MIRANDA JAMES
Feminine amateur sleuths are common in the Mystery genre, but Miranda James's hero in her "Cat in the Stacks" series is a Southern gentleman who loves his 36-pound Maine Coon…
JEFF SHAARA
Jeff Shaara wrote Gods and Generals as a prequel to his father's novel, The Killer Angels. Both approach the history of the American Civil War not as strictly historical narratives…
JILL CHURCHILL
"I thank all that is holy that you two didn't go into law enforcement." That is the sentiment of a detective in the Jane Jeffry Mystery series of Jill Churchill.…
Quotable Quotes
I have sung the praises of Louis L'Amour before, but I have been thinking lately of the messages of independence and self-reliance woven into his tales. I quote here from…
R. D. Blackmore
I had heard of the classic Lorna Doone, but had not had the opportunity to read it until recently. First published in 1841, it is a love story told from…
NANCY ATHERTON
An advantage of the Cosy Mystery genre is the fact it requires no grisly murders or deep drama. Aunt Dimity and the Summer King provides an excellent example that keeps…
Mary Jo Putney
Romance writer Mary Jo Putney has woven in The Rake a historical-fiction tale of personal redemption as well as intrigue among the aristocrats of Britain. This is a second edition…
Biographies and Autobiographies
Frankly, I rarely read biographies and autobiographies, especially those of politicians and industrialists. But I picked up Peter Ustinov's Dear Me simply because here was one man whose life might…
LASTING IDEAS
Isaac Asimov wrote intriguing stories, but perhaps what will last even beyond those tales is his notion of The Laws of Robotics. His original three laws are quoted here, from…
M. A. FOSTER
The Warriors of Dawn is a pocket novel I picked from a free-book tree I occasionally donate to. An oldie (1975) but an extraordinarily imaginative tale in the science fiction…