DUCHESS OF DEATH, The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie

Author: Richard Hack

Hardcover: 284 pages
Publisher: Phoenix Books (July 1, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1597776203

Product Description
"Although she is the most popular novelist in history, with over two billion books sold worldwide, Agatha Christie lived a life shrouded in secrecy and fueled by curiosity. Nearly as notorious for her aversion to the press as she was for her 80 books and collections of short stories, Christie made no secret of her need for privacy. Utilizing over 5,000 previously unpublished letters, notes, and documents, award-winning biographer Richard Hack allows Christie to write again, 33 years after her death.

DUCHESS OF DEATH is her story, as full of romance, travel, wealth, and scandal as any mystery Christie ever crafted.There have been numerous biographies of the Queen of Crime, all of which claim to be definitive. However, DUCHESS OF DEATH is the first to draw from such an enormous number of previously unpublished correspondence and notes, effectively establishing it as the most authoritative, penetrating look at the personal and literary life of Christie."

My Review:

Not only was Agatha Christie a prolific mystery writer, but she also created mystery as she lived her own life. Mystery seemed to follow her. In any case, her name is synonymous with suspense.

Richard Hack has created in Duchess Of Death, a work that will delight Agatha Christie fans. He gives the reader an extraordinary glimpse into the mysterious life of an extraordinarily gifted legend.

(Thanks to Library Thing for my review copy)

The Talking Baby: Simple Techniques To Encourage Your Baby To Speak Sooner

Authors: Jeremy & Karina Sweet

Paperback: 64 pages
Publisher: Jema Alka Worldwide Publishing (May 12, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0615243827

Becoming a parent isn't easy and babies don't come with instruction manuals. From birth on, we are faced with a thousand questions about childcare and development.

Example: It sometimes becomes a great worry to parents when their baby seems to be slow at picking up the simple words we use everyday. Much of the time one doesn't know where to turn for advice.

Now we have a concise and intelligent book we can turn to for help when we need it. Jeremy and Karina Sweet have written a wonderful guide which gives techniques that encourage our babies to learn to speak sooner.

Some of my favorite chapters are:

-A Happy Home

-Praise Pays

-Got Book?

-TV Good?

-Prop It Up

If you are a parent or grandparent looking for help, you will certainly want to buy this excellent easy-to-read book which will, no doubt, jump-start your child's vocabulary.

Ageing Well, A Guide to Rejuvenation and Longevity

Author: Dr. George Cromack, D.C., F.I.A.M.A

Paperback: 150 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press (April 3, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1432733656

"There is a reason why more and more people today are turning off to traditional healthcare and turning on to alternative therapies and natural medicines-and it's not just because they're more affordable.

Ageing Well not only explores the latest health practices but takes you on a journey that examines the most beneficial ways you can make your body healthy and strong.

In Ageing Well, you'll learn about:

-Chiropractic techniques and how they should be done

-The effects of the foods we eat

-The invaluable benefits of Super-foods, antioxidants, probiotics, and enzymes

-The techniques of ridding your body of inner and outer toxins

-The types of exercises that will have you up and moving - and feeling great again"

I am amazed at the wealth of health information covered in just 150 pages. The reader will learn about diet, the correct pillows for sleeping, lumbar supports, inversion slings, traction units, gallbladder cleanse, fasting, strength training, and much, much more.

This is an important resource for good health.

Across The Pond

Across The Pond

Author: Storyheart

Paperback: 120 pages
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation; 1st edition (September 25, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1436371767

"Finding himself packed off to friends in the USA, fifteen-year-old English-born Fred Squire is not happy.....

Then he meets Brittany."

After reading several adult mysteries this spring and summer, I was ready for some light reading. Across The Pond is just that--teenage romance, adventure, and a happy ending. There's nothing better than young love, is there?

Not only was this a nice story that I would recommend to my children, but I was fascinated with all the language differences, too. For instance, a word that has a certain meaning to we Americans may have a completely different meaning to the British. I must say I got some giggles from those examples.

This book is fun, romantic, and a quick read. I recommend it to young and old alike--anyone who is looking for a fresh, unforgettable story.... especially, as summer reading.

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

The Light, The Dark, and Ember Between

The Light, The Dark and Ember Between
Author: J.W. Nicklaus
Paperback: 196 pages

Publisher: American Book Publishing Group (May 14, 2009)

ISBN-10: 1589825055

Cover Description:
"This book is a collection of uplifting images that delve into the reflections of the human condition. These stories will cause you to think, laugh, and even cry at the beauty of emotional memories. You will smile at the thought of love lost and found again in "Paper Doll." You will think about your life's choices in "10:18." You will cry tears of joy while reading about the hidden gift in "Winter Rose." This is a must-have collection of thought-provoking reflections perfect for your bedside or the beach."

If you are a fan of inspirational short stories, this is the book for you. You will smile a little; perhaps cry a little; and find joy in the pages of this small book with a deep emotional impact.

A few of the fifteen stories are:
*Streetlamp
*The Run
*Paper Doll
*Blind
*Winter Rose
*In The Name of Love
....and others which you are sure to enjoy.

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

Sassy by Gloria Mallette

Sassy
Author: Gloria Mallette
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Gemini Press; 1st edition (May 22, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0967878934

Myra Barrett lie dying--stabbed over and over by the man she was secretly dating and who she had fallen in love with. Her best friend, Carrie, lay dead nearby.

Why? Why was this happening? She had so much to live for--her career; her child. Thoughts raced through her head as life drained from her; her killer still standing over her helpless body. He would soon shower, and dress in fresh clothes, in her own apartment before attending another important date with someone very special.

Four hours later, Sassy Davenport, a popular romance novelist, is having a book signing party. The line is long. This had been a good night for selling her latest novel. Norris Yoshito, is the next customer to ask for her autograph. As their eyes meet, they are instantly drawn to each other. He wants to meet her afterward, and a romantic relationship develops.

As multiple murders unfold in this unforgettable novel, the reader is held spellbound from the opening paragraph. Will the murderer be caught before it's too late for Sassy?

This is a thriller that I couldn't put down...I read it within 24 hours! For mystery lovers, this is a "must read."

(Thank you to the author for my review copy.)

Fire At Midnight

Fire at Midnight

Author: Lisa Marie Wilkinson

350 pages
Publisher: Medallion Press (March 1, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1933836547

The year is 1703. Rachael Penrose has been imprisoned in the "Bedlam" insane asylum in London, where the conditions are deplorable. Her uncle, Victor, plans to dispose of her and her little brother so that he can inherit the family fortune.

With the help of a friend, Rachael manages to escape the mental hospital and sets out to find her brother before it is too late. Shortly thereafter, she meets Sebastian Falconer, a dashingly handsome, French privateer and smuggler. Masquerading as a friend, Sebastian offers Rachael his home as a refuse from danger, but in reality he is setting a trap for this woman he believes to be his mortal enemy. An intense, romantic love/hate relationship builds almost immediately between these two determined, and strong-spirited main characters.

Fire at Midnight has all the right ingredients: treachery, sexual tension, maniacal plotting, intensely passionate love scenes, and a clever story-line. Ms. Wilkinson has spun a tale of mystery that will keep the reader holding their breath from the first page to the last sentence.

(Thanks to the author for my review copy.)