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Author: Julian Stockwin
ASIN : 0786235640
Sales Rank : 980352
Brand : Thorndike Pr (Largeprint)
Studio : Thorndike Press
Format : Large Print
Binding : Hardcover
EAN : 9780786235643
ISBN : 0786235640
Number Of Pages : 447
Publisher : Thorndike Press
Manufacturer : Thorndike Press
Label : Thorndike Press
| Europe is ablaze with war. The British prime minister is under pressure to intimidate the French and dispatches a Navy squadron to appear off the French coast. To man the ships, ordinary citizens must be press-ganged. Thomas Paine Kydd, a young wig-maker from Guildford, is seized and taken across the country to be part of the crew of the ninety-eight-gun line-of-battle ship Duke William. The ship sails immediately and Kydd has to learn the harsh realities of shipboard life fast. Despite all he goes through, amid dangers of tempest and battle, he comes to admire the skills and courage of his fellow seamen, taking up the challenge himself to become a true sailor and defender of Britain at war. Kydd launches a masterly new writing talent and is the first installment of a thrilling new series. Based on dramatic real events, it is classic storytelling at its best, rich with action, exceptional characters, and a page-turning narrative. Download DescriptionIt is 1793. Europe is ablaze with war. The British prime minister is under pressure to intimidate the French, and dispatches a Navy squadron to appear off the French coast. To man the ships, ordinary citizens must be press-ganged. Thomas Paine Kydd, a young wig-maker from Guildford, is seized and taken across country to be part of the crew of the ninety-eight-gun line-of-battle ship Duke William. The ship sails immediately and Kydd has to learn the harsh realities of shipboard life fast. Despite all he goes through, amid the dangers of tempest and battle, he comes to admire the skills and courage of his fellow seamen, taking up the challenge himself to become a true sailor and defender of Britain at war. Kydd launches a masterly new writing talent and a thrilling new series. Based on dramatic real events, it is classic storytelling at its best, rich with action, exceptional characters, and a page-turning narrative.
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December 04, 2007.
Wonderful Book!.
Rating: 5
I was very pleasantly surprised by the genuine seeming characters and accurate historical (1911) setting of this mystery novel. The book's unique title and Oklahoma setting (where I once lived) attracted me to the book. Farm wife and mother Alafair is a very appealing heroine and though I never quite got all of her nine living children totally straight most of the other minor characters are also well developed. The book has an authentic flavor of rural Oklahoma from the "down home" cooking to the speech patterns. The mystery is solid (though my eyes may have glazed over a bit when it concerned guns) and though I guessed the real murderer well before the book's end I didn't predict the full circumstances surrounding it. I am glad to see Ms. Casey has all ready published the second in the series of Alafair's detective adventures (HORNSWOGGLED) and according to her web site a third will be published this fall.
December 04, 2007.
A good mystery.
Rating: 5
I usually don't care that much for mystery Books but the time period & the title drew me to this book. I wasn't disappointed. I loved the family & all the children. A little romance mixed in makes this book really good. Don't miss the next one by this author with the same family & another good mystery.
December 14, 2006.
enthralling, amusing great read.
Rating: 5
This is a great story. The characters become real immediately. Interesting. Smiles. Real life. Surprising, but reasonable, ending. I first checked this book out from the library, scooping up a bunch of new mystery books. I got a kick out of the title. Liked this one so much, I bought it. Looking forward to this author's subsequent Books as well. My mother at first refused to read this book (she didn't like the title). Later, after I'd purchased it, she started to read it, became engrossed in it and hardly put it down until finished.
December 24, 2006.
Love that title !.!.
Rating: 4
The title caught my eye first as did the great cover. It was a good story and had enough twists and turns to make me read to the end. Don't try to guess the ending. It is a surprise.
December 02, 2005.
A Novel That Truly Soars .
Rating: 5
Simply stated, I loved reading this book -- I didn't want it to end! It has everything a really good novel should: well developed characters, a great setting, and heart. In fact,it has lots of heart, more than most novels and certainly more than most mysteries, which is what this book is. Unlike myself, my wife doesn't enjoy reading mysteries, but she loved this one because of its heart.
Being a third generation Oklahoman like the author, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about what it was like to live on a family farm in my home state shortly after it achieved statehood in 1909. My maternal grandparents were farmers not far where the story takes place. I sent a copy of the book to my mother, and she vouched for its accuracy. And, just in case you're wondering, she loved reading it, too.
I know from attending a recent reading by the author in Tempe, AZ, where she now lives, that this is the first in a series of at least three mysteries centered around Alafair Tucker and her family. I very much look forward to the next one, which is scheduled for release in the summer of 06.
December 17, 2006.
Life's Little Upheavals Happen Any Day, Every Day..
Rating: 3
On the surface, Abby and David appeared to have the perfect marriage and lifestyle. One day, a desperate plea on the phone's answering machine changed all that. David refused to "remember" and tried to erase the message as if he'd never heard the name Susan and the voice from the past. After all, that was long ago and far away.
And yet, the desperation which had caused Susan to follow him to Jackson Hole (where things can be hidden) was real and important. Men tend to forget the past and pretend such things didn't happen to them. If you don't know the consequences had happened from a fleeting affair, then the responsibility lies elsewhere, unless a court decides differently. It happens in all families at one time or another, more often then people tell. It's what we used to hear being called skeletons in the closet.
But, when it's a life-and-death health problem, no decent man could turn his back on what he helped to produce. You can't be responsible for anybody else's actions. You are responsible for yourself alone. Harm and injury closed in around her like water closing in over her head. Never say yes until you are sure who you're dealing with. No one knows when the morning will come when the phone rings and a voice from t he past asks for your help.
And so, Abby has to face up to the truth of the matter and beat the burden of David's problem. It didn't involve her but did her son. Being a religious woman who counseled battered women professionally at a shelter, she questions God, "Why me?" Every woman at some time in her life (unless she dies at an early age) must decide the path to take, whether to flee or stay in an uncomfortable situation. It all revolves around love, true love.
December 09, 2005.
If infidelity is okay with you, this is your book! .
Rating: 2
David and Abby Treasure (niiiiiice fake last name), along with their son Braden, are the perfect Christian family. Until, that is, David's affair from 9 years ago comes back to haunt them. Turns out his mistress gave birth to his child and never told him. Oops. And of course, now the illegitimate daughter is dying of cancer and needs a bone marrow transplant, and he has to tell his wife and bring all sorts of loverly turmoil into his family. Yada yada yada, we've all heard this story a zillion times before.
I was pretty irritated by this book. Abby gets angry at David, rightly so, and he acts like a creep toward her. He doesn't get that because he went out acting like a manwhore, he's to blame. But what grossed me out was when Abby tells him that the affair was partly HER fault, that she pushed him away, even though he cheated on her while she was not only pregnant, but just after giving birth to their son. Nice guy there. She forgives him (this is a Christian novel, and the author seems set on the fact that divorce is never an option, even if your significant other goes around acting like a workaholic prostitute), and of course, everyone lives happily ever after.
I don't agree. I think that she was making faith out to be the only remedy for a marriage that was in desperate need of a lot of therapy (faith never hurts, of course, but God helps those who help themselves). I felt almost as though the author looked down on anyone who would dare divorce over something so little as infidelity. This made me feel small. Didn't care for that.
December 09, 2004.
Inspiring, Moving and A Real Page Turner!.
Rating: 5
Imagine you have just celebrated your twelfth wedding anniversary. Life is wonderfully beautiful -- until one day, out of the blue -- the past comes back to haunt you in the worst way possible. This happens to David and Abby Treasure.
David has an announcement for Abby, his wife of 12 years. The results of his announcement will bring to light heartache and pain that ordinarily tear even the strongest married couple apart. Abby Treasure finds out her husband had an affair nine years ago while she was pregnant with their son. The woman David had an affair with calls him requesting a meeting. At this meeting, David finds out he has a little girl that he never knew about. Even more devastating, the little girl has leukemia and is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. David and his son are prime candidates as donors.
With extraordinary writing, Deborah Bedford delivers a novel that will move the reader emotionally and spiritually. Forgiveness and redemption are powerfully displayed as Abby comes to grips with David's betrayal and the "other" woman, whose child is dying. While this book is fictional, the themes that run througout the novel can surely encourage a real-life married couple going through heartaches in their own marriage.
Reviewed by Tyora Moody for The GOOD GIRL Reviewers
www.goodgirlbookclubonline.com
December 30, 2004.
Not so good . . ..
Rating: 1
This book was a total bore. What a disappointment. The author did not create any buy-in for the reader to connect with the characters, and the story was pretty predictable. Lots of geographic references. Average to poor writing ability.
December 27, 2003.
Will move the reader emotionally and spiritually ....
Rating: 4
Imagine you have just celebrated your twelfth wedding anniversary. Life is wonderfully beautiful -- until one day, out of the blue -- the past comes back to haunt you in the worst way possible. This happens to David and Abby Treasure.David has an announcement for Abby, his wife of 12 years. The results of his announcement will bring to light heartache and pain that ordinarily tear even the strongest married couple apart. Abby Treasure finds out her husband had an affair nine years ago while she was pregnant with their son. The woman David had an affair with calls him requesting a meeting. At this meeting, David finds out he has a little girl that he never knew about. Even more devastating, the little girl has leukemia and is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. David and his son are prime candidates as donors. With extraordinary writing, Deborah Bedford delivers a novel that will move the reader emotionally and spiritually. Forgiveness and redemption are powerfully displayed as Abby comes to grips with David's betrayal and the "other" woman, whose child is dying. While this book is fictional, the themes that run througout the novel can surely encourage a real-life married couple going through heartaches in their own marriage. --- reviewed by Tyora Moody for Christian Bookshelf
December 05, 2006.
I really enjoyed the story!.
Rating: 5
This story is about Monica Fletcher. 11 years ago she was in college, engaged to the love of her life (Daniel Rourke) and a bright future lay ahead. But what each one wanted was very different. Monica wanted home, family, loving husband while Daniel wanted fame. They had a fight in which Daniel walked out on her and they never spoke again... but what Daniel didn't know was when he walked out, Monica was pregnant. She never told him about the baby. After becoming a believer she decided that it was unfair to Daniel and her daughter to keep it a secret any longer. He returned to Boise (where they grew up) for some R&R and she contacts him and over coffee she breaks the news. He's shocked, angry and now ready to meet his daughter. He finds himself warming to both Monica and his daughter. They have fun together and enjoy each others company. But will it last. He is due to return to Chicago (where his business is). Will he ask Monica and his daughter to go with him and leave the peaceful life they have found? Or is this fast lane bachelor ready to settle down? This was a really good story. A keeper for my shelf. Robin Lee Hatcher is never disappointing.
December 13, 2000.
Nice to read. (^_^).
Rating: 3
A nice book which blends humor and mystery together. Quite enjoyable on the whole, as it always is seeing Blackie in action once again =P.
December 22, 2007.
confused.
Rating: 5
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE TITLE BEGINNING ON THE PAGE IS WOMAN'S PLACE BY TISHA HAMILTON SO HOW CAN ALL OF YOU COMPARE TO A DP BOOK????
AND Y R U WRITING REVIEWS ON DIFFERENT Books
5 STARS FOR YOUR INTELLIGENCE
December 27, 2005.
A Very Over-Rated Book of DP's!.
Rating: 2
I ordered this book online after reading the exceptionally high praises of the 2 earliest reviews, but this one was a huge disappointment for me.... There wasn't much of a storyline in this book(definitely not well developed at all....), & so, much of the book was very repetitive & also, the premise of the book was almost completely unbelievable.... (Don't waste a lot of your money to buy this one like I have.... This really isn't worth it.... I really do belive that some of the reviewers on this site leave vastly over-rated reviews for out-of-print books, just so that they can sell their old Books off at vastly inflated prices.... The really good ones by DP R The Diamond Girl & Dr. Coltrain's Proposal!)
December 28, 2005.
Heather's Song.
Rating: 5
HEATHER'S SONG...
Cole Everett watched Heather Shaw grow from a child into a girl hovering on the edge of womanhood. She had a body ripe for love, a heart ripe for a man's invasion.
She sang songs of love, a love she didn't fully understand, but with Cole's help she would leave innocence behind and taste the fruits of knowledge and desire.
December 13, 2004.
Buy this one!!!.
Rating: 5
If you look at a 1000 romance novels and you can only choose one, choose this one. I have read this atleast 20 times. This is my favorite romance novel of all time and I read alot of romance novels.
December 17, 1999.
It moves a place in your soul..
Rating: 5
This book is one you can readn a thousand times and it will still be new. The haunting story line will make you cry. It will also make you hate the man --Cole. But you get over that soon enough.. All in all it is a superbly written novel. Love, betrayal, anger and forgiveness are interwoven in this clssic Palmer novel
December 01, 2007.
All About Anna.
Rating: 4
I think you either like Anna or you don't. I can't say the plots are air tight. I can't say she's the most intuitive of detectives. I can say she's wonderful to spend time with -- and her insights and descriptions of very real people are, to use a well-worn word, palpable. She's focused, flawed, and fabulous (as a result). This plot is solid, the setting is well used, and the resolution is right there. Maybe not my favorite Nevada Barr, but still an enjoyable ride.
December 21, 2006.
Anna Pigeon as a District Ranger?.
Rating: 2
Maybe she is a better Law Enforcement Officer in other books, but frankly all I thought while reading this book is that she should get killed for her incompetence. She makes a big deal out of Thigpen's interviewing techniques, when it was quite obvious from the get go that Anna couldn't deduce her way out of a paper sack.
I got the audio tape at the library and have been listening to it during rush hour traffic, and quite frankly I have fast-forwarded thru her "pity-me" musings and have caught myself almost yelling at the audio for Anna's inability to see clues right in front of her eyes.
December 07, 2006.
Another Anna Pigeon Winner!.
Rating: 4
Here's another great installment in the Anna Pigeon, National Park Service Ranger, series, set in the Natchez Trace Parkway National Park. A local good ol' boy is found murdered on NPS land, and the usual suspects are brought in for questioning. Doyce Barnette, the victim, hasn't engendered much emotion in anyone he knew in life, so Anna is unable to easily find a motive. Doyce's brother, the local undertaker and Sheriff wannabee, is a good bet because he stands to inherit and is a slimy character as well, but that may be too easy an answer. Added to this mystery is the bigger question of who wants Anna dead, as she survives a couple of near-death accidents. Her colleagues in the NPS office are suspect, as one is a friend and one is a proven foe. Watching Anna deal with her managerial tasks is a hoot as she is not a paper-pusher but a do-er. Also, watching the developing romance between Anna and sheriff Paul Davidson brings to light another side of Anna previously neglected, and shows that Barr can write strong personal fiction in addition to straight suspense. Recommended!
December 25, 2006.
Back to Mississippi.
Rating: 4
This is a unique series in that the lead character never changes, but her geography and the minor characters are always different as she moves about from national park to national park. This time out, we got to revisit the Natchez Trace Parkway, where ranger Anna Pigeon was last on duty in "Deep South." It kind of made me wish we could keep going back to Mississippi for more, because keeping this book in the same locale as another made it feel more homey and familiar, rather than a bit lonely like the other books.
Anna is called for assistance when an aide finds a body in a historic building on park lands. It's middle-aged, overweight local Doyce Barnette, who has been stripped down to his tighty-whiteys and left on a bed, a dire passage circled in red ink in a Bible in the room. Doyce also has some strange bruising on his body that indicates possible bizarre sex games might have led to his death. An investigation into his life doesn't support his interest in such activities, though, and things aren't adding up. Doyce had two living relatives, his mother and his brother, who is also the local mortician. His only close friends appear to be his poker-playing buddies, who don't seem all that close to him. Anna and Sheriff Clintus Jones's investigation doesn't seem to be turning up much in the way of useful evidence, and every witness interview they attempt goes awry courtesy of annoying ranger Randy Thigpen, Anna's nemesis on the job.
Anna's personal life is again in turmoil, too, as the man she has fallen for is not only a lawman, but also a priest, and a married one at that. Ranger Thigpen tells Anna he's turning over a new leaf, hoping that his last few months before retirement can be peaceful ones, and Anna grudgingly agrees to give him a chance. Her other ranger, Barth Dinkins, plays a more peripheral role this time out, spending most of his time restoring a slave cemetery, which is also wound into the murder plot.
I had a very hard time putting this book down because I had a feeling I knew who the bad guy was very early on, but I couldn't be absolutely certain until the end. In addition, I had a niggling idea as to what led to Barnette's death, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. As usual, Anna finds herself in grave danger and has to use all her skills and wits to come out on top, which she does with aplomb. I have liked every book in the series, but this one was particularly fun for me, maybe because I was right about who Anna should be looking out for, and I knew it would lead to a gripping conclusion.
I'll be sorry not to return to the Natchez Trace Parkway next time I visit Anna Pigeon, but I like this series enough that I'll gladly follow her into murder and mayhem wherever she goes.
December 02, 2005.
A good but not great Anna Pigeon.
Rating: 4
I run a little hot and cold with Nevada Barr's books, usually based on the location of the mystery. Her device is to set mysteries in and around the national park system and I find myself especially drawn to her Books when they're about places I've been (duh!). I've never been to the Natchez Trace Parkway, and although it sounds lovely, I don't have much interest. That makes it hard to review this book objectively because the Parkway is a main character. But the book is quite good. Anna Pigeon, our now-familiar park ranger is extremely likeable and, as a woman and something of a rebel, she encounters some very ordinary problems in her workplace. And she encounters some very unusual murders outside her workplace. The story moves along nicely and there is a real intensity to the relationships in this book - and I don't just mean death and romance. This is a neck of the woods where not everyone has bought into the Civil Rights movement or equality for women. And the nice thing about it is that Nevada Barr portrays these redneck jerks without an ounce of condescension. They are what they are. And some of them get "educated". And some of them get away with it. And therein lies a pretty good book.
December 19, 2007.
Ok story and a quick read..
Rating: 3
The premise is good but the story becomes a bit unbelievable. The character does things that should have had him charged with desertion and he gets away with it. I'll reserve judgement on the series until I've read the second book.
December 08, 2006.
A slow moving book..
Rating: 3
Our protagonist, Thomas Kydd, is no Hornblower (thanks goodness!! -no long evenings at the whist table, melancholy reflections or regrets about marrying Maria); Kydd is a wig-maker who has the misfortune of meeting up with a press gang at he wrong time. Lonely, scared, and confused, Kydd slowly learns the culture of the crew and the workings of the ship. Unfortunately, the reader is just as confused. Not much really happens in the first part of the book and it's just not very interesting. I realize the author is setting the table for later books, but I'd like a few morsels to keep me going. Also, the book is heavy on dialogue, which takes some getting used to. Much jargon (not just nautical) and there are few speaker cues, which make the dialogue difficult to follow. I'll slog through another book or two in the hopes that it gets better.
December 12, 2005.
Great naval novels.
Rating: 5
As a fan of CS Forester and Patrick O'Brian, I find the Julian Stockwin "Kydd" Books to be very good reads. I just finished the latest, "Mutiny" last night and I can say these first 5 Books are must haves.
December 12, 2005.
A good enjoyable read.. .
Rating: 4
The novel is the first installment in what I hope will be a long series. It starts in 1793 so we can look forward at least 22 years of war time until the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815. Kydd is a wig maker in Guildford when he is `pressed' into Navy service.. i.e., he is unexpectedly hit over the head and wakes up on board a 74 gun 3rd rate ship of the line. Although angry (understandable) and depressed at first, he is made to see that making the best of the situation is the way forward. Through a kind sailor, he slowly learns the `ropes' and works hard to overcome the obvious difficulties of a landsman being thrown into the harsh world of Navy life and discipline.
A good enjoyable read..
December 30, 2003.
Remarkable sea tale....
Rating: 4
As a first novel, this book is impressive. Sometimes the story line seems a bit implausible, but the characters are vivid and realistic. Readers who don't know much about naval fiction will feel right at home, as Kydd is a young man who has been press-ganged to sea and must work his way up on his first ship, experiencing firsthand the beauty and horror of the sea. Having read 'Artemis' and 'Seaflower', the sequels to Stockwin's first novel, I have come to appreciate 'Kydd' a lot more. Disappointingly, I feel that Stockwin had a wonderful capability and his Books were promising, but have not found his proceeding Books as engaging as this one. So read this book and appreciat it - you can't always find other ones as rewarding, even by the same author.
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