Lookin' for Pa? Look no further. He's cleverly "hidden in plain sight".
584196
Good story of life in the old west from behind the scene. I especially like how all the people fit together like a patchwork quilt;  each one a piece of the big picture.
3201541
Vanish in Plain Sight is the second "In Plain Sight" and is brimming over with suspense, riddles, treachery and a wonderful dish of romance.  In true Marty Perry form, she writes with intricate detail building each character including the thoughts & emotions that entice you staying up at all hours to reach the conclusion.

The story begins with Link Morgan, finally home from the Afghan war, remodeling his Uncle Allen's old farmhouse in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. While he is tearing out a wall he finds an old suitcase containing a photo along with Amish clothes & he wonders what on earth to do next. Soon, Link gives into his curiosity & calls the local Township Police Chief Adam Byler and his brother Trey. Link has a bad feeling about this. The Chief & Dick McCall show up to investigate & Dick McCall soon recognizes the photo and remembers  the scandal from years ago when Barbara Angelo an Amish woman left the church & married an Englischer by the name of Russ Angelo. They had a little girl but she soon left & Russ told everyone that she returned to her Amish roots. Russ & his little girl moved to Baltimore. Chief Byler calls for Russ Angelo but is unable to locate him. Soon he finds Marisa Angelo, now a grown woman to report their findings.

Soon Marisa is packed and driving to Lancaster County to figure out why her Mammi's suitcase is this condition. She is determined to solve the mystery of why her Mammi abandoned her & her Father all of those years ago. Marisa soon realizes that the quiet little town of Springsville is not blameless in her Mammi's disappearance & she finds her herself in danger.  Someone is behind the disappearance of her Mammi & she is not going to stop until she ferrets out what happened. Marisa finds herself attracted to Link Morgan but senses that he has a secret. Now Marisa is suspicious of the whole Morgan family & her so-called Amish relatives.

Pull up a comfortable rocking chair & get started because it is full of surprises!
2865039
Tania Donald is a magnificent writer; completely flying under the radar for the moment. An excellent discovery.

Indulge in this secret if you can.
4081029
Where has he been hiding? He emerges fully formed and brilliant from the background of obscurity common to all new writers. Believe the rating stars; this is superior fiction.
1709991
I give Tracking a Shadow by R Weir 5 stars.

Jarvis Mann is a Private Investigator in Denver. He has a small business set up in the living room of his place. He lives in a neighborhood where you shouldnt walk the streets at night. He drives a 69 Mustang that if you called a classic would be an overstatement. But things have been going a little better lately. Hes been able to get some much needed tune ups on his car, actually has a cell phone now, and doesnt have as many bill collectors coming for him.

Said cell phone had the battery go low while he was working on his car one day and the phone died. No big deal, its not like he gets too many calls. Sure enough, once he gets back to his place and plugs it in, he finds that he has missed a call. Its a client asking for help. And the voice sounds quite sexy too! He takes the time to clean up and look his best before going over to meet her. She is as good looking as she sounded and she claims she needs his help with someone stalking her. She has a legit case and is most willing to pay his fee. Plus her check cleared. It will involve quite a bit of work, but it quite interests him. But this case turns into so much more than he ever expected. There seem to be many more people in the picture than he thought and they each seem to have their own story and agenda. Will he ever be able to get to the bottom of it all?

This is the second story I have read in this Jarvis Mann series, the first being a short story. I liked this longer novel. Jarvis is quite likeable. He reminds me of the type of PI from the older detective novels, although I do think he isn't quite as gritty as he was in the previous short story. It has the street smart detective, the attractive woman who needs help, the beautifully detailed descriptions of everything around Mann that puts you right into the story. There are so many people in the stories, you will never know exactly what is going on. Plus the snarkiness of Mann makes you laugh at loud. I love a good detective novel and Weir pull it off beautifully. High recommended.
3526396
The thriller genre is hip-deep in strong, resourceful men with murky pasts and hearts of gold. Some of these men are "keepers," breaking your heart from time to time but really always there for you. I won't infuriate anyone by naming a few and leaving out your favorites, but I think my first was John D. MacDonald's "beach bum" Travis McGee (if you don't count Frank and Joe Hardy, who technically didn't have the murky past).

Best-selling author Joseph Finder has until now populated his books with regular people from the corporate world, but&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Vanished-Nick-Heller/dp/0312379080/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Vanished (Nick Heller)</a>&nbsp;is the debut of a new guy in town. According to his Twitter page (I'm not making this up), Nick Heller describes himself as "Intelligence investigator, security consultant, fixer, ex-military. Knows where the bodies are buried." Something tells me that the Nick Heller franchise is going to be a big deal in the genre. Don't miss this chance to get in at the beginning!

In this debut thriller, Heller's brother Roger vanishes late at night in Washington, DC, and his wife Lauren is assaulted. Heller gets pulled in by his step-nephew, Gabe, a graphic-novelist with a murky past ... well, no, but he's a terrific mix of teen angst and a heart of gold. The roots of the case lie in big-corporation misdeeds and  become entangled with Heller's top-drawer investigative firm. I don't have to tell you that everyone owes Heller a favor and he can command any investigative resource with a speed-dial phone call. The man is fearless! His willingness to walk into the jaws of the enemy will amaze and impress you.

But don't for a minute think that Nick Heller is a two-dimensional superhero. "Vanished" weaves just enough personal history into the story to make him surprisingly plausible; there is a father in prison for corporate fraud, early years of wealth that left Nick impervious to its appeal but his brother Roger insatiable for more. Finder's style and pace are flawless; if you've read his earlier books (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Power-Play/dp/0312347502/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Power Play</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Killer-Instinct/dp/0312347499/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Killer Instinct</a>, and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Company-Man/dp/0312939426/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Company Man</a>&nbsp;among them) you already know how well he writes, and how plausibly he portrays a dark side to corporate power. The only thing we could have wished for was a continuing character, and now we have him in Nick Heller. I can't wait to see what Finder gives us next in this series! There is already audio and I hear that we may get a look at young Gabe's graphic novels, which feature (surprise!) a hero modeled on Uncle Nick. Can a movie be far behind?

Get your hands on this smart, readable five-star thriller and get ready to turn the pages until you reach the satisfying conclusion.

Linda Bulger, 2009
2120789
Who is this guy and why haven't we heard him before? What a delight!

I got this CD from a freebee from a bin after volunteering at our local public radio station and have listened to it all the way through several times without stopping.  Every track has legs. Yeah, you hear hints of The Band ("The Union Infantry"), Chicago ("Carl's Revenge"), even Billy Joel ("Leave It Alone"), but that goes away quickly and you recognize an original, not someone ready to settle on a pale imitation.

Pagliari talks about heartache, love and loss, and contemporary relations with a beautiful realism ("Don't Want to Die Lonely", "Romantic Picture Shows", "Magazines").  And he heaps it on when singing about the creative life and the ironic disconnects it presents from  most American ideals of success ("Play That Rock N' Roll Loud", "Do What You Love", "Highway Stays the Same").

This guy has it all--originality, good lyrics, tight arrangements, and a groove that hits a bunch of emotional chords that cross the years, dreams and points of view we've all felt.  It's like hearing your older brother or cousin who never sold out lay down some of his best feelings and music to remind you what a-life-worth-living is all about. (And it's not the perpetual youth phenomenon targeting 14 yr. olds--like Avril, Hannah,Taylor, et al.--that perpetually clog the air waves.)

Pagliari, apparently from Memphis, has a command of his emotions and musicality.  Here his guitar is ably accompanied by lead guitarist Scott Hardin, bassist Grayson Grant and percussionist Jamie Dick, and pumped up to just the right level of conviction and professionalism with a modest horn  and string group (Kai Welch, Prentice Wulff, Nahshon Benford, Steve Dolan, Anna Acosta, and Richard Thomas). The whole is well produced and makes for satisfying inspiration while on a road trip or just hanging out looking to get your own inspiration engine started.

Nick Pagliari--Bring him on!
4652983
I'm a long time PA fan, with all the prior books, many shirts, posters and their games, but I still learned stuff about "Gabe and Tycho" and the history of PA.  I really enjoyed reading this - and it is much more of a read and less of a collection of comics than their other books.

One cool thing that I got out of it is that Mike talking about learning to draw from "Commander Mark" Kistler made me Google him to see if I could find any of the videos for my kids, and I found that he is teaching summer art camps close to me.  So yeah, watch out Mike.  My son will be the next Art Angel...  ;-)

If you are PA fan, you probably already ordered and devoured this book.  If you are not then I'm afraid I cannot comprehend your warped mind, so this review is probably of no value to you.

Also, I like the Splendid title better than the "real" title underneath.  Excelsior!
3091263
This book was a great way to get the lay of the land before arriving in Philadelphia.  It pointed the way to hidden jewels like a whole neighborhood made of tiny little alleyways that my Philly native friend was unaware of.  I had also missed the note on the front of the book and was surprised to find an easily folded pocket map that slips out of a pouch in the back of the book.  It came in handy lots of times.  Also very helpful for the usual hours/phone numbers/restaurant suggestions.
4061623
Watching Detectorists is like schlepping along a grassy meadow on the seasons first warm spring day after a long and a dreary winter. The sky painted powdery blue, the air filled with the earthy smell of freshly plowed field, and your friends voice breaking the silence: What you got! Even the pesky villains Art and Paul are a peachy pair, suspected of canlooding in the grass.

Two cheers for Mackenzie Crook for his wonderful writing and perceptive directing: one, for showing that unremarkable lives can be beautiful and two, that digging out ring-pulls over the ages beats finding antique gold.

Ive decided to buy a spanking new CTX-3030 metal detector like Lances.  Could the gang at the Danebury Metal Detecting Club (DMDC) please put in a good word with Terry to take on this newbie?
769890
I pride myself on being able to pick up subtle hints and guess "who done it"?  Not so on this one!,  very well written too. I'm adding this author to my favorites list.
4253995
Going Underground grabbed my attention from the very first page. As the mystery unfolded, I was captivated by the interactions of Hooley with his autistic partner. By including Roper, Leese not only enhanced his plot, but also shed light on an often misunderstood special need.
I cant wait to read more!
1833636
You need to check out this guy. If you like Shovels&Rope, Whiskey Shivers, Uncle Tupelo, anything with a SXSW bent and a SERIOUS kick, this guy is for you. Think 16 Horsepower without the drama, maybe Devil Makes Three with a lot more wattage.
Hard to categorize, he's somewhere in a triangle formed by Hendrix, Lyle Lovett and The Allmans. Singing something like Steve Earle (think Copperhead Road) crossed with Dave Matthews (the whisper-to-shout modulation). Guitar playing something like Chris Whitley with a lot of Dick Dale thrown in. Incredible entertainer - his quick tempo changes, earthy songs, driving fuzzed acoustic or hollow-body and double foot-pedal kick-drum fashioned from a suitcase are something to watch. Does all his own songs, folkish and rootsey. Just about 26 or so, only been touring for about 4 years.
He grabs your attention with his raw style, syncopated rhythms and percussive force. I can't say enough about him - check out his stuff on youtube and sample the songs here; better yet see him in person as soon as you possibly can. Just a powerful show from a one-man-band, with some extra drum and rhythm guitar added here and there.
He's very raw but in a controlled way, like a modern Skip James or Roscoe Holcomb. His full-stops of 6-10 beats will get you at first - it's how he draws your attention. Yes you should see him live; his cd's are a little quieter, his youtube's are what I like best; last night he was in overdrive and incredibly loud and feedback-fueled (that's apparently how he does his shows, overdriven and a bit distorted, and LOUD). But he's something to see in person. Broke a kick-pedal in mid-set. Somewhat obscure lyrical style that some refer to as 'shakenese'. It's like something you'd expect to see in a gut-bucket roadhouse near some college town west of Fort Worth.
Very accomplished musician with a style almost unique, he's well worth a look if you like folk-roots-indie-alt/country or anything in that neighborhood that just plain rocks with some swagger. Get a'holt on him now - he's selling out everywhere (Mass., Maine, NYC, Austin and San Diego shows all sold out over next 2 weeks).
439145
Most people have googled themselves, but this guy goes the extra mile.  Definitely worth watching, and it does have a surprise or two in it.
349267
Philip Coppens' meticulous research and inspired questing once again leads us quickly to the heart of exciting new concepts and considerations of the past.  Though the evidence has lain before us for millennia plain sight is often the most enigmatic hiding place of all.  Land of the Gods is welcome confirmation for those of us who have increasingly suspected that Edinburgh, Lothian and the land surrounding has long been viewed in sacred terms.  The treasure is at our feet.
84619
I was quite impressed with this story centering on a hard-luck post industrial town and its desperate but likeable inhabitants.
The main character represents a type we are all familiar with, a man who believes that charm alone will bring him all he wants and needs...until his ex-wife puts his back to the wall with a threat to withdraw access to his young son unless he starts paying court ordered child support.
This slick slacker is someone you'd be hard pressed to find sympathy for until you understand the very deep love for his son battling the Peter Pan immaturity of his nature.
What a wonderful light bulb clicking moment when he finds his ex accompanied by his luckless pal's wife at a Chippendale type entertainment.
Believing his own talents equal to the money making muscle bound strippers, he sets off on a journey of self-discovery dragging his skeptical but loyal young son along.
As he ensnares one after another of the down-on-their-luck former employees of the defunct factory into his get rich by getting naked scheme, each unknowingly becomes the kind of man he didn't believe possible.
But will this timid team of cash poor prancers go the whole way in front of everyone they know? I won't spoil the ending but beyond going "the full monty", they reveal more to themselves than the town.
2545787
It is a fine line between awe and naivete.  Here the anonymous writer exposes his inner thoughts and observations without reservation.  A wonderful  look at all he could observe and experience without the  distraction of other people.  He explores many topics with a literary if  not a philosophical bent.  Who is this secret sharer?  A mystery to be  resolved at one level, since as you read you learn much about him--and also  you learn about yourself, your perspective, and what motivates you.  I have  been to Clam Lake.  I was brought there by my oldest brother who interned  at  the Natural Resources Camp from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens  Point.  The site is deserted now.  The impression left on those who have  been there, spent some time there, is indelible.  You should visit Clam  Lake, too.  Spend some time there.