The Barker Street Regulars (Dog Lover's Mysteries)

Book Description

Susan Conant continues to surprise--this time by involving dog writer Holly Winter in a wickedly amusing tale full of dastardly deeds and delightful eccentrics.

An avid devotion to the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and an equally avid devotion to dogs, combine to draw Holly Winter and her two beloved malamutes, Rowdy and Kimi, into one of Conant's most original and entertaining mysteries to date.

Rowdy has finished his training as a therapy dog and now accompanies Holly on weekly visits to the Gateway Nursing Home, where they meet Althea Battlefield, still formidable at the age of ninety, and her two elderly, admiring cohorts, Hugh and Robert--all fanatic devotees of the Master (as they call Sherlock Holmes). When Althea's grandnephew is murdered at the home of her younger sister, Ceci, everyone is horrified, but it's the plight of Ceci herself--who is being victimized by an unscrupulous animal psychic--that finally unites this unlikely group in a crime-stopping spree that requires not only the finely tuned ratiocination of the Holmes admirers but the eager cooperation of an outraged Holly and the very particular talents of her willing canine accomplices.

No special knowledge of the Sherlockian canon is required for the utmost enjoyment of this engaging romp, and Conant's own devoted followers will be delighted to find her dog-loving alter ego, Holly Winter, still poking fun at the world of Cambridge eccentrics and dog fancy fanatics, but also expanding her horizons into the world of literary trivia and--yes--feline rescue, however initially reluctant.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Sherlock Holmes and dogs.......2007-03-28

I love this series so much because of the dogs, and so this particular book was even more fun with all the allusions to Sherlock Holmes. I too am a big Sherlock Holmes fan, so really enjoyed this book as Holly works her way through a mystery that is very eerily familiar to Sherlock Holmes stories. In this book Holly also inherits a cat, so it's interesting to see how a dog lover learns to cope with a cat. And this cat is not making it easy for Holly to make friends. These books are a lot of fun, and I enjoy each and every one.

one I never reread.......2007-02-27

I'm sure sherlock holmes fans will love it. But if you read this series for the dog trivia, what you get in this one is tons of Holmes trivia. If you know nothing about Sherlock Holmes, you'll be bored through most of it. Either Conant was getting bored with dogs, or she decided to try and garner more readers through a little expansion. The ploy didn't work well with me. I also found the new characters in this book, Althea and Cici, tiresome and wordy. More dogs, please. Stay with dog clubs or an obedience trial and leave Holmes to non dog mysteries.

Great book!.......2001-06-05

I received this book for my birthday, being someone who shows dogs, and I've read it four times since. The storyline is original without being too weird and the characters evoke many emotions. Susan Conant writes as though the main character is actually talking to you, not just normal first person, which is refreshing. Although I was sometimes confused by the hints to Sherlock Holmes, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to dog lovers. :)

Barker Street Regulars.......2000-05-20

Barker Street was my first Ann Conant purchase and a disappointment. If you aren't a Sherlock Holmes fan, don't start your interest in Conant books here!

A treat for dog lovers and Sherlock fans.......2000-05-17

Since I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, "The Barker Street Regulars" is one of my favorites in Susan Conant's series of dog lover's mysteries. Holly Winter and her Alaskan malamute Rowdy, who has qualified as a therapy dog, visit the Gateway nursing home, where they meet a 90-year-old woman, Althea, and her friends, Robert and Hugh, all of whom are Sherlockians. Althea's sister, Ceci, is being conned by a woman who calls herself an "animal communicator" and who claims to be channeling messages from Ceci's dear departed Newfoundland, Lord Saint Simon. Then Ceci and Althea's grandnephew, Jonathan, is found murdered in Ceci's back yard. Holly and her Sherlockian friends set out to discover whodunit. In addition to the usual dog lore, this book is chock-full of references and allusions to the Sherlock Holmes Canon: Ceci lives on a gaslit street on Norwood Hill; the tall, evil man whom Holly thwarts in his attempt to drown a cat has a "bulbous forehead"; an obnoxious couple on the dog-show circuit are named Gloria and Scott. (Holmesians will notice one gaffe: Take a look at Holly's account of the plot of "The Copper Beeches" in Chapter 26. Oh well, she has admitted that she's no expert.) If you enjoy a good, humorous cozy mystery, and if you are a dog lover and/or a Sherlock Holmes devotee, you're likely to find this book lots of fun.

The Barker Street Regulars - A Dog Lover's Mystery

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The Barker Street Regulars - A Dog Lover's Mystery
Susan Conant
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IX3FLK

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Barker Street Regulars

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417646837

Book Description

DARKNESS THREATENS to overtake Earthsea. As the world and its wizards are losing their magic, Ged -- powerful Archmage, wizard, and dragonlord -- embarks on a sailing journey with highborn young prince, Arren. They travel far beyond the realm of death to discover the cause of these evil disturbances and to restore magic to a land desperately thirsty for it.

With millions of copies sold, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle has earned a treasured place on the shelves of fantasy lovers everywhere. Complex, innovative, and deeply moral, this quintessential fantasy sequence has been compared with the work of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and has helped make Le Guin one of the most distinguished fantasy and science fiction writers of all time. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A little more interesting than The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore is a story of the older Ged. He is now an archmage, and has come to the realisation that magic is slowly disappearing, and that to ordinary people, this does not matter a whole lot.

Ged ends up on what to him is a quixotic quest, along with a young prince, to see what is going on.

Awesome.......2007-05-30

I loved the first two but this is really great too! I cant decide which is my favorite The Farthest Shore or the Tombs of Atuan. Ged is the best. i would recommend this highly.

"I Do Not Mistake You for Any Finished Thing...".......2006-11-25

The third book in what is known as the "Earthsea Cycle," this installment takes place a number of years after "A Wizard of Earthsea" (in which the character Ged was a boy) and "The Tombs of Atuan" (in which he was a grown man). Now he is edging into late middle-age as the Archmage of the Wizards, and a much younger man has come to the island of Roke, seeking his aid.

Arren is a young prince of the isle of Enlad, eager to serve and awe-struck at the great wizard Ged, but he comes with sobering news. Magic is leaking out of the world, leaving imbalance and chaos in its wake, news that matches reports that the wizards have been receiving from all over Earthsea. A wizard council is held, and Ged announces that he will go forth to find the cause of the magical entropy, and stop it if he can. The untried Arren pledges himself to Ged and his mission, and - despite the trepidation of the other wizards - the two set out to find the symptoms, effect and cause of the plague upon Earthsea.

What they find is sobering. Without magic (defined in this fantasy world as knowledge of "True Names" for people, places and objects) all meaning and purpose is draining from the world. Wizards are going mad for want of their true identities and spells of all kinds are being forgotten by those who have used them for countless years. People are suffering from a lack of interest in living; and as the mage and prince gather clues to the mystery, Ged decides that the problem must be centred on an individual with an unnatural desire for immortality. But where to find such a man? The two must travel to the Farthest Shore - into death itself to defeat their foe and restore the balance to the world.

"The Farthest Shore" is generally considered the best of the "Earthsea Cycle" (although le Guin continues to surprise her readers by churning out another novel set in this fantasy-world just when we think she's done), an accumulation of all the themes and plot-points established in the first two installments. Her established mythology concerning both the history of the islands and the workings of magic are used to excellent effect, and elements that were left upon in the previous books (the empty throne in Havnor, Ogion's prophecy, Ged's relationship with the dragons) are all brought to their logical conclusions.

Le Guin's language is beautiful, effortlessly evoking the cultures of each island, life on the open water and the dull dreariness of the realm of the dead, where "those who had died for love passed each other in the streets." Likewise, her imagination seems to know no limits; my particular favourite was her depiction of "the children of the sea", a community that lives entirely on floating rafts, coming ashore only once a year to replenish their wood supply.

Ged is now beginning to show his age; no longer being the prideful and impetuous youth he was in "A Wizard of Earthsea", his hair is greying and his physique weakening. But with age comes wisdom, and in many ways we are seeing Ged in his prime, especially when compared to the impatience and inexperience of Arren. I cannot bring to mind any other fantasy series that follows our protagonist from youth to old age (the great percentage stop when the hero reaches maturity, leaving the aging process as part of the "happily ever after") and it is for that reason I find the "Earthsea" cycle so unique. This is a person's entire lifetime we are experiencing, not just their youth; making it a much richer and deeper reading experience.

Anyone who considers themselves a fantasy connoisseur should pick up "The Farthest Shore", as well as "A Wizard of Earthsea" and "The Tombs of Atuan". Though not my favourite of all the fantasy series ever written, it is refreshingly unique and beautifully told.

"Agni, Lebannen!".......2006-10-19

While not as detailed or as ornate as THE LORD OF THE RINGS, LeGuin's Earthsea Cycle is considered among the finest of the Sword and Sorcery classics. THE FARTHEST SHORE is the third book in the Cycle.

THE FARTHEST SHORE is the most ambitious of the first three books in the Cycle. Another quest novel, it touches on themes of life, death, power, authority, youth and maturation.

In THE FARTHEST SHORE, Ged (now Archmage) and Lebannen, the young uncrowned King of Earthsea, are pitted against the wizard Cob, who has discovered the key to eternal life, really a kind of joyless undeath that saps the world of everything meaningful. In undoing Cob's evil, Ged loses his power, while Lebannen comes into his own.

Somewhat too heavily laced with symbolism, THE FARTHEST SHORE is still the most powerful of the early Earthsea novels. LeGuin's dragons, in particular, are amazing creatures unlike any other in Sword and Sorcery literature: "Dragons are dreams..."

Another Earthsea book...........2006-04-21

Rating this book was quite difficult for me. Overall, I would rate this book 3.5/5. Well, I had to round it down to 3 stars since I obviously cannot rate it 3.5 on the rating scale.

For me, this book was difficult to understand at some parts, mostly at the end of the story. The beginning of the book is easy to understand; Le Guin made it flow well. The story is about Arren, a young soon to be prince of Enlad(but at the end of the story he is crowned in Havnor). Ged(Sparrowhawk) is now the Archmage of Earthsea. In this book he is much older, I have to say he's probably in his late 30's or 40's. Nearly have of the book takes place in the South Reach and West Reach, on the islands of Lorbanery, Roke, The Dragons' Run, Selidor, etc. Basically the world is losing it's magic. The Dragons who once spoke the Language of the Making and who were quite intelligent, are no longer capable of speaking, and indeed, all of them turn feral. Even Orm Embar and Kalessin are in danger. The people of the South Reach don't like outsiders, as Ged and Arren found out. Along their sailing in the South Reach they met The Children of the Open Sea, which are people who live on rafts that float on the ocean's waters and they are indeed nomadic. They are very nice to Arren and Ged. However, Arren and Ged were sent to seek the dark force that is endangering Earthsea. Ged and Arren make their way to the Land of the Dead on the island of Selidor, to meet this dark force known as Cob. That is all I will say, as I do not want to spoil the entire book. Unlike the last two books, the Dragons become very important to this journey, mostly Orm Embar and Kalessin.

Average customer rating:

The farthest shores (Canadian pageant)
Roderick Langmere Haig-Brown
Manufacturer: Longmans, Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006CHWUS

A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuar; The Farthest Shore

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A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuar; The Farthest Shore
Ursula Le Guin
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Product Description

Three PAPERBACK books presented in a cardboard slipcase.

The Farthest Shore First Edition By Ursula K. Le Guin Illustrated By Gail Garraty (Earthsea Series)

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The Farthest Shore First Edition By Ursula K. Le Guin Illustrated By Gail Garraty (Earthsea Series)
Ursula K. Le Guin
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Product Description

This is a Junior Literary Guild selection, chosen as an outstanding book for older readers (C Group).

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The Farthest Shore

Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0788701819

Product Description

The third book of Earthsea

The Farthest Shore (Earthsea Trilogy, Volume 3)

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The Farthest Shore (Earthsea Trilogy, Volume 3)

Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1)

ASIN: 0553021265

Product Description

Volume #3 in the Earthsea Trilogy by the winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards.

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The Farthest Shore

Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRQGTQ

Earthsea Trilogy (The Wizard of Earthsea, Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore

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Earthsea Trilogy (The Wizard of Earthsea, Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore
Ursula Le Guin
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Earthsea Trilogy: A Wizard of Earthsea; the Tombs of Atuan; the Farthest Shore

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The Earthsea Trilogy: A Wizard of Earthsea; the Tombs of Atuan; the Farthest Shore
Ursula K. LeGuin
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000H00OCM

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The Farthest Shore
Ursula Le Guin
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000NQLO2Y

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Splendidly helpful

Misleading and over-generalization

Opinion

AA is a Cult

7 Tools to Beat Addiction

7 Tools to Beat Addiction
Stanton Phd Jd Peele
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Healing | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Substance Abuse | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Applied Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Truth About Addiction and Recovery

Willpower's Not Enough: Recovering from Addictions of Every Kind

Rational Recovery: The New Cure for Substance Addiction

The Addictive Personality: Understanding the Addictive Process and Compulsive Behavior

Overcoming Your Alcohol, Drug & Recovery Habits

Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device

Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 1400048737
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Book Description

DO YOU WANT A LIFE WITHOUT ADDICTION?

Whether you are battling drugs, nicotine, alcohol, food, shopping, sex, or gambling, 7 Tools to Beat Addiction is a hands-on, practical guide to overcoming addiction of any kind. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction but do not find that twelve-step or other treatment programs work for you, this book can help.

In , internationally recognized expert Dr. Stanton Peele presents a program for addiction recovery based on research and clinical study and grounded in science. His program utilizes proven methods that people actually use to overcome addiction, with or without treatment. 7 Tools to Beat Addiction offers in-depth, interactive exercises that show you how to outgrow destructive habits by putting together the building blocks for a balanced, fulfilling, responsible life. Dr. Peele’s approach is founded on the following tools:

•Values
•Motivation
•Rewards
•Resources
•Support
•Maturity
•Higher Goals

This no-nonsense guide will put you in charge of your own recovery.

Customer Reviews:

Splendidly helpful.......2007-06-09

As I mention on the book's jacket, this is an amazing work by an amazing man. The fact that the recommendations inside do not work for every single person IS THE POINT! Just as Dr. Peele emphasizes that many of the current therapies jammed down people's throats today are clearly not for everyone, no single recommendation inside this book should apply to every single person under every circumstance. Nevertheless, the recurring emphasis on personal values is not only the key to recovery, it's the key to a fulfilling life. If the thought of incessent meetings and a spiritual path that is inconsistent with your beliefs sounds like it's not going to work for you, JOIN THE CLUB! You'll find this book insightful, refreshing, and practical. If you're already living a life consistent with your values while enjoying connection to a popular fellowship, ENJOY IT! I assure you that you'll have Dr. Peele's blessing. But don't pretend that your path is the only path...

Misleading and over-generalization.......2007-05-25

My personal experiences contradict many claims by the author. Seems like he is trying to sell his services and his books. Methods he suggests did not work for me, but the methods he criticizes are the ones did. Some statements in the book are downright false according to my 17 years of experience with a certain organization. I believe this book may help some idividuals, but will hurt others.

Opinion.......2007-04-25

Great if you need to quit the hard stuff not so much if you want insight into why you do what you do, and how to better substitute your actions in a common addiction. Good info just geared more toward hard addictions.

AA is a Cult.......2007-02-21

The originator or AA was the Oxford Group. Frank Buchman, founder, was on the cover of Time as "Cultist Buchman". Oxford Group distanced itself from Buchman and changed it's name to Moral Rearmament. Buchman was an admirerer of Heinrich Himmler.

Like Himmler, AA supresses the truth. I logged onto AA chatroom (with its Visa/Mastercard donation site) and eluded to Buchman's history. My input was almost immediatley wiped out and I was informed that the chat room is about "recovery" issues, and bringing up historical topics is not condoned. Huh? I have 15 years of "recovery". I have been told over a thousand meetings that the only requirement is to stop drinking. The requirements change when you choose to reveal the truth about AA.

7 Tools to Beat Addiction.......2006-11-03

The best book I've read on the topic of addiction. It cuts through all the misinformation on the subject and in clear and easy to understand language it explains how and why people become addicted and gives practical steps on how to get past it by using a combination of the 7 tools. This book is perfect for someone who feels trapped in the maze of an addicton, has tried 12 Step and other programs, sincerely wants to stop, and still can't find their way out of it. Stanton Peele explains how to cure an addiction and get on with your life.

Average customer rating:

all recipe no substance

An improvement over her last book

Eat Healthy and Love It!

Eat Healthy and Love It!

Avoid this book like the plague!

Cook Your Way to the Life You Want
Christina Pirello
Manufacturer: HP Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1557883742
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Book Description

The host of the Emmy Award-winning cooking show "Christina Cooks!" Christina Pirello knows all about getting the most out of life--by getting the most out of your food. Her new book includes:

* 150 delicious whole-food recipes, menus, and home remedies
* a personalized nutrition profile to match one's lifestyle
* optimum eating patterns to access the body's natural energy
* no calorie-counting or portion control

Customer Reviews:

all recipe no substance.......2004-12-22

I ususally enjoy Christina's books, however this book was very disappointing. It lacks her usual commonsense approach to health and food and instead focuses one chapter on ancient chinese knowledge of the 5 elements applies this to food and modern day malady, and that is it. The rest of the book is recipes, which I have noticed she tends to reuse in her other books. This is the worst book out of her series, I reccomend skipping this one altogether and going for GLOW and cooking the whole foods way

An improvement over her last book.......2001-07-21

For four reasons: 1. No fish- thank you! Since she does, to some extent, market herself as a vegetarian, it doesn't make sense when she includes fish in her books- especially when she doesn't eat it herself. 2. She gives a very detailed explanation about the elements in the macrobiotic philosophy and what foods have which elements. It's complicated to plan your meals around those guidelines, but sometimes it's worth it. 3. She offers a section at the end on home remedies, some of which were previewed on her show and some of which I saw for the first time here. Her weight-loss drink really DOES work, as does her kidney drink. 4. I thought the recipes in this book were better. I think she made an effort to make this book more accessible to the general public (a delicious recipe for pecan-pumpkin squares come to mind) and it really shows.

Definitely worth a try.

Eat Healthy and Love It!.......2001-03-14

Since I discovered this cookbook, I've enjoyed cooking and eating like never before! I chose to go on a macrobiotic diet because of some minor health problems, and Christina Pirello's two cookbooks have made the transition virtually painless. This is saying alot because I previously ate meat, dairy, and sugar on a daily basis. I can honestly say that with these cookbooks I haven't missed them! I've also entertained using this cookbook and gotten rave reviews from friends who are great cooks but enjoy using a lot of unhealthy ingredients. To quote one of my guests, "If this is macrobiotic, then sign me up!" Try the Black Bean - Squash Soup, the Creamy Mushroom Soup, and the Mediterranean Vegetable Paella, to name a few. My husband also loves this food. I feel like we're eating the healthiest diet on the planet and loving every minute of it. Thank you Mrs. Pirello!

Eat Healthy and Love It!.......2001-03-14

Since I discovered this cookbook, I've enjoyed cooking and eating like never before! I chose to go on a macrobiotic diet because of some minor health problems, and Christina Pirello's two cookbooks have made the transition virtually painless. This is saying alot because I previously ate meat, dairy, and sugar on a daily basis. I can honestly say that with these cookbooks I haven't missed them. I've also entertained using this cookbook and gotten rave reviews from friends who are great cooks but enjoy using a lot of unhealthy ingredients. To quote one of my guests, "If this is macrobiotic, then sign me up!" Try the Black Bean - Squash Soup, the Creamy Mushroom Soup, and the Mediterranean Vegetable Paella, to name a few. My husband also loves this food. I feel like we're eating the healthiest diet on the planet and loving every minute of it. Thank you Mrs. Pirello!

Avoid this book like the plague!.......2001-02-05

I tried several of the recipes in this book. All I can say is that they were all AWFUL! Fortunately I got this book from the library so I wasn't out any money. But I did spend a lot of time running around looking for unusual ingredients (brown rice miso, etc.) for these recipes. If this is what macrobiotic cooking tastes like then get me the HELL out of here! I think I'll stick with meat and potatoes.

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