Book Description
Enter into a treacherous world in West Africa, where British expatriate Bruce Medway, a clandestine “troubleshooter” and debt collector, finds himself unexpectedly immersed in toxic waste scams and mafia crime when a job for his newest client turns out to involve more than the recovery of two million dollars. But Napier, the client, isn’t the worst of Bruce’s problems; that falls to Selina, Napier’s seductive daughter, who wants more than money—she is out for revenge. In his attempt to help Selina, Bruce delves into more danger than he bargained for.
Nothing is static in this intense plot-driven novel where truth is murky and motives are hidden.While Bruce is no stranger to lies, deceit, and crime, he has never met anyone like Selina and her cohorts. And even though Selina is alluring, not even love can change the fact that in this world, blood is dirt.
A Harvest Original
Customer Reviews:
Why did it take me so long to discover Robert WIlson?.......2006-09-25
My first taste of Wilson's writing was A Small Death in Lisbon! WOW!! Powerful but brutal. Since then, I've been reading everything I can get my hands on by this author.
Wilson draws on Africa for this tale and it is tautly written with complex characters. I can never see around the next corner, I am constantly amazed as Wilson pulls rabbit after rabbit out of the hat.
What I like about Wilson is that even when he's being brutal, he never forgets to be funny as well. Some of the better one liners I've read have come from his novels.
Always brutal, his characters flawed as we would expect, plots in keeping with today's drama, Wilson's novels are way ahead of the formulaic mystery writers in America. Though I ususally pass my books on to others, Wilson is one author I hate to part with.
Looking forward to the next novel.
Terrific Setting is the Saving Grace.......2006-04-14
When Bruce Medway, now headquartered in Benin, is approached by a client about a Nigerian scam, he is initially skeptical. When that client turns up murdered, Medway begins his quest for the killer, particularly after the victim's daughter comes to Benin looking for revenge. Medway's hunt for the killer leads him into neighboring Nigeria and its corrupt system, and a plot to sting a presidential candidate.
"Blood is Dirt" is the third book in Robert Wilson's Bruce Medway series, and the second I've read. Both have the same pluses. "Blood is Dirt" features some excellent dialogue, real suspense, and a wonderfully drawn setting. Despite being written in 1997, it is also quite timely, given that Nigeria is a continuing trouble spot for the world. As on character notes, Nigeria shouldn't be dysfunctional, and yet it is, because certain people within and without are profiting from its failure as a state.
However, I was frustrated to find many of the same minuses as his previous book. Medway is a more grounded and likable character now that his girlfriend, Heike, has returned to him. But he remains a little more distant than he ought to be for the reader to fully appreciate. He's descent enough, but the reader never quite connects with him, which is a bad thing for a mystery/suspense novel.
Moreover, the plot is far more convoluted than it needs to be, as Medway pursuit a scam artist leads to the Italian Mafia, expatriate businessmen, and corrupt Nigerian politicos. Consequently, a lot of incidents occur that rarely seem relevant at the time, and even then, only half really matter. While a good mystery is layered, Wilson frequently spackles on plot-lines like dense concrete, some of which serve no purpose other than to obfuscate. The end result is to leave the reader rather indifferent to as to who the killer is and what their motives are. Indeed, it's quite possible you'll forget everything as soon as you close the book.
The saving grace of this series for me has been its terrific and unusual setting. I have the last volume of the series, and I will read it. But I am happy I bought these books from the bargain shelf.
africa!.......2005-02-21
Like Robinson's, The Sapphire Sea, this well written novel takes us into the steamy alleys of Africa through the eyes of an outsider who knows the inside track. You may not like what you see, but you can't stop turning the pages. Good stuff.
Good, But Not Great.......2004-09-14
The back cover compares the author to Raymond Chandler. This is true only to a degree. The narrative is first person and the writer attempts to imitate Chandler, but the plot is confusing and the ultimate solution is somewhat simplistic and obvious. The author writes well, but the reader is always flipping to prior chapters to try to figure out who a character is and where the character entered the story. In sum, this book is good, but not great.
If Chandler Lived in West Africa.......2004-07-06
If Raymond Chandler was an acerbic Brit living in Benin, well, okay, he wouldn't be Raymond Chandler, but Robert Wilson is a latter day Chandler, who describes the complexities of African corruption, gives us the flavor of heat and violence, and presents an expat private eye (Bruce Medway) who is smart, funny and about the only dry thing in West Africa.
This novel is interesting, smart about Africa, especially Nigeria, Benin, corporate fraud and political corruption. It's also funny and moves along at a good clip. Wilson is deft with characterization and complexity, and the writing is so evocative you'll feel by turns drunk, hot or terrified as you read.
A great example of what detective fiction should be: smart, original, funny and interesting.
Book Description
A collection of short works including poems, short stories, and one-scene dramas.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Siempre!, published by Edicional Siempre on November 7, 1996. The length of the article is 940 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: La patria, imbricación de tierra y sangre. (México)(TT: The Motherland, a mix of blood and dirt) (TA: Mexico)
Author: Jaime Labastida
Publication:
Siempre! (Refereed)
Date: November 7, 1996
Publisher: Edicional Siempre
Issue: n2264
Page: p22(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Blood Is Dirt
Robert Wilson
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJDGZI |
Average customer rating:
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Blood, Dirt & DNA: For Attorneys & Investigators
Irv Baggett
Manufacturer: Baggetts Investigative Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Relations
| International
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0966611128 |
Average customer rating:
- Was I reading a different book...or was it just me??
- Wonderful Story/Warm Characters/Worthy Of "Weird Tales"
- Very Clever: No -- Really, I Mean It
- A different premise, to say the least
- Wonderful!!
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Bride of the Rat God
Barbara Hambly
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Hambly, Barbara | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
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Graveyard Dust (Benjamin January, Book 3)
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Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson Series, Book 2)
ASIN: 0345381017
Release Date: 1994-10-31 |
Book Description
Chrysanda Flamande was the sultriest vamp of the silver screen in Hollywood, California, in the year 1923. Then an elderly Chinese gentleman warned her that a trinket she'd worn in her last movie had marked her to be the bride of an ancient devil-god of Manchuria. Now the Rat God is stalking closer, and Chrysanda is discovering that there's no mousetrap big enough to keep her from being dragged unwilling to the altar!
Customer Reviews:
Was I reading a different book...or was it just me??.......2006-12-26
Let me start by saying that I am a huge Barbara Hambly fan; I go out of my way to read all of her books and I've loved all of them. Until now.
Given the rave reviews by pretty much everyone else I'm willing to admit that it could be me. But, simply put, I hated this book and everything about it. The title put me off not at all; after all, it's Barbara Hambly so I just assumed it was good. But I have no clue where these other reviewers found these allegedly well-written characters and plot. I found each and every one of the characters highly stereotypical, predictable, and frankly just plain boring. Not one of them aroused any interest or sympathy from me; in fact, I thought the alleged heroine, Chrysanda, deserved anything and everything she got.
The same with the plot. How anyone could possibly not see this plot coming from a mile away is beyond me. For me, this is in sharp contrast to the plots I expect from Ms. Hambly (i.e., the Sun-Cross books, *any* of the Benjamin January books, even the plots from the Sun Wolf/Starhawk series).
Personally, I expected better all around. Much, much better.
Ah well. I certainly won't stop reading her because she blew it on one single book. She still has one heck of a good record.
Wonderful Story/Warm Characters/Worthy Of "Weird Tales".......2004-06-10
This is as much about Silent-Era Hollywood as it is about Dark Fantasy, so I'll address that side of things in this review.
With warm & wonderful characters, vast detail about the Hollywood of the Silent Era, and characters that closely resemble actual people from Silent Films, you'd love it.
Add a supernatural plot, a cursed gemstone, and a budding romance, & you get a story worthy of the old "Weird Tales" pulp magazine, also of the 20's & 30's.
Why isn't there a hardcover edition?
And please Ms. Hambly? A sequel? I wanna watch the second reel!
Very Clever: No -- Really, I Mean It.......2004-02-27
If the name Barbara Hambly isn't enough to make you expect something well above what the title might imply, let me try to convince you. The title sounds like something out of a bad scifi movie, and it's got lots of the elements of just that genre of film: an ancient cursed necklace, a demon (the Rat God itself), explosions, cryptic omens, people who refuse to die even when their skulls are cracked open, and mysterious Chinese gentlemen.
But it's also got a wealth of finely-drawn characters: the `bad' actress who's having an affair with the studio owner, the widowed sister-in-law she rescued from companion status in England, the brave photographer, the above-mentioned Chinese gentleman, a trio of charming and essential Pekingese, and a bevy of side characters equally memorable.
And also finely-detailed is the setting: Los Angeles at the height of the silent film era, when everyone worked long hours, and used a lot of illegal drugs (including alcohol). A Los Angeles just beginning to grow, still full of woods, orchards, oil derricks, Hollywood, Chinatown, bootleggers, and dockside piers with carnivals. So while our intrepid heroes are waiting for the right time to confront the Rat God and contain it so they can live on in peace, you get to meet some new friends and see an intriguing view of Hollywood during prohibition.
I've read this book at least four times. Each time I've thought: do I really want to keep this in my library? And then set it aside to decide that question later. Well, this time I've decided -- it's being kept for the next time I want something light, clever and textured. It's out of print, but worth looking for.
A different premise, to say the least.......2003-06-30
Hollywood, 1923. A small town on the verge of greatness, filled with silent film stars, directors, producers, and an ancient Chinese Rat God hell-bent on taking his bride!! His intended is Chrysanda Flamande, aka Christine Blackstone, one of the new up-and-coming stars of the silent film era. She lives the good life with her widowed sister-in-law Norah and her Pekingese dogs in the hills of Los Angeles. With her big-time producer boyfriend, she is the toast of the town, while her dowdier sister-in-law tries to keep her from getting into too much trouble and helps her to get to work on time. This idyllic existence is interrupted by the arrival of a myserious Chinese gentleman, who tries to warn her that the Rat God is coming for her, because of the old Chinese necklace she wore in her last film. She pays him little attention until people around her begin to die or disappear and strange things start happening around her home. Suddenly Christine, Norah, and their friends are thrust into a whirlwind of danger and magic that threatens their very souls. And the only thing standing between her and a "hellish" marriage is the old Chinese man, who happens to be a wizard. But can they muster the strength of body and mind to overcome such an ancient evil?
This is another good book by Hambley. Again she dazzles us with her precise, vivid writing and heartfelt characters. She makes you worry about what will happen to them. The reader will also learn a bit about what Hollywood was like 80 years ago, before all the glitz and glamour (although Hollywood 1923 at times sounds like Hollywood today). Seeing Norah finally climb out of her pit of despair from her husbands untimely death in World War I and find love again uplifts the heart. Glimpsing the vulnerability of Christine and seeing past her confident facade makes one wonder about the stars of today and the price of fame. The story itself is a bit rough around the edges, but generally this is an enjoyable book that readers of all ages and genres should enjoy. Another great addition to anyone's library. Really, this book rates 3.5 stars, not 3.
Wonderful!!.......2002-03-28
I wish there were more like this one! Barbara Hambly creates such vivid three-dimentional pictures of a by-gone era. This book evokes the images of great black and white adventure movies with heroines slinking through in elegant floor length gowns and no gentleman went out with out a hat. Even though the story is from her superb imagination, she has taken incredible pains with the accuracy of the setting. Living in the great megalopolis of Los Angeles/Orange County, we often forget that once there were tremendous open spaces, that we wouldn't be living here if not for the film industry. How skillfully Ms. Hambly gives us a history lesson about what is under our very feet and enthralls us with a great story at the same time. As always, I look forward to her next endeavor.
Average customer rating:
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Bride of the Rat God / Thread That Binds the Bones / Modern Magician
Manufacturer: Constable Robinson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Anthologies | Authors, A-Z | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | British | Dark Fantasy | Erotic | General | Ghosts | Graphic Novels | Occult | Reference | United States | Vampires
ASIN: 1854874489 |
Amazon.com
Is there any topic more controversial than the sexual education of our children? Parents worry about telling too much or not enough, schools are restricted in what they're allowed to discuss, and kids are filled with a combination of surprising misinformation and depressing detail on disease without ever having been taught about the possible benefits and enjoyment of feeling comfortable with their bodies. Deborah Roffman, a longtime teacher of sexual education for both children and adults, has assembled a thorough book that attempts to address moral and physical issues for every age. The Thinking Parent's Guide to Talking Sense About Sex is decidedly not for those whose sex speech begins and ends with "just say no." Roffman's take on sexual education is that it is a lifelong exploration that should encompass changing cultural values and an individual's personally evolving ethics as well as the practical facts of proper health care. Put plainly in one section's title, "sexuality is about people, not body parts." Including a discussion of gender roles and history, and appropriate levels of information for everyone from toddlers to teens, Roffman attempts to cover all the bases with a mix of theory, historical perspective, personal stories from her own classrooms and kids, and practice questions and situations that parents can eventually expect from their children. Breaking down this complicated subject, she identifies five core needs that all questions fall under: affirmation, information giving, values clarification, limit setting, and anticipatory guidance. This last category relates to parents' ultimate goal of making themselves "dispensable," secure in the knowledge that their children have been raised with all the information needed to make the right decisions for themselves--decisions that will result in a sexual health that blends their emotions, minds, and bodies with ultimate success. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
A new paradigm for talking honestly about sex and sexuality with our children.
With a rare directness and clarity about sex and reproduction, sexual values, and cultural influences on sexuality, Deborah Roffman challenges and teaches readers how to develop a blueprint for opening the lines of communication with children of all ages. Sex and Sensibility introduces the five core parenting skills that parents need to confidently interpret and comfortably respond to virtually any question a child might pose or any situation that arises. Powerfully instructive and thought provoking, it should be required reading for parents; it will inspire honest talk about sex and sexuality, helping all of us be better parents for the effort.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource.......2007-06-12
This is an excellent resource for parents with young children or anyone considering having children. This book will help you communicate more effectively with them concerning sex, sexuality and gender issues.
It is informative, funny and easy to understand. She gives a lot of examples of what she is writing about so that you have something to go on in discussing the topic with your own child or children.
Good ideas and stories but too wandering and disorganized.......2007-02-12
I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this book. The idea is revolutionary and necessary in modern society: a generation of parents who genuinely talk to their children about sex and maintain an open and reasonable dialogue throughout their child's life.
Roffman does a good job of arguing for why we need this. What she does not do well, in my opinion, is get to the point: just how are we to instill these dialogues into our relationships with our children? After pages of being told how important it is, I was frustrated not to find how she recommends going about it. So I skipped around. However, due to the poor organization of her book, I had no idea where to skip to. I left it back at the library I got it from with only a vague idea of how she recommended I speak to my child.
Don't get me wrong: her stories are good and there a few I feel glad knowing. But she simply does not get to the point soon enough. The path of her narrative is wandering and her direction at times unclear. I simply could not sit through it long enough to give her a chance to get. to. the. point.
After some disappointment and some searching, I found a book that *does* get to the point:
-Everything you NEVER wanted your kids to know about SEX (but were afraid they'd ask)-
by Justin Richardson and Mark Schuster
While Roffman has the advantage of many first-hand discussions with parents children, Richardson and Schuster have the advantage of not only that but also enlightening statistical, psychological, and sociological research. Not to mention a much more straight-forward writing style.
I applaud Roffman's efforts on a difficult topic. But this simply is not the book to read. I wish she would organize her personal stories so I could find the ones on topics I'm interested in and assimilate them. But unfortunately, I do not have time to dig through all of them to find the ones I feel are relevant.
Read it and share it with your offspring before they go off to college!.......2006-12-28
I don't know what are the rates for teen pregnancy in the US, but I KNOW that unwanted pregnancy is a reality for young adults. Every year one or two of my college students becomes pregnant. I can only recall three times in over ten years when the student was either married or in a committed relationship. If your offspring is planning to go off and live on his/her own, read this book so you can talk about sexuality before they leave your house. The book is somewhat verbose and some sections could be shortened, but I gave it 5 stars because what Roffman has to say, and how she says it, it's very important.
Every parent should read this book.......2006-11-02
Just what parents need to know - the big picture, not just biology and warnings. Very thoughtful.
Important if you're a parent.......2002-02-28
I saw Deborah Roffman speak before I read this book. When she told us that her students (she teaches at a local private school) call her "the sex lady," I wasn't surprised. When she explained some of today's kids' (we're talking kids, not even teens) attitudes about sex, sexuality, and sexual activity, I was very surprised.
I've always considered myself enlightened and pretty progressive, but when it comes to what our kids are thinking and doing, I felt like a Puritan. According to Ms. Roffman, the roles that we as a society thrust on our kids put them under an incredible amount of pressure about themselves, their sexuality, and their values.
This book is written just the way Ms. Roffman speaks -- frankly, straightforwardly, and plainly, with no holds barred. If you're the parent of a pre-teen or teen, or know a pre-teen or teen, you should put this book near the top of your must-read list.
Book Description
In the narrative style of nineteenth-century travel writers, Peaks,Palms and Picnics highlights natural history and western lore along remote back roads, historic city streets and ancient Indian trails in California's Coachella Valley region.
Each vignette includes travel routes for easy, moderate or strenuous hikes and simple recipes for delicious sandwiches, salads and desserts for the trail.
This revised and expanded second edition also features the author's photographs of many of her favorite destinations and scenic picnic spots.
Book Description
In the October heat of Palm Desert under the shadow of the Santa Rosa Mountains our family began to talk of exploring the desert as the next adventure for a picnic series of books. We wondered what story the Coachella Valley desert would want to tell ? My husband and I had extensively hiked the high country but the Coachella Valley wilderness was all but unknown to us and Mom and Dad were novices to the trail. How could we pierce the myth of the desert, mysterious and impenetrable.
Searing heat, flat endless terrain, dry sand washes came to mind. Could we safely and enjoyably explore outside the manmade desert of sidewalks, golf courses and hotels? Would there be many places to picnic and hike? What birds and animals could be found? What plants and trees would guide us along. What geology would be revealed to us? Who would speak to us from the pages of history books? How would the desert inspire our menus and picnic locations? Could we find solitude and wildne! ss in the real desert so close to the city ? How would the desert change us?
Four months later with all these questions in our mind, we put the desert to the test. Choosing the Boo Hoff trail in the Santa Rosa Mountains, we stepped into the desert and let the story unfold. Peaks, Palms and Picnics describes exactly what we found: Peaks, Palms & Picnics is the story of 4 travelers, 40-75, exploring and picnicking in Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley and beyond following uneven paths into the deserts of Southern California highlighting 33 mountain and desert trails
Adventure for any age
Trails and food shared with family and friends give a deeper meaning to life For each trail there are simple recipes - light meals in hand for trail side picnics served alfresco on the peaks or under the palms inspired by the first people of Agua Caliente, skilled master gathers of desert and woodland foods and the late nineteenth and twentieth century pioneers who introduced dates, f! ruits and vegetables to the Valley
Come to the oasis where fan palms flutter, cool and shade See the real desert appear when you step off the sidewalks and green grass up to the granite peaks that rise above the city or along sandy desert that stretches out invitingly
Trod ancient Native American footpaths step into a Fish Trap under an age-old sea Ride into the old West of the romantic stagecoach days along the Bradshaw Trail join the posse of the last organized manhunt of the West or pound along the lonely journey of the last local Pony Express rider Fire your imagination along the wilderness paths that were the gateways to the American dream in the Far West
Sit beside the enigmatic blue Salton Sea and let the colors of the Painted Canyon and Indian Canyons seep deep inside Experience the warm gentle brown of the restoring mountains Observe the light changing on these powerful pyramids at twilight when mountains lose their dimension and become silhouettes pasted ! upon a skyline
Step along a path strewn with blooming yellow brittlebush Walk the history trail of the pioneers of Palm Springs and the writers and artists who passed along the same trails a century ago Stroll the Palm Springs avenues that movie stars claimed as their own
Meet a smiling mountain lion named Reno and a wayward Bighorn sheep called Rosie come along " jump in anywhere" There is time for the swimming pool and golf course but first feast on the wilderness drink from the soul of the desert Find serendipity in unexpected surprises and delights a traveler can not plan Come step into the Desert
Customer Reviews:
Delicious hiking.......2000-11-30
What a wonderful,innovative hiking guidebook! As a hiker andPalm Springs resident, it is a joy to read Linda's prose that soappropriately captures our beautiful desert trails.
I amparticularly impressed with Linda's description of the IndianCanyons. Each year, HIKE FOR HOPE is held in these beautiful canyons,offering 7 different guided hikes to raise money to fund women'scancer research at The City of Hope. Linda understands the magic ofthose canyons and the wonderful spirit that exists there. Linda hasbeen a terrific supporter of this event... we met her because of herbook and our admiration of it...
Thanks-- I'd have missed this trail and its incredible view.......1999-10-27
During our drive out to Palm Springs, I skimmed through the book and map to find hikes that would be near our hotel. I read about six different hikes/chapters and then chose two that I thought would be close and not too long since I would be hiking by myself.
Not familiar with the area at all, the first thing I did after arriving at the hotel was ask the concierge where the nearest hiking trails were. I was told there were none.(The concierge could use a copy of your book.)
Back at my room, armed with your book I found one three blocks away. Perfect! I set out the next morning, found the trail easily and started up. What I enjoyed most while hiking was remembering what you had written about your experience and it was like sharing my trek with an invisible friend. I noticed the canyon below that you had mentioned and wondered if I would have admired it as much if it hadn't been pointed out in your book. When I reached the top with that incredible view of the Coachella Valley, I sat for a long time.I was looking forward to telling you that I had 'made it', it was worth the uphill climb and to say thanks because if I hadn't read about this trail, I would never have known it existed!
I had originally planned to run up the trail--that lasted about one third of the way up. But I did run all the way down on the way back. Yahoo!!!
I finished the rest of the book and intended to do a second hike but ran out of time. We did check out the famous homes listed in your book while driving around.
Books:
- Bloody River Blues
- Butchers Hill (Tess Monaghan Mysteries)
- By the Pricking of my Thumbs
- Cardington Crescent
- Charmed Circle (Circle, Book 2)
- Cold Streets (The Vampire Files)
- Cop Hater (87th Precinct Mysteries)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Serial (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (IDW))
- Cutwork
- Dead Cert
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Federalist Papers
- Temperatures Rising
- Introductory Applied Biostatistics
- History: Fiction or Science
- In the Pink: Dorothy Draper--America's Most Fabulous Decorator
- Organizational Behaviour: Understanding and Managing Life at Work
- Rawsome!: Maximizing Health, Energy, and Culinary Delight With the Raw Foods Diet
- Back of the Big House: The Architecture of Plantation Slavery
- Growing up and Other Vices
- A Point of Law
A Darkening Stain
The Big Killing
Instruments of Darkness (Harvest Book)
The Vanished Hands (Javier Falcon Thrillers)
The Company of Strangers
