Otherwise Engaged : a Novel

Amazon.com

After 18 months of dating, hemming, hawing, begging, badgering, and threatening--as well as performing "really sincere fellatio"--the heroine of Otherwise Engaged has finally finagled an engagement ring. Eve seems confident that Michael, "the epitome of a Nice Jewish Man," is the person she wants to spend her life with. Yet she nearly kills herself soon after the celebratory dinner, staring at her newly acquired rock while speeding along a San Francisco freeway. And she may kill Michael, too, but not accidentally: "Michael leaves his socks on the floor when he takes off his shoes after work. This used to be fine. But now a sock on the floor isn't just a sock on the floor. It's a sock on the floor for the rest of my life."

Suzanne Finnamore's comic novel chronicles the happy couple's year-long engagement--which, to judge from Eve's Valium intake, is about 11 months too long. Eve and Michael bicker over every last detail: whether to hire a professional photographer or one of Michael's advertising-director buddies; which one of them wastes more money; who used up the last can of chicken stock and didn't add it to the shopping list. At 36, Eve throws more tantrums than the average toddler, and Michael's moodiness and problems with his ex-wife certainly don't help. The result is one drama-queen dilemma after another, none of them much ameliorated by Eve's slapstick sessions with "a seventy-year-old Marin County prominent Jungian."

Eve's troubles are primarily self-induced, of course, and the lush life she leads as a lavishly compensated advertising copywriter makes it hard to regard her as a tragic figure. Still, Otherwise Engaged is worth a quick read by any anxious bride-to-be who's delaying that inevitable appointment with Martha Stewart's premarital to-do checklist. --Erica Jorgensen

Book Description

"What nobody tells you about getting engaged is he asks you and you're delirious for about two days and then it tapers. He asks you and you're running around telling grocery clerks and ordering subscriptions to bride magazines and discussing prong settings versus suspension settings, and then after two days this ebullience passes. It is no longer conceptual; you have the whole wedding to plan and from that moment on the pressure builds.

"The ebullience comes back, two days before the wedding. The boomerang effect. Something else no one tells you about.

"They should parachute this information into the major cities."

For every woman who has ever dreamed of getting married or survived the pre-wedding hell of planning the big day; for every man who has ever watched in horror as the woman he loves mutates into a bride-to-be--a wickedly funny first novel about the excruciating ritual otherwise known as modern marriage.

Michael has finally asked Eve to marry him. It is tempting to believe that everything is going according to plan. But from her first anxiety-producing en- counter with Modern Bride magazine to setting a date ("My impression is that if you don't set a date, they stone you"), finding a dress, ordering invitations ("I don't want the plain envelopes. I want the white go-go boots. Everyone else has them"), and the unrelenting chaos of life in the world beyond the wedding, from the fights and resentment ("For eighteen months I rubbed his back and made him soup and performed really sincere fellatio and now I'm tired") to the disconcerting realization that lately when she looks at her fiance she hears the striking of a Chinese gong and the words FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE echoing through her head, Eve discovers that planning a wedding is fraught with unexpected perils, and it's a long walk to the altar.

Otherwise Engaged is a wry, deliciously caustic ride through the outsized rituals of an American wedding, and a hilarious portrait of what happens to an otherwise rational, intelligent woman when she begins to plan one.

Customer Reviews:

A waste of time.......2007-08-07

This book gave me a headache. It jumps around and the thoughts the author conveys are incomplete and at times make no sense. I kept reading because of all the good reviews and hoped it would get better. In the end it was a huge let down.

They killed trees for THIS?.......2006-10-27

What a disastrously bad and unfunny novel. The self-involved main character is pathetic and whiny, the "plot" is see-through and cliched, and the writing style is far below what can be found on any mediocre blog.

When people criticize chick lit, this is exactly the kind of book they're talking about. It's shallow to such a shocking degree than when it tries to take itself seriously, or stretches for a literary flourish, it's absolutely cringe-worthy. I find it hard to believe the people who've praised it here actually read the same book.

This was given to me by an acquaintance shortly after my engagement. She said she didn't really like it but thought it would be "more my kind of thing." Obviously not a person who knows me well. Thankfully, it doesn't appear the author is terribly prolific, so readers don't need to worry about trying to stumble through page after page of show-offy navel-gazing.

I wouldn't say it's one of the worst books I've read, but it's certainly one of the most useless.

favorite book.......2006-05-17

i just started reading it again for the second time- i forgot how funny it was! very clever, origional humor.

Witty and Sarcastic.......2006-03-31

I loved this book! It was filled with witt and sarcasm. I am so disappointed to see all the reviews that are not based on the book but rather the reviewer's personal life and views on marriage and engagement. One of the best parts of the book is the over-the-top main character. She's vibrant, funny, witty, and intelligent not your typical "bride" character: A 20 something princess bride who is rescued by a prince and lives happily ever after.
I've lent this book to so many people that it is falling apart...at the seams.

We'll all be dead soon...........2006-03-09

I have a different take on this book from some other reviewers. I actually think Eve and Michael have a really good relationship and a strong bond. However, I think that Eve has major problems with depression/anxiety. I say this because she seems to have a black outlook on life. She mentions death repeatedly, and says quite a few really depressing things about the world we live in, such as that the only two things that have been invented in her lifetime are cell phones and chemotherapy. She says this like it's a bad thing. She comes across as insightful, intelligent, and caring, but extremely depressed.

She also seems quite anxious. I gathered this from the number of times she mentions being scared and the truly odd things she finds to worry about, such as that it's too late to have a relationship with an African-American man. She is in advertising, and it is quite clear to me that she has a lot of imagination. However, unfortunately, her imagination seems to be used in the service of coming up with truly odd things to worry about. Her insights are sharp, as when she describes the creative director who takes credit for others' work. But too often she uses her imagination to worry herself sick.

I actually was not angry with Eve, or Michael, but with the therapist. It seemed to me that instead of regaling her with Jungian-type insights, he should have been helping her correct her thought processes through something like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). One of the things he could have used this for is to help her evaluate the likelihood of her fears actually coming true. He could also have helped her with medication, which she needs, and her history of untimely deaths of loved ones. I was not surprised, reading about that, that she is preoccupied with death.

I really hope the author is a happy woman who chose to write about a depressed/anxious fiancee. If this is autobiographical, I feel bad for her - and I want to say: Get another therapist!

Otherwise Engaged: A Novel(Advanced Reader's Edition)

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Otherwise Engaged: A Novel(Advanced Reader's Edition)
Suzanne Finnamore
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M4YJE2

Customer Reviews:

Memorable.......2007-08-15

Based on the reviews, this seems to be a love it or hate it book. I think the only reason I'm in the "love it" category is because I didn't read its prequel, and thus wasn't as distressed by the ending of this one.

That being said, I think this was quite well written (as most of Sandra Brown's are!). The characters were definitely a bit more flawed than your typical romance, but in some ways I think this made for a more satisfying and memorable read.

As others have mentioned, Banner is a bit of a brat at first (think Scarlett O'Hara), but that made it all the more satisfactory to see her maturity and growth by the end of the book. At first I was hesitant about the hero's intial fascination with the heroine's mother, but personally I think Brown did a good job in making that work - again, the extra conflict only made it all the sweeter to finally see them work out their differences.

This is perhaps a bit too intense to be a sweet and easy "beach read," but if you're in the mood for a deeper love story, Another Dawn is well written and one that might stand out from other romances.

Great Continuation of Sunset Embrace.......2006-07-28

I enjoyed the continuation of Ross & Lydia's story as well as the new romance we saw budding between Jake and Banner. What I liked most about the book was the portrayal of strong family values and relationships between the characters. It was believable, sweet and occasionally romantic and suspenseful.

I recommend reading this book only if you've read Sunset Embrace. It's worth it to catch up on the characters if you enjoyed them, although this novel is not as good.

Good on it's own - not as a sequel.......2006-07-13

I really, really enjoyed this book. However, I seem to be one of the few reviwers that didn't read "Sunset Embrace" first. Although technically this one is a sequel, I am SO GLAD I didn't read them in order. In fact, after reading this one, I refused to read Sunset Embrace at all, knowing how the couple would end up in the sequel. I've read all of Sandra Brown's other books, and have loved nearly all of them. Most, including Another Dawn have made it to my keeper shelf.

The characters in this have great chemistry, and although Banner is bratty (she's also very young), I couldn't stop turning the pages to see what would happen next.

My advice is to definetly give this book a try if you have NOT read Sunset Embrace. Not to say that one is better than the other, but if you're a fan of "romantic happy endings," these books are better off not read together. I am pretty sure that if I'd read Sunset Embrace first I would have hated the sequel.

Didn't even finish it, and even then it was a big dissapointment.......2006-03-10

From the back cover:

Jake Langston wasn't a man to go looking for trouble, though if it found him he'd settle it--with a gun or a soft threat. But the night beautiful Banner Coleman forced his hand, he was lost...

Torn by secrets he'd never shared, Jake Langston had grown to bitter manhood on the wagon train west to Texas. Baptized by the senseless murder of his brother, introduced to passion in the arms of a woman incapable of love, Jake wanted no part of the seductive purity of the spirited daughter of his best friends Ross and Lydia. But on a night when her dearest illusions about love had been shattered, Banner Coleman went in search of the one man who could never refuse her anything. Shame warred with desire--and lost...

In the cold light of morning their guilt stilled their raging passions, and they turned from one another in sorrow and remorse. But when their enemies joined in a plot of jealousy and revenge that threatened all they held dear, they were forced to confront the demons of a shadowy past. Only then would they be free to face the new day, a future limited only by their dreams...and their love for each other...

And my review:

I bought this book solely because it had Sandra Brown's name on it. I had absolutely loved 'Tidings of Great Joy', so I decided to read anything of hers that I could get my hands on.

This book is a sequel - well, it shows. I hadn't read the book that preceded it, and I was left feeling lost. The author tries to compensate for this by feeding the reader tons of back information. It made the story feel very choppy. The wedding scene in the first chapter gets interrupted something like six times with flashbacks. It had a very disjointed feeling to it, and I was left suffering from information overload.

But when Jake sleeps with Banner (what the heck kind of a name for a heroine is that?) on the night of her broken wedding, I stopped reading. I mean, can you say, 'taking advantage'? The fact that he'd been in love with Banner's mother for years just made it gross. I didn't realize this was going to be one of those 'barely-at-the-age-of-consent-girl falling for a man old enough to be her father' books. I HATE those!

When I read the other reviews on this site, I was glad that I didn't waste any more time on this. The ending was obviously horrible, and I didn't even read 'Sunset Embrace'.

Why?!?!?!.......2006-01-10

The previous reviews gave away the ending about Ross and I was so unsatisfied when I actually read it in the book. I don't understand why such a bad thing had to happen to him after 20 years of peacefulness and the thing that really got to me was who did the deed. Honestly I don't think he should have been the one to do it. He was too little of a man to do what he did. I am very disappointed in this book and Sunset Embrace.

Always Another Dawn: The Story of a Rocket Test Pilot (Literature and History of Aviation)

Average customer rating:

A book for specially interested people, like me...
Great Book of an Aviation Pioneer
A must-read account of the development of supersonic flight
A compelling account of a very special period in Aviation.
I read this book some ten years ago, now I'm buying it

Always Another Dawn: The Story of a Rocket Test Pilot (Literature and History of Aviation)
A. Scott Crossfield , and Clay Blair
Manufacturer: Arno Press Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0405037589

Customer Reviews:

A book for specially interested people, like me..........2003-08-25

This book does not deserve a good rating. 2 stars is perhaps to harsh, but it is actually not well written at all. - On the other side I don't regret that I bought it. Because it contains a lot of information and opinions with regards to high speed and high alltitude flight from this Golden Age Of Aviation. It was of historical value for me to get a feeling of this periode. - But it seems that Scott Crossfield was pressed by a publisher to write for two audiences, and one of the "audiences" may have been the housewife of the late fifthies. (I soon discovered that I had to browse through the first 100 or 150 pages of the book.) - If Scott Crossfield had sat down today to rewrite the story, I believe it could have become a great aviation book.

Great Book of an Aviation Pioneer.......1999-04-04

Always Another Dawn tells the stort of A. Scott Crossfield, a pioneering test pilot. His greatest accomplishment was being an integral part of the development and initial flight testing of the X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft, and it in this area that the book concentrates. It is well-written, however a bit dated. I felt the technical aspects of the airplane's design were lacking, even for the average reader. Any aviation enthusiast will find this to be a great addition to his/her library.

A must-read account of the development of supersonic flight.......1998-09-18

This is a different book about an era that much has been written about. William Bridgeman's "The lonely sky", Pete Everest's "Fastest Man Alive" and Yeager's bestselling autobiography all talk about the same era - the development of supersonic aircraft in the late 40s and early 50s. The perspective is different, Crossfield was a new breed of test pilot - an engineer with the "Right Stuff". For one he was a NACA (now NASA) pilot from the beginning at Edwards AFB. The others were Air Force and manufacturers test pilots. He then left to join North American to push the X-15 program (a much needed research tool) to its completion. Great descriptions of both personal and organizational challenges, the preparation, design and flight testing associated with the X-15. Read "At the Edge of Space : The X-15 Flight Program" by Milt Thomson (who flew the X-15 after Crossfield had tested it) to see how well Crossfield and North American Aviation suceeded in their endeavour to make an unparalleled air vehicle. Some of its records held till the Space Shuttle broke them.

A compelling account of a very special period in Aviation........1998-09-06

I must admit to being a little prejudiced in my review. For, fortunate for me, the author is my Godfather. My own father, Arthur Olderich, Jr., worked with Mr. Crossfield during the 1950s and, over the past few years, has shared many of his personal accounts of those very special moments in Aviation History. This book chronicles, in vivid detail, so many of the facinating incidents, milestones, and major events that colored the lives of those pioneer aviators at Edwards AFB. I treasure my autographed copy !

I read this book some ten years ago, now I'm buying it.......1998-08-23

I borrowed this book from a friend some ten years ago, and have been trying to get my own copy ever since. The book is for the Aviation nuts out there and tells all about the early years at Edward Air Force Base, and the joy and sorrow these early flights bought. If I remember this book was so compusive that I read it in two day and not forgotten it in ten year. Buy it, read it, and enjoy it! I certainly Did

Sunset Embrace Series - 2 Titles - Sunset Embrace - Another Dawn

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Sunset Embrace Series - 2 Titles - Sunset Embrace - Another Dawn
Sandra Brown
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000M12X16

Another Dawn (Zebra Splendor Historical Romances)

Average customer rating:

This book fried me.
Romance, drama, metaphysics, hot sex
A MUST HAVE
Well-plotted, intelligent time-travel romance.
Powerful Read

Another Dawn (Zebra Splendor Historical Romances)
Deb Stover
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0821761005

Customer Reviews:

This book fried me........2000-01-16

I could not put this one down. I loved the story, it was rich in detail and personalities. The chemistry between the characters was "pardon the pun" electrifying. Thank you Ms Stover for your time. I am heading off to seek another Deb Stover novel on Amazon.com. Aufwiedersein.

Romance, drama, metaphysics, hot sex.......1999-06-07

What more could you want in a book? From the absolute stunner of an opening to the last page, I was riveted by this story. Cleverly plotted, heartbreaking in places, always entertaining. A perennial favorite author.

A MUST HAVE.......1999-05-19

If you like Time Travels you will like this book, I couldn't put it down. Plus this is an author that interacts with her reads, she's online all the time talking to people who love romance books. I think that is really neat.

Well-plotted, intelligent time-travel romance........1999-05-14

This is the first Deb Stover I've read and I'm now glomming her backlist. This book is definitely a book worth more than its price - exciting, passionate, and emotional. It made me think a little about the penal code as well.

I actually bought the book for the cover. Don't laugh. But oh, what a serendipity! This book is a treasure.

Powerful Read.......1999-05-12

This book made me think long and hard about how I really feel about the death penalty. The author's description of the electrocution was powerful. The romance is first rate, the writing clean and flowing, and I highly recommend this book to any read: male, female, romance, or not.

Average customer rating:

Always Another Dawn
Z O Roberts
Manufacturer: F J Thwaites
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JOECTM

Average customer rating:

Strong Female Characters and Well Researched
Carefully-researched
Premier offering by Ms. O'Rorke!

Always Another Dawn
Torena O'Rorke
Manufacturer: Sterlinghouse Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Friendship | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1563152622

Book Description

The turmoil of the Great Depression serbes asa backdrop for this poignant story of two young women. One poor, the other rich, Emily and Lizzie become best friends and stand firm when their loyalities are tested by ambition, jealousy and personal tragedy.

Customer Reviews:

Strong Female Characters and Well Researched.......2001-01-04

It was a pleasure reading a book with such strong, multi-dimensional female characters. I was especially impressed with the amount of research the author must have done in order to describe not only the political tensions and bigotries of the time; but also the region of the Pacific Northwest, the details regarding older Seattle, its neighborhoods and its populations. Good work!

Carefully-researched.......2000-08-21

Occasionally I read a book in which I come to care about the characters, especially as they mature over time. This is one of those books. The book is carefully-researched, providing a description of WWII from the viewpoint of 2 women who participated in the defense of our country. I look forward to the next book from this author.

Premier offering by Ms. O'Rorke!.......2000-06-06

This first published book by Torena O'Rorke will carry you through the tumultuous era of World War II as experienced by young women. The texture of the settings and the complex depth of the characters will enthrall readers. The painting of the settings of the pristine Pacific Northwest from Seattle through the magical San Juan Islands is a treat for the soul. This is a wonderful inspiring book for all. ENJOY! Victoria McCurley

Average customer rating:

Hot, hot, hot

Another Dawn
Lynn Turner
Manufacturer: harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0373251564

Customer Reviews:

Hot, hot, hot.......2007-03-03

Can't believe someone hasn't reviewed this book. Haven't read it in years, so I cannot remember the characters' names but who cares? He has been diagnosed with a deadly condition, resulting from an injury sustained on one of his jaunts. One fall or jarring motion and the time bomb in his head could kill him instantly.
He is a friend of her parents and is some years older than his love interest. In fact, the only reason he's succumbed to her charms is she wears him down. They have some major sexual chemistry going on and don't let it go to waste. This is a keeper and one I've read over and over.I haven't read a Lynn Turner book that I didn't like. Her book "Hook, Line and Sinker" is also wonderful.

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Another Dawn
Sandra Brown
Manufacturer: Warner Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RKSQCM

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ANOTHER DAWN
Sandra BROWN
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000IZVFGK

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Another Dawn
Margaret Low Ridley , and Robert H. Ridley
Manufacturer: Wilkinson Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WJKDJM

Product Description

Texas poets.

Book Description

Peter F. Hamilton returns to the future world of Mindstar Rising with an engrossing new adventure of Greg Mandel, a freelance operative whose telepathic abilities give him a crucial edge in the high-tech world of the twenty-first century.Professor Edward Kitchener, a double Nobel laureate researching quantum cosmology for the powerful Event Horizon conglomerate, has been savagely murdered. But was he the victim of industrial espionage, personal revenge, or a crime of passion by one of his handpicked team of live-wire students?Event Horizon needs to know, and fast, so Greg Mandel, PSI-boosted veteran of the infamous Mindstar Battalion, must embark on an urgent investigation that ultimately leads him to an astounding confrontation with apast, which, according to the dead man's theories, might never have happened.

Customer Reviews:

Very nice follow-up to Mindstar Rising.......2005-01-31

Hamilton delivers another solidly entertaining novel with A Quantum Murder. In this book, Greg Mandel is called back to the service of Julia Evans to solve the mystery of a murder that it appears nobody has committed. It is not long into the investigation before the political involvement and strange case features make it clear that this is no ordinary case...

Although the writing is very smooth in A Quantum Murder (smoother than in Mindstar Rising, actually) I still found it a little bit of a letdown after the first book. In Mindstar Rising Hamilton played with mystery genre characteristics-- in A Quantum Murder the book is driven by them. Despite the futuristic technology, this book had significantly less scifi elements than the first. The plot was also quite a bit simpler and significantly more hackneyed in several places.

I liked the first book in the series precisely because it combined the two genres (mystery and science fiction) very effectively. I suspect that A Quantum Murder will generally appeal more to mystery fans who are more tolerant of the genre's standard flaws than it will to science fiction readers. Still, I found it an absorbing read which kept the pages turning very quickly.

Second Book of a Very Good Trilogy.......2004-12-05

The three books in Peter F. Hamilton's Greg Mandel series were written before his "Night's Dawn" series. I'm not certain of this, but they seem to occur in the same universe as that series, just at a MUCH earlier time. Regardless, this series is excellent. What's especially nice, is that, for the most part, each of these books stands alone. You still need to read them in order, but none of them ends in a cliff-hanger requiring your reading of the next. Unfortunately, each of these books has a few fairly explicit sexual situations described in them. The amount of sex increases as you move from book to book. If it weren't for that, I'd recommend these books for everyone.

"Mindstar Rising" is the first book in the series. It's a very good, fast-paced sci-fi action thriller. The book introduces all the important characters and the "universe" used throughout the series. For the most part, the character development is good. I have a few qualms about a character or two suddenly being more capable than they are during the majority of the book, but that's mostly inconsequential. The plot, too, is very good. However, the transition between the first, introductory, situation in the book and the primary situation could have been worked better: it seems contrived. But, I might be seeing that solely because I've read the book four times now.

"A Quantum Murder" is the second book in the series. This book takes place about three years after "Mindstar Rising." Instead of being the science-fiction action thriller that the first book is, it's more of a science fiction mystery. It's a close call, but I think this book is slightly better than "Mindstar Rising." Once again, there's good character development, but this time, the plot is somewhat more tightly put together. I've only got a couple of quibbles: first, in one scene, Mandel's psi powers inexplicably include actual telepathy instead of just the empathy described in "Mindstar Rising." And, second, after the characters find out who the murderer is, instead of sending the police out immediately, they close up shop for the night and say they'll do it in the morning. Other than that, this is an excellent book which shows the origins of a lot of the technology in the "Night's Dawn" series.

"The Nano Flower" is the third, and final, book in the series. The various dates specified in the book don't quite agree, but, in general, it seems to takes place about 16 years after "A Quantum Murder." Like "Mindstar Rising," it's a sci-fi action thriller. Like "A Quantum Murder," it further develops technologies that Hamilton uses in his "Night's Dawn" series. Also, as in "A Quantum Murder," Mandel's psi-powers have once again expanded. Of the three books, this is probably the best. It's a hard comparison to make since the second book is more of a mystery and this book more of an action-thriller. But, in general, I'd say there's an incremental improvement in these books as you move through the series (all of them are very good, though).

Adventurous Speculative SciFi.......2002-10-05

This author writes a well paced book. If you like the idea of
Gland Psychics, Hardliners (body guards) and Cyber
technology, this one is fun.
Good characterisation and a story wonderful!! More speculative SciFi please.

Better than Mindstar rising.......2002-09-25

Well, here we have the sequel to Mindstar Rising. It has many of the same characters, bringing some old favorites back for a second book.
Overall, this book is 3 stars. Some elements were better than others, obviously. The characters were good, though Eleanor still seems to have no personallity whatsoever. The plot was inplausible, at best, and hard to believe. The writing style was still very interesting, and is, in fact, the only reason that I finished this book at all.
A murder mystery set in future England, with not one but several odd twists. Not good twists really, nor believable, but not too farfetched, if you have a very, very open mind. (I think I'll leave it at that.)
One of the best things about this book though was the fact that the author obviously took some pains to follow semi-known physics, and tried not to bend the laws of the universe too far. Also, even though these things play a major part in the story, the aren't the dominating feature. So, for those of you not interested in theoretical quantum physics, or cosmology, this book won't bore you to tears.
All in all, it flowed (to me at least) better than Mindstar Rising, even if the storyline was a little thin in several places.
I also found the discription of the inside of an insane seriel killer's mind quite interesting; it really makes you wonder.
So, if you liked the first book, chances are that this one will appeal to you as well.

An excellent sequel to Mindstar Rising........2000-08-28

Some years after the events portrayed in Mindstar Rising, Greg Mandell finds himself being called in to help Julia Evans solve the mystery of the murder of a scientist who was doing some work for her company - Things start to get 'interesting' very quickly - in the sense of the Chinese Curse, that is.

Again set in the Rutland area of England, Greg has now married the girl he met in the first book & that adds its own complications (read the book to find out more on that); with psychic abilities also playing a large part in this book, including a very nice twist to 'solving' the murder.

These books always get me thinking, the events are set in the near future, with environmental & political upheavals which are all too possible. A very good read.

If you haven't read 'Mindstar Rising'(the first book), don't worry - this book stands on its own, but you will benefit if you read 'Mindstar' first.

Better still, read the trilogy, you won't regret it.

Average customer rating:
Prize Murder
Nicholas Rhea
Manufacturer: ISIS Audio Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
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ASIN: 1846520622

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A QUANTUM MURDER
Peter F. Hamilton
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTU17Y

Average customer rating:
A Quantum Murder
Peter Hamilton
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NW3OO4

Customer Reviews:

Totally changed my view of God and Religion.......2007-09-22

My favorite life-changing chapter, is the dialogue between God and the Mortal on free-will. I was raised with the very frightening view of God as punishing, rewarding, unavailable and angry. When I read this chapter, I began to look at God and religion in a very different way. I highly recommend this book - especially if you struggle with the notion of a punitive, angry Ruler of the World. It helped me tremendously.

The Tao may be silent, but Smulyan is not.......2007-09-19

Raymond Smullyan asks many profound and exciting questions and considers what a true Taost will answer. He does not preach Taosm. He rather gives you a feeling what it is about. It is a narrative without heroes. Smullyans sense of relativity or humor is always in the background. I read one chapter every night before sleeping and it made me long for my bed!

the path to enlightenment starts here.......2006-12-20

I was skeptical as I first began to read the short story (or perhaps essay) 'Is God a Taoist'. But it hit me like a ton of bricks with a few simple words 'Where do you end, and the rest of the universe begin?'. And by the time I had finished reading the essay i began to see the world differently then my Catholic School Boy eyes had ever seen it. I immediately rushed out to buy the book, to learn more about this mysterious religion called 'Taoism'. After I read the rest of 'The Tao is Silent' I rushed out to get and to read 'The Tao Te Ching' and other books on the subject.

Now several years later I can not tell you how much differently I see the world. This book taught me the most important lessons that you will ever need to know.

Embrace simplicity, Love the way thing are, and listen to your dog.

A delightful gem!.......2006-07-03

Smullyan has written a superb introduction to Chinese Taoist thought, that also has important things to say about some of the philosophy of religion issues that we worry about here in the West. Smullyan is occasionally a bit too "cute" for my taste in his writings, so I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. A marvelous, kind-hearted, gentle book!

A great library book........2006-04-30

I bought this book, read it, enjoyed it and will reread it but I wish I hadn't. Living in Taiwan I end up buying a lot of books that should stay in the library and this is one of them. A funny and thought provoking book that I didn't need to own.

Check it out at a library yourself and see how you feel.

Average customer rating:

The Tao Is Silent
Raymond M. Smullyan
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEOA5I

Average customer rating:

The Tao is Silent
Raymond M. Smullyan
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000L2ASTK

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