"Fatal Reunion" is the second installment in the Carol Ashton detective series. The reader is introduced to Christine, Carol's ex-lover who was briefly mentioned at the end of "Lessons in Murder." Although Carol is not officially on the case, Christine begs for her to help prove her innocence when her husband is found murdered. But as Carol and Christine become re-acquainted after three years of separation and a bad breakup they both realize that their feelings and desires have not completely disappeared causing significant strains in Carol's new relationship with Sybil. Carol finds herself at a fork in the road concerning which woman she wants. In addition Carol remains in the closet in fear that her lesbian relationships will be revealed and her professional career jeopardized.

I enjoyed this book because it provided insights into the character of Carol pertaining to her motivations in her personal life that were absent in "Lessons in Murder." The detective work is good but the book itself is a little too thin. This isn't my favorite lesbian detective series but that won't stop me from continuing reading subsequent books in this series. I am anxious to see the relationship between Carol and Sybil progress further.

I enjoyed reading Fatal Reunion. It was a nice time killer but not a book I would particularly read again. This is not to say I don't plan on reading the third book in the series. Just that the author walks the reader through the mystery from the first murder to the arrest. I am happy to say Sybil made it into the second book and the scenes between her and Carol adjusting to life together were nice.

This second book in the Carol Ashton series provides some background into her past lovelife and how the past has affected her ability to love as well as her child's custody. In this novel we meet her former lover, Christine who still has a hold on Carol's heart. This causes obvious strain with Carol's lover, Sybil. In the course of her investigation, Carol must come to terms with her past with Chris in order to solve a murder case that seems open and shut. All the while, she must reconcile her feelings for Sybil as well as for Christine. This book is one that you just can't put down. From the moment Christine enters the picture until the very last page, the questions about what will happen abound. It is a delightful read that proves that Claire McNab has a handle on the complexities of her characters and develops well what "makes them tick". I can't wait to read #3.

I got this book because I really like Heath Ledger. The sad thing is that this is just another one of those teen-idols books. It does give a lot of good information and has great pictures, but it could have been better. If you like Heath, I think you should buy it, but you can only take the quiz in the back so many times. I would recommend since you can take it places where you can't watch 10 Things I Hate About You or A Night's Tale. This is a good book, but the pictures really were the best part.

I loved this book. It gave a lot of cool fact's and even had tests and quizes inside. Plus very cool pics of Heath. I definitely would recomend it.

This Book I Have To Say Is The Bomb!!!

As a big fan of cycle-touring and Lonely Planet guide books, I was quite excited to find the LP Cycling New Zealand book. I'm leaving on a 2 month cycle-tour throughout New Zealand soon, and figured this book would be all I'd need guidewise. Structured the same as regular LP guides, it gives all the basic info for New Zealand, including cycling specific info wherever it fits. The sections on taking your bike on trains and busses within New Zealand was especially helpful.

The routes however, were a bit disappointing. While each individual route is well laid out, almost none of the routes are connected. If your plan was to cycle the North Island from Auckland down to the Southern tip of the island, it would be impossible to follow the routes highlighted in the book. Also missing is an overview map showing all the routes. On the positive side, each route description is well done, including distance/navigation info, elevation profiles, accomodation, and sightseeing info.

If you are looking to do a series of shorter tours, I would recommend this book. If your goal is an extended tour covering long distances, Bruce Ringer's "New Zealand By Bike" book is a better choice.

My wife and I went to New Zealand on Nov 2000 and used this book along with the regular LP New Zealand book. The description of the rides and maps are very accurate. We had purchased New Zealand by Bike by Bruce Ringer but decided to take this one instead. This one fits our needs better as we take 3 week touring vacations every year and there is just so much you can ride and see in that time. Buy and carry this book with you, it offers all you expect from a LP guide.

Now stop wasting your time reading this and go tour New Zealand.

I must disagree with bikermitch's review below and must defend this fine guide with five stars.

Lonely Planet's NZ cycling guide is geared to cyclists throughout, so much so that if you had to carry only one guidebook in your panniers, this could be it. There are clear maps for every ride (with the route highlighted in blue). And the rides can easily be pieced together to just about circumnavigate the entire country, north and south islands. So Lonely Planet's guide is useful for those planning mostly paved road tours lasting from a few days to a couple of months.

I agree that New Zealand By Bike is also a must, but if you are going all the way to Kiwi Land (or on any major trip), buying, studying, comparing and cross-referencing two or three guidebooks is the way to go.

As for the Lonely Planet guide, I especially appreciate the authors' list of New Zealand's cycling superlatives, such as Most Challenging Climb, Best Downhill, Best Seacoast Ride, Best Scenery, etc. - and the list of where to ride if you have one week, two weeks, even a month or two. This guide is not an amateurish, small press attempt at being thorough yet concise. It consistently sets a professional, honest, experienced, authoritative and enjoyably wry tone. This book is worth every penny - and every ounce. I predict it'll be the one cycling guide you actually carry along.

Mick Doohan first and foremost is one of the most accomplished GP500 racers in all of history, his stat's. and dominance in the sport easily convey this. However, what his fans want to know most is what makes Mick really tick and what were his thoughts on specific instances and circumstances. While this is done in the book, it's only on a surface level, and the book really seems to be more of a story told to us by the author, not by Mick himself. The best part of the book is the relationship that Mick was able to establish w/ Eddie Lawson, and his thoughts after his surgery. The book is nice, the pictures are excellent, but I would only buy it second hand. I give it three stars for the pictures and Doohan history that shed fine details on what most of his fans already knew before buying the book, but overall well done and a decent Sunday read.

This is a nice book about Mick Doohan, a man, who is arguably the greatest motorcycle Grand Prix racer ever. Unfortunately there is very little of interest about the man himself aside from his incredible talent and psychological make-up. One stands in awe at his ability to overcome serious injury and return to complete domination. The reader does get an overwhelming sense of just how much better Doohan was than his competition. Oxley does a nice job covering Doohan's career and early beginnings and the photographs are excellent. I would have liked to read more detail and even more quotes and thoughts from his peers and competitors. The paragraphs about his and Max Biaggi's jibes and digs throughout the '98 season are the best in the book. Now that Doohan has retired, after winning an incredible 5 world championships in a row this book is well worth having in your collection.

Mick Doohan is arguably the best GP500 rider and this book has so many details about his success, particularly his come-back after the accident in Assen Holland which almost ended his chance of ever walking again let alone riding a motorbike. The photos are exceptionally good.

This is an excellent book dealing with one of the world's most exceptional Special Forces. It would be great to see this book updated and revised to include recent operations in Somalia, Rwanda, and especially in East Timor in 1999 and Afghanistan in 2001 and 2002, especially with the possibility of involvement in a future Iraq war.

Apologies for quoting, but as Troy A. Lettieri's said about this book in his SAS Listmania topic:"This title is a complete history of this outstanding unit. It is truly a unit not to be reckoned with. I found the section covering their Vietnam involvement quite interesting."

A thoroughly fascinating insight into the SASR. Expertly researched and documented, the book tells us how it really was in these conflicts and what the diggers went through for their country. A telling book for these ordinary aussies with extraordinary skills...

This is a very good read for anyone interested in special operations in Borneo or Vietnam especially SAS interested people and again especially Australians. It covers all actions in the Vietnam War and it also covers the conflict in Borneo. There is also some history about the SAS and its future

Cover describes book as a "light hearted adventure story", should have been "a travel ordeal". Showed how lack of training and improper equipment can turn what should have been fun into drudgery. Choose biking as a cheap mode of transport rather than doing it for the pleasure of cycling which effected narrative. Constant whining and complaining made it hard to enjoy. Use of local NZ slang got old and author trying to force his personal views on locals seemed inappropriate. I have biked in NZ and it was nothing like the book described.

This was a great read - especially if you are interested in biking as an adventure. I just returned from New Zealand and agree with most of what he wrote!

AUSTRALIAN CYCLIST--"Here is an engrossing tale...Scott writes entertainingly and perceptively of the idiosyncrasies of the population and areas he and Katie passed through...If you have ever wanted to go cycling in New Zealand, you could do far worse than to read this book first. If you never want to go there, don't read it-it will probably change your mind!"

KLCC PUBLIC RADIO, Eugene, Oregon--" Today I have the pleasure of reviewing a marvelous book for you...The avid bike rider will be thrilled with the detailed and fascinating descriptions...TWO WHEELS AROUND NEW ZEALAND reads as if you were sharing travel yarns with old friends. Scott Bischke has a very informal tone, and he really brought me into his confidences as he shared his moods, fears, and hopes before and during this incredible year...Wouldn't this book make a great film!"

BACKROADS CYCLING-- "I did enjoy the book....the tone was nice, there were good illustrations, the descriptions of the difficulties encountered added to the story without resorting to the whining all too common in literature these days."

BOOKLIST--" ...Bischke offers insights into the pleasures of biking, fly-fishing, and just living."

BILLINGS GAZETTE--"Bischke has a fluid, chatty style..."

As the author of TWO WHEELS, I'm more than a little shocked at the first review posted. That I did not connect with that reader is apparent, though I have never heard the book described as anything but light-hearted and enjoyable (if the first review engendered a rating of 2, I'd hate to see his or her 1!). Wishing you happy pedaling, Scott Bischke

I read the book and then had the opportunity to meet and talk with the author at length. In and of itself, it is an easy and entertaining read. The story does seem a bit fantastic, but after speaking with Ms. Fuller, it is clear that these events did take place and had an impact on her life. (And yes, I did get to see the egg...quite fascinating!)

Elizabeth doesn't feel good after the dead of her husband. She decides to go to Australia and there she meets an aboriginal. She tries to live the way they live and starts to understand the meaning of life. Before I read this book I had problems with stress, but while reading it, I felt the stress falling of.

Fantastic story of someone that makes a journey in Australia. You would want to go there directly.

Recently I took a trip from Perth to Cairns by rail and this book was my primary source of information that helped me prepare my itinerary. I spent a few days in all major aussie cities on my way to Cairns. This guide helped me in two ways, first it helped me to quickly gather general information about particular place where I took a break and it's surroundings. Second, it helped me to narrow down day trips, sightseeings and walks (which are *plenty* to choose from local tourist kiosks in hotels, YHA...).
One thing that I didn't find in this book was enough tips for budget accomodation - if I didn't by an accident find the official YHA Australia web site I would never know how good this organization is in this country (at least compared with YHA in most part of Europe). So, if you need budget accomodation then certainly checkout YHA web site before booking any 'budget' places mentioned in this book.
Otherwise I can't say anything bad about the book, it does a good job covering all aussie states and I beleieve that the content will satisfy the adventurers as well as tourists.

I saw the book in the hands of one of your US tourists and at the quick look I had, I liked what I could see HOWEVER!!! the information on the area south of Hobart in Tasmania was sadly not only not good, it was in fact not there. As a tourist operator at Cygnet in S Tas I was disappointed - for me and the fact that some of your people would be possibly missing out on one of the nicest corners of our state.

No doubt interesting reading. Whether it's relevant... Well, yes, this could be great advice for those adventuring in the Pacific, but only with huge amounts of money which few of us have. Unless you have your own yacht(s) etc, you may be better off with one of the more 'conventional' travel guides.

"Adventuring in the Pacific" is the only book I've found, to date, that covers information about the South Pacific and Oceanic Islands from as far east as Tahiti in Polynesia, to as far north-west as the Northern Mariana's in Micronesia, covering many of the more remote or unfamiliar islands in between. The book contains a wealth of information that is vital to the traveler such as travel tips, length of stay considered adequate for each island, flora & fauna, native foods, and even important information about crime and health issues that may be encountered. Additionally, it includes an in depth look at the culture and history of each island. I would have preferred seeing more detailed maps, more weather information and pictures of the islands, but for anyone planning to visit or sail throughout the South Seas, or if you're just an island "buff" it is well worth the purchase.

An unsparing, fascinating portrait of a hollow man who belittles and rapes the women in his life, sneers at those men who have the very thing he most desires and fears: true intimacy--both with the women in their lives and with their fellow human beings; and who must fill himself up with facts in a vain attempt to validate his existence and worth. Instead of a hidden, aging portrait in an attic which allows the main character to remain in a state of youth, Grenville gives us a library which allows the main character to assemble an identity of sorts from all the books he reads. As long as he keeps reading and digesting information, Albion Singer will exist. Uncomfortable in his own skin, he attempts to mold himself into the ideal man through his constant seach for facts. Albion's life is a constant state of orgasmal frenzy, if you will, in his never-ending quest for facts to satisfy his empty nature. But, ironically, he is almost undone when Nora, his long-suffering wife, reveals, she too, is engaged in fact-finding research. "It crossed my mind that this assembling of facts was a kind of parody of my own beautiful catalogued battery of information...." Albion always presumed that he "any day now--would sit down and assemble all his researches into something definitive" as if this would finally validate him in life and make him whole. Albion's Story might be Grenville's Portrait of Dorian Grey, but this portrait, instead of aging, simply fades away.

Kate Greenville does a wonderful job developing the characters ,especially of the vile Albin. He is seen as a man with no inner self, no moral's and finally no real point in his life. Not a " fun" read,still I had no time to notice this until the end as I was so caught up in the passage of a family into disintergration.