Seventh Heaven

Book Description

Ten years ago Joe Lakota had left behind his small Oregon town and the only woman he'd ever truly loved for the empty promises of the big city. Now he's returned, seeking to raise his young son with values you can only find at home, and longing to rekindle the passion he'd once had with beautiful Marilee Nelson. But Marilee isn't anything like the gentle yet self-assured girl he'd left behind. In her place is a woman tormented by a secret she refuses to share, even with Joe.

Marilee never wanted to see Joe again; their parting had been too painful. And though his strong arms and powerful body could protect her, she knew only too well the harm they could also bring. Her head tells her to resist Joe's persistent advances, her heart is telling her something very different. And then he makes her the sweetest proposition of all: become his wife and mother of his child. But how can she agree to a marriage, even in name only, when she can't stand to tell him the truth?

Customer Reviews:

Touch Down all the way...............2007-01-17

I absolutely loved this book. The relationship between Joe and Marilee was so amazing. There is a good message in this book for all women. Joe Lakota is the kind of man we should aspire to have love us and we should not settle for anything less. Thank you Catharine Anderson for always writing the leading men in your books who are standup guys who love and respect women!!!! and others!!!!!!

Love Lost, Love Found.......2006-12-09

When Joe Lakota returns to his hometown, he returns much wiser than he was in high school. Can he rekindle his relationship with Marilee Nelson? Not if Marilee has anything to say about it.

Can Marilee get over a painful past with the healing love of her high school love? Or does healing come in the form of a little boy who desperately needs love?

A tear jerker that will keep you turning the pages.

Could you be haunted by your past?.......2006-05-19

I read this book about five years ago. I've never forgotten this unforgettable Avon romance. Every contemporary romance I read is compared to this memorable book. Catherine Anderson always writes memorable romance novels, but this one is truly five stars. All her books are filled with characters that you'll remember for ever. The characters in this book have stuck with me because the relationship between Joe Lakota and Marilee Nelson happens to be very similar to my relationship with my significant other.

Marilee Nelson is haunted by a deadly, grotesque event in her life that threatens her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Joe Lakota, who has just returned to his hometown. Ms. Nelson doesn't feel the need to rekindle her relationship with a man who left her after their graduation from high school. She wants to continue on with life as it is with no man in her bed.

Joe Lakota doesn't understand why Marilee doesn't want to rekindle their magic love for each other. He is offering not only himself, but his son, Zachary. Joe can't figure out why Marilee can't trust or be around him by herself. Has something truly unbearable happened to the love of his life? Or does she just want to let go of the past and move on? Only through Zachary can they become a family.

This novel will leave you stunned as to what has happened in the past and what will happen in the here and now. You'll feel for all three captivating characters. You'll be left with a stunned feeling once you've read the entire book. Don't miss reading this wonderful heartwarming romance.

Seventh Heaven, A Compelling Read.......2006-03-17

Though I would consider this book a "light read," it is however a compelling story. Anderson is good with character development and telling a story. She's pretty good at giving her main women characters some backbone.... they aren't swooning all over the pages as in some examples of this genre. A nice story about the bonds of family, love and the challenge of renewal.

Definite tear jerker.......2006-02-15

On the heels of a costly divorce and custody battle, former NFL star Joe Lakota decides to bring stability to his son's life out of the lenses of paparazzi. He returns to the small Oregon town where he grew up to take a coaching job, and hopes to hook up with his childhood sweetheart, who summarily dumped him while in college with no explanation.

Already forewarned by her brother in law that she not only did not leave him for another, but for the most part has led a solitary existence, Joe feels betrayed. When Joe firsts bumps into Mari, he is shocked to find that she is not the bright and shiny gal she used to be. Instead, she is skittish, and afraid to be alone with him. For the most part, she has spent the last ten years as a shut in, with lucrative career writing and illustrating children's books.

He talks Mari into babysitting for his son while his mother is recuperating, making promises that he will not try any funny stuff. He rightly guesses that the reason for her wariness is that she is the victim of date rape. But until he is able to get to the root of her demons, he cannot fathom how horrific the crime was.

Joe's ex-wife suddenly makes noises that she wants to regain custody, and he reluctantly asks Mari to join him in a marriage of convenience to protect his parental rights, and after a little cajoling, she agrees. When he discovers the nature of Mari's rape, he goes into a rage, and threatens to kill the perpetrator, who suddenly winds up dead, and Joe is the prime suspect.

On one hand, the story is a tragic tale of lost innocence, trust, faith, and redemption. But there were several missed opportunities. The ex, Valerie is such a vile person, though we only know this second hand (and the custody battle is never really addressed other than a wrap up in the end). I agree with other readers that Mari's sudden turnaround after 10 years seems hasty - perhaps one can chalk it up to Joe's sexual prowess. I did love the relationship between father and son - it was totally believable (loved his term of endearment - "sprout"). Overall it was an entertaining story that will leave you with a couple of tears and many smiles.

Average customer rating:

One authentic life brings magic and change to a whole neighborhood
crow feathers and cheerios
Seventh Heaven-ly
Beguiling
Hoffman's Prolific Writing Once Again

Seventh Heaven
Alice Hoffman
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0425188485
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Book Description

In the late 1950s, when Nora Silk moves into Hemlock Street, the entire neighborhood sucks in its breath. A divorcée who wears Toreador pants and lets her kids eat sweets before school, Nora is a walking scandal. But when the block's husbands, wives, and children get to know her, they begin to see other things in Nora--and this Long Island town won't ever be the same...

Customer Reviews:

One authentic life brings magic and change to a whole neighborhood.......2007-08-22

"Seventh Heaven" by Alice Hoffman is a most unusual coming-of-age tale. Here, it is not just one youth who matures into self-discovery and understanding, but a whole community of neighbors--children, adolescents, and adults. The catalyst comes in the form of Nora Silk, a vibrant, independent, freethinking divorcee who moves into the neighborhood with her two young sons. Twenty months later, everything and everybody has changed.

Don't expect detailed character development--there are far too many characters in this novel for that. This work is more like a collection of interlocking short stories than a traditional novel. But this is Alice Hoffman writing so, trust me, you will not feel shortchanged. Her characters are spot-on perfect--so credible, they practically bleed off the page. With just a few deft words, she can capture an emotion, a life, emptiness, a dream, and make you feel that person's essence. It's uncanny, magical--it's Alice Hoffman. Clearly, I love this author!

The whole plot takes place in a mere 20 months. It is 1959 in the suburbs of New Jersey. This is a time way before the women's movement. This is like Pleasantville, U.S.A. From the first moment they see her, the neighbors know that Nora Silk doesn't fit in. She wears tight pants and high heel shoes. Her house is untidy, her kids unkempt. She runs her household, holds down a job, and does all the manly fix-it jobs around the house...and she acts as if all this were perfectly normal. From the very beginning, all the mothers in the neighborhood give her the cold shoulder, but the husbands can't keep their eyes off of her. Naturally, this doesn't help the situation. The children take cues from their mothers and start taunting and bullying Nora's third grade son, Billy. All poor Billy can do in response is to try and learn as much as he can about Houdini so he can become invisible.

But there is magic working on Hemlock Street--subtle, believable magic. The magic is Nora's authenticity. It makes all the neighbors who come in contact with her eventually question their own sanitized lives. One-by-one, the facades that each neighbor has constructed to obfuscate their inner selves begin to melt. Lives change. People get hurt, then recover, then go on to become better, more complete, and self-aware human beings...and all because of Nora.

This novel isn't for everyone. Most of these characters are deeply flawed, and some of the actions they take can be interpreted by some as being highly immoral. But, they are people who are true to their inner natures, and that's what makes them real. See if this book doesn't help you love these people for themselves, without judgment. Then perhaps you'll find it easier to love yourself and those special people in your life also without judgment. We know we should, but most of us still find this so difficult.

crow feathers and cheerios.......2007-04-11

In a "Pleasantville"-like suburb set in the fifties, men bring home the bacon, women vacuum in high heels and children play baseball and fall asleep to the sound of late evening lawn mowers. Apart from the infrequent domestic disturbance, all is peaceful, until Nora Silk moves in with her two young sons. Nora is something of a scarlet woman in the community, being divorced, attractive, and an indifferent housekeeper. She tries but continually fails to live up to the standards set by the other women as wives and mothers. Her arrival causes a series of rifts which cannot be easily repaired. An otherwise ordinary housewife leaves her family out of the blue, and other residents explore options and pursue dreams they had never considered before. Although "Seventh Heaven" doesn't have much of a plot, the book is an enjoyable read.

Seventh Heaven-ly.......2007-02-07

Seventh Heaven, which takes place in the 50's, is a book that almost everyone can relate to. The growth of the diverse characters, and the introduction of new ideas throughout the book was amazingly well-written, and the transistions were great. Five stars for Alice Hoffman, and another one pulled down into the category of best-selling.

Beguiling.......2006-10-12

Beguiling - a marvellous word that sounds as good as its meaning and it sums up this book and its writer perfectly. The plot turns and surprises but all the while remains credible. Like another reviewer here, I trusted my instincts on reading the blurb on the back and was not disappointed but, as with all great writers, went out soon as I could to find other titles. A slightly eccentric woman with more than a dash of the supernatural in her family tree buys a slightly haunted home in a small perfect town and unwittingly moves all those she meets to break out of their carefully regulated emotional lives and take risks they never dreamed of, sometimes with good, sometimes not so good, consequences. Some marvellous turns of phrase that really do bring that proverbial lump to your throat and also some very funny, bordering on slapstick, comic moments. A book that really cares for its characters, flaws and all.

Hoffman's Prolific Writing Once Again.......2006-10-03

Again, Alice Hoffman's superb writing style appears in this book. Set in Long Island's 1959 suburbia, it's a takeoff of life in Levittown. The cookie cutter community which settled rapidly after WW2. You find a young divorcee out of place with the All American families with their 2.5 kids. Life is very normal for 9 years prior. But, as life has it, nothing ever remains the same. The changes & turmoil in peoples' lives is true to life. The unaccepted becomes the accepted, the change inevitable. If there is one anchor character it is the out of place divorcee. The book ends without much fanfare giving you the feeling life just progresses after you close the cover on this book's final chapter and move to another chapter elsewhere. Life is a constant change & the book does well illustrating that point

Average customer rating:

The Tree of the Seventh Heaven
Milton Hatoum
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Portuguese | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

The Seventh Heaven: Supernatural Tales
Naguib Mahfouz
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0307277143
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Book Description

Egyptian Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz draws on his homeland’s rich engagement with the afterlife–and his own near-death experience at the hands of a would-be assassin–in these newly translated, brilliantly mysterious stories of the supernatural.

Among those who haunt these tales are the ghosts of Akhenaten, Woodrow Wilson, and Gamal Abd al-Nasser, who endure a strange system of earthly probation in the hope of gaining entry to the fabled Seventh Heaven; a teenager drawn into the secret, enchanted life he finds within his neighborhood’s forbidden wood; an honest perfume seller accosted on a night out by angry skeletons; and Satan himself, who confesses that there is still, despite the flood of evil in our times, an honorable man in the land. As ingenious at capturing the surreal as he is at documenting the very real social landscape of modern Cairo, Mahfouz guides these restless spirits as they migrate from the shadowy realms of other worlds to the haunted precincts of our own.

The Seventh Heaven: Supernatural Stories

Average customer rating:

Presenting very different focuses than your usual ghost story gathering
Parables on life, death and rebirth

The Seventh Heaven: Supernatural Stories
Naguib Mahfouz , and Raymond Stock
Manufacturer: American University in Cairo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Metaphysical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Visionary Fiction | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 9774249402

Product Description

Naguib Mahfouz, famed for his uncanny power to depict the real world, is equally ingenious at capturing the surreal, the otherworldly, and the supernatural. The ghostly side of Mahfouzs fiction, though less well known than his other works, nonetheless remains a haunting presence. This collection of stories sifted from his later writings brings these restless spirits out of the Mahfouzian shadows together for the first time in English: A murdered man finds himself in the first level of what he mistakes for Paradise - where he faces, along with historical figures such as Akhenaten, Woodrow Wilson, and Gamal Abd al-Nasser, a strange system of earthly probation that may (or may not) get him to the fabled Seventh Heaven. A teenager is warned not to go near the allegedly haunted wood in his neighborhood, only to be drawn into the secret, enchanted life he finds within it. An honest perfume seller is accosted on a night out by angry skeletons, who threaten to march upon his alley as an avenging army if the sinners there do not change their ways. Satan speaks to us directly - to confess that there is still, despite the flood of evil in our times, an honorable man in the land. These and the other startling stories in The Seventh Heaven make a vivid contribution to the translated works of Egypts - and the Arab worlds - greatest modern author.

Customer Reviews:

Presenting very different focuses than your usual ghost story gathering.......2006-07-25

Naguib Mahfouz's supernatural fiction is outstanding, and it's too bad it's lesser known than his other works. The story collection culls his later writings to gather a supernatural presentation under one cover for the first time, presenting very different focuses than your usual ghost story gathering. From a teen facing down a haunted wood in his neighborhood to discover a rare secret to an honest perfume seller accosted by angry skeletons, good and evil are present in the supernatural world, seep into the world of the living, and seep into the satisfying reads here.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Parables on life, death and rebirth.......2006-03-06

I must confess that I have not read even a portion of the bulk off Naguib Mahfouz's work. He has written over forty novels, hundredths of articles and screenplays and is still in his old age actively writing, despite being severely wounded and subsequently crippled by a "religious" maniac. Nonetheless, it clear that his writing has a certain clearness, a way of looking into the heart of man and despite the honesty of it, leaving us with ambiguity and uncertainty. He makes it clear to us that people are not always what they seem to be and what seems to be moral to one person is trespassing and ultimate sin to another. Moreover, people in his works seem to hover without difficulty between righteousness and a world of shadows. This view of reality and all that is compromises, seems to be the bulwark and foundation of his work and especially these supernatural short stories.

In the first and longest story, The Seventh Heaven, a young student is killed by his best friend out of envy for a woman. The young man, Raouf, encounters Heaven and it is absolutely not what he expects it to be. He is judged by an ancient Egyptian priest, called Abu, who decides whether to let him rise to the second heaven immediately, punish him by reincarnation into a lower life, or send him as a spiritual guide to a lost soul. Raouf learns that the brutal man controlling his alley, the father of his murderous friend Anous, is actually Adolph Hitler and Raoufs own mother an infamous Egyptian serial killer, who unknowingly chose the righteous pass with the help of her spiritual guide. He meets figures world history such as Woodrow Wilson and Akhenaton, the later trying to redeem himself by guiding sinners for over a thousandth years, but failing every time. Raouf is judged as not yet worthy of the second heaven and send as a spiritual guide to unscrupulous Anous. It suffices to say that the whole story and its premise are in striking contrast to Islamic orthodoxy. In "The Disturbing Occurrences" a man appears both sophisticated and benevolent to some and satanic and sadistic to others, all the while the police man investigating him is rendered incapable of deciding which one of the two is his true persona. In "Room No.12" an unwary hotel manager is occupied by the demands of a strange aristocratic lady and her more then unusual guests, when all hell breaks loose. Death, sin, virtue and tradition play a very important part in the allegory of Mahfouz's stories. In "The Rose Garden" a clash between the traditional view of the deceased in Egypt and modern innovation lead to a murder, while in "A Warning from Afar" the spirits of the deceased threaten to march onto a sinful neighborhood as vengeful skeletons.

The stories and parables contained in this collection, with some stories having a time difference of over thirty years, are beautifully thought out reflection on death, virtue, truth and simple human confusion in the bustle and hectic of life. They are rich in allegory and metaphors, very often hovering between pessimism and hope, even reflecting on the unexpected hope and spiritual rebirth (take that literal) that death can bring. No matter what our opinion on his ability to depict the mysterious and otherworldly, Mahfouz's literary and intellectual statue remains unscathed and these stories are worth reading, if only to send a delightful shiver down our spine, or to make us pause for a moment and rethink important matters and convictions which we hold certain.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic! Great Evangelism Tool!

From Hollywood to Heaven
Steve Wohlberg
Manufacturer: Pacific Press Publishing Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

End Time Delusions

ASIN: 0816321450

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic! Great Evangelism Tool!.......2006-11-25

Do you have a past that you are not proud of? Is there someone you've been praying for, praying that they would turn from a directionless, Godless life to find salvation in the Son of God? From Hollywood to Heaven is the story of Steve Wohlberg's search for meaning in life, the story of a young man enthralled by a Godless world of sex, drugs and rock & roll (and the glitter of the movie industry, as he grew up in Hollywood). It's a story all too familiar, as so many teens and young people struggle with these same temptations today. In the midst of a happy-go-lucky life, God got Steve's attention. Though he had no interest in spiritual matters, and though he thoroughly enjoyed his "fun" lifestyle, God had better plans for Steve, as He does for all His children. I read this book to completion one evening, finishing in the wee hours of the morning. Then, I didn't sleep that night - instead I spent the rest of the night until morning in prayer, thanking God for saving ME; I struggled with the pull of the "world" as a young person myself, and could really relate to the author's story. This book would be a great item to give to a teen or young adult, and in fact, would be a wonderful gift for anyone searching for answers, ultimately searching for God. The author writes in plain language and rather than writing from a "holier-than-thou" position, readers will identify on a personal level as I'm sure many people have similar struggles. The book also takes the reader through God's plan of salvation, presenting the Gospel message in a beautiful way that will stir the reader's soul and urge a decision. Highly recommended. Excellent outreach tool. Everyone who works to reach the unsaved should have a case of these books to pass out!

[...]

Average customer rating:

Seventh Heaven
Patti Smith
Manufacturer: Charles River Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0915890291

Average customer rating:

Heaven (Christian Home Library)
Ellen Gould Harmon White
Manufacturer: Pacific Press Publishing Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Seventh Heaven
Alice Hoffman
Manufacturer: GP Putnam's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HYQUUS

Average customer rating:

Seventh Heaven
Alice Hoffman
Manufacturer: ORBIT (LITT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GW7T42

Amazon.com

The value and limitations of trust--between men and women, between career lawbreakers--lie at the dark, wounded heart of Loren D. Estleman's Little Black Dress, his fifth outing (after 2002's Something Borrowed, Something Black) for now ostensibly retired Detroit hit man Peter Macklin.

Eleven months into Macklin's marriage to Laurie, a bright, breathtaking blond nurse less than half his age, the pair are visiting northern Ohio, looking to purchase her late grandparents's 80-acre farm, "where she'd spent all her summers as a girl." Planting fresh roots outside the Motor City is one more vital step along Macklin's reform path; but peace will be harder to find than he'd hoped. His domineering, vain, and resentfully divorced new mother-in-law, Pamela Ziegenthaler, is suspicious of men, in general, but especially of Peter Macklin. She doesn't swallow his cover story about being a financially secure former camera retailer. At the same time, this ex-killer is leery of Pamela's latest beau, Canadian-born Benjamin Grinnell, and with good reason: "polite and boring" Grinnell is a "case man" working for round-the-bend Toledo mobster Joe Vulpo and his cross-dressing son, "Terrible" Tommy. He reconnoiters video-rental stores, in advance of their being knocked over by a gang of younger, dissolute thieves led by wannabe gunfighter "Wild Bill" Berman. But a recent slipup has forced these crooks to find new targets--the first of which will be the chain bookstore that Macklin's mother-in-law manages. So how does Macklin protect the two new women in his life without scaring them both to death, or lying to Laurie about his intentions--something he's promised never to do again? And how does he bring down Grinnell without attracting the unwanted attentions of "Reverend" Edgar Prine, the chauvinistic but straight-arrow commander of an Ohio State Police robbery task force, committed to corralling the video-store bandits?

Estleman goes lighter on the wisecracks here than in his Shamus Award-winning Amos Walker PI series (Retro), though he finds some obvious delight in spinning out the idiosyncratic backgrounds of both criminals and lawmen. As compensation, this Detroit-area author gives his previously lonely, anti-hero protagonist a sexy, adult, and intriguing relationship with the curvilinear Laurie, one that could excite a few jealous bones even in the comfortably lone-wolf Amos. A high-caliber denouement and a staggering turning-point finale make Little Black Dress just the right fit for the season. --J. Kingston Pierce

Book Description

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HIT MAN MEETS HIS NEW MOTHER-IN-LAW?
Multiple Shamus Award winner Loren D. Estleman is “a superb stylist as well as a deft storyteller [who] paints his people and his city with acerbic wit and wry affection” (San Diego Union-Tribune). Peter Macklin was a hit man for a long time but he has taken steps to distance himself from his tattooed past, like quitting the mob, moving away from Detroit, and marrying the gorgeous, intelligent Laurie. But retirement isn’t easy for an ex-hit man.

Now the man accustomed to killing people in cold blood must adjust to a sadistic ritual of early marriage… he must spend time with his eccentric mother-in-law. This event takes an unexpected turn when Macklin discovers mom-in-law’s boyfriend Benjamin Grinnell is a spotter for a gang of armed robbers. Unfortunately, Grinnell made a big mistake: he failed to spot a shotgun-toting shop-owner, whom the gang had to turn into red mist. Now Grinnell’s life is threatened, and Grinnell’s jeopardy endangers his sweetie… and Laurie.

Macklin, driven by his professional curiosity and his desire to protect his family, can’t help but get involved. As Macklin investigates Grinnell’s dark affairs, he inevitably gets tangled up with Grinnell’s enemies, including the Ohio mob… and the law. All parties converge in a deadly shootout, with the lives of Macklin’s loved ones and the fate of his marriage precariously hanging in the balance.

Customer Reviews:

estleman not in form.......2007-03-15

not a great effort didnt finish this one until i was down to nothing to read. story just wasnt very good

more of a tease than a thrill.......2006-09-06

This book does not deliver as a stand alone novel. Even for this genre not enough story. Did he just bring this book out to kill off Peter Macklin or perhaps to free the character of a wife? Is this book just the tease for the next (high priced) Peter Maklin mystery to come? The story felt cranked out and flat and the ending disjointed and very ho hum.

A First Rate Crime Noir Novel from a Master.......2005-11-03

What a clever book this is! Estleman's novels about "ex"-hitman Peter Macklin are distinguished by a hearty cynicism about human behavior and a black -very black-sense of humor. These books are as good as, though quite different from, the critically Parker novels of "Richard Stark" (Donald Westlake). As to similarities, Estleman's Macklin, like Stark's Parker, is almost devoid of personality except for his radical and persistent scepticism about other people's motivations. Macklin, like Parker, is a survival machine pure and simple with no illusions about what to do to survive. But while Parker is still energetically a player in the game, Macklin hopes to get out, to become as respectable as he already is --by temperament and deliberate strategy-- bland. Parker's femme accepts the truth about Parker's nature; Laurie, Macklin's wife, can't come to grips with the violence that keeps intruding in her new life.

In this excellent crime noir novel, Macklin meets Laurie's mother, the mother-in-law from hell, and finds that her boyfriend is a player just like he used to be: he spots for a gang of sociopathic robbers who have eyes on his girlfriend's bookstore. It's no surprise that violence erupts. Estleman, a master of the crime novel, handles it all adeptly, but an added pleasure is the way Estleman blends the comic and the violent. This is a very good book.

David Keymer
Modesto CA

terrific thriller .......2005-04-27

Hit man Peter Macklin "steals" Laurie by persuading her to become his wife although her mother Pamela raises an eyebrow or two since he is her age not her daughter's age. However, his profession's retirement plan is death so he and his spouse leave Detroit to move to her hometown in Ohio where they plan to buy back her late grandfather's farm.

Bookstore manager Pamela is seeing Ben Grinnell, who Peter recognizes as a peer at his former employment. Peter rejects coincidence and assumes that the "case man" is in town either to set him up or more likely select a location for robbery. Peter assumes the obvious moment would be when best selling author Francis Spain hosts an autograph sale at the bookstore. However, like Peter Ben wants out, but the mob has other thoughts about individuals retiring alive. Peter expects violence and prepares accordingly although he hides his knowledge from his beloved who expects honesty in their relationship. High noon is coming to Ohio on two fronts that of the mob with state police involvement and that of the relationship between the Macklins.

This is a terrific thriller starring a fabulous cast headed by the Macklins who are seeking a niche together while external forces have other ideas especially for Peter. The story line is cleverly set up with Peter believing that he can have love and post mob living in his middle age with his Laurie. Once that is established, Loren D. Estleman pulls out the rug from underneath peter and the reader as he spins the intrusion plot with several twists. Fans of powerful thrillers with solid casting will appreciate the enjoyable LITTLE BLACK DRESS.

Harriet Klausner

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books