Average customer rating:
- awful
- Stick to what you do best!
- I Beg to Disagree
- Very disappointing book.
- JUST STAY AWAY
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Keeper of the Keys
Perri O'Shaughnessy
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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O'Shaughnessy, Perri
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ASIN: 0385337965
Release Date: 2006-10-31 |
Book Description
For ambitious, troubled architect Ray Jackson, the nightmare begins one sultry California night when his wife disappears. No phone call, no ransom note, no body, reveals whether Leigh is dead or alive.
Then, suddenly, a woman shows up on Ray’s doorstep demanding answers: Kathleen, an old friend of Leigh’s. Ray wants answers, too, but his questions seem strange and shady to Kat. Suspected by his wife’s friend and by the police, Ray launches a desperate and alarming search of his own. Using a collection of keys he has held on to since he was a boy–keys to homes he and his mother once lived in–Ray quietly yet boldly enters each house, one by one, hoping to unlock the secrets of his own past. As past and present collide, as a chilling mystery begins to unravel, Ray is suddenly confronted with the most agonizing decision of his life–to face his own violence-laden past, acting to prevent another horrendous act of violence, or not. His choice will leave nothing and no one the same.
Customer Reviews:
awful.......2007-10-03
I have never written a review about a book before, but this one was so bad I felt compelled to help others avoid the mistake of buying it as I did...too bad I didn't read the other reviews first myself.
It seemed disjointed and repetitive (perhaps a problem with having two authors??). There were lots of cliches and a lot of bad writing that sounded like a horny teenage boy came up with it. I like to be given a little credit as a reader, and not have the author repeat the same thing over and over again, as if I couldn't pick up on it the first or second or third time. But I lost track of how many times the book mentioned the traffic in LA, or the burnt, ugly landscape. The characters weren't very interesting or likable, and I found myself not caring what happened to any of them.
I had decided not to even finish it because it seemed like a waste of time, but I kept reading thinking it would get better, and I wanted to give the book a chance. I had guessed the ending long before I got to the last pages, and it seemed to be the culmination of a bad story that only got published because the authors had managed some halfway decent books in the past. This is the kind of book that makes me not want to read another mystery again. It was my first O'Shaughnessy book...and my last.
Stick to what you do best!.......2007-08-16
These two writers should not delve into other areas; apparently they have Nina Reilly down pat and her stories are always good. This book does not seem to have been written by the sisters at all. I was very disappointed in the characters, especially the two sisters Kat and Jacki. Are these autobiographical? Sorry, but I would not recommend.
I Beg to Disagree.......2007-07-06
OK, I'm truly shocked by the negative reviews. Having read everything the O'Shaughnessy Sisters have written, I found "Keeper of the Keys" a terrific departure from the Nina Reilly series--spooky, fast-paced, mysterious and dark. Is it the greatest mystery ever written? I guess not, but it had me wondering through most of the book, and quickly turning pages to find out what happens next.
A lot of the book was reminiscent of J.D. Robb's (aka Nora Roberts') style in the "In Death" series--no-nonsense, jumps right in to the story, very fast-paced, not a lot of frill. And I love that.
The story begins with a fight between a quite spooky but brilliant architect, Ray, and his unfaithful wife, Leigh--who disappears right after the fight. Did Ray kill her? It's a strong possiblity, as he seems unhinged as it is. Did his equally unhinged mother have a part in the probable murder? And what of Leigh's old friend Kat, who suddenly reappears and wants to help Ray find Leigh even when she believes he probably murdered her?
I found this a terrific summer read...I see I'm in the minority, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Very disappointing book........2007-06-03
This was my first time reading O'Shaughnessy and I was very disappointed. I love a good mystery but having a grown man use keys that he's had all his life to enter various houses he lived in as a boy bordered on the absurd for me. I got through the first 150 pages and could not go any further. I've heard really good things about the O'Shaugnessy novels and I couldn't wait to finally read one but I'm not sure I'll ever pick-up another one.
JUST STAY AWAY.......2007-05-15
We borrowed this book-on-cd for our roadtrip to St. Louis. BAD IDEA. The story couldn't be more clogged with terrible metaphors, lame cliches, weak characters, and stupid plot twists. I mean, a redhead with a bad reputation? A pregnant woman getting hit by a limo? A doting mother who insists "Now, you eat your delicious cake!"????
Save your money for something more worthwhile, like your HMO co-pay.
Customer Reviews:
Hibiscus and 1920's Mystery.......2007-08-17
You can almost feel the gentle trade winds of Hawaii during the 1920's in these two classic novels by Earl Derr Biggers. Romantic and full of atmosphere, they are a most enjoyable read that was our first introduction to Charlie Chan. Biggers was always a great romance writer who simply incorporated mystery into his books to propel the story forward. This was never more evident than in The House Without a Key and The Chinese Parrot. Some Chan fans are less fond of the first two books featuring Charlie because he is not the central focus as in later novels, but it is for that very reason I find them to be his best.
Biggers' second Chan entry, The Chinese Parrot, follows the pattern of the first as a young Bob Eden finds both mystery and romance involving the delivery of some pearls. Chan is along for the ride, of course, and there is plenty of atmosphere and a dash of romance in the old-fashioned vein to keep the reader interested. One must begin with where it all started, however, and The House Without a Key is an enduring masterpiece of mystery and romance.
The story centers around young and very proper John Quincy Winterslip of Boston, who has been sent to retrieve the elder Minerva Winterslip from the semi-barbaric Pacific Islands of Hawaii. When his ship stops in San Francisco on its journey to the islands, however, John Quincy's idea of who he is begins to change, and the possibility that there is a world outside of Boston and Beacon Hill begins to take shape. A mysterious errand in the city by the bay for the black sheep of the family, Dan Winterslip, also living in Hawaii, will begin an adventure that will in the end make him a man.
The murder of Dan Winterslip shortly before John's arrival will reveal old family secrets from a time when Hawaii was wild and dangerous, and a port for all the world. John Quincy does not understand the nostalgia Minerva and others feel for this time in Hawaii's history. But there is romance in those trade winds blowing the cocoa palms. John will meet Carlota Egan, a girl who could not be further away from the fiancee awaiting him back in Boston. But as John Quincy begins to help his lovely cousin Barbara and Minerva get to the bottom of Dan's murder, Boston seems like a distant memory.
Luckily for John, Hawaii's best police detective will help him unravel the clues that will lead to an exciting revelation, and in the process become his friend. That detective is Charlie Chan. An Asian who has been in Hawaii many years, Chan navigates the mystery with little to go on, but with much wisdom and humor. The Charlie Chan of The House Without a Key is subtle and endearing. Chan may be Chinese, but his very American take on a piece of pie he is not happy with is a hoot!
Biggers truly makes both his characters and the islands of Hawaii come alive in his first novel in which Charlie Chan appeared. His descriptions of Hawaii through the eyes of those characters are nostalgic and filled with beauty. The House Without a Key is that rare novel which can be read with pleasure by both those who love a good mystery, and those who love a light and atmospheric romance. If both are your cup of tea, this great classic is definitely for you.
Having Charlie Chan's first two appearences together again is fabulous for his many fans. They are great reads during summer when things are bright and cheery, or during winter, when you want to escape. Make yourself one of those drinks with an umbrella in it, or just grab your oversized Hawaiin luau shirt and head on out to the lanai to begin your adventure.
Romance, historic settings, race relations, and murder.......2002-04-19
Between 1925 and 1932, Earl Derr Biggers wrote six novels about Charley Chan, a fictional Chinese detective, who was to become a pop culture icon through his representation in Hollywood movies. It is said that the author based his character on a genuine Chinese detective in Honolulu named Chang Apana that he read about while vacationing in Honolulu. In a time when "white priviledge" was assumed, Detective Chan overcomes racial barriers as he pursues white murderers in a white society. The only other Chinese in evidence in these stories are servants and laborers. The novels take place in the Honolulu and California of post World War I America and the descriptions of these long-gone settings are wonderfully rich and rewarding. Each story not only tells how a puzzling murder is solved, but also has a sub-plot of young people finding true love. Romance, historic settings, race relations, and a murder mystery are all the earmarks of a Charley Chan novel. They are a joy to read and much better than the movies of the 1930s and 1940s. I am disappointed that the book has only five of the six Charley Chan novels. Included in this volume are: The House Without a Key (1925); The Chinese Parrot (1926); Behind That Curtain (1928); The Black Camel (1929); and, Keeper of the Keys (1932). The one novel left out is: Charlie Chan Carries On (1930). I hope that someday we will be able to buy all six in one volume with an introductory essay that gives some background on the author and discusses the influence of these novels.
3 excellent + 2 poor books = a very good bargain.......1998-09-27
This anthology of five novels written between 1925 and 1932 break cleanly into two groups. The first three books (House without a Key, Chinese Parrot, and Behind that Curtain) are clever, entertaining and quite enjoyable. That last two are contrived with the proverbial red herrings dragged everywhere to confuse the issue but not to add to the enjoyment. An interesting footnote to 'House without a Key' is its characters' comments that the beauty of Hawaii is being destroyed by the commercialism and tourists. This, in 1925.
My advice is read the first three books and stop at that point. You'll have gotten your money's worth and you'll avoid the bitter aftertaste the latter two books impart.
Average customer rating:
- Key Keepers a Keeper
- This book is definitely a keeper....
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A Key Keepers Mystery: The Game Begins
Liz Shore
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1424136881
Release Date: 2006-08-07 |
Book Description
What does a weird poem written by a dying uncle have in common with a 13-hour clock, a map with missing states, a book of island recipes, and a six-toed cat? These are just some of the clues that Emma, Maddie, and Michael must piece together in order to find and rescue Uncle Jack's greatest treasure before it is stolen by an enemy named Victor. The Game Begins with a vacation to the ancient forts of St. Augustine, but it soon leads them on a swamp tromp through the Everglades and then into the coral reefs of the Florida Keys. What they discover there will change their lives forever. They hold the keys to this mystery. They are the Key Keepers.
Customer Reviews:
Key Keepers a Keeper.......2007-05-02
As a 30 year veteran of children's literature, I recommend this book for reading together or as a class project. Not only will students enjoy the characterization of Emma, Maddie and Michael, but they will also learn about the geographics of the setting of the story. Readers will be eager to be just one step ahead of the adventure-seeking trio. This is a series to take note of for middle readers. A great effort for a beginning author.
This book is definitely a keeper...........2007-01-13
Great educational mystery novel, I enjoyed reading it just as much as my 10 year old son, we both enjoyed it even though mystery novels are not his genre, they are mine! Highly recommended for family or classroom reading. Looking forward to more books from this author.
Book Description
Recounts the memories of the men and women Wayne K. Patterson knew and worked with during the 40 years he served in the Colorado Correction system. Supplementing the stories are pictures of prison breaks, execution orders, prison life along with politicians and other men and women that the remarkable Warden Patterson lived and worked with. The book is an easy read full of amusing, sad and sometimes dangerous stories of the Warden's experience. Readers enjoy it because it can be read all in one setting or story by story.
Customer Reviews:
Keeper of the Keys.......2005-02-05
All of the stories are very interesting and give a great deal of insight into the lives of prisoners in the 1950s and 1960s. I found the anecdote about the Warden's mother fascinating. Having a mother who was adamantly against the death penalty and then having to be the one to enforce it must have been very stressful. Good read. Five stars.
Book Description
'THE FIRELORD'S HEIR MUST BE HUNTED DOWN AND SLAIN!'
This is the cry of the Accursed as they sweep through the ruins of doomed Elrinfaer. Their prey is Ivainson Jaric, Keeper of the Keys, heir of the Firelord. The geas placed by the Stormwarden on Firelord has passed down to his son - and Jaric must guard the Keys that keep the Mharg-demons bound.
His blood gifts him with raw power - but not enough. Jaric had hoped to renounce his duty and pass the Keys back to their maker. But the Stormwarden sleeps within ice cliffs of his own making. Now, Jaric must become a Vaere- trained sorcerer land embrace the Cycle of Fire - the mastery of which consumed Firelord's soul, driving him to madness and leading him to betray his own people.
Will the same price be demanded of Jaric? Or can he master THE CYCLE OF FIRE ...?
Customer Reviews:
Good, but not great........1998-08-15
I've read this book as well as the one before and, though it's not exactly the best series out there, it's nice enough. Jaric is a good character as well as Taen, but the storyline, which at first seems novel and original, is simply more of the same. Its only real originality comes from the origin of the demons and the truth about Kor's Fires. Other than that . . . Well, as I said, good, but not great.
I stayed up all night just to see how it ended!.......1998-04-23
Usually when I read a book that's part of a series without having read the series, I get confused. I didn't have that problem with Keeper of the Keys. I found myself drawn into the storyline, cheering Jaric's successes and feeling his pain and confusion in his struggles. The author does not overload you with too much scenery or descriptions. This book is a keeper!
The book that catches your attention!.......1998-04-17
The Keeper of the keys is a very nice story as it tells the whole story in detail, not vague like some of the other books I've read. I thouroughly enjoy reading this book and I couldn't put it down once I had started reading it. We follow Jaric's adventures on the second book of the Cycle of Fire and we feel excited when he meets danger. It is simply fantastic, I've never read anything like this! You should read it!
Customer Reviews:
A Good Read, A Better Reference.......2004-07-15
In "Keepers of the Keys" Nicholas Cheetham gives the reader an overview of each and every Pope. Necessarily superficial, it does give the reader a general knowledge of highlights and trends in the history of the Papacy. Besides the history of the Papacy, this book provides the reader with a glimpse into European history as it intersects with the story of the Church.
There were several concepts which were interesting to me. Among them were the competition in the early Church for primacy between the Sees of Rome and Constantinople. The various justifications advanced for the primacy of Rome, based primarily on succession to St. Peter, are explained. The changing roles of the Papacy as the Church emerged from its beginnings as an oppressed minority to its reign as the Religion of the Empire and beyond, mirror the evolving political organizations through the centuries. The sections dealing with the suppression of the Jesuits and the responses of Popes Pius XI and Pius XII to the Nazis were presented from angles which I had not previously encountered.. The suggestion that Hitler may have arrested Pius XII and taken him to Germany, as Napoleon's underlings had taken Pius VII to France in continuation of the all too traditional fate of many prior popes, creates an interesting "What if?"
There were some things that I questioned about this book. I had head that, for some Popes, very little is known beyond their names. Cheetham sees to have known something about each one, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt. During much of he book, it seems that the main interests of the Popes were political. Even many of the heresies seemed to be intertwined with political and dynastic rivalries. I wondered if the Popes ever dealt with religious issues until I got to the sections on more modern Popes. Again, giving Cheetham the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the early Popes were more occupied by earthly, rather than spiritual, concerns.
This book is an interesting read. I caution readers to stick with it, as I found it to improve toward the end, as it dealt with modern Popes with whom we are more familiar. After reading it through I plan to keep it handy for reference. I found this book to be an enjoyable read and a valuable resource as will, I trust, anyone with an interest I the development of the Papacy.
Average customer rating:
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Keeper of the Keys
Wilton Wynn
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 039455762X
Release Date: 1988-08-12 |
Customer Reviews:
A Key Insight.......1999-12-24
The author is a master of print. His knowledge of the Vatican & the papacy is unsurpassed. It is as though he grew up in the Vatican.
Average customer rating:
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The Keepers of the Keys
Lee Dickenson
Manufacturer: Lost Coast Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1882897323 |
Amazon.com
Samuel Johnson once called the medical profession "the greatest benefit to mankind." In the 20th century, the quality of that benefit has improved more and more rapidly than at any other comparable time in history. With all the capabilities of modern medicine's practicioners, however, we as a people are as worried about our health as ever.
Roy Porter, a social historian of medicine the London's Wellcome Institute, has written an dauntingly thick history of how medical thinking and practice has risen to the challenges of disease through the centuries. But delve into its pages, and you'll find one marvelous bit of history after another. The obvious highlights are touched upon--Hippocrates introduces his oath, Pasteur homogenizes, Jonas Salk produces the polio vaccine, and so on--but there's also Dr. Francis Willis's curing of The Madness of King George, W. T. G. Morton's hucksterish use of ether in surgery, and research on digestion conducted using a man with a stomach fistula (if you don't know what that means, you may not want to know). Porter is straightforward about his deliberate focus on Western medical traditions, citing their predominant influence on global medicine, and with The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, he has produced a volume worthy of that tradition's legacy.
Book Description
Hailed as "a remarkable achievement" (Boston Sunday Globe) and as "a triumph: simultaneously entertaining and instructive, witty and thought-provoking . . . a splendid and thoroughly engrossing book" (Los Angeles Times), Roy Porter's charting of the history of medicine affords us an opportunity as never before to assess its culture and science and its costs and benefits to mankind. Porter explores medicine's evolution against the backdrop of the wider religious, scientific, philosophical, and political beliefs of the culture in which it develops, covering ground from the diseases of the hunter-gatherers to today's threat of AIDS and ebola, from the clearly defined conviction of the Hippocratic oath to the muddy ethical dilemmas of modern-day medicine. Offering up a treasure trove of historical surprises along the way, this book "has instantly become the standard single-volume work in its field" (The Lancet). The Greatest Benefit to Mankind was a finalist for the National Book Critic's Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and a New York Times Notable Book of 1998.
Customer Reviews:
Though Roy is gone, his memory lives on.......2007-02-22
Roy has an erudite style and a level of detail that makes this book both a joy to read and a reference to use frequently. His references and bibliography alone are very extensive - the kind I would expect in a PhD - even though he claims they are not exhaustive. Clearly, Roy was setting a standard for his students, colleagues and followers. His illustrations show his debt to the Wellcome foundation.
Simply the Best History of Medicine.......2006-11-28
This wonderful book by Roy Porter is simply the best available history of medicine. It is long and detailed, as befits a huge topic. It is Eurocentric, as is most of modern medicine. It stresses the scientific origins of the development of modern medicine.
While doing all of these things, it remains a very readable book. Porter's writing style is lucid and at times entertaining -- quite welcome attributes in a tome on the history of medicine.
Having waded through other histories of medicine, I believe this is the best. And the paperback version is a wonderful bargain!
My Best Buy this year!.......2005-08-10
This is a magnificent overview of the history of disease and medicine from antiquity to the modern age. Porter writes with humour and insight, selecting carefully from the abundance of evidence the significant moments and figures. Both fascinating and informative this book is also extremely good value with its 718 pages, plus bibliography and index. This is my best buy for the year.
The book was definitely worth the price of admission........2005-08-02
Although very tedious, this book was chock full of information. Mind you, I would never have purchased this book for leisure reading. (This was a required text for a college class) I did, however, find this book both interesting, intellectually stimulating, and detailed.
Hefty, tries to cover everything, but lacks details.......2005-07-27
Imagine trying to squeeze the entire history of medicine, from the birth of the craft with Hippocrates all the way to the modern age of AIDS and Dr. Kevorkian and all points in between into 800 pages. It's a goal that Roy Porter attempts to make, and he succeeds to some extent.
His primary theme is the development of Western Medicine in Europe and America, and as a historical work it is very well done. He only briefly mentions Eastern medicine and rarely covers "irregular" medical practioners except to say that many members of the public subscribe to their folk remedies.
What he does well is in his coverage of the breadth of the topic. There is hardly an historical point he fails to mention, a significant doctor left out, or a disease left undiscussed. His ability to breathe life into history is exceptional. In what seems like just the span of a few pages, he has covered a huge swath of history seamlessly.
However, the book suffers depth-wise. There isn't hardly enough space to give deep coverage to every topic and Porter skims past many historical items and persons without a second word. The book also has the problem of grouping photos and illustrations together far from the textual contexts that they arise from.
What is most saddening about the history of medicine is that while we have progressed very far in the understanding of disease, we haven't come very far at all in understanding how to Cure disease. Porter pushes this point home as the book draws to a close. What progress has been made has been made primarily in the 20th century with the greater level of technologic progress and antiseptic techniques. However, despite that, acute diseases that vexed humanity for ages still haunt us and chronic diseases that lay dormant in our genes are coming to the fore. The future may hold cures for the diseases we suffer from, but if history is any guide, then management of those diseases is a more likely outcome.
This book works well as a survey of the history of Western Medicine. It provides jumping off points to further research on any number of topics that the reader may not have been previously familiar with. His bibliography and Further Reading sections are chock full of additional texts that will serve anyone wanting more depth. I highly recommend this book.
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