Second Sight (The Arcane Society, Book 1)

Book Description

Financially straitened and on the path to spinsterhood, Venetia Milton thought her stay at the remote, ramshackle Arcane House would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engineer her own ravishment. She was there to photograph the artifacts collected by a highly secretive organization, founded two centuries earlier by an alchemist. And the alchemist's descendant-her employer, Gabriel Jones-has the eyes of a sorcerer.

But despite Venetia's intent to seduce Mr. Jones and move on, she is shattered upon her return home to read in the press of his violent demise. Using the sizable fee Mr. Jones paid her, Venetia establishes a new life, opening a gallery in London. Of course, posing as a respectable widow makes it easier to do business, so-in a private tribute to her lost, only lover-she assumes the identity of "Mrs. Jones."

Her romantic whim, however, will cause unexpected trouble. For one thing, Mr. Jones is about to stride, living and breathing, back into Venetia's life. And the two share more than a passionate memory-indeed, they are bonded by a highly unusual sort of vision, one that goes far beyond Venetia's abilities as a photographer. They also share a terrible threat-for someone has stolen a centuries-old notebook from Arcane House that contains a formula believed to enhance psychic powers of the kind Gabriel and Venetia possess. And the thief wants to know more-even if he must kill the keeper of the Arcane Society's treasures, or the photographer who catalogued them, to obtain such knowledge.

Customer Reviews:

Subpar plot.......2007-10-07

I've always been a fan of Amanda Quick's witty sense for verbal exchanges and amusing plots, but this is by far one of the worst romances I have ever read. The romance between the couple in unconvincing and unsubstanciated; the plot is silly and nonsensical. Do not read it; you'll be disappointed. Try one of her earlier books, like Mystique, that's a bit more plausible.

good mystic victorian romance.......2007-09-20

This book was a good read.

Nothing stunning, nothing new, and, sadly, part of a series.

But a good read, none the less.

Our Heroine, Venetia, is a woman who has been orphaned and is responsible, with a maiden aunt, for raising younger siblings. She obtains gainful employment as a photographer. This is all back story - I've a feeling this was gone over somewhere else, and I've missed it.

We start the story (after a quick, pithy prologue) at a museum of sorts. Venetia has decided, since she's doomed to be an old maid, that she wants a night of passion. She's picked our hero, Gabriel, for her liaison.

Gabriel also chooses Venetia, only for a bit more than a liaison.

There are twists and turns and all sorts of "psychical" subtones. It's a very fun story, a very hot romance.

(*)>

Jayne Ann Krentz's touch is, as always, light and fun........2007-09-13

You can always tell a Jayne Ann Krentz story. Her lively characters and whimsical families will entertain you all book long. Writing as Amanda Quick, SECOND SIGHT is the start of a new series, The Arcane Society and its first family the JONES.

SECOND SIGHT follows Gabriel Jones and Venetia Milton "Jones" adventures in trying to find and stop the use if an old alchemist's notebook for nefarious reasons. London at that time was a Mecca for charlatans and fraudulent psychics. The Jones must now use their own unique talents to find the bad guys and stop them.

The Jones have been leaders of the Arcane Society since it was started by Sylvester Jones. Their job was to protect the Society and its secrets. Venetia is a hired to create a photographic record of the Society's museum. Her seduction of Gabriel is interrupted by two would-be robbers, who try to sneak into the house. Gabriel forces her to leave with the rest of the women and Venetia later learns of his death in a house fire. Using Gabriel's name, she moves to London to start her own photography studio. Three months later Venetia's "husband" Gabriel shows up in London and so their adventures begin.

Jayne Ann Krentz's touch is, as always, light and fun. So relax, enjoy, and do not miss WHITE LIES. The Jones are back!

Reviewed by Michele Patrykus
For eBookIsle

Not a real paranormal story.......2007-06-25

The reading is very good but... if you expect a paranormal story you won't get one so if you don't like paranormal stories you'll enjoy this one. The problem here is that I really wanted one when I bought this book. On the other hand the story'll keep you reading and trying to guess what'll be in the next page.

My opinion.........awful!.......2007-06-08

This is my fourth time to write this review. If it doesn't work this time I will know that the paranormal forces are aligned against me and give up. The first two I erased myself. The third one disappeared into that great black hole in the Amazon computer (but only after two days) and it didn't even have any rants, raves, or rambling. Go figure.

THIS REVIEW HAS WHAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM, STOP READING NOW!

1. This is billed as a paranormal romance. Don't believe it. If you expect to learn anything about the Arcane Society from this book you will be disappointed. Why was the society formed? We are told that the society was formed two hundred years previously by the alchemist Sylvester Jones but that is on page 5 and no more information is given. Who were and are the members? How do you join? How have they maintained the strict secrecy concerning the society all this time? WHAT DO THEY DO? None of these questions, which are actually quite basic, are ever answered. Venetia was commissioned to photograph the "artifacts" of the society. Do you know that not one of them is ever described?

2. What was the formula? What was it supposed to do? Again, no information. Just in the very last pages, what happened if you drank it, but what was its purpose?

3. The editorial and artistic decisions made in printing this book just made me MAD! The print is so big I could read it without my reading glasses and I DID NOT buy the large print edition. Each chapter begins on the right hand page and half way down, at that. This results in totally blank pages, half blank pages and enough white space between other chapter endings and new chapter beginnings to form another blank page. I actually added it all up. At a conservative estimate I got over 63 blank pages (or their equivalent) inside this 390 page novel. Padding, padding, padding just to make it into a long enough length for a hardcover book. Hopefully these issues will be addressed in the paperback version. FIX THIS! Also, the print is done in a washed out grey, not crisp black. Why? For atmosphere? Did I mention that the margins were "generous"?

4. The heroine, Venetia Milton, was (according to my way of thinking) cold and calculating. This was supposed to be because she was "modern" in her thinking for the late Victorian era. She chose to seduce Gabriel Jones after finishing her photography job at Arcane House because it was an isolated location so there was not much likelyhood of getting caught, she would never see him again, and she was on the shelf because of her age and family obligations. She wanted to find out what passion between a man and woman was like but never wanted to get married. When she thought he had died she was sad enough to cry, rub his coat (which she had kept with her even though all her clothes and photographic equipment was left behind-but not the camera-during her flight from danger)and then decide that life must go on. She became a "widow" in London to ease her way into business and used Mrs. Jones as a name because he wouldn't be needing it anymore. Cold folks, cold. When he "came back from the dead", she considered him an inconvenience. There was no joy in seeing him, they never even touched! Good heavens, she called him "sir" for well over 2/3 of the book! And please, Ms Quick/Krentz, what in the world were you doing with the Janus Club stuff? Just more "modern" thinking? In order to provide a reason for blackmail? Very, very weak.

5. The paranormal "gifts" these two characters had were piddly. She saw "auras", he "felt evil". Whoop-de-do! I kept waiting for something else to be revealed, but that was it. Sum total of their paranormal abilities. Why was it necessary for this novel to be set in late Victorian England in order to set up the contemporary novel under the Jayne Ann Krentz banner? This one is dull and boring. That is my opinion. Others love it and have praised it to the skies. I love other Amanda Quick books, just not this one. It is totally forgetable for me and I will never want to read it again.

In short, it would have made a passably good 100 page short story. Nothing more.

*****As an update, I saw the paperback version of this book in the bookstore yesterday and I'm happy to say that the publishers did address (to some degree) the problems of blank pages and other editorial decisions mentioned in my review. If you want to read this one, for goodness sakes get it in paperback.*****

Average customer rating:

Would probably have liked it better if I had read earlier books in the series
McCarry is the Best, Bar None
Second Sight Sucked Me In

Second Sight: A Paul Christopher Novel
Charles McCarry
Manufacturer: Overlook Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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

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ASIN: 1585678783
Release Date: 2007-10-18

Book Description

Charles McCarry has long been heralded as one of the select espionage writers who shines as a brilliant and unique novelist in his own right. Second Sight is the seventh in the series that follows the legendary spy Paul Christopher--a man ensnared by a line of work that never fails to exert its insidious influence outside professional boundaries.

Throughout the Arab world, U.S. agents are being kidnapped and brain-drained by an unidentified enemy armed with a diabolical new drug. Christopher's old friend and superior in "The Outfit" calls him out of quiet retirement with a command he feels he must obey. But what begins for Christopher as a global manhunt swiftly turns into something far closer to home. For the key to the danger he must defuse is a secret buried deep in his own perilous past.

In a breathtaking, nerve-twisting plot that spins its way from pre-Nazi Germany to Vietnam, old scores have to be settled, grim reckonings must be made. And at the bottom of it all, a ravishing, strangely gifted Berber woman reappears like a half-forgotten memory, holding Paul Christopher's fate in her hands. McCarry's mastery is unmatched as he weaves past and present together in this world of secrets.

Customer Reviews:

Would probably have liked it better if I had read earlier books in the series.......2007-02-27

Second Sight was my first exposure to Charles McCarry. I thought the story line was creative, and the characters fully drawn and compelling. Great stuff here for fans of the spy novel, especially if you like the early days of the CIA right after WWII.

But, as I was reading the book I could tell that there was a lot of history to these characters (and between these characters) that I was missing. The novel felt like a final good-bye to Paul Christopher and his compatriots. Only later did I fgure out that this was the last of the several Paul Christopher books. I will go back and read some of the earlier books in the series - and I recommend that you do too before reading Second Sight.

If you are already familiar with the series, then I have no doubt you will find this book a very enjoyable conclusion.

McCarry is the Best, Bar None.......2005-09-10

Choosing the best Charles McCarry novel is like choosing the best Mozart Sonata. There is no best, there are only favorites. There is a lovely scene in this book where the head of the "Outfit," McCarry's version of the CIA, and his sweet, wonderful wife entertain a trendy rich radically chic couple. The scene sums up everything that was wrong about the 60s and even if the rest of the book wasn't such a delight, would make reading the book worthwhile.

Second Sight Sucked Me In.......2003-08-30

An entertaining spy novel. Have not read predicessors in the series, so had no expectations. Main characters were interesting, specially the evil ones.
Sceptics must suspend antigonism to premise that one main character has "second sight" that can affect outcome. It was a pleasure to read a novel written by an author who honors plot and knows his classics. And is obviously familair with the tricks of the spy trade. I plan to find McCarry's earlier spy novels and read them.

Average customer rating:

Great book!
Second Sight delivers a ton of mystical abilities for any World of Darkness game.
I love this book!

Second Sight (World of Darkness)
David Hicks , Alan Alexander , and Conrad Hubbard
Manufacturer: White Wolf Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1588464873

Customer Reviews:

Great book!.......2007-10-09

Great resource supplement for mortals who possess supernatural gifts. This book is for the new World of Darkness game and offers powers to make your mortals a bit more edgy. This book is getting reprinted by White Wolf (release date October 15, 2007). So dont pay the outrageous $84 that some sellers on amazon are asking for.

This is probably one of the most popular World of Darkness supplements.

Second Sight delivers a ton of mystical abilities for any World of Darkness game........2006-09-14

Second Sight gives World of Darkness fans the opportunity to play characters in the same vein as The Dead Zone, The 4400, the lower key mystics of early Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, and other similar entertainment. A lengthy list of psychic and magical abilities, along with traditions and general plot hooks with a horror bent, are presented. Due to the high cost of many of these abilities this results in a system that is good for characters that are mundane folk except for one or two supernatural tricks.

In addition to psionics and magical traditions the book focuses on horrors beyond space and time similar to those mentioned in various H.P.Lovecraft publications. Such horrors get a lengthy discussion, and rules for the cultists serving them are presented.

While the book states these abilities are not meant to be mixed with other types of supernaturals, such as vampires or werewolves, there's nothing here to prevent a buyer from doing just that. Whether you're looking for new powers to tack onto your Mages or a tool that will let you run a cabal of mystics dedicated to taking down the corrupt mayor of their town this product has a lot to offer.

I love this book!.......2006-07-07

Second Sight is a great book to use with any WOD setting. It has some really nice rules for psychic abilities and "low magic" that is nowhere near what a true WOD Mage can do.

Both systems are very simple and very well designed. The following is a bit of technobable, and if you're not a WOD gamer, it may not make much sense. There is a new Trait called "Supernatural Advantage" which takes the place of Blood Potency, Gnosis, or Primal Urge. The characters will some times add this to dice pools and use it to combat the supernatural equivalents of the other gaming systems.

After that, the psychic abilities and magical powers are all merits. In the psychic camp, there are four main categories: ESP, mediumism, psychokinesis, and telepathy. There are plenty of powers under each category.

Low Magic allows you to play a Thamaturge (not a Mage), and it is broken down into multiple traditions: ceremonial magician, hedge witch, shaman, taoist alchemist, and vodoun. Again, all the individual powers are merits, and again there are plenty of them.

The only drawback is that there isn't a very big section of baddies in the back. I'm fine with that, but if you include one at all, make it thorough. A nice section on artifacts and items would have been a plus.

This is truly a five star book for WOD. It's as thorough as Armory is (and far, far more packed with abilites than the weak Ghouls book is). If you're planning on including a psychic or a mundane magician in your games, this is a great book. And at Amazon's price, it can't be beat!

Average customer rating:

Orloff Fan
Words of a Wise Woman
Kindred Spirit
De-mystifys Psychic Abilities-a must!

Awakening Second Sight
Judith Orloff
Manufacturer: Sounds True
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 159179319X

Book Description

Awakening Second Sight Judith Orloff

What Is Second Sight? Do You Have It?

Judith Orloff, M.D., is a healer in two worlds: the world of traditional medicine, and the invisible world - the psychic realm. On Awakening Second Sight, Dr. Orloff shares the true story of her struggle to uncover her own psychic abilities - the patients who inspired her - and how to awaken your own "gifts of the spirit." Join Dr. Orloff in this daring, unique session about: the true reasons you should develop your own psychic abilities; how to protect yourself from negative psychic energy; daily practices that use prayer and meditation to ignite your psychic self; ways to use your dreams as direct conduits to sacred knowledge and healing; and much more. Awakening Second Sight is a respected psychiatrist's compelling personal story, as well as a provocative guide to the psychic self, and how to develop it.

Customer Reviews:

Orloff Fan.......2007-08-23

I was so moved when Judith Orloff talked about her experiences growing up in Southern California as an intuitive empath, the years when she turned her back on her intuitive insights in order to practice traditional medicine, working with hospice patients at a VA hospital, helping her mother let go as she was dying or the various interactions with patients in her psychiatric practice. It was all so fascinating. It wasn't until she started discussing how we can also develop our second sight that she lost me. Maybe it's because it came so easily to her while the rest of us must really work at it. She does make you believe that it's all worth it in the end. She has chosen to share her amazing gift with the world and I for one am grateful.

Words of a Wise Woman.......2007-02-03

Dr. Judith Orloff is a true medicine woman. A board-certified psychiatrist and psychic from birth, Dr. Orloff shares techniques that foster a right and left brain approach to healing from the intellect and intuitive side. Still a practising psychiatrist, Dr. Orloff offers sound wisdom based on her clinical training for anyone who seeks to enhance their healing practice. What is to be noted about Dr. Orloff is that (A) she was born psychic and it was something passed down from her family, (B) she went through a rigorous medical training and still is willing to be acountable to an authority, and (C) has found a way to harness her gifts with a true spirit of service to others.

Kindred Spirit.......2005-08-25

This is my first Judy Orloff purchase, but I intend to purchase more. These CDs spoke to me because many of her experiences mirrored my own. The solutions she offers to dealing with problems I still face are helping me cope with my own personal issues. I highly recommend these CDs to anyone who feels adrift in today's society with no obvious place to turn for help.

De-mystifys Psychic Abilities-a must!.......2005-04-25

This was the first book or audio tape I purchased from author Judith Orloff, M.D. She de-mystifies the psychic abilities that lie dormant in each one of us and approaches the subject from a logic point of view. I have since purchased two other books from this author and can't wait for the next one. I am truly impressed with her abilities to teach this subject from the basis that this is a practical sense we all need to engage to enhance our lives. I highly recommend these tapes!

Average customer rating:

I can breathe now
A must read book
Mystical magical life story
Down to earth book for everyone
Sold on Orloff

Second Sight
Judith Orloff
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

New Age | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0446673358

Customer Reviews:

I can breathe now.......2007-05-31

It's like I can take a deep breath and relax now. Someone once asked me "How do you feel when you enter a room where there's a lot of fighting and anger?" My immediate response was: "I recoil and want to run out of there." I thought everybody felt this way. Granted we all feel things up to a certain level, but the notion that I feel more than most never occurred to me. Doesn't everyone? I thought. Learning I was not alone in my experiences was a huge relief and revelation to me. When I read Dr. Orloff's book I felt I had found me. I now knew who I was and could now just simply enjoy what once seemed like a curse. Feeling everything like I have been up to date without understanding it is "crazy making." I now realized no, it's a blessing, I have been given a whole 'nother level of awareness and depth. It is powerful. Hearing Dr. Orloff explain it through sharing her life- it blew the barn doors open. She talks openly about all her experiences as well as how she deeply respects her gifts and how she has combined these with traditional methodologies. Yes, there is a feeling of "safety" that she has credentials when reading this, but for me the true safety comes in how Dr. Orloff has chosen to use her gifts and live her life. She deeply respects what she has and is grateful for it. She does not misuse what she has and adds seriousness and credibility to her spiritual gifts.

I bought a copy of this book for my sister as she feels things on the hyper-sensitive scale as I. My sister gets massive migraines and has been taking medication to manage this. After reading Dr. Orloff's story and learned how she went through a phase of medicating herself to "escape" until she new what to do with what she had been given, I related this to my sister. She opened up to me and told me more things that she had experienced as a child. I now hope that my sister will be able to understand herself an accept and enjoy these gifts she has been given.

As far as I'm concerned Dr. Orloff is opening doors for people and allowing everyone to relax as well as respect a whole arena of the human experience that typically gets shunned, and until very recently even went punished. And the biggest tragedy of all is that these gifts have gone unused, denied and ignored by many and dismissed as sillyness or even crazyness of some kind. With this openess and understanding of what is really going on many can now not waste what they have been blessed with and can live incredibly rich, powerful lives. There's nothing to reject or push away. In fact, this is cause for celebration. Thank you for sharing your story, Dr. Orloff.

A must read book.......2007-05-22

This is a incredible book. You will feel like you've met a new friend in Judith. This book shows that the physic is not a taboo but a beautiful spirtual experience. Everyone who reads this book will be grateful they did.

Mystical magical life story.......2007-03-01

Judith Orloff has a deep mystical current running through this enchanting autobiography. She writes with candor and insight into the intuitive nature we all possess and -if we are wise- whose counsel we heed. Offering a guidebook, life story, and adventure -all in one book, this is highly recommended reading for anyone who feels the tug of spiritual awakening to our mystical potential. I used this book while teaching my college class and students all loved it! Well-written, credible, and delightful!

Down to earth book for everyone.......2007-02-26

I wish I had had this book 20 years ago. For those of us who have had psychic experieinces and they tormet our psyche this book is the one that helps. I couldn't put this book down it was well written and gave great advice and information on psychic occurences. I use to view the psychic not as a gift but a curse. This book sheds a whole new light on why the bad occurences come through loudest "because they have the most emotional energy attached to them". This book gives great techniques on how to use the psychic in ways to enhance your life. Before I even finished this book I ran out and bought a copy for my daughter (age 24) so she won't have to struggle. There was a time in my life I thought I was going crazy because of all the premonitions I was having. This book makes me feel more normal. This is one book I won't give away but will keep as a reference.

Sold on Orloff.......2006-12-29

Second Sight grabbed and held my interest from page 1. The painful story of how Judith came to know and understand her intuitive gifts, to understand that although each of us has the gift - it may manifest in different ways, and the consequences she faced in both sublimating the gift, divulging it to others, or just using it in her practice has provided me with one of my favorite "coming of age"/"transformation" stories. It has filled me with excitement about how I might uncover my own gifts, and left me in awe about how successful we would be if everyone used their intuitive skills in their own occupation.

Her laid-back, conversational style carried me through each moment she wrote about - I felt as though I were there. I found that I could not put the book down, always wanting for more and more information and examples. The book helped me to see how she uncovered her gifts, how others responded both favorably and unfavorably to her gifts; how she finally gained acceptance within her own family; and how like-minded groups validated/enhanced her experiences. Each part of her journey was a journey through the looking-glass for me into unknown territory.

I was so sorry that there were not more chapters to read, internalize and describe to others. Then I discovered Judith Orloff has several other books and workshops. LUCKY US!

I can highly recommend her writing style to anyone, whether they are interested in intuition or not. The tale is extraordinary! The ride was exhilarating.

Second Sight: A Brady Coyne and J.W. Jackson Mystery (Brady Coyne and J. W. Jackson Novels)

Average customer rating:

WOW!
fine J.W. Jackson and Brady Coyne thriller
Seamless double narrative
Two Intertwined Tales Entertain
It's two, two, two mysteries in one

Second Sight: A Brady Coyne and J.W. Jackson Mystery (Brady Coyne and J. W. Jackson Novels)
Philip R. Craig , and William G. Tapply
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0743260678

Book Description

Philip R. Craig and William G. Tapply -- veteran mystery novelists and longtime fishing buddies -- are back with a second joint novel starring their respective series heroes, J. W. Jackson and Brady Coyne.

And something big -- something very big -- is about to happen on beautiful Martha's Vineyard.

International superstar entertainers, top politicians, a former president, and the social elite will come together at the Celebration for Humanity, a musical extravaganza to be telecast live around the world. Headlining the show is legendary singer Evangeline, who's flying in from her Scotland castle, accompanied by her young daughter, Janie.

Vineyard fisherman and sometime private investigator J. W. Jackson isn't much interested in pop music, but he agrees to take a job as the gorgeous Evangeline's driver and guide. The money is good and the company is intriguing.

J.W.'s Boston lawyer pal, Brady Coyne, also has business on the Vineyard. His old friend Mike Doyle is dying, and Mike wants to reconcile with his daughter Christa, who is rumored to be on the Vineyard, before it's too late. Can Brady find her in time?

J.W. 's assignment gets deadly serious when the Celebration's director, Odgen Warner, is found murdered just days before the show is to open. Warner was known to be gruff and demanding, but his death is a shock to the cast and crew. Was it a random killing, or is there a murderer among them who might strike again? Could Evangeline be the next victim? Or is she a suspect?

The search for young Christa Doyle also turns complicated when Brady discovers that a charismatic religious leader may be holding her on an Island compound against her will. Christa and Evangeline live in very different worlds, yet Brady and J.W. find that they must weave together every thread of evidence if they are to save both women's lives.

Filled with charming Vineyard vignettes of fishing, family life, and spirited cocktail hours on the Jacksons' balcony overlooking the sea, Second Sight is a page-turning novel of suspense from two of the most beloved writers in crime fiction today.

Includes three recipes.

Customer Reviews:

WOW!.......2006-03-19

What a great book! Actually I haven't finished it, but if you're aspiring to Amazon's top 10 reviewers and trying to keep up with Harriet Klausner there's no point in wasting time reading. Besides, I can't speed read and have to say each word in my head a couple of times over and I'm always getting distracted by whatever TV show is on. And, well, I trust Harriet. Anything she says about a book goes double for me. I did look at the cover and read a blub.

Let's see. I was placed at 104,000 before I wrote this...

fine J.W. Jackson and Brady Coyne thriller.......2006-03-19

Mike Doyle is dying so when he asks his old college classmate Boston lawyer Brady Coyne to find and bring home his teenage daughter Christa, the attorney agrees so parent and child can reconcile and say their goodbyes. After a trek to the West Coast where she was last seen, he traces Christa ironically to Martha's Vineyard where his fishing friend former cop J.W. Jackson resides. Jackson welcomes Coyne to stay in his home while over the objection of his loving wife he provides additional personal security and driving for famous reclusive singer Evangeline during the week of the Celebration for Humanity rock concert.

When Evangeline's bodyguard is killed, clues lead to a spiritual retreat, the same place that Coyne believes Christa is at. In between fishing, they team up to find a killer, keep a superstar safe, and search for a missing teen before it is too late.

The second collaboration between Coyne and Jackson (see FIRST LIGHT) is a fabulous tale in which the action accelerates late, but fans of both series will not care. The lead investigators and their support cast seem genuine while the vivid picturesque Martha's Vineyard enhances the plot. SECOND SIGHT is a fun thriller as everyone converges on Evangeline.

Harriet Klausner

Seamless double narrative.......2005-06-07

Friends and co-authors Philip Craig and William Tapply really have figured out the secret to co-writing a mystery story. They alternate chapters, each featuring their leading character, and one chapter leads into the next in a smooth and seamless style. In this second dual effort, J.W. Jackson is asked to be the driver for Evangeline, a Madonna-like celebrity who is appearing at the Celebration for Humanity which is being produced on Martha's Vineyard. Meanwhile, J.W.'s buddy Brady Coyne has been asked by a friend to find her runaway daughter before her father dies from a terminal illness. Evangeline's director and her bodyguard are killed and J.W. and Brady soon find themselves entangled with a religious cult and a psychic. The psychic is killed and the two strands of plots begins to intersect and become entwined. The two authors keep the action moving and create an enjoyable mystery, despite a couple of minor plot hitches along the way.

Two Intertwined Tales Entertain.......2005-04-29

Many authors have tried writing mysteries with one another. There are several approaches you can use: One story featuring both authors' characters; one story alternating narrators; two stories similar only in theme; and two intertwined stories. The last is the most difficult, and few collaborate in the mystery genre to try. Thankfully for mystery fans, Philip R. Craig and William G. Tapply (real life fishing buddies) took on this difficult challenge and produced a gem in Second Sight.

I have been reading Mr. Tapply's work for a couple of decades and had not read Mr. Craig's work before. So I started out with some doubts about how well I could appreciate the two together . . . especially since I had not read their first collaboration, First Light. The book opens with J.W. Jackson as narrator and I soon felt like I knew him as well as I do Brady Coyne, about whom I have been reading for so long. Chapters alternate narrators between J.W. and Brady, and this device works well until near the end when they are often in the same scenes and there's a bit of redundancy.

J.W. is a retired cop whose beautiful wife wants him to settle down. When an FBI agent asks J.W. to escort a famous singer, it looks like an easy way to make a few bucks . . . until the agent tells J.W. to be sure and carry his gun. Many people like to get attention by harassing celebrities, but J.W. soon gets a sense that there's more going on.

At the same time, Brady Coyne is called to the bedside of a dying friend who wants to reconcile with his missing daughter. The friend asks Brady to find her and bring her home. Except for a sense of duty and a good relationship with the young woman, Brady feels at sea doing this. But he soldiers on. Calling old friends of the young woman, Brady gets a lead to Martha's Vineyard where J.W. lives. With an upcoming benefit concert, there's no place to stay and J.W. offers to put Brady up.

Once on the island, there paths diverge as J.W. drives the beautiful Evangeline around in disguise while Brady shows photographs of the missing young woman. Before long, dead bodies are stacking up like cordwood, and both J.W. and Brady fear that it's about to get worse.

Will Brady find the girl before her father dies? Will she go see her father? Can J.W. keep Evangeline and her daughter safe? Those questions are kept open until near the very end when the two stories twist together engagingly.

For those who are interested in ESP and psychics, there's a subplot in the book about a fortune teller that you will enjoy.

Very nice work!

It's two, two, two mysteries in one.......2005-02-13

J.W. Jackson and Brady Coyne usually have their own escapades and their own mysteries to solve. But the men are friends and live only a few hours apart from each other, so it seems inevitable that on occasion their paths will cross. Authors Craig and Tapply have led them to do so in "Second Sight." Brady is helping a family friend find his missing daughter. J. W. has agreed to provide security for a high-profile visitor to Martha's Vineyard. The characters take turns narrating chapters, so readers eavesdrop on both men's prospectives. Both Massachusetts natives seem to find themselves in situations that they think are just a bit beyond their investigative capabilities. Other than that -- and their mutual love of fishing -- the two have unique approaches and personalities. It is their individualities and the dichotomies of their situations that make this combination novel intriguing and worth reading.

J.W. is an ex-cop-turned-fisherman who lives to be on the beach. Brady is a hard-working lawyer up in Boston. J.W. is now an established family man, caring for wife Zee and kids Joshua and Diana. Brady's in a relationship that he's currently questioning. J.W. knows nearly every nook and cranny of Martha's Vineyard and has the contacts to follow up on leads. Brady is more familiar with the Boston metropolitan area and is less certain of the terrain he must cover for this assignment. And while J.W. is defending a famous celebrity who's known by millions by sight, Brady is searching for an average teenage runaway who hasn't left much of a trail. Two-thirds of the way through the book, the men realize that the fates of both of their charges hinge on what will happen at the Celebration of Humanity peace concert, which could be anything BUT peaceful. Once the two plots converge, it's all the reader can do to hang on and hope that the good guys will be able to prevent an unspeakable horror of 9-11 magnitude. The ultimate irony is that the action takes place on Martha's Vineyard, a prime vacation island and second home to some of The Rich and Famous. In "Second Sight," it's a hazardous and tragic place to find oneself.

This book is a wonderful installment for readers of either mystery series. And if you "know" only J.W. Jackson or Brady Coyne, you'll be compelled to read the full series of "the other guy." Thanks to Phil and Bill for collaborating once again! This one's "delish."

The Occult Laboratory: Magic, Science and Second Sight in Late Seventeenth-Century Scotland. A new edition

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The Occult Laboratory: Magic, Science and Second Sight in Late Seventeenth-Century Scotland. A new edition
Michael Hunter
Manufacturer: Boydell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Scotland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0851158013

Book Description

The uncanny ability of certain individuals to foresee future events had long been regarded as a characteristic of the Scottish Highlands, but in the late seventeenth century interest in the phenomenon came to a head, stimulated by English scientific and philosophical curiosity about magic, particularly second sight.The natural philosopher Robert Boyle and other English savants investigated these Highland beliefs; they found the region a kind of laboratory, strange yet accessible, where data about unusual beliefs could be collected and theories tested. Scottish authors were also stimulated to write accounts of second sight, notably John Fraser, Dean of the Isles, and the Highland minister, Robert Kirk (1644-92), in his famous work, The Secret Commonwealth. These and other texts are included in this book, making available crucial information about belief systems which might otherwise never have been recorded, and illuminating changing contemporary attitudes towards the relationship between the natural and the supernatural. Contents: TEXTS An Interview with Lord Tarbat, 3 Oct 1678 (Robert Boyle) A Collection of Highland Rites and Customes The Secret Commonwealth (Robert Kirk) Letter to Joh Aubrey on Second Sight Letter to Samuel Pepys on Second Sight Second Sight (John Fraser) Questionnnaires and Responses (Edward Lhuyd and Robert Wodrow, John Fraser and John Maclean) Introductory material (33pp) by Michael Hunter MICHAEL HUNTER is Professor of History, Birkbeck College, University of London.

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Second Sight
Neil M. Gunn
Manufacturer: Whittles Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1870325893

Circle of Three #3: Second Sight (Circle of Three, 3)

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Interesting, but very predictable
Wonderful Mystery, Great Plot...
Notice
MWHAHAHA COOL SCRYING!!!!!!
Is she really seeing Elizabeth.........

Circle of Three #3: Second Sight (Circle of Three, 3)
Isobel Bird
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064472930
Release Date: 2001-02-05

Book Description

Show me places cloaked in secrets,
pierce the gloom of darkest night.
Reveal that which has been hidden,
Let Me see with second sight.
Kate, Annie, and Cooper are Wiccans--joined by magic bound to nature. Their dreams have turned to visions of a missing girl, calling to them for help....

Download Description

"PerfectBound e-book exclusive special feature: A Spell to Open the Door: Magic is about focusing your intentions and using the energy within yourself and within nature to help you achieve a goal. Learn how in 7 simple steps only in this e-book.Show me places cloaked in secrets, pierce the gloom of darkest night. Reveal that which has been hidden, Let Me see with second sight. Kate, Annie, and Cooper are Wiccans--joined by magic bound to nature. Their dreams have turned to visions of a missing girl, calling to them for help...."

Customer Reviews:

Interesting, but very predictable.......2002-03-23

In 'Second Sight' one of the trio of witches-in-training -Cooper, is getting strange visions of a young girl who has been gone for several days and is presumed dead. Gradually the visions become more and more powerful and painful, and not only does she and her friends track down the body, but take it upon themselves to find the murderer.
The beginning of the book is promising, but trails off about half-way through to a rather ridiculous conclusion. Anyone who doesn't guess who the killer is should be deeply, deeply ashamed of themselves, and I was bothered by the portrayal of Cooper's classmates on hearing of their fellow classmate's disappearence -rumours were flying, stories were being made up and people were pretending to be her friend even when they'd never known her. To me, this is not a realistic senario, for even though some people might act like this, the author makes it seem like everyone who is not Wiccan is automatically shallow, self-absorbed and gossipy. Another un-necessary stereo-type is that of Amanda Barclay the obnoxious reporter, and the young girl's death is treated merely as a plot device - there is no real reflection on the tragic event.
However, as I said, some bits are interesing - I liked the way that Cooper tasted an oil-covered rag in her mouth when-ever she came close to the scene of the crime, and even though this book didn't do much to me, it's re-readable for other fans of this series.

Wonderful Mystery, Great Plot..........2002-01-21

This book was really interesting, my favorite of the three I read. I stopped reading the series after the third book because, well, there are just too many too keep track of! Plus, the first two books and the begining of the third are just... boring. The plot is about how a girl named Elizabeth dissapears one night, and Cooper starts getting weird dreams about her and where she might be. Cooper, in turn, takes it upon herself to find the missing teenager. Can Cooper find her? If she does- will she still be alive an undamaged? Read the book to find out (...)

Notice.......2001-12-30

The book was great and i recommmend it to any one who has read the first two. But the reson i wrote this is does any one notice the simulation between Second Sight and Dark Magick(Sweep4). Expeculy the sprying with fire?

MWHAHAHA COOL SCRYING!!!!!!.......2001-12-24

NIcely dun but more magick should of been included but there was more of a nice story instead of just facts.
Cya
...

Is she really seeing Elizabeth................2001-12-13

When a girl at Cooper, Kate, and Annie's school disappears, Cooper keeps thinking she's seeing her. One day her vision of Elizabeth becomes so intense, she has to tell someone. When she and a few of her coven friends follow her visions, they lead to something terrifying. Can Cooper figure out who killed Elizabeth?
Or will they get out with more than just that?

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Second Sight
Meg Henderson
Manufacturer: HarperPerennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0006552455

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