A pleasure from beginning to end
593032
I happened on this book while browsing Kindle for gay erotica. The book description intrigued me enough that I downloaded the sample.

For my tastes Purgatory had three things going against my purchase of it:

1. It's narrated in the present tense;
2. The story is built heavily around bondage and what amounts to S&M;
3. The price.

I bought it anyway. Here's why:

I've never much enjoyed narration in the present tense. It tends to affect me as pretentious or self-indulgent. Often it's poorly done. In Purgatory the present tense imparts a sense of immediacy in a wartime environment in which there is no guarantee of "this evening," much less "tomorrow." This made many of the scenes downright harrowing. The author writes with a poet's voice, very suitable for the times, when individuals expressed themselves more elegantly than do their modern counterparts. Add to this, rich description of the surroundings and characters, bringing the story vividly alive. Purgatory's narration in the present tense is appropriate and masterfully done.

Stories that center on the abuse of the characters generally do not arouse me. B&D and S&M are not elements of my life. I have never understood why they are for some folks. Ian, the narrator, wrestles with these issues throughout the book. His struggles went a long way toward making sense of this preference to me. His fundamental sense of compassion, at war with his pleasure at witnessing his captive's torment, won me over to Purgatory. I needed to see where this situation was going to go.

Budget constraints these days dictate that I reserve the purchase of "pricey" digital books for my particularly favorite authors: Dean Koontz, Clive Cussler, Robert Conroy, and in the realm of gay romance/erotica, Josh Lanyon, K.A. Mitchell, and lately, Damon Suede. The writing in Purgatory is levels above the standard homoerotic fare available on Kindle. It's more akin to literature in the vein of Mary Renault, author of a number of homoerotic novels set in Classical Greece and ancient Mycenae. This is high praise from me. Mr. Mann's stellar ability to write justified the price of Purgatory.

This book was well worth the investment of my interest, time, and money. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates a well-written, intensely engaging and moving story of two men finding love in grueling circumstances. I would say this book deserves to be filmed, and that's a movie I'd like to own.

For the above reasons I bought Purgatory and gave it five stars. I may not have become a fan of some of the themes in the book. But I am definitely now a fan of the "Mann." I eagerly look forward to more of his work.
3414651
This story was delightful. I hated to reach the end. I laughed, I cried and absolutely loved how real the characters were. I rarely take the time to rate a book, but this one was special.
1099590
A truly captivating, fun story from begining to end. Full of action, suspense, and just a little romance makes it hard to put down. I'm eagerly waiting to read what happens next in A Cage With No Bars.
4696398
A wonderful read from start to finish, turn off the boob tube, put the coffee on and pull up a ringside seat. There are a half dozen plots going on in here and one is better than the other. The fight game, gangster's, and a guy who maybe, just maybe has a shot to get where he want's to go. I was locked into the read from the first page. It's aproximately 125 pages so it makes for an enjoyable evening provided the cops don't kick down the door midway through this page turner. A lot of fun.
442182
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I even liked the voice with which Smith ends the novel, a brief meta discussion of what readers may or may not want to happen in the years following the main characters' climactic, final New Year's Eve moment. The circularity of it - Archie Jones' life altering war experience essentially repeating itself and his life on the line once again on NYE - it all works perfectly. The theme of human acceptance of randomness and fate vs. fighting against randomness and fate with all that we have appears again and again and is endlessly fascinating.
4241713
I enjoyed this book from the enthralling start to the satisfying finish.  I look forward to reading another book by this author.
633970
I so enjoyed each word, feeling and emotion I felt.
I found myself smiling and nodding, remembering memories long forgotten.
Simply a joy to read and feel.
Thank you
128259
A complete variation from the original plot, this story covered the emotional spectrum with laughter and tears.  I was delighted with the book from beginning to end.  The epilogue tied up all of the loose ends and left this reader in a happy frame of mind.

56
4142458
What a wonderful read!  This is one of those books not designed to rush through to get to the end, the end doesn't matter.  It is the sheer enjoyment you get from each and every word, smell, taste and all the other emotions and senses this book touches.  Get this book and hold on to every moment.  I loved it!
3641736
I enjoyed reading this book through from start to finish and am looking forward to the next in the series.
95573
Reading Tout Sweet was a pleasure. From the very first page Karen Wheeler creates likeable and interesting characters. One would think that buying a house in a quaint little village in France would be all romance and wine, but Karen Wheeler shows that it can be full of laughs, complicated relationships and a lot of work. This is a great book that I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun read. It is hard to put down. I wonder if there will be a follow up to this book. I hope so. I can't wait to find out what happens next. Thank you, Karen, for sharing your experiences.
4133430
I gave this book 5 stars as I enjoyed every page and could not put it down. Even when I wasn't reading, I was going over it in my thoughts. Once in a while you stumble onto a really good read from an author that is new to you. There was no bad language, sex. or violence, yet you are totally invested in this read. How refreshing to find a warm and cosy feeling the whole way throughout this book. Michael and Lilly were believable chara ters, as well as his big Italian family. I can't wait to read more by Deborah Nolan!
1238668
What an absolutely fun book from start to finish. The author knows how to keep his audience entertained throughout. He also takes the reader into unexpected directions and that is a good thing.  I certainly recommend "The Perplexing Journey of Frank"!
4287113
I love this book,  its a great read from beginning to end.
4852538
I enjoyed this book from begining to end. The characters were well developed and interesting to follow. Mr. Hader has that rare ability to bring you into the story,so you feel like your right there with each twist and turn of the plot. I highly recommend this book to all.
4700103
This is not just a book, it's a complete sensory experience. Not the sort of book you want to be reading if, like me, you are used to gobbling down books, giving a satisfied belch every couple of chapters.  Nor is it the sort of book you should attempt to sit down and read in one sitting. That's not to say it's not a page turner, just that if you do attempt to read it that way, your poor brain will quickly become overloaded with an explosion of images, scents and finely drawn characters that leap off the page and take up residence in your lounge for the duration of each sitting. It does get pretty crowded on my sofa.

No dear reader, this is a book to be swirled, sipped and savoured like an extremely fine wine. So you will need to switch off the phone and tv, shut down your laptop and tell your friends you won't be tweeting for at least an hour. Accord this book the respect it deserves; do it in style with a large glass of something tasty, a few nibbles and a large box of Kleenex, just in case.

Breathe deeply, open the page and immerse yourself in the sheer musicality of Frank's voice. As I read, in my head, the words appeared in an elegant hand, grown spidery with the onset of arthritis. Slowly, I shake off the cares of the day and allow myself to be teased into Frank's world where I luxuriate in the sinuous, sensual dance that sings to my blood just as loudly as my sword and trusty steed normally do.

This is not just a gripping tale, a fast-paced romp through blurring settings with pencil-sketched characters on a mission to do something awfully exciting for a few hundred pages. To experience SILENCE OF CENTERVILLE properly, you must submit yourself to the writer's mastery of the journey - sit back and enjoy. Who cares how much farther it is, I'm not sure I even want to get there.
3656704
I loved this book from beginning to end. I'm sad to see it end, but I'm happy about the final outcome. Job well done.