This book is a short read, but not as easy at is seems at the first sight.

Catherine McKenna is a young girl, an only child struggeling to be free from the bounds the her Northern Irish parents. She has a very special talent for music, and her music teacher from childhood becomes a very special person in her life. She teaches her to read the notes between the notes, the Grace Notes, and this gives special meaning to Catherine's life and music. And also special meaning to the book. The book can be read as words within words, which makes the book full of grace notes.

What fascinates me most with the book is the way Bernard MacLaverty shows us how to read or look at music just like we read or look at paintings. Having read several books about the stories behind Vermeers painting, MacLaverty also uses a Vermeer painting to show music.

I can fully agree with a the reviewer Tobias Hill from The Times: "The strongest impression left by Grace Notes is that of its central image-og the 'notes between the notes' which seem to compose themselves - of a life happening while it's heroine is busy making other plans...If architecture is frozen music, Grace Notes is the literary equivalnt, full of its own powerful rhythm.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

This book is not what it seems. First: the subject matter is gloomy: composer Catherine McKenna, recovering from a postnatal depression, is returning to violence stricken Northern Ireland for the funeral of her father. Not a glimmer of humour in sight. Seems depressing, but does not leave you depressed. I find that remarkable.

Second: it may also seem a simple little book, with not much happening. But go to the trouble to read between the lines, and you will get a lot in return. Because grace notes are the unobtrusive notes that seemingly hardly have a function, but that in some subtle and undefinable way make a piece of music into something special. MacLaverty writes in this way. His book has the same effect that a beautiful piece music has: you can't tell exactly why, but you are deeply moved by it.

What does happen in this novel is that Catherine must try to reconcile the Northern-Irish heritage she has tried to leave behind with the motherhood she can hardly cope with and reconcile both with her work. In the end it is the music that makes her whole again. In a beautiful finale we are shown the healing effect of art. Not a book for those who want a page-turner, but warmly recommended for those who like a deeply felt and subtle insight into a woman's soul. It is amazing that it was written by a man.

This multileveled novel tells of a young woman who escapes her Irish family, studies music with world class artists and composers, carves out a personal and professional life in a world dominated by men, and then returns briefly for the funeral of her estranged father and reconciliation with her mother. But it is also a search for grace in its various definitions. As a composer, Catherine looks for the "notes between the notes...graces, grace notes." A Catholic who no longer believes, she sees "music as the grace of God...a way of praying." Appalled by the cruelty and intolerance which "religious" men have shown each other throughout history, she believes that "her act of creation [not religious dogma]...define[s] her as an individual...and define[s] all individuals as important." She embarks on a series of religious compositions at the same time that she rejects the church and its teachings about marriage and family. Choosing not to marry the father of her child, she nevertheless recognizes her daughter as a miracle, a profound mystery which "there was no form of music to celebrate or mark..." Filled with symbols of Fatherhood, baptism, ascension, rebirth, and ultimate triumph, MacLaverty's Grace Notes is a compelling and sensitive exploration of a young woman's attempt to reconcile her humanity with the universal mysteries of creation.

This is a must-have for those who are fans of millington's website "Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About" (http:/[...]). Indeed, it is not a copy of what is there on his webpage.

A word of caution for those who are unfamiliar with the author. I think it would be better to read millington's 'Things' website before reading this book in order to get familiar with Margret(Ursula) and Mil (Pel). This will really help the reader to appreciate the situations portrayed in the book and to understand the characters' behavior.

I don't think it is necessary to say that the book is extremely funny and very original. I should say, however, that millington is a clever and witty writer. I disagree with the reviewer who didn't like the end of the book. I think the end is very appropriate and, indeed, very satisfying.

If you are unsure about buying this book, check out his webpage first and see whether you like the style and humor.

Over the last couple of weeks I've read this book on my train ride home from work and I've received quite a lot of looks as I can't help myself from laughing out loud over and over at this book. Mil (or Pel in the story) has a great way with words and so not only shares funny stories with us but does so in a very unique and beautifully verbose way. I will be re-reading this book many times.

This is a very, very funny book. One of the few books I have read that made me laugh out loud over and over. Seems like a few reviewers are taking the story a bit too seriously saying that the girlfriend in question comes across as "too mean." It is true the only interactions Millington writes of between Ursula and the main charachter Pel are their wild, over-the-top, ridiculous arguments. It makes for a funny, unique story. I do not think anyone who reads this book fails to understand that Pel's perspective might be just a little biased towards his own best interest! This book is worth owning; you will want all your friends to read it too so you can laugh together remembering the funniest bits.

This book proved to be a quick read as the story was engaging, funny and written in face-paced language. Dan Starkey is a regular guy with typical vices. When a drunken night results in some poor choices and even poorer outcomes, he has to muddle through a murder mystery. He's no Hercule Poirot and makes a few mistakes, but his brains and heart make up for what he lacks.
Dan is a likeable character with a realistic and humorous approach to life. Landing himself in the middle of a Northern Ireland political scandal is not in his plan, but the reader can see how this everyman deals with the situation. The Ireland issue is quite pivotal. As an American totally in the dark about this conflict, it was interesting to read about it, even in fiction.
There are several murders in this book, but none are very gorey.Bateman's writing is funny and honest. He has wit, but avoids sounding as if he is throwing it in your face. This book would be great for a long plane ride or as an addition to your summer reading list.

I think it's a really good book. The first chapters were a bit hard to understand, but if you continue to read, you find out how good the book is. I had to read it for school and i'm glad I choose this book. I'm not english, but I could understand everything, even though it was in english and not in dutch. The story itself, was funny, but also very serious. It gives you a good view of normal people living in Belfast and seeing the troubles though their eyes. I would recommend this book to everyone that loves humor and is interested in the life that people live in Belfast.

Divorcing Jack is my first novel by Colin Batemen, and I thought it might be a good example of modern British/Irish fiction. Fortunately my expectations were met.

The story is a rather slap-stick adventure of a Belfast columnist who finds himself inexplicably falling from an unexpected marital indescretion, to murder, and on to political scandal and terrorism. No, it's not realistic. But the biting satiric humour and colourful local language makes this a delightful read.

Bottom line: murder and mayhem with a comic twist. Colin Bateman captures the mood of modern Belfast without taking matters too seriously (or rather, not serious at all). Fans of other popular British/Irish writers (Hornby, Doyle, Welsh, et al) will find much to enjoy with Divorcing Jack.

This book is truly a treasure of many facets of Indian history through the ages. The modern story line is an intriguing hunt for treasure in a Rajput fortress, palace and archaelogical ruins of Mangarh. This story is interspersed with independent historical tales of the area, dating from ancient days(1500 BCE) to 1567 CE; they passionately weave a historical, artistic, political and religious foundation for the modern day raid (treasure hunt) at Mangarh. Notes, maps, character lists, and glossary help to make reading an enjoyable and enriching experience. I look forward to reading the upcoming sequel!

Gary Worthington's India Treasures: An Epic Novel Of Rajasthan And Northern India Through The Ages is an engaging and entertaining sequence of eight dynamic novellas about Rajasthan and Northern India across the length of human history, all connected by a modern-day treasure hunt. Incorporating crucial events of Indian history seamlessly into the story, India Treasures brings the reader before the wisdom of the Buddha, the canvas of a medieval artist, the throne of the Sultan of Delhi, and many more wondrous places. An utterly absorbing historical. Also highly recommended is the sequel, India Fortunes.

For a first time author, Worthington, does a splendid job of embracing a momentous topic. As stated by the previous reviewers, this is a fictional book based on India's history from "ancient times to post-Independence." Worthington weaves his story from present to past, making the locations come alive with historical tales. This is really a book of short stories told through one present-day story. Each story was interesting on its own. I highly recommend this book to even a novice reader of books on India, it kept my interest from the Get-Go!

Molly Giles is an excellent SHORT story writer , and after reading her previous story collections ( Rough Translations and Creek Walk), I really looked forward to this first novel. WRONG. Iron Shoes is a s-t-r-e-c-h-e-d out short story and should be, at most,a short novel within a short story collection. The pace is slow, like a snails ,or even slower at times. I question the need for the inclusion of some characters ,who just take up space on the page , and are not needed for the thin storyline.

Kay Sorenson,age 40,has problems...most that have been around for a long long time such as her prissy second husband,not interested father,and lack of self-worth ( OH MY ,we could see this coming)as manifested in a tiny job,tiny house, and tiny life driven by unresolved guilt, unwarrented fear and the need for,in my opinion , a kick-start to the rear. Ida, her Drama Queen mother, is the reason I kept reading this book. I wanted to know about what outrageous , self-centered (but with true DQ style ) thing she would say or do next.Ida was the only character with ( some irony here)some LIFE in her! Kay needs to GROW UP, and I felt cheated that it took 239 pages for her to take a few toddler's steps toward this goal.

Get Molly Giles short story collections--- even in hardback , but I would advise waiting for the paperback of Iron Shoes, if you are still determined to read it!

Molly Giles's new work of fiction, "Iron Shoes" has everything that a complex and engrossing novel needs. You have a worthy main character in Kay and you certainly feel a strong connection with her life. You can't wait to see what happens next and you certainly want the very best for her in what clearly is a difficult situation. She has so much going on, and such a difficult set of circumstances facing her, that you wonder if she'll survive. The reader is treated to a wonderful tale with brilliant writing from an author that I haven't really been familiar with. I certainly think she's a talent and look forward to more of her work. Good read!

When I first started reading this book, I thought, oh, my, these people are all a mess! Some of the ridicule and constantly demeaning situations Kay, the main character, tollerates, are just over the top. However, she tugs at your heart because she is obviously a big, messy, loving woman whose big heartedness is taken for granted by all around her. She drinks too much, smokes too much, and does too much, but who wouldn't with a family like this? When she finally begins to take ahold of her life, kicks the awful husband out and stops drinking, you know that she is on the road to discovery. Nothing momentous, but something profound. The author says that this is a comedy about alcoholism and dying, but it is not. There are sharply funny moments, but this is not a funny book.

I confess I didn't know very much about the conflict in Northern Ireland a few weeks ago. "The Catholics built the I.R.A. to drive away the Protestants and to unite Northern Ireland with the catholic Republic of Ireland." That's virtually all I could say about the difficulties in that region of the world. Then, at school, I got this book. I considered it as my chance to learn more about Irish people, their culture and to get a more detailed answer to the question why there was so much blood-shedding in the last decades. Let me tell you if this book gave me the answers I wanted to obtain.

I was quite intrigued by the story of "Cal". An unemployed young Irish Catholic, who has a strong connection to the I.R.A. and who wants to leave it because he doesn't have the guts to commit crimes in the name of an illusion called United Ireland, falls in love with a widow named Marcella. Cal knows from the first moment he saw her that he helped making her a widow, and he realizes that their relationship can't possibly work out for a long time. It was quite interesting to see Cal's change from a depressive youth to a man who is able to take the responsibility for his deeds. He constantly fights against his past and, at the end, although he suffers to relieve himself from his sins, he loses everything. The reader can really identify himself with Cal and understand his behavior. In this point, the author did something you will not find everywhere. But unfortunately he made some mistakes as well...

The novel is called "Cal". The title alone shows the reader that the story is completely fixed on the young man. Apart from Marcella who was discribed in as many dimensions as Cal, all other "dramatis personae" seemed to be parts of the stage and had no life in them. The majority of them was characterized in a very shallow way, and they had the only function to show us in a too simple way the life and the problems of Northern Ireland. Crilly and Skeffington, the terrorists, particularly disappointed me. They were the shallowest and the most cliche-like of all of those background people. I expected more of them because they played such an important role in the story.

Another disappointment was the ending of "Cal". Reading it, I got the strong feeling that the author became bored by his work and wanted to finish it at all costs. The ending was constructed too obviously and appeared unbelievable compared to the rest of the novel.

There are many symbols and metaphors inside "Cal". Both make the book a bigger challenge to understand. What I missed was a trial to explain the conflict and controversial possibilities to solve it. MacLaverty seems to see the happenings in a rather pessimistic way without any thoughts concerning their origins. If something of this kind was there, it seemed to be quite vague and too simplified.

"Cal" is certainly worth reading. Even though there may be a few flaws, the majority of the novel is OK. To be clear: it's written by an Irishman for Irishmen; nevertheless every reader will understand and and hopefully enjoy it. I, for my part, did the last, and additionally I got all answers about Ireland I was looking for.

Pat O'Connor's film Cal which was completed in 1984 deals with the tragic conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. The film tells the story of the Catholic central character, a young man called Cal Mc Cluskey who lives together with his father Shamie in a Protestant estate. Cal gave up his job in an abattoir because he could not bear the smell of blood. now he is unemployed. In the beginning of the film the viewer sees two men driving to the Morton's farm. While the driver is waiting, the other rings the door bell and shoots the Protestant Robert Morton and injures Robert's father with several shots. In the next scene Cal goes to the abattoir where his father works and borrows some cigarettes from him. On his way back he stops at the library where he sees the librarian Marcella Morton who is attracted by his attention. Then he meets Crilly a former schoolmate and Skeffington a 30 year-old teacher who are both involved in a local IRA organisation. They tell Cal to drive for a raid on an off-licence in a town near by. Back at home he finds a note from the UVF ( Ulster Volunteer Force, a Protestant organisation ). They threaten to burn the Mc Cluskey's house if they do not move away soon. On Sunday he goes to church in Magherafelt because he overslept. For his surprise he sees Marcella there and gets to know that she is Catholic, too. Later he cuts a tree together with his father. He drives with a van to the Morton farm to sell the blocks. On his way home three Protestant teenagers beat him up. The next day he comes back to the farm and splits the logs in smaller pieces and meets Marcella. Before he goes home he is offered a job as a potato lifter for some days. After that work he gets a full time job as a farm hand. One evening Cal has to help Crilly to raid the off-licence to get money there. He has to drive the car although he does not want to participate in IRA movements. After that the two boys go to Skeffington to bring him the money they just got right before. Skeffington tries to explain Cal the importance of those raids for the Irish history and that he cannot stop with that when he wants to. The next day Cal starts with his job on the farm. This is the start of the film... I think this film shows very well the situation in Northern Ireland. Everybody can imagine how things are going on there....

I've had this book on my shelves for almost fifteen years, if you can believe it, but never got around to reading it until this week. Now I can't figure out why it took me so long to open it.

"Cal" describes the "troubles" in Northern Ireland in a simple yet elegant manner, with a bare minimum of explicit violence and gore. Most of the violence is implied - the two exceptions being the story of how Marcella Morton became a widow, and what at first glance seems to be a rather pointless episode concerning a land mine and a cow. It seemed pointless, that is, until you read further and discovered exactly how the land mine came to be there.

While the violence is at a minimum, the thoughts, feelings, and philosophies of each side are explored quite thoroughly for such a small book. And while I personally found both points of view quite repellent, I will say that I believed that the characters in this book had these beliefs, and that they were extremely passionate regarding them.

The book is also an interesting psychological study, at least as far as Cal McCluskey (the main character) is concerned. With the help of Marcella, the woman he comes to love, it seems that he is growing up, and coming to realize that there's a lot more out in the world than just Catholics & Protestants fighting and killing each other - but his past will ultimately work against him and nullify all the good that Marcella has done for him - because he was the driver of the car containing the man that killed her husband.

A touching, sad, and very important book.

As with many other countries, Lonely Planet has a very good guide for Ireland. Every city, town, and village are covered in this book. No matter where we were, we could always find something on the location. The index is wonderfully useful for that purpose. There are also some suggested itineraries. My only criticism is that LP seems to have missed many of the excellent guesthouses in Ireland. I would think this should be LP's speciality, so found this aspect disappointing. Still, I would not leave home without LP, on this trip or any other for that matter. Even if you don't want to go the budget route --something many associate with LP -- you will gain from the descriptions of places, restaurant and pub recommendations, maps, history, and more. And despite its reputation, LP does list high-end hotels, castles, and the like. I haven't found a single excellent guide for Ireland, so I suggest doing some internet research before leaving and taking LP and at least one other guide (I like the Blue Guide series).

Bon voyage!!

I just returned from a three month bike tour of Ireland. I had no tour guide; I brought only myself, my bicycle, clothes (of course), and four guide books on Ireland. The one book that I used over and over again, leaving all others tucked abandoned within my pack, was the Lonely Planet guide. The LP guide has detailed chapters on anything and everthing in Ireland, including phone numbers, prices, hours, city maps, hostels, B&B's, hotels etc... It also includes history and facts so that when you do arrive in Ireland and see a castle or a dolmen or the Burren, you will know the story behind it. I can't say enough good things about this guide. If you are going to travel in Ireland, this book is a must!

The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want.

I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe and spring 2000 in ireland. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you.

It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all.

The same experience is true for my trip this last spring to Ireland. Lonely Planet Ireland is as good as Western Europe, but more detailed.The Lonely Planet guide book series is by far the best set of books I have found for travel. Let's Go, Rough Guide, Frommer's, etc do not live up to these books. LP offers a great blend of interesting facts (history, etc) with the travel information that we all really want.

I am a student who spent the summer of 1999 traveling through Europe - poor, but free. I did read a number of other books before and durring the trip, and will always buy Lonely Planet as they have impressed me as being the best, hands down. If you want to go on a drunken tour, buy Let's Go and end up in the same run down American hostels and American bars as the rest of the American students, but take my word, you will have enough ability to do that with LP, but you will not be forced to either. LP will help you to actually experience the culture, and take in a more European version of Europe than Let's Go, and still give you the opportunity to party like a rock star when you want - its up to you.

It is the most complete and most versitile book I have found. It will cater to budget and intermediate travelers of all ages and groups. I will buy the same series even when I can afford nice resturants and hotels, because LP tells it all.

I have long wanted to read the writing of Mrs. Gaskell, who was acquainted with almost all my favorite authors. Imagine having know Charlotte Bronte, George Elliot, Charles Dickens, and Wilkie Collins! Therefore, I was happy to find North and South available on unabridged audio cassettes. I now know why Mrs. Gaskell is not in the same literary class as her better-known friends. Although I completely enjoyed the novel (and wished it would continue on longer), Mrs. Gaskell described Margaret's (the major character) "sweet low voice", "gentle manner", "sweet expressive eyes" a few too many times. I did enjoy the story, but I fear Mrs. Gaskell is a writer more similar to Grace Livingstone Hill than to George Eliot

I fell in love with this marvellous novel and it's main protagonists, Margaret Hale & John Thornton, when I first read it some five years ago. I remember when I was reading the chapters describing the riot at Thornton's mill while on the way home from work on the train, I was so caught up with the story that I nearly missed my stop.

One of the things that particularly impresses me about "North and South" is that Elizabeth Gaskell actually concentrates as much, if not more, on the principal male character's (John Thornton's) sexual and romantic desires and inner life rather than on the main female character (Margaret Hale). This is somewhat unusual to find in a book by female writer of the Victorian era. I feel that it makes the character of John Thornton one of the most interesting and attractive in 19th century literature.

His passionate love and desire for Margaret border on the obsessive at times. However, Elizabeth Gaskell details his torturous struggles with his emotions in such a empathethic way that you feel immensely drawn to Thornton from the first time you meet him. The scenes where Margaret rebuffs his attempts at a marriage proposal and the aftermath where he dazedly goes off into the countryside to calm down are vividly written.

I thoroughly disagree with some of the other reviewer's comments below, especially the person on 17 March 2003 who cannot even get the author's name right. It makes you wonder if they have read the same book as I did. I have no respect for people who impose inappropriate and modern notions on a work from this era and give their opinions, with such a sneering tone, in a trite and dismissive critique.

I know that there are many "North and South" fans out there who, like me, can appreciate the novel for what it is, not what they think it should be.

It is simply a beautifully written, engaging and satisfying book.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It should be known that Elizabeth Gaskell was a protege of Charles Dickens. This book is a book written by a woman who was ahead of her times. The heroine is such a heroic and exciting character, while at the same time kind and benevolent. The plot is fast moving and exhilarating. I find this a treasure in English Literature...a must for the serious reader ...and especially women. Unfortunately Miss Gaskell died before she reached the level of fame she so deserved. This book was recommended to me by a professor of English Literary Philosophy at Univ. of So. Cal. What a find!

A good book for car campers going on a road trip. I refered to this book on my trip to Oregon around mid-March(just before peak season) and yes, some of the campgrounds were out of they way to the point of almost being eery, But, in a good way :)

If you're thinking these campgrounds are somewhere amidst the wild, you're mistaken and need to look elsewhere though.

Very good for quick reference for last minute camping en route. The map included indicating locations of the campgrounds is very helpful.
The book requires some updating as far as availability of campgrounds goes (year round/ seasonal),but that will probably happen in the next edition.
I would recommend this book handsdown.

There are many, many campgrounds in California, and we spent several years selecting the targets of our camping trips based on friends' recommendations, or CA State or National Parks descriptions. Unfortunately, our criteria were not often what people were recommending a campsite for, and there are so many parks in CA that a comparative selection based on raw data is overwhelming. What we wanted was:
1. beauty
2. quiet and serenity
3. less popular sites (to stay away from the crowds)
4. car-camping or near car-camping (we have a toddler).

Bill Mai's guide enabled up to make some quick selections based on his descriptions and ratings. His campsites are a highly rated selection already (his criteria are pretty close to ours), the information is fairly good, he gives good input on the best season to go, and his descriptions are very accurate. We ended up going to several campsites he recommended last year and never were disappointed. This year we have plans for several others based on his input.
It is simply an easy way to choose good places to go without having to worry that the site will be less than what our expectations are for it.

This is the perfect guide for campers who are trying to escape California's crowded, car-choked campgrounds. Arranged by region (the Coast, Sierras, & Cascade Range),this guide rates and reviews 50 prime campgrounds. Two to three page profiles describe the campgrounds features and include information on nearby attractions and activities such as hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, and bicycling. An easy-to-read sidebar lists contact information, facilities, open dates, parking, fees, and regulations. Written in a friendly, upbeat style, this is an enjoyable and informative read . However if you have the first edition, skip this one. The second edition updates the information but covers the same campgrounds.

I have tried to read this book three times. All three times, I couldn't get into it. This last time, frustrated beyond all get out that I couldn't get into the book, I flipped ahead and read the ending. Wow, glad I didn't waste my time.

Basically, nothing of any importance happens for the first 99 percent of the book. I am not exaggerating. Absoulutely NOTHING that has ANYTHING TO DO with what this book promises by the description of the plot on the cover ever happens. Then everything is wrapped up seemingly right out of the blue, leaving the reader feel stupid. This isn't a thriller, nor a mystery, not a political thriller, rather a jumbled mishmash of all three that tries to be complex but ends up cheating the reader. This is an exersise in futility to read, bottom line. The writing is good (if clustered in places), the characters decent, but the plot is just...insulting. Calling this book a mere waste of paper doesn't even do justice.

One of the single worst books I have EVER even tried to read. If you liked this book, then good for you. Heck, if you could make yourself read through this five hundred page mess of a novel, you deserve an award for having the patience and tolerance of Job.

I hope that I have expressed to you, the reader, what a waste this novel is. Not at all recommended. Unless you're a masochist.

This is a serial killer book with a very different angle-set against the backdrop of "the troubles" in Northern Ireland, it is easy to see that the murderer is far from being the only culpable character. It is a well plotted , very tense book. There is also plenty of interesting historical information-I don't think anyone can ever really understand the madness in Northern Ireland, but you definitely get a lot of fascinating history to go with a good story. My only complaint is that the tangled intricate web of various Protestant and Catholic organizations in the book can leave the reader lost is a sea of alphabet soup. There is a glossary in the back, but it's annoying to have to keep flipping back and forth. I met the author at a signing and he even said that if he set the book down for a few days, he had to go back and review to make sure he didn't get confused. Otherwise I highly recommend this book. Those of you who have read Greg Iles' "Mortal Fear" will find an interesting (and I'm sure totally coincidental) parallel in the climactic scene leading to the demise of the killer

This novel is a must read for anybody who likes to read about demonic murders and a killer investigation. Candlestick is the ultimate criminal and Cross is the poster child for a investigator. This book kept my spine stiff from page one all the way to the end. The killings are brutal, and the detail this man writes is the best. Hands down a must have novel. I also found it easy to understand certain things with the glossary that is behind the book, (whice I think some novels I read should have.) not only was this helpful, but it made the story much more realistic. I loved the book, and I plan to read it again soon. I have told many of my friends about it, and they should be reading it soon. At age 15 and a regular horror novel reader, this one is one of the best I have seen in a long time. Rock on, Chris Petit!!!!!!!!!