Average customer rating:
- The Key to Rommel, Cairo, Belly-dancers, and Caviar
- smutty spy thriller
- Another Ken Follett Thriller
- Ok until the last 80 pages
- Based on real story
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The Key to Rebecca
Ken Follett
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
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General
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
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Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue
| Thrillers
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General
| Follett, Ken
| ( F )
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Paperback
| Follett, Ken
| ( F )
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| Mystery & Thrillers
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General
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Similar Items:
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Eye of The Needle
-
The Man From St. Petersburg
-
A Dangerous Fortune
-
Lie Down With Lions
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Night Over Water
ASIN: 0451207793
Release Date: 2003-02-04 |
Book Description
The #1 National Bestseller by the author of The Hammer of Eden
His code name: "The Sphinx." His mission: to send Rommel's advancing army the secrets that would unlock the doors to Cairo...and the ultimate Nazi triumph in the war. And in all of Cairo, only two people could stop this brilliant and ruthless Nazi master agent. One was a down-on-his-luck English officer no one would listen to. The other was a young Jewish girl...
"Brilliant...breathless high adventure."--Time
"Magnificent...pulse-racing...the runaway hit of the year."--People
* A classic bestselling thriller--now repackaged for a new generation of intrigue seekers
Customer Reviews:
The Key to Rommel, Cairo, Belly-dancers, and Caviar.......2006-10-22
Ken Follett's The Key to Rebecca is a classic WWII thriller pitting the Nazi super-spy Alexander Wolff against a renegade forlorn Englishman Vandamm. It is set in the early days of the war in colonial Egypt. Follett is doing us a service here as Americans are generally unaware of the North African phase of the war, since our major involvement really came later. Few rememember that the French in North Africa, after the fall of France, fought American and especially British forces, but let's leave that story for another day.
In 1942, Egypt was a British colony, with strong nationalist forces chafing under the control of the Turkish king, installed by the British. Egyptian nationalists, led by Sadat and Nasser, saw little difference between British and German colonial rule, and typically aided the Germans in this theatre. Sadat is a minor character in Follett's book.
Into this quagmire appear Alexander Wolff, born of German mother and Egyptian father, trained by the Germans in the latest espionage techniques; and Major Vandamm, a minor British military intellligence official burdened with personal grief and moronic superiors. Wolff successfully establishes a direct link into British intelligence by his clever manipulation of a belly dancer and another British officer. With this information, Rommel is beginning to rout the British.
Fortunately for us Anglos, Vandamm devises a honey trap to snare the Nazi. His instrument is a young Jewish girl who is terrified at the prospect of Nazis in Cairo.
All in all, a well crafted thriller. Follett uses the historical context and byzantine relationships of the colonial era to great advantage. It is not a great work, as some parts are a bit formulaic and easy to predict, but read it for the history and the adventure.
smutty spy thriller.......2006-09-19
Ken Follett is a very good tale-spinner and The Key to Rebecca has a promising premise.
The setting is 1942 Egypt--Cairo is threatened by Rommel's advancing army. German-born and Arab-raised, Alex Wolff is the perfect Nazi spy--calculating and ruthless. Almost perfect--Wolff has an eye for pretty girls. Wolff's partner is Sonja el-Aram, a sensuous belly-dancer with a depraved mind--perfect for Wolff. Major William Vandam, a straight-laced British Intelligence officer who has seen better days, is hot on Wolff's trail. To set the trap, he recruits Elene Fontana, a beautiful Jewish runaway with nothing to lose. Together Vandam and Elene must stop Wolff at any cost!
The action is heart-pounding (typical Follett), the locations are beautifully described, and the key relationships are well-developed. My only two complaints are the brevity with which everything is resolved at the end and the overly graphic descriptions of some twisted sexual encounters. Please, leave some of that to the imagination next time!
Another Ken Follett Thriller.......2006-08-31
If you have read Follett's "Eye of the Needle," you might call this story "Son of Eye of the Needle." Both stories have a German spy in English territory (in this case, British Egypt) and a dogged pursuer who finally gets the spy. But that does not make this book any less thrilling. First, the story parallels actual events in Egypt during Field Marshall Rommel's North African campaign in World War Two. Second, Follet does a magnificent job of making his characters real, with fears, dreams, disappointments, and personal baggage. Add to this the fact that the German spy, Alex Wolff, has information that will insure that Rommel will defeat the British Army and conquer Egypt, and you have a breathless thriller of the sort that Ken Follett does so well. The story has thrills, tender romance, kinky sex (not connected to the tender romance), and a slam-bang climax. If you like thrillers, it is well worth reading.
Ok until the last 80 pages.......2006-05-14
I like the setting and the writing. Sorry, but the wierd sex and how the plot is based on it is not believable.
But I can forgive all of that. What I can't forgive is that the author dropped the ball in the last 80 pages. The ending is a letdown. Seemed rushed and not well thoughout.
Based on real story.......2006-03-27
I first read this book about 20 years ago when it was first published.
Recently, I read The Battle of Alamein by John Bierman, a description of the N. African campaign in WWII. About 1/2 way through this book I realized that Ken Follett had lifted the whole plot from (or based his book on) a real life German spy planted in Cairo during the war. Everything was the same including the name of the codebook and the "key" to it. Shame on Follett for not putting a blurb in his book. Still "The Key to Rebecca is a great read". I seem to remember the fictional spy was real suave as compared to the real life bumbling spy.
I'm re-reading it right now to see how much of the book mirrors the actual events. This is one of Follett's early works and the plot has a sense of grittiness/urgency that his latter books (when he became rich) don't have.
I think another reviewer said this was a child's plot?(!) This proves the adage that truth is stranger than fiction.
Average customer rating:
- Insomnia?
- Far from a favorite...
- Excitement, Adventure, and Awful Prose
- Forcing myself to finish it
- Don't know where to begin...
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The Ninefold Key
Rebecca Brandewyne
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Suspense
| Thrillers
| Mystery & Thrillers
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Fantasy, Futuristic & Ghost
| Romance
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General
| Romance
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Brandewyne, Rebecca
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
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Similar Items:
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Love, Cherish Me
ASIN: 0778320030 |
Customer Reviews:
Insomnia?.......2006-07-11
I'm a voracious reader. However, it took me three weeks to finish this book - because everytime I started reading it, it put me to sleep. Deathly slow plot, constant, annoying repetitions of the same events ... this was unquestionably one of the most disappointing books I've ever read. The characters were not at all engaging, and when something DID happen with the storyline, it was so silly it was impossible to even WANT to believe it. This is the first - and last - book by Ms. Brandewyne for me.
Far from a favorite..........2006-02-05
I'm usually a very fast reader and have been known to devour books in a single day, even long ones, if they really hold my interest. Historical romance is my preferred genre, so at first glance "The Ninefold Key" appeared to be just the sort of book I would enjoy. Unfortunately, my first taste of Rebecca Brandewyne's writing has turned out to be a rather large disappointment. I started reading it almost two weeks ago and have just now reached the end. I tried very hard to like it--both the story and the characters in it--which, I think, really says a lot. Getting through a book that you're reading for pleasure shouldn't require so much effort.
I was annoyed by Ms. Brandewyne's constant repetition of names and information (I caught on very early to the fact that Lord Iain Ramsay was once Earl of Dundragon, and didn't really need to be reminded every time someone in the story spoke his name. Ditto for Quimby & Company...tacking on the "Cartographers and Map Sellers" part only once would have been sufficient.) and was bored by the overly detailed history lessons she inserted here and there throughout the book. (Does anyone really need to know so much about the origin of London's streets, or how much profit was made by the owners of its coffee stalls?) Above all, I was highly disappointed in the so-called romance aspect of the story. If she'd forgotten to write it in at all, it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference.
For a further explanation of what I didn't like about "The Ninefold Key", just read the other reviewers' comments. They're almost identical to what mine would have been.
All in all, I'd advise prospective buyers to avoid this book. It just wasn't worth it.
Excitement, Adventure, and Awful Prose.......2005-10-25
Unlike the other reviewers, I do not think this book is totally awful. Perhaps the reason they are upset is that this is not a typical historical romance. Instead, it is an old-fashioned Victorian adventure, with multi-layered family secrets, chases through foggy London streets, a delightful dash of the supernatural, and some very memorable charters. Among my favorite ones were Mr. Quimby, Mr. Boniface and Mr. Cavendish, who seemed to come straight out of a Dickens novel. (As for the romantic couple being first cousins, it was common for first cousins to marry in Victorian times. Don't apply 21st century morals to another era.)
Unfortunately, Ms. Brandwyne, who is definitely no Dickens, ruins this promising material in several ways:
1. The use of long, muddled sentences and equally confusing words such as "incogniscible" and "brume". I think she is trying to imitate English novelists like Dickens, but she fails miserably.
2. Long rambling discourses on the streets, layout, and history of London. Rather than adding to the story, these passages distract from it.
3. A tendency to insult the reader by repeating names of places ad nauseum and by describing characters' inner feelings when it is not necessary. Ex. When Malcolm falls into the Thames, we do not need to be told that he is afraid of drowning!
4. Lengthy passages of poorly written dialogue in which the charaters state what has already happened.
5. A series of coincidences and connections between the characters that are outrageously farfetched.
5. An ending that is too quick and poorly conceived. Without revealing too much, let's just say that I wondered why Malcolm and the others had not resorted to such heroic actions earlier in the book.
Ah, Ms. Brandewyne, what could have been!
Forcing myself to finish it.......2005-01-21
I LOVE historical romance novels, reading 1-2 a week. Frankly, I'm pretty easy to please. I can overlook poor proof reading (once, a main character's name was wrong for 3 whole pages!) or glitches in the plot, but this book is plain BORING! There is very little romance and by the time I got to it, I just didn't care anymore. I've read dozens of books by this author and find it hard to believe she wrote this. At 450 pages, save your time and pass on this one!
Don't know where to begin..........2005-01-06
This book had so many problems, I don't know where to start. I was looking for something a little different from the Regency novels that seem so popular now, but I didn't enjoy this. It just wasn't any good. The writing was very repetitive, and dialogue was stiff. Ms. Brandewyne would explain something, and on the next page, she would have her character explain the same thing. As stated in another review, the couple don't actually meet for many chapters. Once they do meet, the romance feels tepid, and I don't like the fact that they are first cousins. There are alot of characters; in fact, she has quite a detailed list at the beginning of the book, but it strange how every one of them have some knowledge of the mystery. The way the story unfolds is unbelievable. The main character, Malcom, doesn't learn about this dangerous family secret untill he is almost 30, but then instantly tells 3 people, two of whom are complete strangers to him! With all the explaining going on in this story, we still never get a clear picture of why the enemies of the Ramsey family are doing what they have done...was it simple greed? How did they get one of the "keys"?. Ms. Brandewyne seems to have done alot of research for this book, and would insert the history of many of the locations whether they had any bearing on the story or not. The ending feels very thrown together, as if the author herself got tired of writing it. I like to finish a book once I start it, but this was a struggle.
Customer Reviews:
Good Help in Map Education.......2004-12-17
This book is a benefit to emergent readers and ESOL students in learning map skills. I highly recommend this series.
Customer Reviews:
Good but the kids don't request it........2006-01-31
A good childs book but not in the same class as the Usborne First Hundred Words.
Great for 1st Grade classrooms!.......2002-10-12
My first grade students love this book! It is equally valued by my gifted and also struggling students. The children use it in a story writing center to help when they need to spell a word, or get ideas. This book is arranged by themes rather than alphabetically, for example, there is a 2 page spread of food words. This helps the students who are not ready to look up words alphabetically. The pictures are bright and clear. The book is sturdy enough to survive being handled daily by several students. Easily 5 stars!!
Teh usborne book of everyday words.......2001-01-29
I think this book is fantastic and should be kept by every parent with little children, even for my own child who is now only one and half year old. She loves this book at first sight. The pictures are bright and look real in the busy everyday environment. Everytime you read it, you discover some new things. The paper quality is good and it is not easy to be damaged by my baby. The problem now I have is I have to read with my baby every page every night before she agrees to go to sleep. She likes to point to every item in the page and ask me to tell her the names.
Book Description
Legacy Press is pleased to introduce The Official Christian Babysitting Guide, a new book for girls ages 9-13. For Christian girls, babysitting goes beyond getting paid to show up and watch TV until the parents get home. It's offering a trustworthy service to their customers while sharing God's love with the kids for whom they are caring. The Official Christian Babysitting Guide teaches girls how to be a blessing as they baby sit.
Customer Reviews:
No Keychain.......2006-12-09
Just so you know, I ordered this book from Amazon. Great book, but it did not arrive with the keychain. I didn't buy it for the keychain, so I'm not that upset, but I did want to inform everyone.
THE GREATEST!!!!.......2003-11-03
I have a couple of babysitting manuals and I think this is the BEST one. It gives great advice on any subject of babysitting. It has EVERYTHING: changing diapers, interviewing parents and most important games and songs to make babysitting more fun for you and the kids! Be sure to grab a copy of this book for all of you Christian babysitters to be "Christ Mentors!" GOOD LUCK!!!
A MUST HAVE FOR BABYSITTERS.......2002-12-11
I bought one for my kids' sitter and she loved it. I wanted to make sure she knew what to do in case of an emergency and be equipped for the job. Everything is included in this guidebook. Its a must-have!
I suggest all parents get one for their child care worker or sitter. It has lots of information and things to do with the kids, instead of parking them in front of the television.
Best Babysitter Handbook On The Market!!!.......2001-12-12
I have read just about every babysitting manual on the market and this is the best one! I think this is a must for every babysitter. One of the things in this book I really liked was the babysitter's backpack. None of the other books I've read have a list of cool stuff to bring on a job, like balloons, Bible, videos, art supplies, and more! I also really like all the awesome recipes. The "First Fruits Ices" and "Baby Jesus Salad" were terrific! And I loved the Bible themes which included songs and games to go along with the Bible story. It is a great book and all babysitters must read it!
Book Description
"African American woman." The phrase conjures up a variety of images: Sassy career women. Wise church women. Strong grandmothers. Welfare mothers. But how about "chosen vessels"? Or "keys to change"? Perhaps we need some new images.Women of color have historically been on the bottom of the economic and social ladder. But the paradox of the kingdom of God is that being on the bottom is a plus. God often chooses the rejected and despised to confound the wise and mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). By examining our spiritual history and God-ordained destiny, Rebecca Florence Osaigbovo helps us turn the tide of evil in our own lives and the lives of our families, cities and nations.We are chosen vessels. Here is the help we need to find--and live--our significance in the eyes of God.
Customer Reviews:
Chosen Vessels: Women of Color, Keys to Change.......2007-08-23
This is an excellent book. All African-American women should read it to understand their position and purpose in the Kingdom.
What a blessing!.......2003-04-09
This book makes us look within ourselves to find the God that lives within us as well as helps us seek deliverance from things that hinder God's plan for our lives. Such an annointed book! This guide helps us to seek the holy spirit as our guide daily in all areas of our complex and sometimes stressful lives. Talk about spiritual growth and maturity - it's ours if we choose it! This books shows the map and gives directions on how we get there. I highly recommend it to both young and old women of every race and walk of life!
SPIRITUALLY SOUND!!!.......2001-09-07
This book is the only one of it's kind. It is a spiritual bible, in a sense, for women of color. Buy this book, my sisters! You won't be disappointed! You will be enlightened like never before!
It answers many unanswered questions.
This book is faith-building and life-changing!.......2000-05-12
This book will truly change your life if you consistently apply the principles taught. The author is empathetic, clear, and inspired. She tells you exactly what you need to do in order to experience the peace and purpose of God in your home, work, and life in general. Read this book more than once, and be prepared for a challenge. Some of her words are hard to take, but they're true and Bible-based.
Enough praise cannot be given!.......2000-05-04
The teachings in this book is so touching and timely for African American women who seek to allow Christ to live through them and to make a better world for themselves, family, friends, church and the world. Every person of African descent should read this awesome book filled with holy scriptures to guide the reader. My profound thanks to the author!
Average customer rating:
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The Key to Rebecca/The Man from St Petersburg
Ken Follett
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Children's Books
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| Baby-3
| Ages 4-8
| Ages 9-12
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General
| Follett, Ken
| ( F )
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| Mystery & Thrillers
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Hardcover
| Follett, Ken
| ( F )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0828908745 |
Customer Reviews:
Savannah Rules!.......2006-06-29
I always look forward to a new Savannah Reid book. She is a great character: strong, independent woman who appreciates the joys of chocolate! Add in her friends (Dirk, Tammy, Ryan, John), her crazy family, and a dead body or two and you have a story that gives you a wonderful escape. I hope this author writes lots more tales about the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency.
More Savannah Reid fun..........2004-05-31
In Death By Chocolate, Savannah Reid is hired to be a bodyguard for a TV cooking celebrity who is known for her chocolate recipes. But once Savannah meets her, she realizes that the lady is really a bitter old woman who is bossy and irritating. She's been receiving hate mail, and wants Savannah to figure out who is sending it. The investigation is barely underway when the Chocolate Queen is poisoned, and now Savannah has to figure out who killed her. And everywhere she turns, she finds people who fit the bill.
To complicate Savannah's life, her sister Cordele shows up unannounced and wants to work out some "family issues" with her. Cordele can't seem to get past her "horrible" childhood, and wants to relive all her pain and agony, while Savannah just wants to send her back home.
Light reading, fun story, and all the twists and turns you expect in a G. A. McKevett novel.
A Character With Substance.......2004-02-15
This novel has a main character with substance. She's has spunk and has a wonderful sense of humor. The book would be enjoyable to read even without the mystery plot! I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series.
Savannah does it again.......2003-02-18
This latest edition to the Savannah series will leave you wanting more. Very much an improvement from Peaches and Screams, the old wit and personality is back as well as a well written story line. If you love chocolate, you will love the story's plot of the Queen of Chocolate. Savannah's sleuthing into the lives of the elite family will leave you thanking the Lord for your own. The interaction between Savannah and Cordele is so life like, you will want to wring. Cordele's neck. A most enjoyable read for the mystery lover and the chocolate enthusiast. If you haven't read all the books in the series, this one will make you want to go back and pick them up.
Outdated chocolate.......2003-02-16
Savannah is back home in California where she is in between jobs and low on funds. She takes on an assignment of being a bodyguard to the Chocolate Queen. On the first day she learns the Queen she may be but of nastiness not chocolate. This woman doesn't't want help and thinks everyone is trying to kill her. As things escalate Savannah learns this is a neurotic family about to implode upon herself. I didn't enjoy this novel as the mystery was poorly done and I didn't care who the killer was nor the motive for it. Bringing in another of her siblings for added drama was a bad idea. And the normal cast of supporting characters were lifeless in this novel and offered no support to the plot.
Average customer rating:
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Savannah Reid Series: Just Desserts, Bitter Sweets, Killer Calories, Cooked Goose, Sugar and Spite, Sour Grapes, Peaches and Screams, Death by Chocolate, Cereal Killer, Murder a la Mode, Corpse Suzette, (Set of 11 Mystery Novels)
G.A. McKevett
Manufacturer: Kengsington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000UOD33W |
Books:
- The Nannies: Friends with Benefits (Nannies)
- The Oathbound (Vows and Honor, Book 1)
- The Old Contemptibles (A Richard Jury Novel)
- The Position: A Novel
- The Pride and the Pressure: A Season Inside the New York Yankee Fishbowl
- The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin Mysteries)
- The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt
- The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea
- The Serpent's Shadow (Elemental Masters, Book 1)
- The Smoke Jumper
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