Secret Prey (Prey Series)

Amazon.com

John Sandford is back with his dapper, dangerous Minneapolis deputy police chief Lucas Davenport for a ninth "preyer" meeting. Fans of the series will be glad to hear that it's full of smart suspense and deduction as well as explosive action. Davenport and his fellow cops are still recovering from the deadly revenge scheme that maimed them in Sudden Prey, which seems to have ended the relationship between Lucas and his doctor lady friend. This accounts for the depression that dogs him as he is sent to investigate the killing of top banking executive Daniel Kresge in a hunting lodge north of Minneapolis. Any of Kresge's four fellow hunters--all employees at his Polaris Bank--could have shot him, and all had motives, as did his almost ex-wife. About halfway through the book we find out who the real killer is, just a few pages before Lucas does, and that villain is a masterful creation, an example of the banality of evil worthy of Hannah Arendt. This is where Sandford's beautifully honed skills at creating suspense really kick in: he keeps us fascinated as Davenport, revitalized by an affair with a jaunty colleague, tries to turn what we all know into hard evidence. --Dick Adler

Book Description

A wealthy banker is shot dead during a hunting trip. Many people wanted him killed-but even Lucas Davenport can't fathom the real reason why.

#1 New York Times bestselling series featuring Lucas Davenport.

When a wealthy banker is shot during a hunting trip, Lucas Davenport suspects murder.

Download Description

"The company chairman lay on the cold ground of the woods, his eyes unseeing, his orange hunting jacket punctured by a rifle bullet at close range. Around him stood the four executives with whom he had been hunting, each with his or her own complicated agenda, each with a reason not to be sorrowful about the man?s death. If he read it in a book, Lucas Davenport thought, it would seem like one of those classic murder mysteries, the kind where the detective gathers everyone together at the end and solves the case with a little speech. But it wasn?t going to be that easy, he knew. There were currents running through this group, hints and whispers of something much greater than the murder of a single man. He had felt this way not long before, sensed the curling of an indefinable evil, and not only had it nearly gotten him killed, it had lost him his fiancee, who?d never been able to recover from the violence of the encounter. Sometime soon, unless he could stop it, there would be another death, and then still another, and Davenport couldn?t help but wonder if maybe this time, the final death might not be his own. . . . John Sandford has written extraordinary thrillers before, but nothing to top the startling twists and unrelenting suspense of Secret Prey. "

Customer Reviews:

Very Slow Start, Good Twist.......2007-10-02

This book starts slow but toward the end there's an interesting twist. Wouldn't be my suggestion as your first Sandford book.

Excellant Reading!.......2007-06-26

I am a big fan of the "Prey" series, and this book is as terrific as all the rest!

Another great Lucas Davenport Novel-Certain Prey.......2006-11-04

My introduction to Lucas Davenport was a year ago when I read the recently released Broken Prey by John Sandford. I thoroughly enjoyed the story about a tough guy cop who drives a Porche 911. Since reading Broken Prey I started reading the other "Prey" stories in the order they were released. I've finished 9 of the 16, am currently reading Certain Prey and have ordered the remaining stories from Amazon. I enjoy mysteries and the Prey series is excellent. Lucas Davenport is a very good cop who often does things his way. Lucas is similar to other characters I enjoy: Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly and Mitch Rapp by Vince Flynn. If you try the Prey series you'll like it.

Prey for more.......2006-03-30

Sandford is our generation's master of the crime novel. Read one of the Prey novels, you'll want to read them all. Lucas Davenport is a beautifully flawed good guy with a streak of badness about him. Sandford weaves his stories flawlessly and hauls you along like a fish on a line until the very last page.
-- Mark LaFlamme, author of "The Pink Room."

Less killing and chase, more character interactions/psychology.......2005-10-09

In a series of books all based around the same police officer I would've thought that by now the books would've become extremely repetitive and similar. I would think that every book would follow the same format, with different names and methods of killing. However, thus far I have not been disappointed (outside of a very small number of instances).

This book takes a totally different approach to Lucas Davenport's case files. This book starts out with the investigation of a single murder. Most of the books so far have been about serial killers or multiple homicides. Multiple murders is one way to keep the action level in a book up. This book focuses more on the complex relationships of those close to the victim. The group of people is all top executives at a major bank. The psychology of the characters is what makes this book interesting. We also see Davenport drifting back into depression at the beginning of this book.

When the killer gets revealed and tries to stay innocent-looking a few more murders pop-up. There are also some more murders in the past that come to light and the investigation into those take Davenport into some interesting situations.

The slower pace of this book is definitely refreshing. I think it adds an element to this series that make the series as a whole more credible because it is not trying to sell books on the same old formulae.

This book gets the full five stars, and not for the same reasons I gave "Sudden Prey" and "Eyes of Prey."

Sandford: Three Complete Novels: Mind Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey

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Paradise for seekers of riveting reads
John Sandford Prey Books
How can you go wrong?
Great books at a great price

Sandford: Three Complete Novels: Mind Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey
John Sandford
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0399146512
Release Date: 2000-11-02

Book Description

In Lucas Davenport, John Sandford "has created one of the most engaging (and iconoclastic) characters in contemporary fiction," writes The Detroit News. The first-rate thrillers in this collection of Prey novels offer the kind of brilliantly plotted, vastly entertaining stories that have become Sandford's stock in trade. All propelled by Lucas Davenport, with his "icy killer instincts" (Orlando Sentinel Customer Reviews:

Paradise for seekers of riveting reads.......2004-05-07

This has got to be the best value combination for a good, long but intense read - certainly I enjoyed all three stories no end and would recommend to anyone in need of some gentle,and not so gentle, reading relaxation.

The stories are engrossing, the charactors unique and the pages just turn themselves!! Go for it!

John Sandford Prey Books.......2002-08-19

I love all the John Sanford Prey Books. They keep you reading and on the edge of your seat, Lucas Davenport is someone I would want on my side.

I'm collecting all the hard backs, and love to get the three in one books.

How can you go wrong?.......2002-01-02

Excellent purchase, spent days reading about Davenport and crew. You can't co wrong purchasing this collection, genually entertaining and well worth the price.

Great books at a great price.......2001-10-16

Major John Sanford fan - so far in the "Prey" series, I would have to say that "Mind Prey" was by far the most suspenseful and enjoyable of the books. John Sanford keeps the pace going throughout the entire book (3-in-1 here). Wish there were more books printed with more than 1 story in it. Excellent bargain.

Phoenix and the Birds of Prey : The CIA's Secret Campaign to Destroy the Viet Cong

Average customer rating:

Query
Excellent; the truth
changing attitudes
Big Thumbs Up
An honest and accurate book about the Phoenix program

Phoenix and the Birds of Prey : The CIA's Secret Campaign to Destroy the Viet Cong
Mark Moyar
Manufacturer: Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Vietnam War | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1557505934

Customer Reviews:

Query.......2005-03-04

I happened on this book but haven't read it. My brother's name was mentioned in the book and I would like to hear from those who might have known him and what part he played: Mebane G. Stafford, who had 3 tours in VN, retired as a Col, now deceased.

Marian Stafford
mariana600@yahoo.com

Excellent; the truth.......2002-09-06

This is the real truth about the Phoenix Program. The anti-war left has tried for years, with some success, to discredit it with disinformation. This is a well-written, accurate history of what really happened and is convincingly documented. And real -- I know, I was there (June 1968-June 1969)

changing attitudes.......2000-12-15

That is the title of chapter 25. Moyar tries to create the impression that loss of support for the viet cong ipso facto meant increased support for the government of South Vietnam by the peasants in the villages. I don't buy it. The peasants in many areas were fed up with the war and wanted little or nothing to do with either side. They would have been happy to have seen a coalition government that would have stopped the fighting. But the last thing in the world that Thieu would agree to was something like that. In many areas the armed viet forces on both sides reached accomodations. To some this might have looked like the Government of Vietnam was coming out on top but the people in the area knew otherwise. When Diem was in power he brought about much the same situation in the countryside where for several years he with seeming ease rounded up most of the communists, to the point where the Americans believed the communist problem was solved. But it wasn't.

Big Thumbs Up.......2000-08-18

This book contains an unbelievable amount of facts about the Phoenix Program. The author was able to interview many participants, including Vietnamese. Since some are now dead, including William Colby, and others will be soon, this is likely to be the last history of Phoenix to draw on first hand accounts. Also very interesting was the author's use of captured Viet Cong documents, which indicate that Phoenix was highly effective. The author has a keen understanding of the people on the Vietnamese side, both participants and bystanders, which is refreshing after you read the hundreds of books in which the Vietnamese are treated as minor actors in the drama- with the possible exception of the Viet Cong. In addition, a lot of the antiwar dogma concerning Phoenix is systematically destroyed. I hope that Moyar and other historical pioneers like B.G. Burkett (Stolen Valor) and Samuel Zaffiri (Westmoreland) write some more books on Vietnam.

An honest and accurate book about the Phoenix program.......1999-10-02

I'm glad to see someone has finally written an accurate, dispassionate account of the Phoenix program and the Vietnam war. As a Phoenix advisor in late 1967 and 1968, I can say from personal experience that Mr. Moyar gets just about everything right in his account of that period. I can only assume from the extent of his research that the rest of the information is just as correct. His descriptions of the attitudes and motivations of the Vietnamese civilians, government officials and military validate many of my own observations and confirm many of my suspicions. I just wish I had known then what I know now.

Reading this book and the reviews about it prompted me to hunt down a copy of Douglas Valentine's book about Phoenix for comparison. I shouldn't have bothered. Clearly Mr. Valentine hasn't heard that old joke about the difference between a fairy tale and a war story. Phoenix and the Birds of Prey does a much better job of presenting the facts.

If I have any criticism of Phoenix and the Birds of Prey, it is that I felt Mr. Moyar applied some of his conclusions about the Phoenix program a little too broadly to all participants. Every district operation was different in some ways depending on the tactical situation, the capabilities of the advisor, and the involvement of the Vietnamese counterparts. But I suppose that is to be expected because he is taking a broad look at the overall program.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a serious student of the Vietnam war or guerrilla conflicts in general. It should be required reading for all of our military Special Ops people. I would especially recommend the book to all my fellow Vietnam veterans.

As for the anti-war types who have been yelling about the Phoenix program for the last 30 years, they're going to have to find a new horse to ride because that one won't run anymore.

Average customer rating:
Secret Prey
John Sandford
Manufacturer: Recorded Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788721615

Product Description

The ninth in John Sandford's "Prey" suspense series.

The Prairie Keepers: Secrets of the Grasslands

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Wildlife Field Research - A Delightful, Personal Account
Read This Book
Scientific information can be easy to read.

The Prairie Keepers: Secrets of the Grasslands
Marcy Cottrell Houle
Manufacturer: Perseus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Wings for My Flight: The Peregrine Falcons of Chimney Rock

ASIN: 020160843X

Customer Reviews:

Wildlife Field Research - A Delightful, Personal Account.......2004-08-10

The Prairie Keepers is a charming account of a graduate student's summer wildlife biology project. I enjoyed sharing Marcy Houle's youthful enthusiasm for the rugged Zumwalt Prairie, her fascination with prairie wildlife, and her persistent efforts to determine why the buteo hawks thrived in this remote area in Oregon. Her descriptions of the adversarial relationship between the ranchers of the Zumwalt Prairie and the government employees (Forest Service, BLM, Fish and Wildlife Services, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Game) managing public land were thoughtful and well-balanced. Her recognition of the role ranchers play in preserving the Zumwalt Prairie was particularly insightful.

The remote Zumwalt Prairie in northeastern Oregon is home to a large concentration of buteo hawks - the ferruginous hawks, red-tailed hawks, and the Swainson hawks, all characterized by distinctive broad, round-tipped wings, husky bodies, and wide fanning tails. Elsewhere most hawk populations appear to be in decline. What makes the Zumwalt prairie habitat special?

Marcy Houle had a daunting summer job: locate and identify the nesting buteo population on the 200 square mile Zumwalt prairie. Climb the trees and place leg bands on the hatchlings while cautiously ignoring angry parents. Identify and measure relevant ecological parameters that might offer clues why the Zumwalt prairie is so attractive to buteo hawks.

Her account brought back memories of a summer several years ago when I mapped paleomagnetic trends in southwestern Montana. My field work was in many ways different; I certainly never climbed trees to place leg bands on hawk hatchlings! Nonetheless, I readily related to Marcy Houle's description of her field activities: careful reading of topographic maps and aerial photos, exercising care on private property, and completing transects of range conditions. Thanks to Marcy Houle for an enjoyable book.

Read This Book.......2000-05-24

This book gave me a fascinating view of an area I did not know existed. Ms. Houle lets us explore the Zumwalt with her as she studies the birds of prey on the prairie, the delicate balance of the natural food chain, and the effect of human land management. I have been far more aware of the different birds of prey since reading this book. Ms. Houle's writing induced me to search out other books, identification charts, and exhibits about these fascinating creatures.

Scientific information can be easy to read........1996-10-26

Marcy Houle is a wildlife biologist yet her books read as easily as those of any good fiction writer. As Marcy presents the science of her work, in this case the study of hawks, the reader becomes involved in a very interesting story. As man's use of the land becomes more invasive of nature, man needs a better understanding of how his actions effect not only the earth but also himself. Marcy's study of a 200 square mile area known as "The Zumwalt Prairie" in northeastern Oregon provides an informative, interesting, and enjoyable look at man's impact on nature. Well worth reading!

10 Prey Series Books: Broken Prey, Certain Prey, Chosen Prey, Eyes of Prey, Hidden Prey, Mortal Prey, Rules of Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey, Winter Prey, (Unboxed Set of Suspense Thriller Books)

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10 Prey Series Books: Broken Prey, Certain Prey, Chosen Prey, Eyes of Prey, Hidden Prey, Mortal Prey, Rules of Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey, Winter Prey, (Unboxed Set of Suspense Thriller Books)
John Sandford
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WJDQOQ

Product Description

10 Prey Series Books: Broken Prey, Certain Prey, Chosen Prey, Eyes of Prey, Hidden Prey, Mortal Prey, Rules of Prey, Sudden Prey, Secret Prey, Winter Prey, (Unboxed Set of Suspense Thriller Books), in either Hard or Softcover, (See Seller Condition Comments), Shipped in one package to save on shipping costs.

4 PBs by John Sandford: Secret, Mortal, Naked, Hidden Prey (Prey)

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4 PBs by John Sandford: Secret, Mortal, Naked, Hidden Prey (Prey)
John Sandford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VUUCM0

Product Description

Paperbacks

9 PBs by John Sandford: Silent, Mortal, Naked, Mind, Hidden, Sudden Secret Prey +2 More (Prey)

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9 PBs by John Sandford: Silent, Mortal, Naked, Mind, Hidden, Sudden Secret Prey +2 More (Prey)
John Sandford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TXU9YK

Product Description

Paperbacks

First 12 Titles in the Prey Series - Rules of Prey - Shadow - Eyes of - Silent - Winter - Night - Mind - Sudden - Secret - Certain - Easy - Chosen

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First 12 Titles in the Prey Series - Rules of Prey - Shadow - Eyes of - Silent - Winter - Night - Mind - Sudden - Secret - Certain - Easy - Chosen
John Camp (aka John Sandford)
Manufacturer: berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000L9OAGK

Product Description

First 12 Titles in the Prey Series - Rules of Prey - Shadow - Eyes of - Silent - Winter - Night - Mind - Sudden - Secret - Certain - Easy - Chosen

Nature's Predators (The Illustrated Wildlife Encyclopedia, Snakes*Birds of Prey*Crocodilians*Sharks*Secrets and Skills of successful hunters in the wild)

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Nature's Predators (The Illustrated Wildlife Encyclopedia, Snakes*Birds of Prey*Crocodilians*Sharks*Secrets and Skills of successful hunters in the wild)
Michael Bright , Robin Kerrod , and Barbara Taylor
Manufacturer: Hermes House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Veterinary | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1843096323

Product Description

Over 800 stunning wildlife photographs, plus inside-view artwork of bodies that are built to kill.

Book Description

Welcome to the Golden Age of Radio and the best in classic mystery.

From 1939-1946 Americans gathered around their radio to listen to The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes -- featuring Basil Rathbone as the high strung crime solver and Nigel Bruce as his phlegmatic assistant, Dr. Watson.

Witty, fast-paced and always surprising, these great radio plays -- written by the prolific writing team of Anthony Boucher and Denis Green -- are as fresh today as they were then.

The latest audio technology was employed to bring the best audio quality and fidelity to the original performances, which feature nostalgic war-time announcements, original commercials and radio narrations.

This special CD edition includes 12 of the series' best episodes:

• The Unfortunate Tobacconist and The Paradol Chamber
• The Viennese Strangler and The Notorious Canary Trainer
• The April Fool's Day Adventure and The Strange Adventure of the Uneasy Easy Chair
• The Strange Case of the Demon Barber and The Mystery of the Headless Monk
• The Amateur Mendicant Society and The Case of the Vanishing White Elephant
• The Case of the Limping Ghost and The Girl with the Gazelle

Customer Reviews:

The best of Sherlock Holmes by Rathbone/Bruce.......2007-01-25

Finally it comes to CD, I wore the audiocassettes out, if you like using your imagination, turn down the lights and enjoy the two truest performers who ever graced a radio or soundstage. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce the only Holmes and Watson, like George Reeves was Superman and Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger.
Excellent sound, stories are interesting, clever and can be heard again and again!!!! Highly recommend!!

Pleased and Still Looking..........2006-03-26

I am so happy I found these old Sherlock Holmes Radio shows on CD at Borders / Amazon...

I have enjoyed them for years on cassette...but they are so worn now...

Still, however I search for more...

I have to believe there must be more of these Shelock Holmes Radio Shows out there...

I am under the impression they were aired weekly in the 40's with what I was told ...very few reruns...

So...If you or anyone can clue me in???

And again...The "Splendid Service" I received from Borders / Amazon was greatly appreciated...

James J. Liden

More Sherlock Holmes adventures from Radio's Golden Age........2005-09-30

More unedited Radio Broadcasts from the late 30's and 40's with Rathbone and Bruce at their best. Originally released on Cassette many years ago but now for the first time on CD. Highly recommended.

Excellent stories!.......2005-09-26

I wouldn't listen to the previous post if I were you. This series was extremely popular to arm chair dective fans through World War II. You feel yourself thrown back in time as Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) brings the listeners back as he accounts his adventures with Sherlock Holmes. The actors and characters are brilliant!! I have been listening to the audio tape version of these for years before bed. I have heard these stories over and over for years and still enjoy them.

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are famous if not THE MOST famous duo to portray Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Luckily, fans are able to not only enjoy them in the movies, but in audio stories as well.

I have just purchased the two DVD collections of these, even though I have the audio cassette versions because I love them so much. These stories put you back to victorian London and you feel as though you are actually IN the story!

I will continue to listen to these over and over again and I suggest everyone purchase these. I am hoping they put out every episode on DVD (my tapes are getting a bit old!) PURCHASE THESE!!! You won't be sorry!

fun!.......2005-05-10

I love this collection of radio broadcasts! Rathbone and Bruce are in fine form here. Their chemistry is marvelous! The stories are certainly good fun and I truly had a most enjoyable time with set. I'm very glad to have this. It's a blast!

Book Description

Follow Lois McMaster Bujold, one of the most honored authors in the field of fantasy and science fiction, to a land threatened by treacherous war and beset by demons -- as a royal dowager, released from the curse of madness and manipulated by an untrustworthy god, is plunged into a desperate struggle to preserve the endangered souls of a realm.

Download Description

'E-Book Extras: ONE: The Keys to Chalion: A Dictionary of People, Places, and Things; TWO: Chalion Miscellany. It's been three years since the curse was lifted, but Ista dy Baocia, Dowager Royina of Chalion, holds a dark secret: she was responsible for the destruction of Chalion years ago. When her kingdom is threatened once again, Ista must defend her homeland, and her soul. One of the most honored authors in the field of fantasy and science fiction, Lois McMaster Bujold transports us once more to a dark and troubled land and embroils us in a desperate struggle to preserve the endangered souls of a realm.

Customer Reviews:

"Once, I was a saint.".......2007-09-04

Earlier on Amazon, I had reviewed the first book in this series: The Curse of Chalion. I had given it a reasonably good review, three or four stars, I believe. I had rarely had such a nasty reaction to a review as the response I had to that one. Beware of giving Bujold a lukewarm reception. I had made the mistake of noting that I had read some of her other work and really disliked it-- earning me several nasty emails from rabid fans.

I still stand by all that. I heartily dislike her earlier work. I thought The Curse of Chalion was okay. I think that Paladin of Souls is really pretty good. Ista is the best Bujold character that I have read so far, and she carries the book. I'm still not sure that the book ever escapes triteness with the plotting. Luckily, the characters were good enough that I really didn't care. I'm not sure that I would have awarded it the Hugo, but it is clearly a cut above the much of the fantasy fiction out there.

So am I going to enjoy The Hallowed Hunt or not? Someone care to explain to me in the comments why she has such a following?

A bitter, god-distrusting woman's journey to her identity and...love.......2007-03-16

~~~SOME MILD SPOILERS for first novel and, perhaps, this one, depending what you consider a spoiler. Be warned~~~

Well, I was so totally delighted with THE CURSE OF CHALION , that I plunged immediately into the sequel, PALADIN OF SOULS, .

This novel picks up three years after the grand and happy conclusion of the first. Here, the Provincara who first sheltered Cazaril (the hero from CHALION) is dead, and Ista--she generally thought driven mad by her sorrows, but whom wise and deep-seeing Cazaril came to understand was one of the specially-sighted, a once-saint of the Mother goddess--remains feeling more trapped than ever in the fortress under the care of the kindly, but overprotective dy Ferrej and her own powerful brother.

She is still much angry with the gods for her sufferings and their meddlings-to her sense, poorly done and mostly ineffectual--in her life. She yearns, desperately, for escape. And so she does, under pretense of a pilgrimage to plead the gods at various holy sites for the boon of a male heir for her daughter and her husband, the rulers of Chalion-Ibra.

But the gods are not done with their reluctant and bitter saint, and the pilgrimage turns into an unexpected and harrowing journey into the demon-infested and tragedy-haunted northlands, where Ista must choose to truly be a saint and work with the gods or remain in defiance and turn her back on a great need in her land.

The choice will make or unmake her.

McMaster Bujold builds slowly, as she did with THE CURSE OF CHALION, but once the key characters are involved--first dy Cabon, the portly and dream-touched divine of the Bastard's order; then the amiable and heroic dy Gura twins from the first book; and the sexually magnetic and magnificent leader Arhys, lord of Porifors, who lives with an uncanny situation and wounds from the past and present; and his stricken brother Illvin, who haunts Ista's dreams and is haunted in dreams by Ista; the spunky female courier Liss; the beautiful marchess Cattilara, obessed and loyal wife of Arhys-- and once the most dreadful conflicts emerge, the pace quickens and much action ensues.

Will Ista find redemption, and will she become an instrument of salvation in doing so? Or is the dark conspiracy too much for a memory-haunted and shame-burdened royina (dowager queen).

As in CHALION, the spiritually focused and dramatic climax is a beautiful and wondrous thing to read and experience.

I still think that I prefer CHALION by a few hairs. I found the repeated capture and rescues in PALADIN a bit tiresome as we neared the grand conclusion. But the characters are sympathetic and flawed, and it is a pleasure to see them face huge obstacles. As in CHALION, there is a lovely romance we root for and heroic men and women who change the world into a better place by just doing what they can according to their abilities as the need arises, and sometimes, even doing what they think they can't, stepping out in faith or hope or love or for honor.

The medieval Spanish/Portuguese echoes are strong here as in the first novel, and the villain is more gruesome. A curse of a different sort becomes the focus for humans and gods. Here, the Bastard god is at work, even as the Daughter goddess was focal in the spiritual action of the first book; and he is absolutely fascinating and quite a tease. The Father god, barely present in the first novel, gets a beautiful scene of his own, one that will resonate with Christians.

The climactic battle sequences are very strong, quite moving, and rivetting, as this is no conventional warfare. I won't divulge any details, because plot points would be ruined, but LMB certainly opened the conduit of creativity to come up with this powerful endgame. I wept, more than once.

This novel won the Hugo award, and it's certainly another fine offering from the very talented LMB. I look forward to delving into THE HALLOWED HUNT, even with the reviews not so glowing for the third in the CHALION series.

Highly RECOMMENDED

Good but not great.......2007-01-23

After the brilliant "Curse of Chalion" I was expecting great things - but this book doesn't perform. Although still quite good, this novel drops back closer to LMB's usual standard.

Lady Ista (a bit character from the first book) goes on a pilgrimage in order to find herself, and finds adventure, trouble and romance. Unfortunately, it's not the Ista we met last time.

In "Curse", Ista was a sad, tormented victim of the evil curse, alone amidst her oblivious family, yet still possessed of a dark and wry wit. In "Paladin", Ista is reduced to a stock character, a 'plucky heroine' type caricature.

None of the other characters did much better, with the dy Gura brothers - here with a larger role - oddly less rounded than in "Curse", where they were only background characters. Liss, Ista's courier lady-in-waiting, had potential, but was never really developed.

The addition of a new magic system, demon magic, didn't help. It seemed a bit contrived, especially since there wasn't even a mention of such powers in the first book.

This book is worth reading if you liked the first book, or if you like romantic fantasy, but I consider it to be only average.

Excellent Fantasy novel with a spiritual bend.......2007-01-20

This is a fantasy novel that covers road trip book, growing up and spirituality.
The fantasy world is European history based, vividly described and makes for a great backdrop for what is a road trip book as the main character of the book, Ista goes about discovering her capabilities and connections.
I found the story flow is quite gripping and had lots of twists and turns to make it right there in my list with other good recent fantasy books such as American Gods.

There is no need to read the first book (The Curse of Chalion) in the series before this one and I would suggest not it as this is the best in the series and carries itself well.

Well written and exciting un-sequel to `Curse of Chalion' .......2007-01-02

I was beginning to get worried...

Of late, the principle character of Lois McMaster Bujold's space opera adventures, Miles Vorkosigan was getting older, settling down and having kids. In the last several novels he was becoming domesticated and sedentary compared to his action-packed youthful exploits with the Dendarii Mercenaries. Moving in diplomatic circles, Miles is doing more detecting than adventuring. I miss Admiral Naismith.

I'm glad Lois ventured back into the fantasy genre with `Curse of Chalion', where she has created a fantasy universe every bit as rich and tactile as Miles' Barryaran Empire.

In a well written and exciting un-sequel to that good story, Lois follows the Dowager Royina Ista, (Iselle's mother) on a holy pilgrimage away from her Castle into a new adventure not unlike one that Miles would experience.

In CofC, Ista was a shadow character, lonely in her misfortune and her madness. But in `Palladin', Ista`s character takes on new life, facing challenges heroically that her CofC character was never capable of.

Ista and her traveling retinue, the brothers dyGura, Ferda and Foix (from CofC), Friar Tuck-like cleric dyCabon, and a new strong young heroine named Liss, meet with considerable bad fortune and interesting events along her pilgrimage. Ista also gets an opportunity for romance, although at first it appears quite remote.

Along the way, they meet with signs of necromancy and demon-mongering, and a dose of Roknari invaders. Throw in some chivalrous new characters, and the usual handful of Bujold plot twists and unexpected events, and we wind up with quite a satisfying novel, even more interesting than its predecessor and comparable to a good Miles Vorkosigan space opera adventure.

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Paladin Of Souls
Lois McMaster Bujold
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: MP3 CD

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ASIN: 0786182636

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Paladin Of Souls
Lois McMaster Bujold
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

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Paladin of Souls
Lois McMaster Bujold
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Paladin of Souls (Audiofy Digital Audiobook Chips)

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Paladin of Souls (Audiofy Digital Audiobook Chips)

Manufacturer: Audiofy/Blackstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards
ASIN: 159912565X

Product Description

This Audiofy audiobook chip packs Kate Reading's full 16.5 hour reading of "Paladin of Souls" on a tiny memory card. A single Audiofy audiobook chip, hardly larger than a stamp, holds a complete digital audiobook, and saves the last listening position automatically, unlike CDs. With an SD memory card slot or low-cost adapter - like those for digital cameras - this Audiofy audiobook chip can be played on Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh desktop computers or laptops (Microsoft Windows XP/2000/Me/98, or Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above) or transferred to Apple iPod media players. Audiobook chips also move seamlessly to most Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld PDAs with SD expansion slots, as well as Treo and Windows Mobile "smartphones" (Palm OS 5.2 or Windows Mobile 2002 and above)... Three years have passed since the widowed Dowager Royina Ista found release from the curse of madness that kept her imprisoned in her family's castle of Valenda. Her newfound freedom is costly, bittersweet with memories, regrets, and guilty secrets-for she knows the truth of what brought her land to the brink of destruction. And now the road-escape-beckons....A simple pilgrimage, perhaps. Quite fitting for the Dowager Royina of Chalion.

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The Hallowed Hunt (Unabridged)
Lois McMaster Bujold
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000P6R51Q

Paladin De Almas/ Paladin of Souls (Fantasia)

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Paladin De Almas/ Paladin of Souls (Fantasia)
Lois McMaster Bujold
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Paladin of Souls (Unabridged)
Lois McMaster Bujold
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B0008KLPII

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Paladin Of Souls
Lois Mcmaster Bujold
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8PFTY

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Paladin of Souls 1ST Edition Signed
Lois Mcamast Bujold
Manufacturer: AVON BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000Q3T0VG

Book Description

Based entirely on research from peer-reviewed journals and randomized controlled trials, Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff is a complete program to prevent and rehabilitate rotator cuff injuries for athletes and non-athletes alike. In less than 100 pages, readers will learn precisely how the rotator cuff works, what can go wrong with it, and then are guided step-by-step through an evidence-based program that takes just minutes a week to complete. Drawing from the latest rotator cuff research, Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff is especially useful for those who have been diagnosed with either a partial or full-thickness rotator cuff tear, experience shoulder pain, do upper body weight lifting, play a sport or have a job that involves repeated arm motions above shoulder level, have been diagnosed with "impingement syndrome," or for anyone simply wanting a healthy and properly functioning rotator cuff.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent resource on treating and preventing injuries..........2007-09-06

This is a great book that concisely explains the anatomy and physiology of the rotator cuff including the bones, muscles, biomechanics, etc. in just enough detail for the average person to understand. It also describes how to distinguish between different types of injuries, how to approach rehabilitating them and collects a lot of rotator cuff injuries in one small volume. While the book is rather expensive for its size, it packs a lot of well-explained information into a small space.

I'm an ex-physiology teaching fellow and scientist. I thought this book was great and turned something that is often difficult to explain into something anyone who can read can understand. The diagrams are good and the book contains no unnecessary detail.

I also agree with other reviewers that while Jim Johnson isn't an expert on rotator cuffs, his book is thoroughly researched and he does have a PT credential and has undoubtedly had 15 years of clinical experience in a teaching hospital environment. This suggests he has a very good nuts and bolts understanding and hands-on experience.

Johnson is "magic"!.......2007-07-09

This is the second book of Jim Johnson's that I have bought. The first one fixed my back pains with a simple exercise to strengthen the Multifidus muscles.

The exercises in this book has significantly reduced pain and increased mobility in my left shoulder, allowing me to sleep through the night and lift my arm over my shoulder.

Review of, "Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff".......2007-06-13

I ordered this book for my brother-in-law who has experienced shoulder pain and not being able to lift his arm higher than shoulder level due to a rotator cuff injury he received in the past. I recommended it to him because of the wonderful results I got using the information in this book to treat my own right shoulder pain.

Having previously read, Jim Johnson's, The Sixty-Second Motivator, and finding it very helpful, I can tell you that I certainly had the motivation to try and stick with an exercise that would relieve my painful and restricting condition. And it sounded to me like my brother-in-law was in the same boat.

I used the Sidelying External Rotation exercise on page 55 of the rotator cuff book and got great results. The first time I tried it I could only manage to raise a 20 ounce can of pineapple about half way up less than ten times. I found the detailed instruction, precautions and notes particularly helpful and feel that carefully following them was why I experienced the gradual recovery. My wife sat beside me making sure I did the exercise slowly and exactly as the book states. After about four weeks I actually worked up to fully raising the can of pineapple 20 times. Later on I increased the weight little by little and began to feel good enough to resume some of the more physically demanding activities on our small farm.

Last week I was actually able to assist with harvesting our hay and didn't suffer during or afterward from any of the shoulder pain or stiffness that I had previously experienced many times. Yes, I was careful about what I did and how I worked, but for me to even attempt to try stacking a 60 pound bale of hay was completely out of the question a few months ago. I went from shoulder pain that caused me sleepless nites and not being able to lift my right arm any higher than shoulder level, to what I consider a darned good day's work.

This book is a real bargain and indeed I consider it invaluable when I think about how it helped me. And as you can see, I heartily recommend it.

So far, so good.......2007-05-11

Just as the book promised, I had a eureka! moment the other day. I bought this book because I have been having unidentified rotator cuff problems for years (I was a baseball and now am an avid softball player). Because everyone talks about rotator cuff tears, I assumed that's what my problem was. After reading Johnson's book, I was surprised and pleased to discover that my problem was most likely simply an impingement, and that no matter what your unspecified problem it is, it is likely to improve from his exercises (he cites the studies that prove this claim). Prior to starting his exercises, it was painful to soap up in the shower, sleep or do anything where I had to reach my back. Now, after just a month of the stretches and strengthening exercises I realized all of a sudden the other day (eureka!) that I have no pain in my shoulders! My range of motion is not where it should be yet in one shoulder, but it's improving. I still have a ways to go, but I'm encouraged by my progress so far.

Johnson's book is written to help people with all severity of rotator cuff problems. Anywhere from being unable to lift an arm overhead to near full utility of the joint. He also gives you measurements by which you can judge your flexibility, which is also nice to help you figure out what "normal" is.

I suppose the question still remains: why don't you just go to a doctor, idiot? I suppose the real answer is the inconvenience of going, the cost, and primarily, just that I'm a DIYer type my nature, and like to fix things on my own when I can.

The only reason I didn't go to 5 stars was because I got the impression from the book that Johnson is really just a guy (in the field) who reviewed some studies and came up with a program. Now, that's a great way to go about things, but I would not call him an *expert* on rotator cuffs. On the plus side, that does make him very easy to understand, as opposed to some of the surgeons out there who have written on the subject.

The Reflexology Workout: Hand and Foot Massage for Super Health and Rejuvenation

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About the Book:
Amazing results!

The Reflexology Workout: Hand and Foot Massage for Super Health and Rejuvenation
Stephanie Rick
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0517884852
Release Date: 1995-10-17

Book Description

With more than 66,000 copies sold, The Reflexology Workout is a perennial favorite among readers interested in holistic and alternative medicine. With a striking new cover design, it will capture fresh attention on the shelves. Black-and-white photographs.

Customer Reviews:

About the Book:.......2005-02-02

Illustrated throughout 175 pages with line drawings.

Reflexology is a preventive, noninvasive massage therapy that employs a holistic approach to maintaining health and promoting healing. It is simple to learn and can be performed within the privacy of your home. It can be used to relieve painful sensations, instill feelings of relaxation, and speed recovery from injury or illness. It is a form of internal massage that you can perform on yourself. It's safe and easy to learn. It is based on the principle that applying pressure to the 26 pressure points found on the hands and feet stimulates or depresses the organs, controls the release of hormones, and enhances cardiovascular performance.

The Reflexology Workout program will teach you how to stimulate pressure points in combinations that can effectively target, troubleshoot and tailor the health benefits to suit your specific needs.

The eight workouts are:

The Cardiovascular Workout

The Energy Workout

The Immune-System Workout

The Rejuvenation Workout

The Stress-Control Workout

The Super-Health Workout

The Tone-up Workout

The Weight-Control Workout

After you have mastered the simple art of reflexology, you will be able to invent your own workout for maxiumum results. The book can help you lose weight, strengthen your immune system, control stress, and improve you overall health and well-being.

Amazing results!.......1999-05-12

By using the straightforward information in this book, I was able to reduce or eliminate most of my physical ailments. My health has improved and I am virtually pain-free now. I am grateful to the editors and publisher of this book.

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Reflexology Workout
Stephanie Rick
Manufacturer: HARMONY BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Reflexology Workout: Hand & Foot Massage for Super Health & Rejuvenation

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The Reflexology Workout: Hand & Foot Massage for Super Health & Rejuvenation
Stephanie; Random House Paper Crown Pub Rick
Manufacturer: Crown Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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