Average customer rating:
- Really 4.5 stars
- Reindeer on the Roof, Socks in the Attic. Give me a Tonic to slurp battered cheer. Chicago, Chicago, I'm ready to know.
- One of her best!
- This is the second book from this author
- An unusual neighborhood
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The Merchant of Menace (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #10)
Jill Churchill
Manufacturer: Avon Books
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Similar Items:
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A Groom with a View (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #11)
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Fear of Frying (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #9)
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War and Peas (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #8)
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Silence of the Hams (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #7)
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From Here to Paternity (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #6)
ASIN: 0380794497
Release Date: 1999-10-05 |
Amazon.com
Quintessential mom in tennis shoes Jane Jeffrey is once again thrust into a murder investigation, but this time the murderer is very close to home indeed. In The Merchant of Menace, the 10th of the series by Jill Churchill, Jane finds herself in the midst of the Christmas rush and hosting two celebrations back-to-back: neighborhood caroling party one evening and a cookie exchange the following day. The two gatherings are meant to bring the community together, but when a TV reporter is found dead during the singing, it becomes obvious that at least one of the neighbors is harboring something besides goodwill towards men. As Jane and her coconspirator Shelly explore just who might have reason to shove someone off a roof, their sleepy suburb (Chicago is the ostensible nearby city, but the setting could be anywhere there is snow in December) suddenly steams with secrets.
Churchill has done well with this cozy series in which each title is a play on words of a more illustrious piece of literature. The Merchant of Menace fits into the mold: a witty and gentle dose of murder and mayhem coupled with a wry appreciation for the terrors of suburban parenting (teaching teenagers to drive, helping with the homework, meeting the prospective in-laws) and middle-aged romance. The travails of Shylock are perhaps too oppressive for most Christmas readers, but The Merchant of Menace is certainly suitable for passing around with the Christmas cookies and holiday punch. --K. Crouch
Book Description
It's beginning to look a lot like murder
'Tis the season to jolly and suburban mom Jane Jeffry's in a mad scramble to finish her cookie baking and household chores before her teenage kids arrive home. Also expected are two moms-both the late husband's mother and the disapproving mater of Det. Mel VanDyne, Jane's significant other. The kitchen is a disaster zone, the dog has decorated the house with hair, and the earsplitting racket coming from the neighbors tacky, music-making Christmas display is driving Jane crazy. Now she has to get the green icing out of her hair and be ready to host her post-caroling dinner party.
One thing Jane isn't ready for is a surprise visit from a muckraking TV "action reporter," disguised as Santa Claus. The nasty old St. Nick is out to wrap a happy holiday caroling into a package marked "scandal," but before he has a chance to color the event with yellow journalism, his red-suited body slides off the neighbor's roof to land, silenced forever, on the horns of a plastic reindeer. It looks like Santa's mishap is no accident and, with the help of her friend Shelley, Jane finds plenty of suspects. The phony Santa has an ex-wife and a female assistant who both hate him, and plenty of nice people ruined by tales of naughtiness. Now Jane has to find the Grinch who thought murder was a way to save Christmas before the holiday turns into the unhappiest day of the year.
Customer Reviews:
Really 4.5 stars.......2007-06-12
I have started at the beginning and read all of the Jane Jeffry books in order. This is one of my favorites! In addition to a "cozy" mystery, there are some very, very funny parts to the dialogue and various situations that make this book stand out. The introduction of Mel's mother added quite a bit of humor and was a nice touch in developing his character.
Quite an enjoyable read !
Reindeer on the Roof, Socks in the Attic. Give me a Tonic to slurp battered cheer. Chicago, Chicago, I'm ready to know. .......2006-10-20
This one started out capturing my sympathy for a pitifully moaning Jane, her head surrendered on the kitchen table as she listed items to Shelley, items of over-commitment overwhelm, over coffee and elf cookie ooze.
After a short chapter of entertainment from that predicament, the plot slid (in gorgeously graceless glee) into Erma Bombeck, harried housewife humor, which then slipped into Jeff Foxworthy hiccups, as the new neighbors (think Beverly Hillbillies) staged a loud and brassy entrance into ongoing Christmas schemes. As Jane quickly tweaked her initial snobbery into Foxworthy fun, I was warmed into the spirit of this holiday run.
Please excuse my fall into poetic prose ... but, since I'm on a roll, maybe I should quote ...
"Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house ..."
But, really. See? A particular holiday doesn't have to be upon me in order to enjoy a seasonal plot. More often than not the boughs are hot when the mystery pops. So what? So, FIRE! That's what.
Onward. This is a review not a blue-smoke rhythm streak.
The increase in humor in the opening of MERCHANT OF MENACE somehow percolated into a smooth, naturally flowing read which carried through to the end of the book without even a hint of a slight boredom burp.
The Beverly Hillbilly new neighbors kept my curiosity banked like a cozy winter fireplace ever in the background when not in the foreground. Of course I had to wonder if they harbored any evil horrors within their horde of X-Mass decorations. And, of course, as a fan of Foxworthy, I was hoping that this couple would save the day rather than turn their toys into terror.
Who WERE Billy Joe and Tiffany Johnson? Their reveal fits more perfectly than I could have imagined; the purpose for their presence was well integrated into the various plot popper ploys.
The news media theme of MERCHANT was maneuvered manfully, no de-evolution into an obnoxious interjection of an author agenda. Whatsis name (The Yellow Journalist ... oh yeah, Lance King) and his reluctant assistant Ginger were both spicy characters. Loved the easy, open way Ginger responded to Jane and Mel's suspicions and questions.
And then we were entranced by the first entrance of Mel's mother, Addie, who put even Thelma's antics into the background, though Jane served comeuppance for severe slights from both those woman, hitting home (in Spades) with an absolute perfection of justice. I was wondering how Addie's obnoxiousness would be dealt with, and wasn't disappointed. Sometimes I cringe (feeling more sorry for the mom's than I do the main character daughters disparaging them) at how female heroines feature and flee stereotypical negatives of the potential dark sides of mothers and mothers-in-law. In this case, I easily cheered Jane's perspectives and "plotting." Somehow her generosity of spirit shined through, and her actions and snarling snips felt funny and natural rather than cruel.
This is one of those stories which made you feel that the author had great fun writing it, since you had such a good time reading it.
Of course the culmination of a murder mystery is rarely a laughing matter, an this one was more sensitive than most, exposing again what type of life skills, character, and behavior Churchill admires and condones, and which she attributes to murderous villains.
Having now read all of the Jane Jeffry series except A GROOM WITH A VIEW (# 10 in series; I've already read the most recent offerings, see my Listmania), I'm now getting a feel for his author's villain portrait. It would be interesting to return to each Jane and Shelley novel and describe the similarities and differences of the murders in each, focusing on their dark and light sides of character traits.
A mystery author has the perfect setting in which to dramatize his/her values and tastes in human characteristics and choices. Do mysteries provide more literary space for that than other genres, space for that "Southern Exposure" of an author's talents-and-tethering's of Good and Evil? Due to the focus on murder, it would appear so. If you're game, collect the murderers in a particular series, describe each, and see what you see.
Prior to reading GROOM I'm going to take a short break to read a novel in at least one other of the several mystery series I've begun alternating in my reading ventures. Sometimes I like to read a series back-to-back for a while, other times I feel Right Brain pushed to alternate different authors.
Living in left-handed heaven, as I read and write in Right-Brained, cozy chaos,
Linda Shelnutt
One of her best!.......2002-03-19
Jill Churchill wins again, with another suburban mystery. In Merchant of Menace, the mystery arises out of, and fits seamlessly into, Jane Jeffry's suburban milieu. Who did kill the sleazy tv expose reporter? And why? And what's up with the hillbillies who moved in next door and their wonderfully tacky Christmas decorations? The neighborhood events, the recurring characters, including some neighbors we've seen before, like the inimitable Susie, even Jane's potential mother-in-law, all ring hilariously true. I'd love to have seen more of Mel's mother, though. Seems like there should have been a denouement to the simmering conflict between them. Maybe we'll see her again some day? (Some book?)
This is the second book from this author.......2002-02-19
I just love her books- they are a fast read and I thoroughly enjoy them. Jane Jeffry's great and I love her friend Shelly Nowak. I read this one in three days. I am excited to read her others.
Pick one up today!!
An unusual neighborhood.......2002-01-16
In this and other books in the series, Jane Jeffry seems to have an unusually high number of oddball neighbors. The series, at times, is like a situation comedy run amok. While contending with the usual household problems, this widowed mother of three teenagers (plus a large yellow dog and two cats) must deal with the Christmas crunch, neighborhood activities, an unwelcome mother-in-law, the visiting mother of her significant other, new neighbors who appear to be obnoxious rich white trash, and a sleazy investigative reporter who is inserting himself into the neighborhood activities.
When the sleazeball is skewered on the antlers of a plastic reindeer, fingers point in many directions. Who was he investigating, and where are his notes? Skeletons begin emerging from various closets. The "clue" that leads Jane to the killer is a bit of a stretch.
Jane Jeffry appears to lead a chaste life. The novels in the series are written for a general audience with some violence, little sex, and no bad language. There are some minor editing problems typical of publishers pushing books into print (whatever happened to proofreaders?).
Book Description
An illustrated memoir and scrapbook from the creator of Dennis the Menace.
Hank Ketcham, the self-styled "Merchant of Dennis," passed away in 2001 at the age of 81, but not before writing this engaging memoir. In this volume, the Dennis the Menace creator charmingly tells his own colorful story, starting when he was about "five-ana-half" and first picked up the "magic pencil." A child of the Great Depression from Seattle, Ketcham abandoned college for Hollywood, to pursue a dream of making drawings for Walt Disney films. Initially rebuffed at Disney, he persisted in huffing and puffing at the Mouse Factory door (all the while drawing "Andy Pandas, rabbits, squirrels, and monkeys" at Walter Lantz studio) until finally he was let inside to labor happily on Pinocchio, Bambi, Fantasia and a host of Donald Duck shorts. World War II intervened, but Photographer's Mate Ketcham was, nevertheless, able to resume his artistic career in the Navy, where, in Washington, D.C., he created cartoons for the War Bond program. Following the war, Ketcham developed into a successful freelancer, placing cartoons in The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post and Collier's.
Then one fateful day, his harried wife screamed at him that his son Dennis was a
menace! That, of course, sparked an idea that subsequently was sold to a newspaper syndicate in the fall of 1950. Within a year, Dennis the Menace was up to a hundred daily subscribers-a figure that climbed steadily.
The Merchant of Dennis the Menace not only traces the humorous adventures of Hank Ketcham-with copious illustrations of his artistic development from a kid with an early knack for copying cartoon characters to a mature and masterful artist of everyday life in the Mitchell and Wilson households-it also offers a special insight into the life and times of the half-pint "Menace." In one unique section, Ketcham takes us behind the scenes of Dennis and provides complete backgrounds for all the major characters, including their genealogies. We are also treated to official model sheets, in-depth analysis of each character's personality and motivations, and an exclusive peek at the private sketches that Ketcham referred to of rooms in the Wilson and Mitchell homes, their backyards, and the neighborhood. To top it all off, the book includes a dozen of Ketcham's hand-picked, all-time favorite strips.
Customer Reviews:
Superb collection of stylish, cold, empty Dennis art.......2004-02-16
Hank Ketcham's cartoons are exquisite, absolutely lyrical, yet formula driven. This is the best collection of his work, and it is very instructive for aspiring cartoonists, because it shows a lot of preliminary sktches and model sheets (similar to the developement of animated films by Disney, where Ketcham worked for a time). Yet Ketcham was an artistic mediocrity with great technical facility but nothing genuine to say, and he was a stranger to his own family, especially to his son, Dennis. It's positively weird that Ketcham shows pictures of his son at age 5, the obvious inspiration for the successful strip, but after that HE PRETENDS HIS SON DOESN'T EVEN EXIST! I went through the book several times trying to find out the fate of the real Dennis, but he is simply ignored. Apparently, Ketcham's wife had psychological problems, the cartoonist divorced her and moved to Switzerland, never speaking to the boy again. Ketcham remarried, his former wife committed suicide, little Dennis came back from Vietnam with problems that he never fully overcame, and the two had no relationship beyond the stipend his father sent to keep him quiet. None of this is hinted at in Ketcham's book, which is strictly about how wonderful suburbia is, and how cute that little rascal Dennis is, and how Ketcham's career just went up and up and up. He made himself a wealthy man by selling the character every which way, eventually training assistants who gradually took over the drawing and writing, leaving Ketcham a rich, leisurely copyright owner. The gags have an artificial, frozen-in-the-fifties quality, and in all the years I have read it, it has never once been funny, thought provoking or connected to any real feelings. But the drawing of the characters and backgrounds was (when Ketcham did it personally) unsurpassed in its flowing simplicity, in its bold, unerring design. He was a true master, and his strip is still being produced, but it is just a meaningless commodity. I wonder where his son Dennis is today?
Classic Cartoons, A Great Cartoonist, Needs a Reprint!.......2000-07-11
I saw this book about 8 years ago at a college library. It features some of the best Dennis the Menace cartoons and tells of some of Hank Ketcham's real-life adventures (Hank is the author of the classic cartoon). Hank based the cartoon on himself and his real-life son, Dennis (He used to tell people "Our son Dennis is a real menace!"). If you look at some of the real-life family photos, you'll notice quite a resemblance between the Mitchell family and the Ketcham family! Hank Ketcham later took off to live in Europe in the 1960's (there's a hilarious cartoon that shows Mr. Wilson's delight that Dennis is going on a vacation but disappointed that his little nemesis will be returning!). Some of you may not understand a lot of what I'm talking about in this review and I guess you'd have to pick up a copy of The Merchant of Dennis the Menace to get a better idea of what I'm saying (which, unless this gets reprinted, many of you may never get the chance).
Amazon.com
Do you know how to set the table? Worry about your dinner manners? Finally, with The Art of the Table, Suzanne von Drachenfels comes to the rescue with a truly comprehensive guide to the correct use of tableware and confidence-building information about proper dining etiquette. Von Drachenfels, a former Tabletop Consultant for dinnerware makers Fitz & Floyd, defines the vocabulary of tableware and explains the selection, use, and care of dinnerware, flatware, stemware, and table linens. She expertly details the basic service techniques for all types of entertainment, and even includes advice on menu planning. Learn how to read the labels of wine bottles or how to filet a fish at the table; learn where and when to sit down and the proper way to eat finger foods.
Spicing up the how-to text are fascinating tidbits of social and culinary history. Who knew, for instance, that the first napkin was a lump of dough or that ancient Egyptian feasts often concluded with a coffin laid out with an imitation skeleton to remind diners to appreciate the bounteous gifts of life? The author reveals the origins of everyday expressions--such as "eating humble pie"--and covers the history of table manners to shed light on the commonsense reasons behind today's customs. Food service professionals--restaurateurs, service staff, and caterers--will find the book an indispensable guide to the correct way to set a table and present food, but anyone who has a need or yearning to know the nitty-gritty of table setting, table manners, and tableware will be sure to find answers to all of their questions and more in this exhaustive reference book. --Robin Donovan
Book Description
Coming together to share a meal is one of our most vital traditions. Whether dining with friends, family, or business associates, we know that an elegant setting and gracious manners bring a sense of harmony and order to the occasion. Yet when it comes to knowing precisely how to set a table for formal and informal dining, which fork is for dessert and which for the appetizer, how to serve different types of wine -- even how to eat certain foods -- many of us are not fully confident.
Suzanne von Drachenfels learned this firsthand in her career as an expert on table setting, tableware, and etiquette. Conducting seminars throughout the country, she would hear the same questions again and again: Should bread be buttered entirely or bite by bite? What is the purpose of holding a wine glass by the stem or the base? Is handmade crystal worth the price difference?
The Art of the Table answers all these questions and more. A treasure trove of timeless information, this complete guide is to the table what Joy of Cooking is to the kitchen. Von Drachenfels shows us how to select, lay, and use tableware to enhance any dining experience, and how to properly store and care for it -- whether it's your grandmother's porcelain or everyday stainless steel. She provides guidance on mixing and matching tableware patterns; the basics of coffee, tea, and wine; menu planning; napkin folding; and the proper service techniques for all types of entertainment. So as not to let the lore of the table fall away, she delves deep into the history of specific tableware and the customs we keep, making today's practices understandable.
For the novice host, this is an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide with more than one hundred helpful illustrations. For the host with more experience, it is a rich and exciting source of new ideas. Like its author, whose passion for the table is contagious, The Art of the Table is an authoritative, elegant, and sophisticated resource for all one's dining needs.
Customer Reviews:
Valuable but irritating.......2007-05-22
I was tempted to simply curl up on the sofa and read this substantial and well laid-out reference book, but the author's idiosyncrasies and the publisher's poor copyediting make me too uncomfortable to sit still.
Most sections start with a little rhyme or aphorism, many composed by the author herself. Unfortunately, her skill at coining a phrase does not rise to the level of her through research and fine organization. And since the editors can't even tell the difference between how to "lay" a table and what "lies" on it (for example), they apparently didn't consider reining her in. The sweetness of the information and the author's enthusiasm are made unpalatable by one cringe-inducing jingle after another and an endless, carbon-copied parade of etymology lessons. A few passages of text are so convoluted as to be indecipherable. Argh.
The good: Exhaustive information, drawings, and photographs of individual pieces of tableware (flatware and dishes), how to arrange them, how to select and purchase them, when and how to use them, and how to care for them; how to set for and serve formal and informal meals; how to select and drape tablecloths; how to decorate a table with flowers. Great information for collectors as well as hosts and guests. A handsomely set book that I've referred to again and again.
The bad: A publisher that didn't respect the author (or its customers) enough to edit her work with the same thoroughness she brought to the project.
The ugly: A book whose flaws keep it from rising to the author's vision of elegance, ease, and usefulness.
The Art of the Table.......2007-01-24
Beautiful pictures illustrate everything you wanted to know about the graceful table. This is a wonderful party planner's guide providing inspiration and fun ways to set your table and mood for dinner.
Mayra Calvani -- Curled Up With A Good Book.......2006-12-03
Do you love to entertain at home yet aren't sure of all the rules of etiquette? What is the correct place to put the butter knife? Is it necessary to put a different fork when serving fish? Should bread be buttered entirely or bite by bite? What is the difference between the various types of wine glasses?
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced host, you'll find The Art of the Table a complete, invaluable guide filled with all there is to know about table setting, table manners, and tableware.
In spite of its length, the book is easy to follow and written in reader-friendly language. It is filled with interesting facts, as well as fascinating quotes and proverbs from famous people throughout the ages. In the middle of the book the author includes beautiful color photographs of various styles of table settings--formal, informal, eclectic, European, American, Spanish colonial, rustic, contemporary, etc.. All though the book, however, there are detailed drawings used for demonstration, offering the reader a clear idea of the author's how-to explanations.
The book is divided into nine parts, each encompassing several topics:
One: Dining Fundamentals
Two: Dinnerware
Three: Flatware
Four: Stemware
Five: Table Linens
Six: Serving Techniques
Seven: Dining Finesse
Eight: Menu Plan
Nine: Table Manners
The best thing about the book is not only that it demonstrates the "how-to" of table setting, but that it offers a lot of information about tableware. For instance, in Part Four, Stemware, the author gives a historical background of glass and crystal, the different decorative methods and styles, the different categories, their shape and purpose, how to place stemware, how to purchase stemware, and even how to care for it. The same is done in the other parts with Dinnerware, Flatware, Table Linens, etc.. Thus this book is, in every sense of the word, a complete reference book.
A Complete A to Z Guide on Table Setting, Manners and Tableware........2006-02-12
At last a book that address's the who, what, when, where, how and why of table settings, tableware and manners. Very sadly over the years etiquette, especially table has been flushed down the proverbial toilet. This is a must have reference book for any home; and, makes for a great engagement, housewarming or new apartment gift. There are two (2) hope chests sitting within the walls of our home; both have a copy of The Art of the Table. Upon receiving this book, my girls and I sat down and started to skim through it,two (2) hours later found us taking out the fine china, stemware and silver. We set both a formal and informal table. A memory I shall forever treasure. Suzanne Von Drachenfels thank you, for this great book.
A phenominal resource book dedicated to enlighten and inform its reader........2005-10-07
The Art of The Table - A Complete Guide to Table Setting, Table Manners, and Tableware, is extremely thorough in covering all the details related to proper table etiquette. Author Suzanne Von Drachenfels makes it so easy, and entertaining in the process, finding the answer to any mealtime dilemma.
In nine, worldly-wise written chapters, you will learn all about table fundamentals. Starting with the dining experience (formal vs. informal), then dinnerware, flatware, stemware, table linens, serving techniques, dining finesse, menu planning, Suzanne completes her mission with her undertaking of table manners in a changing world. Her history lessons compliment any given subject and are very enjoyable. Excellent!
Average customer rating:
- Fantastic! The first of The Vampire Genevieve chronicles.
- Truly Original
- Good, Gory Fun
- One of the best Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay novels
- A Great Work
|
Drachenfels (Warhammer)
Jack Yeovil
Manufacturer: Games Workshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Genevieve Undead (Warhammer)
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Beasts in Velvet (Warhammer)
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Silver Nails (Warhammer Novels)
ASIN: 0743411706
Release Date: 2001-07-31 |
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic! The first of The Vampire Genevieve chronicles........2007-03-01
Being accustomed to the Dan Abnett, Gaunt's Ghosts style of Warhammer fiction, I wasn't sure what to expect from a Warhammer novel starring a vampire. I was VERY pleasantly surprised to find myself totally taken in by this book and finishing it in less than 24 hours. The characters and Yeovil's excellent writing style make this one of the most enjoyable and memorable books I've read in a while.
The book takes the form of a dark and gritty mystery (without the reader being sure of what the mystery to be solved really is) with classic elements of fantasy and spoof comedy. Its really hard for me to do this book justice because I'm not quite sure exactly why it was as gripping as it was.. The characters are rich and believable (for a fantasy) while the storyline progresses smoothly without slowing down from the beginning to the dramatic conclusion (which has a totally unexpected and thrilling twist). The story is told from multiple characters' perspectives, giving the reader a good feel of what is going on from multiple angles.
The basic premise consists of a prince of the realm sponsoring a theatre production telling of his famous defeat of the dark and evil Constant Drachenfels. Genevieve played a role in the original feat and is invited back to participate in the play version. Twists and turns and mysterious happenings plague the production as hilarious characters scheme and plot for their own agendas. It may not sound like much, and it is unique in the Warhammer world, but Jack Veovil does an outstanding job in creating a marvelously fun read that will keep you thinking and interested the whole time.
Highly recommended for readers of all ages. Interest in the Warhammer world is not relevant in the least.
Truly Original.......2007-01-05
This novel transcends its genre (fantasy) and its sub category (novel based on a role-playing game). Yeovil (Kim Newman ingeniously turns fantasy cliches on their head. To wit:
1. Whereas your typical fantasy quest novel (or trilogy) ends with the heroes slaying an evil wizard, Drachenfels BEGINS with the heroes defeating said wizard (Drahcenfels). Fast-forward 20 years: the main character is a playwrite (a hilarious blend of Shakespeare and Orson Wells) who is writing a play about how the heroes killed the wizard.
2. The "heroes" have aged into alcoholics and burnouts. And the truth is they weren't all that heroic to begin with.
3. There's a dwarf who is actually a real, human dwarf, in a world which has fantasy dwarfs. (When have you seen THAT in a fantasy book?)
4. The story is not a quest but a murder-mystery thriller set in a theater.
Kim Newman loves to throw in pop-culture references and there are plenty to be found here. There is a Clint Eastwood-type character and Drachenfels is "Dracula" with wizard powers (Newman even takes dialogue directly from "Dracula".) If you find the above ideas amusing, you will love this book. It's the best "Warhammer" book and IMHO it's the best "role-playing game tie in book" ever, although you need to know nothing about the world of Warhammer to enjoy the book.
Warning: tear out the "teaser page" just inside the cover. Strangely, it reveals who the killer is, potentially spoiling the mystery.
Good, Gory Fun.......2002-03-24
Drachenfels, written by Kim Newman under a pseudonym in the late 1980s, is apparently set in some bizarro RPG universe involving long, teutonic-sounding names and plenty of Tolkienian orcs and beasties.
As might be expected from Newman in such a context, this is a great goof of a book, simultaneously embracing and spoofing over the top fantasy/horror conventions. One must assume Drachenfels one of the few books set in this universe to be focused upon theater history.
Though it lacks the sophistication of the fiction Newman writes under his own name (and this Genevieve has little of the rich inner life she displays in the Anno Dracula books) Drachenfels is quite funny -- particularly in its Orson Wellsian leading man. Its actually the action/pacing elements that disappoint. Newman just doesn't seem to have spent much time on them.
But this is good, gory fun if you've a taste for such stuff. And it is interesting to note that back in the 80's, when horror fiction's splatterpunks were bafflingly attempting to build an ideology out of ultraviolent grue, Newman was already making a joke of it.
One of the best Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay novels.......2002-03-04
These books were all but unavailable in the US for a very long time, and I'm gratified to see them coming out again. Kim Newman, writing as Jack Yeovil for reasons that escape me, is a talented writer with an interesting and original take on the Warhammer universe and on vampirism. His version doesn't quite jibe with the game's rules, but that makes it more interesting. One of the real stars of this book, though, is the villain...a monster that makes Voldemort (in the Harry Potter universe) or Darth Vader look like a couple of little old ladies. His idea of a funny practical joke to play is itself worth the price of the book. Although this isn't a great classic of fantasy literature, it's far and away above the normal run of game-related books.
A Great Work.......2001-12-16
The Black library collection is not where most people would ever think they'd be finding one of the best books they'll ever read. To all of those lured into the book Drachenfels by Jack Yeovil aka Kym Newman be glad you were.
Jack Yeovil proves himself not just a skilled writer, but a man capable of seducing you into loving his work.
Drachenfels is a great fantasy novel...horror novel...suspense novel. His characters are complelling ,and his gift of vivid vision of the Warhammer World just puts the icing on the cake for the fans of the Warhammer stories & Games.
It's no surprise that shortly after this Novel was published Jack Yeovil fell out of the modest budget range of the Black library.
This book has earned it's permanent place in my library for years to come, and I would recommend it highly to anyone who just loves a "Great Story". You'll be powerless to put it down, and the page turning will be as effortless as a blink of the eye.
Yeovil paces it like a Master Craftsman, keeps you thinking up to the end, scripts it so smooth you'd think your mother was reading you a bedtime story, and ends it with an incredible climax.
It doesn't get any better.
Product Description
Suspended between life and death for over six hundred years, Genevieve Dieudonné is beautiful, powerful, resourceful and courageous. In the crowded cities and dark forests of the Warhammer world, Genevieve and her companions battle the forces of evil and insanity. But the vampire blood running through her veins means she must constantly fight the urge to surrender to the evil within her. The Vampire Genevieve collects all the tales of Genevieve and her unusual allies in one thrilling volume.Genevieve joins a young prince on a quest to find Drachenfels, the Great Enchanter, and put an end to his reign of terroran adventure that both ends and begins at the Enchanter's fortress, where a playwright intends to stage a recreation of Drachenfels' death. But the castle hides secrets that may close the curtains on Genevieve and her friends forever. In Genevieve Undead, three linked novellas offer up the dark secrets of the Old World, as Genevieve's adventures take her from the daemon-haunted passages of an old theatre to the spell-ridden maze of an accursed mansion to a unicorn hunt in an enchanted forest.In Beasts in Velvet, a disgraced watchman comes out of retirement to hunt down The Beast, a serial killer who dispatches women on the streets of Altdorfand who seems to be two creatures in one body. Also included is Silver Nails, a collection of five tales, plus a new introduction by the author.
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Castle Drachenfels (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay)
Carl Sargent
Manufacturer: Games Workshop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books | Changeling | Dungeons & Dragons | General | Mage | Military Strategy Games | Strategy | Vampire | Werewolf
ASIN: 1872372325 |
Average customer rating:
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Drachenfels 11:06: A Suspense Novel
Allen Brookins-Brown
Manufacturer: Writer's Showcase Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0595189873 |
Book Description
A young American archaeologist is unwittingly trapped in a web of espionage and intrigue aboard a doomed high speed European express train.
A nostalgic view of European royalty and a young American archaeologist innocently caught up in Middle East espionage plots to blow up a high-speed train.
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Drachenfels [Warhammer]
Manufacturer: GW Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1855150018 |
Books:
- The Outside Man
- The Pearl Diver: A Novel
- The Prince of Beverly Hills
- The Secret of Chimneys
- The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance
- The Singing of the Dead (Kate Shugak Novels)
- The Smoke Room: A Novel of Suspense
- Three to Get Deadly: A Stephanie Plum Novel (Stephanie Plum Novels)
- Trap Line
- Trial Run
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