Product Description
Susan Cooper's brilliant Dark is Rising sequence has enthralled readers since the first book, Over Sea, Under Stone, was published more than forty years ago. The second book, The Dark is Rising, was named a Newberry Honor Book and is now a major motion picture. The fourth, The Grey King, won the Newbery Medal. This handsome boxed set includes all five books in the celebrated sequence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

The Dark is Rising
I first discovered this series when I was in sixth grade.I was immediately pulled in to the enchanting world created by Susan Cooper.Unfortunately, I never got to finish the series because my library did not have the final book.

Several years later, I purchased the boxed set and started it all over again.It was even more amazing the second time around.The world crafted by Cooper is captivating.She uses the Arthur legends to pull in readers.The tales are chocked full of action, adventure, love, heartbreak, and mystery.These books are for all ages because they can capture and hold anyone's interest due to the diversity in the tales.

If you are a fan of Arthurian legend or like adventure and mystery books, give these a shot because you will not be disappointed.

Little piece of my childhood.
Some of my favorite books from my childhood.I'm having a baby soon and wanted them to read to my child.Amazing fantasy books for children.

The Dark is Rising: Back in my collection!
When I was twelve my grandmother gave these to me. I thought they were a bit babyish (advanced reader) but after reading them I learned the joy of reading something just for fun. These are probably the first books that I slowed myself down and actually enjoyed reading. Half a dozen moves later and I couldn't find the series in any boxes. Thankfully my sister-in-law picked these up as a christmas gift. Now I am happily ensconced reading these again, before I put them into my classroom library.

My All Time Favorite Series
'The Dark is Rising Sequence' follows a group of kids as they embark on a journey to defeat a group of supernatural solders known as the `Dark'. Our cast of characters includes Will, a young boy who finds out that he isn't a mere mortal, but a warrior of the `Light'; Bran, an albino Welsh boy who has a past not even he could have guessed; Jane, your typical no nonsense school girl; and Simon and Barney, her brothers. All find themselves on paths that were destined to be in a life and death battle as the Light and Dark are ready for their final meeting. Arthurian folklore is present throughout the books and told in a way that isn't at all confusing for those who know little about it.

It's complicated writing a review for a series, especially this one. Each story has a different purpose and you'll meet characters in each book. `Over Sea, Under Stone', the first book in the series (sometimes referred to as prequel of sorts), showcases Jane, Simon, and Barney. Will, the main character of the book isn't featured until `The Dark Is Rising', the second in the sequence. 'Greenwitch', the third title, is Jane's story. Bran is my favorite character in the sequence. He is introduced in `The Grey King', the title I enjoy the most out of the series for its action and lyrical descriptions of Wales. Finally, in the final title `Silver on the Tree', our heroes are together for the first and last time, each playing their own part in the climactic battle.

The series is a great pick for both ages 9 and up. Adults can easily enjoy it, as well. Those with an interest in good stories with Arthurian ties should love this title. While it isn't the most action packed series on the market, it is full of lyrical descriptions that make you feel as if you, too, are experiencing what the characters are. In fact, the descriptions of Wales are the sole reason I want to travel there someday! If you haven't read this series, take a chance on it. If you saw the (horrible) movie supposedly based of it, read this series. I promise, this series is amazing. I will cherish 'The Dark Is Rising Sequence' by Susan Cooper for the rest of my life and hope you will, too.

Great series for tweens
This is a great series for fantasy readers everywhere.The plot line is well thought out and the characters are real and fantastic.A welcomed addition to any library! ... Read more

Product Description

LIVING CENTURIES APART, BUT JOINED IN AN EPIC BATTLE.

Sam Robbins is a farm boy, kidnapped to serve on HMS Victory, the ship on which Lord Nelson will die a hero's death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Molly Jennings is a twenty-first-century English girl transplanted to the United States by her stepfather's job, who's fighting her own battle against loss and loneliness.

Two lives that couldn't be more different, two hundred years apart, are linked by a tiny scrap of fraying cloth, tucked into an old book. It draws Molly into Sam's world, to a moment in time that changed history -- a frightening shared moment that holds the key to secrets from the past and hope for the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

An enjoyable reading
In am not British, but I am very fond of England and their history. That's why I found (with Google search engine) this book, looking for references to HMS Victory, Nelson and Portsmouth that I intended to visit this summer (what I actually did). So, my perspective could be pretty biased, however I'm trying to bring out facts as objectively as I can. I read the book fast, like I eat a good cake, being sorry when it came to an end. I was not disappointed. The story, as "fairy-tale" as it seems, of the encounter of the two children parted by two centuries is made believable by the author. The episodes are skillfully assembled so the rendez-vous of Molly and Sam is in the climax, when tension grows to a maximum, on both sides: Sam is about to enter with his "mother-ship" into action at Trafalgar, Molly, trapped by an irresistible call from faraway, steps on Victory. That is the place where the "door to the past" opens widely.
It was very interesting for me the historic part, for example the rope-making trade and life onboard. The detailed description of the ship nowadays made me recollect and put in order my own recent memories of Victory.
As for battle itself, I had read a lot before and I think I know everything about all its stages or about the damages suffered and inflicted by Victory, therefore I read the pages describing the battle with a "hawk-eye" - I would have been very disappointed if the author's description were not accurate. But it is (though I'm not sure about the wounded undergoing amputations being given to drink to alleviate pain - alcohol thins the blood and makes it spill faster).
I enjoyed (and laughed at) some domestic life scenes like the one about "cook" Carl standing beside the grill with the fork in one hand and the mobile phone in the other, maybe the author put a bit of her own experience in this fictional Yank-Brit family (she's also married in America). I didn't know, however, they are so many cultural and life-stile differences between those peoples. I also liked some inspired figure of speech like the "unexploded bomb" of the adoption request, standing between Molly and her grandfather when heading to Portsmouth, or the poetical depiction of Victory cutting trough the waves.
And I like Molly's character. She's not a tomboy kicking and throwing punches at those who bullied her, she barely throws a book at Jack the persecutor ... who is rather an immature and willing to be considered spiritual young man, than a real jerk. She has a good heart, loves her baby-brother (like Sam used to love and protect his little sisters) and does not kill even the caterpillar that annoys her. She is sensitive and vulnerable and the sole victory she gets in the end is growing-up and realizing that she has to stick with her new family, as her "twin" Sam succeeded in making his life as a sailor, most of the time apart from his loved-ones. So happens in real life, we eventually accept what we cannot change and this is the real victory (but I must confess, the epilogue disclosing of the parentage of the Jennings seemed to me a bit too "hollywoodian").
As an overall impression, reading is enjoyable. The author doesn't play the justice-maker, not even with the vicious characters, like the father of Sam, whom she makes not to die, but to become less bitter due to the accident he suffers. That's a nice attitude for an author.

5 Out Of 5 Stars for VICTORY
In 1805 a young boy Sam and his uncle are pressed into the British navy. MeanwhileA girl named Molly moved to America from England because her father died and her mom fell in love with an American. One day Molly goes into a bookshop and buys a book with a piece of Sam's ship called HMS Victory and signed by is granddaughter. Sam's life is described very well and is very detailed and you always know what is going on. Molly's life is very dramatic and really draws the reader in. Toward the end Sam's story gets gory and if you don't like that kind of stuff you won't like that part.This book was so good I couldn't stop reading it.
This book was the perfect mix of history and modern day mysteriousness.

Jordan.

Another Victory
Suffering from severe homesickness for her former civilized life in London, eleven-year-old Molly Jennings is deeply unhappy. She has been transplanted to Connecticut into a new life and family by her mother's marriage. Forced into a sail with her stepfather and stepbrother, Molly is accidently knocked into the sea. Her terror, before she is pulled to safety, is so profound that it seems to set into play strange, psychic connections with a young British sailor from the past, Sam Robbins. Having been kidnapped into service in the Royal Navy, Sam ends up serving loyally on the HMS Victory with Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.

The seemingly unrelated stories of present-day Molly and early nineteenth-century Sam are told in alternating episodes. The connection between the two is masterfully. gradually revealed. The excitng past infringes on Molly's present until it culminates in a frightning denoument aboard HMS
Victory, now a marine museum. The ending, which ties up the complex threads of the story with astute perceptions of history, is totally satisfying. Another victory for its author.

HMS VICTORY
Victory by Susan Cooper is a tale of time. When two people are join together from different times. United by one person and a cloth both people come together. Both feel the same way as each other. Sam Robbins is a boy who's family was poor. He joins his uncle but is then press into the navy. Molly Jennings a girl who

A victory for Cooper
Sam Robbins is an 11-year-old ship's boy, forced from his home in England when he and his uncle are pressed into service in His Majesty's Navy in 1803. Sara Jennings is an 11-year-old girl, forced from her home in England when her mother remarries and moves the family to Connecticut in 2006.

Years and miles apart, the two youngsters share a bond, woven into the cloth of a tiny fragment from the flag that once flew over HMS Victory, the flagship of Admiral Lord Nelson at Trafalgar. The two children's lives couldn't be more different, yet author Susan Cooper weaves them together with the expert touch of a seasoned writer, best known for her landmark "The Dark is Rising" series. Cooper's research is impeccable; although Sara is an entirely fictional creation and Sam was nothing more than a name on a ship's register, Cooper has turned them into real, three-dimensional characters who feel, and consequently make readers feel, too.

Cooper's work is always readable and entertaining. Seasoning her story heavily with history from the exciting days of Nelson's Navy, there's enough detail about life aboard a naval flagship to make readers feel the wood beneath their feet, hear the wind in the rigging and knock their bread against the table, for fear of weevils. The juxtapositioning of Sam's and Sara's narratives -- Sam's in first-person past, Sara's in third-person present -- is completely natural, flowing easily across centuries as their stories unfold.

Written for young-adult readers, adults will find themselves equally captivated by this delightful novel.

by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor ... Read more

Product Description

"WHEN THE DARK COMES RISING, SIX SHALL TURN THEM BACK...."

When Will Stanton wakes up on the morning of his birthday, he discovers an unbelievable gift -- he is immortal. Bemused and terrified, he finds he is the last of the Old Ones, magical men and women sworn to protect the world from the source of evil, the Dark.

At once Will is plunged into a quest to find six magical Signs to aid the powers of the Light. Six medallions -- iron, bronze, wood, water, fire, and stone -- created and hidden by the Old Ones centuries ago. But the Dark has sent out the Rider: evil cloaked in black, mounted upon a midnight stallion, and on the hunt for this youngest Old One, Will. He must find the six great Signs before the Dark can rise, for an epic battle between good and evil approaches.Amazon.com Review

"When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back,
Three from the circle, three from the track;
Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone;
Five will return, and one go alone."

Susan Cooper, in her five-title Dark Is Risingsequence, creates a world where the conflict between good andevil reaches epic proportions. She ranks with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien in her ability to deliver a moral vision in the context ofbreathtaking adventure. No one can stop at just one of her thrillingfantasy novels. Among many other prestigious awards, The Dark IsRising is a Newbery Honor Book and a Carnegie Medal Honor Book.(Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (171)

Keeper of the Signs
Susan Cooper's extraordinary Arthurian fantasy series, THE DARK IS RSIING, demonstrates its literary legacy from Tolkien's epic LORD OF THE RINGS saga.Unlike her prequel, OVER SEA, UNDER STONE, where British enjoy a coastal vacation with their kindly Uncle Merriman, this novel is forebodingly dark, hinting at the inevitable clash between the forces of Light against those of the Dark--for ultimate world domination. Can the fate of mankind rest upon the slender shoulders of 11-year-old Will Stanton, or is he too morally immature to withstand the designs of Evil--centuries in the making?

Readers are quickly immersed in a dazzling wealth of Celtic lore, as the birthday boy discovers to his amazement that he is not only a 7th son, but one of the Old Ones, the last, in fact, of this secret race--the only hope for mankind's salvation. A cryptic rhyme predicts the final, fateful ordeal for terrestrial dominion, while Will must seek and assemble the six sacred signs. Time and Space will collapse and expand in this world into which Will is suddenly thrust, a world which offers tantalyzing hints of Arthurian lore as well.

Although technically the 2nd in the series of 4, it is also the first in the main trilogy, so the book stands alone but it is guaranteed to lure readers into the rest of the wonderful series.As Will celebrate s his 11th birthday he is thrust into an odyssey which will alter his life forever--to be accomplished during the 12 days of Christmas: Dec. 25-Jan 6.To suddenly realize that he has been selected since birth to play a pivotalrole in the titanic struggle for mankind's freedom of choice on earth would stun most pre teens (teens and many adults). Yet Will--whose first name indicates his strength of character--encounters powerful allies who are sworn to protect him and defend the Light over the Ages.

Cooper's powerful prose captivates and compells, shocks and amazes readers in a delirious interplay of hope and despair.Because she is considered a British author her books are not eligible for the esteemed Newbery Award, but they deserve all manner of literary acclaim, as they continue to captivate imaginative and thoughtful readers of all ages.

Truly Pleasurable Read
On the eve of his eleventh birthday--a Midwinter's Eve Birthday, Wil, the seventh son of the seventh son, is given a token (a sign) to keep with him. Will comes to discover that he is the last of the Old Ones, a group of "warriors" dedicated to fighting the forces of the Dark. Will must seek the other signs, as he shifts from time period to time period and encounters more of the Old Ones, and unite them for the Dark is rising. Unless Will can learn his powers, grow with them, and develop some mastery over them to locate the other signs and unite them, the world will slip into Darkness. The fate of the world rests with Will, an eleven year old boy.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Cooper does a great job of personifying the Dark as an evil Rider out to undermine Will's efforts to seek the signs and unite them. And Cooper's narrative style and voice make this a pleasurable read as she bring characters--Will's somewhat absent-minded father, a jeweler, Will's mother, a practical and loving farm wife and mother of quite a brood of children--seven, and a vast array of characters who may be Old Ones who help Will in his journey

Great series
I know these were written for teens but as a 57 year-old woman I just love the series. Very well written.

Instant action
This is much better than the first book in the series. The action starts immediately and continues throughout the book. Situations resolve themselves too easily, but it is forgiveable because it is just plain entertaining.

Audio Book of "The Dark Is Rising" is Exciting
I have previously read all of the books in the "Dark is Rising" Sequence, and recently decided to buy the audio books for my youngest son, who is 12. The audio book of "Over Sea, Under Stone" is good but takes a long time to build up and get the listener's attention. But the audio book of "The Dark is Rising," which is also unabridged, has a good reader, and moves quickly into the plot and keeps the listener engaged. Comparing it to the film "The Seeker," you can see how the film telescopes the plot of several novels in the series and leaves a lot out. If you enjoy listening to audio books with your children or on your own, I recommend getting this series, but starting with this one, since the sequence of the first two books can be reversed without interfering with the cumulative plot. Thereafter I would follow them in sequence. I like the fact that these books, and many other young adult novels, are unabridged, because in these books every word often tells. Whereas I don't mind abridged adult thrillers, since they are usually not that well written in any event, and you listen to them for the plot while on a long trip. ... Read more

Product Description

"AND THOSE WHO ARE CROSSED, OR BARREN, OR WHO WOULD MAKE ANY WISH, MUST TOUCH THE GREENWITCH"

The Dark has stolen an object of great power -- a golden grail that holds a vital secret. Will embarks on a new quest to reclaim the grail, and to drive back the Dark once again. But first he will need the help of three former grail seekers: Jane, Simon, and Barney Drew.

Learning to work together, they must take back the grail and retrieve the missing manuscript that unlocks its mystical secret. But the manuscript is located at the bottom of the sea, and their only hope of obtaining both grail and script is entangled in the mysterious ritual of the Greenwitch.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Bringing book 1 and book 2 together
Until I read this book, I didn't realize that book 1 and book 2 were in the same time period. Since the characters got together in book 3, they obviously were in the same period. The tempo of Greenwitch was also in between book 1 and book 2. More happening than book 1, but less than book 2.

It is a short book. Easily readable in one sitting if you have a few hours. It seems to be a segue for book 4 (not surpringly.

The adventure continues...
The Drew children join forces with Will Stanton in a return to the Cornish seaside village that was the setting of the first book.The grail the Drews discovered in the first book has been stolen from the British Museum, and the forces of the Dark are responsible.Arriving just in time for the Greenwitch ceremony, Jane is invited to participate in the manufacture and sacrifice of the Greenwitch and to make a wish.She makes a surprising one that has significant consequences.

Merriman is back, and the owner of The Grey House, as well as assorted other characters both good and not.There are some marvellous scenes in this book--notably when Merriman and Will plead their case to the sea.The Greenwitch herself is a force to be reckoned with, and the revelations in the final chapter pave the way for the continuation of the series.I can't wait to read the next book!

Wonderfully spooky
This may be a book that delves into the world of Arthurian legend, but it is handled pragmatically, with all the charm Susan Cooper can usually muster. Here, Simon, Jane, and Barney are lead to the strange world of British folklore and peasantry and the odd traditions that they have. But there is truth and magic behind these ceremonies, and it creates a delightful and spooky tale.

The burning man ... the drowning woman
The Wicker Man , sometimes called the burning man, is in modern times
associated with Wicca, but comes from the Druidic traditions of the early Celts. Here a woman's weaving of a wicker woman is the main
plot theme called the Green witch. For me this seems kind of a made
up fantasy that doesn't have the intricate design of an Alan Garner novel.
I think it is unhealthy as well to associate the Dark with a gypsy.
There is enough prejudice associated with them already. Sagan said it was a "Demon filled world' that superstition gave us. Adding new ones
in a semi-fantasy fashion may not be a real good thing.
The novel as part of a series is very well written, but mostly
to motivate you to buy the next one...

Third in The Dark is Rising Series
The Dark is Rising is a wonderful classic fantasy series, and 'Greenwitch' (Book 3) brings together the characters from Books 1 and 2, as the powers of the Light continue on their quest to overcome the Dark.

The Drew children, Simon, Jane and Barney, central to the story in 'Over Sea Under Stone' (Book 1) come back into the plot, returning to Trewissick with their Great Uncle Merry for a week of their Easter Holidays. They are on a mission to recover the celtic golden chalice they found in Book 1 and presented to a museum for safe-keeping. The chalice has been stolen and Great Uncle Merry (Gumerry) believes they can help to find it. In 'Greenwitch' their characters are better developed than in the first book, bringing out distinctive individual characteristics for each of the children.

Also on his way down to Trewissick for his holidays is Will Stanton, the Sign-Seeker and youngest of the Old Ones, guardians of the Light in Book 2. Will's Uncle Bill is taking him on his holidays with an old friend of his, Merriman Lyon... Merriman, or Merry has brought all of the children together for the first time as they each have unique skills to help with the recovering of the chalice and the fight against the powers of the Dark. Jane, in particular, as she is invited to watch the local women of the village construct the magical Greenwith as an offering to the sea, makes a wish which becomes important to the Old Ones in their struggles against the Dark....

Not as good as Book 2, but 'Greenwitch' is essential in bringing together the two plot lines established in Books 1 and 2, and is a key part of The Dark is Rising series. A great series for all ages. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Trouble in Paradise

Milt Kovak's string of bad luck with women is not something he likes to dwell upon. Especially now that the Prophesy County, Oklahoma sheriff is a happily married man and father of a toddler. But when ex-girlfriend Laura Marshall calls out of the blue to announce that her eighteen-year-old son Trent is missing and asks for help finding him, Milt realizes it can't be a good thing. The boy and his girlfriend, Amanda, had recently joined a religious retreat called the Holy Temple of the Seven Trumpets.

A ride out to the place--a million-dollar piece of land sold to the cult's leader, Brother Grigsby, for a dollar--leads to the discovery of Amanda's naked and very dead body in a remote area of the compound. While suspicion falls on Trent, Milt suspects the boy is hiding. . .or worse, dead. Stranger still, most of the syrupy and evasive reverend's flock are young, pregnant women. Milt puts to work his tried-and-true tactic of police detection: beating the bushes till something flies out--like a killer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A real page turner
Unlike the other reviewers I was totally unfamiliar with the Milt Kovack series.The reason I picked this book up was becausethe story was about a fictional cult and I love reading about cults, religions and sectsin both fiction and non fiction formats.
That being said, this book was great. I got very engrossed in it and couldn't put it down. I read it in 5 hours because I couldn't wait to see what happened next.The only complaint Icould muster up about the book is that I thought it was a little unrealistic at points. Well, unrealistic in a real lifesituation such as this anyway, but since this book is totally fiction , I can't say it takes away from the book much.
The book is deftly written and I enjoyed reading it very much.
I liked the down home feel of the storyandthe Sheriff's MidWestern manner. And some of the names in the book inadvertently cracked me up-Tiny Arnold,Larry Joe January,Harmon Monk.

Laidback Sheriff Kovak pleases in casual Cooper mystery!
Cooper fans have had to wait since 1995 for this seventh in the small-town Oklahoma Sheriff Milt Kovak series.Busy with her housewife / romance writer EJ Pugh series, featuring an equally laidback stay-at-home mom, Cooper finally dusts off Kovak to give us yet another pleasant, not-too-edgy, police procedural.But Kovak, a humble yet successful crime solver, is as apt to take his not too hardened criminals home to their mama as he is likely to throw them in the slammer.

The plot line per se, as it often is in Cooper's novels, is partially just an excuse to parade along our familiar characters and their everyday trials and tribulations.A teenage couple, having gone to visit a star-trek type cult, turns up missing.Soon the female of the pair is found murdered but few clues are forthcoming from the strange brotherhood of mostly pregnant women and male leaders in the cult compound.A former lover of Kovak's puts on the heat as it's her son that's also missing, and so the story unfolds.In the end, Kovak gets the bad guys, but meanwhile we go through his not overly cerebral processes and help from his friends to zero in on the solution.

As with Cooper's other books and other series (Pugh, and stand-up comedienne Kimmie Kruse, that latter just a two-book set), we enjoy a soft-core mystery without much blood and guts.The author's conversational writing style makes the everyday ordinary seem familiar if not special, and we proceed amiably enough to a decent conclusion generally feeling pretty good about everything and everybody.Light reading for sure, but a fun few hours!Recommended.

Murder at "The Holy Temple of the Seven Trumpets"

   Susan Rogers Cooper, a mystery writer who lives in Austin, Texas, is the author of Funny as a Dead Comic and Funny as a Dead Relative.
   Lying Wonders is the eighth novel in her Milt Kovak Series, which includes Doctors and Lawyers and Such, Chasing Away the Devil, and Dead Moon Rising.

   Milt Kovak, "looking the barrel of sixty right in the eye," is the high sheri
ff of Prophesy County, Oklahoma. He and his new wife, Dr. Jean McDonnell, a psychiatrist at Long Branch Memorial Hospital, are the proud parents of a toddler called Johnny Mac.

   The Kovak's small-town life is relatively quiet until Milt finds the corpse of Amanda Nederwald, 18, at the "retreat" of a religious sect called The Seven Trumpets. The girl was lying beneath a mesquite tree, her long blond hair entwined on the hooklike feet of a vulture.

   The headquarters of this weird cult in situated in the northwest corner of Prophesy County (page 11). Or is it in the county's northeast corner (page 15)?

   Basically, the Seven Trumpets is a mishmash of pseudo-Eastern religions, a little Judaism, some Christianity, and a whole lot of Star Trek.
   
   The self-appointed prophet, guru, and spiritual leader of The Holy Temple of Seven Trumpets is one "Brother Grigsby," a sleazy con man "as slimy as a squashed bug."

   Revered by his gullible female acolytes as "The Source" and "The Light," Brother Grigsby is dedicated to disseminating the seed of Gospel Truth and populating the  New Age that is dawning."Religion," muses Sheriff Kovak, "is a tricky business."

   Amanda's boyfriend, Trent Johnson Marshall, also 18, who was with girl when she disappeared, has vanished. Assisted by his four deputies--Emmett Hopkins and Dalton Pettigrew (the day squad) and Jasmine Bodine and Hank Dobbins (the night squad)--Milt not only has to find Trent and identify the killer, but must also save his niece from the same fate.

   The best feature of this novel is Sheriff Milt Kovak, a down-to-earth and likable character. Although Milt is not exactly a Sherlock Holmes, his dedicated pursuit of justice ingratiates him to readers. The author also paints a convincing picture of small-town politics.

   Roy E. Perry

exciting police procedural
His former lover Laura Marshall hysterically demands that Prophesy County, Oklahoma Sheriff save her teenage son Trent from the Seven Trumpets religious community that she swears kidnapped him.Though he prefers distance from Laura, Milt reluctantly follows up on her complaint and quickly learns that Trent's girlfriend Amanda Nederwald has failed to come home either.

Milt visits the Seven Trumpets estate, but before he sees anyone, he finds the corpse of a young female that is later verified is Amanda.Trent remains missing.Milt visits the church where he notices that most of the flock consists of pregnant women.His interview with the founder Brother Grigsby goes well, but also leaves Milt feeling a bit creepy. He returns with his wife, psychiatrist Dr. Jean McDonnell, so she can provide him with a quick assessment of Grigsby.As Milt and his department investigate the homicide and missing boyfriend, his niece becomes a recruitment target of the Seven Trumpets.

LYING WONDERS is an exciting police procedural that readers will enjoy due to the clever interweaving of the overflow of Milt's past personal life into the murder investigation.The story line never slows down even when the hero's sister and niece go at it.Milt is a strong character that makes the rest of the cast seems real because he comes across as a person with complex relationships.Though his sarcastic behavior in his second encounter with Grigsby seems out of character for the calm sheriff, Susan Rogers Cooper provides a delightful who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description

"I DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU CHILDREN WOULD BE THE ONES TO FIND IT.OR WHAT DANGER YOU WOULD BE PUTTING YOURSELVES IN."

Throughout time, the forces of good and evil have battled continuously, maintaining the balance. Whenever evil forces grow too powerful, a champion of good is called to drive them back. Now, with evil's power rising and a champion yet to be found, three siblings find themselves at the center of a mystical war.

Jane, Simon, and Barney Drew have discovered an ancient text that reads of a legendary grail lost centuries ago. The grail is an object of great power, buried with a vital secret. As the Drews race against the forces of evil, they must piece together the text's clues to find the grail -- and keep its secret safe until a new champion rises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (95)

Good story!
I started reading this series because my fiance had purchased the movie "The Seeker" from a discount bin.I thought the movie was ok with the potential to be interesting so I read the credits to find if it was based off a book, which it was.It lead me to this series.The movie is based off the second book however.

This book reminded me of a cross between the Chronicles of Narnia, with a group of children being the main subjects solving the mystery.It also reminded me a little of the Goonies because they find a map and follow it's clues while being persued by the bad guys.I loved the idea that this is a children's quest for a grail, and that it involved Arthurian legend.I thought the simple twist of Merry's real name was something that would intrigue a child.

The book starts out when Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew arrive in Cornwall with their family for a holiday.Great-Uncle Merry, or Gumerry, has rented the Grey House for them to stay in.They spot a beautiful white yacht in the harbor immediately and are intrigued by it.On a rainy day the children go exploring in the huge house and find a mysterious map in a corner of the attic.Simon, with his limited Latin, makes out "Mark and Arthur" on it.After debating which adult they should confide in they decide to include Great-Uncle Merry.Merry explains to them that fairy tales are based off of real things but muddled with time.With his help they decifer where to start looking.Off on the quest they go!

Over sea, under stone
I thought it was an amazing book and the entire sequence is better.It's one of my favorite series.I liked this book, but I especially like the characters.They were all different and all equally interesting.The book was definitely a page turner.I really enjoyed this book.

Slow start and short ending
The story in general was good, but the pacing was odd.

Pretty much nothing happened in the first 60 pages. The next 100 pages was a middle with potential. The ending probably should have been another 100 pages, but it was squeezed into 30, so everything wrapped up neatly and cleanly without much chance to get drawn in.

Wonderfully promising beginning
Over Sea Under Stone is a great adventure tale of three children on a quest for a grail.Whether or not it is THE Grail remains to be seen. Threatened at every turn by the sinister Dark personified by the evil Mr. Hastings and his nasty cohorts and aided by their mysterious Uncle Merry, Rufus the dog, and an ancient chart found in a hidden room in their Cornish holiday house, they combat kidnappings, tides and burglars to track down the hiding place of the Grail.

This book is a good solid read and though the magic is low-key, there are hints of big magical doings to come--the number and degree of evil characters is out of proportion to the actual conflict in this book, and Uncle Merry direly predicts that they will reappear in different guises as the story continues.Although this book could be read alone, it would be a pity to waste the wonderful foundation Ms. Cooper has laid, and I'm greatly looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

For young (and not so young) readers who enjoy this book, I'd heartily recommend the E. Nesbit Bastable stories, Alan Garner's The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and its sequel, and, of course, the Narnia books.For more tongue in cheek magical fare in an American setting, the wonderful books of Edward Eager are not to be missed.

great for reading to kids; adults, suspend your disbelief
I read this to my nine year old son and he soon got quite caught up in the story.Susan Cooper's mix of adventure, Arthurian legend, mystery, and the eternal struggle between good and evil (nicely consistent with our Christian beliefs) worked very well, as we eagerly anticipate the next books in the series.My son has read through all the Harry Potter books on this own, and he loved hearing this tale.

Parents, there are quite contrived plot devices and implausibilities that strain credulity.There's not only a deus ex machina, there is literally a canus ex machina--a plot twist involving a dog.Also, the final rescue scene is hardly plausible, but that hardly matters because of the action.Finally, the problem with the moon's position in finding the grail applies to the sun as well.Ignore all that and enjoy the good story with your children.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Susan Cooper's award-winning Dark Is Rising sequence, which has delighted fantasy readers for over forty years, can be found for the first time in one brilliant volume!

The relentless battle between the Light and the Dark has raged since the beginning of time. Neither side has ever been able to claim absolute victory...and so the fight continues. But every so often the evil surges, and a member of the Light must step forward if the world is to find its way out of the darkness.

It is at the center of this epic struggle that three ordinary children, and one not-so-ordinary child, find themselves. The danger is overwhelming and the stakes have never been higher. Will the Light finally be able to conquer the Dark--or will all good be lost forever? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

And now the dark is rising
Susan Cooper's books are the sort that immediately cause people to say "But aren't those for kids?"

Technically, yes. So is "The Hobbit," for that matter. And Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising Sequence" has joined the elite shelf of timeless books that are technically for kids, but not necessarily JUST for kids. With her use of myth and folklore, rich language, and a time-spanning battle between good and evil, Cooper spins up a rare tale in her majestic prose.

"Over Sea Under Stone" features the three Drew children coming to stay with Merriman Lyon. In his attic, they find an ancient treasure map that leads to a hidden grail -- if they can only figure out what the map's writing and symbols mean. But they are not the only ones who are looking for the grail -- three sinister people are in pursuit.

"The Dark is Rising" shifts its focus elsewhere. On his eleventh birthday, young Will Stanton encounters the mysterious Merriman, and is told that he is the last of the immortal "Old Ones" who are fighting the forces of evil (known as the Dark). As the power of the Dark grows, Will must gather the six Signs that can help stop them -- and protect his friends and family from the Dark.

"Greenwitch" brings the four young heroes together. Will and the three Drew kids are brought to Cornwall, where the grail has been stolen. Jane is haunted by nightmares about the Greenwitch, a symbolic weaving of branches and leaves cast into the sea, and a sinister artist captures Barney. But the Greenwitch is not just a tangle of sticks -- it's alive with wild magic that neither Old Ones nor the Dark can control.

"Grey King" is the threat of the Dark. Will is recovering from an illness in Wales, where he meets a "raven boy" (an albino Welsh boy, Bran) and a dog with "eyes that see the wind" -- part of an old legend. Will must lead Bran into a closer connection with the Old Ones. But when an accident befalls the dog, Bran is angry with the Old Ones -- until the truth of his past comes to light.

"Silver on the Tree" brings the series to a climax. Will receives visions of the past, and a message from Merriman that the final battle between the Dark and the Light is about to come. Evil creatures (minks, specifically) are swarming near his house -- and the Old Ones, while almost ready, don't have the power of the Lady. He teams up with the Drews and with Bran to find the Lost Land.

Sure, fantasy incorporating old myth and legend is nothing new. People have been doing it for as long as the genre has existed. But Susan Cooper brings the idea of time-travelling immortals and ancient magic to life in this, and avoids the usual syrup and dumbing-down that most authors feel compelled to include.

Cooper's writing is detailed and atmospheric, although the first book is much more plainly written than the following four. She can switch instantly from lighthearted to mystical and back again, and her writing is heavy with description. Moreover, she takes the folklore and legends of Britain and interweaves them with Arthurian legend, giving the whole Arthurian story a new spin.

While some may not like the portrayal of good and evil as evenly matched, the strength of the Old Ones' determination is extremely invigorating. They're powerful, but still very human, able to make errors and feel sorrow. And there are lessons carefully interwoven about good and evil, about loyalty, compassion, redemption, and friendship. These sentiments are never gooey, just powerful.

As for the kids, Jane, Barney and Simon Drew are a little less endearing because they seem a little dated -- think E. Nesbit characters out of time. Will Stanton and Bran, however, have the qualities of timeless characters, both wise and ancient and yet still very young. And Merriman looms over it all as the all-seeing guardian, alternately forbidding and dignified or kindly and grandfatherly.

With its majestic prose and entrancing, otherworldly characters, the "Dark is Rising Sequence" is a remarkable piece of work, and one that deserves many rereadings. Outstanding. ... Read more

Product Description
In his sixth case, the rumpled, perpetually bemused Oklahoma lawman Milt Kovak investigates the suicide of his best friend's wife while standing for election as sheriff and catering to the whims of his pregnant wife. ... Read more

Product Description
The Family that dies together...

Everyone in the small, tightly knit community of Block Cat Ridge Texas, knows everyone else's business. And everyone is stunned by the slaying of the well-liked Lester family, minus its youngest member, in their own home. Apparently loving husband and father Roy did the bloody deed -- before turning the murder weapon on himself.

The Pughs were the Lesters' nearest neighbors and closest friends. In fact, sharp-tongued housewife/romance writer E.J. Pugh first discovered the bogies... and four-year-old Bessie Lester, who may have witnessed the carnage. But Bessie isn't speaking. And E.J. may be the only one in Black Cat Ridge who believes th is case is not closed... and that a murderer still walks among them all.

Customer Reviews (7)

E.J. Pugh is someone you know, well almost.
Murder in your own neighborhood, impossible, but E.J. Pugh had the misfortune to discover the bodies of her neighbors with the exception of a little girl, Bessie.
Then the will names E.J. as guardians for the child.
Bessie may have seen what happened. Everyone thinks this is a murder/suicide except E.J. who doesn't belive the case is closed.
Susan Rogers Cooper's ONE, TWO. WHAT DID DADDY DO? is fast paced, great characters, and a adrot beginning for a new series.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Strong series opener
When E.J. Pugh discovers the bodies of her next door neighbors and the four-year-old who witnessed it she is horrified.After she finds out that she has been named Bessie's guardian, she worries that the child could be the next target of the killer.When she also finds out that the police think that Mr. Lester killed his wife, child and himself she becomes determined to clear his name and protect Bessie.I couldn't put down this fast paced and high intensity start to the E. J. Pugh series.

Dearly love E.J., but
I am glad I am not her neighbor!! This was the first book I read from Cooper, and the friends/neighbors deaths were shocking to me. Cooper managed to pull it out and the book was a good read. Can't wait to read more to see how the family is coping and what danger is lurking around the corner for the Pugh's.

Wonderful book--I couldn't put it down.
I started this book and was hooked from the very beginning.I cried with E.J. Pugh, the protagonist, at the death of her friends and neighbors--the whole family except for one little girl. I could feel for E.J. and her family dealing with:inability to believe and cope with the idea that a beloved friend could committ a brutal murder like this, the difficulty in taking a child so emotionally injured by this incident and trying to adapt her into a new family, with E.J. trying to solve this murder.One of the very best mysteries I have read.I already love and reccommend Susan Rogers Coopers series about Sheriff Milt Kovack, an Oklahoma lawman, as a superior series. But I wonder, after this book, how will she ever be able to keep the suspense this high again.I hope E.J. Pugh and her family are around for a long time.

IT reads as if E.J. is a neighbor in my own neighborhhod.
This intriguing and fast paced book held my attention until the end. I immediately sought more of her books but the local bookstore had none of them. I particularly like the main characters as they seem to come from my immediate surroundings, which prompted me to keep doors and windows locked while reading. Refreshing and very real. ... Read more

Product Description
In the Welsh hills Will Stanton, youngest of the immortal Old Ones, joins forces with Merriman, Bran, and the mortal Drew children in a quest through space and time against the powers of evil known as the Dark. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Good series goes bad
Sorry to say but the last book is terrible.I read The Grey King as a child and then read the entire series as an adult.The last book poorly conjures unimaginable images and overall the book is boring.The problem with the series in general is to elevate King Arthur to a mythological level when he is just a human.

Fantastic finale
Whew!Reuniting the characters from the first four books in the series, The Silver on the Tree is a breakneck race against the Dark.

The Drews, Will and Bran move backward and forward in time, meeting familiar and almost-familiar faces first on a quest to obtain the sword of the prophecy, and then to carry out the remaining quest in order to defeat the Dark in this time.To complicate matters, the Lady is missing, and she's needed to complete the circle against the Dark.On the journey, everyone's bravery is tested to the maximum as each faces things most feared. Distracted by nightmarish monsters, lured by temptation and stunned by the betrayal of someone they thought was an ally, the consequences of failure are unthinkable.It's wonderful.

Some of the characters must make difficult choices, and no choice is without cost, but the resolution is satisfactory for everyone.

GREAT!
My son LOVES this series.Even the used books from this company are in pretty great shape!

Predictable, and very slow in the middle
I almost didn't get through this book, because the not-very-exciting quest for the crystal sword in the middle of the book was so incredibly tedious. It was nice to bring all of the major characters together for the finale, but "Silver on the Tree" lacks any real feeling of suspense or even urgency. And the contrived nature of the way that the Dark will finally be defeated: whoever cuts the mystical mistletoe at precisely the right instant wins? So the Light has been getting ready for this for a thousand years, and it all comes down to a random moment's action? Everything happens exactly as you'd expect it to, the Drew children have almost nothing to do except show up, and there's way too much gratuitous Welsh. It feels a lot like Cooper was phoning this one in.

If you've made it this far in the series, you might as well finish this last book so you can say you've read them all.

Super Reader
The conclusion to the fabulous Dark is Rising sequence brings it all together. The Drew children, Will, Merriman Lyon, Bran, and their human relatives and acquaintances, one of whom will prove crucial, and a traitor will be revealed.

Will and Bran must undergo the most perilous quest, to the find the sword of power.

Again, the clues are poetic :-

I am the womb of every holt,
I am the blaze on every hill,
I am the queen of every hive,
I am the shield for every head,
I am the tomb of every hope --
I am Eirias

At the end, a decision must be made by those who are not mortal, about those who are mortal.
... Read more

Product Description
This spellbinding volume brings together the five novels from Susan Cooper's classic fantasy sequence: "Over Sea", "Under Stone"; "The Dark is Rising"; "Greenwitch"; "The Grey King"; and "Silver on the Tree". Here Barney, Jane and Simon discover an ancient map in Cornwall; the mysterious Merriman reveals his secret purpose; and Will Stanton realizes that he is not just an ordinary boy but has a far greater role in fulfilling his destiny. Creating a magical world where the everyday mingles with the supernatural, "The Dark is Rising Sequence" weaves a story of secret codes, strange prophecies, the legend of King Arthur and a centuries-old conflict between the power of good and the forces of evil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This book's cover isn't the same as the one pictured here
I lost my 1984 Puffin copy which is the only copy that features all the 5 books in one book and has the black cover (w/ stained glass window) featured on this webpage. May I say that that is the only respectable cover this series ever had.Since then the series had suffered from the cheesiest "fantasy covers".Alas, when I bought this book on Amazon by clicking on this webpage, the product arrived with a different (new cheesy) cover (purple with swords and diamonds - ugh), NOT the one pictured here (even though it has the exact ISBN number as the 1984 edition - guess that doesn't promise the same cover). Still, the series is amazing.Amazing enough for me to keep hunting for the old edition as a rabid collector.

A classic series
Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising" sequence has joined the Prydain Chronicles as timeless books that are technically for kids, but not necessarily JUST for kids. With her use of myth and folklore, rich language, and a time-spanning battle between good and evil, Cooper spins up a rare tale in her majestic prose.

"Over Sea Under Stone" features the three Drew children coming to stay with Merriman Lyon. In his attic, they find an ancient treasure map that leads to a hidden grail -- if they can only figure out what the map's writing and symbols mean. But they are not the only ones who are looking for the grail -- three sinister people are in pursuit.

"The Dark is Rising" shifts its focus elsewhere. On his eleventh birthday, young Will Stanton encounters the mysterious Merriman, and is told that he is the last of the immortal "Old Ones" who are fighting the forces of evil (known as the Dark). As the power of the Dark grows, Will must gather the six Signs that can help stop them -- and protect his friends and family from the Dark.

"Greenwitch" brings the four young heroes together. Will and the three Drew kids are brought to Cornwall, where the grail has been stolen. Jane is haunted by nightmares about the Greenwitch, a symbolic weaving of branches and leaves cast into the sea, and a sinister artist captures Barney. But the Greenwitch is not just a tangle of sticks -- it's alive with wild magic that neither Old Ones nor the Dark can control.

"Grey King" is the threat of the Dark. Will is recovering from an illness in Wales, where he meets a "raven boy" (an albino Welsh boy, Bran) and a dog with "eyes that see the wind" -- part of an old legend. Will must lead Bran into a closer connection with the Old Ones. But when an accident befalls the dog, Bran is angry with the Old Ones -- until the truth of his past comes to light.

"Silver on the Tree" brings the series to a climax. Will receives visions of the past, and a message from Merriman that the final battle between the Dark and the Light is about to come. Evil creatures (minks, specifically) are swarming near his house -- and the Old Ones, while almost ready, don't have the power of the Lady. He teams up with the Drews and with Bran to find the Lost Land.

Sure, fantasy incorporating old myth and legend is nothing new. People have been doing it for as long as the genre has existed. But Susan Cooper brings the idea of time-travelling immortals and ancient magic to life in this, with a hefty dose of adventure and tragedy.

Cooper's writing is detailed and atmospheric, although the first book is much more plainly written than the following four. She can switch instantly from lighthearted to mystical and back again, and her writing is heavy with description. Moreover, she takes the folklore and legends of Britain and interweaves them with Arthurian legend, giving the whole Arthurian story a new spin.

While some may not like the portrayal of good and evil as evenly matched, the strength of the Old Ones' determination is extremely invigorating. They're powerful, but still very human. And there are lessons carefully interwoven about good and evil, about loyalty, compassion, redemption, and friendship. These sentiments are never gooey, just powerful.

The characters are overall quite good. Jane, Barney and Simon Drew are a little less endearing because they seem a little dated and similar. Will Stanton, however, has the sparkling quality of a truly classic character, a mixture of a wise ancient being and a preteen boy. Bran, as the heir of Arthur, is a fantastic accompaniment to Will. And Merriman looms over it all as the all-seeing Merriman, alternately forbidding and dignified or kindly and grandfatherly.

With its majestic prose and entrancing, otherworldly characters, the "Dark is Rising Sequence" is a remarkable piece of work, and one that deserves many rereadings. Outstanding. ... Read more

Product Description
Cooper's highly acclaimed series--Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark Is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; and Silver on the Tree--is now available in its entirety for the first time in an attractive, sturdy boxed set that's perfect for gift giving. Size A. CCAmazon.com Review
Joined by destiny, the lives of the Drew children, Will Stanton, and a boy named Bran weave together in an exquisite, sometimes terrifying tapestry of mystery and quests. In the five-title series of novels known as The Dark Is Rising Sequence, these children pit the power of good against the evil forces of Dark in a timeless and dangerous battle that includes crystal swords, golden grails, and a silver-eyed dog that can see the wind. Susan Cooper's highly acclaimed fantasy novels, steeped in Celtic and Welsh legends, have won numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal and the Newbery Honor. Now all five paperback volumes have been collected in one smart boxed set. These classic fantasies, complex and multifaceted, should not be missed, by child or adult. The set includes Over Sea, Under Stone, The Dark Is Rising, Greenwitch, The Grey King, and Silver on the Tree. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (206)

A wonderful memory
I remember reading this series when I was going through middle school. Though I could remember only bits and pieces of what it was about, I remembered I loved it and read it a few times. I thought of this series the other day while looking for books with my wife. I could not remember the names of the books, the characters, or even the author... only the Celtic and Welsh folklore and the items they are supposed to collect. Here Amazon.com came to my rescue... I searched by fantasy novels for 9-12 year old kids that were published before 1995 and found The Dark is Rising very quickly. Anyhow, if these books were good enough for me to remember fifteen plus years in the future they are worth re-reading. I have ordered the boxed set and eagerly wait their arrival.

Disappointing Series, Not Comparable to Lewis or Tolkien
Read this series with my kids (we read books aloud).While somewhat engaging, they never really grab you to the extent that C.S. Lewis or Tolkien, or Harry Potter, etc., do.In fact, nearing the end of the series, my kids were not begging me to read more as they often are when we are going through a series.

Specific problems:

Why are the Drew children even involved?It is never made clear what they are doing, and why them and not other kids.Thought this would be revealed at the end of the series, but they forget everything except perhaps a wisp in a dream once in a while.

Good and evil -- what's the difference except that one is called "the light" and the other is "the dark?"And who cares?! (except the author wants you to, although you can't be really sure)They don't really affect humans anyway directly.Humans hurt humans.These forces just jostle about against one another in the world outside of the realm of common knowledge.And they're part of some powers removed from the more fundamental forces of "the higher law" that rules the universe.And "don't lie idly expecting the second coming of anyone now, because the world is yours and it us up to you."So forget everything Merlin just told you but go do it all yourself.

Boring -- the characters (except for the Drew children sometimes) are not engaging enough and don't draw you into their lives or characters enough for the reader to really care deeply about them.

The exciting parts aren't that exciting, the dangerous parts aren't that dangerous, the scary parts aren't that scary.The inventiveness is sometimes pretty good, but never to the point of making the series great.

Awesome book for the fantasy lover!
Like many who have written these other reviews I read and re-read these books 30-odd years ago as a child.I had forgotten about them until the film came out (which does the books no justice whatsoever by the way!).That inspired me to re-read them and yes, even though nowadays I am not a fan of fiction, I still enjoyed the mystery and the power contained within them and got totally engrossed in the fight between light and dark all over again.You almost feel like you're there, joining the fight.

So many of the other reviews on here say these are a great book for kids, reluctanat readers etc, and yes I agree, but ONLY if they are into fantasy. If your child enjoyed Deltora Quest, Harry Potter etc they'll love this because it's deeper and way better!

I have to say my 8 year old finds these books boring, hated Deltora Quest and is totally uninterested in The Dark is Rising, he has a very scientific / analytical sort of brain and these books really did not inspire him at all, I couldn't get him to read more than a few chapters and he is an avid reader, usually reads a chapter book a day.So please don't think these books are perfect for ALL readers, they're not.

However in saying that....

My nine year old son I can currently get no more than a grunt out of lately because he is so absorbed in the series he always has one of these books in his hand, I have to wrench it off him at the dinner table and I can't wait for him to finish them so I can get him to tidy his bedroom!He has fallen up bus stairs because he wouldn't get his head out of the book as he got on the school bus, his teacher tells me she catches him with his desk half up as he's sneakily trying to read these and he tells me that when he finishes the series he's going to read them all over again, much to his sisters dismay because she's dying to get her hands on them too!

So yes, absolutely recommended, I believe equally enjoyable to adults and children; to those that enjoy the mystery and the power of the realm of fantasy fiction, enjoy.

Great series, but this printing is UGLY!
I purchased this series, having read it a long time ago as a young teen, and found it to be every bit as good as I remembered.My only complaint is that this boxed set version has some truly terrible CGI art on the cover.I remember the edition I read as a child was very mysterious and ancient-looking.It's too bad that that much superior artwork was not used for this edition.That's the only thing that stands between this set, and my 5th star.

One of the best series ever written...
I can't even begin to describe this series and I won't try to.I'm afraid I'd only do it a disservice!Susan Cooper says SO much in so few eloquent words that her books are rather like listening to fine music.I rank this easily with the Narnia series as well as Lord of the Rings.And while I adore the Harry Potter books and think JK is a fabulous writer, I truly feel that even they cannot live up to the quiet serious intensity of these books.

Every year I read this series again.I love it more and more with each read.

Recently many illiterate folks have called these books 'boring' and 'flat'.Those same modern day readers often have to be babied through text & dazzled with fancy action scenes. It has also become a fad to bash things that have won awards or recommendations.

This is a story told with very deep and quiet emotions and if you give it a chance then I can promise you, you won't be disappointed. :) ... Read more

Product Description
Another mystery featuring Milt Kovak finds him running for sheriff of Prophesy County, Oklahoma, becoming the prime suspect in the murder of his only rival, coping with family problems involving his new bride, and investigating a series of animal kidnappings. ... Read more

Product Description
Milt Kovak, head of the homicide division for a rural Oklahoma sheriff's department, probes the mysterious deaths of five people from carbon monoxide poisoning. Reprint. AB. K. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Other People's Spouses
Having recently been introduced to this author, Susan Rogers Cooper, I have been intrigued to

read some of her earlier work.She has other mystery stories by groups, with different heroes. The

" Milt Kovak Mysteries" are the one'sI wish to follow.

A rather elderly lady handed me this paperback as I was leaving the local library..she was through with

this particular donated book and was passing it along to me. Being caught off guard by someone handing

me something free, I quickly glanced at the picture on the front cover and thought it odd that a woman

of that age would be reading vampire novels.Having gone through that particular genre earlier in life,

I carried the book home with me to make a decision on what to do with it.

As I'd been through a bout or two with the blood thirsty cult stories,

this latest batch of the genre was not of much interest to me. But on closer inspection, this was

not at all what I thought it was. No vampire novel, this.

A mystery!As I made a decision to read this particular book, I was so caught up in the story-line, I

realized if I didn't put it down, I'd have nothing to look forward to the next day. Well, I savored the

tale and was wanting to consume more of this authors' works. So I went to the internet, to see if

Amazon.com would have any of her titles. Yes, they had other selections at many price points. I

orderedon-line and waited patiently for the books to come.

"Other People's Houses" is one in the series of "A Milt Kovak Mystery". As was the first little

gem I received for free!

The whispered comments by Kovak are perhaps the most helpful ingredient

in keeping a homicide story from being too dark.How she came up with his "asides" (seeming to be distinctively male)

I haven't a clue (pun intended); but a clever ploy to look forward to.

Shegives many hints in this tale to take you down a few paths thinking you're on the way to discovering

a possible solution to the plot.

Later, much later in the story, you can see where it's going, but there's still loose ends. I did not yet

have the killer fingered. So many choices, twists and turns, perhapstoo many possible villains

to pick from. It starts off with a bang, a little slow in the middle, but worth the time.

If it wasn't for the comedic relief of Kovak, this book would have been just another Plain Jane story.She has a

winner with Milt Kovak, the lawman detective who likes a quiet, slower pace of the setting out in the

boonies. He's had to struggle with crime in a larger venue, and you could obviously tell he was more

at ease in the "green, green grass of home."

Interesting older series
Other People's Houses, by Susan Rogers Cooper, continues the Chief Deputy Milt Kovak series well.Milt is back in Prophesy County, Oklahoma, with his sister Jewel and her children (see Houston in the Rear View Mirror) living with him.They had never been close, and there are the to-be-expected problems in consolidating households.Milt's very human reactions and comments (he's the narrator) create the sense of a real person, a well-meaning man doing the best he can in less than optimal circumstances at home and at work.Strengths of the series are the well-developed characters and the realistic relationships between them.

When the Bell family is found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning in horrific surroundings at their rented home, Kovak doubts the obvious suicide-accident scenario because Lois Bell has an unexplained blow to the head.Investigation shows that the family does not exist in any records before 1986 (the date of the book is 1990 approximately), leading Kovak to conclude that they had been in the federal Witness Protection Program, so he keeps digging.The plot is logical with appropriate clues to the ultimate solution.

A great strength of this series is its atmosphere.Small-town, regional rhythms and language add to the realism.Cooper does a good job of conveying the violence and gore to which Kovak is exposed at crime scenes without going into graphic detail, which I appreciate.Highly recommended series. ... Read more

Product Description

Only in the world of the theater can Nat Field find an escape from the tragedies that have shadowed his young life. So he is thrilled when he is chosen to join an American drama troupe traveling to London to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream in a new replica of the famous Globe theater.

Shortly after arriving in England, Nat goes to bed ill and awakens transported back in time four hundred years -- to another London, and another production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Amid the bustle and excitement of an Elizabethan theatrical production, Nat finds the warm, nurturing father figure missing from his life -- in none other than William Shakespeare himself. Does Nat have to remain trapped in the past forever, or give up the friendship he's so longed for in his own time? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

For the "very special" shelf
I have a soft spot for time-travel books and have read a fair few. This one will go right to my "very special" shelf of YA books, alongside "The Dark is Rising" (which is actually better than this, but it's better than just about anything!). I read a borrowed copy in one gulp, and now I'm ordering my own.

Looking through the reader reviews, I didn't notice anyone linking this to the "Dark is Rising" series, but did anyone else notice that we have a character in here who has been living for a very long time, making things happen for Good?

Time Travel!
I love time travel stories! This YA novel is great for teens who love time travel, but mostly for teens who love Shakespeare! A really well-written tale of a boy who travels back in time to the Globe Theater and stars in some of the bards best loved plays...and becomes an apprentice to Will S. himself! A really lovely story, with great characters and a tense plotline.

YA Lit for Middle School Drama Class
This is a super novel I'm using in my Drama class to prepare for reading Shakespeare. Cooper provides some good background information--daily life, the Globe Theater, Shakespeare himself--as well as theater life (actors, costumes, makeup, rehearsals, scripts). My students will relate well to the sympathetic protagonist as King of Shadows is written at a level that my ELL students will benefit from.
Mrs. Wooster, Desert Springs Middle School, DHS, CA

Gimmicky
Nat is eleven years old and has been chosen to be a member of a very exclusive boys' theater company.The company, made up of Americans, is going to travel to London to perform two Shakespeare plays at the newly rebuilt Globe Theater, modeled after the theater William Shakespeare first wrote his plays for four hundred years ago.The idea is thrilling to Nat.Ever since the death of his parents, theater has been his escape.His aunt has encouraged him to perform as a way of finding calm and comfort, and Nat has found that he has real talent in acting and tumbling.

Soon after his arrival in London, though, Nat becomes very ill.One night he loses consciousness and when he wakes up his surroundings are both strange and eerily familiar.Before long he realizes that he is still in London--but four hundred years earlier!He is a member of the theater company that Shakespeare himself writes for and performs with, and he is preparing for the same part in the same play he was to perform in modern-day England.

Nat adores William Shakespeare and loves his old English theater company, but he can't figure out what is going on and why he is here.Furthermore, he worries that after this performance is finished, he will be sent back to the boarding school where someone is sure to notice something funny about him.

The details of life in the theater were great, and I loved the characterization of Shakespeare and the way Nat interacted with him.However, the time-travel aspect seemed really gimmicky and forced, with far too many coincidences to overlook.

For lovers of Shakespeare and theater
Nat Field has been chosen along with a group of select boys to perform Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream at the newly-built Globe in London. The cast consists of all boys - the director wants this play to be as true to the time as possible. A different adventure begins for Nat when he awakes to find himself 400 years back in time, when the original Globe was first built!

A couple of summers ago I took part in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is the play this book mainly focuses on. I had a wonderful time reading about their preparations, costumes, and ultimately the performance. It brought back a lot of memories!

I also enjoyed reading about Nat's friendship with Shakespeare. When they acted together (Nat as Puck and Shakespeare as Oberon) the author wrote that they had a natural chemistry. And as a reader you could feel that chemistry working between them, whether they were on or off stage.

My main complaint with this book was that in the few chapters that didn't take place back in time, there was some foul language scattered throughout. I'm not sure why the author thought it necessary to make the modern-day kids and adults have bad mouths, it certainly didn't add anything to the story. Also, *POSSIBLE SPOILER* parents of young children should be warned that Nat's father commits suicide, and that scene gets just a little graphic. *SPOILER OVER*

That aside, I think King of Shadows is a well-written, intriguing peek into life as an actor during the Elizabethan time period. Anyone who is interested in history or acting is sure to enjoy it. ... Read more

Product Description
In Houston to help his sister, Jewel Anne--who has been accused of her husband's murder--Oklahoma Chief Deputy Sheriff Milt Kovick relies on the assistance of Jewel Anne's neighbors to help him clear her name. Reprint. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good continuation of older series
Susan Rogers Cooper's Houston in the Rearview Mirror is the second in the Chief Deputy Milt Kovak series (following The Man in the Green Chevy), which she began in the early 1990s.Kovak is in his late 40s, an overweight, small-town lawman who hasn't had to fire his gun at anyone in eighteen years on the job.He pretty much runs the sheriff's department in Prophecy County, Oklahoma.He carries emotional baggage from his failed marriage and from his lack of relationship with his much-younger sister Jewel, among other things. He is a likeable, very human character. Secondary characters in the series are distinctive and well-developed, and the rural atmosphere rings true. Kovak is the first-person narrator.

The book opens when Kovak is called to Houston to care for his niece and nephews since his brother-in-law Henry Hotchkiss has been shot and Jewel, suspected of killing him, is in a coma following an apparent suicide attempt.Kovak feels distinctly out of place in the city (Cooper handles the effect of the collapse of the oil boom of the 1980s effectively), both physically and because he does not believe his sister guilty.The plot of Houston in the Rearview Mirror consists of Kovak's poking around in Hotchkiss's affairs (both financial and amatory), looking for other motives/suspects and stirring up trouble.The killer was unexpected, but Ms. Cooper played fair with appropriate, well-hidden clues.

I enjoy reading series in order, so it is comforting to know that I have several more books to go.

... Read more

Product Description
Centuries old and thousands of miles from home

When Emily and Jess Volnik's family inherits a remote, crumbling Scottish castle, they also inherit the Boggart -- an invisible, mischievous spirit who's been playing tricks on residents of Castle Keep for generations. Then the Boggart is trapped in a rolltop desk and inadvertently shipped to the Volniks' home in Toronto, where nothing will ever be the same -- for the Volniks or the Boggart.

In a world that doesn't believe in magic, the Boggart's pranks wreak havoc. And even the newfound joys of peanut butter and pizza and fudge sauce eventually wear thin for the Boggart. He wants to go home -- but his only hope lies in a risky and daring blend of modern technology and ancient magic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

The Boggart
I got exactly what I expected when I ordered this book. For some reason, I haven't been able to find this book anywhere locally for a reasonable price. When it comes to used books, I never pay over a few dollars. This one was worth going online.

To be a kid again
This was one of my favorite books when I was a little girl. I think the story is not only exciting and funny, but touching as well.

Some mythical creatures die hard?
Harvey is a movie that has been remade from a classic version.
The idea that there a trickster spirits that make life interesting
for certain people isn't new, or is the idea that they are tied to
the mental states of the people involved.
I kind of liked this book, but like a book about witches
the result seems lost on
the current generation except for the gremlin in the computer effect.

Solid Young Adult read
The Boggart is a fairly entertaining young adult novel. It's a fast paced story that is difficult to put down yet still challenging enough for young readers. The characters are easy for kids to relate to even if the technology referenced throughout the book is very outdated by today's standards.

While visiting their inherited castle in Ireland, the Volnik family mistakenly traps and takes the castle's boggart back to Canada with them. Strange occurrences begin to happen from the moment of the boggart's delivery and the family becomes more and more stressed out by these increasingly unexplainable happenings.

This was a quick, fun read that I would recommend for 4th through 6th graders. There is no really objectionable material and only some mild violence. I found the storyline to be engaging and not your typical run-of-the-mill ghost story. The author does a nice job of allowing the reader to become sympathetic towards the main characters including the boggart and there is some good humor included throughout the novel.

A mischievous read . . .
I am already a huge fan of Susan Cooper and I thoroughly enjoyed the Boggart.I loved all the mischief that the Boggart gets into, and how as a reader you come to appreciate his cunning. Knowing every ones' point of view makes already funny situations hilarious. Susan Cooper's characterization has a way of making the reader care about her characters which is one of the things I like about her as an author.This book is worth reading and I recommend it to anyone who prides themselves on being a prankster or just like reading about fantastic mischievous creatures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A beautifully told folktale, with lovely illustrations
In this retelling of this magical Scottish folktale, Mordicai Gersteinand Susan Cooper tell of the Selkie (maiden of the sea) who is compelled to live among mortals. When Donallan sees a beautiful naked selkie on the rocks, he falls in love with her and steals her sealskin so she can no longer live in the sea.He marries her, and she bears him five children. But she longs for her sea home and family. At last she finds her skin, and is able to return to the sea. This lovely book will appeal to all ages - 3-adult. A Publishers Weekly review said of it, "The lyrical text weaves a tale of sweeping dimension; this is storytelling at its finest. Particularly lovely are Hutton's sensitive and muted watercolors."

Strange things may happen here
Mermaids get all the good press.Heck, you can't throw a dart in a crowded library without hitting five or six children's books all dedicated to those fishy sea ladies.But what about selkie women?When do they get their due?Few books about selkies actually make them out to be women, as it happens. The men get, "A Stranger Came Ashore" and "Island of the Aunts", for example.Female selkies appear in "Daughter of the Sea", but not much else.So it was with great joy that I located not only a selkie book starring a woman, but a picture book at that."The Selkie Girl" is your classic tale of abduction, male dominance, and naked women.Everything a picture book could aspire to.It is written by children's literature demi-god Susan Cooper (known best for her "The Dark Is Rising" stories), and illustrated by fellow Brit Warwick Hutton.It is a lovely little work.

Donallan lives alone by the sea with his cat and his dog and his sheep.It's a lonely life and Donallan longs for some company.One day, while scrounging for seaweed, he is enchanted by the song of three lovely naked women singing on a nearby rock.When he tries to investigate, however, they dive into the waves and become seals or selkies.An elderly man living near Donallan tells the young man how to catch one of the women as his bride.He must come on the same day one year from now and before the woman can grab it, steal her seal skin.Then she'll be bound to follow Donallan home.He does, she does, and they have five kids.Until, one day, their youngest son catches his father removing a lovely long sealskin from a mysterious brick behind their house...

Cooper, quite frankly, should do more picture books.This particular one contains all her lovely turns of phrase and particular lilts.Says the first sentence in the book, "The island rise green out of the sea, where the waves foam over the grey rocks, and strange things may happen there".The fact that Cooper has remained faithful to the whole naked chick part of the tale is also impressive.Other authors might have shied away or said the ladies were wearing seaweed garments or some such thing.The tale is a classic one, one told for centuries and not to be tampered with.So yes, this is a book about a man basically forcing someone to be his wife.Therefore, when she escapes back to the sea at the end, you're not particularly sad about it.Some kids reading the book may be a bit perturbed, but picture books should engage children as much as possible.

It is a bit of a pity that Warwick Hutton's illustrations don't convey the mystery of the story particularly well.His watercolors are lovely and majestic, but not particularly detailed.I cannot help but think that the book's editor could have located a more appropriate illustrator somewhere.Ah well.In the end it's the story that matters, and this one is truly lovely.Barbaric, perhaps.But lovely.For a great Irish tale that doesn't necessarily involve leprechauns, try "The Selkie Girl" on for size.

The loss, the finding of the authentic self.
This book was amazing to me the first time I read it and continues to touch me deeply....so much so that I just spent $90. for an old used copy so that I could own it and return to it again and again. It is the story of all women, women who are taken from their true selves to serve others, in places that are foreign to their souls.And, of course, the story of her return.A children's book, but one that speaks to all ages.Magical.Timeless.I have heard that this story has been told in many languages for many hundreds of years.I would welcome any information that anyone has about this.

wonderfully poignant ending!
This story has a gripping plot with a wonderfully poignant ending. Children will empathise with the dilemma facing the mother and her children in this tale. ... Read more