In the second installment of their series, Pete, Inna, Vicky, Aaron and Gary are finally getting their hands dirty with some real pirating work. Being lookout in the midst of a storm isn't a whole lot of fun, but they consider it the most important job on the ship. Rotten Teeth might not...but the Captain repays him for his doubts by sticking him up in the crow's nest til morning, which makes it all worth it.

Early the next morning, Pete wakes up and spies a surprising sight through his spyglass--a Ghost Ship! Rotten Tooth just sets to laughing at them again when they tell him about it, so they go to Clegg instead, because Clegg knows everything. He tells them Ghost Ships are very important and its their job to find out what it wants.

With special permission from the captain to sleep on deck, the kids set about to do just that, trying to save the day yet again. Even when it seems no one believes them, these kids stick to their guns and do what they know is right. Which is lucky for their crew mates, since as of yet, this little crew hasn't been wrong!

This is a very cute series. I think kids will love it, because, hey, who doesn't love pirates?

As told in "Anti Christ: A Satirical End of Days", the world is in chaos – proving reality infuses fiction. Russia is eliminating democracy, returning to an authoritarian government. The US is fighting government corruption charges as a possible war between Pakistan and India formulates. Now China wants to rule Taiwan…the global issues never end.

On a civilian scale, Matthew Ford is an average college guy, suffering the usual issues. After waiting three hours, his internet date is a no show, the bookstore refuses to refund a book he just bought, and then his car gets a flat tire as it begins to snow. Arriving home, Matt’s horrendous day ends peacefully once he throws out the ghost, haunting him for the last time. Okay, so this act is not usual however, it garners the attention of Heaven now commercialized and a power hungry Hell, both warring against the other to gain Earth peoples’ majority support. As for his awareness of the previously mentioned world issues, Matt was busy watching professional wrestling; his priorities are quite clear.

Mr. Moses composes an engaging, humorous parody, drawing from timeless world events and American life. The U.S. President Lucas is a ditz, believing that Kashmir – in India - is a sweater company, and cannot understand why Pakistan wants that particular cloth. It’s not material they want, it’s all about the land. Russia’s President Romanov wants to return his country into greatness. He dissolves the Duma, their legislative body, assuming sole leadership. After President Lucas’ lengthy warning that the U.S. will defend democracy, Romanov, a taciturn man, replies with a barbed curse, “F--- America”. Now that is honest communication.

The true witticism shines as Matt begins an enlightened journey first to Heaven, followed by Hell, then to the mystic Buddhist temples, and then back again to Heaven. Instigating this trek are two cherubs who abduct Matt, claiming the “Boss” wants to meet. Once in Zion (Heaven), the cherubs loose Matt, who wanders into a place called “Gabriel’s”. God’s Archangels now congregate in a local tavern since Heaven and Hell signed a peace treaty two thousand years ago, outlawing wars. They drown their sorrows in unending chalices of holy water or engage in wrestling smack downs in the tavern’s backroom; releasing pent up hostilities. The crowning moment is when Matt finally meets Jesus demanding that he take back the ghost he threw out; Heaven is overcrowded since Christ took over management.

The slapstick continues with attacks on big business, worker’s unions, fad diets, immigration, military assistance in foreign countries, reincarnation…not even the Pope is exempt from this fast paced, captivating farce. Still, when Satan entices Matt into becoming the world’s elite guru of wisdom, the amusing dialog turns gloomy. They attend congressional sessions discussing stem cell research and lecture overweight people simply to stop eating; naming only a few topics that some readers may not find amusing, in any form.

Yet, "Anti Christ" is a satire, “a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule”_ (definition from Dictionary.com)…hmmm, Mr. Moses has done his job well. His characters are well formed, genuine, aptly supporting this cabaret of imaginative intrigue. Even the typo, right at the beginning, “CwHyAPTER 1” only adds to this wacky novel. And yes, I roared with laughter throughout this distinctive book.

Unable to deal with life in his hometown, Pico Mundo, Odd Thomas has retreated to St. Bartholomew's, where he hoped to find some peace. Telling his secret only to those necessary, he manages for a time to live a quiet life, piquing curiosity, but being left alone. The arrival of bodachs with his first ever snow storm changes all that.

What begins as the mystery of Brother Timothy's disappearance quickly spirals into an ever-growing and changing puzzle. While Odd knows something is coming and the children must be protected, he can't explain to anyone what, why or how, which makes the planning more than a little difficult.

Elvis continues to pop in for comic relief as Odd struggles to make sense of things he's never seen and can barely comprehend. The trusty Boo offers some help as well, but as a dog can only go so far.

In a race against not only the unknown but also the clock, Odd struggles to find a way to communicate with those who rarely do, in hopes of solving the riddle before it's too late for anyone else.

I've loved Odd Thomas since his first story. Apparently some found his second tale to be lesser than the first. I'm not sure I was of that opinion, but for any who were, I can say that this installment should definitely please.

I went through it in less than a day, I think, surprising the three people who saw me reading it, even though I'm known to be a fast reader.

"Dead Connction is a smart, funny, very clever page turner; unique and fun to read. As much as I wanted the mystery solved, I didn't want it to end. You're going to like this book." - Chris Crutcher, author of King of the Mild Frontier and Whale Talk.

Murray Keifer is a special kid. Although, not many people think so. The only people who he seems to really get along with are just as lonely as he is. In fact, they're dead. Every day he visits his friends in the Forrest Grove Cemetery. But lately, hes been hearing a new voice. It sounds distressed. Where is it coming from? Could it be linked to Nikki Parker's disappearence?

In Dead Connection, Charlie Price takes you through the investigation of Nikki Parker, a sixteen year old cheerleader, who is suspected to have been kidnapped. He shows us the perspectives of six different people; Murray Keifer, Deputy Gates, Janocheck, Pearl, Vern Billup, and Mister Robert Barry Compton. Could any of these people have been the perpetrator? Or was it someone else?

As much as I would love to say that this book was a favorite, I have to say that it fell a little short. The book was very clever, and being a mysery, it was also a good page turner. You fall in love with a character or two, and find yourself making predictions in how the book will end. Sadly, the ending was the part that just didnt cut it. If you're a diehard mystery fan, I'd say that this book isn't for you. If you want to start reading mysteries, think you might like them, or just want a fun teen book, then this book is a pretty decent read.

This book is one of those rare things, a book I had to read for work that was worth every minute I invested in it. I can read crime fiction till the cows come home, but I never go near true crime, and I'd have steered clear of a book obviously about Myra Hindley (clue's on the cover, though she's never named); but I had to pick something to read from the World Book Day top ten, and they were all about death anyway, so I thought what the hell. Better than the book about the teenager dying of cancer, which made me cry on the train when I tried to read it.

The story centres on the policeman given the unenviable job of guarding Myra Hindley's body the night before her funeral, and the thought processes he goes through during the hours he spends there. He has plenty of time to think about his relationship with his wife, his struggles with being a dad to a downs syndrome daughter, and his own past. He is even visited by Hindley's ghost, and has conversations with her.

I don't remember much of what I learned during my English degree, but I do remember being told that detective novels give comfort to people, because they take evil and embody it in one person; then they catch that person, lock them up, and the reader feels safer. Evil has been explained, contained. None of this happens on a conscious level, but it makes perfect sense to me, and gives me an answer when I'm asked on occasion, how can you read books about murder for relaxation? I bring this up, because this book does the opposite. The author bravely takes on a figure that so many of us, for generations, have associated with the nature of evil, not wanting to think that there's anything remotely human about her, or that she might have anything in common with us. Rupert Thomson does not for a moment lessen the horror of what Hindley did, or dodge any difficult questions, so I don't believe anyone should be offended by his treatment of the subject. He will make you think, but as any good writer should, does not impose his views on you.

Something is stirring up ghosts and all sorts of spooky critters and weakening the filmy rift between our world and the Nevernever, the world of Fae. And it's not likely to lead to hugs and puppies. With a Knight of the Cross, Michael Carpenter, by his side - and honest to goodness faithful emissary of God - Harry sets out to find the culprit and stop the mayhem. The coolest thing about Michael is that every time a crisis occurs, a babysitter always fortuitously appears. Things are going well until he shows up at the Red Court Vampire Masquerade Fete dressed as a cheesy vampire, complete with cape, fake fangs and white stage makeup only to be lured into a trap that will cost him something he holds very dear and start a war between the White Council of Wizards and the Red Court Vampires. (And his very treacherous Fairy Godmother - literally - proves no help.)

The married thing. Sometimes I look at it and feel like someone from a Dickens novel, standing outside in the cold and staring in at Christmas dinner. Relationships hadn't ever really worked for me. I think it's had something to do with all the demons, ghosts and human sacrifice.

Gavril, a poor love-struck artist, is visited one night by a dream of a murdered man. He learns that he is the estranged son of a lord of a distant land, and that his father was the man murdered in his dreams. He has, however, inherited far more than a castle and an icy realm, for the secret to his family's long reign is a baleful spirit that offers unimaginable destructive powers, but at a ghastly price...

The problem with this book is the pace. There's so many events crammed in that everything is rushed, and we jump from place to place, milestone to milestone, viewpoint to viewpoint, without any thoughtful pause for significant events. Travel seemed entirely too quick -- taking a couple of days to get from a sunny, tropical climate to an icy taiga doesn't seem feasible in an age of horse-drawn carriages. Abilities that supposedly take years to learn are mastered overnight. Profound relationships are formed between people who exchange scarcely a few sentences. Any other author, with this much material, would have written 3 books instead of 1.

With so much happening, and with the viewpoint switching between at least half a dozen people, it was impossible to get attached to any of the (many) characters. They were all distinct, had clear motivations and salient characteristics, but I never felt like I actually got to know them, so I never cared about them. They needed more time to develop, to interact, to reveal themselves and stamp themselves as individuals, not custom-made cogs inserted into the plot machine.

Some characters were rather perplexing, like the Emperor and his daughter. The Emperor's desperate affection for his young ward seemed misplaced, at odds with the rest of his personality (it would have made more sense if it had been romantic or sexual, instead of paternal). And I can't make heads or tails out of Karila, his daughter, which I cannot discuss due to spoilers -- suffice to say, she is presented as an ordinary child but has puzzling, mysterious characteristics that I wish had been explained, or at least remarked upon. I suppose that has been left to the sequels.

Another objection I have is that dire consequences were held over character's heads but never actually brought down -- for example, staying out for hours in a freezing blizzard without appropriate clothing, and yet not getting frostbite.

Despite all this, I rate the book highly because it is so competently written. Aside from a few gaffes like "fruitily alcoholic", the author's prose was clear, brisk, and full of detail, if a bit stiff. I liked the unusual setting inspired by Russia and featuring 18th century technology, like gunpowder and alchemy. It's nice to see a fantasy that isn't stuck in the Dark Ages. I was pleased by the presence of ghosts, and intrigued by the role of the guslyars. The Drakhaoul himself is an interesting idea. Several of the plot twists surprised even me, something that does not happen often.

This book contains no references to sex, but it does contain violence, descriptions of charred corpses and such. While it would be scary for children, I doubt any parent could object to their teenagers reading it.

Emil Simon hasn't had the best year. First he suffered the loss of his mother, and then his brother. Alone now with his father, at a school he's not really comfortable at, Ethan spends most of his time imaging what's become of Ethan. He milks his teachers' sympathy as much as he can in terms of makeup tests and extensions. Still his grades are suffering.

When his father has to take off for a week for business, Emil couldn't be happier. He sees this as his big chance, this week of freedom, and he has plans. Plans involving trying out the master key to Caramoor, once in Ethan's possession, now in his. Strictly speaking, if the tradition still stood, he'd never have had it. But he does. And he feels compelled.

For a week, Emil has the run of the grounds. He checks out the library, reads up on the local ghost lore, spends a few nights in the archives. HE also stumbles upon his art teacher's daughter, who comes in after hours to make pottery. Getting off on the wrong foot entirely, he introduces himself as someone else and continues to fill his story with further lies. It doesn't take long before his nightly meetings with Jade become Emil's favorite part of the day, even if she doesn't know who he really is or what he really does.

His friendship with his best friend Soma take a roller coaster ride over this same period, but after a couple of days of silence, Soma breaks, and they manage to put things to rights. Just in time for Soma's mother to catch Emil not at home, call his father, and pretty much ruin everything again.

When his dad arrives home, Emil has things he wants to say too. In major trouble or not. But he didn't expect to learn the hard truths he did. That his mother's death was even bleaker than he thought. That Ethan's disappearance wasn't really. As much as he's lied of late, people have been lying to him. Important people. About really big things.

Being on the end of such a huge revelation, Emil knows he has to come clean with Jade, and does. Together, they break some more rules, as they head off to find his brother and confront him.

This was a very different book from Corrigan's poetry-based novels, but I really enjoyed it. It was a little hard to get into, since the story jumps right in and I seemed to have a hard time keeping up with it, but it was well worth the read.

Emil's plight is heavy and at times downright horrible, yet the reading of it is a lot of times light and humorous. And really, who wouldn't delight in getting to be in the shoes of someone who has the run of his school at night? Even if he never does something as dastardly as he seems to feel he should.

If I told you this story began with an old man pointing the way to a secret door in a dream, what would you say? Yet, that is exactly how Patrick H.T. Doyle discovered the leatherbound journal in the attic of his home. Inside he read the most wonderful stories, each describing the adventures of a trusted grandpa and two adoring grandchildren, Audrey and Garrett. Through his imagination and incredible storytelling abilities, Doyle has delivered a new kind of adventure book, that is destined to be a favorite for young and old alike.

The last time the kids had seen grandpa was three years earlier, at their Mother’s funeral. Garrett remembered his bushy moustache and that he lived in a tree house on an island somewhere. Audrey recalled the fantastic stories he had shared during their visits. How he explored pyramids in Egypt, surfed waves in Australia and climbed Mount Everest, twice. Yes, Grandpa was a true explorer. Now everyone referred to him as eccentric. Which of course to the kids simply meant he was weird. Now they would be spending the entire summer with him at his apartment in The Sterling Oaks Retirement Village. Translated into kids english - “boring, boring, and boring.” But, they could not have been more wrong. This would be a summer they would never forget.

Sir Edgar Font has lived an exciting life and certainly intends to continue his quirky ways after he passes from this world into the next. So begins his search for the perfect house to haunt. The Retirement Village was filled with lonely, bored ghosts and that was no place for him. As grandpa explained his plans to his wide eyed grandchildren he was met with skeptisim and questions.Later that night after having seen a ghost at the dinner table, they exited down the emergency steps and made their way to the “Adventure Wagon.” This wagon will take us anywhere we want to go and our first destination will be the Lighthouse, grandpa told them.

The Castle Tower Lighthouse holds many puzzles, secrets, and mysteries, each waiting to be discovered. Beyond all the games there are life lessons being taught through out this book. Dealing with the loss of someone you love, like the death of Audrey and Garrett’s Mother and learning to look beyond that which seems obvious, are only two of the many wonderfully woven stories that both entertain and teach. As a companion and beautifully complimenting the adventures within the book, the website offers many hours of fun and puzzle solving.

Patrick H.T. Doyle has delivered a truly new and refreshing alternative to the books currently available.This could easily be a review filled with all the raving adjectives, because each and every one has been earned. Excellent, engaging, suspense filled, action packed, I could list them all. However, it is far more important to point out that this is not just a children’s book or for young adults. For all the parents out there who have searched for a great story to read to your children before bed, this is it! I have no doubt, children everywhere will be asking, “is it bed-time yet”? For all the children looking for an affordable book that is entertaining and fun, here it is! And lastly for all the adults who enjoy discovering a new author that has truly created something different, look no further, you have found it! And with the second book in this adventure series available in July, this is the perfect time to get introduced to Sir Edgar Font.

Happy Reading!    RJ xx3Rs-real reader reviews

*Patrick H.T. Doyle’s imagination and ability to bring the true exploits of these three loveable characters to readers is an accomplishment in and of itself. When combined with the multi-layered experience of the book, adventure blog, and website this is truly a one of a kind experience.

Stop by Sir Edgar Font’s Website. There are lots of cool things to explore. And don’t forget to check on the “traveling 5″… Five copies of the book are traveling from reader to reader, around the globe.Visit the Story Tellers Adventure Blog where Patrick has answered questions, talks about the next book & lots of information.

The Devil You Know is an urban fantasy. Wikipedia describes urban fantasy as a subset of contemporary fantasy meaning that the supernatural exists and is accepted in a world not unlike our own. If it is in a city then it is urban fantasy. You could also classify it as a supernatural thriller. In any case, it would be safe to put Carey's Felix Castor in the company of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden and Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan.

Carey might be better known for his writing in comics where you will find his name on titles in the DC Comics Vertigo imprint such as Hellblazer and Lucifer as well as Marvel comics like X-Men and Fantastic Four. I would like to find an interview of Carey where he talks about the transition from writing for a visual medium to writing a novel. With a graphic novel Carey is supplementing the images with his words. Here he has to carry the whole thing. He does it well.

The Devil You Know is the first in the Felix Castor series. It is set in London in a world where the dead began "...to rise is sufficient numbers that it wasn't an option anymore just to ignore them." In addition to ghosts, there are demons and loup-garou (were creatures, sort of). Felix is a freelance exorcist who uses a tin whistle to draw the ghosts to him then cause them to move on. Where they move on to isn't discussed but Carey sets it up to be explored in later books in the series.

Felix needs money to pay his rent and takes a job to exorcise a ghost from an archive in spite of a warning from a demon who is also possessing a friend of his. What should be a straightforward exorcism gets complicated as Felix tries to find out what is anchoring the ghost to the archives. The story takes on more twists when a gangster who lures young women from Eastern Europe into sexual slavery gets involved and someone sics a succubus onto Felix.

The story seems a bit drawn out and overly long at times but Carey is creating a convincing world and uses the detail to describe the rules of this world. Consider his take on loup-garou. We are used to reading about were creatures as humans who take on animal form. In Felix's world, ghosts take possession of a animal and shape it into something resembling a human. I appreciate that Carey is able to add fresh elements to a genre with a lot of competition.

The Devil You Know concludes with Felix taking on (unwillingly) an unusual partner and setting the scene for an interesting sequel. Speaking of which, the other books in this series are

Vicious Circle (2006)

Dead Men's Books (2007)

Thicker that Water (2008)

You might have to wait a bit as they are first published in the U.K. and not immediately available in the U.S. Amazon doesn't show a listing for Vicious Circle yet.