Customer Reviews:
Completely Bonkers.......2006-02-19
This one is my favourite, partly because of the snippets of long-forgotten Asian history and partly because the story's completely bonkers. We start in a central London watering hole with Flashy being brow-beaten into playing cricket by an old school bore. Then we're at Lord's, batting and bowling against the nation's finest. Along comes a swarthy Oxford type called Suleman who's on the hunt for Flashy's Elspeth, and before you know what's what we're boffing Lady What's-her-name and on a slow boat to Singapore to avoid the London bookies. Blink and you'll miss Flashy getting mugged by knife-wielding triads and Elspeth getting kidnapped by Suleman, who turns out to be an infamous pirate (but with Oxford manners). Then we're off to Borneo with the Royal Navy, fighting pirates and fornicating with their locals and eventually Flashy's reunited with Elspeth after months of enforced servicing of Queen Ranavalona in Madagascar, that nookie-loving despot who ruled by boiling her opponents and force-feeding them chicken bones and poison. Saved by the French Navy after their own one left them to rot, Flashy and Elspeth live to ride again, Flashy with all and sundry, and Elspeth with all of Flashy's mates. Fabulous. Not a moral in sight. 5 Stars.
Flashman Rides Again--To Rescue His Lady.......2006-01-30
Flashman rides again, this time to the rescue of his lady, the beloved and empty headed Elspeth, who has been stolen away by a pirate. Lots of fun is had along the way, including an early 19th Century cricket match where our Harry shines, battles galour (some in the company of the famous pirate hunter Rupert Brooke), and lovely females, dangerous to be sure, but all buxom and bonaire. How many marriages can stand this strain and still endure?
Flashy shows a spark of selflessness in spite of himself.......2005-05-25
In the 1966 screen adaptation of A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) advises his daughter Meg (Susannah York):
"If (God) suffers us to come to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand to our tackle as best we can. And, yes Meg, then we can clamor like champions, if we have the spittle for it. But it's God's part, not our own, to bring ourselves to such a pass. Our natural business lies in escaping."
One of the most endearing qualities of author George MacDonald Fraser's anti-heroic protagonist, Harry Flashman, is his natural cowardice, which he freely admits with a certain degree of pride. Flashy is an expert at escaping; More would have been impressed.
In that volume of his memoirs entitled FLASHMAN'S LADY, Flashy is still young in the mid-1840s. His talent for a prudent and precipitous departure has yet to mature, as evidenced by his delayed response when beset by thugs in a dodgy section of Singapore:
"I'm not proud of what happened in the next moment. Of course, I was very young and thoughtless, and my great days of instant flight and evasion were still ahead of me, but even so, with ... my native cowardice to boot, my reaction was inexcusable ... in my youthful folly and ignorance, I absolutely stood there gaping ..."
The larger portion of this book's plot involves the kidnapping of Flashy's beautiful but scatterbrained wife, Elspeth, by a certain Don Solomon Haslam, a moneyed and mannered member of English high society who's not what he seems. Harry's determination to stay out of harm's way is severely taxed as he pursues Elspeth's rescue into the pirate-infested interior of Borneo, and later into Madagascar, where Flashy finds himself the slave of that island's mad and despotic queen, Ranavalona.
A chief attraction of Fraser's Flashman series is the knowledge it gives the reader about historical and factual, but arcane, events and places. In FLASHMAN'S LADY, the reader is apprised of the private war against the pirates of the East Indies by the eccentric English imperialist, James Brooke, and the reign of terror perpetuated by that female Caligula of the period, Queen Ranavalona I of Madagascar. Indeed, the author's research into the latter has prompted me to place a non-fiction history of the subject on my Wish List.
Deep down, I think, Flashy's personal appeal is based on the realization that he's Everyman, whether one would wish to admit it or not. Our natural preference is to escape, and it's only through blundering circumstance, good luck, or an odd quirk of fate that any one of us might, like Harry himself, be perceived a hero by our fellows.
Flashman and the Pyrates, or, Flashman in Madagascar.......2004-02-09
Flashy - after, incidentally, pulling a hat trick on the three most celebrated cricketers of his time - accepts a "friendly" wager in a single-wicket match against Don Solomon, a foreign-born Eton-educated socialite. The tie score results in he and Elspeth accompanying Solomon on a cruise to the Far East, where Solomon's true colors are revealed, and he absconds with Elspeth. Flashman must fight, however unwillingly, to get her back - until they both end up in the hands of the bloodthirsty queen of Madagascar, Ranavalona I. This is a fine entry in the series, possibly a little more heavy on the humor this time around than the adventure. The first half of the book is all cricket and social intrigue; a more thorough look at Madagascar might have been in order, tho' perhaps Fraser was dealing with limited intelligence on that subject. Another minor quibble: At the book's opening, our hero is caught in a damned-if-he-does-damned-if-he-don't trap that pushed him again into adventure (lose the cricket match and see Elspeth go on a cruise with Solomon, or win and be beaten by crooked bookies?). And, as in Flash For Freedom, the dilemma that prompted him into action, when he returns (in that case, cheating at cards), is completely forgotten. I would have liked to see some closure in the matter of the threatening bookie, at least. All that aside, this is, of course, another witty, well-researched adventure. Bravo!
Flashy again.......2003-09-18
At his best. The only fault with Flashman is that Fraser had to squeeze him into a single lifetime. Flashman of Flashman's Lady is a great place to begin the Flashman tour of the British Army during the 19th Century, the roll on the floor laughter of Frazer's characterization, the relatively accurate history that goes with this historical fiction. If you haven't read Frazer's Flashman books you are missing a great lot of evenings.
Book Description
Donna Leon's riveting new novel, Doctored Evidence, follows Commissario Guido Brunetti down the winding streets of contemporary Venice as he throws open the doors of a case his superiors would rather leave closed. When a miserly spinster is found brutally murdered in her Venice apartment, police immediately suspect her Romanian housekeeper. They are certain their job is done after the immigrant dies while fleeing arrest, but weeks later; a neighbor comes forward to defend the innocence of the accused. The only investigator who believes the alibi is Brunetti, who will have to go behind the backs of his superiors to vindicate the Romanian and find her employer's actual killer. As always, the indispensable hacking skills of the ever-loyal Signorina Elettra are the perfect complement to Brunetti's meticulous detective work. She discovers mysterious deposits in the old woman's bank account, but who made them? As Brunetti investigates, his wife, at home, reads him teachings on the Seven Deadly Sins. In a modern world of intrigue and nebulous morality, how do they relate to the murder at hand? Doctored Evidence is charged with suspense and evokes a contemporary Venice with Donna Leon's masterful flair.
Customer Reviews:
Doctored Evidence: The Doctor is in.......2006-10-05
Donna Leon, who was born in New Jersey, has lived in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Iran and China, where she worked as a teacher, before moving to Venice many years ago to teach and now to write. "Doctored Evidence" is another Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery set in, and around her adopted city in which; I think, by now, she knows the best place to go for pizza, the worst road to avoid for construction, and the most impossibly noisy, motorcycle clogged, neighborhood. Her recent Commissario Brunetti mystery "Friends in High Places," won the CWA Macallan Silver Dagger for fiction. She has also been awarded the German Corinne prize for her novels.
In "Doctored Evidence," a wealthy old woman, widely known as the nastiest in her neighborhood, is found brutally murdered in her apartment. Police suspect the latest immigrant maid (they don't generally last but a month or two), who has disappeared and is thought to be heading for her native Romania. The immigrant, when approached by the border police at the train station, runs for it and is killed as she crosses the tracks. She's carrying a lot of money, and forged papers. So she's evidently guilty, police thinking goes.
But a clearly competent neighbor of the old woman's returns from a business trip to London, and throws some light on the day of the woman's death. The neighbor met with the immigrant maid that day: she gave her the going-home money, and she knows the immigrant would not have had enough time to kill the old woman before she had to leave to catch her intended train. So Brunetti decides to quietly investigate the case himself.
Italy, by the way, is quite a wealthy country these days, with a high standard of living,and, for a Catholic country, a remarkably low birth rate. If it were not for a constant stream of immigrants, legal and otherwise, to take the jobs Italians won't, there'd be nobody to look after the children and the elderly, to enable the extremely high percentage of Italian women who leave the home to work to continue in their careers. In this regard Italy resembles all the traditional western hemisphere.
Be that as it may, Brunetti finds a lot of people who hated Maria Grazi Battestini, including her heirs, and even her doctor. The doctor thinks, " She was an old cow and he hated her. Because he was a doctor and she his patient, he felt guilty about hating her, but not so guilty as to make him hate her any the less. Nasty, greedy, ill-tempered, forever complaining about her health and the few people who still had the stomach for her company, Maria Grazia Battestini was a woman about whom nothing good could be said, not even by the most generous of souls. The priest had given up on her long ago, and her neighbours spoke of her with distaste, sometimes with open animosity. Her family remained connected to her only by means of the laws governing inheritance. But he was her doctor, so he had no choice but to make his weekly visit...."
Eventually Brunetti will solve the mystery of the old woman's death, perhaps not entirely credibly, and it's not at all clear that his discoveries will actually result in a guilty verdict, or even a trial. As is not at all uncommon in Leon's books, in fact, it's likely that nothing will change. Certainly not the death of the Romanian maid, Florinda Ghiorghiu, whom we come to realize, too late, was merely fleeing the police as a matter of sensible policy learned in her homeland, and reinforced as an illegal immigrant in Italy. As ever, Leon continues to remind us that murder, violent death, is not actually a dinner party game, but a sad business. Her political views inform her opinion, of course, but many of us, even those of us who love mysteries, prefer to remember what murder actually is. If you do too, if you can stomach a bit of grit with your foreign glamor, this book, and this series, may be for you.
Leon's Venice Is Magical.......2005-02-06
Donna Leon's thirteenth Commissario Guido Brunetti mystery novel begins with the discovery of the very brutal murder of a hateful and despised old lady. The victim had harassed her neighbors for the past five years with her blaringly loud television. The immediate suspect is the woman's Romanian housekeeper, who was accosted crossing the Italian border on a return train trip to her native country. The suspect panicked, fled the train and was accidentally run over by another oncoming train. Brunetti was on vacation in Ireland at the time and Lieutenant Scarpa, a vindictive colleague, quickly declared the murder solved and essentially closed the case. Upon his return, Brunetti reopens the case when a conscientious women contacts the police declaring the housekeeper's innocence and providing a plausible alibi. This sets stage for a battle of wills between Brunetti and his hated arch-rival Lieutenant Scarpa. As always, the good guys are the triumvirate of Brunetti, loyal Inspector Vianello, and the wonderfully clever Signorina Elettra, the Vice-Questore's secretary. Signorina Elettra, using her computer hacking skills, digs up relevant information such as secret bank accounts, money transfers, and telephone records on a wide range of suspects. After Brunetti has a discussion with his wife Paola about the Seven Deadly Sins (pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth), he tries to reason out which of these sins was the motive for the murder of the old lady.
Leon does a marvelous job of introducing her varied cast of interesting characters and some of the current attitudes of Venetians. These include prejudice towards Eastern European immigrants and gays; the dread of AIDS; tax evasion and suspected construction fraud. As usual, we are treated to Leon's entertaining descriptions of Signorina Elettra's wardrobe, Paola's gourmet meals and the current activities of the Brunetti kids, Chiara and Raffi. In addition, we get some behind the scenes insights into the postal service, the legal profession, the schools administration and a bakery.
In DOCTORED EVIDENCE, Commissario Brunetti has become more impatient and seems to excessively browbeat witnesses and potential suspects -- no more Mr. Nice Guy. There are some memorable scenes where he locks horns with the easy-to-hate Lieutenant Scarpa.
a collection of misunderstundings.......2005-02-02
This lady lives in Italy. She does set the action in Venice.
But she does not want her books translated in italian.... Why ?
Because they provide only a caricatural view of italy and italians,
which an italian reader would recognize and laugh at....
Please, enjoy her, but do not think that all we italians are
like she depicted us...
'Death in Venice' becomes a Donna Leon cliche.......2004-04-22
For all her "baker's dozen" Guido Brunetti books, Donna Leon continues to amaze this reader with her ability to sustain a police procedural so competently, so willingly, and so fantastically.
It's Venice once again and the good Commissario finds himself lured into what appears to be a routine case: a "foreigner" has been apprehended for murder and theft and before the police can secure her, she bolts and is run over by an oncoming train. A simple case. Case closed.
Ah, but here is where Brunetti comes in. Certain suspicious elements emerge and within a few minutes, he's completely immersed into the whole scene.
Along the way, Donna Leon incorporates several socially significant issues (as she always does) that serve only to enhance the plot outline. Her critique on Venezian politics and life in general in that Pearl of the Adriatic stand on their own merit.
Once again, Leon's brilliance at creating memorable characters make this just routine for her: but for her readers, each volume is a true adventure in itself.
A murder mixed with fine dining.......2004-04-20
This Commissario Brunetti mystery is written in a similar style to Roderic Jeffries novels about Inspector Alvarez set in Majorca (see "An Intriguing Murder," etc.). The present novel is set in Venice. The investigation of the murder of an elderly woman is mixed in with Brunetti's interaction and conflicts with other police, Brunetti's home life, and comments on fine dining, wine, etc. There is considerable local color on Venice and the hot summer climate, comments on local and Italian politics and bureaucracy, discussions of tax evasion, and problems with prosecuting people guilty of crimes. Overall, an interesting novel if you are not familiar with Venice and want a picture of the city.
The story revolves around the murder of a stingy old woman who is described as a shrew hated by almost everyone. Many people would have motives for her murder, so who did the deed? The investigation reveals some surprising information. Brunetti is willing to overlook theft, tax evasion, poisoning animals, people with false documentation, etc. if he can solve the murder. He is not beyond breaking a few laws himself.
The case is solved with a surprising ending, and a question as to how much actual "punishment" the killer will receive.
Book Description
As Donna Leon's many fans have come to expect, beloved Commissario Guido Brunetti once again finds himself pursuing a puzzling case his fellow policemen would rather leave closed. After a wealthy elderly woman is found brutally murdered in her apartment, the authorities suspect her maid. But when the maid meets an untimely end trying to escape from border police, and it appears that the money she carried may not have been stolen, Commissario Guido Brunetti decides—unofficially—to take the case on himself. Filled with Leon's signature plot twists, Doctored Evidence is a terrific novel of suspense that is sure to delight loyal fans as well as attract new ones.
Customer Reviews:
Great Start, But Then what.....?.......2007-06-27
Few people in Venice trust the cops who tend to be dense, crooked, and conniving. One exception is the compassionate, clever, and honest Commissario Guido Brunetti, Donna Leon's series detective. Venice is a city that thrives on gossip, corruption and petty politics. Brunetti calls Italy a loony bin.
A cranky, nasty old lady is found murdered in her apartment. Her maid is suspected because she takes flight and later while running from the police is killed under a rushing train. Case closed by his colleagues--but not by Brunetti who finds a witness to disprove the maid's guilt. The detective not only has to solve the case but fight off a superior and underlings looking for a quick solution.
This is not Donna Leon writing at the top of her form. It's a listless story that is a fairly long slog plodding to an ending that's a let-down. The story's pace is one that only a turtle would love. But I still like the series and especially Guido .
Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy
Farewell Signora Battestini.......2005-10-17
Commissario Brunetti, truly one of only a handful of Venice's finest, solves the murder of an elderly, hateful harridan using his intelligence, humor, skill, and humanity. Follow him through the monumental buildings, calle, and offices of this most intriguing of cities, without once motoring down the Grand Canal. And learn something about the Venetian psyche in the bargain. Nearly as good as being there, but be forewarned, do not read Donna Leon while hungry. Luigi Brunetti eats very well.
COMMISSARIO BRUNETTI INVESTIGATES A MOTIVE OF DEADLY SIN FOR MURDER........2005-08-31
Maria Grazia Battestini was an old women about whom nothing good could be said, not even by the most generous of souls. Whoever had killed her must have taken her completely by surprise.
Battestini maid an illegal Romanian woman was missing and currently the prime suspect, the police were hot in pursuit. Located at the central station trying to leave the country the maid is killed in a fatal train accident. only suspect dead, case closed.
Commissario Brunetti has just return from his vacation. His first day back on the job he encounters Signora Gismondi who also had just returned from a vacation in London. Signora Gismondi was Maria Battestini neighbour and had learned of her death on her return. Signora Gismondi also knew the Romanian maid, and is rather forthcoming with some relevant information. Brunetti intrigued - unofficially - investigates. The motive looks like greed or was he looking at the wrong deadly sin.
Doctored Evidence is the thirteenth novel in the Brunetti series and for me my first. This book does not disappoint as murder has been set off against the backdrop of Venice. Donna Leon the author lives in Venice you can clearly see from the writing that she enjoys living there, the story flows really well and beautifully pieced together. Commissario Brunetti is a character you warm to straight away but also for me in this book, Brunetti's source of information Signorina Elettra is a great character, a women who uses her contacts and connections, which seem just as corrupt, Elettra mind is as sharp as a razor. When reading murder mysteries I always try to put a face to the characters in Signoriana Elettra case an Italian actress by the name of Claudia Gerini came to mind. A face for Commissario Brunetti I will have to investigate more, that's going to be a tough one. Donna Leon has written a whole Brunetti series of whodunit, so I will be backtracking to the beginning and with thirteen left to read through, my mind will be occupied for quite a while.
A fun read - cheaper than a ticket to Italy.......2005-07-23
I love mysteries and Italy so Donna Leon's work is definitely on my radar. I bought this edition to read on the plane to Europe a few weeks back. It was a smart choice because it led me to drive from Monaco to San Romolo for a perfectly delicious 6 course lunch. Leon uses the City's heat and the ever-present Italian politics to create a tense and thick atmosphere. The plot - the murder of a decidely unpleasant old women - seems simple enough. But she is hated by literally everyone so the list of suspects is long. Leon hints at the motive through conversations between the great detective and his wife. But they are subtle and when you "get it" you realize the depth of Donna Leon's skill. The sub plots always involve Venetian politics, the stupidity of governments and the need to find sanity in small things like a good meal and a decent bottle of wine. This is a perfect fix for those out there addicted to arm-chair travel and murder mysteries.
There are better Donna Leon books.......2005-07-19
Just finished reading this book on a trip to Venice. While the context of her stories is always interesting, the plot line in this book was weak. Several theories behind the crime were explored and abandoned with little connection between them and virtually no connection to the final outcome. Her other books (e.g. A Noble Radiance) are much better.
Product Description
From AudioFileCommissario Guido Brunetti faces a moral dilemma. Ambitious, arrogant Lieutenant Scarpa has closed a vicious murder case. However, Brunetti discovers that the chain of evidence is missing several important links. Scarpa's sloppy police work draws the masterful Brunetti into conflict with higher-ups, forcing him to employ some not-quite-legal methods to solve the case. David Colacci's performance adds color to Leon's intricate plot and fascinating characters. He is careful that Brunetti; his brilliant wife, Paola; the beautiful computer hacker, Signorina Elettra; and faithful Inspector Vianello speak with only the slightest hint of Italian accents, enough to locate the story but not enough to turn characters into caricature. Colacci's voice turns Leon's Venice alternately damp and nasty or suffuses it with a warmth and humanity that mirrors the story's swiftly shifting currents.S.J.H. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Customer Reviews:
a wonderful adventure.......2007-03-04
I first purchased the 5 books from local Seattle stores in 1988 and '89. I found the 6th book in the series in 1995 here. I'm old now, but it is a lovely bit of escapism.
More entertaining than any fiction books I have read, I could never sell them. I was especially interested to learn of the myth of
Jesus and his apostle Thomas, traveling to India and Dying there in fact. I thought it possible 15 years ago and I haven't changed my mind, since. I wish I had read the series before I went to India. I would have been more alert for these little bits of fact/myth.
The style of writing is meant for teens, but I found it enjoyable and refreshing. If you hold little interest in buddhism, it may become boring. There is mild swearing and mild sexual situations.
A little fantasy, a little history and a little mythology. Fascinating.
Book Description
A sobering number of teens have been sexually abused themselves or know someone who has been abused. Responding to this terrible reality, A Safe Place effectively addresses the issues, beliefs, and coping mechanisms triggered by sexual abuse in adolescent lives. Through personal stories of teens, a welcoming tone, and practical exercises, this book encourages readers to “travel” with abused teens on a journey out of pain and shame into healing and freedom.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Book To Give Someone .......2006-08-02
I found this be an great book to give my 14 yr daughter. She just recently told us about the sexual abuse which occurred in daycare when she was 5 to 6 yrs. We all are having a hard time with this situation and dealing with it. She believes that God has abandoned her and I want her to know he has not. I believe this book will show her that if she will just read it. I am not sure if she is ready at this point yet but when she is, it will be here for her. THANK YOU.
I was disappointed with this book........2003-10-16
I am a psychotherapist who works with sexually abused children, teens, and adults. This book had anti-gay references and was right wing religiously fundamental in many statements made throughout the book. Though some of the content was good, I was very appalled at the intolerance and overly religious foundation of the book. I wouldn't recommend this book.
An awesome journey into my Spiritual Recovery & Growth.......1999-07-09
I was blessed to meet the author & go through a support group. Her open & loving nature helped me to open up & allow God to heal my wounds & I began a journey of recovery that I would never thought or prayed possible. I owe a majority of my recovery to the author & all the "Glory" to God.....If you are drawn to this book, then I challenge you to purchase it & allow God to wrap you in his loving arms..
A great book on sexual abuse for teens.......1999-05-14
This book helped me so much when I got it at the age of 14. The author's personal story, as well as the stories of others are included. What I really like is the analogy that the author uses with garbage and a garbage bag. Garbage after a while really begins to stink. If you carry the garbage of sexual abuse around too long it will really start to stink. As the abuse goes on more garbage is added and the worse the smell gets. The process of getting rid of the garbage is healing from the abuse through therapy or other means.
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- Gideon's gift: Based on the novel
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- Hawaiian Shirt Designs
- Herman VIII: A Herman Treasury
- High Art Lite: The Rise and Fall of Young British Art, Revised and Expanded Edition
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
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Contemporary
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Flashman and the Mountain of Light (Flashman)
Royal Flash (Flashman)
Flash for Freedom! (Flashman)
Flashman and the Redskins (Flashman)
Flashman in the Great Game: A Novel (Flashman)
