100 Bullets Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call

Book Description

What would you do if you were given the opportunity and the means to get away with murder, scot-free? Thats the question posed in 100 Bullets, a new graphic novel that combines elements of hard-boiled crime stories and paranoid espionage thrillers. The mysterious Agent Graves offers his clients a gun and immunity from prosecution, enabling them to get revenge against those who ruined their lives. Suggested for mature readers.

Customer Reviews:

Noir in a Graphic Novel.......2007-10-08

An explanatory note to begin with: the Five star rating is an anticipatory rating. I say that so that readers will not be misled into thinking Volume One is "all there is."

Taken by itself, First Shot, Last Call" is an entertaining story (two stories, actually) about individuals empowered to take justifiable revenge. They can be read and enjoyed on their own terms, but by themselves would not have risen to the top of my reading objectives. Perhaps I would have read on in the series; perhaps not. There is, after all, so much to read.

Fortunately for me, I had heard of 100 Bullets and picked up two mid-story issues to see what it is like. I was hooked. In those issues, aspects of the story were opaque to me, but I got a clear exposure to the interweaving threads in the tapestry that Azzarello and Risso have conceived. It is those threads, the plots within plots, the twists and treacherous actions of significant characters, that transform 100 Bullets from the fairly simply stories of revenge that readers encounter in First Shot, Last Call into a noir epic that has earned my attention (and anticipation of the chapters not yet written).

On its face, the story line of 100 Bullets seems to be the opportunities given to Dizzy Cordova (parts 1-3) and Lee Dolan (parts 4 and 5) to obtain revenge on the bad guys whose actions resulted in the death of Dizzy's husband and daughter, and resulted in framing Lee, leading to his divorce and bankruptcy. The bad guys deserve what the reader senses they are about to get. A shadowy figure, Agent Graves, appears and offers Dizzy and Lee a pistol and 100 untraceable bullets, allowing them, reluctantly at first, to pursue vengeance.

So far, so good, but not in itself an action line that would sustain itself for 11 (and counting) volumes. Had I not read some issues deep in the story line, I would not sense the depth the series has. Without giving too many clues on where the story is going, let me suggest that at the end of the first volume, First Shot, Last Call, the reader should ponder the following: What is the real purpose of Agent graves? When Dizzy has avenged her family is her story concluded? Why does she get in the car with Shepherd? What is the relationship of Shephard and Graves: "associate," co-worker, ally, friend, rival, opponent? Does Graves have a personal reason for sending Lee against the head of Dietrich Securities? Does XIII have a special significance? What about the events in the building across the way and will we see more of the man in the Hawaiian shirt? And, of course, who is the man with the dog?

Some suggestions on how to read 100 Bullets for maximum enjoyment:

1) Remember that it was written in monthly installments. I find it hard to discipline myself to stop at the end of each monthly episode and not immediately continue with the action, but the story was written that way, and the suspense is enhanced if you allow at least several days to elapse before continuing. That relates to the next point.

2) Read each episode several times. The writing style is lean and Spartan and the nuances are easy to miss the first time through. (Remember this was written as a monthly series).

3) Look at the art, especially the background art. Details of the art take on initially missed significance in subsequent readings. My pleasure is certainly enhanced by multiple readings (before I know what the next installment will bring).

4) Trust no one.

interesting enough.......2007-09-27

Well, I don't quite know what to say about this book. I have always liked noir world, whether on film or in Raymond Chandler novels. So I might say that I was kinda pre-influenced, and my reception and judgement of this books is somewhat less than adequate.

May it be so, but I must say my two words about it. Many of you out there watched movies by Quentin Tarantino. Well, you take Reservoir dogs, Kill Bill, Pulp fiction, mash it all up, and voila you just have perfect stage for a comic book series.

Now, another thing that is quite essential for good comic book is a charismatic character. If these come in plural, even better. 100 bullets has some of these, and along with interesting storyline, number of cliffhangers and allusions, they make dark and broody, misterious world that is yet to unravel. Watching this world breathe is an adventure in itself. Of course, you can't make noir without some classic clichés, but for the sake of the genre, you should really close one or two eyes on this.

Biggest problem of this comic book is drawing. It has been drawn in clasic DC (Vertigo) style, with pale coloring, without care for details, with rough scetching of characters, and some unskilfull shading. I couldn't help but wonder what would this world be like if it were drawn in more realistic manner, adding some tone and background to the story. The way it looks now, one could say that text far surpasses the picture, and for comic book that does not belong to the magical "indie" label, that is saying much.

All in all, you should really give it a go. It may, as it has done to me, lure you into its pages. And once in there, you will want to continue with your role as a voyeur. Nothing should stop you in that.

What Price Justice?.......2007-09-08

100 Bullets is an ambitious crime drama comic series, of which this graphic novel reprints the first five issues.

These first two story lines, "100 Bullets" and "Shot, Water Back", set up the premise the series is built upon. Individuals from all walks of live are approached by a mysterious man bearing an unusual gift; a suitcase containing a gun, one hundred untraceable bullets, and evidence pointing them to someone who has wronged them in the past.

But the offer of unpunished retribution is far from simple than it sounds, as the people suddenly faced with this blank check for revenge suddenly find themselves dealing with the concepts of Justice, Innocence, Morality, Loyalty, and Retribution.

Azzarello not only brings these philosophical dilemmas into the light, but also enhances them with mystery surrounding 'Agent Graves' and his offer. A chance at vengeance is a tempting offer, but what are the ulterior motives of the man with the briefcase? Does the chance to settle a score outweigh the risk of being used as a weapon for someone else's battle? What is truly at stake here, and who is really pulling the strings?

The first two story lines in 100 Bullets take us from crooked cops and greedy gang bangers in the urban jungles, to internet crimes and corporate power brokers. The stories and situations are modern, yet there is an undeniable Noir tone throughout, an unrelenting mood that never lets you forget that, despite the occasional moments of brightness and levity, there are no happy endings when violence and vengeance become a part of the background.

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

The title hook is introduced here. Graves, who you presume is some sort of scary super spook, offers 100 bullets and a gun, which if you want to shoot one, is a get out of jail free card. If a cop finds these bullets at a scene, and looks them up, the evidence will completely disappear, and everyone will walk away, is the implication.

This case of weapon and ammo is offered to someone that has a wrong in their past that they would definitely consider doing some shooting over.

The Best Series Out There.......2007-06-29

This is the beginning volume of a series that just blows your mind. The story is more of a crime novel than a classic comic or graphic novel but maintains all the qualities of the latter. The art is outstanding;I got a lot of great tattoo ideas from these books as well. Characters developemnt is very good and new characters continue to be introduced. There are characters from all walks of life. You never know who to route for or who the good guys and bad guys really are and the story never competely unfolds. I am eagerly awaiting volume 11 to come out. Wheher this is your first graphic novel or you are an old pro, pick this one up.

Average customer rating:

An Upbeat and Inspiring Approach to Mortality
BEST ROMANTIC COMEDY EVER
A GREAT READ
Who Knows When We Will Hear The Last Call?
Destined To Become Classics

Last Call (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Laura Pedersen
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345461916
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Book Description

Having descended from a long line of indomitable, good-humored Scots, Hayden MacBride sees no reason to take his own death lying down. In fact, he now spends his days crashing funerals for the free food and insight into the Great Beyond. Then he meets Rosamond, a nun playing hooky from the Holy Orders. Hayden is smitten the instant her heavy silver cross smacks him in the face when she leaps up to do the wave at a ball game. Luckily, Rosamond has picked the right person to teach her how to live . . . and to love—because nobody does both better than Hayden MacBride.

However, Rosamond’s years in the convent have not prepared her for the oddball characters of Hayden’s world. There’s his ever-fretful, vigilant daughter, Diana, the “Dutchess o’ the Sidelong Glance”; his sweet grandson Joey, struggling to break free of his mother’s overprotective embrace; Hayden’s bagpipe-blowing cronies; the Greyfriars Gang; neighbor Bobbie Anne, a “working girl” full of good advice and tender mercies; and Hank, the sexy architect contemplating the priesthood—a big mistake in Hayden’s book. For Hayden thinks that Hank should be married to his daughter and raising Joey. And he has an elaborate plan to make Hank see things his way. . . .

In an uproariously funny novel of love, laughter, and one man’s final call at the riotous watering hole called life, Laura Pedersen proves that miracles are all around us—when we open our eyes and our hearts to embrace them.

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However, Rosamond's years in the convent have not prepared her for the oddball characters of Hayden's world. There's his ever-fretful, vigilant daughter, Diana, the "Dutchess o' the Sidelong Glance"; his sweet grandson Joey, struggling to break free of his mother's overprotective embrace; Hayden's bagpipe-blowing cronies; the Greyfriars Gang; neighbor Bobbie Anne, a "working girl" full of good advice and tender mercies; and Hank, the sexy architect contemplating the priesthood -- a big mistake in Hayden's book. For Hayden thinks that Hank should be married to his daughter and raising Joey. And he has an elaborate plan to make Hank see things his way....

In an uproariously funny novel of love, laughter, and one man's final call at the riotous watering hole called life, Laura Pedersen proves that miracles are all around us -- when we open our eyes and our hearts to embrace them.

"This book will make you laugh and cry and like a good friend, you'll be happy to have made its acquaintance."
   LORNA LANDVIK, AUTHOR OF ANGRY HOUSEWIVES EATING BON BONS

"Laura Pedersen's wry, bittersweet story charts the unlikely romance between a dying yet still vibrant man and a nun whose faith has abandoned her. While much is lost in this gentle tale, much is gained too, and by the novel's end, the characters are granted the kind of wisdom and acceptance for which we all continue to long."
nbsp;  YONA MCDONOUGH, AUTHOR OF THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS

Customer Reviews:

An Upbeat and Inspiring Approach to Mortality.......2007-01-05

This is a great book. The main character in "Last Call", Hayden, is wonderfully developed. He's funny with an off-beat personality. I loved reading about his left-field approach to his own mortality. At first, I wondered if I'd enjoy the book, since it's about dying. But the more I read, the more I loved Hayden. There were good life lessons and meaningful juxtapositions in the characters throughout the story. Read this a bit at a time and appreciate it.

BEST ROMANTIC COMEDY EVER.......2006-07-31

I laughed and cried, didn't want it to end, couldn't wait to get to the end. A wonderful, heartfelt, but also hilarious and beautifully written novel. SO much better than many of the books that make the rounds and get picked by famous people and yet I had to hear about this from a teacher friend. If you're a romantic you'll adore this book. An amazing and original love story, up there with the best -- LOVE STORY, CASABLANCA, JANE EYRE. Also raises thoughtful questions about life and death. A total gem. I won't spoil the rest. Just say that I'm desperate for a sequel, or a prequel, and where is the movie??

A GREAT READ.......2005-09-29

Lots of good old-fashioned fun here with a good cry or two mixed in. Sweet original story with the city of Brooklyn as its own wonderful character. If you like humor and intelligent dialogue and a bittersweet big love story, small coming of age tale, dealing with aging parents dilemma, meditation on life and death, you can't go wrong. Oddly enough, my 13-year old son enjoyed this book while we were on vacation. I did not think it would hold his attention past the first chapter...

Who Knows When We Will Hear The Last Call?.......2005-08-22

Hayden thinks he's on his last days and decides not to take his own dying lying down. Like a strange neighbor I had in Pulaski, Evelyn Medley, he starts attending funerals as a hobby. He decides to get things in order before the big day by finding the perfect husband for his daughter Diana who can help her raise sweet, little Joey. He chooses Hank who is contemplating entering the priesthood.

While he is involved in tying strings on his package deal of having his family taken care of, he finds a love of his own at a ballgame, Rosamund, whose heavy silver cross hit him in the face. He sees stars and feels young again. Young enough to teach a nun how to love, and live in his world peppered with odd-ball characters.

He is Scottish and his bagpipe-playing friends belong to the Greyfriars Gang. Rosamund's life in the convent hasn't prepared her to deal with such complicated people. A lot like Jan Karon's old pastor who finds love and a totally different outlook on life when he counsels an ill parishioner.

Hayden decides to go out with a bang and postpone his final call. Hope I can do the same. In 'Brigadoon, one of my favorite musicals, Mr. Lundie wisely advised the young lovers, "If you love somebody, anything is possible, even miracles." In this book, "sometimes the heart want 'one more for the road."

She has written HEART'S DESIRE, BEGINNER'S LUCK and GOING AWAY PARTY. If she continues as she has started, she will be a full fledged romance author in no time at all.

Destined To Become Classics.......2005-03-21

Hadn't heard of Laura Pedersen until the Virginia Book Festival. She did a wonderful and hilarious presentation and so I read BEGINNER'S LUCK and LAST CALL. They were very different novels, though both humorous, uplifting, and with enjoyable characters. The storylines were creative and engaging. The LAST CALL ending is a blockbuster -- won't give it away. Pedersen is young and writing a book a year -- the sequels to BEGINNER'S LUCK are coming out soon. I rarely write in reviews but I think this author is bound to become a classic in women's fiction, of the feel-good variety (rather than doom and gloom), and will continue to be enjoyed by young and old readers for years to come. I guess she will always be classified as an author of women's fiction and pitched to reading groups, but there are some great guys in the books -- Bernard in BEGINNER'S LUCK and Hayden in LAST CALL, so I think men would enjoy the stories as well but doubt they'll ever pick them up based on the wonderful but somewhat feminine covers. I especially like it that she gives older female characters brainy, sexy parts, and doesn't relegate them to the backseat of the family car. Hollywood will no doubt be calling soon if they haven't already. Looking forward to more.

Last Call for Blackford Oakes (Blackford Oakes Novel)

Average customer rating:

Last Call for an Old Spy?
Starting at the End
I hate to give a favorite author only three stars.
Bad End to a Good Series
Goodby

Last Call for Blackford Oakes (Blackford Oakes Novel)
William F. Buckley Jr. , and Samuel Vaughan
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000CC49DU

Customer Reviews:

Last Call for an Old Spy?.......2007-06-13

William F. Buckley Jr has entertained readers for twenty years with the exploits of Blackford Oakes, CIA spy extraordinaire. In what will be the final Oakes novel by Buckley, Oakes is summoned out of semi-retirement for one last mission.

The setting for the novel is 1987. President Ronald Reagan dispatches Oakes to the Soviet Union to thwart an attempt on President Gorbachev's life. In the process, Oakes becomes romantically involved with a lovely Russian dissident and then embroiled in a bitter conflict with his arch-nemesis, the traitor Kim Philby. The struggle between the two master spies is absolutely ruthless and can only ended by death.

The novel wanders from the United States to exotic locales in Russia, Mexico, and Cuba as Buckley tours the battlefields of the waning Cold War. In literate, knowing fashion, he manages to weave in appearences by a variety of real-life personalities. In the process, he also manages to roll up the loose ends of Oakes' long and adventurous life.

This novel is recommended to fans of William F. Buckley Jr's spy fiction, especially those curious about the fate of Blackford Oakes. In the acknowledgements, Buckley does leave a faint hint about future possibilities by one of his collaborators.

Starting at the End.......2006-07-02

This is my first Blackford Oakes book and it happens to be the last in the series. So, I am happily looking forward to reading all the others. And if this was one of the weakest of that series, as other reviewers here allege, it looks like I'm in for some great reading because I found this to be a most delightful book -- well-written, good plot, good characterization. Fascinating look at how things worked -- or didn't -- in twilight Soviet Russia. I think I'm going to like Oakes as a protagonist as I plow through the other books. All in all, it was a good and rewarding read.

I hate to give a favorite author only three stars........2006-04-05

First, I must say that I bow to no one as a number one William F. Buckley fan. I have read his books since the sixties, many of which are autographed, reviewed some for the Roanoke newspaper getting his column published in this area and subscribed to National Review. I admit his thinking has shaped many of my own ideas as an educator and political activist. So Bill, forgive me. I cannot endorse "Last Call for Blackford Oaks".

I was delighted when Bill Buckley introduced us to the Blackford Oaks series, and considered his spy novels better than most on the market. As a character I felt Oaks was better than James Bond and cleverer than Sherlock Holmes. Why he chose to write "Last Call for Blackford Oaks" I have no idea. Yes, it is fast moving, yes the dialogue is pure and concise and descriptions are accurate and well done. I especially liked his going into the historical background of the Soviet Union and of course his handling of President Ronald Reagan. Gorbachev is shown for the fraud he was. Though in 1987 and 1988 when "the evil empire" was winding down, the spy apparatus was in full swing. Kim Philby was still a major factor.

The plot is well handled and the book is a joy up until the end. To my surprise the ending is rather contrived and one thinks that Bill Buckley is trying to do what Ian Fleming and Sir Arthur Canon Doyle tried and failed to do. James Bond dies at the end of two novels and Sherlock Holmes at the end of one story. Then somehow they come alive. So be warned Bill, Blackford may prove, as did those fictional characters, it is not easy to kill off a well loved fictional character.

Bad End to a Good Series.......2006-02-10

Fans of the Blackford Oakes novels may wish to simply skip this book, which ends the series on a depressing note and which seems to have been written with total disregard for what has come before it. In the opening of the previous Oakes novel, A Very Private Plot, Blackford and his wife Sally are, in 1995, about to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary; in this book, which starts in 1987, Sally has already been dead for months. I understand that authors of a series that lasts for decades may need to contract or expand the aging process to fit the needs of a plot (and the use of this device in, say, the Matt Helm or 87th Precinct series has never bothered me a bit), but people who are dead should not be allowed to reappear years later. (Sally is not the only one who rises from the dead, but I won't give away any more plot points.) This book also seems to lack the literary panache of earlier Buckley novels. This is not a terrible book, but, like a TV series that overstays its welcome, there are, I think, one too many books in this series. Buckley should have quit while he was ahead.

Goodby.......2005-08-30

Not the usual command of the English language that Buckley usually had. Maybe due to a ghost writer??

It was time for Blackford to die.

Average customer rating:

An exciting finish!
Who's the real killer?
DA BEST BOOKS ON EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Call (Party Room)
Morgan Burke
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0689872275

Book Description

the party room.

On Manhattan's Upper East Side. Everybody's fabulous. No one gets carded. Then someone dies.

The Prep School Killer is dead. Finally Kirsten can go on and leave the nightmare of her best friend Sam's murder behind her. Kirsten's at NYU now, but she still slips back to the Party Room on the Upper East Side of Manhattan--where the horror all began. But it's quiet now. Just Kirsten and her old friends and a mojito or three.

Then the killer strikes again. And again. The killer wasn't Kyle after all. Someone's looking to settle the tab.

Don't be the last one when the bar closes.

Customer Reviews:

An exciting finish!.......2007-03-31

I completely LOVED reading this trilogy. Getting to the last few pages of the third book I had to stop myself from reading ahead. My friends and I read this series together and had our own theories of who the killer might be and when it was finally revealed we were shocked. Reading these books is a complete thrill ride. Now knowing the outcome I am so going to read it again. I say everyone should add this trilogy to their collection.

Who's the real killer?.......2006-12-20

Who's The Real Killer!?
The Party Room "Last Call" is the third book in the party room series. This book is about a girl named Kirsten, who than recently had a friend die at the party room. There has been many murders at the party room, but she still drops in for a visit every now and than, when she's not in school. This is a good book because it always has you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next and when you think it all is over, the killer strikes again. If you don't like long books, that take quite a bit of patience, than I would suggest not reading this book. If you are a person who likes very mysterious books, The Party Room is the book for you. This is a book you should add to you library or collection.

DA BEST BOOKS ON EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-11-28

My sista borrowed the first book and then i read it.
it was really good when u read u really want to read the other 2 books.I have finished the second book and am waiting till christmas to get the third.
The book is really interesting i like how they make u think that it is Paul Stone that killed sam and then they turn it around completely and it is not the person u thought it was. Then a whole new character comes into the book.
I can't wait to sink my teeth into the nxt one. thanks so much this is the best book i have eva read in my whole life n i aint kiddin either.
I strongly advise u 2 read dis book
cya all!!!

Awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-11-24

OMG I LUVVVV THIS SERIS>> AWSOME BOOKS. My friend recomneded it to me and i read them all and loved them. In the 3rd installment Kristin is trying to recover and move on, since the prep school killer is dead. But was he rly the killer? or was it someone eles? Kristin leaves home to NYU universtity, but still slips back to her favortite place, the party room, with Julie. Kristin feels that she is getting better, until the killer strikes again, and again. She is slowly getting closer to finding out who the killer is, which is putting her in more danger than she could imagine. Can she mangage to find the killer and make sure he is in jail, before he gets her??
read it and ull find out!!

U WONT BE DISAPOINTED>> U WILL BE ESTATIC!! AWSOME BOOOOKK>> READ IT!!! LOVED ITTT

Add-On Selling: How to Squeeze Every Last Ounce of Sales Potential From Your Calls

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The Selling MAchine
Terrific!
A must-read not only for sales-reps

Add-On Selling: How to Squeeze Every Last Ounce of Sales Potential From Your Calls
Jim Domanski
Manufacturer: Business by Phone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1881081117

Book Description

Every time you talk to a customer, you have additional sales opportunities you're likely not taking advantage of. And many of your customers would buy more from you, but they don't know what you have, they're not asked, or they're not asked in the right way. Just think of all the money that is being left on the table, and it takes very little effort or expertise to get it!

In "Add-On Selling" you can learn exactly how to cross-sell, up-sell, sell more inquiries, sell on service calls ... even sell on complaint calls to maximize the profits from opportunities that show up on your phones each and every day!

Just think of the orders you handle every day. What if you could increase your order size by 15% on only one out of every 10 calls? How much would that be worth? (And these are conservative estimates; most companies do MUCH more!) The great part is, these profits present themselves to your business each and every day!

This 256-page book shows you how easy it is to get that business.

You'll Get ...
Specific word-for-word examples, along with case studies for,
-The Four-Step Process for Add-On Selling
-The Cross-Selling Process
-The Up-Selling Process
-How to Turn Leads Into Sales
-Selling on Complaint Calls ...

...and MUCH more.

Customer Reviews:

The Selling MAchine.......2007-08-28

Bu reading this book and others i transformed my call center in a Profit center passing from 100 dollars sale a month to 20000 usd, (i had to implement of course others things to do so) but the four step sales approach is a must do! This guy is a true Seller, its a "how to sale book". Go for it!

Terrific!.......2007-06-17

You may not have heard of this Canadian telesales expert, but you should. He is one of the businessbyphone.com authors and I received this and two other books in a clear out set from them. What a bargain! Not only does he cover add-on, cross-sell, upselling on the phone, he has sections for converting inquiries, cancellations, complaints, customer service calls into sales. His approaches are just as useful face to face. A no nonsense straightforward easy read, this is a library keeper. His section on getting leads and referrals is bang on the money. Check out www.businessbyphone.com (This is treasure house for telesales answers

A must-read not only for sales-reps.......2003-01-30

I never thought add-on-selling might be easy as that. Think about it: First, turn to the clients real problem and fix it. Then, build the mental bridge for your customer (that seems to be the critical part: don't push, just make it appear the result of a coincidental telephone-talk). Then, present offer and benefit. Then close. Jim Domanski works his readers through this 4-step-process in every single one of his 13 typical add-on-situations. Plus lots of job-aids that really help you get things together. Good stuff!

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A Man Walks Into a Bar...
graphic horror
All Hail the Splatterpunk King
A GRUESOME TERROR RIDE!
Welcome to the end of the line

The Long Last Call
John Skipp
Manufacturer: Cemetery Dance Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1587671360

Book Description

IT'S THE DEGRADEST SHOW ON EARTH!

It's closing time at a backwoods strip club, somewhere in America. Business as usual, until an elegant stranger comes onto the scene: chumming the waters with a briefcase full of cash, and a dark agenda all his own.

Because he is no mere human being. He is a walking repository for all of the anger and hate that men and women feel toward each other. And every scum-soaked dollar he hands out only serves to up the voltage on the war between the sexes. The have and have-nots. The lovers and the haters.

The result is a blood-soaked, horny and horrifying monster-bash - THE DEGRADEST SHOW ON EARTH - that builds to a shocking and soul-stopping grand finale.

Customer Reviews:

A Man Walks Into a Bar..........2007-09-26

This time the bar in question is one that features topless dancers. The night is almost over. In walks a well-dressed, but moist, gentleman who immediately starts spreading money around. This is the sort of money that the people in the bar may never see again. The prospect of money brings out their truer natures and most of them are not particularly nice. More money is offered and things start to get strange. People begin to act strange and some seem to be changing. A final battle ensues as some of the patrons and workers attempt to hold out against the stranger.

Lass than 200 pages in to the book the story ends and we get another novella called Conscience. Here a professional killer starts to really think about his current lifestyle. He has a new contract to help discredit a popular guru who has all sorts of ideas about the coming planetary alignment. Is this the Age of Aquarius?

The title story reminds me of the movie Feast where monster attack a bar with no explanation. Here we learn nothing about the stranger other than he may be very old. What is the slime? Who knows. Why does he exist? who is Lloyd? Still no answers. Kind of disappointing really.

In the second story we see a character going through self exploration but we don't really learn anything about him other than he loved his dog as a boy. Weaker than the first story but with the same lack of explanation. What is the alignment all about and what does the guru say will happen? Why does someone want to stop him? More unanswered questions.

I had high hopes for this one as I have long been a fan of the team of Skipp and Spector. I was sadly disappointed. I kept expecting some substance and never found it. Brian Keene wrote and introduction for this one. Save the into for after the book as it builds expectations that are unfulfilled. These are based on comments about past works and not the one within. All in all I can't really say that I recommend this one but if you like your horror visual and don't care about causes and explanations then you may feel differently about this one.

graphic horror .......2007-09-04

In the back yards of America is the strip joint Sweet Thangs, a place where those who have no hope go to and see a stripper who has no dreams take off all her clothes. They have no ambition so they have no expectation f bettering themselves just like Hank who stops there to forget losing the only woman he ever loved. It is almost closing time and the only customers are the regulars who have no other place they would rather be because no one wants them.

In walks a tall dark handsome man who is carrying a suitcase full of money. He tips the strippers excessively, demands they go to more extreme lengths to obtain money. Sex is not what he wants but he gets what he came for when he touches each person and the slime on his hands goes into their bodies turning them into the people they really are behind their masks. He feeds on their hatred, lusts, anger and sins as he done for eons. By the end OF THE LONG LAST CALL he expects that everyone will be dead. He is for the first time in millennia surprised at the outcome.

Readers who have a week stomach will not want too read this graphic horror novel. It is a chilling work filled with plenty of violence, sex, gore and depravity and though the audience keeps wondering who the stranger is, they will make good guesses based on his actions. The people in Sweet Thangs are a microcosm of the malevolence that infects much of the human race and John Skips brilliantly uses one entity to symbolic that evil. Read THE LONG LAST CALL at your own risk.

Harriet Klausner

All Hail the Splatterpunk King.......2007-07-12

Last year, we saw the triumphant return of John Skipp, editor extraordinaire, as he bagged a Stoker for MONDO ZOMBIE-- a project roughly thirteen years in the making. This year, John Skipp, the proud Splatterpunk Papa, returned to the fiction arena with THE LONG LAST CALL, a tale of demons and strip club dancers, of innocence and bloated lusts.
Don't get me wrong. It's not as if Skipp wasn't busting his butt in the world of horror and beyond. Since the late 90s, he's been busy editing, writing collaborations with others, making music videos, short films, and even adult movies (for which he won an AVN), and writing screenplays. But to his fans, his return proper was a moment of truly bizarre dichotomy.
A sense of expectation, for sure. Finally, the man who made some of us want to be rock n' roll horror writers was coming back to the fold.
But many wondered if that old Skipp magic was still there?
Could he pull off another ANIMALS or THE BRIDGE?
This reviewer is here to allay any such fears. Despite the relative short length, THE LONG LAST CALL is vintage Skipp, but with a whole new wisdom.
Written initially as a screenplay for a film that Skipp intended to produce, he cleverly keeps that cinematic vision throughout the story, moving from one character to another with an editor's eye for continuity and pace. After introducing the reader to Hank, an angst ridden young country boy, who might just be a little less than sane, we're escorted into SWEET THANGS, a strip club off the beaten trail. Using a technique rivaling the famous opening tracking shot in Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL, we meet the assorted cast of dancers, a sleazy drugged out club owner, a muscle bound bouncer with plans of his own, a trio of local dollar tipping rowdies, and the wallflower stripper mom. Enter The Dark Stranger, loaded with cash and big plans for a night's not-so-innocent entertainment.
If you've ever been lucky enough to attend a Skipp reading, you'll recognize the loose and easy style of writing as the same way in which he reads aloud for his eager fans. It's as if your favorite uncle is sitting across from you, relaying the damnedest story from his checkered past. The litmus test of a true craftsman is how easily Skipp is able to keep the breakneck pace, layer the violence and sex to a heady pitch, and still load the story with pathos and emotion.
If THE LONG LAST CALL is any indication of what the future holds for Skipp fans, we all have thanks to give to whatever writing gods convinced him to come back again.
All Hail the Splatterpunk King.

--Nickolas Cook

A GRUESOME TERROR RIDE!.......2007-02-11

John Skipp's latest novel, "The Long Last Call" is a battle of good vs. evil played out against the backdrop of a seedy, roadside strip club. Hank's girlfriend has just broken up with him and he is teetering on the edge of madness. Driving down a lonely stretch of road, haunted by persistent destructive hallucinations, Hank happens on a strip club called Wild Thangs and decides to stop in for last call. Skipp's last call for Hank is both literally and figuratively as the drunken man envisions blowing out his brains right in front of the stage.

Skipp nails down to a perfect "T" all the usual denizens of lower tier strip clubs; There's Darnell the bouncer who fancies himself hero to the dancers for walking them to their cars after closing time; Daisy the young rookie, unskilled as a dancer but making up for it with looks and a body that haven't yet been eroded by years of abuse; Ambrosia, the self-appointed queen bee among the dancers and sexual toy for the club's owner, Eddie. And of course there's the usual group of drunken red necks, hooting and hollering and spending the last dollar of their meager paychecks.

Eddie owns the club and it's his private little empire despite the fact that he is in debt up to his ears. Eddie's sister works form him handling the club's finances so he doesn't put it all up his nose. She's also the club's house mom, watching over the dancers as if they were her own daughters. Just as last call is announced, a mysterious stranger walks into the bar, dark and handsome...and completely terrifying to Hank who is able to see past the glistening veneer.

This Dark Stranger stars tossing money around, lots of money, and soon the entire bar is at attention. The dancers all fight for his attention while Eddie plays the cordial host, making sure is guest has everything he wants. And what he wants is the bar to close so he can enjoy a private with the dancers and the other patrons. Only Mom, suspecting something isn't right about the stranger, decides to leave at closing time. As the door locks behind her, the terror is about to begin... As one would expect from one of the founders of the splatterpunk scene, the action turns gory and gruesome before long.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've sat down to read a book and finished it in one sitting and this was one of those times. It wasn't a long book at 182 pages, but what there was moved at breakneck speed as the entire story was played out over a couple of hours. Each of the character's personalities were right on the money without becoming caricatures. The feeding frenzy that takes place when the dark stranger starts throwing money around is evidence of the desperate lives that these women lead.

The Long Last Call hits the road with the petal to the floor and never lets off the gas. If you are a stripper, you might want to think twice the next time that high-roller saunters into the club. You just never know what his true intentions are...

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Welcome to the end of the line.......2006-12-13

As a fan of horror fiction for many years, it was with great pleasure that I read the latest from John Skipp. The characters are real, fleshed out (no pun intended). The pace is a roller coaster, the ending not seen. If viseral gore can be beautiful....this is it.

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Good Call
Myth meets the Mundane
A modern dark fantasy classic
Surprised nobody's mentioned Charles Williams
A true mind-bender.

Last Call
Tim Powers
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 038072846X

Book Description

Enchantingly dark and compellingly real, the World Fantasy Award-winning novel Last Call is a masterpiece of magic realism from critically acclaimed author Tim Powers.

Set in the gritty, dazzling underworld known as Las Vegas, Last Call tells the story of a one-eyed professional gambler who discovers that he was not the big winner in a long-ago poker game . . . and now must play for the highest stakes ever as he searches for a way to win back his soul.

Customer Reviews:

Good Call.......2007-01-19

The Last Call is the most recent Tim Powers book that I read, and the oldest one chronologically (it was written in 1992, The Anubis Gates in 1997 and Three Days to Never in 2006). Power's trademark blend of fantasy, the occult, magic, conspiracy and suspense are very much in evidence here, in this tale of Scotty Crane. Abandoned as a young child and raised by Ozzie a professional poker player and master of so much more, Scott, now a 46 year old ex-professional Poker player and recent widower, finds himself caught up in a web of magic, murder and mayhem surrounding a very special game of Poker, played with a Tarot deck, that he took part in 20 years earlier against Ozzie's desperate pleading. Now Scott finds himself literally playing for his life against his true biological father who tried to co-opt him as a 5 year old and then won the rights to his body in the poker game 20 years ago in which neither was aware of the other's identity.

There are many references, both clear and obscure, to T.S. Eliot's "The Wasteland", Arthurian legend, The Fisher King and more, but it is not necessary to be familiar with any of these works to fully appreciate or enjoy the novel. Nor is it necessary to be a poker player, although poker players and/or gamblers will get a kick out of the well-written poker scenes even though they are little more than background scenery for the main story.

The characters are well-developed, believable, and except for the baddies, likeable. The writing is excellent and the Las Vegas scenes and descriptions are great. If you like at least one of poker, Powers or magical fantasy, you will like this book. If you like more than one, you will like this book a lot.

Myth meets the Mundane.......2007-01-10

This book is definitely not for everybody. The story places a battle of mythic proportions (literally) on the tawdry streets of Las Vegas. I got a big kick our of the way Powers combined the banal with the mystic (e.g., in one scene, two characters find a location in Vegas by shaking silver dollars in an empty vanilla wafers box, and seeing if they turn up heads). The dialog has the tough-guy quality of a roman noir, but they are discussing tarot cards and moon goddesses. If you like that kind of thing, then you will probably enjoy this book.

A modern dark fantasy classic.......2006-11-21

I am in awe of this book. Sheer awe. A must-read if you enjoy dark contemporary fantasy. The characters are a bit chill and distant, but the plot, settings, and concept of this book are masterful.

Surprised nobody's mentioned Charles Williams.......2006-08-05

When I read "Declare" I thought 'Alan Furst meets Charles Williams;' certain of the themes of "Last Call" remind me particularly of "The Greater Trumps." It's difficult to imagine Mr Powers being unacquainted with the 'spiritual thrillers' of friend-of-Tolkien-and-Lewis Williams; those who enjoy Powers are likely to be in for a treat should they give the neglected Williams a try. (The 'other,' pulpier Charles Williams, the American caper writer, is also great fun.)

A true mind-bender........2006-07-19

This book was my introduction to Tim Powers, and since first reading it some years ago I have happily devoured everything of his I can find. A very intense "magical realist" novel, with deeply flawed but believable characters dropped into situations which, despite their magical and surreal nature, grow to be alarmingly believable. You will never look at Las Vegas again, trust me. Chilling, surreal and beautiful, one of my favorite novels of all time.

Her Last Call To Louis MacNeice (Five Star Paperback)

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Her Last Call To Louis MacNeice (Five Star Paperback)
Ken Bruen
Manufacturer: Five Star (ME)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1852427825

Book Description

"If this thriller was any more hard-boiled, you'd be able to paint a face on it and roll it down the hill . . . Noir at its grungiest"-The Good Book Guide

Cooper had done his time in prison. Now on the outside, he'd set up a legitimate business with Doc, who he'd met inside. They called themselves "Righteous Repo," and they even had an accountant. The repo firm did good business, but it wasn't anywhere near as exhilarating as the bank jobs they did on the side.

Ken Bruen was born in Ireland in 1951. The author of 16 novels, including The Guards and The Dramatist in the Jack Taylor series, he now lives in Galway City with his wife and daughter. The new Jack Taylor novel, The Magdalene Martyrs, is published by St. Martin's Press.

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Who wrote this book?
Emotionally Wrenching
Moving, desperate , and still sympathetic

Last Call (Detective Franco Mysteries)
Baxter Clare
Manufacturer: Bella Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1931513708

Book Description

LAPD Homicide Lieutenant L. A. "Frank" Franco is back in the latest installment of the popular Detective Franco Mystery series.

Six years ago, Lieutenant L. A. Franco's partner, Detective Noah Jantzen, investigated the case of a double homicide of two innocent children. Unable to close the case, the two murdered children haunted Noah for years…

Now that case is haunting Frank, who must cope with the loss of her dear friend and right-hand man. Unwilling to deal with her grief, Franco buries herself in obsessive work, rigid denial and bottle after bottle of her favorite alcoholic beverage. Frank's refusal to mourn her old friend strains her business relationships and more importantly, the romantic relationship with the county's Chief Coroner.

Focused only on solving the cold case of the murdered children, can Frank see the cost to those around her…and the risk to her own life?

Customer Reviews:

Who wrote this book?.......2006-01-16

Stepping away from her usual style of writing, the author tries a "Naked City" type narration. Didn't really work for me. Also, beware, as the book is much darker than her previous books.
Her old partner is killed in an accident, so to assuage her feelings of guilt because she "wasn't there for him when he needed her", she takes on one of his cold cases. It is a brutal rape and murder of a young girl. Frank obsesses about the case, drinks a gallon of whiskey, hits the streets to clean this six years past murder, drinks a gallon of whiskey. Beats up one of her fellow cops, drinks a gallon of whiskey. Blows off her girlfriend, drinks a gallon of whiskey. Drinks before work, after work, even leaves work early to drink. Got the picture?
Not only does Frank need to dry out, she is in need of massive doses of Prozac. Hopefully, this book is an interlude between her last "good" book and the next "good" book.

Emotionally Wrenching.......2005-02-02

Baxter Clare's writing is not for the faint-hearted. But if you're looking for a compelling story, this is a literary roller coaster ride. The chilling plot and its gritty, honest characterization kept me glued to my seat wondering if we were going to reach the last page in one piece.

Whew.

Although I've read the other books in the series, this is the one that made me realize the exceptional talent of the author. I hope she's a fast writer because I can hardly wait for the next book.

Moving, desperate , and still sympathetic.......2004-08-18

'The saga of "Frank" continues. She continues to show us her demons while being one helluva good detective and lieutenant.
The demon alcohol has never been protrayed so deadly.
Can't wait for the next installment!
Baxter Clare is one of the best writers (period!) in the mystery genre.

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one of the few Honest REF's
The best referee in the history of the game.
No need to review this call

Last Call: Memoirs of an NFL Referee
Jerry Markbreit , and Alan Steinberg
Manufacturer: Sports Masters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1583820302

Book Description

Drawing on his more than thirty years of experience (including a record four Super Bowls) as the NFL's top referee, Jerry Markbreit describes the hard-hitting, fast-paced NFL action from a perspective few others can match. Filled with humorous anecdotes as well as his opinions on controversial subjects and players and coaches, this book is the first comprehensive look at pro football officiating from the official's point of view -- and Markbreit's homage to the sport he has helped define.

Customer Reviews:

one of the few Honest REF's.......2003-01-20

I'm not crazy about most Pro Ref's in any sport but Jerry Markbreit is one of the few that I always respected the way He called a game.nothing out of the ordinary when He was ref of a Game or a big game.I enjoyed the way He takes you too the field.

The best referee in the history of the game........2002-10-22

At one point in Markbreit's book, he mentions being surprised when someone recognized him on the street. This shocked me. Does he not know he's the best ref in the league?

I remember my dad first learning to recognize Markbreit (though at that time we thought his name was Markwright), and knowing that if he was officiating the game, the calls would be accurate and fair. In this book, you find out why - because he cared deeply about learning his job and performing at the absolute top level. As my dad says, "Quality of officiating usually exceeds quality of play" - this in response to the occasional bad call by a well-meaning official. When Markbreit was in charge, the truth was that "quality of officiating ALWAYS exceeds quality of play".

This book takes you through Markbreit's entire career as a ref, beginning with covering intramural football at his college, and through the NFL and multiple Super Bowls. You'll also learn the basics about how officating works, how the NFL works to ensure accurate, consistent officiating (hint: if you saw an error on TV Sunday, they'll see it on tape on Monday), and how Markbreit made it to the top of his field.

If you're a Markbreit fan, this is probably already on your bookshelf. If you're a football fan at all, and have ever even thought about what it takes to ref an NFL game, this book is for you.

Markbreit is a five-star ref. This is a four-star book for the kinds of things that make a co-written autobiography not five-star fare. It's no worse than any other co-written autobiography, and better than most, but not quite five-star material. Still, the book is excellent and will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates the game.

No need to review this call.......2002-01-16

Jerry Markbreit is not only a veteran NFL official but an insightful author who knows how to make the game (and the rules) a wonderful read. So many "bios" are filled with fluff, but this one tells grat stories, the kind you wish you'd hear from the so-calld expert talking heads on TV. I loved this book as much as his first one, which is now rightfully a collctor's item. Anyone who considers themselves and NFL fan will enjoy this book as well as his feature "Ask Jerry Markbreit" on the Chicago Tribune's web site...Great stuf. Thank you, Mr. Markbreit.

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