West Of Bliss

Book Description

When thoughts of marriage turn to murder . . .

As resident manager for the exclusive retirement community of Valhalla Springs, Hannah Garvey is up to any challenge life throws her way -- which, lately, is usually a corpse. But a marriage proposal from sexy lawman David Hendrickson has her completely flummoxed. Doesn't he realize the odds against a successful Aries-Libra match?

Then, while attending a going-away party for Eulilly and Chet Thomlinson, even bigger questions erupt when the restaurant dishwasher suddenly opens fire. Chet, an ex-Secret Service agent, manages to shoot the gunman, and is hailed a hero. The tragedy is chalked up to a case of a disgruntled employee -- with poor Eulilly caught in the cross fire. But David, Hannah and the erstwhile senior sleuths of Kinderhook County think the whole incident is just a little too cut-and-dry.

In Sanity, Missouri, ignorance is not bliss.

Customer Reviews:

West of Bliss.......2005-09-16

I really liked the directional series by Suzann Ledbetter. I was disappointed in West of Bliss because it just ended. Now we will never know what happened to Hannah and David.

I'd give it six stars if I could!.......2002-10-20

I love this series! If you like Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jennifer Crusie, you'll love Suzann Ledbetter's books. Ledbetter may not write towards comedy as much as Crusie or Phillips, but there's a lot of laughs and the character of Hannah is wonderfully written. All of the books are good, there are no duds in this series, and you will put them directly on your keeper shelf when you are done reading them. Guaranteed.

Another enjoyable book about Hannah Garvey.......2002-07-08

If you've never read this Suzann Ledbetter series (North of Clever, South of Sanity, East of Peculiar, and now West of Bliss), you've missed at least three enjoyable evenings of reading.

In this 4th novel, Hannah Garvey is still the manager at Valhalla, an expensive/selective senior adult living community. David Hendrickson, the county sheriff, is now more serious than ever ("Will you marry me?"). Hannah is still concerned about their age difference but is beginning to consider the "how will we..." items that will occur.

At a farewell party for two Valhalla residents, the dishwasher shoots and kills two people, wounds two more (including Ida Clancy) and is then shot by the husband of one of the victims. Even though he doesn't gain by her death, the suspicions of the Valhalla investigators (if you've read the previous boooks, you'll know they are a hilarious group of residents who will go to any lengths to protect Hannah) are raised. Add in the additional fact that Jack Clancy, owner of Valhalla, is acting peculiarly and you are in for an enjoyable evening.

Now that Ms. Ledbetter has exhausted the four main directions, (N, E, S, and W), I can only hope that she does the NE, SW, etc. and doesn't stop the Hannah Garvey series.

engaging amateur sleuth.......2002-07-07

When she first accepted Jack Clancy's job offer to manage an Ozarks retirement community, Harriet Garvey thought her biggest problem would be boredom. However, Valhalla Springs proves wilder than her former home Chicago. In a very short time Harriet has been on several murder investigations and a few other felonies. However, her toughest problem is her deep feelings for local Sheriff David Henderson even though the Gods must frown upon this couple mating as coitus interruptus is the norm of their relationship.

Though she loathes Eulliy Thomlinson, Jack convinces her to represent him at a going away party for the woman and her spouse Chet. Everything seems okay until D.K. Bogart starts shooting at people; Chet retaliates and kills him. Most of Kinderhook County think Chet is a hero, but Dave and Harriet wonder about the incident. Accompanied by her geriatric detectives, Harriet begins to make inquiries while Dave tries to entice her to marry him. He also attempts to coax his love and her band of amateurs to not investigate.

WEST OF BLISS is an engaging amateur sleuth tale starring a frustrated hero, a clever heroine, and an insane peculiar crowd of seniors who often steal the plot. The story line is well written, but though the mystery is delightfully disguised, the banter between Harriet and Dave feels stale perhaps because this is the fourth novel in two years without enough movement in their relationship. Still Suzann Ledbetter provides an amusing amateur sleuth police procedural combo that now needs to move to the center of the compass and fully explore the magnetism between the lead duo.

Harriet Klausner

engaging amateur sleuth.......2002-07-07

Product Description

In 1931, in the teeth of the Great Depression, the Nevada legislature made a daring move and created two legalized industries: gambling and the six week divorce. By the 1940s, I m going to Reno! was synonymous with divorce and divorce seekers came running by the thousands. If you had the money and the need for privacy, you came to one of the dude ranches where the clientele was upscale.

Former dude wrangler Bill McGee may have written the ultimate kiss-and-tell in THE DIVORCE SEEKERS: A PHOTO MEMOIR OF A NEVADA DUDE WRANGLER. This is a firsthand account by someone who saw the epic era of the six week Reno divorce. McGee had a front row seat during his years in the 1940s working on the Flying M E, an exclusive dude ranch twenty miles south of Reno that catered to wealthy Easterners with names like Astor, du Pont and Roosevelt, and Hollywood celebrities like Gable, Gardner and Hayworth.

Part I, Cowboyin Memoirs. Follows the author from his post-war days at Montana State on the G. I. Bill, to cowboyin in Wyoming s Yellowstone National Park, to the chance conversation in Reno s Round Up Bar which landed him the coveted job as head dude wrangler on the Flying M E.

Part II, The Famous Flying M E Ranch and the Changing Cast of Characters. Stories about the ranch guests, how they passed their six weeks, their favorite watering holes and sightseeing places, and why some of them never returned to the East to live.

Part III, Getting Untied. An overview of Nevada s migratory divorce business, how the legislated businesses of divorce and gambling helped Nevada through the Great Depression, and how Nevada s lenient divorce law led the way for uncontested divorces in other states.

Part IV, Other Leading Nevada Dude-Divorce Ranches, Circa 1930-1960. Profiles the TH Ranch (Nevada s first dude ranch), the other leading Nevada dude-divorce ranches of the era, plus a brief history of the origins of dude ranching in the West.

More than 500 black-and-white photographs (most from private collections and never before published), give the reader an up-close glimpse into life on an exclusive dude ranch.

Customer Reviews:

The Romantic Old West- a True Story.......2007-02-04

Bill and Sandra McGee have authored a fascinating account of an almost forgotten era of the Old West. The old days of the romantic Nevada dude ranch unfold in a format reminiscent of "The Love Boat". Told through the eyes of real life cowboy, Bill McGee, we see east coast patrons come and go through the gates of the famous Flying M E Guest ranch. The dude guests are mostly women arrived to establish a six (6) week residency before securing a quickie divorce. And while lounging at the Flying M E, who could blame a girl for romancing a handsome cowboy? The wonderful photographs alone make this coffee table book well worth its purchase. Fans of the old west should seriously consider adding this fine book to their collection.

A Colorful Romantic Look at a Bygone Nevada Era.......2006-12-26

The McGees have pulled together a remarkable historic and pictoral event in Nevada history. Nevada's easy divorce laws attracted the rich and famous to well known Divorce Ranches, complete with horses and swimming pools. Bill McGee was a wrangler at one of the better known "ranches". McGee introduced divorcees to horses and the spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains. As the daughter of a former owner of one of the nearby smaller divorce sites (we didn't offer horses or a pool), I was impressed with the results of the McGee's research. Many of the photos have not been produced before; they interviewed many of the ranch's former "guests" and provided information not available earlier. This book is truly a collector's item. The Divorce Ranch years brought many new residents from the East who subsequently enriched northern Nevada's cultural community. Before the McGee's this Nevada saga was largely overlooked.

The Biggest Little DIVORCE City in the World........2006-12-13

A great and very personal account of the times when everybody who was anybody spent six weeks in Reno to cut the bands that had bound them in their homes,churches, cities and states. Provacative text supported by even more provacative photographs.

Biographer:Adriana and veteran attorney: Tom Williams, San Francisco

A Step Back in Time.......2006-11-26

If you love history, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and cowboys, this book is for you. Being from Minnesota and working at Lake Tahoe in the mid-70's and now being a resident of Reno, I found this book to be a lot more than it's title indicates. Yes, the Reno area was known for being the Divorce Capital of the World, but Bill McGee takes the reader into the back mountains of the Sierras, into the world of New York socialites settling in Virginia City and into what must have been a unique place to live and work - the Flying ME Ranch. The Flying ME was located in what I think is one of the most beautiful spots in Northern Nevada today - Franktown. Even before I knew of the dude ranch, this spot between Carson City and Reno is one of beautiful ranches with white picket fences, Ponderosa Pines and mountain views second to none.

Bill and Sandra take the reader back to a time that was unique and one that will probably never exist again. The photography is wonderful and probably tells a story all by itself.

This is definitely a worthwhile read and a great coffee table book!

D. Geraghty
Reno, Nevada

Divorce Western-style...a real page-turner!.......2006-03-06

One thing we can always be sure of, the West is full of fascinating, little nugget-like niches and unusual stories. Given that, former dude ranch wrangler Bill McGee may have written the ultimate Western kiss-and-tell book in his and Sandra McGee's recently released "The Divorce Seekers -- A Photo Memoir of a Nevada Dude Wrangler." The title alone is enough to make you pick this hefty volume up, but the fact that this is a firsthand account by someone who saw that epic era of the six-week Reno divorce makes this book tough to put down. McGee had a front row seat during his years working at the Flying M E, an exclusive dude ranch south of Reno that catered to wealthy Easterners and the occasional titled European or Hollywood celebrity -- many of whom were seeking a quick "Reno Cure" from their matrimonial bonds. Everyone from Clark Gable to Frank Sinatra as well as Eleanor Roosevelt shows up in this page-turner. -William C. Reynolds, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, April 2005

Northwest Boat Dives: 60 Ultimate Dives in Puget Sound and Hood Canal

Average customer rating:

A boat divers bible
Positive but need's more

Northwest Boat Dives: 60 Ultimate Dives in Puget Sound and Hood Canal
Dave Bliss
Manufacturer: Sasquatch Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

Diving and Snorkeling Guide to the Pacific Northwest: Includes Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, and Vancouver Island (Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Great Barrier Reef)

ASIN: 1570610908

Book Description

This is the first guide for scuba divers that describes where the best boat dives are located, what's down there, and how to pinpoint the dive site using the new Global Positioning System finders.

Customer Reviews:

A boat divers bible.......1998-09-24

This book stays on the boat so we won't forget it. The GPS coordinates are a great idea and make the sites so easy to find. The author's input on how to dive each site safely has also been of great value. We have also appreciated the inclusion of some of the 'difficult to reach' shore dives and often frequent some of these sites that we used to avoid like the plague!

Positive but need's more.......1998-09-03

I will give two pieces of advice to the author of 60 boat dives. 1. Don't tell me about shore dives in a book called boat dives and 2. There are a lot more than 60 dives in Puget sound. Diving for 5 years in the sound 500+ boat dives has told me that this book should be renamed and expanded to 202 boat dives in Puget sound then it might be worth the price tag.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent guidebook!.......2005-07-26

This short guidebook to the West Coast Trial was a great asset to read before and during the hike. It takes you through all the stages of this 75Km hike, complete with suggestions of route choice, campsites, gear advice, and good general information for tackling this technically challenging hike. In addition, the authors have several humorous illustrations that will make you laugh (or cry) about the stages after you have completed them. I would strongly recommend giving this a look over before starting the WCT, and keep it along with your map during the hike.

Two thumbs up ...............2001-10-30

Excellent book. Loads of valuable info and packed with humor.
Definitely earns two thumbs up!!!

Average customer rating:

Cirrus from the west
Paul Southworth Bliss
Manufacturer: Lakeside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00085YEA4

History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra

Average customer rating:

A great story, but difficult to read
Keep a paper bag handy.
Keep a paper bag handy.
Book is riveting, hard to put down, and incredible.
McGlashan's Work Valuable, But Flawed

History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra
C. McGlashan
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0804703663

Customer Reviews:

A great story, but difficult to read.......2006-02-05

A huge wagon train split up at the western end of the great salt lake. Most of the emigrants took the traditional route to California. Some of them decided to go through Hasting's cutoff. Hasting had gone to California on the regular route. He wrote The Emigrant's Guide To California. Inside the book, there was a new route, a route which Hastings thought up. He had never actually tried it out when the Donner Party came. It turned out to be much rougher, and even longer than the regular route. 3 people died before they even reached Donner Lake. At Donner Lake, the party was trapped in the snow. They built several cabins, but the Donners themselves never got to the lake. They put up several tents on Alder Creek. They ran out of food, and sent several small, unsuccessful parties to California. They became desperate, and sent out one last party, "The Forlorn Hope." Those who were strong enough, set out for California. There were 15 people in the Forlorn Hope. The first to die of hunger and cold was a 13 year old, Lemuel. His sister couldn't watch as the rest of the Forlorn Hope ate Lemuel. More people died, but eventually, the remaining seven, reached Sutter's fort. Meanwhile, James F. Reed, who had been banished from the party, assembled a rescue party. The first try to reach the people at the lake was unsuccessful. Eventually they get to the lake, and rescue the people they could. This is a great book about the Donner Party. It was written in a way that makes it hard to read for anyone under 12, but it captured the drama perfectly.

Keep a paper bag handy........2002-10-05

Maudlin, hypersentimental tripe, worthless as either a history or a scientific inquiry into the events surrounding its subject. A wandering bard's laments with a street organ would be more valuable as a historical source than this piece of sycophancy, a purported "history" bursting at the seams with errors and largely devoid of accurate facts, chronology or topography.

McGlashan befriended Donner party survivors during compiling his material and what he eventually thrusts on the world as a "history" is a ludicrous, simpering ode to both the living and the dead concerned with no regard for the truth, a pathetically transparent attempt at fanning his new-found "friends" raw sensibilities on the subject (no pun intended), and appeasing his own quixotic knights-on-white-steeds world-view.

Bancroft, talking about the Donner party incident in his "History of California", says "C.F. McGlashan published a volume on the subject in 1879, treating it in a manner that has left little or nothing to be desired". Was Bancroft under the gun or under the influence when he wrote those words? We shall never know. What we do know is that such irresponsible eulogizing by his peers catapulted McGlashan's ham-handed, lopsided "history" to undeserved posterity.

If you want to read a real history of the Donner party incident, George Stewart's "Ordeal by Hunger" would be a good place to start. In comparison, McGlashan's composition is good for entertainment. His flowery language frequently elicits chuckles, not a minor achievement considering the extreme grimness of the subject matter.

Had McGlashan, obese with flowery prose and sentimental rambling stumbled onto a certain grizzled gathering at the shores of Lake Truckee in the winter of 1846, the questionable gourmets present may have appreciated him far better than the modern student of history....

Keep a paper bag handy........2002-10-05

Book is riveting, hard to put down, and incredible........1998-11-06

It's hard to believe that what is written down in this book ir real. But, real it is. Once you start reading it you can't put it down. It holds you spellbound. Pulls at your heartstrings as you read what this party had to go through. It would be impossible today for people to stand up to what these people did. This book is well worth the reading. These people had the strength, fortitude that is seldom found today.

McGlashan's Work Valuable, But Flawed.......1997-09-11

While certainly a worthwile book on the tragedy of the Donner Party, the book does have its weaknesses. Specifically, McGlashan's research is less than objective. As George Stewart points out in his better book on the subject, "Ordeal By Hunger," McGlashan was very sloppy with his facts. His personal friendship with a few of the Donner Party survivors also biases his writing. Still, the book is a very important read for those interested in this historic tragedy. For the money, though, Stewart's book is the better choice

Reminiscences of Major General Zenas R. Bliss, 1854-1876: From the Texas Frontier to the Civil War and Back Again

Average customer rating:

Reminiscences of Major General Zenas R. Bliss, 1854-1876: From the Texas Frontier to the Civil War and Back Again

Manufacturer: Texas State Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The "Reminiscences" of Maj. Gen. Zenas R. Bliss are a remarkably detailed account of his army service in Texas before and after the Civil War. Many scholars consider Bliss's recollections to be one of the best from a soldier of the "Old Army." It has become a staple primary resource for Texas frontier research for the last three decades.

Bliss's memoirs serve as a rare and important window into Texas' military, political, cultural, and geographical history. The memoirs cover Bliss's graduation at West Point in 1854, his antebellum service at Fort Duncan, Camp Hudson, and Fort Davis, as well as his return to the Texas frontier in 1870, and end with his duties at Fort Davis in 1876. Details also describe his capture by Texas Confederate forces in 1861, his tribulations as a prisoner of war, and his subsequent Civil War experiences as a Union regimental commander at Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, and Petersburg, where he was at the battle of the Crater. For gallantry at Fredericksburg, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

While commanding buffalo soldiers at Fort Duncan in 1870, Bliss conceived the idea of enlisting Seminole-Negro Indians from Mexico as army scouts. After successfully lobbying the departmental commander and the War Department for approval, Bliss formed the first band of Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts in August of 1870. The unit served the army with extraordinary devotion and distinction until 1912.

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