Probably all of the folks reading this review have read the other seven Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich and are looking for word on whether the eighth ('Hard Eight') is worth the bother. The answer: yes. But it could have been better, and I recommend the author injecting something new and exciting in the next installment.

'Hard Eight' is the usual pastiche of bounty hunter babe Stephanie Plum working herself out of ridiculous situations. In 'Hard Eight' the author presents a rather straightforward and fun story involving a missing mother/daughter and the baddies who are chasing them. And of course we are delighted with the nutty behaviour of the criminals, Stephanie's friends and her co-workers. And yes, in 'Hard Eight' Stephanie finally consumates her friendship with Ranger. While this should have been a hilarious episode the author oddly doesn't milk it for all the laughs it's really worth.

Bottom line: sort of a "been there, done that" Stephanie Plum novel. Not a classic but well worth the bother.

'The Whirlpool' is an account of emerging middle class in London circa 1890. With it comes all the social trauma of trying to find a balance between work, rearing of children, and leisure. As with some of other Gissing's works he focuses more on the plight of the women wanting to be more than simple 'hausfraus'. Their desire for personal fulfillment while still be super-wife and super-mom is probably true to the feelings of many women today.

However as 'The Whirlpool' chronicles the lives of select London families it does so at a very slow pace. The dramatic moments are very prosaic. Fortunately the narrative and characterisations make this to be a reasonably good read, especially for anyone interested in feminism and life during that period.

Bottom line: on balance a decent book. However I recommend reading Gissing's 'New Grub Street' to really appreciate his writing talents.

'52 Pickup' is my first book by Elmore Leonard and, upon finishing it, I can say it won't be my last. Despite being written about 30 years ago the book is startlingly fresh. While I think there has been some forgotten film adaptation made of this novel I should think film producers would be smart to take a re-look at this gem.

The plot? The main story is about a bunch of Detroit gangsters looking to extort money from a independent businessman. It seems they have some incrimminating photos of him caught "in the act" with his mistress. But the plan goes horribly wrong thanks to the ingenuity of our victim-turned-hero. Sounds contrived? It isn't at all. The author does a great job in creating very believable characters and capturing all the emotion and angst. Formulatic in overall concept (criminal intent foiled by the victim) but remarkably original in its execution.

Bottom line: a terrific read.

Despite all the wonderful amazon.com reviews of Papillon I had reservations about reading it. I typically find autobiographical books to be a thinly-disguised excuse for self-glorification. However thankfully Papillon does not follow this pattern. And a much bigger surprise, it is extremely well-written. The literary world would have been a better place if the author started writing books earlier (..perhaps when he was in prison! :-)).

If you've seen the movie Papillon then you have some idea about what the book is about. However the film adaptation is very watered down compared to the book. The book doesn't cease to amaze the horrors of prison life in French Guiana (in the 1930s) and the extraordinary efforts Henri Charriere went through to escape. I was shocked and heartbroken in equal measures. And although the author claims he was wrongfully imprisoned without really explaining the details it is clear he is no angel; he doesn't gloss over his weaknesses and failings.

Bottom line: a terrific tale of horror and triumph. Recommended for those, like myself, who typically hate autobiographical "love me I'm a hero" books.

'Shame the Devil' is the last in a series of novels by George Pelecanos tracing the lives of Greek immigrants and their decendents living in downtown Washington. While there is no need to read all the previous three novels, which I haven't done, I suggest reading at least one (perhaps the first, 'The Big Blowdown') to gain a historical perpective to the characters, the setting, etc.

'Shame the Devil' is very well-written, complete with excellent characterizations. While it doesn't have much of the drug culture found in the author's other novels it does contain more than its fair share of violence, extreme sadistic violence. The book drips with evil. Simply put, the story is about revenge and redemption. Certainly not in the same league as 'Crime & Punishment' but nonetheless a fine story. My only criticism is that at times, especially towards the end, the author gets a bit soppy. The good guy characters start hugging and snivelling. Why the author chose to insert "Kodak moments" into this hard-hitting novel is anyone's guess.

Bottom line: George Pelecanos is really a terrific crime writer. Enjoy.

'Emma' is the first Jane Austen novel I've read in 20 years. My earlier experiences (with 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Sense and Sensibility') were disappointing; they seemed to be overly genteel and without substance. Was 'Emma' any different? Er,.. no.

The first thing that grabs you about 'Emma' is that it reads like a play. It is almost all dialogue. No action, no flowing descriptions of the early 1800s England country ... just talk. This makes for a very tiresome read.

Worse, the story (about a sweet young thing who busily plays matchmaker without any consideration of her 'victims' or her own love life) is rather [bad]. Any dramatic moments are very tame. Emma's high society world is so devoid of emotion it is any wonder they bother living at all. And in Emma's world there are no bad guys, no poverty, ... and no one seems to work for a living. Think 'Ozzie & Harriet' transported back 150 years and plopped into rural England and you've got the idea.

So why bother with 'Emma'? Purely out of respect for the author, and her legacy as one of the founding female writers of modern English literature. She attempts, although not very successfully, in writing on matters other than soap operatic tosh ("gothic novels") her female peers did during that time. True, other woman writers have since greatly eclipsed anything Jane Austen has done. But she was the pioneer. So please give at least one of her novels a try.

The Spider's House is certainly not one of this author's better efforts. Of course we have the usual Moroccan vs American/French culture clashes circa 1950. But unlike his great The Sheltering Sky the author fails to tackle deeper, complex emotions. In part this is perhaps because in The Spider's House the lead character is a young Arab boy, confused by the cultural pollution caused by the French ... and the impending battles for Moroccan independence. Not only is the boy confused, the author seems confused in equal measures.

So while I think this book is an interesting snapshot of a turbulent Morocco I was disappointed in the meandering story. The author also throws is lots of Arab and French words, either to give a sense of realism or to show off his intelligence. I would have preferred if Mr Bowles had concentrated on writing a more engaging story.

Bottom line: best left to folks interested in demise of French imperialism in the 1950s and how a resident alien (the author) interpretes the local Moroccan psyche during it all.

'A Wild Sheep Chase', written with Murakami's deft touch, is a strange story about ... a wild sheep chase. The actual plot is a bit hard to summarize but it involves our leading man, a disillusioned Japanese 'salaryman', being hired by a mysterious power broker to find a mystical sheep in the wilds of Hokkaido. Of course the story is wacky, but it moves along nicely and it is very entertaining overall. But in the end the story goes from strange to exceptionally surreal, even by Murakami's standards, and doesn't quite come together in the end. I finished the book thinking "what the heck was that all about ?!?!?".

But this book still has its plusses. The translation by Alfred Birnbaum is excellent, and Murakami captures the essence of disillusioned Japanese youth *so well*. Japanophiles will find much to enjoy (and learn) from this book. But 'A Wild Sheep Chase' doesn't come close to Murakami's better efforts.

Bottom line: mondo weird. Yokunai kedo aru teido omoshiroi. (Not very good but fairly interesting)

George Pelecanos must really love or hate his home town of Washington. He always seems to write about it, but what he writes about won't appear in any Chamber of Commerce brochure. Druggies, organized crime, and ethnic violence seemingly permeate the lives of all Washingtonians.

"The Big Blowdown" departs from the author's other works in that much of it reads as a biopic. We are given a "Reader's Digest" biography of a young Greek-American man raised in 1930s/1940s Washington. While it is all not uninteresting even fans of the author will find it to be a prosaic. Fortunately halfway through the book all the characters from this man's childhood come together for a very violent, and well-written, conclusion. The author deftly tackles subjects like loyalty and personal ethics along the way.

Bottom line: despite its slow start this book ultimately comes together with "oomph". Recommended.

Paul Bowles can really write some lovely literature. The setting of his novels, Morocco circa 1950, simply comes alive. Thankfully in 'The Sheltering Sky' his writing ability is put to good use in a very moving story. Unfortunately in 'Let It Come Down' the author falls short, and doesn't attempt to express the human emotions found in 'The Sheltering Sky'. Having said this, most aspiring authors would kill to write anything as good as 'Let It Come Down'.

In 'Let It Come Down' we have a disillusioned young American escaping to Morocco and getting himself into all sorts of mischief. The characters he meets are bizarre yet most fascinating. It takes some 200+ pages, or two-thirds of the book, before the story takes any sort of direction. 'Let It Come Down' is touted as a thriller, and so you have some idea of what the last third of the book is about. If it wasn't for the author's ability to write fine prose with brilliant characterizations this book would be a dud. But instead it is a worthy read.

Bottom line: hardly the best from Paul Bowles, which means it is simply quite decent instead of excellent.