Books

A Murder of Promise
Steps to the Altar (Benni Harper Mysteries (Paperback))
Chocolate Quake
Mrs. Jeffries Pleads Her Case (Victorian Mysteries)
Fried by Jury
Murder Pans Out
A Buried Lie
Corpus de Crossword (Crossword Mystery Series)
Blood on Their Hands
Death and Restoration
Grave Instinct
Good Morning, Heartache: A Philip Damon Mystery
No Clue at the Inn
The Bernini Bust
Sky Woman Falling
A Poultice for a Healer (Chronicles of Issac of Girona)
Pretty Dead (Jack McMorrow Mystery)
The Torso in the Town (Fethering Mysteries (Paperback))
On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mysteries)
Work of the Angels
The Marriage Casket (Antique Lover's Mysteries (Prime Crime))
Much ADO about Murder
Blue Moon
Murder on Ice (Figure Skating Mystery)
A Draught for a Dead Man

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A slight change of pace
A Land of Sheltered Promise
Appealing, Authentic Characters and the Early West
A Land Redeemed
three terrific novellas

A Land of Sheltered Promise
Jane Kirkpatrick
Manufacturer: WaterBrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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A Clearing in the Wild
Hold Tight the Thread (Tender Ties Historical Series)
Every Fixed Star (Tender Ties Historical Series)
Love to Water My Soul (Dreamcatcher)
A Sweetness to the Soul (Dreamcatcher)

ASIN: 1578567335
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Book Description

Out of the Wilderness…
Three Women. Three Eras.
Three Miracles.

1901
Plagued by loneliness on the Big Muddy Ranch, a sheepherder’s wife awaits the outcome of her husband’s trial for murder. He is sentenced to life in prison–and she to life without him. But a startling event could redeem their pasts and transform their future.

1984
Against a backdrop of attempted murder, federal indictments, and the first case of bio-terrorism in the U.S., one woman seeks to rescue her granddaughter from within the elaborate compound of a cult that has claimed the land.

1997
On the much-reviled, abandoned cult site, one woman’s skepticism turns to hope when she finds that what was meant to destroy can be used to rebuild–and in the process realizes a long-held dream.

For three women seekers united across time, a remote and rugged stretch of land in the Pacific Northwest proves to be a place where miracles really happen–and the gifts of faith, hope, and charity are as tangible as rocks, rivers, and earth.

Based on True Stories.

Customer Reviews:

A slight change of pace.......2005-09-07

This is somewhat of a change of pace for Kirkpatrick in that she is mixing characters from the early 1900's then jumping into characters we are all familiar with in more recent years. It is a fascinating book and as always, Kirkpatrick does a wonderful job. I did not want to put it down.

A Land of Sheltered Promise.......2005-08-02

This is a wonderful book centered around a place in North- central Oregon where the Rashneesee were, that covers three generations of people who lived there. The author always does a lot of reserch before she writes a book, using diaries and any information she can get and it makes the books come alive for the reader. It is a wonderful story of faith, endurance, and determination.

Appealing, Authentic Characters and the Early West.......2005-06-03

Jane Kirkpatrick again has succeeded in bringing to life not only appealing, authentic characters but also portions of the early west itself. With the Big Muddy Ranch in southern Oregon as the setting, she presents three separate stories that span one hundred years, from 1897 to 1997. In each story a woman of faith demonstrates unique courage and strength that is rewarded with hope, miracles, redemption and love.

In Part One Eva Cora Thompson Bruner gets her first delighted glimpse of the Big Muddy Ranch when she is merely four years old. Eva's youthful joy is short-lived. Her father kills a man and gets life, and her mother relinquishes hers to despair. Soon Eva finds herself being raised by her aunt and uncle. But her love for them and the Big Muddy grows, and at age 17 she falls in love with D.L. Bruner and becomes his child bride. Yet, once again, her joy is snatched away as Dee is accused of murder and seems destined for the same fate as her father. Eva is determined, however, not to follow the steps of her mother and is blessed with an inner strength that carries her through betrayals and the ordeals of his trial. She demonstrates her faith by setting up a homestead near the Big Muddy and prays for a miracle that will return her husband to her and their baby girl.

Part Two brings Cora Swenson to the Big Muddy. She is the daughter of a woman who had been close friends with Eva's grandmother. The year is now 1984 and the Muddy has been taken over by the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his followers. While purporting to be a mystic sect based on "oneness, obedience to the One, and the forsaking of individuality, including earthly goods," it is actually a cult designed by shrewd lawyers to bilk the rich and foolish out of enough money to support the Bhagwan, his 90 Rolls-Royces, and his team of fawning sycophants. Ultimately, a scandal caused by cult members who engineered a bio-terrorist attack ends the Bhagwan's reign, but many of the Sannyasins stay on and await his return, a testimony to the thoroughness of his indoctrination.

For those who remember the headlines during that time, Kirkpatrick provides a grim reminder of life on the Big Muddy under the Bhagwan's leadership. Where sexual freedom always trumped decorum. Where the faithful worked like slaves and their children were left to wander around, attended by all but cared for by no one. It is one of these children, her granddaughter Charity, whom Cora Swenson hopes to rescue from the ranch.

Part Three returns us to the Big Muddy Ranch in 1997 after it has been abandoned by the last of the Sannyasins and is now part of a land parcel that the Washington family wants to donate to Young Life, a non-denominational youth organization that serves teens. The conversion of this rugged, untamed land into a Camp for kids that promises them "the best week of your life" is both touching and telling as Kirkpatrick deftly parallels the conversion of the Big Muddy with the conversion of a skeptical sociology grad student. When Jill Hartley allows her love for husband Tom to nudge her toward faith, she begins to experience the love and miracles of God. Her questions and doubts are met with kindness and gentleness from those involved in this project of reclamation, and she soon finds herself caught up in the reality of a new life in Christ.

Just as there is a special place in Heaven for those who practice the tenets of God, I believe there is a special place in Hell for those who hurt their fellows in the name of God. Jane Kirkpatrick has an extraordinary talent for compelling us to explore our beliefs while telling a whopping good tale.

--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding

A Land Redeemed.......2005-05-05

Once again Jane Kirkpatrick does not disappoint with her new book A Land of Sheltered promise.
What a beautiful picture of God's redemption! How He can make something bright and beautiful out of something so tarnished.
I wasn't too sure how much I wanted to read about the Rajneesh again. Living here in Oregon and reading about all their exploits in the newspaper at the time was enough to last a life time. Her story line of Cora, Razi and Charity made it palatable.
After reading about that period of time and then reading about the redemption of the land through all of God's miracles was like a welcome spring of cool water in a dry desert! Her book is truly a wonderful picture of God's fulfilling of prayer requests and making something good for His people out of something so broken and abandoned.
This is a book to add to your collection of books by this talented and caring author, Jane Kirkpatrick.

three terrific novellas .......2005-04-21

Part 1 Faith. In 1901 Oregon seventeen years old Eva Bruner is exhausted even before the outcome of the murder trial that her husband sheepherder Dee faces. He admits to killing Tom Reilly so the guilty verdict does not surprise her as he is sentenced to life in prison. Alone on their station on the Muddy Ranch to raise their infant son, everyday Eva prays for a miracle.

Part 2 Hope. In 1984 devout Episcopalian Aussie Cora Thompson arrives in Oregon planning to abduct her six years old granddaughter Charita nee Charity because Cora's daughter Rachel, now called Ma Razi, is an active leader in a cult. While Cora enters the communal compound on the site of the Muddy Ranch, the INS indicts leaders on violations and a new form of intimidation at least in America, salmonella bio-terrorism, shakes the area.

Part 3 Charity. In 1995 though she preferred staying in Portland, Jill Hartley accompanies her husband on a visit to the Bartletts who were like parents to her Tom. The Bartletts show Jill the abandoned despised Muddy Ranch where they dream of a place where the Young Life Christians from around the world can attend camp. Almost two years later a skeptical Jill makes the dream come true.

These three novellas connected by the Muddy Ranch in Oregon and based on real stories are terrific tales that star courageous women willing to sacrifice for the good of another while turning to God and Jesus to help them. The parable of using the land receiving a second chance ties together these well written stories that inspire the audience to believe in Jesus and that good deeds matter.

Harriet Klausner

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cautionary tales
Shorter stories are more interesting than title story
Who is that person beside you, really?
Gripping Tales of True Crime
Ann Rule "going through the motions"....

Empty Promises
Ann Rule
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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A Rage To Kill and Other True Cases: Anne Rule's Crime Files, Vol. 6 (Ann Rule's Crime Files)
Last Dance, Last Chance (Ann Rule's Crime Files : Vol. 8)
The End Of The Dream The Golden Boy Who Never Grew Up : Ann Rules Crime Files Volume 5
In the Name of Love: Ann Rule's Crime Files Volume 4 (Ann Rule's Crime Files)
A Fever in the Heart : Ann Rule's Crime Files, Volume III

ASIN: 0671025333
Release Date: 2000-12-26

Book Description

MORE THAN 20 MILLION COPIES OFANN RULE'S BOOKS IN PRINT!

In this unnerving collection drawn from her personal crime files, "America's best true-crime writer" (Kirkus Reviews) Ann Rule brilliantly dissects the convoluted love affairs that all too often end in violence.

Expertly analyzing a shocking, headline-making case, Rule unmasks the deadly motives inside a seemingly idyllic marriage: a beautiful young wife, a rising star in America's top-ranked computer corporation, and a prosperous husband, the scion of a family building business. With an adorable son and a gorgeous home, the couple seemed to have it all. But a furtive evil permeated their days and nights, dragging them into a murky world of drugs, sordid sex, and con operations. In this realm, one of them would prove to be a virtual innocent, the other a manipulator with no conscience. Sudden, violent death brought their charade of a fairy-tale romance to a tragic end -- with a brutal crime that might never have come to light were it not for the stubborn detectives and prosecutors whose fight for justice spanned an entire decade.

Empty Promises recounts several other cases where the search for love brought only lies and betrayal -- a cautionary primer, perhaps, for those who trust too much too soon. Powerful because they strike so close to home, the cases in Empty Promises will leave readers shaken by the realities of love gone terribly -- and fatally -- wrong.

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It seemed to be the perfect marriage: a beautiful young wife, a rising star in America's top-ranked computer corporation, and a prosperous husband, the soon of a family building business. With an adorable son and a gorgeous home, this couple seemed to have it all. But a furtive evil permeated their days and nights, dragging them into a murky world of drugs, sordid sex, and con operations -- and sudden, violent death brought their charade of a fairy-tale romance to a tragic end. Empty Promises recounts this and several other cases where the search for love brought only lies and betrayal. Unerringly powerful because it strikes so close to home, Empty Promises will leave readers shake with the realities of love gone terribly -- and fatally -- wrong.

Customer Reviews:

cautionary tales.......2006-05-09

"Empty Promises" is a collection of short stories by Ann Rule, built around one long, book-length story. The main story is about Jami and Steve Sherer. He is a drug addict, thief, insurance defrauder, and con man who uses and abuses his wife Jami and finally murders her. The big lesson in Ann Rule's books is that people are not always as they appear on the surface, and charm is often a tool used by the dishonest to manipulate the naive. Often, as is the case in the title story "Empty Promises", it is hard to understand how an abused woman could be so compliant and stupid about staying with her abuser. One thing I know from experience is that men like Steve Sherer have practiced lying and sneaking from childhood. From the day they meet a potential girlfriend, they carefully construct an intricate web of lies, and they are very, very good at it. They always have an ex-girlfriend in the wings who they are still threatening and abusing. They always have at least one other potential or second-string girlfriend waiting in the wings to support them if the main wife or girlfriend manages to get away. They enlist friends and family members to back up their stories, and for some reason these people support them. It is hard feel too much sympathy for Jami Sherer, after all, she helped him defraud insurance companies, and was into drugs herself. The man she picked out to leave Steve for was an even worse druggie than Steve. But no matter how stupid or even complicit a woman is, no one ever deserves the brainwashing and violence the victim of a pathological narcissist goes through. I have wondered over the years how many women Ann Rule has helped get away from men who are manipulating and using them. I bet it is a lot. Thanks for this book, Ann.

Shorter stories are more interesting than title story.......2006-01-08

Ex-cop and serial killer expert Ann Rule isn't a profound writer. She tells the same story over and over again with new victims and grisly variations on the way a human being can die. I suppose there's nothing profound about me either, since I read her stories. But it's a relief to know that no matter how badly my life is behaving, I'm better off than the victims of Rule's psychopaths.

The title story, "Empty Promises" is 216 pages long, and I had a problem empathizing with the victim, an abused wife who eventually disappears, because the husband in this case is such an unrelenting crudball. Ann Rule allows Steve Sherer absolutely no redeeming features and as a result, I can't figure out why Jami married him, much less went out on that first date with Steve. She learned right away that Steve was still beating up his previous girlfriend. It was quickly obvious that he was into drugs, thievery, and insurance scams. He bullied Jami into dyeing her hair blond and getting her breasts enlarged. Part of this bullying went on while Steve was in prison. Then when he is set free, Jami MARRIES him, supports him financially, and bears his child. When she finally decides to leave him for yet another druggie, Jami disappears.

The only really interesting thing about this story is the trial, which was conducted on purely circumstantial evidence and the personality of the accused.

This book's shorter case histories are more interesting and varied than the long, sad story of Jami and Steve:

"Bitter Lake"--another woman tries to break off a relationship with an overly-possessive boyfriend with a very brutal outcome.

"Young Love"--A teen-age romance goes sour and the boy breaks into his ex-girl-friend's college dorm, loaded down with dynamite.

"Love and Insurance"--Two publicity-seeking men enter into a gay relationship that lasts only until one of them is murdered.

"The Gentler Sex"--Some women are tempted by the thought of widowhood, cushioned by scads of life insurance, including the wife of one hard-to-kill Marine drill instructor.

"The Conjugal Visit"--Nowadays some prisons include nearly all the comforts of home, including conjugal relations. Even a man who has committed crimes of extreme violence can sometimes fool prison officials into thinking he is willing to reform. When cop-killer, kidnapper, and repeat felon Carl Bowles is allowed to visit his 'fiancée' in a Motel 6 room, the couple disappears.

"Killers on the Road"--Some American murderers are named after the roads where they pick up their victims. Ann Rule shares one of the first trials she covered as a true-crime writer. A married woman goes missing on the way home from work. Her killers are traced only after another one of their victims survives multiple gunshot wounds.

"A Dangerous Mind"--A pretty blond child is murdered in her own home during the dark hours of the night. This case predated by almost two decades that of JonBenét Ramsey.

"To Kill and Kill Again"--Four separate victims have only one thing in common--their nineteen-year-old killer.

"The Stockholm Syndrome"--This true case was explored on the TV show, "Forensic Files." A young couple and their collie meet a stranger while camping in the woods.

Who is that person beside you, really?.......2004-09-03

I cannot sleep well if I have read too much Ann Rule. I find myself looking a little bit longer at the stranger sitting next to me on the bus. I am a wee bit more suspicious of that friendly man down by the pool. Ann Rule continues to dig into her own crime files (a former Deattle area policewoman)and opens the files on cases that make us ask why? A young woman
witnesses her husband murdered, and yet tries to convince the police it was an accidentand his killer is innocent. A recently discharged gay
soldier(profiled in People and in the media)tries to tie his new lover's murder with his new celebrity,a once happy, beautiful young woman slowly falls under the control of a
sexual predator...her husband, and eventually vanishes. Rule gives these and other chilling crimes a human face. That is what she does best. In the retelling of not only the crimes, but their impacts on family, friends and community, she is able to jolt us from our thinking..."not here, not me". She gives human faces to all involved,even the most vile. She also allows parents to once again present a fresh memory of a young, still happy person both victims and perperatrator)and unravels the tangles skeins that weave their deadly frabric. Just don't red too much at once.

Gripping Tales of True Crime.......2003-03-01

Ann Rule is a natural when it comes to writing true crime novels. Empty Promises recounts several cases where the search for love brought only lies and betrayal for those who trust too much too soon. You begin to realize that these are just ordinary people who's lives changed forever. This is just another Ann Rule book that will haunt you.

Ann Rule "going through the motions"...........2003-02-10

In yet another installment of Ann Rule's collection of true crime stories we see Ann Rule at her worst. Well I should say that at her best Ann Rule does a brilliant job of analyzing criminals, victims, crimes and the US justice system. She has the knack of drilling down into minute detail without being boring. However with 'Empty Promises...' the author doesn't go into any detail and, worse, the stories she relates are your basic slasher crimes; we've seen them all before (and were grossed out).

At the very least Ann Rule still writes in a very readable, personable sort of way. So the book is a painless waste of time. If Ms. Rule reads this review can I ask her, as a loyal fan, to dispense with these half-hearted stories (as an attempt to cash in on her name?) and give us more classics like 'If You Really Loved Me' or 'Dead By Sunset'.

Bottom line: Ann Rule on a very off day. Don't waste your money.

A Promise of Justice : The Eighteen-Year Fight to Save Four Innocent Men

Average customer rating:

A book showing the pwoer of journalism
They should've won the Pulitzer!
A Great BookThat Should be Required Reading in High Schools
A Great Report about Great Reporting
This book is superb, frightening, and really SUPERB!

A Promise of Justice : The Eighteen-Year Fight to Save Four Innocent Men
David Protess , and Rob Warden
Manufacturer: Hyperion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Legal History | Perspectives on Law | Law | Subjects | Books

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Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Courtroom 302: A Year Behind the Scenes in an American Criminal Courthouse
Wrongly Convicted: Perspectives on Failed Justice
Victims of Justice Revisited: Completely Updated and Revised
The Exonerated: A Play
The Wrong Men: America's Epidemic of Wrongful Death Row Convictions

ASIN: 0786862947

Amazon.com

In 1978, a young white couple was abducted at gunpoint from a 24-hour filling station in Homewood, Illinois, and taken to a predominantly black neighborhood outside of Chicago. They were forced into an abandoned, decayed townhouse where the woman was raped repeatedly; shortly thereafter, both were dead from multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation seemed open-and-shut. An eyewitness described two of the suspects running from the townhouse, one with a gun in his hand. Another witness claimed to hear two of the suspects bragging about the murders. Most damning of all, the girlfriend of one of the suspects claimed she was present in the townhouse; later, she claimed, she witnessed the actual murders. Four men--Dennis Williams, Verneal Jimerson, Willie Rainge, and Kenny Adams--were ultimately convicted, and two of them sentenced to death.

Several years later, Rob Warden, the editor of a Chicago law review journal, noticed irregularities in the case and asked his friend David Protess, a Northwestern University journalism professor, to get involved. The truth came out grudgingly, after years of reinvestigation, but when it did, it revealed one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American legal history, a classic "rush to judgment" that ultimately cost four men a collective 65 years in prison. Protess and Warden, writing in the third person, demonstrate conclusively (with assistance from many helpers) that the four men were innocent. This is a spellbinding, powerful account of undeniable negligence and arrogance resulting from the local district attorney's vainglorious need to have the double murder solved quickly, at all costs. It's also a strong reminder of the power of detail-oriented investigative journalism, even in a sound-bite age. --Tjames Madison

Customer Reviews:

A book showing the pwoer of journalism.......2005-03-01

It seems there are a growing number of "wrongly convicted" books emerging in recent years, but this is one of the originals and one of the best.

Students and lawyers examine a case where justice went wrong in Chicago. This was long before the days of the mass reversal of several death penalty cases in Illinois (which led to the moratorium on the death penalty in that state). This was a case that had mostly been forgotten by the public when a few lawyers and journalism students made it their cause. Their efforts and their findings are dramatically reported by David Protess who draws the reader into the story nicely, but while still showing a fair amount of objectivity.

They should've won the Pulitzer!.......2001-10-05

If you are a staunch supporter of the death penalty you may find yourself second guessing your beliefs when you finish reading "A Promise of Justice". The travesty that befell the four men who were wrongly convicted of the rape and murder of a white couple is unspeakable. (The defendants were black which is a factor in the miscarriage of justice, due to an apparent racist police force and justice system.) Collectively, they spent over 60 years of their young lives in prison and two of them were on death row. Not to get all religious on anyone, but I have to wonder why a loving God would allow something like this too happen. I guess there is an ultimate reason for everything and fortunately they are free men today, able to enjoy a beautiful sunset, sleep in a comfortable bed, and most importantly, be with their families.

Protess and Warden are excellent and VERY thorough investigative journalists. However, there were a few things that I didn't personally like about the book, which has nothing to do with their reporting abilities. The first was that it was written in the third person which is the way I was taught to report when I was in journalism school. ("Always remove yourself from the story," my professor emphasized.) In this case, since it was a book and not a newspaper or magazine article, I would have preferred the authors include themselves more in the story...relaying their feelings and experiences on a personal level. I also wanted more first-person accounts from the defendants other than how they felt wronged and persecuted. Not to say that they shouldn't have felt this...to the contrary. But I was hoping to glean a little bit more about their personalities in their own words.

Aside from these two minor criticisms the book was great. As far as I'm concerned, Protess and Warden deserved the Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism. They did an incredible service not only to these men but to our criminal justice system as a whole. BRAVO!

A Great BookThat Should be Required Reading in High Schools.......2000-03-08

A Promise of Justice is a great book, though the title is misleading. The prosecution of these four innocent black men shows the inherent flaws of the American adversarial system that often fails both the victims and the accused. The system often fails,with overzealous prosecutors or incompetent defense attorneys, perjured testimony, poor or incompetent police work, cynical or biased judges or jurors, flawed so called "expert" testimony , and all the flaws associated with the human personality. The exceptional courage and perseverence of these journalists and attorneys regretably are often the exception to the rule, as amply illustrated by the fact that it took 18 years to free these men who were plainly innocent. The adversarial system of justice means the wealthy, the educated and well appointed have a more practical oppprtunity for a fair trial than the poor or less educated . I cannot imagine how these innocent men were able to endure their convictions, imprisonment and in two cases - imminent threat of execution. This book compares well with "May God Have Mercy On You". As a civil litigation attorney, I find it appalling to find that the accused is provided less disclosure and less accessabilty to the facts/witnesses in a criminal case, when his life or liberty is at stake ,than is available in a civil case involving a fender bender. The prosecution and police can and often do conceal the fruits of their investigation. In this book it is shocking to find that a solid lead early in the police investigation shortly after the first indictments was not followed until 16 years later, exposing the real killers. Most of the public/legislators seem to complain that the death penalty for those convicted of heinous crimes takes too long to be implemented. In these cases, 18 years was nearly not enough ..This book illustrates how and why it can take so long to get to the truth, and in the words of Dennis Williams, offers some well thought out ways to improve our flawed system of justice. While the American criminal justice system is probably better in most ways than systems offered in other countries, this book amply shows the warts,blemishes and flaws of our system, whose worst feature may be a death penalty which kills the guilty, but very rarely, but unforgivably, the innocent as well.

A Great Report about Great Reporting.......2000-02-14

This is a powerful book. Every American should read and take its message to heart. Protess and Warden are to be congratulated.

This book is superb, frightening, and really SUPERB!.......1999-11-11

I read this book for a directed study on the death penalty. As a child of the Sixties, I had no illusions about our justice system. This book shows so clearly what so many of us know instinctively - if you are Black and poor your chances of justice in this country are very, very low. The book shows so many of the flaws in our criminal justice system, and shows why we must continue to fight to end the death penalty and overturn the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Innocent people die because of our court system. A book for all to read, especially those who still believe our courts are fair.

Promises to Keep: A Novel (Strivers Row)

Average customer rating:

Unimaginable Grief
tear jerker
TOO SLOW!!
R.E.A.L
Captivating!!!! Riveting!!!!!!!Moving!!!!!!!!

Promises to Keep: A Novel (Strivers Row)
Gloria Mallette
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

When We Practice to Deceive
Distant Lover
Shades of Jade (Strivers Row)
Weeping Willows Dance
The Honey Well

ASIN: 0375757449
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Book Description

New from the author of the national bestseller Shades of Jade: a story about the tragic loss of a son, the struggle to keep a family together, and the hunt for a murderer who didn’t leave any clues behind

After a bitter divorce, Troy Kirkwood and his five-year-old daughter, Meika, move in with his parents, Nola and Ron. Troy is a devoted father and son. During an outing with his daughter he is called away—and never returns. Nola and Ron know that something must be terribly wrong, and Meika can’t stop asking where her daddy is. Four days later the police discover Troy’s body, with two bullet holes in it.

As soon as Vann, Troy’s older brother, hears the news, he promises to find Troy’s killer and bring him to justice. There’s just one problem—the police have no leads and Troy had almost no enemies. To make matters worse, Troy’s crack-addicted ex-wife has recently resurfaced and is demanding custody of their daughter.

The Kirkwoods are not about to give up Troy’s only child. But as they struggle through family court and Troy’s murder investigation, it takes their combined emotional strength to keep the family intact. And they slowly begin to realize that even if Troy’s murder is solved, the pain of losing a child never really goes away.

Customer Reviews:

Unimaginable Grief.......2006-11-16

Promises to Keep is the story of a family placed under great emotional strain after the tragic and senseless murder of a family member.

No parent wants their child to precede them in death, but such is the case with Nola and Ron Kirkwood. Their son Troy walked out the door with his young daughter for an outing, never to return. Knowing their son so well, they knew that something must be wrong only to have their worst fears come true with the news of his murder. Grandparents now have to take on the role of parent to their now orphaned grandchild. As if dealing with their son's murder and knowing his murderer is roaming the streets freely isn't enough, the unstable and drug-addicted mother of their grandchild demands custody.

Promises to Keep was just okay. It was a little slow, yet touching at times as you felt the characters' grief. I've heard good things about this author, so I'll give her another try.

Reviewed by: Tracy

tear jerker.......2006-05-03

This is a heart felt book. If you have a close knit family the book will bring tears to you eyes.

TOO SLOW!!.......2005-03-09

This book was a very slow read. Nothing exicting happen until the last chapter. Troy's character was not developed, therefore I could not drum up the symphathy for him that would have been there if the character was more developed. Basically, you can read the 1st chapter and last chapter without putting yourself through the agony of reading the entire book. There is no way I would have finished it if I was not reading it for my book club. I would not recommend this book.

R.E.A.L.......2004-04-12

OMG. Damn(...) this book is off the hook and the best art there wasn't any slang for you to decode(although theres nothing wrong with it)and not that many curse words. This plot can be seen all around the world, the situation is so mind twisting and sad that you feel for the character Troy. Must Read.

Captivating!!!! Riveting!!!!!!!Moving!!!!!!!!.......2003-11-04

What more can I say,what a beautifully written book. If you are looking for a fast paced read that does not leave you when you are done reading it this is the book for you.Gloria once again has captivated me with her words this sister really can write Dayuuum,Dayuuum,Dayuuum like Florida Evans on Good Times would say. This sister held my attention page after page. I am really looking for the sequel. What a wonderful inspiration to families everywhere of how tragedy strikes and there were plenty of arguments but they still stuck together. I also loved the way Gloria incorporated the mother in law daughter in law concept into this story. Because many mother in law's don't realize that there daughter in law is a human with real feelings. Wow!!!!!! I will not tell you anything about the book because it will take away from your experience.This book is like an Eric Jerome Dickey book it keeps you wanting more and more.

Average customer rating:

Fast Paced-Captivating!
A Captivating Read
Fulfilling Promise
Murder of Promise -- Snookered at Wisconsin and M
BORING

A Murder of Promise
Robert Andrews
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399148329
Release Date: 2002-02-28

Book Description

When legendary Washington Post reporter Mary Keegan is found murdered, homicide detectives Frank Kearney and José Phelps pull up the file on another open case. There as here, the victim was a female who had been hacked to death in a public park. And there is one other link: each was missing a little finger, a grisly souvenir-perhaps the calling card of a serial killer. When, a week later, a third woman is found in similar circumstances, they're sure of it.

Kearney and Phelps are certain the killer will strike again and know they're working against time. Using the best evidence modern forensics and computer science can supply and the good guesswork twenty-five years of homicide investigations have sharpened, they begin to see some patterns, but not enough to connect up the dots. Then the finger of one of the victims is found sealed inside a plastic baggie in a raided crack house. Cutting corners, pulling in favors, they track that evidence back to what they believe will be the killer, only to find he is one step ahead of them. In a climactic nightmare chase, Kearney races to save the person dearest to him as he faces off against a cunning homicidal maniac.

Customer Reviews:

Fast Paced-Captivating!.......2002-08-09

My 1st time to read Robert Andrews and don't know what to expect, but the moment I started to read the 1st page, I just got hooked on it! I felt that I step into their world and just follow Frank and Jose as they unravel the mystery and it just get interesting as it goes...

I recommend it...!

A Captivating Read.......2002-05-01

As an avid reader of good mystery and police work novels, it escapes me how any reader of A Murder of Promise could find it
"boring." Instead, Robert Andrews has done it again: Written an
intelligent, interesting novel, further developing his two main
characters, whose personal and professional relationship alone
would make the book worthwhile. Andrews has supplied a mixture
of creativity and reality, mixing the Fisher King and Holy Grail
plus very wild computer virtuality with real characters, real
situations, and real knowledge of Washington, physically and
politically. Those with any knowledge of the Washington scene
will find the book particularly absorbing. His State Department
characters, father and son, are certainly credible. In sum, this
is a difficult to put down, fast paced, and intriguing mystery;
and I doubt that many readers will figure out the culprit before
the very end. Highly recommended.

Fulfilling Promise.......2002-04-24

The promise evoked by Robert Andrews first mystery book, good as it was, is realized even more fully in "A Murder of Promise".
As with his first book, Andrews captures the reader's interest as the book begins and never loses it. Beyond the mystery itself, which unfolds in an intriguing manner and pace, the further development of Detectives Kearney and Phelps both as investigators and as people makes the reading experience more enriching and engaging. I found the depth and breadth of Kearny's style and character not only interesting, but very valuable to the story line in explaining his thought process and actions. Hopefully in the next of this series the author will allow us to spend more time with Jose Phelps as well, getting to know him even better.
The plot is excellent and quite believable, and the sense of place this book creates is even stronger than its predecessor. It also adds depth and meaning to the story line. The dialogue is even more crisp and authentic than Andrews' previous book, which was good indeed.
This is an excellent work of fiction, which goes far beyond the standard police procedural in giving us real characters who act in ways that are human and credible to the reader. Well worth reading.

Murder of Promise -- Snookered at Wisconsin and M.......2002-04-23

OK, OK, I confess right up front! This clever boy got snookered "big time" trying to unravel the fundamental whodunit quiz in Robert Andrews' latest murder mystery "A Murder of Promise" (Putnam). It wasn't totally my fault, you see, it's just that the author has apparently perfected his craft beyond reasonable expectations. The last 50 pages accelerate the reader through the narrow historic streets of Georgetown and a rabbit's warren of falling dominos and the sweet fulfillment of a most unexpected conclusion. I was so totally consumed by the story that the Flight Attendant on the airplane I happened to be on was close to slapping me upside my head to get my attention to prepare for landing. In this case, the author won, he sucked me in and beat me, but in the end I won as well from having read this excellent book. This is a darn good yarn!

The second installment of Robert Andrews' immensely satisfying crime-novel series chronicles the exploits of two career-long D.C. detective partners struggling with the ugly reality of a serial killer in the nation's capitol. This is a story where they are murdering more in Washington than the congressional budget. Not that murder of any kind is rare in the District, but this book is rare and remarkable on a number of levels in its own right. Initially the reader is struck with the story's compelling, drag-you-along depiction of the gritty nuts and bolts business of police work. However, somewhere around the second chapter you suddenly realize what in my opinion is the true merit of this outing and that comes in the form of Mr. Andrews' decidedly rare ability to paint extraordinarily rich textures within the characters of the humans involved and the landmark environment they inhabit. As the book is written totally in dialogue, it is extremely easy for the reader to get the very real sense they are somehow personally involved. In fact, at points you almost feel like you're eavesdropping (like you'd stop, please!).

Another of my favorite aspects of this book is Andrews' almost casual, matter-of-fact, inclusion of the little discussed history of some of this town's more prominent landmarks. If you are a son of the District as I am you take great delight in his mention of such places as Jenkin's Hill (a.k.a. Capitol Hill), Gen Washington's provision for the defense of the nation's new capitol in the form of stately Fort McNair, and his striking use of the unique Hains Point sculpture, "The Awakening." I wonder if that's what the artist originally had in mind? Anyway, blend in a healthy splash of D.C.'s ubiquitous political intrigue and he satisfies even the most serious case of Potomac Fever. This story makes ALL the stops! Made this homeboy smile.

All in all Robert Andrews finds a most ingenious way to breathe life into the well-worn whodunit vehicle and adds another "absolutely, must read" to the mystery genre. Well done sir! Well done indeed!

Oh, by the way, my sincere apologies to the character that I was so resolutely convinced was in fact the most hideous, vile, and murderous scoundrel. How was I to know? Nothing personal!

BORING.......2002-04-16

I got to around page 100 and they still had no leads. Not a hint. I gave up because not only that but the writing and rest of the story (if you could call it that) was boring as all getout.
FLAT

Average customer rating:

Patty's Promise
Patricia A. Lively
Manufacturer: Lively Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1889808024

Product Description

In Patty's Promise, you will be treated to the writing of an honest and sincere person who faced problems head-on, one who overcame adversity with spunk and strength of mind. Patty's Promise is an inspirational novel, a mixture of humorous and factual essays. This story is about ordinary people living by old values that still work. Underneath those common lives are uncommon, compelling circumstances. The book is suspenseful, a satisfying novel. (From back cover)

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The Promise of Murder
Mignon Eberhart
Manufacturer: Dell Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000H0BZMA

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Promise of Murder
Mignon Good Eberhart
Manufacturer: Amereon Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0891905383

TV stations seek access to videotapes; News outlets promise to broadcast only events before, after slaying.(City): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press

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TV stations seek access to videotapes; News outlets promise to broadcast only events before, after slaying.(City): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000NPWCGW
Release Date: 2007-02-20

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on February 17, 2007. The length of the article is 576 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: TV stations seek access to videotapes; News outlets promise to broadcast only events before, after slaying.(City)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 17, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: b2

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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A surprisingly quick read
real, rounded characters
Unexpected Page Turner--Timeless
When does the movie come out?

The Other House (Unabridged)
Henry James
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
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ASIN: B000M2DJK4

Book Description

In three beautifully crafted, dramatic acts, James's little-known novel unravels the painfully complicated emotional bonds which exist within a group of friends and lovers connected by two neighboring homes as they fight publicly for preferment, reciprocation and successful marriage.

Customer Reviews:

A surprisingly quick read.......2003-06-06

It's hard to believe that James's theatrical turn of the late 19th century ended with his audience "booing" him off the stage. This novelized play reads quickly and delightfully. I've read more than twenty of his novels, and this was the quickest of them all.

The plot is simple enough (at least for James): two houses, apparently back to back, in Wilverley, a small English village, set the scene. One contains a widow, the other a young married couple. The young wife widows the young husband, and he becomes Wilverley's "most eligible bachelor," except for the fact that he promised his dying wife that he would never marry again, at least not during the life of his child. So somebody has to kill the child, right?

Enter James's genius for character. There's Paul, the huge, infinitely imperturbable son of the wealthy Mrs. Beever; the diminutive and impetuous Dennis Vidal; Tony Bream himself, a remarkably good-natured but insensitive fool; and the powerful Mrs. Beever, whose awful determination cows every one else before her. Like James's best writing, his characters become interesting on their own; his fictions become an opportunity to satisfy curiosity. I think that's what makes this book a "page-turner"; the characters are interesting enough that I want to know what's going to happen.

In the end, I suppose, what makes this book succeed is what would have made the dramatic version fail: James's endless fascination with the workings of the human mind must have become either painfully boring or just incomprehensible to a theatrical audience. However it came about, I recommend it unequivocally.

real, rounded characters.......2002-07-24

This book is a novelization of the play by the same name. And you can see the stageplay - the characters are continually coming and going - and there's stage business - all of which I think shows some stiffness - yet about half way through the novel I was startled at how much the characters were real, rounded - I could just about see them - they ached with life - I was always aware of the stage during the novel - the story itself is rather shocking - it's a mystery novel! - it's all very well done - it's short - and it's very psychological

Unexpected Page Turner--Timeless.......1999-09-29

I am impressed with The New York Review's revival of this unexpectedly non-Jamesian title. A truly unique James choice to bring back to life--it's been done so with a cover so compelling (I'm not a tradional James fan) I opened the book which I found locally in a brick and mortar as they are now called, book shop. The internet cannot do justice to the thoughtful sophistication of this book's packaging. (But I can purchase another copy here more easily!) The publisher's comments about the work were also compelling and complimentary to the cover art. The Other House is a mystery, a detective story, a love triangle with more than three angles--a true page turner--with a timelessly human plot and "modern" characters. Anyone thriller fan would be enchanted with it. And turning every page, holding the book, is a sensory thrill. Paper, writing, art--all representative of what any literary rebirth deserves. If it's worth bringing back--do it with quality, I say! They did--along with a whole marvelous collection of equally intriguing books, with well written new introductions. Good choices--the pieces themselves, the introduction authors and the book artist designers. Truly timeless in all ways!

When does the movie come out?.......1999-08-22

A trusted friend sent me a copy of this new edition of The Other House, insisting that I'd enjoy it. It looked intriguing. I felt obligated to at least give it a try. I still trust the friend! I can't believe this is what is known as a Classic. I thought they were all very boring. I couldn't wait to get back to this plot and I'd never have thought it was written in the uptight Victorian era. It's more like a movie special of the week or one of the top ten best selling novels. Read it then recommend it and impress your friends with your literary depth.

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