her indiscretion, he would break their engagement, so Ames must recover the letters to save Val from social ostracism. But the missives in question are not to be found in the inconveniently dead blackmailer's hotel room. Only by finding the killer will he be able to prevent Val's heartbreak and disgrace.
Cynthia Peale, in this first book of her new mystery series, deftly evokes a richly textured portrait of Victorian Boston's high and low society. And she has created a memorable cast of characters. In addition to the dastardly colonel himself, there is the perfectly matched team of amateur sleuths--Addington Ames and his endearing strong-willed sister, Caroline--who are joined by their boarder and friend, Dr. John MacKenzie, an amiable and sharp-witted outsider (with a secret yearning for Caroline) who acts as Addington's Watson.
The Death of Colonel Mann is a tale of passion and terror, a blend of charm, mystery, and suspense in a setting readers will want to return to again and again.
Cynthia Peale, in this first book of her new mystery series, deftly evokes the atmosphere, both physical and social, of Victorian Boston's high and low society--the clatter of carriage traffic on fog-shrouded cobblestone streets, the venerable town houses of Beacon Hill, the conviviality and exclusivity of the private clubs, the strict codes of proper behavior. And she has created a perfectly matched team of amateur sleuths--Addington and his sister, Caroline Ames, whose impeccable pedigree allows them to live in reduced circumstances in their parents' Beacon Hill house without losing a bit of their social acceptance, and Dr. John MacKenzie, an amiable and sharp-witted outsider, who sees far more than he lets on and acts as Addington's Watson. -->
Customer Reviews:
Very nice for a first time reader of mysteries........2005-09-22
I normally don't go for such books, but I'm especially glad this was my first. I read it in a short amount of time and am looking forward to the next by Ms. Peale.
Engaging plot, rich characterizations, atmospheric..........2003-08-17
I really felt I was in Beacon Hill at the turn of the century, and I enjoyed the book tremendously. Very good mystery - reminds me a little of Detective Pitt & his wife Charlotte of the Anne Perry novels, only set in Boston USA! I look forward to reading the rest in the series. It kept my interest throughout the evenings of an exciting vacation. I very much enjoyed the details about the characters involved in the story. So much so that I could read a mystery set in Dr. Mckenzie's background in the military right now!
Wonderful New Historical Series!.......2003-08-14
I am a great fan of Anne Perry so imagine my delight when I found this author and this book. The era is the same as Ms. Perry, but the setting is in Boston, not England. Ms. Peale delineates Victorian Boston very well, and her characterizations are quite good. The proprieties and social consciousness are the same as Ms. Perry, and the evils are just as vivid. This book deals with the death of Colonel Mann who we never meet in the story, but we certainly hear enough about him. He wrote scandal sheets and used information that he gleaned from his many informants to blackmail various people in society. The kind of character that has many people who are happy at his death, but the murder needs to be solved anyway because Addington's nearest and dearest were affected by everything and in danger. I look forward to more Beacon Hill mysteries.
Victorian Ice.......2003-03-13
The Death of Coloney Mann captures the very soul of Victorian Society. Stepping outside of what was considered "proper conduct" would lead to disgrace and risking total outcast by friends and family. Cynthia Peale has depicted this reality so very clearly while weaving an intriguing Mystery! It's a great read!
Mildly entertaining, poorly written mystery........2001-12-19
As someone who works in Boston, I really enjoyed the setting of Peale's book. Also, the character of Addington Ames and his sister Carolyn are fairly well drawn. It is too bad then that the mystery itself isn't more intriguing or the writing better conceived. Although Peale has clearly done some research on 1890s Boston Brahmin social and city life, it almost seems as if she never completely integrated the information into the mystery, making it little more than just a superficial, guided tour of Victorian Boston. The writing was frequently awkward and some of the dialogue jarring. Also, there are many scenes where the POV shifts from one character to the next; something that I have been told by a writing instructor is a definite "no-no" in fiction writing. All in all, I really did want to like this book and it is still diverting enough to be read quickly. However, it does seem to me that it could have been a lot better.
Average customer rating:
- Baldwin is brilliant
- Classic American essays
- Greatest American book of essays written in the twentieth century
- brilliant, vivid, and incisive insights that shd be read
- Angry, humorous, reflective essays on being a black American
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Notes of a Native Son (Beacon Paperback)
James Baldwin
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
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ASIN: 0807064319 |
Book Description
Originally published in 1955, James Baldwin's first nonfiction book has become a classic. These searing essays on life in Harlem, the protest novel, movies, and Americans abroad remain as powerful today as when they were written.
Customer Reviews:
Baldwin is brilliant.......2006-09-16
Baldwin's reasoning, deduction and ability to convey deeply personal thoughts with such command and authority are part of what make this book of essays so riveting.
In "Notes of a Native Son" I began to understand more about the author through his relationship, or lack of relationship, with his father. And in "Equal in Paris or Stranger in the Village," I was transported into a dimension of racial prejudice that I have never experienced through prose before. As powerful today as it was then. A must read.
Classic American essays.......2005-10-19
Originally published in 1955 these essays are now considered American classics. Baldwin writes with tremendous pain, humor, and insight into the situation of what was then , 'the Negro' in America. He writes with insight into the situation of the young writer striving to locate himself in relation to Western civilization as a whole-which he feels he can never wholly belong to as he strives to belong to it. He writes most powerfully about the day of the dying of his father, and the birth of his youngest sister. His description of his own family situation, and of his father's life is instructive of the whole history of insult and injury which had long been the lot of the black in America. His estrangement from his father, and yet understanding of the story of his father's suffering is one of the powerful sections of the book.
It seems to me this book also has an effect unintended and unforeseen by Baldwin. Reading it fifty years later one understands how far America has come in transforming itself in regard to the racial question. Much of the kind of discrimination Baldwin so eloquently describes in for instance his story of his first jobs, does not exist in the same way any more.
In this sense the book also has along with its literary value , value as a historical document.
Greatest American book of essays written in the twentieth century.......2005-10-06
Baldwin writes with a force and an eloquence that will take your breath away mastery--a powerful preacher on the page. What he has to say about the state of race relations in this country is still relevant today, almost half a century after this book was first published. I consider Baldwin our greatest twentieth-century African American writer and one of the greatest American writers ever. He is courageous, passionate, visionary, and a masterful writer.
brilliant, vivid, and incisive insights that shd be read.......2005-07-14
This is an absolutely wonderful book of essays about growing up, making a career, and being black in the US in the 1950-60s. Just the chapter on his step-father - an angry, brilliant, difficult man - is worth the price of admission. Beyond the black experience, everyone who has fought with a tough dad will empathise with Baldwin. Then there is a piece on living in France as a young writer, again it is unbelievably dense, funny, and moving, a true masterpiece of the genre of autobiographical essays. His style is so cool and clear, so icily brilliant, that any aspiring writer can study the style, as did I.
This book, in my opinion, has Baldwin's best work in it, of a quality that earns him a place in the literary canon. The essays really are far far better than any of his novels, in my opinion. While some of them are less than excellent journalistic pieces (A Fly in the Buttermilk about school integration), the best ones are, well, the best.
Warmly recommended.
Angry, humorous, reflective essays on being a black American.......2004-10-24
The ten essays in this collection were originally published in Commentary, Partisan Review, Harper's, and other national periodicals during the late 1940s and early 1950s; Baldwin revised a few essays, arranged them by theme, and added "Autobiographical Notes" as a preface. They are among the most compelling, insightful pieces ever written on what it means to be an American and, in particular, what means to be a black American. "The story of the Negro in America is the story of America," Baldwin writes, "or, more precisely, it is the story of Americans. It is not a pretty story: the story of a people is never very pretty."
"Everybody's Protest Novel" and "Many Thousands Gone" both discuss the portrayal of blacks in American fiction (beginning with "Uncle Tom's Cabin") and contain harsh criticism of Richard Wright's "Native Son"--comments which permanently ended their tempestuous friendship. Baldwin next directs his ire (and wit) at the ridiculous stereotypes in the all-black film "Carmen Jones." These are not mere reviews, however; the strength of these three essays is Baldwin's ability to offer general comments about societal matters based on a few examples. The second essay is particularly noteworthy because Baldwin writes as if he, like most of his readers, were white. This technique allow him to imply that, on the one hand, as a native-born American, he can easily comprehend the view of the "dominant" culture, yet, on the other hand, the black experience is something white Americans will never understand--that the majority assumption is "that the black man, to become truly human and acceptable, must first become like us."
The next three essays offer social commentary. "The Harlem Ghetto" describes life in Baldwin's neighborhood, examines the importance of the Negro press, and (undoubtedly with the readers of Commentary in mind) focuses especially on the ongoing tensions between Jews and blacks. In "Journey to Atlanta," Baldwin tells how his brother's church quartet was sent by the Progressive Party to Atlanta, ostensibly to sing at church events, but inevitably as free labor for canvassing activities--with no pay, poor lodging, and substandard food. In the end, the four young men were left to fend for themselves, struggling to earn money for their tickets back to New York. The final essay, "Notes of a Native Son," is a poignant eulogy for Baldwin's stepfather, including a hair-raising account of Baldwin's near-suicidal attempt to rebel again Jim Crow rules in New Jersey.
Baldwin's life in Europe takes up the last section. The first three essays describe the "social limbo" that greets Americans--white and black--in Paris and the "invisibility" of American blacks there; it includes the horrifying account of Baldwin's arrest and imprisonment for a hotel bedsheet stolen by an acquaintance. The final essay ends the collection on a humorous, sometimes touching, and ultimately contemplative note: what it's like to be not simply the only black man living in a Swiss resort but the only black man most of the villagers have ever seen. Baldwin realizes that "no road whatever will lead Americans back to the simplicity of this European village where white men still have the luxury of looking at me as a stranger."
What's astonishing about these essays is the balance between Baldwin's justified rage and his ability to laugh at the world--and at himself. Many of the essays resemble short stories in their structure and tension and humor, and Baldwin's writing is just as strong when he's angry as when he's lighthearted. Most important, none of these essays have dated in any significant way, and they still offer stirring insights on race and society in America.
Book Description
Anne's sorrow over her husband's death has been eased by the unexpected discovery of his heritage in the Harrow family and by her marriage to a brilliant young theologian. But Nicole is as restless as ever and has decided to retutn to North America. Should she go to the Acadian family of her childhood in Louisiana's bayous? Or should she settle in Nova Scotia near her birth parents? The American colonies are in revolt against England, and Uncle Charles asks her to go to Massachusetts to oversee his extensive landholdings. The attentions of the ship's captain during the crossing touch a yearning deep within her, but she also realizes all her loyalties are about to be tested. Is she French? Is she English? Is she a supporter of the American cause? Nicole's unique legacy will allow her to play an extraordinary role in the unfolding historic events, but will she be able to find a home for her heart?
Customer Reviews:
Good but not historically accurate.......2004-05-08
It was a really good book that I got deep into, but I must admit the historical perspective of the book was off in places. That did not take away from this gripping story. This was my first book I've read in this series, so it took me a while to understand the ins and outs of ths story. For people who may be reading this, I would recommend you read the other books in the series first so you don't encounter the same problem I did.
Enthralling!.......2002-07-31
I realized what a glorious text this was after I read thru it for the second time. The first time thru I got the impression that the storyline was somewhat scattered. But I was wrong. Thank you, Mrs. Oke and Mr. Bunn, for keeping the language and mannerisms true to the era and cultures portrayed in the books. Nothing is more disappointing and annoying than for the characters in the book to suddenly take on 20th century attitudes and conduct. A precious story...
Good book, but not the best in the series.......2002-06-15
So far, I have enjoyed this series very much. However, I thought that book 3 was the best so far. This book is the story of Nicole, more than anyone else, trying to find her place in the world. It is filled with faith, daring, adventure and love. She comes to realize that she must hold firm to her convictions of right and wrong in order to live a happy and successful life. Gordon comes to realize what it is Nicole requires in order to admit her love for him.
Throughout it all, the relationship between family members is strengthened and enriched by the love they share for one another. I am looking forward to book 5 this fall.
Filled with passionate romance, betrayal, and a revolution.......2002-06-07
Book four in Jannette Oke and T. Davis Bunn's "Song of Arcadia" historical fiction saga, The Distant Beacon is set amid the war for American Independence, as two women find themselves swept into different lives - one in Great Britian, the other setting sail for the American colonies. Filled with passionate romance, betrayal, and a revolution that will change the world, The Distant Beacon is a compelling novel that sweeps the reader away with its heartfelt emotion. Also highly recommended are the early volumes of the "Song Of Arcadia" series: The Meeting Place; The Sacred Shore; and The Birthright.
Best of the 'Song of Acadia' Series............2002-04-13
This may very well be the best book yet in the series. The story line is very believable and unpredictable. I must say that all the books in the series are great and once started are almost impossible to put down. I am excited that another book in the series is coming out in the fall of 2002.
As the other reviewer mentioned, I too would like more involvement of the Acadian parents.
Book Description
Unique small map that easily pops open, featuring details of Boston.
Customer Reviews:
Great for Tourists.......2007-09-01
I've bought this popout map for my visit to Boston and found it quite useful. I now have 3 or 4 of these for different cities and like the idea that I can stick it in my back pocket and pull it out when I need it. I do have to remember to bring reading glasses, however, the print can be difficult to read otherwise.
The best pocket map you could have..........2007-03-20
This little number is about the size of a cd, but opens up like a childrens pop-up book. It features the city center, surrounding areas, subway routs, streets and places of interest. This is the only map you will need for your trip and is unobtrusive enough to open up and not look like a tourist. The freedom trail is clearly marked along with other historical items. Grab it!
Book Description
Boston governess Nell Sweeney returns in an all-new Gilded Age Mystery
1869: As governess to the Hewitts, Irish immigrant Nell Sweeney belongs to no particular caste--hers is halfway between her Irish brethren and the Boston Brahmin. But now, a double murder involves both maid and mistress--and it will take cooperation by rich and poor alike to solve it.
Customer Reviews:
3rd entry in Gilded Age series another hit!.......2006-07-10
Death on Beacon Hill by P.B. Ryan is the third entry in the Gilded Age series starring governess Nell Sweeney. This is another outstanding book full of great mystery and snappy repartee between Nell and her beau Will Hewitt. In this book, Nell is asked to look into the death of Fiona, the niece of the Hewitt's driver, after she's accused of theft and the murder of her employer, Virginia Kimball, a famous actress. The chemistry between Nell and Will sparks the entire book, and there's a fabulous passage from Nell's view about how closely Will is coming to touch the frosted glass that must exist between them. It's powerfully and beautifully written. Ryan never hesitates to show the darker side of Boston's elite, but she always handles it so tastefully, much like Nell who must navigate the waters of the elite with the curse of an Irish surname and always comes out looking like a lady. Will finds the excuse to let them show some of their feelings for each other in public, but I wonder how long it will last. Of course, at least for a few pages, as in the rest of the books so far, the reader is allowed to believe that Harry Hewitt could have committed the murder, perhaps someday he actually will have. I miss the interaction between Nell and her employer Viola, and I hope that Ryan will make further use of it in future books.
Gentler, but equally satisfying story........2005-12-16
In the last installment of this series, prior to this one, we had some extreme violence and Nell and Will nearly got done in.
This time out, it is a retired actress with an Irish maid who gets murdered. It is the Irish maid, niece of the Hewett's coachman, who draws Nell into investigating the death because the corrupt Boston police are content to let the Irish maid be blamed for the death of both women. The actress supports herself by blackmailing her lovers. Will accompanies Nell throughout this investigation, as it involves many prominent citizens, which his name helps them question. We meet some new and likeable characters, including a Dr. Foster, and Emily Pratt. And the actress had an interesting long-time homosexual friend. I can not recall any gay characters in other period mysteries and think P.B. Ryan was clever to introduce one. I was pleased that the tiresome Hewitt father was nearly absent this time. I read the whole book in one evening and am anxious to read the next and the next, etc.
Big Thanks to P.B. Ryan!.......2005-03-02
I've been eagerly awaiting this book since I finished Murder In a Milltown a few months ago and am happy to report that I did not wait in vain. Death on Beacon Hill is a well-written, entertaining vehicle for the wonderful characters P.B. Ryan first introduced in Still Life With Murder.
Nell Sweeney continues to be one of the most convincing and likeable crime solvers in her genre. She is joined, once again, by Will Hewitt. Will is growing into something quite rare; a loyal, affectionate, well-adjusted, and reformed rake! Well, if any body could do it, Nell Sweeney could do it! And Ryan pulls it off gracefully, proving that you characters don't have to be a wreck to be interesting.
The mystery is solid, well-paced and satisfying. I would have preferred that it involve, in some way, one of the Hewitts or other established characters. Will and Harry were suspects in the first two murders and so the outcomes had more emotional impact. Here the suspect (and I don't believe I'm giving anything away by saying this) is a heretofore unmentioned relative of one of the Hewitt's servants, and she's already dead when the story begins (which takes some of the immediacy out of the guilt/innocence question.)
That said, I gave Death on Beacon Hill 5 stars for the charged camaraderie of it's crime solvers, Nell and Will, and the uncommonly good writing of P.B. Ryan. I can't wait for the next one!
Book Description
The brutal deaths of two young women raise some shocking questions about saints, sinners, and the power of prejudice in Cynthia Peale's second intriguing mystery set in Victorian Boston.
Agatha Montgomery, the proprietress and guiding spirit of Bertram's Bower, a home for "fallen women," is considered a saint by all who know her. Agatha's brother, the Reverend Randolph Montgomery, supports the home by lending his considerable reputation and fund-raising abilities to his sister's efforts. But when two residents of Bertram's Bower are brutally murdered on successive nights, it will take more than saintly reputations to save the Bower from scandal.
Agatha's childhood friend Caroline Ames gamely steps in, convincing her brother Addington to conduct an unofficial investigation. There are suspects aplenty: the cocky young typewriter salesman whose advances were rebuffed by the first victim; the young Irish lad-of-all-trades seen "having words" with the second; and even the Bower's Matron, who seems to hate the girls as much as she hates all men. The case becomes even more complicated when disturbing rumors begin to circulate about the reverend and, worse, word gets out that the infamous Jack the Ripper may have escaped to America.
As a wave of fear engulfs the city, Caroline and Addington come face-to-face with the deep-seated prejudices of Boston's upper class against the growing Irish population--a prejudice that may destroy the life of an innocent young man and puts the amateur sleuths themselves in mortal danger. With the talent for re-creating the atmosphere of Victorian Boston that she displayed in
The Death of Colonel Mann, Cynthia Peale once again weaves an irresistible tale of passion, scandal--and murder.
Customer Reviews:
bygone era.......2004-05-07
This is a second mystery by Ms.Peale set in late XIX century Boston. She is masterful in describing the rigid class system of the Brahman elite and its tight hold on the pulse of the city. Her characters are well developed and seem alive. The only problem are her puzzles. They are not very complex and guessing a murderer doesn't pose a problem. Nevertheless I enjoyed reading this book and I rate it 3 1/2 stars.
Incredibly Rich Victorian Backdrop.......2004-03-06
It is a tribute to Ms. Peale's talent that despite the fact I found none of her characters to be particularly sympathetic, I was drawn irresistibly into this story about murdered reformed prostitutes and do gooders.
The Boston portrayed in this book is almost stulifying in its insularity and self righteousness. Upright men of the Watch and Ward prowl the red light section searching for moral offenses and offenders. A single misstep by a woman leads to social and familial ostracism and eventually death-- if the woman is not lucky enough to attract the attention of Agatha Montgomery, Directoress of Bertram's Bower, a facility for the reclaiming of fallen women.
Addington and Caroline Ames (with their devoted Dr. McKenzie)set out to aid Agatha and by extention the habitues of Bertram's by trying to help the police solve the case of the murdered ex-prostitutes. The reader who sets out with them gets a fascinating look at Boston in the 1890's, warts and all. The contrasts are striking. Along the way we meet a woman who was a passionate abolitionist in her youth in the same city where the advertisements for jobs that state NINA (No Irish Need Apply). One of the good things about this book is that Ms. Peale lays this information out without preachiness. The reader is allowed to discover things for herself.
During the course of the investigation, Addington is tempted from his uprightness by a fallen woman turned actress and Caroline begins to wonder if maybe it isn't some one else's turn to do some good.
This book reminds me of those fascinating interior photographs of Victorian homes-- rooms crammed so full of treasures that the eye has trouble making sense of it, but a rich trove once the pattern is decerned.
Wonderful Sense of Period!.......2003-10-24
Ms. Peale writes a great Victorian mystery. She makes the era come to life expertly. In this book we are introduced to a home for "fallen" women - something quite common during this era when the ordinary citizen took responsibility for people in need because there were no social safety nets. In the book it appears that there is a crazed killer out attacking girls from Bertram's Bower (one of the homes as I've mentioned). The nature of the killing has the public worrying that the Whitechapel murderer, Jack the Ripper, has moved his base of operation to Boston. Caroline and her brother set out to try to determine who is committing these very bloody crimes because one of Caroline's dear friends runs Bertram's Bower, and it's her girls getting killed. Along the way we are exposed to the seemier side of Boston in 1892. The portrait painted of Boston from this time is very authentic, even though the mystery is easy to figure out. I really enjoy this series. It's a pleasure to find an author who knows how to create a believable Victorian mystery.
As good as the first! Great series!.......2003-08-23
Again, a solid plot and wonderful old Boston atmosphere satisfy the mystery reader in the second book in the Beacon Hill series.
The discovery of the first book in a small bookshop in Cape Cod led to my returning within days to Books By The Sea to buy up the remaining two. I've not been disappointed thus far.
I want to see less of Caroline's headstrong ways (yawn) and more about Ames. I look forward to a little more character development in the future installments in the series.
The Perfect Classical Gaslight/Victorian Mystery.......2003-01-26
This was my first introduction to Cynthia Peale's Mysteries. It is one of the best mysteries I have ever read. With the perfect mystery backdrop of Victorian Boston, Gaslights and Fog. This book twists and turns and just when you think you got it...you didn't! The ending is hair raising.
I'm looking forward to reading Colonel Mann and the White Crow. I applaud her work!
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- Balancing Agility and Discipline: A Guide for the Perplexed
- Beast Master's Planet: Omnibus of Beast Master and Lord of Thunder (Beastmaster)
- Beneath the Tree of Heaven (Chung Kuo Novel , No 5)
- Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets
- Blood and Vengeance: One Family's Story of the War in Bosnia
- Cartoon History of the Universe 2: Volumes 8-13
- Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (The Children of the Red King, Book 2)
- Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit of Hope, Healing and Forgiveness (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
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Books Index
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