Product Description

Andrew Marley knew the dark secret that tormented his family for generations. It had cursed his grandfather, killed his father, and drove his mother to madness. Now, newly sworn into priesthood, Andrew must face the evil within-a legend born of the Louisiana bayou, and now time is running out before his true nature is unveiled by the light of the moon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

no
I am not in love with the book. Too much sex. Half of the book is only about 'close relationships'. But the whole book was okay. Nothing special. Definitely will not buy 1st and 3rd books.

Easy to Read and simple story
I wasn't actually sure if I should give this 3 or 4 stars.. This is acutally the second book of what appears to be a loosely linked trilogy.I haven't read the first book in the set "werewolf's kiss".

I found that as a stand alone novel this was well written.The author has a clear writing style and sticks to reasonalbly simple story lines.I also found it was quite lyrical and had a bitter-sweet ending.

It's the story of the "cursed" marley werewolves.The eldest child of each generation is cursed so that on the "night of their greatest triumph" they will turn into a werewolf and start killing.Andrew Marley is the 3rd generation for this to happen to and on the night of his ordination as a preist all goes to hell.

The cover somewhat does this book a dis-service. It looks like a dyed-in-the-wool romance, but the story is in many ways more of a tragedy than a romance and I was grateful I found I was actually reading a story and not a torrid romance that simply revolves around love saving the day and sex.

If you want a "light" werewolf novel that is quick and easy to read this is reccomended.

simply brilliant
i love the way cheri scotch describes her charactors, this book { the second in a triolgy} is simply brilliant the triolgy gets better as it goes along. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Real Airplanes!
To remember the Century series you have to be "of a certain age". I'm getting there. I had this book when it was first published and it still has appeal. The author has made a good balance between pictures, text and color plates; all showing the advance designs of aviation and all the colorful heraldtry of the time. This is a book well worth having in an aviation library. ... Read more

Product Description
Beverly Hills detective Art Murry has seen it all - or so he thinks.Then he's handed the grisly decapitation of Julia Garoute - his big ticket to regaining his reputation as a hot shot homicide detective.But can he and his rookie partner, Billy "the Kid," solve the crime before another detective steals the case and the glory - specifically the cop who broke up Murry's marriage? If a new partner and the threat of losing the case aren't enough, Julia's headless corpse leads Murry into the murky world of a secret voodoo society - one where potions, powders, and black magic make him question his sanity. When the trail leads to Haiti, a 20-year-old murder, and motives of revenge, Murry must unravel what's real and what's not before his partner becomes another victim of the deadly sorcerer whose touch can kill. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book
Art Murry, a Beverly Hills detective is given the murder case of a lifetime. Julia Garoute, the beautiful young wife of a popular judge is found dead in her home, decapitated, her head later recovered in a vacant mansion with evidence of voodoo rituals having taken place. Murry doesn't have much time. Threatened with his removal from the case, Murry and his new partner, Billy "The Kid," must solve the crime before the case is given to Murry's former partner, Tack, the man responsible for the dissolution of Murry's marriage. All the parties involved in the mystery of Julia's death, including her husband and her half sister, Lyselle, who Julia never acknowledged in public as more than a friend, are tight lipped. Then strange occurrences begin to happen that force Murry to concede that voodoo may not be the hocus pocus he once believed.

L. F. Crawford presents to her reader a well crafted, well researched gem of a story with a fast paced plot and highly defined characters that will definitely hold your interest and keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I couldn't put it down. Well done.

Sandee McCann/Word Museum Reviewer ... Read more

Product Description
The doctor who dispensed the invaluable advice KILL AS FEW PATIENTS AS POSSIBLE is at it again with a collection of waggish musings on everything from Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut to voodoo, ballerinas, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Dr. Oscar London's FROM VOODOO TO VIAGRA pokes fun at the serious and sometimes outrageous world of medicine, from the ability of doctors to work in the face of disagreeable smells, to the surgeon who uses a scalpel to excise fat from the "B" in his BLT. No one in the medical community is safe from Dr. London's fine-tuned wit. Whether you're a 27-year veteran of County General, a newly graduated resident, or a patient of any age-these 37 keenly wrought essays are the perfect cure for a gloomy mood, and storytelling at its finest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not what I expected
I was expecting insightful essays of the type that Atul Gawande writes (cf. "A Surgeon's Notes on Performance") which combine anecdote and research.The first few essays of this book (I then gave up), mostly consisted of poor attempts at humour.

Medicine Man Does it Again
This collection of vignettes is timely, and as always with Dr. London, hysterically funny. You definitely don't have to be in the medical profession to find his anecdotes simply delicious antidotes to daily life. Readers will recognize characters and symptons they've either known or experienced themselves and get a good dose of the laughing cure along with the story. But what's best about Dr. London's humor is its humanity. It's clear that he cares about his patients even when they try his, well, patience. Plus, he is a delightfully clever writer. Best to read his books in a group for the full effect - each funnier than the next.

Simply wonderful, just like the author
As one of Dr. London's patients (that's not his real name), I feel honored every time I talk to him on the phone or have an appointment with him. But that's not what this review is about. It's about a tremendously smart, superbly funny and surprisingly insightful series of essays about doctor-patient relationships.Dr. London has his patients -- and readers -- pegged. Now that I've read this one, I'm getting the rest of his books. ... Read more

Product Description
Some people are able to change the world in important ways. One such person is Willem Charles, the inspirational founder and leader of Haiti's Mountain Top Ministries. In the remarkable Give Your Best, Dr. Andrew DeWitt introduces readers to Willem Charles as he chronicles the astonishing life of an even more astonishing human being. From his difficult childhood and early successes and failures in mission work and business to his work as a translator on CNN and his participation as a player on Haiti's national soccer team, Charles continually shows his dedication to excellence and his determination to build a better life for his countrymen in spite of incredible odds. Charles walks with the author through the Haitian national history museum where he brings to life the country's difficulties from a personal perspective. A dedicated missionary, Charles shows how his calling of delivering the message of Jesus Christ to the people has impacted their lives-and his. By recalling stories from the genesis of MTM, the dedication required to work in the mission field is illuminated, and we are also treated with a new awareness of how transcultural issues affect missionary work. Beautifully written and deeply inspiring, Give Your Best lets you inside the heart and mind of a remarkable person. You'll laugh and cry and be deeply moved, but if you listen to Charles's message and follow his teachings, you'll also be changed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Wonderful!
This book was wonderful!I have been involved with this ministry for 10 yrs.I have been on 3 trips.It was so good to read how it all started and where Willem came from.My sister has also read it, and is now having all three of her children read it.

entertaining..educational..inspirational
I loved this book...We know the author and Willem and yet I still learned so much about Willem and how God used the people in his life to change many others lives.
It was great to read some history of Haiti.
Again very impressed at one mans life and all those he has touched....and I know his work here is far from done!!

Stayed up late reading this one
This is a great book for those who have been on mission trips to Haiti as well as those who haven't. For those of us who have met Willem and Beth this book is a delightful way to read about their calling to do God's work. For those who haven't met them you will find this book an amazing testimony to what happens when you answer God's call. There are some parts that are hard to read, but they show the harsh reality of life in Haiti. The author does a great job of depicting the joy and resiliency of the Haitian people, but doesn't sugar-coat it.

Inspiring and enlightening!
Are you looking for a book that will inspire you? Give Your Best tells the story of hope that was happening before the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the country of Haiti, the story of hope after the earthquake & the story of hope that will continue far into the future.

Give Your Best is an aspiring biography about a young Haitian man who rose above the odds and is at work today in his own country teaching his fellow country-man how to do the same.This is a book you will want to read over and again, as well as share with others!

The author does a fantastic job of highlighting the history of Haiti as he walks through her national museum. This brief chapter sets the pace for understanding a country with a ravaged past which has produced a people who are resilient and determined to live.

As I read about the life of my husband, I was enlightened to all that he has accomplished in life, by the grace of God. To the many names & faces whose lives have touched the people of this nation through the ministry of MTM & through our lives, wether you traveled to Hait or supported from your home town, you are amazing! Give Your Best reveals that great things are accomplished when we come together for the same goal. I am personally grateful to our dear friend, Andy DeWitt, for recording such an important history for the country of Haiti, for the ministry of Mountain Top Ministries, for Willem and for our family.

Excellent story
Having been to MTM and knowing Beth and Willem Charles this book exemplify the determination a man and God's calling has on others. I had the pleasure of going to Gramothe at the time just after the original church was built. The wisdom and vision that Willem has shown has been nothing less then amazing. This book tells the story about a man that is determined to change lives through all kinds of diversity. In each situation that Willem encounters, good or bad, he gives God constant credit. This book is a testimony about God using a simple man to better His kingdom A must read!! ... Read more

Product Description
In mid-life, Sharon Caulder left her successfulphysical therapy practice in New York to find her soul among the Voodoo people in Benin, West Africa. MARK OF VOODOO isthe story of her contact with this mystical religion - including her initiation into the spiritual hierarchy as a full-fledged chief and her subsequent marriage to the Supreme Chief. Dr. Caulder speaks candidly about karma, evolution, tantric sexual systems, sacrifice, and spirit possession. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

The Fetid Scents of Exploitation
Now, I'm not one to throw around the term 'steaming pile of fecal matter that completely disgraces the sheaves of innocent paper its printed uponwith its poisoned, pontificating, smugly middle-class, and totally irrational rant'. But in regards to Sharon Caulder 'Mark of Voodoo I feel it is my duty to make an exception.

I don't deign to acknowledge Sharon Caulder's doctorate credentials as, quite frankly, after reading her sordid little tale I feel that Ms Caulder is somewhat of a stranger to truth, and indeed is possibly so deluded that she couldn't spot said truth if it appeared in the guise of a twelve foot rabid polar bear in turquoise spandex with a mild case of herpes.

Where to begin? Well let's leave aside the somewhat dubious claims Ms Caulder makes in regards to her initiation and authority as a priestess of Vodou to those who are more knowledgable in that topic. Their reviews are listed here and are quite enlightening.

Firstly Ms Caulder's novel is such a mind-boggling display of towering gargantuan egotism mixed with an astonishing example of exploitation. The entire book serves as a vehicle in which Caulder basks radiantly in the light of her own brilliance. We the reader are treated to examples of Caulder lecturing 'The Supreme Chief of Voodoo' as she calls him, in regards to his diet, his sexual practises and even his dismaying habit of regularly sacrificing small fuzzy animals to his mysterious gods. Well, perhaps someone needed to remind Ms Caulder that she was no longer in Kansas any more and that she was in a thrid world country in order to study VOODOO! How astounding that anyone could berate a priest of a religion as if he was a naughty school boy when they themselves had freshly stepped off the first class plane trip from California. I'm sure if sushi rolls were regularly available in Benin the 'Supreme Chief' would have chosen to make a change to his menu.

Apart from the regular pontificating, Ms Caulder's other cringe-worthy habit seems to be to habitually disregard the cultural taboos of the people that she has supposedly flown around the world to study. Her regular rule breaking entails, for example, eating at an inappropriate time during a ritual, having (unprotected) sex with her initiator prior to initiation, hexing said initiator's new compound, having sex with said initiator on a day set aside to spend with his gods. Psychically attacking a ritual figure. The list goes on. Indeed, as a 'Doctor' of Mythology and Depth Psychology, Ms Caulder feels totally authorised to look (down) upon religious life in Benin and cast her unwieldy western-o-centric opinions with brash and curiously certain tones.

This book is an example of exploitation at its absolute worst. Ms Caulder spends the last third of the book describing Voodoo as a dangerous cult, that is primitive and in desperate need of evolving into something more palatable to her western tastes. She runs down the spirituality and her initiator into it. She even speaks of it in terms of a cult which she then goes about enlisting help to 'deprogramme' herself from it. That being said, Sharon Caulder seems all too willing to declare herself a 'priestess' on the cover and claim royaltees at the expense of a culture that is completely economically impoverished.

Then of course, we are confronted with the ultimate question of "is it real?" This is I believe, a question Ms Caulder herself seems to be very little effected by. For instance, in the beginning of the book is a lurid sensationalised account of a satanic like voodoo ritual that would seem much more comfortable if it was printed in a British trash magazine. The account is of Ms Caulder as a young girl being ritual abused in some of the most creatively ugly ways possible. This account is deeply concerning and would garner much sympathy...if it were real. Alas, after many, may chapters of long-winded sermons on the dangers of not being from California or other Western cities which house acceptable cultural norms for the good 'Doctor,' then, and only then, are we treated to the much more murky truth: That the entire scenario exists within her mind and is recalled through hypno-regression (which is now of course, so maligned a 'science that is will not be accepted in a court of law)!

In short, Sharon Caulder's heated beat up of a culture guilty of being not enough like herself is one of the most flesh-contorting ugly pieces of writing ever to grace the book-shelf. Mark of Voodoo is a piece of gross self-propoganda and cultural exploitation. It is a ghastly example of western superiority at its most rank and offensive and requires pride of place in the garbage with the other dank piles of stinking offal that inspires the stomarch to churn in unwholesome ways.

I feel truly misfortunate at being fooled into reading it.

Very questionable "facts", but a great read
This book is very interesting, and well-written. I don't know much about voodoo, but some of the things in this book are quite shocking and I would say quite a bit like something Hollywood would like to get a hold of. The author's truthfulness is questionable. She states she levitates and sees auras, etc. Some people believe that. If you can levitate inside your body, then maybe you should call up the author and y'all can have a nice chat about it. Although, I doubt anyone reading this can. In short..., it's very interesting and quite questionable. The fact that it's played off as nonfiction reminds me of a somewhat recently famous author that got in trouble with Oprah Winfrey for making up his "true" story. But who am I to say? Could be nonfiction.

A Total Misrepresentation of our Ancient Afrikan System
I wanted to leave the rating for this book blank to represent 0 but it made me chose the one that is up there. It is amazing how misinformation can be marked as truth to those that are seeking to know but do not necessarily know how to recognize this misinfo.

One guy in his review stated that in the Haitian Vodùn system that having sex with your initiator invalidates the initiation and there is serious social punishment that should come. That is not only 100% correct for Haitian Vodùn but that is 100% correct for all indigenous Afrikan spiritual systems. So the Daughter of Osun that referred to her as Chieftess is using a misnomer in referring to her as a chieftess. The only people that will recognize her "initiation" are people who condone Dr. Caulder's immoral acts.

What she practices and "teaches" is anything but authentic Vodùn.

Someone said this book is a good first read. I would challenge that person to answer the following question: What did you get from this book that helps you better overstand the cosmology and actual TEACHINGS of the ancient Vodùn tradition? I already know the answer.

Also the Vodùn tradition does not have a "Supreme Chief". At best this has been learned from colonialism and the unnecessary attempt to equate Vodùn with other traditions. Dágbó has never been the supreme chief of all Vodùn. He was an important chief in his AREA.

Anyone wishing to come away from a book with more knowledge of the SYSTEM of Vodùn should not read this book because you will not get any. If you like drama and soap opera type of action then this book is for you.

Wow
I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Caulder on a recent trip to New Orleans and purchased this book from her shop.I can't say enough how strong and beautiful her story is.The book is based on Dr. Caulder's own spiritual quest for her history, people and her deep desire to understand early childhood memories of voodoo rituals.She finds her way to her true path and discovers beauty in an often misunderstood religion.The writing is precisce and matter of fact with just enough imagery.Dr. Caulder makes a point to explain the wonder, meaning and spirit of the Voudon people.If you're looking for the "hollywood" version of voodoo, zombies and chickens and all, this isn't it.

Captivating Read/ Fascinating Story
When I read non fiction I look for the author to show me the their truth. When someone writes a memoir or a personal account, adventure, rite of passage, trial by fire experience or even a daily journal entry, they must have a need and a calling to express their truth or the work is rendered pointless.
Personal truth is what grabs the reader and pulls their eyes to the memoir. Not every written experience is relatable to every reader.
But human truth and the clear expression of the unfolding of our lives, no matter our economic or racial background, is what makes great story telling relatable to any individual. It is not the literal story, the argument of facts, the chronological time, etc that makes the tale gripping. It is the metaphor. Sharon Caulder is all about metaphor. She has a direct, non pretentious, immediate voice that grabs the reader and bellows "This is a story!"
I can only advise you - read the book. You don't need to read another review.
I am honored she shared her story in such a truthful, playful, articulate manner. I am moved and astounded by her courage and her good will. And I am left musing and imagining all the stories, secrets and information that never made it to the page. ... Read more

Product Description
After catching her fiancé and a bridesmaid in a tete-a-crotch, Jessie Maynard vowed to renounce men forever.Or at least until Christmas.She figured she'd hole up for the holiday in her late Aunt Blanche's sleepy southern town.But the residents of Mystic Hollow weren't so much sleeping as dying and her aunt's witch hat house was already occupied by a sexy, green-eyed sorcerer who knew just how to make a girl change her mind.Luke Tanner's ex-wife had turned his heart to ice, so spending five days with a feisty runaway bride was no threat, at least not until Jessie entangled him in a murder investigation of a philandering minister and locked him in a coffin.Luke's plans for a hot little affair with Jessie did not include marriage, until his ex-wife showed up gift wrapped, and he had to make a choice: the past or the future? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Winter Evening Read
Ann Yost creates some Voodoo of her own with just the right blend of suspense, humor and madcap adventures topped off with a bit of spice that will keep you from putting this one down. I actually got up in the middle of the night to finish it--being careful not to let the laugh-out-loud actions of her characters wake the house. This is a great curl-up by the fireplace read. I received it as a Christmas gift from my husband and know that I will add Ann Yost to my own shopping list in the future.

Terrific author!
Can't wait to read this one.Ann Yost is a great writer and I've enjoyed everything of hers that I've read.RB, PA

Great Holiday Read
This book is a great idea for a holiday gift for someone who enjoys a good romantic mystery. It has it all sex, mystery, and small town gossip.Great for a good read after a busy holiday season.

Sexy, Funny Fun
Ann Yost is a very funny woman! And she also knows her way around a sex scene. Unless you're humor-challenged, she'll have you laughing from the first page at the antics of her offbeat characters, including a runaway bride, a lecherous preacher, and a talking cat. This is a fun read. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
The second book in the Pat Gallegher Mystery Series. Gallegher tries to solve the murder of his friend Hotshot Spano, and protect the young stepdaughter of a Vietnamese gang member. Hot action and cool jazz in New Orleans' French Quarter! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The Big Sleazy ain't that easy ...
Move aside Martin Hegwood, Tony Dunbar, Mike Stewart, Ace Atkins, Julie Smith, and watch out James Lee Burke here comes Richard Helms and his Pat Gallegher mysteries. Set in the French Quarter and starring a down and out horn player, Voodoo That You Do, casts a spell on the reader that's nothing, but white magic.

From the sights, the tastes and the smells, Helms builds several thousand words into a picture of New Orleans that's pure pleasure to read and authentic to those who've done more than just the tourist stop. While a gem in the rough at times, Voodoo That You Do, moves through from start to finish at a well clipped pace taking the reader along for fun ride. Pat mixes in the gutter elements along the way walking a delicate tightrope between the various factions of official authority and organized crime.

If you missed it there's Joker Poker which introduces Pat Gallegher and about to hit the presses is Juicy Watusi.

Good juju for hardboiled mystery readers.
The second entry in a series begun with "Joker Poker," "Voodoo That You Do" presents a nice balance between a character study and an intriguing puzzle.It's got all the elements you'd expect: an interesting and colorful locale (New Orleans, America's new crime capital), a diverse cast who act and speak as real people do, dialogue with the ring of authenticity, and a somewhat jaundiced perspective tempered by an indomitable optimism. "Voodoo" also boasts something unexpected in typical modern hardboiled mysteries: a style that pays homage to the past while putting its own unique stamp on the form.It's a fine representative of a series that even readers well steeped in the genre can get excited about, both because of what Helms has accomplished thus far, and the possibilities of where he can take it in the future.

"Voodoo That You Do" begins with a bang, and doesn't let up for more than 300 pages.Protagonist, Pat Gallegher -- who by night plays cornet at a run-of-the-mill watering hole called Holliday's, and by day, like an itinerant private eye, reluctantly performs investigative tasks thrust upon him -- is on hand when his friend and former hit man, Hotshot Spano, is brutally murdered by a pack of Haitian teenagers.Before long, Gallegher is persuaded by the local Mob, headed by aging boss Lucho Braga, to track down the killers.

That simple beginning is the catalyst for a number of subsequent complications.There's an Asian street urchin, connected to New Orleans' Vietnamese gangs, who are in turn connected to a prostitute's disappearance -- all of which relate to the initial crime.There are cops and government agents, each with their own agendas, involved in various aspects of malfeasance both obvious and hidden.There's a budding romance placed in jeopardy as events unfold.And as the title suggests, there's an underlying supernatural element that colors perception and casts an otherwordly glow over the story.

Helms skillfully weaves all these tangled skeins into a rich, seamless tapestry that simultaneously portrays the sleazy underside of New Orleans society and provides a satisfying, believable, brisk-moving read.That would be more than enough for most mystery buffs under ordinary circumstances.

But Helms goes the extra mile by diving beneath the surface of his well-constructed tale, and adding that extra special something, which makes the ultimate result compare favorably with the best hardboiled examples from the past.The language of "Voodoo" has real depth and presence, issuing from the point of view of a central character who has been beaten down by the vicissitudes of life, but who refuses to sink into the morass, and who clings tenaciously to his humanity.

I heartily recommend 'Voodoo That You Do" to hardboiled fans, mystery aficionados, and anyone who appreciates well-wrought prose.And I eagerly look forward to the next installment in the Pat Gallegher series.

Gallegher returns for another exciting New Orleans adventure
It seems lately that too many mystery writers are asking me to like characters who are stuck on themselves and their own wealth, totally obnoxious and ugly to even their friends-- or both! Not so with four terrific mysteries I've read in the last month: "Voodoo That You Do" by Richard Helms; "Pilikia is my Business" by Mark Troy; "The Big Switch" by Jack Bludis; and "All White Girls" by Michael Bracken.

"Voodoo That You Do" juggles New Orleans gangs and jazz as only Richard Helms can do. Pat Gallegher, ex-seminarian, ex-professor, ex-psychologist, and now ex-badguy returns from "Joker Poker" ready to live and love again. This time, Gallegher risks a French Quarter gang war when he befriends a runaway 10-year-old girl who just happens to lead him to the solution of his current quandary: finding Dust Trufant, the shooter in the death of Gallegher's friend "Hotshot" Spano. Could it be that rescuing the little girl has introduced him to a new love as well? ... Read more

Product Description
When Nicholas buys a small foam cloud with ‘Voodoo Cloud’ emblazoned down the side, Nicholas, Claudia, and Spanish plot to use it to escape Mrs Lennard’s forced labour class (also known as P.E.).

It’s all a joke, right?A foam cloud with gold paint can’t really control the weather.

Can it?

A 2000 word reader suitable for 5-10 year olds. Featuring mud, a tornado of sweets and a Phys Ed teacher using her students to do building around the school.

Also includes the first chapter to Super Monkey Group: The Blurting Beetles of Baloogo Loogo. Two kids, Tia and Max, and a golden monkey, Po, must stop an evil gourmet, Toran, from his quest to eat every endangered species into extinction. Featuring monkeys, exploding red gloop and a cheese that smells so bad it can knock you out. ... Read more

Product Description
The Knight of Darkness returns in two more classic pulp thrillers, including "The Voodoo Master," voted the favorite novel in a 1937 Shadow Magazine readers' poll and again acclaimed as one of the top Shadow novels by pulp fans nearly a half century later. Walter Gibson's 1936 novel introduces The Shadow's arch-foe Dr. Rodil Mocquino, the master of black magic who returned in two subsequent novels and several Golden Age comic book stories. In "The Red Blot" (1933), Lamont Cranston first meets Commissioner Weston, setting up the friendship that would be featured in the famous radio series, and investigates a series of crimes orchestrated by a malevolent mastermind who leaves a bloody mark as his calling card. This book also features the original pulp covers by George Rozen, all the original interior illustrations by Tom Lovell, and historical commentary by Will Murray, principal author of "The Duende History of 'The Shadow Magazine'", and Anthony Tollin, co-author of "The Shadow Scrapbook". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good one to start with the Shadow pulps !
Several reprints of the old Shadow pulps are available.
But if You only know the Shadow from the Alec Baldwin
movie this volume is probably one to start reading.
"The Red Blot" leaves the reader guessing almost to the last
page and he will probably be wrong until then.80 years after
first print the bad guys will look a bit tame and of course
there is no high technology we are so used to. So it is brain
and action with the Shadow.
One of the first super villains appears in the "Voodoo Master":
A total fraud with bad temper and greed for money creates
a cult to rip of his followers.And its no smooth sailing
for the Shadow to stop him.
If You liked the movie You will like this book.

Another great reprint of 2 Shadow novels.
Nostalgia Ventures and Anthony Tollin have teamed up to do a comprehensive reprint of several Street & Smith pulp heroes. At present, they are doing double reprints of The Shadow and Doc Savage. Shortly, they will start new series reprinting The Avenger and The Whisperer. All have complete pulp texts (no edits or removals, like past reprints), tho reset so its easier to read, the original illustrations, reprinted covers (one is used as the cover of the book, but both original pulp covers are shown on the back), and several additional articles and extras, as space permits.

Hopefully, they can succeed to reprinting all these characters in these new editions, they are all excellent.

With The Shadow having over 325 pulp novels, only a few reprinted, for the most part they are avoiding those that have been reprinted. They do try to pick two that more or less 'go together' in terms of a common theme.

With this book, #3, we have "The Red Blot" (June 1, 1933) and "The Voodoo Master" (Mar 1, 1936). The common theme of these is criminal masterminds.The cover of "The Voodoo Master" is used as the cover of the volume, and the original covers of both pulps are on the back.

"The Red Blot" pits the Shadow against a criminal mastermind, rather then the petty criminals he had be dealing with in the early years.Its also the first meeting of Cranston and Commissioner Weston, a character who would be used for many years in The Shadow.

"The Voodoo Master" pits the Shadow for the first time against a villian who would come back.Another top rated Shadow novel, it was voted one of the top novels.Its villian would return in two additional Shadow stories, and these were reprinted in a subsequent NV volume.

As extras in this issue are:

A brief intro by series editor Anthony Tollin, giving some background on the stories and their importance.

A one-page write-up on Gibson by pulp historian Will Murray.

THE SHADOW KNOWSHOW GREAT THIS BOOK IS
THESE REPRINTS ARE GREAT ,YOU CAN ENJOY READING THEM WITHOUT CRUMBLING
AND GREAT READING TOO!

The Red Blot and The Voodoo Master
What I knew of The Shadow was from listening to Old Time Radio tapes.I was amazed to find that he was not just Cranston, but several other indivisuals.The Red Blot - what a twist!!!.The Voodoo Master - very good.I am amazed (that word again!) with the great plots.

Who knows what evil?
The Voodoo Master is one of the very best Shadow tales and these new double volumes are excellently produced. Highly recommended all vols, as well as the Doc Savage reprints from the same publisher. ... Read more

Product Description
Based on our full-sized Golf Voodoo Kit, here's a hilarious 32-page book of golf humor that's packaged with a miniature soft-cloth voodoo doll imprinted with good and bad spells, plus flag-shaped stickpins. It's the perfect gift for the dad-or golf partner-who has everything! ... Read more

Product Description
An unprecedented glimpse into the mysterious world of Voodoo, this spellbinding companion to an upcoming documentary produced by Wim Wenders presents photos and film stills by celebrated photojournalist Alberto Venzago.

In 1988, Albert Venzago set out to cross Africa on a Vespa. After miles in the blistering heat, it broke down in a remote village in Benin. There he encountered Mahounon, one of the most influential voodoo priests of West Africa. Abandoning his planned trip, Venzago set out instead on an odyssey through the world of African voodoo, to which he and his camera gained extraordinary access. The result is a groundbreaking new documentary and this accompanying book.

Venzago followed Mahounon with his camera for nearly ten years, filming secret Voodoo ceremonies and sacrificial rituals. He witnessed Mahounon’s extraordinary search for a successor to lead the cult, and he watched as the anointed eleven-year old boy was schooled in black and white magic, rituals, and the intricate workings of the Fa, or Voodoo oracle. Venzago’s camera evokes the religious ecstasy of these ceremonies as well as their otherworldly atmosphere. His photographs illuminate this mysterious and potent Voodoo culture and religion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Photo Essay [Blah, Blah]
This book, photographed in Benin, West Africa is a companion to a yet to be released German documentary of the same name. It offers little in the way of knowledge of the Voodoo (Vodou) religion. Mostly a book of photos, it's a little overly "arty." The stupid cover photo aside, the book does have a few interesting black & white photographs, but I wouldn't spend the money to get them, the quality of the printing leaves something to be desired.

In the text there are some snippits of oral tradition that would be worth someone developing. Until then I suggest Herskovitz's Dahomean Narratives.

I'm still waiting for a good volume on West African Vodou...

The usual rubbish
Forget it! If you really want to know about voodoo buy Vodou Shaman (Ross Heaven) or Mama Lola (Karen Brown). This book is largely fantasy. ... Read more

Product Description
It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust. Gray smoke drifted around her room. It was coming from the closet. Angie flung open the door and fell back coughing as a dark cloud of smoke hit her in the face.

Gasping for breath, she clutched her bedpost. Her Christmas dress was on fire, the one Mom had given her. She had worn the red silk gown on her first date with Mike. It had puffed, gathered sleeves. The empire waist tied in a red bow. The high, button-up collar looked old-fashioned. All the kids had oohed and aahed over it. Chrissy had gone wild. She wanted to wear it on a date with George.

The fire had started around the neckline and was burning down the sides. Bright, orange flames crackled as they made short work of the dress.

Angie dashed into her bathroom. She grabbed an empty pot for watering her plants. She turned on the water full blast and filled it to the top. She hurled it at the fire.

The angry, orange flames acted like Angie had thrown gasoline on them. The fire burst high in her closet and enveloped all her other clothes in bright orange and red flames.

In desperation, she grabbed her blankets and beat at the stubborn fire with all her strength. What appliance had she left on? Perhaps it was a short in the wires? Nothing made sense.

Her blankets caught fire. Angie dropped them. "Dad!" she screamed. "Dad, help!" Choking on the smoke, Angie stumbled toward the door.

Angie turned the knob. It was locked! Just a moment ago she had opened the door and looked down the hall toward Dad's room. Then she had shut it and locked it herself. She'd even heard it click. Was the lock jammed? Broken? No matter how she struggled with the knob, the door wouldn't budge.

Angie pounded on the door, screaming, "Dad! Dad!" at the top of her lungs. But the house was silent.

The flames licked at her back. She hurried to her window and tried to fling it open. That too was stuck. No matter how hard she tugged, the double-hung window wouldn't budge. She hurled a vase at it. The glass wouldn't shatter.

The room was thick with smoke. Angie could hardly breathe. She picked up the phone and dialed 911 with shaky fingers.

"Hello?" she said. "Hello?"

The phone was dead. There wasn't even a dial tone. It had worked fine just yesterday. What was going on?

In a panic Angie dialed again. "You've just got to answer," she told the phone. Then she dropped the receiver, "Oh my God!"

The flames leaped around the room, catching on the drapes and the bedspread. A wall of flame blocked the way to the bathroom. She was going to die horribly. She was going to burn to death if the smoke didn't suffocate her first.

Angie screamed and screamed and screamed.

Against the solid wall of red flame Angie saw a faceless shadow in the shape of a woman with long hair over her shoulders. She was reaching out to Angie with her long, sinuous arms. She whispered in a low hiss, "Come! Come!" ... Read more

Product Description
Poetry. Afro-Caribbean Studies. "D.S. Marriott 'dares to dream' in this book...by refolding beautiful romantic lines...into new relation with the real that haunts him, which he attends through mourning and recasts in an art full of loss. These poems do indeed seem to 'contain the whole of death, even before / life has begun', but they engage no refusal, just the overturning of willful stasis and a lyric luring of the undone into poetic doing, to light. HOODOO VOODOO's last section's dark streaming of figures through landscapes...is presided over by 'Ghede', or Guede, after all--best known as the loa of death in Vodou, 'Papa Bones', but also a figure of fertility, of the crossroads between life and afterlife: a trickster, a door, a manipulable sign (as well as a protector of children). Marriott's deployment of such mythological materials and even 'hoodoo' itself in his theatre of 'real ghosts', fears and emergent desires enacts his forging of new relations with the past and his many interlocutors in this book, as well as his Rilkean 'refusal to refuse', a seeming double negative that opens a new way through the many locked doors and crossroads his speakers encounter in these poems. I'm overwhelmed by the beauty that is this book"--Romana Huk. ... Read more

Product Description
Relieve personal tension and change the way friends, family, colleagues and complete strangers think, using a doll, a pin and a wide range of creative curses. ... Read more

Product Description
Private eyes Arthur Chase Wu and Quincy Durant are hired to track down the two British hypnotists who may have been involved in the murder of a billionaire and a frame-up of the billionaire's girlfriend. Reprint. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Entertainment and Well Written
I read Ross Thomas's "Chinaman's Chance" a few years back and ran into it on CD at my library."Read" it again and it is great.Ross Thomas is a master of the English language, the books are paced terrifically well, and the characters interesting, multi-layered and inviting.One of the interesting things about Thomas and his characters it that you just never know what they are going to say next.I am about 80% of the way through Voodoo Ltd., and have no idea how it is going to end.To me, "Chinaman's Chance" is the best of this series featuring Wu and Durant, probably because it was first."Voodoo Ltd.," is better than the second book, "Out on the Rim," however, I do recommend reading them in order if you have the opportunity.Another great book by Thomas is "Missionary Stew."It does not feature Wu and Durant, but it is loads of fun.

5th Gear Start to Finish
Ross Thomas can really tell a story. Conversation is clever and witty and it continually moves the story forward. Readers pick up new con artist techniques in every chapter while always grasping for that elusive piece of information to figure out what's going on. So we keep an eye on Artie Wu who, as the grandmaster, moves his pieces - namely Quincy Durant, Booth Stallings, Georgia Blue and Otherguy Overby -- around the board. Throw in a few hunches and notions and, voila, case solved.

"Voodoo Ltd" is the final novel in the trilogy involving this cast of characters, "Chinaman's Chance" and "Out on the Rim" being the first two. Read them in order. You'll better appreciate the players, any one of whom could be your favorite.

Wu and Durant who could ask for anything more
If you have not read Ross Thomas before I envy you because you are in for a great treat and have a lot of books to chose from.Like many Ross Thomas books the plot is inventive but also incidental to the humor and flash of the characters.I recommend reading A Chinaman's Chance, and Out on the Rim before reading this book. They earlier books featuring Artie Wu and his partner Durant. It is not necessary to read them in order of publication, but it helps a little, and to be truthful I enjoyed the earlier books more.
St. Martins Press is to be congratulated for reprinting many of his books.He had gone out of print for awhile, but the more I read his books the more I wonder why.He is a great stylist with a edge of dark humor.Ross Thomas should be on anyone's reading list who wants to consider himelf or herself familiar with recent American mystery/thriller writers.He is one of the best.

I read the book
I got the audio tape for my husband's Christmas in 2006. He really liked it, and I'm gladbecause he died in January'07.He enjoyed audio books because he was blind.

One of the best
Ross Thomas could do just about anything he set his mind to, and fortunately for us, the readers, he set his mind to writing fast-paced, funny, complicated thrillers that are as much fun to read the second time around as they are the first.

By the way, VOODOO LTD is the third in the Artie Wu, Quincy Durant series, not the second.The first is CHINAMAN'S CHANCE.All three book, like Mr. Thomas's other books, are terrific. ... Read more

Product Description
This book deals with the budget-surplus myth, the SocialSecurity Trust Fund, and economic malpractice (voodoo economics) overthe past 20 years. It exposes the deliberate deception of the publicby politicians from both parties which has led to the erroneous beliefthat the government has surplus money which is available for financinga large tax cut or new government programs.The book points out thatthere is no significant non-Social Security surplus today and that theprojected surpluses for the next decade are little more than wishfulthinking based on unrealistic economic assumptions.

The author points out that the surplus in the Social Security systemis a planned surplus resulting from 1983 legislation that raised boththe Social Security tax rate and the tax base for the specific purposeof building up a surplus for the retirement of the baby-boomgeneration which will require every dollar of the Social Securitysurplus.The book also includes a detailed history of the economicpolicies and economic malpractice of the past two decades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Hobo Philosopher
I didn't just read this book, I studied it. I have highlights on every page. Then from the information gained in this book and other books by Mr. Smith, I composed my own post regarding the National Debt which I posted on my blog, The Hobo Philosopher. Other folks picked up my post entitled "The National Dept with a Noble Solution." It is now posted all over the internet. I see it everywhere. This book was written and published in 2000 - G. W. Bush wasn't even president at the time. Johnson and Clinton receive equal criticism along side Reagan and Bush #1. Reagan and Bush contributed to the problem more substantially - the numbers don't lie. Therefore they get their fair share of criticism.

The book is non-political. It states the naked facts about what has been done to the Social Security Fund over the years. Everything is documented from government sources. It comes complete with charts, figures, dates and years. The book is only 128 pages long. It is the best primer on the problems with the Social Security Fund that I have ever read. You get the whole sad story right here in one very easy to understand volume.

Mr. Smith is a teacher - and that is very evident. He is obviously a good teacher. If you want to know about the Social Security Trust Fund, where it went and who did what, this is the best book you could buy. The author faults Democrats as well as Republicans. He has to ... because both parties have been guilty in the misuse and deception.

Mr. Smith is a teacher, not a politician. The book contains nothing but the facts. It is organized and simple to read.

Mt. Smith is clearly an intelligent man, a dedicated teacher, very knowledge in the discipline of economics and a tax-payer with a sincere commitment to the Social Security System. He has been teaching economics on a college level as his career. He tells it like it is.

If you want a simple, concise, documented primer on the Social Security Trust Fund, this is your book ... buy 2 and give one to an interested friend or another retiree.

Books written by Richard Noble - The Hobo Philosopher:
"Hobo-ing America: A Workingman's Tour of the U.S.A.."
"A Summer with Charlie" Salisbury Beach, Lawrence YMCA
"A Little Something: Poetry and Prose
"Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" Novel - Lawrence, Ma.
"The Eastpointer" Selections from award winning column.
"Noble Notes on Famous Folks" Humor - satire - facts.
"America on Strike" American Labor - History

Fresh air in the budget surplus debate!
Dr. Smith's book is fresh air in this political season of rhetoric concerning the so-called budget surplus.He has done an excellent job of tracing our country's economic policies through the various administrations of both major parties and helps one to understand how we got to today's situation.

I was especially struck at the fairness and even-handedness of Dr. Smith when dealing with both Democratic and Republican stances on the "surplus".He is very hard on Presidents Johnson and Reagan in creating the national debt that threatens our national economic well-being.He is also critical of both Al Gore and George W. Bush in their proposed uses of the "surplus".

This book is also well written.Dr. Smith has an uncanny way of taking complicated economic principles and rewording them in a straight forward, easy-to-understand format that was refreshing to read.

Insummary Ienthusiastically give this book the highest rating!It is a book for all open-minded persons how are willing to look beyond the rhetoric of today's politicians and seek the truth .

Fresh air in the budget surplus debate.
Dr. Smith's book is fresh air in this political season of rhetoric concerning the so-called budget surplus.He has done an excellent job of tracing our country's economic policies through the various administrations of both major parties and helps one to understand how we got to today's situation.

I was especially struck at the fairness and even-handedness of Dr. Smith when dealing with both Democratic and Republican stances on the "surplus".He is very hard on Presidents Johnson and Reagan in creating the national debt that threatens our national economic well-being.He is also critical of both Al Gore and George W. Bush in their proposed uses of the "surplus".

This book is also well written.Dr. Smith has an uncanny way of taking complicated economic principles and rewording them in a straight forward, easy-to-understand format that was refreshing to read.

Insummary Ienthusiastically give this book the highest rating!It is a book for all open-minded persons how are willing to look beyond the rhetoric of today's politicians and seek the truth .

Public policy for beginners
Dr. Allen W. Smith has written accurately and understandably about a topic that usually well informed citizens avoid.We have heard such a drumbeat of the phrase "budget surplus".What is behind the numbers?Smith rightly complains that the total of the operating budget and the social security budget should not be added together to arrive at the size of the "surplus".Social security funds are owned by the SS Trust.They are not a kitty for program expansion or tax relief.The SOCIAL SECURITY surpluscomes from a tax plan that was intended to shore it up for the future.By contrast, the operating budget surplus for 1999 was real but small.Projections for the future do anticipate a rise but with dubious assumptions of long term continuous expansion. Smith reminds us of our existing debt of $5.6 trillion at the end of 1999, requiring over $353 billion to finance.He criticizes both political parties for not putting the budget numbers in context and not advocating responsible fiscal policy.Smith has written several well received books and has been interviewed by CNN and numerous radio talk shows.This book is necessary to citizen literacy on economic policy for the present and future.Review by Victor Stolzfus, Ph.D, President Emeritus, Goshen College (IN)

A genuine problem is detailed for the future
This book contains a lot of facts concerning the abuse of the Social Security funds we send and have sent to Washington.

The author is a bleading heart liberal and bashes Bush throughout. He could have better spent the time Bush bashing by offering readers some what-if situations such as "How would privitatization of a portion of the funds affect the future Social Security recipients?" ... Read more

Product Description
The night before Mama was beaten with a salted leather strap, she told her daughter, Don t worry, chile. You be a queen. Those words sustain the little slave in the dark days ahead. THE POWER follows Reyna Royale, a slave girl, from her voodoo initiation on a Georgia cotton plantation to partial freedom and esoteric study with Marie Laveau in New Orleans, America s voodoo capital, and to gold rush San Francisco where she becomes a rich and successful madam, a courageous underground railroad worker, and ultimately a cold blooded murderess. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

An insightful look into sexual motivation
I found this historical story with the Voodoo angle fascinating, but I was most taken with the author's ability to meld sexual motivations into the story line.In real life our main motivaions of behavior are a seamless combination of all our needs - when one need overwhelms another or we obsess over an appetite our lives swing out of balance. Jim Duggin understands this very well and we have a very realistic insight into several complex characters. Maybe the plot covered too much geographic area for its scope, but the action flowed and each event built on the other in a logical, entertaining way.Read this book.

The Power of Voodoo
I couldn't put the book down. Filled with suspense, fast-moving, great characters, and informative historical facts, it belongs among my list of the best books.
Fritzie von Jesen

Superb Fiction
Jim Duggins has created visual imagery with his prose that makes the reader want learn more about the main characters.This excerpt, set in the distant past when slavery was in full force & effect, demonstrates the power that human beings have over others who are in a less fortunate situation.The language is taunt, riveting and lays bare raw emotions which are both frightening & realistic. I hope to read the entire published novel in the near future

Review of The Power, by Jim Duggins
Mr. Duggins is a masterful writer!Reviewing the excerpt from his book, I found myself mesmerized by his fantastic ability to take the reader into the story.At the end of the excerpt I found myself wanting more.When this book is published I will be first in line to purchase it.
Lee Walton

Excellent character development
Excellent character development--I could visualize each individual in my mind's eye.Plot grabbed me right away and
moved me along rapidly to the end of available pages and left me wanting to read it in its entirety. ... Read more

Product Description
VOODOO INHABITS HARSH REALITY
AND VOODOO INHABITS THE DREAMWORLD
AND VOODOO BRINGS YOU YOUR OWN PERSONAL VOODOO
After the huge success of Corporate Voodoo - both as the book and in the live appearances of the two authors - comes the Voodoo Fieldbook My Voodoo - a practical guide to making the messages of the first book come alive in your life and work.

The best selling Corporate Voodoo offered a framework for creating a Fast Business, either from scratch or when working with an old economy legacy organization, and extending its Fast Principles from work to discover the real sources of personal power, happiness and success in a Fast world.

Now My Voodoo offers a practical step-by-step guide for putting into practice in our everyday lives all the principles set out in Corporate Voodoo. Through a series of exercises, simulations, stories and role-plays, My Voodoo puts the magic into your life and your organization.  My Voodoo is a book for carrying with you, a book you will want to return to again and again.  It is not simply for reading but a book for working with and on.  It is a place to dream, a place to reflect, a place to let your imagination fly, a place to learn, a place to have fun, a place to face up to and remove the barriers that are holding you and your organization back.  As you scribble, make notes, doodle and daydream in the margins and through the exercises in this book, My Voodoo will become Your Voodoo - your own blueprint for the life and work you want.

VOODOO EMBRACES THE NEW RULES OF ATTRACTION

VOODOO CONNECTS TO A POWERFUL FUTURE

VOODOO BELIEVES DIFFERENCES ARE CREATIVE

VOODOO IS BORED BY SAMENESS

VOODOO SAYS CHOOSE. THEN CHOOSE AGAIN.

VOODOO IS THE ONLY MEANS NECESSARY ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Horrible!
Sad to see that two hucksters find it necessary to defame an Afro-centric religion just to flim-flam corporate America!

I wonder when they will write a book designed to power up the mindless herd of corporate America by defaming the christian or moslem religions as well.

Downright shameful!

not about voodoo
this book is not about voodoo at all its just a feel good pat on the back for corporate executives and how to manage the work enviroment. so don't let the title fool you this has nothing to do with voodoo at all ... Read more