Killjoy

Average customer rating:

John Paul is back! Buy him now!

Could not put it down

Family feud

Killjoy - mildly entertaining

Outstanding

Killjoy
Julie Garwood
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0345453808
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Book Description

When it comes to gripping novels of unrelenting suspense, Julie Garwood is in a class by herself. In the course of her career, she has mastered the art of creating characters who live and breathe in compelling, page-burning stories that never fail to surprise. As her legion of fans can attest, she strikes the perfect balance between excitement and insight, action and heart. Now, in this breathless new novel, Garwood has written her most electrifying thriller to date.

KILLJOY

Avery Delaney has always tried to put the past far behind her. Abandoned by her rapacious, conniving mother when she was only three days old, Avery was raised by her grandmother and beloved aunt Carolyn. Then, when she was eleven, she witnessed her grandmother’s violent death, before Avery herself was shot and left for dead. Miraculously she survived. The man responsible is serving time in a Florida prison. This traumatic experience propels Avery into a life of law and order.

Her razor-sharp mind and ability to gather data and decipher evidence has made Avery an expert crime analyst for the FBI. But soon she will have to use every one of her adroit skills on a case that hits painfully close to home.

Avery’s workaholic aunt, Carolyn Salvetti, is certain her (hopefully soon-to-be ex) husband sent her the gold embossed reservation to the posh Utopia Spa in the mountains of Colorado. At first she is resistant, but then figures it will be a welcome respite from the cutthroat advertising business, not to mention a networking extravaganza. Plus she persuades her niece to join her for the two weeks of luxury and decadence.

But Carolyn never makes it to Utopia. Under false pretenses, she is taken to an isolated retreat by a handsome stranger with a dazzling smile, suave demeanor, and the darkest of motives. His name is Monk, a hired assassin. Now, with scant clues and fewer resources, Avery must track down and save Carolyn—and outmaneuver a brilliant killer who is part of an elaborate plot of madness and lethal vengeance.

Download Description

Avery Delaney has always tried to put the past far behind her. Abandoned by her rapacious, conniving mother when she was only three days old, Avery was raised by her grandmother and beloved aunt Carolyn. Then, when she was eleven, she witnessed her grandmother's violent death, before Avery herself was shot and left for dead. Miraculously she survived. The man responsible is serving time in a Florida prison. This traumatic experience propels Avery into a life of law and order.

Her razor-sharp mind and ability to gather data and decipher evidence has made Avery an expert crime analyst for the FBI. But soon she will have to use every one of her adroit skills on a case that hits painfully close to home.

Avery's workaholic aunt, Carolyn Salvetti, is certain her (hopefully soon-to-be ex) husband sent her the gold-embossed reservation to the posh Utopia Spa in the mountains of Colorado. At first she is resistant, but then figures it will be a welcome respite from the cutthroat advertising business, not to mention a networking extravaganza. Plus she persuades her niece to join her for the two weeks of luxury and decadence.

But Carolyn never makes it to Utopia. Under false pretenses, she is taken to an isolated retreat by a handsome stranger with a dazzling smile, suave demeanor, and the darkest of motives. His name is Monk, a hired assassin. Now, with scant clues and fewer resources, Avery must track down and save Carolyn -- and outmaneuver a brilliant killer who is part of an elaborate plot of madness and lethal vengeance.

Customer Reviews:

John Paul is back! Buy him now!.......2007-08-08

Two words will make you run for this book: John Paul. The deadly loner from the swamp is baaack (pant, swoon). This time he's on the trail of Monk, the hitman from Mercy, who got away. Monk tried to kill John Paul's sister, so John Paul is still patiently and systematically flushing him out. Whether he will bring Monk to justice legally or illegally remains to be seen... John Paul discovers Monk is playing killing games with three women. One has a niece, Avery, an FBI typist who is an excellent strategist and thinker. When Avery sets out to track her missing aunt down she tangles with the enigmatic, tough, opinionated Jean Paul. He has his own guerrilla agenda and doesn't want to deviate from it, even when they discover there's a more sinister reason for Monk's deadly hit than was apparent at first. Watching these two go head to head is sensual dynamite. And yes, Noah's back again, teasing us with his cheeky grin and flippant insults. Settle back for testosterone overload and enjoy... (Worth it just to hear John Paul grumble about Theo, his brother-in-law, and how Theo's likely to shoot himself in the foot if he has to get his gun out.)

Could not put it down.......2006-11-04

Julie Garwood writes good suspenseful books like Killjoy. I read it in four days, I could not put it down. The characters and the situations they found themselves in are really well written. And I agree with one of the other reviewer's about having Noah Clayborne as the main character in a novel, I would definately buy that one as well.

Family feud.......2006-09-04

When it comes to compelling novels of relentless suspense, Julie Garwood is in a class by herself. She is a dominating force in the craft of creating living, breathing characters in gripping situations. This offering takes us into the life of Avery Delaney, abandoned by her mother 3 days after her birth and raised by her Aunt Carrie and Grandmother Lola.
Now an adult, Avery works as a crime analyst for the FBI and possesses an uncanny talent for scrutinizing and deciphering clues. She must utilize her deductive gifts to find her Aunt Carrie, who has disappeared as well as stay one step ahead of a killer named Monk.

Although Garwood will never win the Nobel, the Booker, or any of the other prizes bestowed for writing prowess, she definitely takes home the gold in the category of "Fun light reading, no in-depth analysis required".

Killjoy - mildly entertaining.......2006-07-25

It's been a while since I've read Garwood and this is the first of her contemporary novels I've read. This is a mystery with a little romance thrown in. FBI agent Avery Delaney's aunt is kidnapped by Avery's sociopathic mother and hitman Monk. Monk is being pursued by John Paul Renard, so Avery and John Paul cross paths, hence the romance. I found the story line some what concocted and it became unbelieveable. The murders' plans fail too many times which made the book drag on. I felt cheated at the end when the Avery relates how they captured the villians in a conversation with her boss, instead of getting to read how they were captured. It was almost like Garwood decided the book was too long and she needed to finish it in as few pages as possible.
I did like Garwood's characters. She has a variety that you can like and dislike. Some of the minor characters in this book were unnecessary, like Anne. But I think Garwood does a good job writing realistic dialogue.
This was definitely a light read. I found it mildly entertaining, but not engrossing.

Outstanding.......2006-02-25

I was introduced to Julie Garwood from a co-worker of mine and have so far read at least 10. Killjoy is the 3rd in the series of the Buchanan clan and has just as much kick as Heartbreaker and Mercy. Definately a great read!!!

Our Sister Killjoy (Longman African Writers Series)

Average customer rating:

Uncomfortable
A Joy
Whiny and trite...
Wonderful, complex novel

Our Sister Killjoy (Longman African Writers Series)
Ama Ata Aidoo
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0582308453

Customer Reviews:

Uncomfortable.......2007-04-04

Just because something is different, outside one's normal experience or way of thinking, does not mean it is not of value. Reading this poetic novel was a hugely uncomfortable experience for me. Being a westerner some of the truths and opinions Aidoo expressed came from an unexpected angle, forcing me to look at my values and beliefs afresh. This makes the book less enjoyable perhaps, the truth can hurt as can opinions, but not any the less clever or well constructed. I guess it attacks political systems rather than individual people. The concept that many white people regard their black African friends as trophies (and I can think of some examples around me), made me examine my relationships with some of my African friends. Some of Aidoo's views do seem really extreme to me, however. As an immigrant myself, I don't relate to the concept that it is an abandonement of one's true identity and homeland in favour of selfish pursuits to emigrate. Maybe I would have liked to have seen more of a recognition that being part of this world is a global experience, I don't know. An extremely valuable read, I learnt lots.

A Joy .......2006-03-15

This is a must read for anyone interested in post-colonial politics. A multi-genre "novel" Aidoo's genius shines throught on each page. I couldn't put it down.

Whiny and trite..........2004-08-03

Aidoo gives new meaning to the term "female whiner". Her brief "novel"(about 132 pages) is a trying exercise in whining about being a woman, and being an African. She may have cause to whine, but please spare us the long poems that break up the text. If I wanted to read poetry, I'd buy a poetry book. I hate it when authors insert poems in midstream. It breaks up the text, and detracts from the action. Anyway, Sissie is a Ghanaian who visits Germany, makes cute with a German woman, and reflects on how bad colonization and Africans can be. Not recommended except for insommiacs.

Wonderful, complex novel.......2000-04-17

It took me a while to understand the structure of this book, but after I did, it made the themes and Aidoo's narration that much more powerful. The story is told from a young female student's p.o.v.--Sissie is chosen to "represent" Ghana and travels to Europe. In Germany, she befriends a local woman named Marija. During her travels, she grapples with issues regarding colonialism, race, love and nationality.

The novel jumps between prose and poetry, from unbiased narration to the jumbled thoughts running through Sissie's head. There are little treasures that could go un-noticed: the use of "Sissie" as the name, the plums, the story of Kunle's death. This is a story rich with meaning, and a very quick read. I highly recommend it.

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Killjoy (Stephen Ramsay Mysteries)
Ann Cleeves
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

British Detectives | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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Mill on the Shore (George and Molly Palmer-Jones Mysteries)

ASIN: 0449148939
Release Date: 1995-01-30

Book Description

Why is everyone afraid of Gabriella Paston? Is it because she's too beautiful, too talented, too self-confident? In the middle of rehearsals for her first big show at the arts center, eighteen-year-old Gabriella is murdered . . . and it seems to Inspector Stephen Ramsay that people are more afraid of her than ever. For Gabriella turns out to have been not only gifted and gorgeous but ruthless, and not everyone mourns her loss. In a community where teen crime is becoming a dangerous problem, the murder is just one more headache for the police. But the stage is already being set for another killing . . . .

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KILLJOY
JULIE GARWOOD
Manufacturer: BALLANTINE PUBLISHING GROUP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NF0GV0

Product Description

Avery Delaney has always tried to put the past far behind her. Abandoned by her repacious, conniving mother when she was only three days old, Avery was raised by her grandmother and beloved aunt Carolyn. Then, when she was eleven, she witnessed her grandmother's violent death, before Avery herself was shot and left for dead . . .

Playboys and Killjoys: An Essay on the Theory and Practice of Comedy

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Playboys and Killjoys: An Essay on the Theory and Practice of Comedy
Harry Levin
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Shakespearean Negotiations: The Circulation of Social Energy in Renaissance England (New Historicism, Studies in Cultural Poetics, No 84)

ASIN: 0195048776

Book Description

Harry Levin--one of America's major literary critics--offers a brilliant and original study of the whole world of comedy, concentrating on playwrights through the centuries, from Aristophanes and Plautus in classical times to Bernard Shaw and Bertolt Brecht and their recent successors. Viewing the comic repertory as a richly varied yet broadly unified whole, Levin provides a synthesis of theories and practice. Isolating two fundamental aspects of comedy--the ludicrous and irreverent "playboy," whom we laugh with, and the ridiculous and forbidding "killjoy," whom we laugh at--he traces the dialectical interplay of these components throughout history and across various cultures and media. While mainly focusing on the plays and the stage, with discussions of such major dramatists as Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Moliere, and William Congreve, Levin also includes essays on such related topics as humor, satire, and games.

Julie Garwood CD Collection: Killjoy, Murder List, and Slow Burn

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Julie Garwood CD Collection: Killjoy, Murder List, and Slow Burn
Julie Garwood
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio on CD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1423316789
Release Date: 2006-10-29

Book Description

Killjoy:
Avery Delaney's razor-sharp mind and ability to gather data and decipher evidence has made her an expert crime analyst for the FBI. But soon she will have to use every one of her skills on a case that hits painfully close to home. Avery's workaholic aunt, Carolyn Salvetti, persuades her niece to join her for the two weeks of luxury and decadence. But Carolyn never makes it to Utopia…

Murder List:
When Chicago detective Alec Buchanan is offered a prime position with the FBI, he takes it as the perfect opportunity to leave the Windy City and follow in his brothers' footsteps to the top echelons of law enforcement. But first he must complete one last assignment: acting as a glorified bodyguard to hotel heiress Regan Hamilton Madison. The gorgeous exec has become entangled in some potentially deadly business: Someone has e-mailed her a graphic crime-scene photo - and the victim is no stranger.

Slow Burn:
Living a successful life in Charleston, South Carolina, Kate MacKenna has always been able to turn her challenges into triumphs. But now the fates seem to be lining up against her . . . in a lethal fashion. Dylan Buchanan's convinced that she's merely having a spell of bad luck - until he discovers how many people want Kate dead.

4 Titles in Buchanans Series - Heartbreaker - Killjoy - Murder List - Slow Burn

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4 Titles in Buchanans Series - Heartbreaker - Killjoy - Murder List - Slow Burn
Julie Garwood
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000T9QP1A

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Julie Garwood's Buchanans Series: Heartbreaker, Mercy, Killjoy, Murder List, Slow Burn (Set of 5 Romantic Suspense)

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Julie Garwood's Buchanans Series: Heartbreaker, Mercy, Killjoy, Murder List, Slow Burn (Set of 5 Romantic Suspense)
Julie Garwood
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000O5LWW6

Average customer rating:

The Killjoy

Manufacturer: Mysterious Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FMDIJS

Average customer rating:

Interesting

The Killjoy
Anne Fine
Manufacturer: Black Swan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0552998281

Customer Reviews:

Interesting.......2000-06-07

This book is a good read and extremely well written.Its about a relationship between a middle aged man with hideous facial scars and one of his young students.It makes you question what is beauty,what is the value of it.Style reminds me of Alisdair Gray.

Customer Reviews:

great work hopelessly marred by printing errors..........2002-04-23

This book suffers from huge ordering errors (which no one seems to be in any great hurry to correct...) The story, while enjoyable, is near impossible to decode without asking another fan or using the original comics as a guide. Even if you can decode the confusing order, it's impossible to immerse yourself in a world when you're hunting for the next page ^^;

It's all out of order!.......2002-03-16

Elfquest is the best. However, I just want to post some info about the correct order to read this printing.
Here's the page sequence if you get this edition. This series was 4, 28-page issues. This book has no page numberers.
This Volume Orig.Comic,Orig. page#
Pages 1-24 - Seige #1---->1-24
Pages 25-49 - Seige #3---->1-28
Pages 50-53 - Seige #4---->1-3
Pages 54-57 - Seige #1---->25-28
Pages 58-86 - Seige #2---->1-28
Pages 87-End- Seige #4---->4-28
The idea is that you want to read it following the sequence of the "original comic" column. I put sticky notes all over mine and found it possible to read this. Hope that helps.

AMazing.......2001-05-15

I love this book! It shows just how manipulative Winnowill can be.

WARNING!.......2000-08-09

Attention first time readers of Elfquest! This edition is COMPLETELY OUT OF ORDER!!!! It would be better to look around for the original copies of these issues.

Still good, but obviously not Pini.......2000-04-09

Right after the great conclusion of The Great War on The World of Two Moons, the first thing you notice about the follow-up stories is that the art style is quite different. It still looks good at first, however. You may remember that back in the espiode of the Blue Mountain, the unfortunate young Dewshine had been forced to mate with a genetically misfigured bat-elf, so here she had produced and nurtured a very chubby "Windkin" baby which had inherited a floating knack of its own. So in this new espiode, one of the Guilders who had survived the "Blue Mountain" incident had come sniffing around the Wolfrider's new hideout in The Forbidden Grove. Unfortunately, Dewshine's kid had flown right out to regard the intruder with some bubbly baby talk. As a result, the Guilder had suddenly grabbed the infant and made right off with it as a prize to present to the wicked Winnowill, who has by now made herself The Queen of The Blue Mountain. So it's the Wolfriders to the rescue! A good read, with all the characters sporting an appearance makeover, but not as exsiquite as the original stories done by the hand of the original creators.

Elfquest Graphic Novel 5: Siege at Blue Mountain

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Graphic SF Reader
A wonderful, beautiful, complex tale for all ages.

Elfquest Graphic Novel 5: Siege at Blue Mountain
Delfin Barral , Wendy Pini , and Richard Pini
Manufacturer: Berkley Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 093686110X

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A race of Elves exist in a relatively primitive society on a planet that has two moons. There are other races on this world, like trolls, and some of the elves ride around on rather large wolves.

Like a few others, there is actually an explanation for these people. They are not your sidhe or Tolkien type elves, but descendants of an alien race that came to the planet.

A wonderful, beautiful, complex tale for all ages........1998-10-26

I've been returning to this graphic novel over and over for over fifteen years, and there's always something new to discover in it. A mix of myth, archetype, and completely new, fresh creativity, it's well-planned and well-drawn. Something to read to your kids, and keep for yourself-- well worth finding.

Book Description

He roamed through the dim reaches of the remote past and like a phantom, the Dark Woman haunted him at every turn. Was she a hallucination produced by the stresses of his bizarre existence? Or was she a ghost from a future more distant than his own?

Bush had been called into a totalitarian world, trained to kill, and then sent back in time - as an assassin. And still the Dark Woman pursued him, posing new questions, new possibilities, new terrors…

Customer Reviews:

This is one of those rare books..........2006-02-12

...that you remember forever, in a vague dreamlike way. I was in my teens when I first read it, then again in my twenties, and finally in my thrirties the original UK version. But it wasn't the book that changed so much, it was the world. Get your ticket punched with Cryptozoic and then start counting, reverse forward.

3.5 star rating.......2004-01-05

Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

STORY: People are able to time travel via a method calld mind-travel. This fad has led to the economic breakdown of the future and martial law initiated. For one man, he is tasked to track down a outlaw of the state in order to save the word from further chaos.

MY FEEDBACK:
Pro: Book is a very fast read (read all 190pgs in a day). That also means the author doesn't waste time getting to the point
Pro: Very different take on the time travel idea. Believable and well delivered
Pro: In very few pages we really get into the character of the main protagonist. Regardless if you like the protagonist or not, Aldiss does some good character development here.
Con: Towards the end he goes on for about 40+ pages trying to explain some theories. It was just a little long for me especially when you consider that is 20% of the entire book
Pro: Leaves you thinking in the end

OVERALL: I liked it and it kept my interest. I thought it would have been great if it didn't get so overly complex towards the end and give me a headache. Great classic sci-fi otherwise.

An Age.......2001-03-23

I refer to the Sphere edition of this novel, published under the title of 'An Age', which I have just re-read. Firstly, about the publication - it desparately needed a good proofreading, there are just SO many typographical errors! I re-read this novel because it made a big impression when I read it first - at least ten years ago. I still like the novel, but perhaps not as much as I originally did. There is a bit too much of philosophising and pseudo science for my liking. But it does have a very original idea that is explored well. Unfortunately 'when all is revealed' and the explanations and speculations start at the end I suddenly saw a lot of what Philip Dick did in 'Counter-Clock World' come back to haunt me. To be honest, I don't know which of these novels came first. They are both well worth reading although, for me, the Dick is stronger and more inventive. In the Aldiss, I was also put off by all the male characters being known by their family names and the main female character being called Ann - it seemed a bit coy and cute to me, too unbalanced from a sexist point of view. Something I thought a good editor may have advised against.

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Cryptozoic
Brian W. Aldiss
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000U2M8J4

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Cryptozoic
Brian W Aldiss
Manufacturer: AVON BOOK DIVISION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WDX8IG

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Cryptozoic
Brian Aldiss
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J5ID8M

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Cryptozoic
Brian W. Aldiss
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000NAEB98

Average customer rating:

Cryptozoic!
Brian W. Aldiss
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MZMCTK

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Cryptozoic!

Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GSIZPI

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CRYPTOZOIC
ALDISS BRIAN W.
Manufacturer: DOUBLEDAY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PGHYQ2

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Cryptozoic

Manufacturer: Morrow/Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HUCMVI

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Wish I had found it earlier

Great Food

A great book

Culinary Building Blocks

Master Classes on Culinary Techniques. Highly Recommended

John Ash: Cooking One on One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher
John T. Ash
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 060960967X
Release Date: 2004-03-23

Amazon.com

For John Ash, author of the award-winning From the Earth to the Table: John Ash's Wine Country Cuisine, the lines that separate chef from teacher from cookbook writer from consultant blur and fade into insignificance. In the end, it's about ingredients and flavor and the meal at hand. "After twenty-five years of teaching," Ash writes in the forward to John Ash: Cooking One on One, "I know that you don't have to perfect all the basic kitchen skills in order to make great food." What John Ash likes to see coming his way is a good eater, because there's a person who as likely as not will want to taste and eat at home what he or she has tried out on the town.

The trouble, of course, is time. Or you are single and aren't cooking for more than yourself. It's all so daunting: eating light, eating well, eating responsibly. And ordering take-out is so easy. Cooking One on One, in chapters constructed like lessons, dispels all that. Part One is devoted to flavor-makers--salsas, vinaigrettes, pestos, world marinades, and simple, savory sauces. Learn to make the cucumber and mint salsa, Ash instructs, then use it to maximum advantage with grilled lamb chops. No muss, no fuss.

That which begins at a simple level grows more complex as you master technique and ingredient and apply layers of flavor. Ash leads the way with flair and confidence. Part Two covers basic cooking techniques--learning about soups, learning about oven-drying ingredients like tomatoes or cauliflower for maximum effect, learning about braising, grilling, creating soufflés (they can be assembled and frozen ahead of time!), learning about pasta in the West and the East. Part Three covers lessons in main ingredients: chicken, dried beans, mushrooms, salmon, shrimp, soy foods, desserts. The straightforward recipes reflect the nature of the lessons, the ingredients, the flavor profiles. This is a California chef with deep respect for culinary roots, whether they reach back to the Colorado barnyard or the French farm.

John Ash teaches cooking here, not recipe recreation. He creates good cooks out of good eaters. --Schuyler Ingle

Book Description

You love good food. You prefer fresh ingredients, you appreciate lively flavors, you try to eat healthy. So what's keeping you out of the kitchen? Fear? Boredom with making the same old things? In this book, renowned cooking teacher and innovative California chef John Ash says, "Let's get back in there."

Those lucky enough to have learned in the classroom alongside John Ash know that he is an extraordinarily gifted teacher who empowers beginning cooks and kitchen veterans alike to reach new culinary heights. In his celebrated classes, Ash takes the fear out of creative cooking by demonstrating the basics, then encouraging students to dive right in and experiment with the endless possibilities. Now, home cooks can reap the benefits of a private course with John Ash in this enlightening guide to cooking essentials and beyond.

John Ash: Cooking One on One features lessons that focus on specific techniques, ingredients, or flavor-makers--vinaigrettes, pestos, and other building blocks that turn ordinary dishes into something special. With each lesson, Ash presents a handful of recipes--variations on a theme that start simply, then progress to reveal more complex combinations. With clear-cut instructions and a dash of charm, Ash helps cooks build confidence in the kitchen and proves that any dish, no matter how intricate, is based on a handful of simple techniques and troubleshooting know-how.

This unique new collection of recipes--his first since the IACP Cookbook of the Year From the Earth to the Table--offers savory soups, satisfying main course salads, comforting vegetarian and nonvegetarian entrées, and delectable desserts for every occasion. Pan-Seared Sea Bass with Pineapple Melon Salsa. Mojo-Marinated Skewered Beef. Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Apple Cider Dressing, and Oven-Dried Grapes. Mushroom-Ginger Soup with Roasted Garlic Custards. Orange Ricotta Cake with Strawberries. Discover an irresistible assortment of extraordinary recipes prepared with global accents and a light touch. As one of the guiding forces behind California cuisine, Ash uses fats judiciously and encourages cooking with seasonal produce. His final lesson, an introduction to wine, rounds out this groundbreaking cookbook.

An unprecedented blend of instruction and inspiration, John Ash: Cooking One on One swings open the kitchen door, stocks the pantry, and invites cooks of all skill levels to dish up fresh, flavorful food at home.

Customer Reviews:

Wish I had found it earlier.......2006-02-09

I looked for a long time in all the wrong places for a book that would teach me how to cook, not just by piling up recipes, but by showing me basic adaptable techniques and how to approach different main ingredients. My search was so frustrating that I gave up on my other condition, that the book feature modern, interesting food. This book does exactly that.

He shows you, for example, different types of sauces, then shows you how they are related and how they can be used to build your dish.

The reason I give this an edge over volumes like How to Cook Everything or the All-New Joy of Cooking is that Ash gives his lessons concisely--it's a far slimmer book than those two--and with beautifully motivating illustrations. This book will take you very far in relatively few pages.

Amazon is at this moment offering this book with Molly Stevens' All About Braising. This is a brilliant combination, as Stevens' book goes into great depth on this elemental technique, and both give you a perfect balance of classics and new and/or exotic flavours.

Great Food .......2005-10-01

This cookbook is wonderful in that it uses fresh ingredients and it allows piees and parts of meals to be prepared ahead of time.

A great book.......2004-05-10

My husband and I have attended two of John Ash's cooking classes in the last several years. If you ever have a chance to go to his class, don't miss it. He teaches with a wonderful sense of humor while passing on all kinds of good information. He usually makes the circuit at the Central Market in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Ft. Worth, TX. We attended in Austin but unfortunately don't live there anymore. His cookbooks are wonderful and are filled with very interesting, different, and excellent recipes. This one is good.

Culinary Building Blocks.......2004-04-23

This is marvelous new approach to teaching culinary techniques. It is very similar to Ming Tsai's new book: "Simply Ming" in that they both provide a new technique, e.g. how to make a marinade, a vinagerette, a sauce, souffle, braising, etc., then provide recipes which use and build and modify this basic.

While Ming is into East-West fusion, here Ash is into inspiring even the one who feels they are not very good in the kitchen to delve into the fun world of great cuisine. Ash is a proficient educator who truly believes in dialogue as a prominent learning tool. Here he aptly anticipates questions and answers them.

His selection of topics is contemporary and popular, as evidenced by his starting point: salsas. This is topped off by a wonderful "Fresh Cranberry and Tangerine Salsa." I really appreciate that each topic provides "VARIATIONS", which stimulate each of us to consider taking off in varying directions depending on our taste likes and ingredient leanings.

Try some of these, which are not difficult once you've began mastering the technique: "Roasted Eggplant Salad with Charred Tomato Vinaigrette;" "Cold Cream of Red Bell Pepper Soup from the juicer"; "Couscous Risotto with Oven-Dried Mushrooms and Tomatoes and Pecorino Cheese"; "Herb and Pistachio-Stuffed Veal Pot Roast"; "Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffles with Watercress and Oven-Dried Tomatoes"; "Poached Chicken Breast Salad with Curry Buttermilk, Apples, and Pecans";

There is also a section on Tofu (not one of my favorites) and Simple, Sophisticated Desserts. A wonderful, informative brief section on wine, both for cooking and for matching up with food is well done, as well as a Glossary and Pantry. Only thing missing here is Sources.

The writing is superb as is the color photography. A cookbook to start with, improve with and cook with for a long time.

Master Classes on Culinary Techniques. Highly Recommended.......2004-04-13

Author John Ash's rare combination of a professional chef's experience combined with a teacher's ability to communicate has produced this remarkable and welcome tutorial on how to execute various cooking tasks. The book lives up to the many blurbs from culinary luminaries headlined by a quotable from Emeril Lagasse on the front cover. The book is so good, it enhances my opinion of the commending writers for having the foresight to endorse the book.

On a very glib level, the book is a cross between Alton Brown's knack for explaining with Tom Colicchio's depth of culinary insight. The first stroke of genius is the organization of the chapters into a section on `flavor makers', a second section on techniques, and a third section on important ingredients. Learning about cooking has often struck me to be very similar to learning about chess. For the millions of combinations of ingredients (moves) there are really just a few simple rules one can learn with hundreds of variations posed by the moves of your opponent. One simply cannot learn chess by studying. You can only learn by playing (cooking) and by slowly gaining first hand experience with ingredients and the results of applying techniques. The author has accommodated this analogy by dividing cooking into three areas of discourse, loosely comparable to the opening (ingredients), middle game (techniques) and ending (flavor makers). I am sure this analogy will not bear too much analytical weight. It succeeds if it highlights the fact that you must learn cooking by actually working with foods and experiencing its behavior, smell, and taste.

I have occasionally been disappointed by such promising titles such as Tom Colicchio's `How to Think Like a Chef', but my disappointment has been part of the lesson and not a failure of Colicchio's book. He gives lots of recipes and very few general principles. Ash's book is no different in that there are only a few general principles and plenty of recipes, although the genius of Ash's presentation makes the book satisfying all the way through. While Colicchio and Charlie Trotter and Eric Rippert, great chefs all, have written inspired books about cooking in general, Ash is a professional educator as well as being a talented chef.

One way of viewing Ash's book is to see it as a visit from the Snap-On tool supply truck. Reading the book furnishes your mental toolchest with eighteen (18) tools that can be used in a broad range of applications. My favorite example is the lesson called `Vinaigrettes: Not Just for Salads'. As the title indicates, vinaigrette is one of those `Swiss Army Knife' preparations like a marinara sauce. It can easily be used in a lot of different situations with great results. Ash doesn't limit himself to the olive oil / vinegar / mustard / shallot / salt and pepper classic and it's applications. He brings in citrus as the acid, stocks as part of the liquid, honey, miso, soy sauce, ginger, cilantro, and dried fruits. He extends the lesson to advice on how to pair vinaigrette to the composition of other elements in a dish or a meal. I also welcome his mentioning of a brand of corn oil prepared in a way which calls up the picture of artisinal olive oil production. The oil, he claims, actually tastes like corn. What a concept!

The lessons on the other four `flavor makers', Salsas, Pestos, Marinades, and Sauces all follow the same pattern of broadening our understanding of these preparations. The greatest contribution of all these chapters is not that they show you how to make these specific eight or ten or twelve recipes. The contribution is that they show you how to improvise with these ingredients. I can still remember the revelation I experienced when I realized that pesto / pistu is not just for pasta. I was amazed when for the first time I saw it being used as a garnish to soup. There is a lot of this kind of horizon expanding exposition going on in these pages.

The selection of topics for techniques and for ingredients is equally inspired. In a sense, there is even more illumination in these sections than in `flavor makers' since both sections contain at least one surprising topic. Techniques gives us a lesson on oven drying, a method which I have seen used here and there, now and then, and highlighted as a general tool only in books covering Raw Foods techniques. Ash brings the technique into the main stream as a routine tool for the home cook. The ingredients section includes a chapter on soy foods which has a distinction between Chinese and Japanese tofu, the first time I've seen this distinction made. This section also discusses miso, relatively new to American culinary vocabularies, and Tempeh, which may be quite new to most Americans.

I do not know much about wine, but I welcome it in all sorts of cooking applications. Therefore, I was delighted to find that the final essay was a concise, excellent discussion of wines as they are used in cooking. True to the end, the book's food facts are accurate in it's addressing the question of whether cooking drives off the alcohol. The book's discussion of the issue is deeper than any other I have seen, in that it gives estimates of how much alcohol remains after various cooking techniques heat the added alcoholic ingredient. The discussion is crowned by a clear explanation of what alcohol adds to dishes in language that makes sense to educated lay cooks. There is none of the meaningless statements that alcohol is `a conductor of flavor'.

This book is not a complete text on cooking methods. For that, see, for example, Madeleine Kamman's `The New Education of a Cook' But, this is an exceptional cookbook which really should be read from cover to cover.

Very highly recommended. Intermediate to advanced recipes, but good advice for novices.

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