Another Excellent Find
927135
I have yet to be disappointed by anything Wolfe has written.  I will quickly agree with the general consensus that Free Live Free is not, by any means, Wolfe's greatest work, but it is an excellent story that experiments with the boundaries and definitions of the SF genre.  Of all Wolfe's works, this is one of the least difficult to grasp, though there is still a wonderful complexity to the prose.  It is also one of the grittier books he has published, which is not, by any means, a bad thing.

The greatest shortcoming of this book, I feel, is that the fabulous character of Mrs. Baker was left undeveloped...which was, I think, Wolfe's intention all along.  Her amusingly endearing speech patterns practically screamed her significance to the story, but we are left, at the end, knowing very little more about her than we did the moment she misspoke her first clich.

Do not enter this text expecting anything like the "Sun" cycle, or even anything like "The Fifth Head of Cerberus" or "Peace."  "Free Live Free" is as unique as Wolfe himself.
4725553
This was a great find and tremendous bargain.  I've recommended it several times and no one has been disappointed.  The writing was good, the characters were great (the kind you miss when the book ends) and the story held it together.
1729843
With this volume I have finished reading all eighteen books produced to date in this series. I have found each book to be compelling reading. Volume 13 was another fine effort by Mr Keller. Fully half of the cases discussed were new to me. As usual, Keller was able to build a compact story, complete with the most important details, to have a full grasp of the incidents. One issue I might have is that I have read two of the stories offered here in previous Keller volumes. No mention of the book having repeats was made in the description. All in all, this was another intriguing read.
4339126
I have all the books in this series, most in hardcover. I have enjoyed them immensely, each and every one. Well-written, historically researched and nicely plotted, I recommend them all. The feminist in me is pleased with the character of Hero. The romantic in me is pleased with Sebastian. The politician in me is pleased by the evil Jarvis. These books do not sugarcoat the past. Unfortunately, many of the social evils depicted herein are still abundantly evident today. One is grateful for the existence of modern sewers after reading these books:-).
4253369
some very good insights, as almost always with El Erian..... ones you won't find hardly anywhere else.  an important pone in this book for me... I have not seen anywhere else, not spelled out as such... obvious but too obvious.... but brought to our attention by El Erian.

excellent buy.
2335540
Excellent new find while searching for new authors. He is just as good as Baldacci so I hope he catches on with the readers. I have read 4 of his books and enjoyed each one. This one was one of the best.
1753603
Again, NorthSide brings us some wonderful samples from the fertile Scandinavian folk scene on this Nordic Roots 2 CD. After taking a chance on the first one (after all, it was so cheap!) and being wowed, I had to get this one. Many of the same artistes from the previous collection can be found here, along with other interesting groups. From the infectious openers Vildhonung (Wild Honey) from Boot and Mettsn Tytto (Forest Maiden) from Hedningarna, through ultra modern twists from Garmarna (Vedergllningen, or Vengeance), Sorten Muld (2 Sstre, or 2 Sisters), to the jazz stylings of Lavalek by Groupa and the driving hard rock of Brekken by Hoven Droven, one would have to be dead not to find something to like here. Just one warning: this stuff is addictive.
1352469
The ninth installment in the Dick Hardesty mysteries is a wonder to read.  Although I have enjoyed all of the previous titles, I would have to say that the very early stories occasionally exhibited some thin spots in the plotting and the editing was at times lacking.  However, as the series has matured, these shortcomings have been addressed and this latest addition should be considered "must read".

Mr. Grey's mysteries are compelling because of the richness of the plots.  He always provides a large complement of fully developed secondary characters, which allows for several equally probable potential suspects to emerge naturally.  I was especially appreciative of the careful attention to details in _The Popsicle Tree_ regarding the behavior of Joshua, Jonathan's nephew, who has come to stay with Dick and Jonathan as the child undergoes changes in his care providers.

I can only hope that Mr. Grey will continue to add to this series as I look forward to seeing how Dick and Jonathan will develop as their relationship matures further.
2066958
Again, I love the series and truly enjoyed every episode, which is why I purchased the entire series. I highly recommend the series for any fan of mysteries, especially British ones. Intelligent dialogue, scenic locations and the developing respect and admiration between the two lead characters make this a show worth viewing.
Again, the four episodes contain a mix of darkness and wry humor.
Again, Series 4 does an excellent job of continuing where Series 32 ended. Again, Sharon Small. presents an excellent and believable portrayal of the working-class detective without difficulty.  I agree with some other reviews that it is Havers that carries the show and Lynley in the process.
We get to see Lynley's relationship with his mother and sister, as he and Havers stumble upon a case while both happen to be in Cornwall.
If you enjoyed the previous series, or in British television, especially crime drama, don't hesitate to add this to our collection.
818439
Excellent plot details, good character development, very engaging. The authors continue to find new ways to keep this series fresh and compelling.
2194980
Another fantastic, well done continuation of the collected works & the life of Roger Zelazny.  NESFA really did a fantastic job with this as they have with the others in the collection.  The amount of research & documentation they did is staggering.  They collected comments & old correspondence from Zelazny's friends & peers.  The sheer number of authors that he interacted with is amazing.  A list of them reads like the Who's Who of the SF & Fantasy community.  The insight into that community is wonderful.

The stories were fantastic, as always.  They were also well documented, each with a summary explanation of the allusions made & with related comments either by Zelazny, his editor or peers.  Exactly what I've come to expect from the previous works.  More fantastic was the corrected conversation between Morningside & Jack from "Jack of Shadows".  It never seemed to be quite right & now I know why.  There was also a deleted scene from "The Guns of Avalon" that was interesting, but not critical.

I had one complaint with the book, the lack of a few pictures.  In the previous books, once or twice it was mentioned that Zelazny wrote a story based on a picture.  In this volume, it was mentioned several times fairly close together.  Often enough that I put the book down & tried to find them on the Internet without any luck.  Even thumbnails would have been nice.  A fairly minor complaint, but a real one.  If I could knock off a 1/4 star for it, I would. I've heard that early in 2010, there might be a 7th volume that will correct this.

All told, this is another fantastic effort by NESFA.  I highly recommend it to anyone, but it's a must if you're a fan of Zelazny's work, as I am.
4486662
Keep them coming! This has been a very enjoyable read. A great find. I am lucky to have stumbled upon the series.
4495162
Additions to works by a previous author are rarely successful, but this one beats the odds, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended!
2888782
As a fan of this writer, I found the book another excellent read.
333895
I've been reading this series off and on since i was in high school and it never dissapoints. The stories are always good and sometimes exceptional but never a waste of time. This volume contains the usual year in horror intro which is moderately interesting as well as the necrology, a list of various people involved in the genre who have died recently. The necrology is the one thing in this series i really don't see the point of but anyway if you're interested it's there for you. There is also a list of useful adresses, mostly various horror and genre fan clubs and writer associations. Right at the back is a list of small independent genre publishers which i found really interesting and a good guide for hunting out those hidden gems of books that will never make it into the big corporate book shops.
I have never been let down by this series and i will purchase next year's volume when it comes out. Hopefully this series will continue for many years to come.
348311
another in the great "style" series, check them all out
2661572
Conn has done it again. Reading the first of this series made me look for the rest. This is great research at its best. Another well written bomb.