Book Description
Georgia magistrate MacLaren Yarbrough is bound for Scotland to explore her genealogical roots along with her friend Laura, not to mention a tour group full of unusual travel mates. But when two empty coffins mysteriously appear in the church in the small town where the group is staying-though none of the locals have died-things take a turn for the macabre. And when the bodies of two Americans are discovered occupying the coffins, MacLaren finds herself back on the job. Can she tie it all together, before she winds up in a coffin of her own?
Customer Reviews:
Did You Declare the Corpse?.......2007-10-05
This is not the author's best work. It plods on and on, this way and that way. The characters seem to overlap and get confused. Two couples especially get confused with each other at times. Then, as it races to conclude, some characters change identity.
Old South.......2007-05-14
Patricia Sprinkle makes a southerner feel at home. From the nicknames for loved ones to the use of southern idioms, Sprinkle lets you know that she is at home in the south. Her characters are the characters of small town America, alive and practically walking off the page to sit with you and enjoy a southern mystery. Being (well) over the age of fifty, I appreciate an older woman who is not seen as senile, incapable or over the hill. MacLaren Yarbrough is a delight. Her marriage that has lasted for years, her children who are not perfect, her grandchildren she loves, a town full of people that know each other and can live with that knowledge, all make this series fun to read. Hopefully, MacLaren will continue to solve mysteries for many more years.
A good who-dun-it in the Christie style.......2007-05-07
Patricia Sprinkle give us all the clues, and if you pay attention, there are no surprises. Her characters are multi-dimensional--having flaws and a conscience. Mac and Joe Riddley are like people I have met while in the south. Some of the one-time characters are a bit dramatic, but this is their chance to shine. The underlying theme of home and family, coupled with respect and love, give the characters more depth and dimension than Christie gave hers. I enjoy all her novels. Sometimes I'm with her all the way (like in this one), and sometimes I am surprised.
ok, but story and characters are not that interesting.......2007-02-03
I hate to disagree with Amazon's #1 reviewer and her five stars, but I must. The mystery simply fell short of the mark for me. After a promising opening that reveals an unnamed person has been found unexpectedly in a coffin at a Scottish church, the story returns to the characters gathering for their trip to Scotland. The plot then unfolds as the group makes its way on tour, until they return to the time and place where the deed was done.
The murder occurs past the half-way point, with time spent in various Scottish locales developing the characters and sprinkling clues for the eventual events and motives. Unfortunately, the tourists are largely annoying or uninteresting, with some exceptions. Whiners and jerks don't do much for me, and I recall little humor along the way. You may not be disappointed no matter who was killed, because of course it won't be our heroine.
The pace picks up after the murder, as our narrator MacLaren takes advantage of being one of the first people to know of the murder, and overhearing some timely arguments earlier, to begin her casual snooping. Someone actually calls her out as a Jessica Fletcher type and clumsily warns her not to get involved. Hmm, why not?
The truth of the first murder is mostly revealed not through any real insightful detective work, but through a witness who speaks up and cannot be denied. The resolution of both murders occurs quickly, and the justification is a bit blah. An unexpected criminal subplot pops up late and then just disappears near the end. Several people will turn out not to be what or whom they seem to be, and the reader will sense that as the key lurking element of surprise as the tour moves on and reaches the fateful town, where additional relationships develop.
You can decide whether the colloquial Scottish ("Fit ye deein'?", et al) is effective or insulting. Oh, and don't forget the Canadian's occasional "eh?". I kind of expected some y'alls in return, given that these were Georgians on tour, after all.
This was my first mystery by Patricia Sprinkle, so I cannot place it relative to her other works.
terrific mystery.......2006-02-08
Georgia Magistrate MacLaren Yarbrough is visiting the Scottish Highlands for two weeks but her companion is not her beloved husband Joe Riddley but her friend Laura MacDonald. Joe thinks it is safe to take a fishing vacation with his son and two grandsons because Mac won't have any mysteries to solve or trip over dead bodies. Little does he knows that his worst fears will be realized when a heartless killer tries to murder Mac.
The mystery begins when Mac overhears a person on their tour arguing with the brother-in-law of the laird of Auchnager about a business deal. Before that incident that argumentative individual acted like he was another tourist on a holiday jaunt. While visiting a local church one of the tourists is found lying in a coffin inside the holy facility, the victim of murder.. Mac immediately assumes the laird's brother-in-law did the deed until that poor soul winds up in a second coffin. Without meaning to, Mac observes her fellow tourists and asks questions to try to bring the culprits to justice though she ends up feeling sorry for them even though they killed somebody.
Patricia Sprinkle's latest Thoroughly Southern mystery, although placed in the Scottish Highlands, is still a down home, at times hilarious cozy. This is a mystery Agatha Christie would be proud to claim as her own. The intricate plotting and the eccentric cast of characters are just two of the reasons that DID YOU DELIVER THE CORPSE? is a one sitting reading experience. The heroine is eminently likeable and her homespun wisdom instantly endears her to the audience who will want this grandmotherly person to adopt them.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
Merlin the Magician will not eat or sleep or speak to anyone in Camelot. What can be done? The enchantress Morgan knows who to ask
for help: young Jack and Annie of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania! The brother-and-sister team quickly head off in the magic tree house on another magical and historical adventure.
Their mission: discover one of the four secrets of happiness.
Their journey: to a land of fierce samurai and great beauty, the capital city of Edo (now the city of Tokyo), in ancient Japan in the 1600s.
Their tools: a research book to guide them and a magic wand with three special rules.
In Dragon of the Red Dawn, Mary Pope Osborne transports readers back to the splendor, rich culture, and magic of traditional Japan.
Customer Reviews:
Dragon Of The Red Dawn.......2007-10-09
I liked this book because it s'
like I'm in the book.Also
it captures my attention.This book is about Jack and Annie going to
Japan and to doing something.
Magic Tree House 37 Merlin Misson Dragon of the Red Dawn.......2007-10-09
I like this book because it has great words and the author it good at writing. This book was about them go to Tokyo . I give this book 5 stars.
great book!.......2007-09-01
This book I loved when I was reading the pages, and how it gives you a little passport in the back of the book like it was actually a real passport. The books description of the garden when they first get out of the tree house in Japan just gives me a picture of what it looks like in real life. This book had a bit of humor and that adds coolness to the book. Buy this book!!!!!!!! I'm 11.
Mary Pope Osborne: Never A Disappointment........2007-07-23
Osborne forever captures history, folklore and imagination into the minds of many young and old alike. Her books are ever a delight to read to my son (even though he's able to read by himself) and more, a delight to hear when they come out on audiocassette!
I recommend this book.......2007-06-10
I liked it because Jack and Annie travel to Japan which is a really cool place and I think more people should read this book. It is better than any other book because it is the newest of the series.
Book Description
Merlin the magician will not eat or sleep or speak to anyone in Camelot. What can be done? The enchantress Morgan knows who to ask for help: young Jack and Annie of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania! The brother-and-sister team quickly head off in the magic tree house on another magical and historical adventure.
Their mission: discover one of the four secrets of happiness.
Their journey: to a land of fierce samurai and great beauty, the capital city of Edo (now the city of Tokyo), in old Japan in the 1600s.
Their tools: a research book to guide them and a magic wand with three special rules.
In Dragon of the Red Dawn, Mary Pope Osborne transports listeners back to the splendor, rich culture, and magic of traditional Japan.
Customer Reviews:
just another "bestseller".......2007-03-09
Who says that children's books have to be all about fighting and lots of action? With "Dragon of the Red Dawn" Mary Pope Osborne showed once more that the escape into a world of imagination can be fun, captivating and keep children occupied for more than an hour. Listening to this audio book makes the kids travel into yet another time and country.
A wonderful book, read by the author, and another beautiful adventure with Jack and Annie.
Book Description
When Nigel Bloodragon, Duke of Sarcen, goes to Earth to find a woman willing and able to pose as the queen to ferret out her enemies, he spies MP Cpl. Josephine Benat in action, subduing a criminal, and is immediately convinced she's perfect for the job. It isn't until after Nigel has dragged her to Atar that Josie manages to convince him that she has no interest in glory or riches, but that's when they both discover they have a serious problem. The portal is unstable, they've arrived in the wrong time, and they must seek Goldenwing to find their way back. This is when Nigel discovers they have another serious problem. Unlike the females of the dragon clan, human females are always in season. Rating: Contains violence, adult language, and graphic sexual content.
Customer Reviews:
Good if you like this genre, but not a must read.......2007-01-21
There are a lot of books focusing on dragons now that Ellora's cave has become such a popular publisher. If you enjoy that type of Sci-Fi element, this may be a fun read for you.
This book takes place in a different world and focuses on the journey the two make to find their way back to their respective homes. He can morph into a dragon (similiar to the traditional werewolf books) and she is a strong military women whom he sought out to help be a diversionary target for a group trying to keep his world's queen from getting the throne (this story is in a previous book I have not read yet).
This book focuses more on the passion/lust and respect for being physically strong for drawing the two together versus having several layers of commonalities/connections in their personalities that bring them together.
However, I thought the story moved quickly and for the Sci-Fi lover it was a fun read, but not a must read which is why I gave it a 3.
Book Description
This important book brings together three long-lost texts, the earliest known writings on Zen. Records of the Teachers and Students of the Lanka presents a complete set of biographies of the Zen patriarchs. Bodhidharma's Treatise on Contemplating Mind— written in the form of a dialogue between the first Zen patriarch, Bodhidharma, and his successor, Huke—views all the various practices of the Bodhisattva path from the perspective of cultivating mind. Treatise on Sudden Enlightenment presents a series of questions and answers illuminating the true nature of "sudden enlightenment" as pure, undifferentiated mind. Dating from the first half of the eighth century, and only recently rediscovered in Tun Huang, China, these books offer the best information currently available on the early meditation techniques of the "northern school" of Zen Buddhism.
Customer Reviews:
Not just for scholars.......2004-09-05
Zen Dawn brings the same spiritual excitement to Buddhism as reading the New Testament does to Christians, but better. These texts have only just come to light in the 20th Century. They give the feel of communicating directly with those who practiced and formulated the ancient Zen wisdom in China in the 8th Century. Scholars will love them, but the down-to-earth practicality of their content will appeal to the ordinary Zen student. For example, one learns that 'paramita' means "reaching the other shore." I always wondered what it meant. However, Bodhidarma also goes on to explain the symbolism of it which in essence means that when one's "worldly dust" has been cleaned up, it enables us to escape from affliction, or, in other words, "reach the other shore." This is something everyone is striving for, each in their own way. The six paramitas or six perfections describe how to go about cleaning up our worldly dust. This way works for everyone!
In places this book can fall deeply into esotericism. This will appeal to those who also like physics. For example, Hongren may be touching upon the physics theory that all time is happening at once when he speaks of birth and birthlessness, quoting Nagarjuna: "Phenomena are neither born of themselves, nor born of others nor born of self and others together, nor are they born without a casual basis. Thus we know: there is no birth."
If you love Zen, you will love this book.
Average customer rating:
- AMAZING BOOK
- Overall Great Series
|
A Dawn of Dragons (Dragonlance: Dragonlance Chronicles)
Margaret Weis , and
Tracy Hickman
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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Weis, Margaret | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Weis, Margaret | ( W ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
-
Hope's Flame: Dragons of Spring Dawning, Vol. 1 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 5)
-
To the Gates of Palanthas: Dragons of Winter Night, Vol. 2 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 4)
-
The Nightmare Lands: Dragons of Winter Night, Vol. 1 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 3)
-
Night of the Dragons: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Vol. 2 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 2)
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A Rumor of Dragons: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Vol. 1 (Dragonlance Chronicles, Part 1)
ASIN: 0786931027
Release Date: 2004-03-02 |
Book Description
The third Dragonlance novel in the trilogy that launched the entire Dragonlance novel line, Dragons of Spring Dawning, has been adapted to a format specifically targeted at young readers. The novel has been divided into two volumes, Hope's Flame and A Dawn of Dragons, that are sized and edited to fit the young reader market. These titles contain brand new cover and interior art and finish up the release of young reader adaptations of the entire Chronicles series.
Customer Reviews:
AMAZING BOOK.......2005-02-22
This book is awesome. You should read the whole series. One thing bad about this is that this is the last book of the series.=(
Overall Great Series.......2004-11-12
One small complaint however. With the end result being the "balance" of the gods and so forth, the end of the story didn't leave me with a feeling of balance or resolution. To have had a satisfying balance, I think for every main character fighting for "good" that died in battle, a main character fighting for "evil" should have also died. Particularly, a certain human woman who is the evil mastermind behind many of the troubles the companions endure. The death of an evil dragon highlord we barely get to know hardly compensates for the death of one of the faithful companions. Books are very sensual. Parents use caution.
Book Description
When a second-son is born into the House of Arne, there is much rejoicing, for it is believed that the ancient prophecy will be fulfilled at last. Prince Rhoyan, however, is unaware of his own importance, even when he is given special training and sent to an old and very mysterious tutor who begins to teach him everything he will need to know about ruling a kingdom.
Customer Reviews:
Dawn of the Dragon's Eye: Book 2 of the Tellurae Aquaous Series and The Dragon's Eye: Book 1 of the Tellurae Aquaous Series.......2006-11-07
I may be bias (this author is my daughter), but we get the privilege of reading her first drafts as she writes them! She keeps us on the edge of our seats as we get 10 pages at a time to read. She has actually written 3 books in this series, the third is in the process of being polished for publication. A fourth book is now in the works and the characters from this series have become like "family" to us! If you like fantasy fiction you'll enjoy this series and you'll be glad to know the adventures will continue!
Awesome!!!.......2006-06-16
This series is definitely one you should own if your into Lord of the Rings type literature! The first two books in the series are available and I'm sure the third one will be out soon. Definitely page turners for sure. Great characters that are worth rooting for and a storyline that keeps all your attention down to the last page. I've read these books more than once...and I will certainly read them again!!!
Average customer rating:
- The best of a great series
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Dawn of the Dragons (Lone Wolf, Book 18)
Joe Dever
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
-
The Deathlord of Ixia (Lone Wolf, Book 17)
-
The Legacy of Vashna (Lone Wolf, Book 16)
-
The Darke Crusade (Lone Wolf, No 15)
-
The Captives of Kaag (Lone Wolf, Book 14)
-
The Plague Lords of Ruel (Lone Wolf, No 13)
ASIN: 0425145689 |
Customer Reviews:
The best of a great series.......2003-10-14
I'm not big on fantasy series on the whole - I never liked D&D, and never even bothered with Lord of the Rings until I forced myself to watch Fellowship (since then, I've of course read the trilogy). But even as a kid, I always held a fondness for the Lone Wolf series. I had the first twelve for an eternity and a half, and then, when I was 21, had an overwhelming urge to find non-abridged copies of the Grand Master series.
Anyway, Dawn of the Dragons. I thought from the title this would be retarded as hell. I was wrong. I've played through all 20 "main" books several times, and the greatest impetus each time has been the chance to go through Dawn of the Dragons once more. It is, quite simply, the absolute pinnacle of the Lone Wolf series (and Dever has said as much as well) - amidst all of the usual action and vivid descriptions, there is above all a great sense of urgency throughout - one can feel the clock ticking as Lone Wolf rushes home, desperate to save his fledgling Kai's from destruction. And man, it is so satisfying near the end if you have Magi-Magic and all of the archery bonuses that come with having played the series in full to that point ...
To not belabor the point, it's a shame that so few people have had the opportunity to partake of this great halmark of modern fantasy. It's an even greater shame that the unabridged versions of the Grand Master Series are not sold on Amazon, but ah well, that's what Ebay or related things are for.
Also, the baronness you meet in the middle of the book is hot. Even if she is just a black and white drawing. Rowr.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best gazetteers.......2005-10-01
All of the Gazetteers for Mystara's Known World contain interesting cultures and unique NPCs, but the boxed set for Thyatis and Alphatia always interested me the most. Thyatis is similar to the Roman Empire. Interested in having legionnaires and riots over bread in the streets? Gladiators? Thyatis is the kingdom for you.
Alphatia is a land of magic. Unlike Glantri, where only wizards can gain power, in Alphatia, if your character can cast spells -- divine or arcane -- you'll move up in the world. Slaves and commoners have no magical abilities. Following the events of the Wrath of the Immortals boxed set, Alphatia was moved to the Hollow World, making their magic-based society even more interesting as they contended with Azcans and dinosaurs.
The boxed set contains three booklets -- one for the DM with information of both Alphatia and Thyatis and one for each country for the players to read. Two poster maps of the regions round out the boxed set.
If you can still find this rare, out-of-print classic, I highly recommend it!
mystara world political power houses.......2000-08-08
For the world of mystara Thyatis and Alphatia are the big movers and shakers. Cultures based on Fighters and based on magic users who are the superpowers of the fantasy world and are background to a lot of the Known world setting (Karameikos was originally a thyatis colony, Glantri's war with air mages was with aplphatia before coming to Mystara). the boxed set contains information on areas east of the known world, the two big super nations and includes new magic for the Alphatians and griffon riders for thyatis as well as other gazetteer setting info.
Average customer rating:
- Toadkiller Dawg says "Strikingly original and entertaining!"
|
Dawn of the Overmind (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons/Monstrous Arcana)
Bruce R. Cordell
Manufacturer: TSR Hobbies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Adventure | Alternate History | Anthologies | General | Graphic Novels | High Tech | History & Criticism | Series | Short Stories | Space Opera
General | Dungeons & Dragons | Gaming | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0786912111
Release Date: 1998-10-20 |
Customer Reviews:
Toadkiller Dawg says "Strikingly original and entertaining!".......2000-02-20
Dawn of the Overmind is the final installment of a trilogy that deals with the illithids' attempt to put out the sun and conquer the PC's home world. It relies heavily on the material published in the Illithiad and also has some Spelljammer elements though access to that supplement isn't as necessary. Access to the psionics handbook will probably be useful, if not required.
The finale has the PCs journeying by spaceship to an ancient illithid world where they must find the artifact necessary to foil the plans of the mind flayers. Once there, the PCs find a truly bizarre and alien planet with strange topography and even stranger inhabitants. There are several subplots and side trips that the PCs can investigate, but the highlight of this product and the entire series is the vast subterranean city ruin that must be braved in order to complete the PCs quest. The inhabitants and their environment are not only deadly, but evoke the eerie otherworldliness of the decayed and forgotten capital of an ancient civilization. An enterprising DM could base an entire Underdark-like campaign around this setting.
Prior installments of this trilogy relied heavily on NPC guidance of the PCs, this is less true in DOM at least until the final chapters. The exploration of the planet resembles traditional sword and sorcery gaming, but the rest of the scenario is strongly sci-fi in nature. The climax even takes place on an illithid space station that is all but certain to draw comparison to the Death Star of Star Wars fame, complete with githyanki rebel ships attacking and brain-eating storm troopers.
The plot has plenty of flexibility despite its apocalyptic nature. The PCs don't even have to succeed in their artifact quest to achieve their ultimate goal and there are plenty of alternate endings suggested for whatever degree of success the PCs do manage. If the trilogy itself doesn't appeal to you, the subterranean ruins of planet Penumbra could be used in many other ways and are easily transplanted to just about any campaign. In fact, the entire module is flexible enough that it could be reworked with minimal effort to fit as wide variety of campaign circumstances. Recommended.
Books:
- Die Trying
- Doctored Evidence
- Environmental Policy: New Directions For the Twenty-First Century
- Fatal Voyage : A Novel
- Gargantua and Pantagruel (Penguin Classics)
- Goodnight, My Angel: A Lullabye (Book & Audio CD) (CD: Goodnight, My Angel)
- Guilty As Sin
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
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- History: Fiction or Science
- A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines
- The Parting Glass : A Toast to the Traditional Pubs of Ireland
- The Quantum Rose
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- Washington's Crossing
- Art in History/History in Art: Studies in seventeenth-century Dutch Culture
- The Amber Forest: Beauty and Biology of California's Submarine Forest
- The Two Worlds of Albert Speer: Reflections of a Nuremberg Prosecutor
Who Killed the Queen of Clubs?: A Thoroughly Southern Mystery
Guess Who's Coming to Die? (A Thoroughly Southern Mystery)
When Will the Dead Lady Sing? A Thoroughly Southern Mystery
Who Let That Killer In The House? (A Thoroughly Southern Mystery)
Who Left that Body in the Rain? (Thoroughly Southern Mysteries)
