Average customer rating:
- I've been jaded from today's kind of endings
- One of the best mysteries from the British Classic Period
- An important mystery
- Psychological morality tale
- Excellent psychological study
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The FRANCHISE AFFAIR
Josephine Tey
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 20th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
British
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
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General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
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Women Sleuths
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
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Police Procedurals
| Mystery & Thrillers
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Tey, Josephine
| ( T )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
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General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
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ASIN: 0684842564 |
Amazon.com
Though Josephine Tey is not, perhaps, as well known as Agatha Christie, her contribution to the Golden Age of mysteries is unquestioned. In contrast to Christie, Tey rejected formulas and long-running series in favor of experimentation with new settings and odd conjunctions of character and subject matter. Her historical tale The Daughter of Time is frequently cited as one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
The Franchise Affair resembles some of the best work of Poe in its introduction of an apparently inhuman evil in an otherwise sedate country setting. Robert Blair, a lawyer who prides himself on his ability to avoid work of any significance, is interrupted one evening by a phone call from Marion Sharpe. Ms. Sharpe and her mother live in a run-down estate known as the Franchise, and their lives drew little attention until Betty Kane charged them with an unthinkable crime. Ms. Kane, having disappeared for a month, now says that she was held captive in the attic of the Franchise during her entire absence. While her story seems absurd, her recollection of minute details about the interior of the house sway even Scotland Yard. Blair--who Ms. Sharpe has chosen for her defense because, as she says, he is "someone of my own sort"--must dust off his neurons and undertake some serious sleuthing if his client is to beat these serious charges. As with all fine mysteries, one has the sense of being in a sea of clues with a solution just out of reach. The Franchise Affair is a classic mystery, and also a superb record of country life in early twentieth century England. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Robert Blair was about to knock off from a slow day at his law firm when the phone rang. It was Marion Sharpe on the line, a local woman of quiet disposition who lived with her mother at their decrepit country house, The Franchise. It appeared that she was in some serious trouble: Miss Sharpe and her mother were accused of brutally kidnapping a demure young woman named Betty Kane. Miss Kane's claims seemed highly unlikely, even to Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, until she described her prison -- the attic room with its cracked window, the kitchen, and the old trunks -- which sounded remarkably like The Franchise. Yet Marion Sharpe claimed the Kane girl had never been there, let alone been held captive for an entire month! Not believing Betty Kane's story, Solicitor Blair takes up the case and, in a dazzling feat of amateur detective work, solves the unbelievable mystery that stumped even Inspector Grant.
Customer Reviews:
I've been jaded from today's kind of endings.......2007-01-04
This book was a good read. The only problem was on my end. I kept trying to make the book more twisted and deep that it really was. You have to remember when it was written. You can't compare it with today's books or TV shows where there is always another twist coming. I thought the ending was a little disappointing. Even in the movie Casablanca the guy didn't get the girl at the end and that movie was written before this book. Overall the mystery was good and I would recommend it ending and all.
One of the best mysteries from the British Classic Period.......2006-12-28
This and, Tey's Brat Farrar, are two of the very best from the decades around WWII when British mystery writing was so good. Unlike many of the books by Dorothy Sayers, Marjorie Allingham or Ngaio Marsh, classics in their day, these two by Tey stand up well to the passage of time. The story of The Franchise Affair is timeless and the characters and local so beautifully written that the book is not dated at all. The modern reader can appreciate the difference in lifestyle in the post War time without feeling that it is too period or quaint. A fine story that is suspenseful even though the reader knows from the beginning how the tale will end.
An important mystery.......2006-06-21
This is a great book with an excellent mystery at its core that raises a fascinating question: when people seem to have information they shouldn't know unless some claim they're making is true, and yet seem to be lying about who they've come by that information, what is one to do? The mystery in this book, which was inspired by real events, is about a young girl who claims that she was kidnapped and held hostage in an attic room of a house in England. The owners of the house swear that not only is this not the case, but that 1) this girl has never set foot in their house, and 2) they have never seen her before. A character in the book seems to think that the owners of the house are telling the truth, only, there's one problem: the girl can describe details concerning the interior of the house. Does this fact prove that her story is true? No, obviously it does not. Why it does not is an important lesson, and is one that surely extends beyond the confines of this mystery. The answer, for instance, has much to do with how con artists fool people into thinking they are "psychic." Though The Daughter of Time is often hailed as Tey's greatest accomplishment, I must disagree. I found The Franchise Affair to be a far superior novel. This is must reading for mystery fans.
Psychological morality tale.......2006-05-12
No question that Tey was a fine writer--especially with her characterizations & wonderful turns of phrase. For example, "The Governor to whom a tear in the eye was just a drop of H2O," "Awful to be suffering for port you never drank," & "If you see a giraffe once a year it remains a spectacle; if you see it daily it becomes part of the scenery." The crime is cleverly drawn, esp. the question of how the girl's description of "The Franchise" house could be so accurate, though Tey never really explains it--it is implied in the conspiratorial relationships. The activities of the protagonist (a country lawyer) reminds me of a Dick Francis novel. Still, I think the plot/mystery is quite obvious and the resolution rather banal--though I liked the final ending. It's not "Daughter of Time," but if you're looking for a very enjoyable read, this would be a fine choice.
Excellent psychological study.......2006-04-18
Josephine Tey is widely regarded as one of England's best mystery writers, and deservedly so.
In THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR, she has written a taut psychologivcal thriller, the emotional equivalent of a locked room mystery.
When THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR first was published, back in 1949, it provided a knowing glimpse of life in a tiny English village. Due to its modern theme and the suspense that Ms. Tey was able to build, this mystery has been re-issued several times over an entire half-century, proof in itself as to its excellence.
The story revolves around the accusation of a young girl against two older women, respectable women, mother and daughter, that these women had kidnapped her, imprisoned her, beat her. The older women insist that not only have they committed no criminal act, but that they never set eyes on the girl before this extraordinary accusation was made against them. The local media attention all but turns the women into witches in the public perception.
The general opinion locally is that this young girl could have no reason to lie about the women, that there would be no purpose for her to make such charges if these were not true, and no way for her to know such thorough detail as she claimed.
To the rescue, and almost against his will, a country lawyer agrees to represent the ladies. Yet how does one prove a negative, that his clients did not do these heinous acts, that they had no way even of knowing their purported victim?
In the process of making a defense that is more than the accuser's word against the accused, the reader is given a peek into small town English rhythms and morality.
THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR makes for compelling reading, even if Ms. Tey, as the story's creator, has too much control and too neatly finds "angels" and makes "miracles" (the nouns used in the tale) to resolve the dilemma.
Almost sixty years after the story's first printing, some of the details have become charming anachronisms: the post-World War II patriotism, the lack of technology. No faxes, no cell phones, cut telephone hardwires--what a different plot it would have had to be if it were written today.
Rather than dragging down this mystery, these old-fashioned discrepancies make THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR even more enjoyable reading. And human emotions, which Josephine Tey understood as well as anyone, do not change over time, which means that THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR remains as compelling a psychological study as it had been when she wrote it in the 1940s.
Customer Reviews:
An incredible buy.......2006-05-14
This book contains 3 delightful novels (of only 8 written) by Tey. All 3 are wonderful period pieces illustrating English life with terrific characterizations, dialog, psychological discussions, & moral dilemmas. The mystery tends to take a back seat to the basic novel, however. Tey also provides some pithy comments: From Miss Pym Disposes: p. 122: As a psychologist she began to suspect she was a very good teacher of French.
From The Franchise Affair: p. 213: The Governor; to whom a tear in the eye was just a drop of H2O.
p. 295: If you see a giraffe once a year it remains a spectacle; if you see it daily it becomes part of the scenery.
p. 298: The less he knows about a thing the more strongly he feels about it.
From Brat Farrar: p. 414: If you thought about the unthinkable long enough it became quite reasonable.
While each novel is probably a 4.5 star (or close), IMHO the collection rates higher. Enjoy this fantastic collection!
Average customer rating:
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Electric Franchises In New York City
Leonora Arent
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Public Affairs & Administration
| Government
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1432526278 |
Book Description
This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.
Customer Reviews:
A WHOLE NEW WORLD.......2005-08-07
Captures your imagination instantly and doesn't let go. You can't quit until you know why, how and what's next. The Characters draw you in and You HAVE TO KNOW how everything is resolved.
Can't wait for Book 2!
Book Description
The third book in the bestselling Baby Whisperer series -- the most comprehensive, up-close, and personal to date!
Thousands of parents have asked the Baby Whisperer to help them solve their problems. With this book you too can take advantage of the advice, insights, and parenting techniques from beloved child expert Tracy Hogg. "A problem is nothing more than a situation calling for a creative solution," she reminds us. "Ask the right questions and you'll come up with the right answers."
Once you learn how to translate banguage, the "baby-language" your infant uses to communicate needs, feelings, and opinions, you can see your child for who he or she really is -- an understanding that will serve you well as your child blossoms into the toddler years. By helping you establish a daily routine and tailor your parenting strategies according to your child's unique personality and stage of development, Tracy will teach you how to:
• Ask the
Twelve Essential Questions to recognize potential problems and employ the
Twelve Principles of Problem Solving -- simple troubleshooting techniques for everyday situations
• Avoid, or remedy,
accidental parenting -- inadvertent adult behavior that often leads to such common parenting challenges as sleep problems, poor eating habits, separation anxiety, and tantrums
• Be a P.C. parent -- patient and conscious -- who knows how to detect
prime times -- windows of opportunity for teaching babies how to get to sleep on their own, introducing bottles to breast-fed babies, toilet training, and other growth issues
• Inhibit
runaway emotions and foster his or her emotional fitness -- the ability to understand and manage feelings
...and so much more. For Tracy's fans, this book will be a welcome addition to the Hogg library; for readers unfamiliar with her philosophy of care, it will open a new world of understanding and insight.
Customer Reviews:
knowledge is power!!!!!!.......2007-09-22
I did not follow the book to the word, but I sure did pick up some tips that have really helped. I thought my baby hated to be swaddled, because she would kick off the blanket all the time, the book stated that babies like to swaddled, so I gave it another shot, this time swaddling her in the front and in back, so she was more secure, and it really worked!!! That alone was worth the buy. Plus I learned how to read her signals that she was tired. If you pick up a tip here and there from a book it's worth it.
It worked for me..........2007-09-21
GENERAL COMMENT: Like every baby book I read, I try to keep an open mind. You will NOT find a book that will work for ALL babies but this book worked for mine, who I think is a text book baby.
SITUATION: I was going back to work and my baby was super needy at 6 weeks-- wanted to be helded all the time. He won't nap if I wasn't holding him. And at night, I would rock him to sleep and put him into his crib very very gently when he has fallen into DEEP sleep. Otherwise, he would CRY. But that was my fault because I HELD him alot. This would be fine if I was a stay at home mom...but if even I was, I think it would have taken it's toll on me at some point.
LIKE: I like this book because it helped with getting my baby on a good routine, nap longer, sleep on his own, and sleep longer through the night. I made my own version of the EASY plan, customize it to my baby and what worked for me...this book afterall is not the BIBLE.
RESULTS: By about 8-10 weeks, he was sleeping from 7:30-8 pm to about 4:30 am (with 1 dream feed). Now at 5 months, he sleeps from 8pm to about 7am (with 1 dream feed). He use to nap about 30 minutes at a time. After the plan, he started napping for 2 hours (slightly shorter now since he is older). He LIKES his crib and falls to sleep in about 20-30 minutes of laying down...without ANY fuss. And he is a happy healthy little boy who is 50% for weight and 80% for height.
TRANSITION PERIOD: This didn't happen overnight. I would try for a week or two and revisit the book about a thousand time to make sure I wasn't doing it wrong. He would progess and go back to his old self and progress some more. After about 2 weeks, I customize the plan. You WILL be glad to get some time for yourself and hubby when the baby goes down to sleep in the evening instead of at night. He sleeping pattern gradually falls into place. I don't believe in cry it out so the SHH/PAT worked for me. It was hard and I gave up several times. But it worked before you know it. Just give it your best try and be PATIENT AND CONSISTENT. Even now when he takes a little longer to get to sleep, I still PAT/SHH and he is out.
DON'T LIKE: The tone of the author can be a bit annoying (KNOW IT ALL) but after all, she is a super nanny and have worked with THOUSANDS of babies. This book made me PARANOID as a parent--thinking that I would just ruin my child if I made any wrong moves. But we all turned out okay and our parents didn't have this book.
CONCLUSION: Your instinct as a mom is truly the best guide but sometimes, it does get you into situations that are difficult to overcome. This book helped me better manage my baby's sleep/eating which are the biggest parts of his life. Life is so much less HECTIC for MOM, BABY and DAD.
GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO "CRY IT OUT!".......2007-09-09
I'm on my 2nd child, my first slept though the night from early age, and was a very easy baby to care for. But my 2nd baby was a different story! According to the BW, he is Spirited. This book helped me to help him to take regular naps and be on a good routine, with NO crying it out alone in the crib. (He is 6 months old). I read Babywise book before this one and found it WAY too strict for my spirtied boy. We are still working on sleeping through the night, but i have hope that we can accomplish that soon!
Good common sense.......2007-09-03
I didn't like the idea of "recipe" parenting, but some of Ms Hogg's tips worked very well on our 5-month old, who is now sleeping 11-12 hours every night. I like her approach to behavioral issues, especially in toddlers. The tone is quite condescending, but if you can get past that, its a good read.
Andrew & Kim.......2007-08-27
I'm actually on Amazon today because I'm going to buy this for a colleague who is having her first baby. This book was absolute lifesaver. Like most new parents we had absolutely no idea what the baby wanted and way too much old school advice from well-meaning friends and family. We agreed to try this book for two weeks and there was never a question as to how great the advice was.
We agree with some of the other reviews about the author's tone. Fortunately, you cannot argue with the results. Her methods were spot on accurate and our children immediately adapted to the EASY schedule.
Thanks Tracy!
Average customer rating:
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The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems (by Teaching You How to Ask the Right Questions)
Tracy Hogg , and
Melinda Blau
Manufacturer: Vermilion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Pregnancy & Childbirth
| Women's Health
| Personal Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
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| Baby Names
| Fertility
| Fetal Drug & Alcohol Syndrome
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| Sears, Dr. William
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Parenting
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
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| Babies & Toddlers
| Child Care
| Discipline
| Emotions & Feelings
| General
| Health & Nutrition
| Morals & Responsibility
| School-Age Children
| Single Parents
| Teenagers
| Twins & Multiples
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ASIN: 0091902517 |
Book Description
When Joyce White moved to New York City from Alabama, she left small-town life behind and landed ajob as a food editor at a major women's magazine. Weekends, however, found her visiting churches in Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvestant, looking for a taste of home. Food has long been a part of the spiritual life of African-American churches, and what she found there, along with what she missed from home, was the comforting blend of cooking and fellowship that feeds both the body and soul.
In this warm and joyful collection, White offers more than 150 recipes for the foods that worshipers look forward to after services, and she captures the spirit of these sociable meals with warm, conversational and occasionally poignant reflections from African-American churchgoers around the United States.
"We don't just come to church service and leave," says a retired nurse who directs hospitality for a large church in Los Angeles. "Many of us stay here half the day. That way we get a chance to rub shoulders and see what is going on or going wrong with each other."
From delicious renditions of classics such as Sugar-Crusted Biscuits to updated favorites such as Black Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, as well as special fare for entertaining and Kwaanza, the pages of Soul Food are alive with the spirit and love of African-American churches -- and the terrific food to be found there.
Customer Reviews:
Great cookbook.......2007-08-12
This is a great cookbook. It brings back many memories of great and talented family cooks. I gave away six copies as Christmas presents to family members. We are not Southerners, but we are foodies and we do remember church socials and events fondly here in New Jersey. The baked rice, Texas Chili rice and the squash casserole have become big hits in my own household. Kudos to Ms. White and her friends.
A great surprise in every recipe!.......2006-01-27
It would be impossible to single out one recipe in this book and say it's the best. They are all the best and they work well together. I must say, I never thought molasses would be a staple in my cupboard but it is. If you bought this book just for the neat meatloaf recipe, it would be worth it. These are tried and true recipes of the past, each one with its own unique story.
Solid Book.......2005-10-22
I collect Aferican-American cookbooks. My perfect book is a good mix of authentic recipes and backroung info to add to heritage of the recipe. While I like the format and actual page layout of other African-American cookbooks better, this book has some solid recipes. Where this book excels over others is that there is a story behind nearly every recipe and there is lots of variety in the recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and do remind you of church anniversary dinners!
Consistently amazing.......2005-02-11
I am a cooking fanatic and a cookbook lover. This is a wonderful book just to flip through - the stories are amazing - and the recipes will exceed anyone's expectations!! My favorites so far are the Macaroni and Cheese and the Mean Greens. (They are my favorites because those are the only two that I have tried!) I made the Macaroni and Cheese last Thanksgiving and being one of the last dishes to the table I was surprised to see it as being one of the first to go!! My family asked why I didn't make more! And the Mean Greens have given me a name. (The only thing that I hate is that people keepe requesting them!) I left this cookbook over a friends house by accident and because I know I will have a fight on my hands tryig to get it back so, I just ordered another one so that he can have it! I also ordered Brown Sugar, the dessert version of the same cookbook. I can't wait!!!
Very likely the best soul food cookbook in print.......2001-12-06
A cookbook will be judged primarily on its recipes and this one really delivers the goods. Unlike so many books that chase prevailing food trends and offer gimmicky recipes with needlessly lengthy ingredients lists, this one presents plenty of time-tested classics that are economical and simple to prepare. A cookbook that you'll really *use*, rather than just put on your coffee table. The affectionate background material included by the author is a charming bonus.
Books:
- The Hand of Justice (Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles)
- The House of Seven Mabels (Jane Jeffry Mystery Series #13)
- The Jim Chee Mysteries: Three Classic Hillerman Mysteries Featuring Officer Jim Chee: The Dark
- The Joe Leaphorn Mysteries: Three Classic Hillerman Mysteries Featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn: The Blessing Way/Dance Hall of the Dead/Listening Woman
- The Last Battle (Werewolf: Time of Judgement)
- The Marshal and the Madwoman (Marshal Guarnaccia Investigation)
- The Mike Hammer Collection, Volume 2: One Lonely Night, The Big Kill, Kiss Me Deadly
- The Moving Finger: A Miss Marple Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries)
- The Quality of Mercy
- The Raven in the Foregate (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
Books Index
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