Peril, Kentucky

Book Description

In this sequel to Summon the Keeper (a #5 Locus bestseller), Tanya Huff returns to her inspired occult world of dark souls, spirits of light, and one opinionated talking cat...

Whether it's a blessing or curse, Claire Hansen's gift for reweaving time and space must be used to maintain the balance between Light and Darkness. But when an angel and a devil take human form-raging hormonal, teenaged form-it's up to Claire to keep all hell and heaven from busting loose.

Customer Reviews:

Second Book In a Great Trilogy.......2007-02-03

This book is the second in the series. I definately reccomend reading the first because the are a lot of humorous links to the first book and in my opinion the first book is the best. This time the two keeper sisters are somewhat at odds with each other when an angel and a demon are let loose on the world in a strange mishap where both sisters are somewhat to blame. They each want to solve the problem; each in two very different ways. This book contains the same kind of hilarity that the first does and I have read this series over and over again.

The Second Summoning (The Keeper's Chronicles, No 2.......2005-10-05

I thought the first book was a real funny bone tickler, but book 2 threw in some twists I never saw coming. Hell was in the basement in book 1. Angels and demons alike found out what it's like to be a human teenager in this one. Somehow my teenage years were never so funny, but this book leaves you cheering on everybody...except Hell who you just kinda feel sorry for. And sometimes the savior of the day just has to be a cat!

My favorite of the trilogy.......2005-01-12

Claire Hanson is a Keeper---basically acting as a fulcrom to balance good and evil wherever she is summoned. She's accompanied by Austin, a senior citizen--who coincidentally is feline. In the first of the book, she's reunited with a former companion, Dean, a Bystander who she parted with when she realized that the life of a Keeper wasn't safe for 'bystanders.' The subsequent good feelings of their reunion creates an angel who is brought to Earth---without a summons to fulfill.

All things having to be equal, Chaos spits out a demon in female form who is Samuel's counterpart. Add to the complexity, Diana who is Claire's more powerful younger sister, and you have a whole lot of tension going on.

Huff is not known for her humor, but I think she should be. Of the three books (Summon the Keeper, Second Summoning and Long Hot Summoning) this book strikes the best balance between humor and plot.

All in all, the whole series is a keeper.

True love + sibling rivalry + teenage trauma = hilarious fun.......2004-06-30

even more so if anatomically correct angels and demons and a sarcastic cat or two are thrown in as well.

This is the second book in the KEEPER'S CHRONICLES series and picks up shortly after SUMMON THE KEEPER ends. Claire, a young Keeper is still undecided about her romance - or lack thereof - with even younger Bystander Dean. Her cat, Austin, is always ready to offer her advice as is her bratty younger sister, Diana. To make life even more frustrating the family business of keeping good and evil in balance is particularly busy at the moment due to the holiday rush.

The trouble seems to begin in a traditional source of torment - a high school - and leads to a scene between an irate father finding a naked teenage boy in his daughter's bedroom. The daughter's explanation, that this is not a boy but an angelic manifestation, does not calm dad down.

Like SUMMON THE KEEPER, THE SECOND SUMMONING is set in modern Canada, and involves a family that is part of a group who keep the world balanced between good and evil. The tone of this series is hilarious, particularly for anyone who has ever lived with a cat.

If you are into serious scifi/fantasy (Anne Rice for example) you probably won't like this but if your tastes run more towards life's absurdies this is for you. I would recommend starting with SUMMON THE KEEPER though.

Not as good as the first but still a Keeper.......2004-06-04

Tanya Huff has the kind of style in her stories that just glide you through them. Unfortunately, it felt as thought she was struggling with this narrative. Clare and Diana, the mystic sisters, bickered as much, if not more, as they did in the first book and Dean was as stalwart and supportive as always but the book didn't satisfy as 'Summon the Keeper' did. The plot line of setting up the situation, explaining just how things can go horribly wrong in a single instant, investigating what's going on and the resolution marched through just as expected.
This is a fun read, funny episodes, interesting characters, the main characters more fully fleshed out and the world view of 'everything happens for a reason' more firmly supported. I'd love to give this 5 stars 'cause I really enjoyed Tanya's vampire series but the plot line on this one seems a bit forced. Still a good read.
Most definitely read 'Summon the Keeper' prior to reading this one, events are referred to from the first book and while you'll still be able to follow the plot to the successful denouement, it makes it more fun to be in on the jokes.

Average customer rating:

SECOND SUMMONING
TANYA HUFF
Manufacturer: NEW AMERICAN LIBRARY/MASS MARK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KVF7S4

The Summoning God (THE SECOND BOOK IN THE ANASAZI MYSTERIES SERIES, VOLUME 2 FOLLOWS THE VISITANT)

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The Summoning God (THE SECOND BOOK IN THE ANASAZI MYSTERIES SERIES, VOLUME 2 FOLLOWS THE VISITANT)
TATHLEEN O'NEAL GEAR AND W.MICHAEL GEAR
Manufacturer: BOOKS ON CD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: 073668056X

The Summoning: The Second Book of the Shalrodan Saga

Average customer rating:

The Summoning- A fantastic read!

The Summoning: The Second Book of the Shalrodan Saga
Robert R. Hotchkiss
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0595211992

Book Description

The second book of the epic Shalrodan saga, The Summoning chronicles the continuing adventures of geologist Gary Krahmer during his time spent with the Valrimir, the last remnant of an ancient civilization that once lived upon the Antarctic continent. This volume details the wars that raged across the lands that were anciently known as Shalrodan.

Customer Reviews:

The Summoning- A fantastic read!.......2002-07-24

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed "Earth of Fire, Sky of Ice" Robert Hotchkiss' first book, I became thoroughly engrossed in "The Summoning". This book introduces bold new characters and does an excellent job of developing characters introduced in the first book. Mr. Hotchkiss has done a masterful job of creating a land that is so unique and yet believable, and bold yet not overwhelming. I found the plot to be well thought out and full of excitement, and the story line to flow back and forth across thousands of years of time, in the process weaving an intricate tale of action, intrigue and suspense that left me thoroughly satisfied yet yearning for more. I definitely recommend this book!

Book Description

Two of 20th Century Fox's biggest franchises ever – Alien and Predator –come together in one movie!

A team of drillers, scientists and archaeologists led by a billionaire industrialist travel to Antarctica to investigate ancient pyramid ruins where they not only discover terrorised human skeletons among the fossilised remains of these alien creatures, but they also find further evidence that these aliens are still alive!

As if that's not frightening enough, vicious Predators lie in wait above for the release of these aliens from the centuries–old ice in which theyᵥ been preserved.

Thus begins the showdown between two of the greatest film horrors of all time.

Customer Reviews:

AVP Alien Vs. Preastor.......2005-06-14

The book was diffrent from the movie.Like how when the movie only had three predtors in it and the book had five, or like how they keep switching from when the predators came to earth every 100 years or every 1,000 years. I was disapointed I thought the booke would have more gory sceans in it but when they did they were very discripitive. I thought the book was overall amazing.

Alien vs Predator.......2005-04-27

A mysterious structure has been detected by via satellite far below the ice in Antarctica at the bottom of the world. A crack team of scientists, drillers, archaeologists and adventurers assembled by a billionaire industrialist, Weyland Industries, has traveled to the Antarctic wastes to make history by exploring what is believed to be a fully preserved pyramid predating those built by early Egyptian and Mexican civilizations.
But once this expedition crew enters, there will be no way out and no hope left for humankind. Because deep within the labyrinth, a terror is stirring, an alien monstrosity more vicious, cunning, evil, and unstoppable than any species in the universe except one: the otherworldly Predators who brought the nightmare to Earth to begin with and who are now returning here to face the beasts once more in the most unholy combat. The battle is about to begin and to the victor will go the planet. Who ever wins we lose.

Gives you a little insight..........2005-03-29

This book is fine by me...to be honest, I kinda prefer it over the original AVP novel(Not that the original wasn't good, I liked it).
I'll admit, there are some dry parts here and there, but it starts to get juicy once you get into it.
The writer doesn't let up on anything, he even adds a few pages that feature just the aliens in it(which you don't find to much in the first AVP novel). The interactions between the characters is well written as well; and the main heroine, Alexa Woods is pretty cool too.

Great book!.......2005-03-14

I thought that this book was great! (But I'm still confused of why the author added 5 predators instead of sticking with the 3 in the movie.) This book really talks about the characters' feelings, thoughts, emotions, and how they felt towards one another. If you're a fan of Alien/Predator, then you should get this book. (This is just my opinion. You may not like it.)

Just as good, but different..........2005-03-08

First off, this is not really a novelization of the final movie, but of the screenplay. For example, the movie had three hunters, the book has five - The first drafts of the film started out with five hunters. Also, the first chapter is set in 2000 BC and the second in 1904, so the book lays more of a foundation for the plot than the movie. Of course a book can get into details and character's thoughts, so it seems a tad more complex. I really enjoyed it, but thought more could have been done with both the Predators and the Aliens.

Avp: Alien Vs. Predator: The Movie Novelization

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Avp: Alien Vs. Predator: The Movie Novelization
Marc Cerasini
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF92G4

Book Description

Through insightful interpretation and storytelling, And Morning Came reflects on the central mystery of faith: how new life springs from death. In this powerful exploration through the Resurrection Scriptures, McKenna helps us know the Gospel writers, grasp unique aspects of their Resurrection accounts, and see the connections their stories have to our own experience of Christ's incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection. Ecumenical in scope, And Morning Came is a call to discover who we really are in light of God's eternal love and to live our lives to the fullest.

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The Whiskeys of Ireland
Peter Mulryan
Manufacturer: O'Brien Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Ireland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

On the Irish Whiskey Trail

Whiskey: The Definitive World Guide

Irish Whiskey: A 1000 Year Tradition

Classic Irish Whiskey (Classic Drinks Series)

Jim Murray's Whiskey Bible: Over 2500 Whiskeys Tasted, Evaluated and Rated

ASIN: 0862787513

Product Description

The History of Irish Whiskey There is a direct correlation between the history of distilling in Ireland and the history of the island itself. It's as if whiskey were the lifeblood of the people. This beautifully produced book, with full-colour photographs throughout, will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Irish whiskey.

A Toast to Ireland: A Celebration of Irish Traditional Drinks

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A Toast to Ireland: A Celebration of Irish Traditional Drinks
John Booth
Manufacturer: Gill & Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Out of date - out of touch

1000 Years of Irish Whiskey
Malachy Magee
Manufacturer: O'Brien Press Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Production & Operations | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0905140710

Book Description

One of the first single-volume guides to Irish whiskey, this book examines the misty origins of the popular drink before it earned its place as a world-renowned spirit. It is the story of an illicit industry that rose from 19th-century impoverished Ireland and of the skilled and dedicated people who refined the drink. This in-depth guide looks at the processes used to distill Irish whiskey both in the past and today and follows the liquor's spread from Europe to America. Included is information on the distilleries in Ireland and the more than two-centuries-old Dublin distilling tradition.

Customer Reviews:

Out of date - out of touch.......2000-07-17

This book is not new. Rather it is an reprinting of a twenty year work that has not been undated in any way. Even back in 1980 this tome was seriouly flawed in that it considered the Irish Distillers monopoly of the Irish whiskey market to be "benine". As it now stands the book does not even refer to Cooley whiskey, nor the huge growth in the volume of Irish over the past five years. A cynical publishing venture. Full stop.

Average customer rating:

The Lost Distilleries of Ireland
Brian Townsend
Manufacturer: Neil Wilson Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The vast distilling complexes which grew up in Dublin in the 18th and 19th centuries such as Bow Street, Thomas Street and John's Lane were revisited in this nostalgic journey by whiskey historian and journalist Brian Townsend. A picture emerges of an island once awash with distilling plant but which now can only boast activity at Midleton in County Cork, Old Bushmills in County Antrim and Cooley Distillery at Dundalk.

The 2007 Import and Export Market for Whiskey in Ireland

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The 2007 Import and Export Market for Whiskey in Ireland
Philip M. Parker
Manufacturer: ICON Group International, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0497701464
Release Date: 2006-11-21

Book Description

On the demand side, exporters and strategic planners focusing on whiskey in Ireland face a number of questions. Which countries are supplying whiskey to Ireland? How important is Ireland compared to others in terms of the entire global and regional market? How much do the imports of whiskey vary from one country of origin to another in Ireland? On the supply side, Ireland also exports whiskey. Which countries receive the most exports from Ireland? How are these exports concentrated across buyers? What is the value of these exports and which countries are the largest buyers? This report was created for strategic planners, international marketing executives and import/export managers who are concerned with the market for whiskey in Ireland. With the globalization of this market, managers can no longer be contented with a local view. Nor can managers be contented with out-of-date statistics which appear several years after the fact. I have developed a methodology, based on macroeconomic and trade models, to estimate the market for whiskey for those countries serving Ireland via exports, or supplying from Ireland via imports. It does so for the current year based on a variety of key historical indicators and econometric models. In what follows, Chapter 2 begins by summarizing where Ireland fits into the world market for imported and exported whiskey. The total level of imports and exports on a worldwide basis, and those for Ireland in particular, is estimated using a model which aggregates across over 150 key country markets and projects these to the current year. From there, each country represents a percent of the world market. This market is served from a number of competitive countries of origin. Based on both demand- and supply-side dynamics, market shares by country of origin are then calculated across each country market destination. These shares lead to a volume of import and export values for each country and are aggregated to regional and world totals. In doing so, we are able to obtain maximum likelihood estimates of both the value of each market and the share that Ireland is likely to receive this year. From these figures, rankings are calculated to allow managers to prioritize Ireland compared to other major country markets. In this way, all the figures provided in this report are forecasts that can be combined with internal information sources for strategic planning purposes.

Carolan's Concerto - A Toast To The Three Sacred Pastimes Of Old Ireland: Music, Storytelling and Whiskey

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Carolan's Concerto - A Toast To The Three Sacred Pastimes Of Old Ireland: Music, Storytelling and Whiskey
Caiseal Mor
Manufacturer: Arrow Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0091840406

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Carolan's concerto: A toast to the three sacred pastimes of old Ireland : music, storytelling, and whiskey
Caiseal Mor
Manufacturer: Random House Australia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Hot whiskey
James Morrissey
Manufacturer: Kerryman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Production & Operations | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0946277192

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Locke's Distillery
Andy Bielenberg
Manufacturer: The Lilliput Press Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Scotch And Irish Whiskey
Carol P. Shaw
Manufacturer: Harpercollins Pub Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Beer | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0004724976

Book Description

A handy guide to the histories and heraldic details of more than 120 of Scotland¹s most renowned clans and families, featuring handsome illustrations of the tartan and crest badge of each clan.

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One of the best books on Matchbox Toys.

Great Matchbox reference book !!!

Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys Review

A very comprehensive and accurate guide to Matchbox toys.

The best Matchbox book and price guide.

Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys 1947-1996
Charlie MacK
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Toys | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Models | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Classic Cars | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Transportation | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Antiques & Collectibles | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Matchbox Toys 1947-2003: Identification & Value Guide (Matchbox Toys)

Collecting Matchbox*t Regular Wheels, 1953-1969

The Big Book of Superfast Matchbox Toys: 1969-2004: Product Lines and Indexes (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

Warman's Matchbox Field Guide: Values And Identification (Warman's Field Guides)

Hot Wheels The Ultimate Redline Guide: Identification and Values 1968-1977 (Hot Wheels the Ultimate Redline Guide)

ASIN: 0764308661

Book Description

It's all here! Fifty years of toys! The toys pictured and listed in this book represent the immense volume of items produced from 1947 when the Matchbox company was founded to 1996, including their popular diecast vehicles along with playsets, dolls, plastic kits, robots, and ephemera all in one massive volume-now in its second edition!

The international scope of Matchbox toys is illustrated through catalogs, boxes, and labels on toys printed in a dozen languages. Certain toys have been made for sale in specific countries or to promote specific companies or products. The numbering system on miniatures changed in 1982 when worldwide toys began different numbering systems. The result of all these variables is a fascinating and infinite variety of Matchbox toys.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best books on Matchbox Toys........2005-09-06

Its a big book and plenty of clear colour photos of so many examples throughout.covers every era of Matchbox toys.This type of book is superior over the wide but short books printed by this publisher.There is so much information here no matter whether you are devoted collector or just love looking at the old toys you had.This book will please most people.Its good value and high quality.

Great Matchbox reference book !!!.......2000-09-16

This is a great reference book, full of details and history about evolution of Matchbox toys. If you love Matchbox, this is a must. Charlie Mack is a true expert on the subject, and this is for sure the most complete and updated information about the subject. The only complains are: cover picture is not representative at all. Pictures are excelent but could be larger for the "reg. wheels" and "miniatures", and several rare cars and boxes are ommited (no space probably). However, "Tomart's Price Guide for Hot Wheels" have a much better and contemporary graphic design and many more pictures in a smaller book, and also with more description of individual models.

Encyclopedia of Matchbox Toys Review.......2000-06-29

I feel this is a great book. Why? It has very much attention to the details of the hobby. The pictures are helpful. They price guide is quite accurate and good for reference. Mr. Mack did a wonderful job putting this book together. Alot of time and energy must have went into the book and it paid off. I recommend it to new and experienced collectors alike. Great book!

A very comprehensive and accurate guide to Matchbox toys........1999-06-26

This book thoroughly covers the vast line of Matchbox Diecast from its early begiinings as Lesney and the regular wheeled vehicles up to the present just before Mattel procured Matchbox. It is accurate, comprehensive, and well thought out. The photography is excellent, much better than Charles Mack's earlier books. Pricing is optimistic but because this book is the foremost authority of Matchbox I believe dealer/retail prices are based on the information herewith. An excellent resource for any serious collector.

The best Matchbox book and price guide........1998-09-17

This book has a photo of every model made since Lesney made a crude toy in 1948. The largest and most complete price and variation guide around. The only Matchbox book you need

Book Description

The time-honored tradition of red-and-green appliquéd quilts has been celebrated by quiltmakers for generations. Now today's quilters can learn about the origins of these distinctive quilts, and then stitch their own dramatic works of art with directions for 24 beautiful block patterns and one magnificent quilt. Includes:

• Stunning blocks featuring flowers, fruits, berries, and more, plus sources for 176 variations

• Photos of 30 gorgeous antique quilts from the 18th and 19th centuries, offering a wealth of inspiration for today's quilters

• Fascinating personal stories about five 19th-century American quilt artists and their masterpieces

• Full-size templates, a glossary of techniques, and a detailed bibliography

Book Description

The creative process of those who make picture books come alive is explored in this collection of 30 interviews with children's book illustrators. The interviewees (Allan and Janet Ahlberg, Molly Bang, Nicola Bayley, Gavin Bishop, Quentin Blake, Anthony Browne, Ashley Bryan, John Burningham, Babette Cole, Peter Collington, Roy Gerrard, M.B. Goffstein, Diane Goode, Shirley Hughes, Pat Hutchins, Ann Jonas, Errol Lloyd, Deborah Niland, Graham Oakley, Jan Ormerod, Helen Oxenbury, Ken Robbins, Tony Ross, Amy Schwartz, Peter Sis, Ralph Steadman, Ed Young, and Paul Zelinsky) discuss their craft, methods, and philosophies.

Amazon.com

"You're a sucker for lost creatures, aren't you?" a colleague remarks to L.A. tabloid photographer Nina Zero, as she tries to steer a young runaway and actress-wannabe clear of trouble, in Robert Eversz's Digging James Dean. What begins as an act of charity, though--a chance for the tough-hided and perspicacious, but lonely ex-con paparazza to aid another female at loose ends in the world--soon lands Nina in the quirky company of space-alien worshippers, fugitive teenage cultists, and grave robbers intent on plundering the mortal remains of immortal Hollywood icons.

Our heroine (last seen in Burning Garbo) doesn't really have time to worry about 15-year-old Theresa, a celebrity-obsessed Midwesterner whose lukewarm tip about a has-been screen hunk results in Nina being roughed up, her cameras trashed; she already has her own problems. The prominently pierced photog is being evicted from her Venice Beach apartment; her long-abused mother has just perished from a stroke; and her elder sister, whom she hasn't seen in 24 years, has barely reappeared in her life, before she rips Nina off for $19,000--and is beaten to death during a raid on the crypt of silent-movie legend Rudolph Valentino. That last crime seems ideal fare for Scandal Times, the sensationalistic journal from which Nina draws her paychecks--especially since it follows an assault on the Indiana grave of actor James Dean, who died in a 1955 highway accident. But as Nina struggles to exorcise her grief and anger through decisive action, by exposing Hollywood's enigmatic Church of Divine Thespians, executing a Rockford-style desert car rescue, and fleeing a blaze meant to send her to her own last reward, she unearths a tale so outlandish as to amaze even jaded Scandal Times readers. And the fatally naïve Theresa sits at the center of it all.

Eversz hit a pell-mell storytelling pace with Burning Garbo, which he maintains in this clever sequel. He capitalizes nicely on the lore and landmarks of Los Angeles, and over the course of four hip mysteries (beginning with 1996's Shooting Elvis) has developed a punk protagonist intrepid enough to draw reader attention, and compassionate enough to hold onto it. Though the mastermind behind Digging James Dean's bloodshed boasts all the subtlety of a Bela Lugosi villain, Nina Zero's relentless pursuit of her sibling's slayer makes this wild ride worthwhile. It may even owe a debt to Dean himself, who said, "Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." --J. Kingston Pierce

Download Description

"A death in the family reunites ex-con turned paparazza Nina Zero with her long-lost sister, who now touts herself as a successful real estate agent from Seattle. Who cares if the sister looks like she's lived a life as battered and fake as the designer-brand luggage she totes? With an abusive father and sweet but distant mother, Nina has been estranged from her family for so long she's happy to have a relative she can talk to. And Nina is too busy to question her sister's tale, because an altercation with a has-been Hollywood action hero leaves her with a concussion, two broken cameras, and a hot lead in the grandmother of all tabloid stories- -- the mysterious thefts of celebrity bones from graveyards around the country.Are the bone robbers kids playing games with the devil? Cult scientists intent on cloning dead movie stars? Or members of the Church of Divine Thespians, a shadowy Hollywood sect that may be plotting some unholy ritual? In the world of tabloid reporting, the impossible is not only possible, it's required. Not being famous is worse than being dead in Hollywood, where the bones of dead celebrities are literally worth killing for. Murder follows an unexpected betrayal, and Nina's quest for the grave robbers twists from the tabloid assignment to a grief-stricken vendetta that matches her camera against their guns, shot for shot. With her sidekick Frank -- a slovenly assassin of celebrity reputations -- and her beloved toothless Rottweiler in tow, Nina returns to the page in an emotionally riveting tabloid thriller fit to please her own cultish following. "

Customer Reviews:

A Discovery for Me.......2006-07-16

A great read with great characters and story. Kind of a blend of Raymond Chandler and Kinky Friedman, but better characters than both. If you like good mysteries don't miss it.

I kicked him in the source of so much trouble in the world. . ........2006-05-29

This is the fourth installment in the "Nina Zero" noir-punk series by Eversz. Eversz continues to produce a well-written thriller about Hollywood low-lifes and bottom feeders. In "Digging James Dean" our protagonist comes up against a ghoulish cult of desperate wanna-be actors.

Nina, who in the prior books was a violent anti-social loser, suffers major loss in this novel and somehow comes across as much milder and more in the role of rescuer. Also Nina reunites with her sister who is a con artist and much more anti-social than Nina.

Definitely fun and worth reading if a little less intense than prior novels.

A sucker for lost creatures.......2005-12-07

I had my doubts about this excellent series (of which this is the fourth installment) because I wasn't sure the author could keep it up. Too many branded series ("A Nina Zero Novel") begin to degenerate into dull routine after the first couple of volumes. But I have to applaud Eversz for maintaining a high narrative standard. For that matter, it's not uncommon for a female author to successfully write from the viewpoint of a male protagonist, but the vice is seldom versa. Nina Zero -- who used to be Mary Alice Baker -- is an exception, though. On parole for a justified manslaughter, working as a paparazza for an L.A. tabloid, she's a fascinating and generally believable character. This time, her mother has died of a heart attack, though Nina wonders if it wasn't caused indirectly by her abusive father, against whom Nina stills carries enormous rage. At the funeral home, she meets her sister, who ran away from home at sixteen and whom she hasn't seen in more than twenty years. But her sister also has secrets. All this personal history, which makes Nina the often violent person she is, is woven through a somewhat bizarre plot involving celebrity grave-robbing, black magic, and a secret society that (maybe) controls Hollywood. The immediate plot points are resolved, more or less, but Eversz leaves most of those larger questions unanswered -- or maybe he's saving them up for the next book. (I'd also like to know where Nina's going to live, now that her savings and her apartment are both gone and she has to have a permanent address to stay out on parole.) The author, as always, does a first-rate job with his characters, especially Frank the tabloid reporter and Theresa, the starlet-wannabe. And he doesn't let a happy ending survive contact with reality, as when Theresa is arrested. This is definitely a series I shall continue to follow.

A five star look at Hollywood.......2004-12-06

Hollywood paparazzi Nina Zero works for the tabloid Scandal Times fittingly out of a former sewage works warehouse in the San Fernando Valley. Her boss Frank informs Nina that the two of them are flying to Chicago and from there driving to a cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana where someone stole the remains of Rebel Without a Cause actor James Dean. Frank tells Nina that her parole officer gave the okay for her and her Frank to go on the assignment.

In Indiana, Nina and Frank wonder who would steal the bones of Dean and why. Could the culprits be kids on a lark, the Raelians who believe ET scientists planted humanity on earth and desire a cloning of Mr. Dean, or a the Church of the Divine Thespians, whom she "met" in Hollywood through a tip from a rough living sixteen year old recent Hoosier transplant. Anyway you look at it; Nina plans to rattle a bone or two even as the skeletons from her own past such as Mary Alice Baker (her family name) surface to shake her complacency.

The latest Nina Zero Hollywood (and in this case Indiana) tale is a wild journalistic investigative tale that is all over the place, but ultimately returns to classic American economics of supply and demand (everything has a price and is for sale). A subplot involving Mary Alice's sister whom she has not seen in decades adds knowledge to what readers know about the ex-con. Though the ending may put some readers off the series (this reviewer thought it apropos), Robert Eversz third tale may be a Zero, but is also a five star look at Hollywood.

Harriet Klausner

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