Average customer rating:
- Excellent fast paced mystery with a surprise ending
- Jaw-dropping twists!
- Shallow 'Water'
- more twists than a pretzel factor!
- Stuart Woods improves with each book.
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Dead in the Water: A Novel
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
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ASIN: 0061093491 |
Book Description
In Dead in the Water, Stone has barely arrived in St. Marks, a lovely Caribbean island nation, on a sailing vacation when something very strange happens: A beautiful young woman sails into the harbor, entirely alone on a large yacht. Before long she is under the intense scrutiny of local authorities in the very considerable person of Sir Winston Sutherland, the minister of Justice. The problem is, though she arrived alone, she had departed the other side of the Atlantic in the company of her husband, a well-known writer, who is no longer in evidence.
Evidence is what fascinates Stone Barrington, and before many pages have been turned, he is all that stands between the apparently innocent Allison Manning and the patently evil intent of Sir Winston, whose motives are unclear. What is clear is that the St. Marks' system of justice bears little resemblance to the American courts to which Stone is accustomed and that his smallest error could prove fatal to his client.
Download Description
E-book Extra: 'We Are Very Different People": Stuart Woods on Stone Barrington. When beautiful Allison Manning arrives in St. Marks without her husband, she falls under the scrutiny of the notorious Minister of Justice Sir Winston Sutherland. Ex-cop attorney Stone Barrington spots Sutherland's strange motives, and must race to sort madness from murder -- before the storm of the century.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent fast paced mystery with a surprise ending.......2006-04-19
I'm really enjoying all of the Stuart Woods' novels with Stone Barrington. This one was a continuation of Stone's private life with a huge adventure into a hellish vacation in St. Marks defending a woman of murdering her husband. It's a fun ride. The only thing I'm always surprised at is Stone's avarice for bedding anything in a skirt. Of course they're all "beautiful" women with a voracious desire for sex, but it makes ole' Stone seem like a whore. Nevertheless, this book was a great read.
Jaw-dropping twists!.......2006-04-13
After Stone Barrington is stood up by his girl during a trip to St. Mark's, he gets involved in a murder trial for a fellow American, a young woman whom the local governmental big-wigs are apparently intent on railroading into a murder charge whether she is guilty or not. Stone, desperate to find some way to pressure the St. Mark's government into backing off, starts a major media blitz in the U.S. and floods the island with reporters. Various twists and turns ensue, and the final couple of twists in the story will absolutely blow your mind.
Woods had apparently been reading some L.E. Modesitt, Jr. around the time he wrote this, as he began paying very close attention to details about food for some reason, which I found quite wonderful. It's the tiny little day-to-day details in a book that truly bring it to life. I am not certain why more people do not enjoy this - I guess too many people want instant gratification and constant bang-bang action. I blame the television, and video and computer games for this. It has destroyed our capacity to enjoy details and the slow building of a story. Huzzah to Stuart Woods for going ahead and doing this anyway! He builds wonderful details into this book while still providing the action, suspense and thrills we have come to love from this series. I am hooked!
Shallow 'Water' .......2005-05-10
Stuart Woods' gifts as a writer are primarily in storytelling. His writing style isn't particularly exceptional and his characters are woefully one-dimensional, but he can spin a tale that'll keep you turning the pages. His Stone Barrington series is sort of the literary equivalent of an enjoyable-but-mediocre TV detective series. With "Dead in the Water," though, he drowns his story in bland dialog and meaningless detail (glad I'm not the only one annoyed that Woods chronicles the making of a Caesar salad, which was slightly more exciting than Stone Barrington's adventures in an earlier chapter making linguine and clam sauce). Though the state of journalism has declined to a degree that I could believe reporters could be goaded by a PR firm into flocking to an island resort to cover the plight of a rich housewife, the journalists in "Water" are never believable as journalists. Or as people. In fact, it's hard to believe any of the people in "Water," with all the characters shallow and broadly drawn. I never pick up a Woods novel with high expectations, but "Dead in the Water" leaves readers splashing around in a wading pool.
more twists than a pretzel factor!.......2004-12-11
ok, that title's a little cliched, but it pretty much sums up this book..
stone barrington returns for another great whodunnit penned by stewart woods..and this is my favorite of his books so far...
there's more than a few jaw dropping moments in this one...and the ending will have you wanting to read the very next book (which I plan on doing very soon)
very good read for fans of stone barrington, stuart woods, or good crime novels in general
Stuart Woods improves with each book........2004-09-23
I just started reading the Stone Barrington series. I'm finding that with each book, his storytelling gets a little better. Mind you, the first two were both enjoyable and quick reads, but I found that this one was more exciting. It's not necessary to rehash the plot, but the book definitely builds momentum at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to other Stone Barrington fans. You will find, though, that it is best to read the books in order. He builds on the character with each book and makes references that would be lost if you haven't read each book that preceded it.
Book Description
A Kate Shugak Mystery
There are some pretty tough men on an Alaskan fishing boat...and now one very tough woman is about to join the crew. Kate Shugak, once the star investigator of the Anchorage D.A.'s office, is working undercover to find out why two crew members disappeared from a boat on the Bering Sea. But while she's casting her net for a killer, she may also be courting disaster.
"Right on target with its descriptions of the greed that motivates murder." (Washington Times)
"Stabenow is a splendid writer who knows how to hook her readers with an exciting blend of thrills, danger, humor, pathos, fact, and fable." (Booklist)
Customer Reviews:
A Winner!.......2007-01-05
Top-notch author and another winning story. Alaska is featured and described with accuracy and affection. Just one of the many stories in this land of mystery and challenges.
Dead in the Water.......2006-07-24
Shugak is "Wonder Woman" for sure. Best Shugak mystery to date. Looking forward to see what Dana will do to top this one!
Five Stars for Aleutian Setting, Three Stars for the Mystery.......2005-06-14
Kate Shugak is a former Anchorage investigator who has recently moved to Denali National Park and begun working on freelance investigations. In "Dead in the Water", Kate finds herself going undercover to work as a deckhand on the crabbing ship "Avelda". Kate is supposed to be gathering background information on the ship's captain Harry Gault, in order to solve the disappearance of two other crew members the previous March.
As other reviewers indicate, the mystery is quite thinly plotted. However, I absolutely loved the description of the hard work and danger on the crabbing ship, and the wonderful story line of Kate meeting the young Aleutian girl who showed Kate the art of storyknifing. This is a craft where a storyteller tells a story and illustrates the tale with pictures drawn in the sand with an ivory knife.
I liked the Alaskan setting enough to definitely read more books in this series. If you're interested in immersing yourself in a book set in Alaska, read "Dead in the Water" for that. Just don't read it for the mystery.
Another great mystery by Dana Stabenow.......2004-10-27
Number 3 in the Kate Shugak mystery series, this book is set in the Aleutian Islands. I enjoyed the plot and felt immersed in the diffucult and dangerous life on a fishing boat. I greatly enjoyed the interaction between Kate and the elder, Olga.
Dana Stabenow again sparked my curiousity about Alaskan history, leading me to research and learn more about the Aleutian Islands and the battles that took place there in WWII. It's wonderful that she included a reference to a good historical writer on the subject.
Kate Tackles the Bering Sea.......2004-03-14
To read the Kate Shugak series is to immerse oneself, with great pleasure, into Alaskan lore, from native folktales to the modern hearty souls who populate its great expanses. "Dead in the Water," the third in the series, is the best so far as it melds Aleutian folklore (Kate, as readers know, is a native Aleut) with a modern-day mystery.
Working as an undercover agent to investigate the presumed murder of two young crewmen on an Alaskan crabbing vessel, Kate hires on as a crew member. The work is dangerous, grueling, back-breaking, and tough beyond measure as the crew battles high seas, horrible weather, ice storms, and even treachery from other fishing boats out to grab the same lucrative catch. Kate is no shrinking violet, and she can outdo anyone on board, given half a chance. But this is no ordinary ship. And its captain is either the most incompetent sailing man on the Bering or any other sea, or--as Kate suspects and must prove--up to no good in a very major way.
Putting herself in considerable danger, both from the job itself and from those who have a murderous secret to hide, Kate methodically sets out to find out who murdered the former crew members--and why.
The only thing missing from this wonderful tale is Kate's faithful half-wolf dog, Mutt, who I missed very much. Mutt is back on the Alaskan mainland, where Kate very much wants to be as well...and where the reader hopes she will return in one piece. A great yarn, a wonderful read. It leaves the reader impatient to read the next in the series!
Customer Reviews:
Definitely not a character study!.......2003-03-09
My first problem with this book was trying to keep the characters straight. (They all seemed interchangeable.) But that problem was soon solved, because I didn't care about any of them enough to try to keep track of them. Which left the setting (the best part of the book) and the plot (not exactly spell-binding). I don't plan to read any others in this series.
Daisy and Alec are invited for a weekend at the boat races.......2002-08-05
Daisy and Alec are to be the guests of Daisy's aunt Lady Cherington for the Thames Cup boat races. Daisy's cousin Tish's beau, and his teammates, including Tish's cousin Cherry. There is some discord in the team. The Hon Basil DeLancy, an out an out cad, is baiting the cox, a Mr. Bott for not being as well borne or socially apt as the rest of them. Harold Bott has a huge chip on his shoulder and responds just as DeLancey wants him to. This all cumulates in DeLancey pushing Bott in the river after he disgraces himself by being sick during the race. Since DeLancey got him drunk the night before it really was his fault. Then, DeLancey dies after becoming sick during a four man race. Bott is naturally a suspect, and Alec takes over the case. He and Daisy seek the murderer.
These golden age mysteries are alot of fun. The murderer was fairly obvious, but getting to the conclusion was still worth reading. The author has a real gift for describing England in the 1920's.
A fun book!.......2002-07-08
Set in 1923 England, this series follows the adventures of the Honorable Daisy Dalrymple, a young woman who has defied convention by choosing to make her own living (as a journalist) rather than let her aristocratic family support her.
In this, the sixth of the series (preceded by "Damsel in Distress" and followed by "Styx and Stones"), Daisy visits relatives at Henley-on-Thames while researching her latest writing assignment, an article on the Henley Royal Regatta. Daisy's relatives' house is packed to the gills with people in town for the Regatta, including the rowing team from Oxford's Ambrose College, who will compete. Needless to say, there is lots of friction between all these people for a variety of reasons, and eventually, one of the rowing team turns up dead just in time to spoil Daisy's weekend plans with her fiance, Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard.
This book is not quite up to the high standards of the others in this series because the suspects all blur together so easily. The individual members of the rowing team all seem more or less the same and are, as far as the reader is concerned, easily dismissed as true suspects. There are only four or so characters truly depicted in-depth, so it becomes very clear that one of them must be the murderer. This is not how a mystery reader likes to solve the mystery.
The recurring characters, however, are as well done and enjoyable as ever, and the little jealousies between the newly engaged Alec and Daisy are fun. Once again, Dunn has created a clever and realistic "set-up" for the mystery, and her depiction of time and place cannot be beat.
Daisy deal s with social class prejudice obscuring crime........1998-10-19
In this Daisy adventure social class biases are a major factor confounding efforts to find the guilty. Daisy's 1920s acquaintances with their prejudices are so different from us modern enlightened folks, aren't they? Or are they? Carola Dunn's meticulous research shows us a heroine who is convincingly of her time, but whose enquiring mind rises above social conventions.
top notch mystery with period flavor and good red herrings.......1998-09-19
I found plenty of charm and action in this "between thewars" murder mystery. With a twist on the country house party,Carola Dunn puts her slueth, the honourable Daisy Dalrymple, journalist, under the same roof as 9 sporting young men, all members of the same college crew, ranging from the working class cox to the young lording, whom everyone seems to have reason to dislike. But when the latter is found with his head bashed in, the most likely suspect seems the former. Scotland Yard, in the form of Daisy's detective fiance is called in, and they soon discovers plenty of other suspects to muddy the waters. The period details add to the well-plotted mystery, and Daisy is as delightful as usual.
Book Description
Nineteenth-century New Orleans is a blazing hotbed of scorching politics and personal vendettas. And it's into this fire that Benjamin January falls when he is hired to follow Oliver Weems, a bank official who has absconded with $100,000 in gold and securities. But it's more than just a job for January. The missing money is vital to the survival of the school for freed slaves that he and his wife Rose have founded.
Following the suspected embezzler—and the money—onto the steamboat Silver Moon, January, Rose, and their friend Hannibal Sefton are sworn to secrecy about the crime until they can find the trunks containing the stolen loot. And then the unexpected happens: Weems is found murdered and suddenly the job of finding the pirated stash grows not only more difficult—but more deadly. There is no shortage of suspects—from the sinister slave-dealer to the bullying steamship pilot to the suspiciously innocent "lady" with connections to every river pirate in the riotous port of Natchez-Under-the-Hil—who all seem to have something to hide.
Now, with time running out, January seeks clues wherever he can find them--and allies among whoever can help. Working in tandem with a young planter named Jefferson Davies, he must uncover the dark web of corruption, betrayal, and greed that has already cost one man his life...and, if he can't catch a brutal, remorseless killer, will soon cost January and his friends theirs.
Download Description
Nineteenth-century New Orleans is a blazing hotbed of scorching politics and personal vendettas. And it's into this fire that Benjamin January falls when he is hired to follow Oliver Weems, a bank official who has absconded with $100,000 in gold and securities. But it's more than just a job for January. The missing money is vital to the survival of the school for freed slaves that he and his wife Rose have founded.
Following the suspected embezzler--and the money--onto the steamboat Silver Moon, January, Rose, and their friend Hannibal Sefton are sworn to secrecy about the crime until they can find the trunks containing the stolen loot. And then the unexpected happens: Weems is found murdered and suddenly the job of finding the pirated stash grows not only more difficult--but more deadly. There is no shortage of suspects--from the sinister slave-dealer to the bullying steamship pilot to the suspiciously innocent "lady" with connections to every river pirate in the riotous port of Natchez-Under-the-Hill--who all seem to have something to hide.
Now, with time running out, January seeks clues wherever he can find them--and allies among whoever can help. Working in tandem with a young planter named Jefferson Davies, he must uncover the dark web of corruption, betrayal, and greed that has already cost one man his life…and, if he can't catch a brutal, remorseless killer, will soon cost January and his friends theirs.
Customer Reviews:
Dead Water.......2007-09-03
What a wonderful series!! Lots of history and plenty of intrigue. If you've ever been to New Orleans you'll be able to imagine yourself there. Do yourself a favor and read the whole series.
very enjoyable.......2007-06-27
The Benjamin January is an enjoyable read for any lover of New Orleans and historical fiction
ANOTHER GREAT BEN JANUARY STORY.......2007-02-19
I have to start out by saying that I really enjoy this series. Oddly enough, I read the first one while on a trip to New Orleans years ago. This story gets away from N.O. a bit and out into the Gulf. Very enjoyable, very memorable!
Return to Greatness.......2005-11-02
Thank god Ms. Hambly is back. This installment of the series was infinitely better than the previous one. The characters were far more interesting, the plot more credible, and the solution more satisfying. I'm looking forward to the next chapter of the series again.
Back on course!.......2005-09-15
At first I resented this series as Ms Hambly stopped writing the sword-and-sorcery novels I enjoyed, but once I'd read Sold Down the River I was hooked! This is a thoroughly enjoyable series, although I felt the last book, Days of the Dead, lost it somewhere as it was nowhere near as satisfying as the rest of the series. This book, however, is back with a bang! Ben, Rose and Hannibal team up to follow a bank robber on a paddle-steamer up the Mississippi. Add escaped slaves, the Underground Railroad, professional card sharps and ever-present slave dealers into the mix and this book is a winner, both for historical drama, and murder-mystery! I loved it!
Book Description
The third Loon Lake Fishing Mystery will bait readers.
Loon Lake, Wisconsin's Police Chief Lew Ferris hits a snag while investigating a double murder--and pursuing a killer more slippery than any muskie she's had her hands on
Customer Reviews:
Nostalgic.......2007-10-05
"Dead Water" is so enjoyable because it is set (fictional) in the area in which I grew up and the names (fictional) remind me of life in a small town and the surrounding area. It is such an enjoyable read along with the other seven "Dead ...." books in the series written by Victoria Houston. I look forward to the next edition.
This Series is a Great Catch!.......2006-09-17
In the 3rd book in the Loon Lake fishing mystery series, dead bodies of women are showing up around town, and the chief of police, Lewellyn Ferris (aka Lew) once again enlists the help of her part time deputies, Doctor Paul Osborne and Ray Pradt with the baffling cases. Doc is thrilled to be working closely with Lew again, even though he dislikes the murderous circumstances that keep drawing them together. Both women were shot, and have bizarre teeth "marks" on each of their bodies. Beyond that, it is difficult for Lew and Doc to connect the two victims, until a close friend of one of them flies into town to assist on the case. Gina suspects a con-man that was romantically involved with her friend in Kansas City, and then skipped town one day, taking a large chunk of her money with him. Gina believes that her friend, Ashley, may have come to Loon Lake to meet the man, and works closely with Doc, Lew, and Ray to track down a vicious killer.
This series just gets better and better! There are three main characters that are in each of the books...Lew, Doc Osborne, and Ray, and they are such vivid characters that I feel I could visit Loon Lake and meet them. I love the way that they work together as a team, and the budding romance between Lew and Doc. In this installment, Ray finds out he may have a son, and brings him to live in Loon Lake for the summer, and I found the addition of this subplot to be very interesting. I also enjoyed the addition of Ray's potential love interest, Gina. Even though I figured out the identity of the killer very early on in this book, I loved the way the whole plot unfolded and how the main characters worked together to catch the killer. Even if you are not a fisherman, this is a great series for those that like cozy style mysteries.
The first book in the series is called "Dead Angler". Enjoy!
A must catch!.......2002-05-28
Even if fishing is not your thing, you will enjoy this latest by Victoria Houston. Retired dentist Paul Osborne doesn't really enjoy finding dead bodies in the water, but at least it keeps him in contact with the attractive, fiftyish Police Chief Lew Ferris. When the two bodies of young women show up with similiar bite marks on them, Lew asks Paul to help her as a temporary Medical Examiner. Paul is usually accompanied by his young friend Ray Pradt, a man-of-the-woods who this time is occupied by the sudden appearance of a son he knew nothing about.
The arrival of one of the dead woman's friends and the long-lost "goth" son bring a great mix to the small town of Big Creek characters. As Paul and Lew focus on a con man who may have targeted the dead women the two become suspicious of newcomers and find themselves not knowing who to trust.
This is a character driven series that will not fail to entertain and will introduce fish-phobes to the pleasures of fishing.
A must for "fishing widows".......2001-09-05
I read Victoria Houston's first book because she was an area author and she hooked me! She pens the words my husband trys to express about his fishing passion. Doc, Lew and Ray were old friends by the third book and I can't wait for their next adventure. A just right mystery that I can stay up reading into the night, just a hint of sweet older romance.
Hook, Line, and Sinker.......2001-06-20
Victoria Houston's Loon Lake Fishing Mystery Series has me hooked. The wait for the release of DEAD WATER has been worth every minute. Once again I'm drawn in, hook, line and sinker, into the lives of Doc Osborne, Lew Ferris and the unforgettable Ray Pradt. When you add murder, suspense, plenty of fishing and just the right touch of romance, this series is a keeper. DEAD WATER is definitely the must read of the summer.
Book Description
Now two previously published thrillers by the acknowledged master of twisting plots and unrelenting suspense have been combined in a single volume—a pair of critically acclaimed page-turners featuring his tough, complex, and immensely popular hero, Stone Barrington.
New York Dead
NYPD Detective Stone Barrington's investigation into a beautiful TV anchorwoman's twelve-story plunge from the terrace of her Manhattan apartment hits a shocking snag when her body mysteriously vanishes from the ambulance that's racing her to the hospital.
Dead in the Water
Stone Barrington wants only a winter getaway from the chill of New York. But what the ex-cop-turned-lawyer finds instead in the Caribbean paradise of St. Mark is a dangerous puzzle, an imperiled femme fatale, and a strange disappearance at sea.
Average customer rating:
- Dead in the Water
- Without The Hardy Boys...
- Not the book to end the series.
- Entertaining and original!
- Great book.
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DEAD IN THE WATER HARDY BOYS CASEFILES 127 (Hardy Boys Casefiles)
Franklin W. Dixon
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Mysteries, Espionage, & Detectives
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Hardy Boys
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Dixon, Franklin W.
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ASIN: 0671562428 |
Customer Reviews:
Dead in the Water.......2001-10-18
It is a fairly good book.
Without The Hardy Boys..........2000-03-23
Dead in the Water was great. I liked how the Nazi boat wasrevealed, and it's description. I found the Hardy Boys Casefiles AREcoming to a close, so I went to the HB Casefiles website and received their e-mail. If you don't want the Hardy Boys to end or at least want an explanation, e-mail them today. Thanks for reading my review.
P.S.
If enough people e-mail in, they might not cancel the series. END
Not the book to end the series........1998-11-28
I liked this book! It was thrilling and exciting, especially the part in the sunken sub!!! But it's unfair the series is ending now!! IT'S MY FAVORITE SERIES!!! I think they should dicontinue the Hardy Boys Series and keep the casefiles!!!!
Entertaining and original!.......1998-03-26
I loved Dead in the Water! The plot had interesting twists and there was even some bait thrown out to possibly get you off track in your home detective work. I bit hook, line and sinker. In fact, when I got to the end and the lead I'd been following wasn't part of the mystery's resolution, I was sure the author had made a mistake and left an important clue dangling. When I went back & researched it in the text, though, I found there was a subtle explanation and that I'd been led astray by a good piece of work on the author's part.
In general, the book had intersting and up to date characters and a timely topic (scuba is a hobby of mine).
Overall, a fun book to read!
Great book........1998-01-20
I read this book and I think it's one of the greatest.I thought it was scary when they uncovered the dead body.It sounds gross.Anyway I 'm 11 years old and I'm mad and confused. I hear rumors that the Hardy Boys series, Hardy Boys Casefiles series, Nancy Drew series,Nancy Drew Files Series, and the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Super Mysteries will soon be canceled. Is this true?Are these series really going to come to an end?I hope it doesn't. Concerned Kid,
Deryck K.
Book Description
Winner of Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize, an award in support of a literature of social responsibility, The Book of Dead Birds is an intimate portrait of a young woman at a defining moment in her life, who stands at the intersection of two cultures and races.
Ava Sing Lo has been accidentally killing her mother's birds since she was a little girl. Now, having just finished her graduate work, Ava leaves her native San Diego for the Salton Sea, where she volunteers to help environmental activists save thousands of birds poisoned by agricultural run-off.
Helen, Ava's mother, has been haunted by her past for decades. As a young girl in Korea, Helen was drawn into prostitution on a segregated American army base. Several brutal years passed before a young white American soldier married her and brought her to California. When she gave birth to a black baby, her new husband quickly abandoned her, and she was left to fend for herself and her daughter in a foreign country.
With great beauty and lyricism, The Book of Dead Birds captures a young woman's struggle to come to terms with her mother's terrible past while she searches for her own place in the world. This moving mother-daughter story of migration, survival, and reconciliation resonates across cultures and through generations.
Customer Reviews:
Losing Bad Memories One Bird at a Time.......2007-05-07
I loved this book. The Mother's need to save every injured and neglected bird was so sad but also loving. The stories that she couldn't share with her daughter were lived through her actions. I thought this was a beautifully written book and I loved how every element however small it may have seemed at first was actually essential to the story and its resolution.
Powerful in an understated way.......2006-07-05
The characters were opened, raw and bleeding, stark under a bright light, much like the diseased and dying birds.
I was drawn to this book, but unsure exactly why. Maybe hope kept me going, but I was on some level grabbed by the understated power & intensitiy of this book.
unusual, unpredictable.......2006-02-17
This book kept you wondering where it was going next. The main characters were rich and flawed at the same time.
uncommonly graceful.......2005-04-06
Ms. Brandeis, the author of the inspirational nonfiction book for writers, Fruitflesh, scores again with this uncommonly lovely and graceful story about Ava Sing Lo, a San Diego native who learns to save birds rather than killing them, and her mother, Helen, who grew up in Korea where she was used as a prostitute on a U.S. army base. There is redemption here that does not come easy, making it all the more worthwhile when it at last arrives.
Prose that Soars.......2005-01-15
The Book of Dead Birds is a story within a story, layered with dead birds, historical tragedy, and the hope for future flight no matter how deeply a bird has been wounded. Following the life of heroine Ava Sing Lo, in first-person present tense, this novel explores themes of race, exploitation, pollution, and indigenous cultural survival. The book includes excerpts from Ava's mother's journal, which is actually an encyclopedia of dead birds, revealing a voice that holds the burdens of witness, grief, anger and defeat, in single-page entries, here and there throughout the book. Lyrical & redemptive storytelling.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Take it So Seriously.......2001-01-16
To try and compare David Leitz with Burke or even Chandler would be a mistake. I think his writing is just plain fun. One of the joys of fly fishing is the atmosphere of mountain streams within walking distance of a cabin tucked into the forest waiting with a crackling fire and a dog curled up on a blanket. Then let's add a little thrill to the scene with an unsolved murder. If you read it for a quick, enjoyable thrill and to keep the fishing fires burning when you can't get to that cabin, then so be it. If you read it with the critical mind of an English professor, I'd say lighten up a bit. For the cost of a paperback, I think this is a very enjoyable read. Do yourself a favor and try it out.
An evening's diversion with references to fly fishing........1998-10-21
I am an avid detective story reader, and an enthusiastic fly fisherman, so I was thrilled to discover the Max Addams series. Unfortunately, I am not thrilled with this debut novel. Although reasonably well written, the book does not rise above genre fiction. It is written in the over-used first person narrative that is almost ubiquitous in crime fiction. The characters are clichés. Addams is a 50ish, divorced refugee from the corporate wars. He has a distant relationship with his child whom he did not help raise, and a troubled relationship with his son-in-law. His business is always on the verge of financial ruin. Nevertheless, he gets laid regularly by good looking women who do all the pursuing. (The sex scenes reminded me of James Lee Burke's David Robicheaux novels.) Along with Addams, we have the predictable cast of characters. They include an aging dog with more intelligence than most humans, a perpetually drunk hillbilly with an uncanny knack for fixing things, and a female curmudgeon who can split wood with one hand while whipping up gourmet meals at a moment's notice with the other. The bad guys are equally predictable; a large, hot-tempered bully named Bull, and an oily, smooth-talking lawyer. The outcome was predictable. The way Addams is rescued from final ruin was worthy only of a made for sequel movie.
The fishing scenes demonstrate that Leitz is indeed a fly fisherman. He speaks knowledgeably about tippets, false casts, nymphing, mending line, tight loops and neoprene waders. In Addams' river the fishing is always excellent, too much so. In the early spring, when the river is trubid, cold, and high, the fish practically jump into the net. Within hours of an environmental disaster that killed hundreds of fish, Addams and a guest at his resort are catching trophy fish with monotonous regularity. Although these are wild fish (universally believed by fly fishermen to be smarter than stocked fish) and they have been caught and released previously, which is supposed to make them more wary, they eagerly rise to take the hook of the most bumbling amateur. I should fish such water. Comparing a 20 something blond beauty to Joan Wulff requires too much suspension of disbelief. I also wonder if the catch and release practice he follows on his private water will not eventually lead to overcrowding and stunted growth.
In the end, I was most disappointed that Leitz squandered the opportunity to write a novel about real issues. The plot springs from an environmental disaster caused by the owners of a greedy logging company. Opposing such deeds may seem to be a sure pick for a good guy designation. Life is not that simple. By thwarting the loggers, Addams puts a lot of people, including friends of his, out of work. Leitz hints at, but doesn't confront the complications caused by rural poverty, unemployment, and poor education. He completely avoids the resentment often demonstrated by locals for visitors. He does not ask, nor attempt to answer, the question, whose river is it? The setup was ideal for an analysis of the conflict between affluent vacationers who come to the back woods to get away from it all, and the year round residents who find it a struggle to attain the basic necessities that urban dwellers take for granted. These are real issues, confronted every day by people in California, Vermont, New Hampshire, and every other state with environmentally sensitive lands, economically disadvantaged residents, and activist environmentalists.
Casting in Dead Water will not teach you how to fish. It will not prompt sober thought on ecological concerns. It will not break out of the good-guys-win-in-the-end-and-have-great-sex genre. It may provide a few evenings of escapist entertainment. Perhaps that is enough, but I wish this novel did more.
Loved it! Max Addams is the "Spenser" of fly fishing........1997-10-09
The author obviously knows fly fishing. Interestingly, you don't have to. Leitz manages to give you just the right taste of this poetic sport mixed perfectly with a top notch plot, fantastic characters and wonderful Vermont setting. The forest clear-cutting background in this story is quite timely and the murderer is very well disguised. I can't wait to get my hands on the other two books in ths series. Mr. Leitz, if you're reading this, "keep writing!"
Book Description
Faith healing can be fatal
When intrepid octogenarian Emily Pride inherits an island, and the miraculous properties of its "Pixie Falls" healing spring, she is shocked by all the vulgarity. The admission fee, the Gifte Shoppe, the folksy Festival, the neon sign on the pub, all must go! But local opposition runs high, death threats pile up, and Miss Emily's old friend Superintendent Roderick Alleyn arrives just in time to discover a drowned body and a set of murder motives that seem to spring eternal.
Customer Reviews:
Among Marsh's Finest Works.......2005-01-04
Like many Marsh novels, DEAD WATER presents a truly unexpected plot. Portcarrow Island is little more than a sleepy fishing village until young Wally Trehern, afflicted with warts on his hands, stumbles upon a spring--where a strange woman dressed in green tells him to plunge his hands into the waters. Wally's sudden cure becomes the talk of the island, and when the story is picked up by the national press Portcarrow and the newly named Pixie Falls suddenly evolve into a minor-class Lourdes and a going business concern. Until, that is, the island is inherited by Miss Emily Pride, an elderly but formidable woman who takes an exceedingly dim view of the entire situation.
Throughout her long and memorable career, Ngaio Marsh was most greatly noted for her skill in rendering both character and locale, and this 1963 novel offers a remarkably fine example of her talents and joins them to a memorable plot as well. When Miss Pride arrives at Portcarrow, both Inspector Alleyn and murder soon follow, and the resulting puzzle will fascinate first-time readers. But still more remarkably, like many another Marsh novel, the entire novel is so well written that it bear a second, third, even a fourth visit--and that, in the field of mystery writing, is a very rare thing indeed. A personal favorite, very strongly recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
bad.......2003-09-02
This was a horrible book. It had no meaning, no adventure, and litteraly was disgusting. I recommend You not to read this book.
Colorful characters and a quaint English fishing village........1999-08-22
One of Marsh's best, the story is a mixture of fun stuff -- faith healing, young love, amorous misadventures, and the crass commercialization of a pretty coastal village. When half-witted little Wally Trehern's warts dry up and fall off after a plunge in the local coldspring, "trippers" begin to zero in on Portcarrow seeking the cure. Just when everybody's making money, a starchy old spinster comes along and tries to spoil things. A classic, cozy mystery with writing that's way above average for the genre.
Books:
- Dead in the Water: A Novel
- Dead Ringer
- Deadly Illusions (Francesca Cahill Novels)
- Early Autumn
- El Codigo Da Vinci / The Da Vinci Code
- "F" is for Fugitive (The Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Mysteries)
- Feud: Hatfields, McCoys, and Social Change in Appalachia, 1860-1900 (Fred W. Morrison Series in Southern Studies)
- Friends in High Places
- From Black Rooms
- Fundamentals of Statistical Signal Processing, Volume I: Estimation Theory
Books Index
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