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Wow!
Disappointing for Patterson
Exciting, Fast-Paced Science Fiction
kids with wings
What a Fun Read!

When the Wind Blows
James Patterson
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0446676438

Amazon.com

Taking a break from his phenomenally successful Alex Cross series, James Patterson's When the Wind Blows is as much child's fantasy as it is an adult nightmare. The novel moves away from the gritty Washington, D.C., setting of the Cross books and follows the daily life of Frannie O'Neill, a Colorado veterinarian. After the mysterious death of her husband several years before, Frannie retreated to an isolated life in her Colorado practice. But a series of bizarre events suddenly disrupts her lonely routine. On a personal level, she is shaken by her new tenant--Kit Harrison. Kit's too handsome and too friendly and he's a hunter (or so Frannie thinks). He's also recovering from a devastating personal tragedy, and, as Frannie eventually learns, he's really an FBI agent using his vacation to follow a crucial lead. But Kit isn't the one that's got Frannie concerned. As she says after stopping her Suburban one night to check out something on the side of the road: "What I saw was way beyond my abilities to imagine, beyond my comprehension, my system of belief, and maybe beyond my ability to communicate right now. The little girl's arms were folded back in a peculiar way, but when she lifted them--feathers fanned out." The girl is Max, and the mystery of her wings leads Frannie and Kit into a massive conspiracy involving secret genetic research and the scientific manipulation of the human species.

Patterson, a former advertising executive who coined such catchy phrases as "Nupe it!," knows how to entertain. His chapters are always short (some only two pages), and his writing is clear and unobtrusive; the reading experience is brisk--akin to watching a summer blockbuster. The book is not as dark or as weighty as the tales of detective-psychologist Alex Cross, but while some fans may be disappointed by Patterson's migration from pure suspense fiction, his first-person narrator Frannie, has a quirky realism that keeps this flight of fancy mostly on stable ground. --Patrick O'Kelley

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

When the Wind Blows has one of those outrageous premises that you either buy into (a girl with wings?), or you don't. Fortunately, Blair Brown's narration helps you suspend disbelief. Brown, the multi-Emmy-nominated star of the classic TV series The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, reads the story with more authority than the plot seems to merit. But as urgent and forceful as she is with the central narration, she's even better when reading the first-person passages in the voice of Frannie O'Neill, the widowed veterinarian at the center of this James Patterson thriller. That's when she gives the story real heart, a desperately needed humanity in the midst of all the cloning and genetic tinkering. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Lou Schuler

Book Description

Frannie ONeill is a talented Colorado veterinarian haunted by her husbands murder. But the course of her life is about to change again. After another bizarre killing, Kit Harrison, a troubled unconventional FBI agent, arrives on her doorstep. And late one night Frannie stumbles upon a strange, astonishing phenomenon. Frannie and Kit must uncover one of the most diabolical and inhuman plots of modern science.

Download Description

eBook Special Feature: Includes a chapter excerpt of The Lake House. When the Wind Blows, the most brilliant and original "what if" suspense novel to come along in a decade has somehow surpassed the page turning chills of Cat and Mouse and Kiss the Girls. Frannie O'Neill, a young and talented veterinarian whose husband was recently murdered, comes across an amazing discovery near her animal hospital iln the woods. Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent soon arrives on her doorstep. And then, there is eleven-year old Max--Frannie's amazing discover - and one of teh most unforgettable creations in thriller fiction. When the Wind Blows will not just thrill readers, it will make their imaginations and hearts soar.

Customer Reviews:

Wow!.......2007-06-21

At first, I thought Patterson had finally lost it and decided to try his hand at science fiction (which I find very boring at best). However, as I read further, this realistic-fictional story became a page turner rather quickly. The questions this story raised in my mind about the manipulation of human DNA to serve an evil purpose, not only made my skin crawl but forced me to bring this possibility to a conscious level for which I'd rather not. This story made me think while it kept me on the edge of my seat.

Disappointing for Patterson.......2007-06-08

This is definitely not at the same level as other works by Patterson. It lacks the sitting on the edge of your seat suspense which is normal for Patterson. The plot was interesting but characters and the writing style were not well developed. It was a decent read and it leaves you wanting to know more about what happens to the characters. Not good but not bad.

Exciting, Fast-Paced Science Fiction.......2007-06-04

When the Wind Blows, by James Patterson, is an exciting, fast-paced, science fiction novel.

Frannie is a widow and veterinarian who lives in the forests of Colorado. She immediately dislikes the mysterious stranger who rents the cabin on her property. But Kit, an undercover FBI agent, begins to ease his way into Frannie's good graces as he searches for answers to a conspiracy involving genetic manipulation. Something that Kit believes Frannie's deceased husband might have been involved with.

Driving back to her home one night, Frannie sees something amazing. A sight too impossible for anyone to believe: a young girl running through the woods, with wings emerging from her back. When Frannie spots the winged girl again, she realizes that she didn't imagine it. And she must uncover the truth behind this amazing discovery.

With surprises around every corner and a deadly conspiracy, this story would attract adventure, mystery, and science fiction fans alike. And Patterson writes beautiful and vivid scenes of the winged children taking flight that gave me goose bumps. It's no wonder that his subsequent young adult series Maximum Ride (which follows the story of the children in this book) are best sellers. I'll be diving into those as soon as possible.

kids with wings.......2007-03-07

I loved this book also the next in the series Lake house.

What a Fun Read!.......2007-01-26

What an interesting idea, and believable, genetically altered children with superhuman intellect and strength who are like normal children in every other way except that they fly. Totally engaging. I often found myself with a smile on my face and wishing these kids really existed so I could meet them.

One thing I like about Patterson is that he, unlike most suspense novelists, goes out of his way to give the reader a believable excuse that the protagonist does not go to the police. Most novels leave you with the conclusion that the hero suddenly takes idiot pills and that's why he/she doesn't go to the police. In this story, Patterson makes it somewhat understandable why Kit and Frannie don't call for backup.

The one thing I'd like to ask Mr. Patterson: is it really believable that an FBI agent could be such a renegade and survive in that agency? That said, thank you sir, for a great experience of fantasy and fun.

Average customer rating:

Creepy Tale in a Small Mining Community
Great Book
Like getting to second base...
Terrible
Very Chilling Book

When the Wind Blows
John Saul
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Comes the Blind Fury
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ASIN: 0440194903
Release Date: 1990-05-02

Book Description

The children were waiting. Waiting for centuries. Waiting for someone to hear their cries. Now nine-year-old Christine Lyons has come to live in the house on the hill -- the house where no children have lived for fifty years. Now little Christie will sleep in the old-fashioned nursery on the third floor. Now Christie's terror will begin.

Customer Reviews:

Creepy Tale in a Small Mining Community.......2007-03-05

Been a while since I read a Saul book. I stopped because in every book I've read by him bad things happen to the children. And usually many of them die, including the main child. I can't remember the last book I read by him, but I do remember that I ended up throwing the book across the room and walking away. It's too gut wrenching to read about the children dying. Sheesh.

But that's where he strikes you with that feeling of terror. Seems to be his trademark punch I guess.

I was going through my paperback books, looking for something to read and came across my Saul section. There in the middle was this book and it had no creasing of the spine. I hadn't yet read it. As I opened it and began to read, I reminded myself to not get attached to any of the characters.

The story is set in one of those creepy little mining communities (Amberton) that is named after the mine owners, the Ambers. And yes, people die. Children die. There is a supernatural quality with an old Indian superstition too. They believe people who disturb the mine are actually disturbing the water babies - stillborn Indian babies are placed in a cave by the mine and when the wind blows it is said that you can hear the babies crying for their mothers to come back to them. When the wind blows, bad things happen. Nice eerie feel there. Yep.

I found the Ambers to be freaky in that fingernails on the chalkboard way. My shoulders shifted up in a wince often. And don't expect the story to end in a neat little bow. That is not Saul's way. He leaves you still perplexed about what it is in the blowing of the wind that causes craziness to stir. And you get that hint of more craziness to come.

Overall it's a pretty standard Saul book. One of his older stories actually. I found a few glitchy parts in the details. In the beginning one child is 10. At the end of the book he's 9. He must have discovered the fountain of youth, eh? :P

And I'll suggest again that you get attached to none of the characters. The odds are always in favor of them dying. But the story was interesting, fast paced, and gave a nice shiver up the spine.

Great Book.......2007-01-10

If you are a John Saul reader, you don't need a review. You already know how good he is. If you are not a reader already, then get this book and get started. You will be hooked like the rest of us already are.

Like getting to second base..........2006-11-21

With the easiest girl in school and then she asks to be taken home. You think you're going to score, but Miss Easy has turned into Miss Prude. Argh!

Saul had an awesome premise in this book, and he came close to true fear a couple times, yet in the end he flirted with the trigger but never pulled it. Why, John Saul, why? The result is an unsatisfying, boring letdown of a book. I thought he was supposed to be in league with King and Koontz, but if this book is any indication, Saul owns the bush league. The murders are watered-down and PG. The significance of the wind is never explained. So many near scares that after a while you're convinced you will never darken the corner of third base, let alone home plate. Add to that the stiff characters and bad dialogue coupled with the withering suspense and you realize this is one date in need of a merciful abbreviation. Stay away.

Terrible.......2004-06-16

The story was awful. Just awful. Underdeveloped characters, boring storyline and just cheesy enough to make me cringe. I got this book on CD for a 15 hour drive and was sorely disappointed about 1/2 hour in. This isn't horror writing at its finest, that's for sure.

Very Chilling Book.......2000-07-17

This was my seventh Saul book. I first discovered him with The Right Hand of Evil. I don't think I can forget this book. The thing about crying was pretty powerful, so many parents cant stand children crying and they get yelled at hit and/or abused for crying. Also the Indian superstition was interesting whether or not its true. (I am very interested in folklore and superstitions as a study mostly.) And being from Los Angeles the "wind blowing" reminded me of the Santa Anas, which is mentioned in the book also.

Average customer rating:

When the Wind Blows
Get the right version
Please buy this book!
We never learn do we?
Moving, Scary, NOT FOR CHILDREN

When the Wind Blows
Raymond Briggs
Manufacturer: Schocken
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805238298
Release Date: 1987-01-01

Customer Reviews:

When the Wind Blows.......2007-01-12

A fantastic book so real.....however the copy I received wasn't in very good condition - the spin was all broken so I was a bit disappointed in this....the first time I have received a book in such condition.

Get the right version.......2004-01-22

This review is for ISBN 057311496X which I bought thinking that it was the illustrated version. This book is a play adapted from the original, although you would have no way of knowing from the online description. There are many different editions of this wonderful book so be careful that you order the right one.

Please buy this book!.......2003-03-12

Raymond Briggs here presents us with a disarmingly gentle, warm, humorous graphic novel, about a regular blue collar couple trying to understand, and to prepare for, the ultimate catastrophe.

This touching little book came out in the early 80s, when there was a sharp spike in international public awareness of the dangers of nuclear warfare. Due largely to Ronald Reagan's hawkish presidency, people were much more fearful of this looming prospect -- and, of course, rightly so. Reading this reminds me of 1981, when I was in eighth grade, and tensions over Poland were so severe that I recall becoming a regular fixture at our local library, reading and reading, trying helplessly to understand all the forces which, it seemed, were conspiring to destroy us all.

The really touching thing, about the couple portrayed in this book, is that they are normal people. Almost completely uninformed about the world, their mental picture of the world is shaped by a haze of half-remembered patriotic propaganda that is decades out of date, and was heavily distorted to begin with. Their efforts to prepare for a nuclear attack are so pathetic that you would laugh, if you weren't already busy crying.

Those weapons are still out there. This book is important. Everyone should read it. If you half-suspect that you yourself might be slightly un-informed about nuclear war issues, I would like to recommend that you seek out "The New Nuclear Danger," by Dr. Helen Caldicott. It just came out in 2002, and includes a fantastic bibliography which could help you understand nuclear winter, medical effects of fallout, and current weapon stockpiles. There is also a great collection of relevant websites, which we should all be a lot more familiar with.... if you'd like to communicate you concern to your kids with another illustrated book, aimed at a younger audience, I would like to recommend "Hiroshima No Pika," by Toshi Maruki.

You may also like to seek out "Threads," a tremendous docudrama on nuclear war done in consultation with Carl Sagan, in 1984. "Threads" is out of print, except in the UK, but you can find it on the largest online auction houses if you put the terms "threads" and "nuclear" in the search field.

So, if you know anyone who actually went out and bought duct tape in February, 2003, I would like to recommend that you sit down with them, and spend an hour leafing through this horrifying book. Two miserable thumbs way, way, way up.

We never learn do we?.......2003-02-25

As we see our government moving inexorably towards war, and we are told to seal ourselves in with duct tape, the timeless message of these two sad, simple souls who trusted their political leaders should be kept in mind. Then it was nuclear, now it is bioterrorism.

Moving, Scary, NOT FOR CHILDREN.......2003-02-14

this is a well disguised scary story - it starts out all nice and gentle, and the BAM before you realize your reading about nuclear fall out. it's very very scary, and depressing.

Timely to say the least ...

we are being told to protect our homes with Plastic drop cloths and duct tape... they were told to use wooden doors... read it and start thinking.

all that being said
it's beautifully illustrated - and well worth tracking down a copy.

Average customer rating:

When the Winds Blow
Derek Tangye
Manufacturer: Time Warner Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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A Quiet Year

ASIN: 0722183852

Black Oak 5: When the Cold Wind Blows: When the Cold Wind Blows

Average customer rating:

Grant is a master at dark fantasy/horror
Ethan Proctor is no Dupin!
Another spooky mystery for Proctor and the Gang.
A Classic Spooky Tale

Black Oak 5: When the Cold Wind Blows: When the Cold Wind Blows
Charles L. Grant
Manufacturer: Roc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451458117
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Book Description

Paranormal investigator Ethan Proctor travels to Georgia to investigate a series of disappearances and mutilations-in the newest mystery in the acclaimed series...

Customer Reviews:

Grant is a master at dark fantasy/horror.......2002-03-25

I love these characters! Grant continues to show his strengths in narrative and character development. This Black Oak series is dark, spooky, and captivating with characters that are complex, kooky, and unforgettable.

Ethan Proctor is on another case in this latest Black Oak installment. His late father's friend, Garber Kranz, leaves him a cryptic message hinting at a wolfman and at the sighting of a friend of the missing Celeste Blaine. Proctor can't possibly pass this up, and he and Taz hop a plane to track this mystery down in northern Georgia. The story has sinister, suspicious locals, a swamp, strange creatures, and intrigue galore. There are also more hints about the mysterious group that is out to destroy Proctor.

If you've been following this series, you must read this one. If you haven't, what are you waiting for? Pick up the first, Genesis, and start reading. Although each novel can stand on its own, you'll get a much better appreciation for the characters and the complex plot running behind each of the installments if you read the entire series. These books are all short (about 250 pages at most), and they are easy, quick reads. Grant is a master storyteller, and his writing style flows smoothly. He has a knack for weaving sinister events in the most mundane settings. Take nothing for granted in his novels! I can't wait to read the next installment in the series (what will Taz find out, anyway?). The Millenium Quartet is also another set of Grant's books that is well worth the read.

Ethan Proctor is no Dupin!.......2002-02-12

You know, for a whiz detective Ethan Proctor does NOTHING!
Every Black Oak installment is identical--Proctor sits around while his cronies sleuth to uncover some dimwitted half-truth.
There's no Bernie Rhodanbarr-esque intrigue, no Tim Underhill ratiocination, no deadpan brilliance. In fact, there is NOTHING about Proctor that's admirable. Book after book, he sits around as murky events unfold (note to author--do you purposely muddle your stories to make them sound cool?). Then, when there's no one left to kill, Proctor lights out for the anatagonist--whom is unguessable owing to Grant's lousy style--and deftly deals out death.

Forget this noise! I used to think John Saul told the same story over and over, but Grant is just as deserving of the "DRIVEL" award.

Another spooky mystery for Proctor and the Gang........2001-11-16

Just as Black Oak is rehired to again continue the thirteen year old search for mulit-millionare Taylor Blaine's missing daughter Celeste and her two friends, Ethan Proctor recieves a message from an old friend of his father's in Georgia. It seems that the retired teacher found a resemblance between Maude Tackett (one of the missing trio) and a local retailing New Age Witch named Maudie Batts, who also happens to have gone missing recently, an apparent victim of what looks to be a serial killer who enjoyings acting like a werewolf. Or is it a real werewolf? Too bad Proctor's father's teacher friend is missing as well, another apparent victim of the werewolf.

Charles Grant delivers another exceptional episode (#5) of Black Oak in When the Cold Wind Blows. The series, after a few slightly clumsy footed introductions to the cast and the seemingly interlinked conspiracies, has really hit its stride. The novel is a well tuned engine that hums right through the intricate knots of its mysteries, dropping hints and clues that will keep the reader whipping through the pages until the rousing finale. The entire series is required reading for Dark Fantasy fans.

A Classic Spooky Tale.......2001-04-05

Fifth in the Black Oak series, "When the Cold Wind Blows" is a bit of a tour de force. Ethan Proctor, head of Black Oak Investigations is noted for his interest in cases that somehow involve creatures and forces greater than natural. For most of the volumes he has been wrapped up in the search Taylor Blaine's daughter. It is a quest that has been fruitless, and finally cut short by Blaine's other heir's

Proctor has been hibernating at his headquarters when discovers that the hunt is back on. Simultaneously he receives a request from a friend of his father's asking him to come down to a small town north of Atlanta to look into the possibility of a werewolf. The hook in this request is that the writer claims to have spotted one of Blaine's daughter's friends, who disappeared with her, in the same town.

Burline is classic deep South, complete with a murky swamp and a series of brutal killings that might have been done by a werewolf or maybe by something that thought that's what it was. In any case, even the man who called him down has fallen victim to the killer, leaving no clues behind. Confronted with a rising body count, a hostile police department and a town full of strange characters it is all that Proctor and his crew of investigators can do to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The story is full of scary devices including a hunt through the swamp and the intervention of a witch. The ending takes several unexpected turns, and it will be the rare reader that puzzles out the story before Proctor finds the villain. Grant's prose is professional and business-like, lending that story an easily believable narrative style with sparse, effective dialog. The book is a treat and is readable even if you haven't been following the series.

Average customer rating:

That's not the only thing that blows...
I wish I'd read these reviews before reading the book....
Boring!
DISCORD IN HARMONY
How Bad Did I Hate This Book? Let Me Tell You...

When The Wind Blows

Manufacturer: Pinnacle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Fall Down
Cradle And All

ASIN: 0786006587

Customer Reviews:

That's not the only thing that blows..........2005-01-16

Just to emphasize what has been said here in other reviews: I found Mark, the "hero" plagued with an inability to control his emotions, to be a little off-putting. His personality is wholly inconsistent with the fact that he endured four years of Air Force Academy hazing, the stress flying F-16s (he must have had temper tantrums on each mission he flew), and his wife being mowed down by a drunk..

..but, then again, I guess I would get a little edgy around his daughter as well. Perhaps if he didn't feed her so much junk food and ice cream. Mr. Fox's writing style is not that bad and things could have been worse. He could have been working with the editor who worked with Mr. Finder when he created that unfortunate book, "Extraordinary powers".

I wish I'd read these reviews before reading the book...........2002-06-21

I found the actions of the characters in this book totally unbelievable to the point of being annoying. This really got in the way of what could have been an enjoyable book. The corker for me was when Mark and his daughter visited one of the shops in town and he let her wander around the store on her own... after noticing that the town pedophile was also there. Come on, what parent would do that? Just the fact that this man kept ignoring his child through the entire story turned me off.

Boring!.......2002-03-20

I didn't like anything about this book. There was no suspense, the characters were boring and unlikable. Even the main character was annoying. Don't bother with this one.

DISCORD IN HARMONY.......2001-10-16

In 1998, Mark Ritter and his 7-year-old daughter leave their comfortable Seattle home for a quest to search Mark's roots. A widower since his daughter was an infant, Mark feels especially determined to share what little he knows of his own background with her. Adopted in infancy, Mark's adoptive mother dies, leaving behind a safe deposit box full of secrets. As Mark's drive to uncover his past grows, so do the tensions in the small Colorado town with the misnomer of Harmony. Newspapers covering 1968, the year Mark was born disappear; anything that remotely touches on a possible lead to Mark's identity are obscured. Bullying police officers, a strange reclusive businessman and his equally strange daughter as well as a motley crew of other bizarre folks enter the mix.

Through it all, Mark meets a local newspaper reporter named Karen who becomes his new romantic interest and a friend to his daughter. This book travels down some very long and winding roads from Seattle to California and, yes, it is very implausible in parts, it is entertaining and way better than television.

How Bad Did I Hate This Book? Let Me Tell You..........2001-07-31

I *never* skip ahead in books. It seems like cheating. But after about 50 pages of wading through unrealistic situations, emotions (or lack thereof), and characters, I'd had enough. The protagonist was an idiot, the peripheral characters were all completely cartoonish, and everything moved too fast with not enough exposition. I skipped all the way through to the last 30 or so pages and then pieced together what happened from the "let's spell it out for the dummies" finale. The main reason the book rubbed me the wrong way is because I have a two year old, and the thought of the idiot protagonist allowing his 7 year old daughter into any of the situations they found themselves makes me ill. Yes, I know it's fiction, but eeeeeuuwwww. Why would anyone even want to write that stuff down?

Average customer rating:

When The Wind Blows
James Patterson
Manufacturer: Little Brown and Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0316693502

Average customer rating:

Love This Book!!!!!
I CAN FLY!...I CAN FLY!...LIKE A BIRD IN THE SKY...

When the Wind Blows

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
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The Lake House

ASIN: 0736642498

Customer Reviews:

Love This Book!!!!!.......2007-01-10

If you love James Patterson you really should try this book and be sure to continue on with the sequel, The Lake House. Great characters, very believable storyline, and VERY entertaining.

I CAN FLY!...I CAN FLY!...LIKE A BIRD IN THE SKY..........2005-09-14

This is a fairly tepid audio book that has new life breathed into it by the spirited narration of Kimberly Schraf. The plot revolves around secret, government sanctioned experiments on humans, dealing with some of the ethical themes of today: cloning, genetic engineering of humans, and cross species hybrids.

The plot is simple. Two of the test subjects have escaped the confines of the closely guarded, secret laboratory. Matt and Max, a brother and sister team who can fly, are on the loose and being hunted down. Yet, they need only spread their wings, and, as did Icarus, Max and Matt can soar high up into the wild blue yonder. The only problem is that hunters must bring them back to the secret lab, before anyone sees them. To further complicate things, Matt and Max do not wish to be caught, because they know that bad things happen in the lab and that people, who are deemed dispensable and no longer necessary, are "put to sleep" and never seen again.

In the outside world, the children separate. Eleven year old Max has the good fortune to run into Frannie O'Neill, a compassionate veterinarian who immediately realizes that there is something extraordinary about Max, beyond the fact that she has real, honest-to-goodness wings and can fly. Frannie is aware that Max is more than the sum of her parts. Together with the help of an FBI agent who calls himself Kit Harrison, they will do everything they can to help Max evade her pursuers, only to become earmarked for death themselves.

The content of the book merits a rating of two stars as it is mediocre fare, at best, but the fervent and animated reading by the narrator merits four stars, so I am awarding this book three stars, overall.

Average customer rating:

Literate, Intelligent, Masterful Story - An Overlooked Gem

When the Wind Blows
Cyril Hare
Manufacturer: HarperCollins (paper)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060804548

Book Description

A Francis Pettigrew mystery - Who murdered solo violinist Lucy Carless during a concert by the Markshire Orchestra? There are several suspects, any one of whom might have strangled her with a silk stocking. Lawyer, Franics Pettigrew, as reluctant honorary treasurer to the Markshire Orchestral Society, finds himself caught up with assisting the police in their investigations.

Customer Reviews:

Literate, Intelligent, Masterful Story - An Overlooked Gem.......2006-10-01

When The Wind Blows is an overlooked gem, a jewel of a mystery, one that is continuously suspenseful, and yet literate and intelligent. Cyril Hare himself is not well known today, but fortunately in recent years many of his mysteries have been reissued by Dover, Harper-Perennial, and most recently by House of Stratus. Cyril Hare is a pseudonym of a distinguished judge, Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark. His earliest mysteries date from the late 1930s; others from the late 1940s and 1950s.

One of Cyril Hare's most popular characters, the lawyer Francis Pettigrew, has surprised his friends by marrying (he was, after all, a middle aged bachelor) and then subsequently retiring from his legal practice. His wife, Eleanor, was passionate about music and was a violinist in the Markshire Orchestral Society, a well-respected, but largely amateur affair. Francis was pressed into service, initially to assist with tax issues, and then as the honorary treasurer of the orchestral society.

Shortly after the national anthem, the first concert of the year is interrupted by the murder of the visiting solo violinist, the rather famous Lucy Carless. Seemingly, the entire orchestra had access to the murder site. Against his will, Francis Pettigrew is pulled into the investigation.

In the hands of Cyril Hare the orchestra setting is more than window dressing. Critical clues emerge from details of the planned performances. The need for a last minute replacement for a clarinetist appears significant, but it could be a red herring. The ingenious solution involves not only some knowledge of music, but also a subtle point of law (thankfully, Pettigrew was available), and an allusion to Charles Dickens.

When the Wind Blows is also published in the US under the title The Wind Blows Death.

When Life Blows You Down: 11 1/2 Ways To Get Up And Thrive When The Winds Of Change Howl

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A book that Everyone Could Benefit From

When Life Blows You Down: 11 1/2 Ways To Get Up And Thrive When The Winds Of Change Howl
Bill Dyer
Manufacturer: Quantum Leap Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Personal Transformation | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0972781706

Book Description

Are you prepared for the challenge of change? Everything's fine. You're in control. Then something happens that blows you down. Bill Dyer was literally blown down, by a bullet from a robber's gun. Your lifeblow may involve trouble at work or school, an illness, or a broken relationship. You're left hoping that life will get better. This book will show you how to rise above challenges with renewed spirit and strength and help you be your best during difficult times. It will show you how to soar into a fulfilling future... starting right now.

Customer Reviews:

A book that Everyone Could Benefit From.......2003-12-09

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. We all have struggles in life and so many times we let them get the best of us. This book helps you to understand what's really important in life. What we need to do to make it better and to get the most that life has to offer. We waste so much time in our lives on things that we cannot change. You can learn from reading this book that we do have a choice; we do have the ability to change what happens in our lives. It's all up to how we deal with our lifeblows. I highly recommend this book to everyone but especially to anyone who may be struggling in any area of their life at this time. I am so glad that I read this book, it has made a difference in how I look at life.

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