Deadly Illusions (Francesca Cahill Novels)

Book Description

Manhattan, 1902.

Irrepressible heiress and intrepid sleuth Francesca Cahill moves from her own elegant world of Fifth Avenue to the teeming underbelly of society, a place of pride, passions. . .and sometimes deadly perversions.

Despite the misgivings of her fiancee, Calder Hart, Francesca cannot turn away from a threat that is terrorizing the tenement neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. A madman has attacked three women, but while the first two victims survived, the third is dead, raising the stakes. All the victims are impoverished but beautiful Irishwomen--and Francesca fears that Maggie Kennedy and Gwen O'Neil, two friends who live nearby, could be next.

Soon she is working with her former love, police commisioner Rick Bragg--Calder's half brother and worst rival. But even as Calder's jealous passions leave his relationship with Francesca teetering on the brink, Francesca is frantically on the killer's trail, certain The Slasher will strike again--afraid she will be too late. . .

Customer Reviews:

I love this series.......2006-03-04

I am so glad that Brenda Joyce has continued this series.

I love the characters and the way she writes.

Brenda Joyce does it again............2006-02-23

Loved this book, great romance novel with a little thriller on the side. The romance between Calder and Francesca is the best there is, I adore how they grew on each other and having Rick Bragg on the side adds a little twist and spice. Evan Cahill and Maggie Kennedy; Sarah Channing and Rourke Bragg are sub-plots that just makes this book one of the best. Keep them coming Ms. Joyce, I sure would love to read more. Do not mind the other reviewers that don't seem to get it, they can go read some other book.

Brenda Joyce Scores Again.......2006-01-25

I have the whole series by Brenda Joyce with Francesca Cahill, absolutely love them!! This one was the best by far, I won't give it away, you just have to read it. The ending was so good, I just don't have the words to explain how much. Also, don't miss out on the rest of the series. Francesca Cahill is a very spirited, level-headed character, trying be a detective during a period in time when that was very much a man's territory. This whole series is such a refreshing change from your every day romance novel. All I can say is, if you're looking for a good suspense, mystery and romance all wrapped up into one book, this is it.

Deadly Dull.......2005-10-02

I don't know how anyone can hang in there and read 7 stories like this. I couldn't find any redeeming qualities. How can you call Francesca sleuth extraordinaire when she in turn suspected every guy with any connection to the victims. It was just a guessing game with her. These stories are just full of mixed up people's sex lives. The things they give Francesca credit for solving are a bit much and only 20 years of age. It's a good thing she lives at home on her family's money with people to dress and feed her cause it's obvious she couldn't do it on her own. And if Evan marries Bartolla, he needs his head examined! She's pregnant? that's the oldest trick in the books. Take her to a doctor for pete's sake. I won't be looking for the next installment in this saga.

Repetitious...but still addictive. I remain hooked!.......2005-10-01

"Deadly Illusions" is author Brenda Joyce's seventh installment in the historical mystery/romance series featuring New York City debutante Francesca Cahill. Ms. Cahill, society bluestocking, and heiress to a considerable fortune, has done remarkably well so far as an amateur sleuth, NYC's first female private investigator and a major novelty in her chosen profession. It is only 1902, after all, and women still have seventeen more years before the United States Congress and Senate approve the 19th Amendment, giving them the right to vote. Francesca has solved the case of the City Strangler, the brutal Cross Killer mystery, two child kidnappings, several murders, captured a stalker, discovered the ringleaders of a child prostitution ring and had them put behind bars, restoring the young girls to their families, and thus has earned the right to call herself "Crime-Solver Extraordinaire," as printed on her Tiffany embossed business cards. Of course she has had the assistance of her dear friend and former love, police commissioner Rick Bragg, to teach her the ropes. Unfortunately for the nascent romance, Rick's estranged wife, Leigh Ann, returned from a lengthy stay in Europe, and nipped it in the bud.

In "Deadly Promises," the novel prior to this one, Leigh Ann is crippled in an accident and, extremely depressed, she has given up on starting life anew with her husband - just when Rick realizes he never stopped loving her. Calder Hart, Rick's half brother, wealthy art connoisseur, rogue and rake, is bent on reforming his ways now that he is engaged to marry Francesca. However, he has serious misgivings about the marriage as his feelings for his fiancee intensify. At times he is convinced that he is not good enough for her, a sentiment shared by Andrew Cahill, Fran's father, Rick Bragg, Daisy Jones, Calder's former mistress who is out for revenge, and various other members of society. Francesca believes in Calder despite his past and realizes she loves him. Clearly the two are an eccentric match made in heaven. Not only do they share a firm friendship, she is Calder's first and only friend, but sparks fly when they're together.

While the ever addictive soap opera continues, our amateur sleuth discovers that three working class Irish women have had their throats cut, with a dull knife, by a madman newspaper reporters have dubbed The Slasher. Two of the victims survived but one was stabbed and strangled to death. Maggie Kennedy, Fran's friend and the mother of young assistant detective Joel Kennedy, is an acquaintance and neighbor of the three women, and is thought to be in danger also. She fits the victim profile. Of course Ms. Cahill is determined to catch the killer before he strikes again.

Miss Joyce's storyline is not as strong here as it has been in the last two installments of the Cahill/Bragg/Hart mystery/suspense romances. As always, the mysteries are secondary to the various relationships between the fascinating cast of characters. However, not too much is going on this time around, and the constant repetition of various predicaments, especially Calder's and Francesca's jealousy of each other, and the constant sparring and bickering among the overly competitive half brothers is tiring and melodramatic. This case is one of the least interesting in the series, and is repetitious also. Women who live in New York City's tenements are being victimized and a woman hating perpetrator is on the loose. So, what else is new? As a matter of fact, many of the author's male villains hate women, including the police chief. I would like to see some variation in character flaws and criminal behavior.

I must admit I am still hooked on the series, the developing characters and their ongoing, individual stories. These books actually seems more like soap opera episodes and installments in a serial novel rather than stand alone romance/mysteries. If you are interested, I would suggest reading the previous Francesca Cahill novels before "Deadly Illusions," as this is a continuing saga and extremely addictive. I warn you there are many flaws, but I have just finished seven books - so what else can I say?

Come meet these personages, if you have the patience, and become involved in their lives, loves, traumas, mysteries, and the delightful historical setting of 1902-1903 New York City, with its society balls and glitter, the tenements and roughs, gambling halls and beautiful, exotic call girls. Seth Low, the mayor, was recently elected on a reform platform to fight the Tammany Hall machine, and the police commissioner he appointed took some of the actions the fictional Rick Bragg has taken and faced many of the same difficult issues Bragg faces in attempting to reform the terribly corrupt police department. If Ms Joyce takes the series past 1903, Rick will be out of a job as the next administration is a "Tammany beast." Perhaps, Bragg will use the opportunity to run for Senator. ENJOY!! I am.
JANA

Deadly Illusions: Jean Harlow and the Murder of Paul Bern

Average customer rating:

Frankie and Johnny, Again
Controversy and Scandal
They don't make em like that anymore
Case closed....or not?
A Hollywood Mystery Solved

Deadly Illusions: Jean Harlow and the Murder of Paul Bern
Samuel Marx , and Joyce Vanderveen
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0440211271
Release Date: 1991-09-01

Customer Reviews:

Frankie and Johnny, Again.......2006-06-01

Samuel Marx was a story editor in Hollywood and knew many of the people mentioned in this book. Joyce Vanderveen was a leading ballerina in Europe and an actress in Hollywood. On a September Monday in 1932 Marx received a phone call about the death of Paul Bern, who had married Jean Harlow in July. Chapter 2 tells how the Hollywood studios switched to talking films. The 'Saturday Evening Post' provided serials and short stories that provided sources for Hollywood films. Its "Red-Headed Woman" was adopted to a film and made Jean Harlow a star (Chapter 3). The next chapter tells how Bern's death was reported as a suicide, and the effect on MGM. In Chapter 5 we learn about Bern's "Phantom Wife", who had been placed in a sanatorium. The next week the body of Dorothy Millette was found in the Sacramento River; she had been Bern's common-law wife.

In Chapter 6 Marx explains how "Gone With The Wind" was rejected by MGM; David Selznick, Mayer's son-in-law, bought the film rights. Jean Harlow died at 26, Marx says her life could have been saved by sulfa drugs (p.72). Chapter 7 tells of Marx's later career in films and with Desilu Productions. "The Thin Man" TV show was in the 1950s when Peter Lawford's brother-in-law was a Senator from Massachusetts (p.78). Irving Shulman's "Harlow" falsified many incidents. New interest in Bern's death resulted in a TV interview (Chapter 8). Joyce Vanderveen questioned the story of a coma (p.88). Chapter 9 has the early life of Paul Bern and Harlean Carpenter (Jean Harlow was her mother's maiden name). Baby Jean had been married to Charles McGrew from 1927 to 1930. Would Paul Bern have taken out life insurance just before his death if suicide would have invalidated it (p.110)?

Marx and Vanderveen began investigating the probate records (Chapter 10). Quotations from the inquest are in Chapter 12. Can you believe Charles Higham's story (p.154)? How many scandals were covered up (pp.163-164)? Chapter 15 has different opinions as to Paul Bern's character. The censorship of Hollywood is discussed in Chapter 16. [Was the real reason not with morals but with any political criticisms?] Did the "talkies" have more influence on people than silent films? Chapter 19 tells of the long-hidden documents of the events after the body was found (pp.212-214). Who was the mystery woman seen that night (p.216)? After Dorothy Millette was found in the Sacramento River an inquest was held into her death (Chapter 21). The 'Epilogue' contains the final clue (pp.256-257).

This is a very interesting book about life in 1930s Hollywood, where fantasies were concocted into reality so people could pay for this entertainment. Show business is the tranquilizer of humanity, for those whose mundane life needs a break from reality. This book reads like a detective mystery, but has no surprising ending. The details of life in those days reminds me of the novels of Raymond Chandler or Erle Stanley Gardner.

Controversy and Scandal.......2005-10-21

Deadly Illusions: Jean Harlow and the Murder of Paul Bern sounds like Samuel Marx and Joyce Vanderveen may believe that Jean had a hand in the murder of Paul Bern, but that is not the conclusion that is reached.

First off, let us recognize that Paul Bern's death is even today largely documented as a suicide. On page 84, Marx writes, "Mention of it was sure to cause someone to say, 'Oh yes, he's the guy who killed himself because he was impotent.'" This book examines the details of the event and the information hidden by MGM, including the fact that Bern was not impotent after all.

The ending of the book is where the assertions come in. One of the last chapters called "Reunion" speculates on Bern's last night and the cause of his death. However, none of it is absolutely proven, though it makes sense in many ways. It is obvious that Marx does not believe that Harlow had a hand in Bern's murder; she is praised despite her silence on the subject throughout. The conclusion of this book is very well put together.

One of the major drawbacks to this publication is that one does not get a sense of who Paul Bern was as a person to really care much outside of the scandalous elements of the story. Fans of Jean Harlow will surely want to read the book, but more general fans of the era might want to shy away.

Some of the information is questionable and some of it is completely false. Marx states that Harlow's mother refused medical treatment for her dying daughter because of her Christian Scientist background, although their relationship sincerely hinders this assertion. Also, this book states that Sebring and Tate were not murdered by the Manson family in Harlow's home although ghost lore claims they were.

One flaw is that Marx uses quotes from personal meetings that could not have possibly been recorded to transcribe word-for-word the way they are presented. The implementation of these conversations are probably highly skewed due to information forgotten or altered over time. However, the quotes used from conversations that were able to be recorded like those with Roddy McDowall and those quotes between the authors which could be verified are effectively used.

Since it was published in 1990, Deadly Illusions is fairly recent and up-to-date.

The information used from the bibliography in the back of the book is obviously cited in the text, but the court cases, documents, interviews, and other materials used are not. These things could have easily been added in an appendix to provide credibility.

This account is chronologically jumpy which makes it difficult to follow in many places.

The controversial book A Cast of Killers about the William Desmond Taylor murder is referenced a few times in this book although mainly indirectly. First, Marx acknowledges King Vidor's quest to find Taylor's killer. Secondly, Buron Fitts of the police department was referenced in both cases as being one of the sole reasons full investigations were not held. Fitts was bribed by the studio each time.

This book makes one question many things about old Hollywood. Bern's first wife Dorothy Millette's death is as much a mystery as her husband's was. Even Bern's death is not proved to be murder absolutely; the only reason his death was questioned by Marx in the first place was because of the friendship between the men.

They don't make em like that anymore.......2004-03-25

Fascinating, dark look at the beautiful movie queen and the strange his studio exec she married. The book lays out the story gwith lots of insight and empathy for MS. Harlow

Case closed....or not?.......2003-05-04

Two Hollywood murder cases wrecked havoc on the lives of those closest to the victims. One was William Desmond Taylor. The second was Paul Bern.

When Paul Bern was found dead one morning, suspicions flew and continued to haunt his young bride Jean Harlow until her own tragic end. Did Paul Bern kill himself? Did Jean Harlow do it? Did he really beat poor Jean to a pulp, pushing her to the edge? Or was another force at work?

Like William Desmond Taylor before him, Paul Bern had a secret life that Hollywood knew little about. A woman, Dorothy Millette had lived with Bern as man and wife before his Hollywood glory days. Could Dorothy have reappeared in Bern's life and pulled the trigger on her former lover/common law spouse before ending her own life mere days later?

The only people who will truly ever know what happened at those in the room the night of Bern's death. But Samuel Marx builds a strong case for Paul Bern being murdered and not at the hands of his young wife. If Dorothy Millette was the real murderer, the rumor mill of 1930s Hollywood and a certain Harlow biographer of the 1960s did Jean Harlow and Paul Bern a great injustice and insult.

A Hollywood Mystery Solved.......2002-04-10

Even Hollywood's earliest scandals are frequently raked over today: the infamous Arbuckle trials, the William Desmond Taylor murder case, and the questionable suicide of actress Thelma Todd are but a few examples of 1920 and 1930s scandals still being discussed into the new millenium. One of the most famous of these tales concerns Paul Bern, an MGM producer, who was found dead of a gunshot wound in his Beverly Hills some two months after his marriage to Jean Harlow. Word quickly spread that Bern was sexually inadequate and he had taken his life when even marriage to Hollywood's reigning sex goddess failed to arouse him. His death was quickly ruled a suicide and that was that.

Book Description

Until now, Alexander Orlov has been regarded in the West as the highest-ranking Soviet intelligence defector. But DEADLY ILLUSIONS challenges that conclusion.

After he surfaced in 1953, Orlov sustained the illusion of his defection for 21 years. But the secrets contained in his 17-volume dossier, recently retrieved from the newly-opened Soviet archives, indicate that he remained a dedicated communist until his death in 1973 -- taking a multitude of secrets to the grave.

Customer Reviews:

Necessary reading for the espionage historian.......2001-02-12

4 1/2 stars.

As the several reviews above have noted, this is the biography of Alexander Orlov, the pre-WWII Soviet foreign intelligence general whose flight from the reaches of the NKVD was broadly and mistakenly believed by the Americans (and most Soviets) to be a genuine defection. Costello and Tsarev, through reference to genuine KGB archives, convincingly show that belief to be completely incorrect, as Orlov deceived the West for many years.

This book, as it states on the cover, was the first history of espionage by a Western author actually based upon KGB files. Discussions from an earlier document request to the KGB by Costello led to a surprising agreement for him to co-author this book with his KGB press office contact, Oleg Tsarev, shortly before the failed coup attempt and fall of the Soviet Union. Tsarev was given wide latitude in utilizing and disseminating information from the KGB files on Orlov and his various colleagues and agents. Furthermore, Costello takes academic-level care to document accurately all sources for all facts and assertions in this book, a welcome contrast with the cursory, sometimes conclusory books by other British so-called "historians" of espionage such as West, Knightly and Pincher.

The primary discovery made by the authors was that while Orlov did indeed flee to the U.S. with his family, he never genuinely defected. In 1938 during the height of the purges within the Soviet military and intelligence services, Orlov received cryptic instructions to rendezvous with another NKVD officer on a ship. He failed to keep that meeting, knowing it to be a trap to return him to Moscow for execution and fled to North America. Upon arrival in Canada, Orlov wrote to Stalin and NKVD chief Yehzov and set forth a simple blackmail to insure that he did not suffer the fate of Ignace Reiss, an NKVD deserter caught by his former service's assasination squads. Orlov listed the various operations he had planned or worked on, including political assasinations and kidnapping, the theft of the Spanish gold reserves to Moscow and the development of spy networks throughout Europe (along with a list of sixty Soviet agents) with the implied promise that this information would be released to Western intelligence services if he were assasinated or kidnapped. Both the Soviets and Orlov kept to their bargains.

Orlov was able to stay hidden in the U.S. for fourteen years before immigration problems and his release of a book condemning Stalin brought Orlov to the attention of the FBI and CIA in the early 1950's. Although interrogated extensively by American intelligence, he substantially downplayed his seniority, participation and knowledge of NKVD activities and never disclosed the names of dozens of Soviet agents who had infiltrated into Western governments, keeping loyal to communism to the end. The authors state that the CIA had substantial doubts about the true extent of knowledge that Orlov was disclosing, but somehow were never able to bring enough pressure upon him to divulge that information.

The major disappointment of this book (through no fault of the authors) is that aside from the revelation that Orlov deceived the U.S. for so many years, that there are no other major revelations. The authors do reveal many significant previously unknown details from KGB files concerning Orlov's involvement in the founding of the Cambridge spy ring (including the fact that Philby was the "first man' of the ring), the founding of the Rote Kapelle and his involvement in the Spanish Civil War as the NKVD resident and senior Soviet officer in the country. However, the Russian Intelligence Service refused to disclose any facts regarding agent names or missions that were never discovered by Western intelligence services, leaving readers impatient to know the identities of those sixty agents whose names were redacted from copies made from KGB files, particularly the completely undiscovered KGB Oxford spy ring. Hopefully, in not too many further years, the need to protect the individuals involved and operational strategies will no longer exist and the RIS will open up all of the KGB files.

Deadly Illusions is a very interesting history of Orlov and soviet foreign intelligence operations, but readers expecting it to read like a Forsyth spy novel will be disappointed; it is not a difficult read, but not at all a quick one. The faults of this book are minor: Costello has a sometimes annoying habit of diverting the reader on tangents that, while not uninteresting, are not logically and relevantly tied to the preceding text. I also felt that the authors downplayed Orlov's role in political terrorism too much; aside from a somewhat limited description of Orlov's involvement in the NKVD assasination of Andres Nin, the leader of the anti-Soviet Spanish Republican faction POUM, the authors failed to emphasize Orlov's real role in establishing Soviet dominance of the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, via terrorism. Finally, I found Costello's admission of error with regard the main theory of his previous book Mask of Treachery (in which he claimed that Anthony Blunt was the "first man" of the Cambridge ring - see my Amazon.com review of Mask of Treachery) to be rather sparse and barely adequate.

Overall, this is an extremely significant book that should be part of any espionage historian's library.

Absolutely First Rate; Scholarly and Absorbing.......1998-08-19

I dont know much about John Costello but two of his books, Mask of Treachery and Deadly Illusions, are absolute gems. As well as being exciting to read, they are valuable resources on the underside of the cold war, the real business of espionage. The most exciting thing is how he takes us back through the mists of time to the beginning of the century to reveal how the Soviet espionage effort developed practically simultaneously witherh Russina Revolution. It has been fashionable for years to lampoon the communist witchhunts and McCarthyism of the early cold war but there was a massive sophisticated and implacably determined Soviet penetration effort throughout the world and it much it began long before WWII. The Cheka, the Comintern, the NKVD, the Rote Kapelle, the Spanish Civil War(which seems to have been the most affecting event, more than WWII, for a whole generation on both sides of the Atlantic), the Cambridge Spys, the forth man, the fifth man, the Rosenbergs, the mole-hunts that debilitated Western counter-intelligence services, it was a seamless continuum, real but hidden, that the world was and is still largely ignorant. Costello's bravura scholarship plus his relationship with former Soviet intelligence players make a valuable resource for all who would know how things really did occur in the defining political struggle of this century.

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Deadly Illusion
Gwyn P. Williams
Manufacturer: Matrix Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 096943541X

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Deadly Illusions
Mary Samuel
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0517097974
Release Date: 1993-04-25

Deadly Illusions (Greg McKenzie Mysteries)

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A WONDERFUL READ
A Rolicking Good Read
Compelling
Becoming one of my favorite mystery series
A unique style of writing that is both dashing and touching

Deadly Illusions (Greg McKenzie Mysteries)
Chester Campbell
Manufacturer: Durban House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1930754655

Book Description

This entertaining series just keeps getting better and better. Campbells latest features his crisp writing and clever plotting. Julia Spencer-Fleming, Anthony and Agatha award winning author.

Customer Reviews:

A WONDERFUL READ.......2006-08-02

I MET AND BOUGHT CHESTER CAMPBELLS SECRET OF THE SCROLL AND LOVED IT, SO I IMMEDIATELY BOUGHT A COPY DEADLY ILLUSIONS. BEING BORN IN NASHVILLE AND RETIRED FROM THE AIR FORCE, I REALLY ENJOYED THE MYSTERY THAT SEEM TO COME ALIVE. CHESTER HAS A WONDERFUL STYLE THAT LETS YOU STEP INTO THE PAGE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO LOVES A MYSTERY! KEEP IT UP CHESTER!!!!

A Rolicking Good Read.......2006-05-12

In DEADLY ILLUSIONS, Greg and Jill McKenzie have opened McKenzie Investigations, not without trepidation. Can they make this a successful business without pursing domestic disputes and photo-jumping hot pant spouses? Their first case doesn't look promising. Molly Saint, a hottie despite her name, wants our dynamic duo to do a background investigation on her husband,a dark, secretive guy she married without much forethought or background info. She fears Damon may be violent, and she doesn't know what he does or where his money comes from. Damon told her he was a former Special Forces operative, and he claims to do occasional favors for his military buddies. But beyond that, Molly says the guy is a question mark, with a personality becoming more aggressive, violent even. She fears he may kill her.

Greg wants to decline, thinks this may be a hot pants ride, but Jill sets him straight: They need to pay the rent.

And so it begins. Routinely...until Molly disappears. No trace. Just a message that she finally got a look at Damon's basement workshop, and she's terrified. The McKenzies fear the worst. They search the house. Swept clean. But the basement looks like a meth lab. Was Damon a meth'er? Need the cops now. But then the house is torched, all trace evidence gone. Nothing left but a slip of paper with some phone numbers.

Who is this guy, Damon Saint? And why doesn't he have any bank accounts? Is Molly alive? Why did Damon flee a thriving business in Indiana without notice? Where does he get his money? Is he really Damon Saint, or just someone posing as him? Greg and Jill probe deeper and somebody gets offended. Threats, their office is trashed, their home vandalized.

Meanwhile, as if nothing else is going on, the Fed Reserve Chairman is murdered, almost in front of the McKenzies. A black man was seen running away. The feds and locals suspect the wrong man, but the McKenzie's find a witness who can clear him. The witness is murdered.

Greg and Jill find the dilapidated farmhouse where Damon was raised. There's a shovel, some signs of recent occupation. Is Molly buried here?

Not gonna say much more, because I don't want to give anything away. Suffice to say, this is the best of the series, a real humdinger. Chester has developed Greg and Jill into intriguing characters with smarts, wit, grace and charm. But don't take these folks lightly: They're serious investigators and carry serious weapons -- they're not afraid to use them

Compelling .......2005-09-13

Chester Campbell has created a unique blend of sleuthing with the Greg McKenzie series. In this installment, McKenzie, retired from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and former investigator for the Nashville DA's office, has opened an investigative firm with his wife Jill. While investigating the disappearance of funds from a popular restaurant chain, they agree to take on a case for Molly Saint, who asks for a background check on her husband Damon. When Molly mysteriously disappears, Greg and Jill try to track her whereabouts, which leads to entanglement with contract killers tied to the murder of the Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

The McKenzie duo is a fresh addition to the mystery genre. An older couple, Greg and Jill complement each other personally and professionally and make for good reading. Campbell writes in an engaging style, delivering a mystery that twists and turns throughout the book. A compelling read.

Becoming one of my favorite mystery series.......2005-08-27

Greg and Jill McKenzie have opened an investigations firm and are working cases together. In walks Molly Saint. She wants them to look into her husband's past. The McKenzie's, especially Greg, are initially skeptical about taking this case. Molly has been married to Damon Saint for five years. But, Jill has a feeling that something isn't right and convinces Greg to do some preliminary investigations. If they don't find anything alarming, they will stop.

They are already working for Leisure Foods Group investigating missing funds from a King Cole specialty restaurant. Jill goes undercover as hostess in the restaurant. Greg gets friends to eat there so that they can determine if the money they pay to the restaurant is actually accounted for in the deposit the next day.

The day they met with Mr. Logan from Leisure Foods Group in the Opryworld Hotel, Dr. Elliott Bernstein, chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, was gunned down at the hotel. Since Greg used to be an investigator for the DA's office, he knows some officers. But since he left that job after some comments he made about Detective Mark Tremaine ended up in the newspaper, he doesn't get along with many of the officers. The one officer that is still his friend is Detective Phil Adamson.

Once Molly disappears, the McKenzie's begin to delve deeply into Damon's background. They never lose sight of their other cases, but this one has become priority.

The Greg McKenzie series is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite series. Mr. Campbell has a great way of telling a story while weaving the various cases that Greg and Jill are working on. I find his characters to be very believable. I like that they don't just center on one case. That's not how it is in real life.

I like the Nashville setting. And the fact that Jill is a pilot and owns a Cessna allows them to travel to gain additional information and not lose much time.

The only complaint I'd have is that they turn off their cell phone too much, especially during important cases. But, since they are older, this is still believable

I can't wait to read the next Greg McKenzie mystery. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

A unique style of writing that is both dashing and touching.......2005-08-03

Chester D. Campbell, former journalist, writer, speechwriter, ad copywriter, public relations executive, and now mystery writer, is someone with an obvious zest for life. He served in both World War II and Korea, and now enjoys life with his wife, children, and many grandchildren.

In this latest Greg McKenzie mystery, the newly formed McKenzie Investigations, run by Greg and his wife, Jill, is off to an auspicious beginning after solving their first case. Greg has run a bit amok with the local police, but still has contacts in the Nashville Police Department. But when a high profile personality is gunned down in a local hotel just when Greg and Jill are dining a new client, they have no idea that their next case will be integrally connected. In the meantime, they take on a case for a questionable character named Molly Saint who is a shirttail relative of Jill's. Molly's husband, Damon, is not quite who he seems, and Molly has a nagging feeling that she may be at risk:

"'As I told you on the phone, Damon's wife Molly hired us to look into him. He had made some threats that were quite worrisome. But before we could get very far with our investigation, she left a message on our answering machine to call her back as soon as possible. She was really excited about something. But when we tried to call, we found they had moved.'"

Chester D. Campbell has his own unique style of writing that is both dashing and touching. His obvious affection for his wife shines through just as he outlines a nefarious plot based on his own military experience. Greg McKenzie is a senior investigator who relies on his experience to compensate for the brawn he might have engaged in the past. His wife, Jill, is an accomplished pilot, cook, and is the perfect partner for her husband. Campbell juxtaposes her correction of Greg's "blue language" and her obvious spirituality with her determination when the going gets rough and she has to use some of the private investigator skills that most people would shrink from. All in all, DEADLY ILLUSIONS is another winner in the Chester D. Campbell literary cabinet. Campbell obviously has many stories to share, and he continues to write fabulous mysteries.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

Deadly Illusions : The KGB Orlov Dossier Reveals Stalin's Master Spy

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Deadly Illusions : The KGB Orlov Dossier Reveals Stalin's Master Spy
John; Tsarev, Oleg Costello
Manufacturer: Crown Publishing Group, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KPN2LY

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Deadly Illusions: The KGB Orlov Dossier Reveals Stalin's Master Spy
John & Oleg Tsarev Costello
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UF3DVS

Deadly Illusions: The First Book from the Kgb Archives

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Deadly Illusions: The First Book from the Kgb Archives
John Costello; And Oleg Tsarev
Manufacturer: CENTURY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLL2I4

Jerry Kearns, deep cover, the deadly art of illusion: November 1-December 7, 1991, Tyler Galleries

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Jerry Kearns, deep cover, the deadly art of illusion: November 1-December 7, 1991, Tyler Galleries
Jerry Kearns
Manufacturer: The Gallery
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006DH928

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