Bark M For Murder

Book Description

In the tradition of Avon's successful anthologies, four of our finest mystery authors unite to bring us an incredible collection of stories featuring favourite sleuths and clever canines, with each author's unique style enriching this fantastic compilation.

In the expert hands of four unsurpassed storytellers, crime meets canine. Evildoers beware! Four of mystery fiction's top storytellers are setting the hounds on your trail –– in an incomparable quartet of crime stories with a canine edge. Man's (and Woman's) best friends take the lead in this phenomenal collection of tales tense and surprising, humorous and thrilling –– from New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance's spellbinding saga of a scam–busting septuagenarian and her two golden retrievers, to Anthony Award–winner Virginia Lanier's pureblood thriller featuring bloodhounds and bloody murder, to Chassie West's suspenseful stunner about a life–saving German shepherd and a ghastly forgotten crime, to rising star Lee Charles Kelley's shaggy dog story that pits a kennel owner and a toy poodle against a craven killer.

Download Description

Who let the dogs out?

Evildoers beware! Four of mystery fiction's top storytellers are setting the hounds on your trail -- in an incomparable quartet of crime stories with a canine edge. Man's (and woman's) best friends take the lead in this phenomenal collection of tales tense and surprising, humorous and thrilling: New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance's spellbinding saga of a scam-busting septuagenarian and her two golden retrievers; Anthony Award winner Virginia Lanier's pureblood thriller featuring bloodhounds and bloody murder; Chassie West's suspenseful stunner about a life-saving German shepherd and a ghastly forgotten crime; rising star Lee Charles Kelley's edge-of-your-seat yarn that pits an ex-cop/kennel owner and a yappy toy poodle against a craven killer.

Customer Reviews:

Yip, yip - woof, woof! .......2007-05-23

Anthologies are always a mixed bag. Which is probably why they're so appealing. They're great for when you're not up to concentrating on a full-length story, or only have little bits of reading time available, for whatever reason. Generally speaking, they almost always introduce you to a new author or two. It's hardly surprising then, that they get such mixed reviews. Hardly anyone ever likes every single story equally. As it happens, I've read two anthologies in a row, and while they're vastly different from each other (the other one has three stories by a single author) there are still some similarities between them.

The theme here is dogs in various capacities--working dogs or just pets. I'm not sure I've previously read anything by Virginia Lanier or Chassie West. However, nothing in either story would keep me from reading them in the future. Lanier certainly knew her beans when it came to bloodhounds and their unique capabilities, which she displays to good effect in "Red Shirt and Black Jacket". Jo Beth Sidden is one tough and very enjoyable lady, as she finds the bad guy with the help of her super canine snoop.

Chassie West's "Nightmare in Nowhere" was a bit out there, and I found it hard to follow at times. Duke is a good ol' boy in the form of a German shepherd who isn't yet ready to retire as a rescue dog, in spite of what his humans seem to think. A.J.'s amnesia is presented in a very factual way, as is the recovery of her memory in little bits and pieces. Sure seemed realistic to me!

I have read most of Lee Charles Kelley's books, but this cleverly titled short story "The French Poodle Connection" didn't really do it for me. The dog--a yappy toy poodle--was certainly portrayed accurately. Trouble is, this story didn't need a dog. It would have been a perfectly fine story even without the poodle. But, of course, that wouldn't work because he writes dog books. The story certainly had enough twists and turns to satisfy anyone wanting to know whodunnit or why.

My absolute favorite of the batch was "The Case of the London Cabbie" by J.A. Jance. The fact that the heroine is a lady of a certain age didn't hurt! 70-something Maddy Watkins and her two golden retrievers use their combined brains to win the battle against the brawn on the bad guys, in this engaging tale of sisters who need each other more than they thought they did. I'd love to read a full-length book about Maddy and her `girls'. I can't help but think others would too!

Half time.......2007-01-11

With four experienced writers contributing stories to this book, I expected better. The first two stories are readable, the last two are a waste of time. Sometimes combining authors is not a 'good thing'.

Do you like canines?.......2006-03-22

It is rare to have a collection of stories all about canines. This book has four of them. I enjoyed all four fairly well, but I did have my favorites that I cheered for as the stories progressed.

"Red Shirt and Black Jacket" follows two bloodhounds as they search for a murderer through the backwoods of Georgia. The dogs and their handlers are not afraid of the culprits but the criminals in hiding were sore afraid of them.

"Nightmare to Nowhere" tells of a woman that had an accident, or so she thinks, whom a German Shepherd leads from the scene of that accident into a mystery life. The Shepherd knew where he was going but how far dare this woman trust him?

"The French Poodle Connection" was perhaps my least favorite. This could be because I have never really adored Poodles. The story is interesting and canine lovers will find it interesting as the story traverses through a mystery.

"The Case of the London Cabbie" is very good. J.A. Nance keeps the story moving and interesting. Two Golden Retrievers share a story of "who is what they say they are" and "who do we believe?" You will find this mystery fast moving and intriguing as you watch the characters weave their way to deception.

All in all, if you like dogs and mysteries, you will not want to put this book down.

Enjoyable but not exceptional stories.......2006-03-18

This collection of 4 short stories is a pleasant read but not exceptional. Virginia Lanier's story is the strongest and the others are good but lack "heft".

A Gem of a Line-up.......2006-03-11

J.A. Jance and Lee Charles Kelley are two of my favorite authors. However, I was eager to buy this book because of a different name: Virginia Lanier. I loved her Bloodhound series and was sad it had to end. Her short story in this compilation is a flawless little gem. Now I'll have to read her novels all over again.

Average customer rating:

Bark M for Murder
Lanier, West, Kelley Jance
Manufacturer: Avon Books;
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739466119

Set of 4 by J.A. Jance ~ Kiss of the Bees ~ Name Withheld ~ Long Time Gone ~ Bark M for Murder

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Set of 4 by J.A. Jance ~ Kiss of the Bees ~ Name Withheld ~ Long Time Gone ~ Bark M for Murder
J.A. Jance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000T7NJ3O

Book Description

"A Whisper of Wings" chronicles a time of spiritual crisis in the lives of a non-human race of hunter/gatherers known as the Kashra. As disaster looms over their stagnant and calcified culture, two Messiahs arise -- each one pure in their vision, yet tragically opposed. War and terror, hope and love, power and majesty vie in a conflict that will tear a people asunder and remake them again in the fires of conflict.

Customer Reviews:

A powerfull story of hate and love.......2007-09-21

"A whisper of Wings" is a powerful story of hate, love, ambition, dreams, life and death.
The story sets in a world were foxlike creatures with butterfly-wings lives.
We meet characters like Shadarii and Zhukora.
Shadarii is mute and looked down by the others, but she is strong and never gives up hope. She respects everything around her and is caring and friendly.
Her older sister Zhukora is a huntress and a little more aggressive. She wants to put an end to her tribe`s rules and change the world. A strong leader that many will follow.

I loved this novel, since the characters with their ambitions and dreams is unforgetable. The art by Terrie Smith was outstanding.
This is a story that I will read over and over again.

Unbelievable.......2007-03-24

A Whisper of Wings has been my favorite novel since I read it in 2002. I cannot stress enough how amazing, deep, and well-thought this piece of literature is. It can be read on many levels, even on the philosophical level. It is beautiful from end to end, and will keep you up at night (consider reading it on a Friday, since you'll end up sleeping Saturday to make up for the sleep you missed.) I started at 3:00 pm and despite numerous attempts to force myself to go to bed, finished at 6:00 am the next day.

For natural fanpeople, take it from me, a fanboy, this is a book you will obsess over. For those so inclined, you may end up making costumes and having your picture posted on the Internet (possibly 4chan or YTMND.) This book has the potential, if mass read, to produce a Star Wars/Lord of the Rings style following, and has done so already in the small circles which have read it. I have only just recently shut down my fan site because it was taking too much of my time. You should be able to find it in the Internet Archives at [...]

As for the plot of the book, I'll let you read the other reviews, though none will do it justice, since the plot gets so deep and involved that any attempt to explain it will be either surface level, and therefore sound boring, or spoil something, which would be terrible.

Take a look through the reviews, and you'll see that those of us who have read it have highly enjoyed it, well, all except for that one downvoter. I'm wondering what book he really read.

Consider buying this book, you certainly won't regret it.

Must-read for all Furry fans.......2004-10-16

This is, to be honest, like no book I have ever read and it is also the most Furry-esque published novel I have found. Unlike most of the anthropromorphic animal genre, it is dark and gritty and obviously intended for an adult audience. It is also a most compelling and engrossing read, with a similar feel to two of my favourite things - ElfQuest and Princess Mononoke.

Set in Australia, the dominant sentient race are a species of anthopromorphic foxes with butterfly wings and antennae, known as the "kashra" - indeed, this is book one of the Kashran Cycle, but I am happy to note (especially since the other books don't seem to yet exist) it is a story in itself and comes to a satisfying conclusion. The two main characters are sisters, but very different in personality and appearance. There is Zhukora, the huntress, black of fur and blue of wing and fierce and ambitious of nature contrasted with the gentle, and mute, Shadarii, lover of life and the dance. For centuries the Kashran have followed a simple way of life - a hunter/gatherer cycle, but that is all about to change. The forest is dying, food is getting scarce and Zhukora unwittingly awakens a spirit that will change their world forever.

One of the successes of this epic story is that you grow attached both the antagonist and protagonist. It is a tragic, and spiritual tale and I would whole-heartedly suggest that anyone who calls themselves a "Furry" should make an effort to read it. Seriously, I cannot understand how after four years in the fandom it has only recently been drawn to my attention. For non-furries, however, don't be fooled - this is not Redwall - it is a lot more grim, more sexual and much less formulaic.

It is also illustrated by Terrie Smith, with a black and white picture in almost every chapter (including several pictures of different tribes at the back) and a colour one on front and back covers. I, personally, am not a huge Terrie Smith fan and think some of the pictures are fairly basic, but I am aware she is very popular. Although, as has already been pointed out, her pictures are a little too cute and pin-up for the general atmosphere of the story and you can almost imagine the heaving bosoms.

Read. Don't look........2003-11-24

In a fit of curiosity, I found out that author Paul Kidd wrote for television shows. That figures. While not being the most profound novel in the world, his "Whisper of Wings" is indeed sweeping, emotional, clever, and addictive on the level of the best television miniseries or cinema, rendering itself semi-profound.

The characters take their place in Kashran society just about believably; though, I doubted Shadarii's muteness would be a negative asset to her - seeing how she's the equal of her fellow Kashran every other way, it could make her endearing. I couldn't help but be reminded of 1990's-era Munchkin syndrome; society led by drop-dead gorgeous girl persecutes cute girl who for a few blemishes just doesn't fit in. Zhukora's chew-up-spit-out attitude was sufficient enough reason.

As a military buff, Kidd spins tales of power plays and battles to make Brian Jacques envious; the well-meaning, yet Hitlerian machinations, rise and rule of Zhukora, the protectivist manipulations of Traveesha and the court of Prakucha (In fact, all leading organizations portrayed, even Shadarii's Positive Deity-aided flower-power extension, are at least a tad slimy, whether well-intentioned or not.) too And, Kidd predicts the moral of California and Minnesota's gubernatorial situation - celebrity for achievement in amusement does equal power, here.
The flow of action in the story is wonderful, full of plot twists, including two I never expected. Still, every character's actions are perfectly believable in the muddle they're in.

However, I had a problem with an extravisual aspect of "WoW", as much as others here liked it. Terrie Smith's art, while good, is a notch to four cuter than the tone of the story. Totally stark drek ain't necessary, either, but its jarring, seeing generically adorable, appealing creatures in the heat of reading a smoldering battle. I never realized the awkwardness, until seeing it here. Smith's pinup history reares its head, too; some of the characters seem to breathe, open-mouthed, in deep ecstasy.

Otherwise, this thing's got the tricks and skills to pay the bills and more. I never regretted paying full price. While reading it, I kept seeing...

A Whisper Of Wings! Thirteen-part miniseries, on Cartoon Network!

Beautiful!.......2002-09-17

The Kasra, a race of winged foxmorphs, have lived in peace for a thousand years, creating an emptiness that only war and anger can fill. Two saviors emerge - fierce, power-hungry Zhukora, driven by a Dream, and the peaceful, loving Shadrii - outcast because she is mute. As Zhukora's followers gather, and her pure Dream vision grows stronger, so does her need for bloodshed and killing to bring in the new. Shadrii follows a similar Dream, but through peace, love, joy and healing. And when the armies meet...One of my very favorite novels, beautiful, moving, well written, exciting, funny, with lovely illustrations by Terrie Smith. A must own for furry fans!

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book

A Whisper of Wings
Steven Ray Fulgham
Manufacturer: Diamond/Charter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2000-10-27

I read this book many years ago when it first got published. I enjoyed it immensely. For a long time it was one of my favorite books. It is by no means like the classics, but it has its own special appeal. My fascination is with the transformation the main character goes through, both emotion and physical. The character is written with great detail. Definitely the kind of book that you can't put down. When I was done, the only disappointment was that it was too short. I have recently read it again and I must say," This book is damn good!"

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Whispers Take Wing notecards
Notecards a disappointment

Whispers Take Wing Boxed Notecards

Manufacturer: Rsvp Pub. Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Angels | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Fine Arts | Note Cards | Accessories | Formats | Books

General | Note Cards | Accessories | Formats | Books

Fine Arts | Note Cards | Book Accessories | Our Favorites | Gift Ideas

General | Note Cards | Book Accessories | Our Favorites | Gift Ideas

Pop Culture | Note Cards | Book Accessories | Our Favorites | Gift Ideas
ASIN: 1569067856

Book Description

Patience Brewster's fanciful illustrations have touched the world with a fresh, original humor. Her legion of fans are captivated by the infectious wit that graces her unique collection of whimsical and highly detailed drawings. Each box contains 16 - 5" X 7" cards, 4 each of 4 designs and come in a contemporary, envelope-style box. Each box also includes a brief biography of the featured artist.

Customer Reviews:

Whispers Take Wing notecards.......2007-09-19

From a dear friend I received Patience Brewster's "Whispers Take Wing" notecard set (4 cards each of 4 different drawings) and each card is beautiful, interesting in detail, colorful and they fit different occasions beautifully. The box has a wonderful and unexpected magnetic closing clasp. I highly recommend this excellent set for anyone...treat yourself to one. Enjoy! V

Notecards a disappointment.......2006-08-31

I have purchased Brewster's note cards individually at various locations and loved them. The box of cards I purchased online was a great disappointment. There were only 4 designs and I wouldn't have purchased any of them individually. Unfortunately, there wasn't any way to see all of the designs and inscriptions before I bought them.

She Whispers Across Me Soul With Wings of Gold

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She Whispers Across Me Soul With Wings of Gold
Larissa Kaye Batten
Manufacturer: Soul Words Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 1928530001

Book Description

She Whispers Across Me Soul With Wings of Gold, an Irish love story with a forever message, is the soul-stirring story of Saint Dympna of Ireland.

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The Whisper of Wings
Cassandra Ormand
Manufacturer: Pivotal Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 193106217X

Book Description

When a beautiful, helpless waif stumbles upon his doorstep, British born millionaire Christopher Standeven is too kind not to take her in. The poor girl is starving, bedraggled, and presumably suffering from amnesia. Eager to have someone to spoil again, his aging housekeeper instantly sets about administering to the young woman's needs. With his only son grown now and his wife having died long ago, a helpless girl in peril is just the thing to jolt Christopher out of the rut he'd been in for years. But his beautiful waif has a secret. Will he discover it before she runs away? When Michaela finds herself in the loving environment Christopher Standeven provides for her, she can almost forget the horror of her past. She becomes caught up in the warmth and family atmosphere, and finds herself falling desperately in love with Christopher. But she cannot bring herself to tell him the truth she knows will drive them apart.

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Whisper of Wings

Manufacturer: Carlisle Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1890050709

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A Whisper of Wings
Jim Lawrence
Manufacturer: Custom Books Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1434800164
Release Date: 2007-06-04

Book Description

A young girl from Kentucky struggles to come of age and to find a guardian angel in the brutal environs of Hillbilly Land in Uptown Chicago during the fall of 1963.

Whispers in the Wings: New and Selected Poems

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Whispers in the Wings: New and Selected Poems
Frank, M Chipasula
Manufacturer: Mallory International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

African | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1856571084

Book Description

" Frank M. Chipasula comes to us with rich language and a bursting, compassionate heart. I have seldom encountered poetry which expresses so much pain as his reports of monstrous state atrocities in Southern Africa in Whispers in the Wings. His vision is full of righteous rage and its power is overwhelming in such poems as A Hanging and A Grain of Salt." - Adrian Mitchell FRANK M. CHIPASULA is a Malawian poet, editor and fiction writer, born on 16 October 1949. He holds a B.A. (with Credit) from the University of Zambia, an M.A. in Creative Writing from Brown University, an M.A. in Afro-American Studies from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Brown University. Currently an Associate Professor and Judge William Holmes Cook Professor of Black American Studies at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, he has also taught at Howard University, Tamkang University in Tamsui, Taiwan, University of Nebraska at Omaha, St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, as well as Brown and Yale Universities. He also worked as English Editor for NECZAM Ltd., the former national publishers of Zambia in Lusaka and, as an undergraduate student at the University of Malawi, he freelanced on the M.B.C. (Malawi Broadcasting Corporation) in Blantyre, Malawi. Chipasula's first book, Visions and Reflections (1972), was a pioneering work in English by a Malawian poet and paved the way for O Earth, Wait for Me (1984) and Nightwatcher, Nightsong (1986). He has also edited the following ground-breaking anthologies of African poetry: When My Brothers Come Home: Poems from Central and Southern Africa (Wesleyan University Press, 1985), (with Stella) The Heinemann Book of African Women's Poetry (Heinemann 1995) and Bending the Bow: An Anthology of African Love Poetry (forthcoming). His poems have appeared in numerous literary journals, newspapers and anthologies in Africa, Europe, the USA and Asia in English, French, Spanish and Chinese.

Whispers in the Wings: Poems (African Writers Series)

Average customer rating:

Don't even bother

Whispers in the Wings: Poems (African Writers Series)
Frank M. Chipasula
Manufacturer: Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Don't even bother.......2003-02-16

This was one of the worst books I have ever read. The poems start out okay but they go on and on and on and on and it gets really old. They are kind of sad at the beginning but by the end of the poems, I couldn't stop laughing because they were so bad. The poems are about really serious topics but are badly written.

Wing Whispers of Love (Shelburne, Curtis K. Wing Whispers.)

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Wing Whispers of Love (Shelburne, Curtis K. Wing Whispers.)
Curtis K. Shelburne
Manufacturer: Covenant Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1892435802

Customer Reviews:

Not the author's best work.......2006-09-06

I bought this book because I loved and adored Oppel's novel Airborn. Unfortunately, this much earlier work is not nearly so well-written. The imagery was pretty darn nifty, and the premise was moderately intriguing, but unfortunately that's really all it had going for it. The characters were uniformly static and the plot was generic. Try something more recent of Oppel's.

Great Read, But Not Oppel's Best.......2002-04-25

Dead Water Zone is a short read, with a very original plot and contains unique characters. I personally love Oppel's work, but others work of his is much better, such as the Silverwing Trilogy. This book's plot is very bizarre, and I found it easy to follow it. But, I can see some of my friend [and other people] getting lost in it's uncannyness. If your a teen, and want a good short read, this is the book you want.

I love this book I recomend you get it.......1998-12-15

I'm 14 and I have to read for school you have to get a certin amount of points to gaduate. I hate reading but after I read this book I love reading. So I recomend you get this book or Journy to the center of the Earth

Dead zone appears off coast, puzzles scientists.(Environment)(Low-oxygen water is killing marine animals from Florence to Newport, and appears to be a ... from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

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Dead zone appears off coast, puzzles scientists.(Environment)(Low-oxygen water is killing marine animals from Florence to Newport, and appears to be a ... from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

Manufacturer: The Register Guard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00082YA74
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on August 10, 2004. The length of the article is 785 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dead zone appears off coast, puzzles scientists.(Environment)(Low-oxygen water is killing marine animals from Florence to Newport, and appears to be a natural phenomenon)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: August 10, 2004
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: a1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Dead Water Zone
Kenneth Oppel
Manufacturer: Joy St Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUG6GS

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Dead Water Zone

Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Canada, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HJX326

Average customer rating:

Great Find

Fusion Cooking for the Intermediate level Cook

Where's the Beef -- Not In This Book

Roy's Fish & Seafood: Recipes From The Pacific Rim
Roy Yamaguchi , and John Harrisson
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Seafood | Meat, Poultry & Seafood | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Pacific Rim | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Hawaii Cooks: Flavors from Roy's Pacific Rim Kitchen

Roy's Feasts from Hawaii

SAM CHOY'S ISLAND FLAVORS

Alan Wong's New Wave Luau: Recipes from Honolulu's Award-Winning Chef

Nobu Now

ASIN: 1580084826

Book Description

Owner of the critically acclaimed Roy's restaurants, public television host and celebrated chef Roy Yamaguchi is considered one of today's greatest seafood chefs and has been credited with reinventing Hawaiian cuisine. In ROY'S FISH AND SEAFOOD, Chef Yamaguchi explains the uses, flavors, cooking qualities, and specific varieties of 25 key types of seafood, including tuna, mahi-mahi, ehu, opah, sea bass, lobster, squid, and scallops as well as their potential substitutions. Chef Yamaguchi has created incredible recipes for each variety of seafood, such as Roy's Signature Blackened Ahi with Soy-Mustard Sauce, Crab and Potato-Crusted Ono with Creamed Spinach and Bacon, Pan-Seared Butterfish with Coconut Sauce and Kalua Pork Miso, and Spicy Tempura Shrimp with Mango-Avocado Salad. This collection of delicious recipes and indispensable preparation information will inform and inspire any lover of seafood.

Customer Reviews:

Great Find.......2005-09-17

I had been looking for collection of interesting seafood recipes for a while. Sorting through hundreds of recipes on web sites to find one really good recipe had become tedious and frustrating. Additionally, even great general cookbooks only contain a few solid recipes for fish. So I was very pleased to find this book. My wife and I have cooked five recipes so far and they have ranged from really good to "off the charts". The gourmet recipes usually combine Asian elements with something European and they usually include a unique sauce and an interesting side dish. Preparations are involved but you do not need to be a master chef to do a good job with the content. It does take some diligence to track down some of the ingredients and you will want access to plenty of fresh fish. If you are a passionate cook with moderate skill - and you like great seafood - I would recommend this book.

Fusion Cooking for the Intermediate level Cook.......2005-08-14

I enjoy dining at Roy's Restaurants. I ate there last week on the mainland, and have preferred eating the really fresh fish more "on site" at the Kauai restaurant. My favorite fish is the opa (moonfish), followed by the butterfish dishes. Roy's fresh fish are simply cooked, with tasty sauces and beautiful simple to elegantly more complex presentations.

Unfortunately, his beautiful presentations are far more easily enjoyed in his restaurants, than attempted at home via this complex, yet (presumably) accurate cook book.

There are problems/challenges in following these recipes for a beginning or average cook, that go beyond the hours spent collecting ingredients and preparing fish, sauces and stocks needed for these recipes.

These attractive, Hawaiian inspired fusion recipes require collecting the basic ingredients, which can take :

1. A trip to one Asian grocery store to get ingredients which may include dashi, kombu seaweed, dried shrimp, bonito flakes, tobiko caviar, panko crumbs, daikon, furikake, kaffir lime leaf, red Thai curry paste, pickled pink ginger, mochiko (rice flour) ground sandalwood, lemongrass, mirin, palm sugar, bok choy etc (some grocery stores in larger cities may stock some of these ingredients).

2. A second trip to one or two conventional grocery stores in a larger city to collect the white truffle oil, fresh chervil , thyme and other herbs and spices, mango, clam juice, blue cheese, fresh cilantro, fresh shiitake mushrooms, etc.

3. A possible third trip to a top fish supplier to get truly fresh fish, if the local grocery's fish has that tell tale "fishiness" smell, indicating it has been improperly iced, or dead on ice for 5 days or more...

The 237 pages of text has less than 90 actual recipes of fish, a somewhat disappointing number, however as most cooks do not cook even 10 recipes out of a book. That's not a drawback for me. (There are other recipes in the back for various stocks, oils, and sauces). Obtaining the fish Roy uses , such as butterfish species, pacific threadfin, sickle pomfret, wahoo, gray snapper, jackfish, or the wonderful opah will be difficult if not impossible for mainlanders not living in say San Francisco or Vancouver, with access to such fresh delights, so Roy has kindly supplied substitutions, which are still not easy to get.. Still there are 5 salmon recipes, 5 dolphin fish/mahi-mahi, and fifteen tuna recipes, so you won't be disappointed-there really are ample recipes to try!

What is a disappointment and a drawback is that most of the recipes do not have the accompanying pictures of Roy's plating or presentation of that dish that one might hope for, especially after enjoying the beautiful pictures in Roy's 10 year old book, " Roy's Feasts from Hawaii ". Presentation to me is so important to serving an appetizing meal, and people buy Roy's books to hopefully duplicate or at least approach both the taste AND appearance of his dishes.

The recipes are of moderate to advanced complexity for most nonprofessional caliber cooks, and that's an intimidating problem for nearly all beginning or basic cooks, and some intermediate level cooks as well. I showed my copy of the book to three decent cooks, and each said variations of , "It's way too much work for a meal". A pepper sauce has 13 ingredients, a miso broth has over 10 ingredients, braised salmon has 25 ingredients, and even the crab cakes and sauce has 30 ingredients...not for the faint hearted! Even the "simple" recipes have 8-15 ingredients.

In fairness to Roy, if you want to cook like the big boys, you have to use their ingredients and techniques, which is far easier to do in a restaurant, with several assistants collecting ingredients and preparing sauces for you, than at home!

A good cook will know where to cut back on some ingredients, apply substitution, and make their own less complex version of some of these recipes, adjusting the taste as needed as they go along. Problem is, a beginner will not have such ability to "pull it off" with such simplification or substitutions, and will not like the resulting "unbalanced" variation.

I take off one point, in part, for the book having far less pictures of Roy's inspiring preparations than he could have provided; even one picture per 2 dishes would have been a better compromise, to keep down the cost of publication. With few pictures to begin with, having so many pictures of non-food scenes of fishing boats, sunsets, limpets, flags, buoys, fishermen, etc., alone are just not as helpful, as we are not here to admire limpets, boats, or look at pretty sunsets, we are here more likely to duplicate tasty and beautifully plated food as presented in Roy's restaurants, and these other "scenic" pictures have not been useful replacements for the food pictures at all!

The point is also taken off in part for complexity, as this is a serious drawback to most cooks wanting the challenge of trying to cook Roy's food at home.

If you are an advanced home cook, if you have hours for preparation, and if you are very creative in your "food styling" presentation; only then would this would be a 4 star cook book to consider adding to your collection!

Other books with similar beautiful and tasty Hawaiian fusion recipes, that are easier to prepare, include Sam Choy's tasty and much simpler "The Choy of Seafood", Jean-Marie Josselin's "A Taste of Hawaii", and Alan Wong's more complex "New Wave Luau".

Where's the Beef -- Not In This Book.......2005-07-06

When I find a new cookbook I tend to just flip through the pages until I find something that strikes my attention. Nothing grabs my attention, then neither does the book. Once in a while I find something that I want to cook, then a page or two away something else, and then in another few pages -- well you get the idea.

That was the case with this book. First I found "grilled garlic swordfish with chipotle chile sauce and polenta." Swordfish is certainly becoming common, but I've always found it to be so mild that it had no flavor. Chili sauce on top of it, sounds really good. And polenta is just yankee talk for grits. Being a southerner anything with grits has got to be good. Tonight's dinner.

A few pages away is "seared ahi tuna with lilikoi-shrimp salsa." Just the picture was enough to attract my attention. The tuna is seared really hard, hard enough that the top looks almost well done. But this was done on a relly hot cast iron skillet. It was only cooked for a half minute on each side for rare to 1 and a half minutes for medium-rare. It's beautiful. And then the passion fruit (Lilikoi) shrimp salsa sounds like it would add a most interesting set of conflicting tastes. Next Saturday when guests are coming over.

It turns out that there are several tuna recipes, a lot of them sound good. I like tuna, and it's something that most of my guests seem to like. I'll use several of these.

As the title says, this book is on fish and seafood. There's no beef, pork, etc. in it. This is a welcome addition to the bookshelf, as even here in the desert west we are seeing a lot more variety in seafood, and more and more people are asking for it.

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