The most remarkable feature of this novel is that both Simon (the courier) and the vicious killer who chases Simon fully apply computer and internet technology such as web search, e-mail, chat and so on. This novel vividly describes how human beings with flesh and blood use computers as a tool (not computers use human beings). Indeed, the classic battle between human beings is very thrilling and exciting. I would have given this novel 5 stars even without the hi-tech features. I admit this novel has several drawbacks, but I love an attractive novel much better than a perfect one. I am eager to read the next book.

The first half of this book is slow-paced and rather boring. But please be patient and don't throw the book away. It is just marvelous how black turns to white and white turns to black at the ending.

It is the Poirot Mystery I like best. There are few whodunits I want to read again, but this book is the exception. I read this book second time and I love it again. It is not only an excellent mystery, but also an excellent suspense story. The battle against the fiend who commits murders alphabetically is thrilling, fast-paced and highly enjoyable.

Reading whodunits, I rarely feel sympathy for victims nor hatred to murderers. This book is the rare case. The murderer is really a cold-blooded fiend. Even affable Poirot expresses a cold rage to the murderer.

36th Perry Mason Mystery written in 1950. Openings of Mason Mysteries are always strange, but this book's opening is rather unusual. When Mason has a pleasant time at a night club, he receives a phone call from an anonymous woman who urgently asks his help for a seemingly not-so-urgent matter. Mason ordinarily tosses away such an anonymous request, but he is moved by the woman's frantic, horrified tone.

At last, Mason traces a highly likely woman, but she stubbornly denies that she called him. WHY? This riddle is the most interesting in this book. The answer doesn't fail my expectation. And the meaning of the "One-Eyed Witness" is not so simple such as the witness has a bad eyesight. That doesn't fail my expectation, either.

34th Perry Mason Mystery written in 1949. Openings of Mason Mysteries are always strange, and this book's opening may be one of the strangest. Mason investigates a hit-and-run case. An anonymous letter comes to him, which encloses a key of an apartment and invites him to trespass. Mason feels it a trap, but he visits the apartment. And incidents happen after that are so rapid, strange and unexpected. Even Mason gets a little dizzy and incautious, and he makes a serious mistake and gets into a jam worse than ever.

But Mason wouldn't waste time to being depressed. He instantly takes a bold and clever action to upset the triumphant authorities. That IS Perry Mason! That makes me laugh and applaud heartily. And the mystery is very tightly plotted. It is superb all strange incidents in the early stage are solved neatly and logically like jigsaw puzzle pieces fit in. Highly recommended.

26th Perry Mason Mystery written in 1945. Sally Madison is a 'golddigger' who wants to squeeze money from a wealthy man for her seriously-ill lover's recuperation. Mason kindly stands by her, but that puts him into a terrible jam.

The writing style and the story are crisp and enjoyable as usual, but not very good as Mason Mystery. How Mason finds out the truth and gets out of the jam is rather abrupt and blunt, and neither convincing nor dramatic.

It is highly surprising that Szpilman describes his predicament very coolly and detachedly as if it were someone else's sufferings. The story is painful, but his writing style is smooth and easy to read. Wladyslaw Szpilman may not be a writer, but I think he is gifted with a writing talent.

Szpilman is an ordinary man. And he vividly describes how ordinary people were helplessly cornered and killed. I didn't know the life in Warsaw Ghetto had been so cruel.

Definitely Szpilman could not have survived without luck and many people's help. But it should not be overlooked that one important factor of his survival was that he could keep sanity by his cool detachment, endurance and a strong will to survive.

The relationship between Szpilman and Captain Hosenfeld is brief but touching. The epilogue's brief description of Szpilman's frustrated effort to rescue Hosenfeld is also touching. That symbolizes East Europe's tragedy; the suppression by Soviet soon after the liberation from Nazis.

I haven't watch the movie because I missed a chance. I did read the book after I listened to this CD. I love it regardless the movie or the book.

I love Nocturne in C-sharp Minor best. After I did read the book, this melody becomes more impressive, because it was the melody that Szpilman played for Captain Hosenfeld in ruined Warsaw.

I am surprised to know that it is Ballade No.1 in G Minor that Szpilman played for Hosenfeld in the movie. I won't say Ballade No.1 not good, but I wonder why the change.

I loved Book 1 "Phule's Company" and Book 2 "Phule's Paradise", but I hesitated to read this Book 3 because of these negative reviews. But finally I did read it, because I wanted to find out by my own eyes why this book was so badly reputed and how it was different from the previous two books.

Now I do know why. I expected it not so good as the previous books but so-so enjoyable, but I am disappointed. It's still tolerable that the nice mixture of humor, wit and warmth has changed to a noisy slapstick comedy. But I can't help feeling something is wrong; the characters's behavior and/or speech have delicately deviated from those in the previous books. Especially, Beeker has been deprived of his flavor. For example, Beeker calls the big brass "enemies". They are enemies indeed, but it is very unlikely for Beeker to use such a straight expression.

It might have been very difficult for any writers except the creator to reproduce the charm of this series. Or Asprin's memory and/or affection for this series might have faded in the long gap. Anyway, I wish such a sequel had not been forcedly published.

This is the second book of Phule's Company Series. Phule's Company gets a new assignment of guarding a casino. It seems a sweet duty in paradise, but Phule smells a rat at the smirk of the general who hates him.

This book describes Phule's Company's full-blown activity in real operation (rather espionage than combat, though). It is much more exciting than Book 1, "Phule's Company". But that is founded on Book 1, so please read Book 1 first.

In this book, the characters display their personality and/or ability more freely. Beeker is especially nice; long-winded and cynical, but a priceless adviser for Phule. And Lieutenant Rembrandt, the relatively obscure vice-commander, plays a superb role in this book.

This book ends rather cliff-hangingly, but I can't decide whether to read Book 3, "A Phule and His Money". Because it seems that Asprin wouldn't or couldn't write the sequel and that the Book 3 was written by another writer, and its reputation is very very very bad.