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Sourcebook for the role playing game Trinity. Expanded, full-color source material on Aesculapians and Europe.Detailed tips on playing a vitakinetic, including new psionic powers.Revealing information on European society and politics. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

A 'Must Read'!
I really enjoyed this book, the first detective novel I've felt like that about in a while.
A really well thought out story, with a killer who we are aware of from the first page. Crowan Frayne is not just a killer, he's an intellectual killer with a warped mind. He has an obsession with the poetry of John Donne (around in the 15 and 1600's). He seems to want to be found as he calls upon an expert, Dr Stussman, in Donne's poetry who works at the university to explain 'things' to the police...(and for those out there who aren't 'into poetry' believe it or not it's fascinating how the poetry reads and is explained by Dr Stussman) HOWEVER there is more to his game than that!

This is Ed O'Conner's first novel (I shall be looking up further ones) and he's succesfully managed to make the characters seem very human, even the killer! The main story of the hideous murders he carries out (and eyes he removes) runs simultanously with the Chief Decective on the case's marriage crumbling...and him tipping nearer and nearer the edge.

A captivating read.

A 'Must Read'!
I really enjoyed this book, the first detective novel I've felt like that about in a while.
A really well thought out story, with a killer who we are aware of from the first page. Crowan Frayne is not just a killer, he's an intellectual killer with a warped mind. He has an obsession with the poetry of John Donne (around in the 15 and 1600's). He seems to want to be found as he calls upon an expert, Dr Stussman, in Donne's poetry who works at the university to explain 'things' to the police...(and for those out there who aren't 'into poetry' believe it or not it's fascinating how the poetry reads and is explained by Dr Stussman) HOWEVER there is more to his game than that!

This is Ed O'Conner's first novel (I shall be looking up further ones) and he's succesfully managed to make the characters seem very human, even the killer! The main story of the hideous murders he carries out (and eyes he removes) runs simultanously with the Chief Decective on the case's marriage crumbling...and him tipping nearer and nearer the edge.

A captivating read.

An intellectual serial killer novel- a superb debut
Several quite fascinating plots make up this remarkable debut by British author, Ed O'Connor. The first concerns a serial killer who has an obsession with the poet John Donne. He uses his poetry as the basis for murder. For some reason, he removes the left eye of his victims and keeps it while leaving a quote from Donne's poetry in blood on the wall. It is up to the local police including Inspector John Underwood to solve the crime before the killer strikes again. Aiding in their investigation is Donne scholar, Heather Stussman who is contacted, not only by the police, but, the killer as well.
Inspector Underwood, however, must deal with his own private hell. His wife of eighteen years is having an affair and it appears his marriage is near the end. His personal life is interfering with his professional life to the extent that he is placing his wife's lover on his list of possible suspects as the killer.
Ed O'Connor displays a remarkable ability, in his first novel, of balancing strong sympathetic characters with a plot that truly makes the reader want to turn the next page. It is not only a gruesome serial killer novel but an intellectual one, as well. Consider it a combination of Thomas Harris (who writes the quintessential serial killer novel with the Hannibal Lecter books) , Ian Rankin (with his depth of characters and balancing several plots) and Reginald Hill (with the academic logic in the killings).There are few weaknesses in this work. Perhaps, it is a bit too gruesome. Perhaps it is a bit too long. However, the whole justifies the means. This is a strong recommendation. Warning: not for the faint of heart.

The Madman Who Loved John Donne
I was hooked on "The Yeare's Midnight" before I had read a word.The idea that a contemporary thriller would share top billing with metaphysical poet and Dean of St. Paul's, John Donne (1572-1631) is a haughty premise I could not resist.

Mr. O'Connor delivered and then some.This highly original story provides seemingly ordinary characters with traits that send them into an orbit that can only be called bizarre.Our chief detective, John Underwood, is overworked, underpaid, and his marriage is disintegrating.Sound familiar?Not quite.John becomes so overwhelmed with his wife's leave-taking, he disintegrates before our eyes.While detecting, he becomes carried away by fantasies of revenge and mayhem.For one, I become highly nervous when serial killers are running about, and our protagonist has a complete mental and physical breakdown.When John is taken out of the picture, we are left to the mercies of his second in command Det. Sgt. Alison Dexter, an ambitious lady who has worked hard to come up in the ranks.Again, a familiar character in crime fiction except DS Dexter is so ambitious, she plots and connives against all who might take a shred of credit from her. Her assistants despise her in spite of her cleverness and bravery.

The strange killer who removes the left eye of his victims also leaves scraps of poetry written in blood at the scene of the crime.The killer clearly means this poetry to serve as a clue to his motive.He notifies a medieval expert at nearby Cambridge in case the obscurity is too much for the local police.Enter a rather annoying gorgeous lady who is a Donne expert.Many people (self included) enjoy Donne's poetry because it brawny, frank and robust.This is the man who gave us such lines as:

"Busy old fool, unruly Sun
Why dost thou thus,
Through windows, and through curtains call on
us?"

and "For God sake hold your tongue, and let me love."

In the author's hands, the "conceits" and kernels of Donne's love poems are so convoluted and ephemeral, I was lost.I had to have the professor who I didn't like very well lead me by the hand to all the clever conclusions.

However, the pace is good and the trip worthwhile if a little abrupt at the conclusion.I look forward to more books by the clever Mr. O'Connor.

Creepy and Beautiful
Not my usual genre (serial murders are too creepy for me), but I had heard promising things of this new author and thought I'd give it a chance.It was absolutely worth the read.I found O'Connor's writing style to be very original, and quite poetic itself with some really beautiful (and eery) imagery in places. ... Read more

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Chapters: Tadhg O'connor, Mick Ryan, Kieran Carey, Francis Loughnane, John Carroll, Roger Ryan, Diarmaid Fitzgerald, Jack Gleeson. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 26. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Tadhg O'Connor (born 1947 in Roscrea, County Tipperary) is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Roscrea and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s. O'Connor captained Tipperary to the All-Ireland title in 1971. OConnor played his club hurling with his local club in Roscrea. He enjoyed much success with the club, beginning in 1968 when he won a senior county title following a victory over the famous Thurles Sarsfields club. He won a second consecutive county title in 1969, before adding a Munster club title to his collection after a defeat of the legendary Glen Rovers club from Cork. OConnor won a third county championship medal in-a-row in 1970. This was once again converted into a second consecutive Munster club medal after a 4-11 to 1-6 trouncing of Clarecastle. O'Connor later lined out in the All-Ireland club final with St. Ryangh's of Offaly providing the opposition. A 4-5 to 2-5 victory gave Roscrea the honour of being the first club championship decider winners. It also gave O'Connor a coveted All-Ireland club medal. He won three further county titles in 1972, 1973 and 1980. OConnor first came to prominence on the inter-county scene in the mid-1960s when he was a key member of the Tipperary under-21 hurling team. In 1967 he enjoyed his first major success when he captured a Munster title in this grade following a 3-9 to 3-5 win over Galway. O'Connor later lined out in the All-Ireland final with Dublin providing the opposition. A close game developed, however, at the full-time whistle Tipp were the 1-8 to 1-7 winners. I...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=11244554 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

New York Bibliomania.

This is a wonderful attempt to look at the century and a quarter of the world of Books,Bookstores,Booksellers,Book Buyers,Rare Book Collectors,Just Plain Avid Readers,The Normal as well as the Eccentric;but all Bibliophiles in one form or another; and what took place in Book Row of New York.What an amazing world it was, and a world that we are not likely to see again. While a street or section occupied by bookstores is not unique to New York,this was one of the most famous in the world. There still places where there are collections of bookstores,even some "Book Villages" that have a nostalgic ring to what Boor Row was,;but Book Row ,and all involved, was the real thing.
Most of what is talked about in this book went on long before my time as an avid reader,but I can still appreciate what a thrill it must have been to be a regular visitor to this place.
I think that the real value in reading this book is to see how greatly the whole experience of buying and selling of books,be they new,used,rare,expensive,cheap,or whatever;has changed so much and so quickly.About 25 or so years ago,when I seriously searched out books for my collection ,I visited literally hundreds of bookstores,particularly the Used & Rare ,and encountered a wide array of stores and sellers,and what a thrill to find a store that I had never been in;and find a new "treasure".Even when not finding anything,the bookseller and the store was still an experience.
However;what I used to call "going book sailing" is nothing what it used to be and many of the stores I used to haunt are "gone with the wind".I guess for the same reasons as with Book Row. The rents kept rising,buildings were demolished for highrises and condos,the Booksellers became old and didn't change with the rapidly changing world of books,the newer sellers who entered the trade have become a totally different breed,the Internet has changed everything and made an unbelievably amount of books and information about books available to any Book Lover,regardless of where he lives or what means are at his disposal.So,one by one the conventional bookstores have just withered and faded away.The price of gas has also made it expensive to run around the country to various bookstores.
The publishers are still churning out massive numbers of new titles ,reissues and books at such a rate that there are books everywhere,and at prices that vary all over the map;both for new and used books. For instance,many charities and university alumni groups have seen where they can obtain unlimited amounts of donations of books of every type and along with them lots of volunteers to sort,price and sell them to raise funds.These sales attract huge crowds,who make excellent finds. The curious thing is that a lot of the small time dealers are there scooping up books to sell on the Internet,at obviously much higher prices,and have become the buyers competitor rather than friend.In this book, the authors allude to the fact that many of the booksellers couldn't or wouldn't change and learn to buy and sell ,orotherwise,merchandise their books to retain their customers. The charities and others,changed the whole game,and greatly to the benefit of the buyers.If that wasn't a great enough deathnell;the Internet makes virtually any book one wants ,readily available at whatever,cost,rarity ,condition,etc. the buyer desires.No longer is it a matter of 'take what I got, at my price,or Good Luck".So,this book sure shows what the book world used to be;and what a wonderful world it was;but all that is a thing of the past.
Of all the great quotes you'll find in this book,and there are many;I think the quote that is most apropos is by someone who is not even a bookseller,book buyer or any kind of a Bibliophile ,and is found on page 365.

"Considering the long-ago past and eras that are gone with the wind on wings of time will seem a waste to those who dismiss ancient history as "weary,stale,flat and unprofitable." Baseball manager Sparky Anderson pointed out the futility of living in the past: "There's no future in it." A New York book dealer,quoted by the "New York Times" (May 31,1981),...and that was over 25 years ago...doubted the existence of serious interest among contemporary booksellers in the vanished shops of Fourth Avenue,which were no longer revalent to the needs and problems of modern bookstores: Those who remember them don't want to be reminded,and those who don't,won't care.It's like talking about a five-cent sandwich.No one knows what you are talking about."
Bibliophiles should give a big clapand thanks,to Marvin Mondlin and Roy Meador for bringing Book Row to those who have to be resolved with,"oh well,it was before my time,and so was the 25-cent bleacher seat and the 5-cent soda".

Exhaustive, or Overlong
I have to admit I'm divided on this book. As a 4-5 block slice of New York City history, it's thoroughly researched and reported and many times engaging, with some real characters from a decidedly off-center cache. And as an insider's look at a burgeoning book trade with more book shelves per square block than we're ever likely to see again (sadly), I found it in turn wistfully nostalgic in both the descriptions of dead booksellers and quotes from the ones still alive, and elegiac in its ruminations on the sad state of our post-Book Row culture.

The problem is, each of the things I liked about it work against it as well. Its narrow scope is problematic, at least within the framework Meador and Mondlin use, with many of the chapters seeming a lot like the ones before them with the names changed and a lot of factual repetition. And the nostalgia can get a little overbearing, with a pretty strong Neo-Luddite bias toward internet book dealers ("Those who had the books and the know-how might buy and sell books on the Net, but we'd like to hear Peter Stammer's, Sam Dauber's, and Jack Biblo's views of them as secondhand book dealers"). You could also say that as estate book buyer for the Strand Meador's neutrality might come into question, and you wouldn't be disproved with chapter titles like "The Strand Lives On" and almost a third of the glossy pictures devoted to the Bass family that runs the Strand.

In sum I'd say this is a book for book-industry specialists (especially the older ones who might recognize more of the names the authors drop without much historical grounding) and book buffs with enough interest to sift through 400 pages that could have easily been 200. I fall more into the latter than the former, but even then would recommend ChaptersOne, Two, Five, Nine, Eleven, Fourteen, Fifteen, the Appendix (a cool little pre-Book Row history of books in NYC), and the foreword by legendary book collector Madeleine B. Stern.

A dead history of names and dates
This book was a dull disappointment because the authors (one of whom is a book buyer for the landmark Strand Bookstore) are very poor historians.I had hopes of Book Row providing a glimpse into the past of the Manhattan neighborhood in which I live and a window into long-gone independently owned bookstores.It was instead a flood of trivial names and dates that provided very little context or description, and consequently very little to fuel understanding or the imagination.

The book is mostly an endless series of abstract, biographical sketches of the booksellers--mainly names and dates with a light peppering of anecdotes that are at most mildly amusing.The authors show no insight or analysis of what made these individuals become proprietors of bookstores and personal bookbuyers for wealthy collectors (who are also inadequately described).It is possible that evidence of only these factual bare bones have survived, but it is then the task of the historian to flesh these out with a picture of the time and place to which these facts belong.Book Row fails to do this because the authors are too content with name-dropping: a particular noted actor shopped at a certain store, a wealthy collector (of whom nothing further is said) praised a bookbuyer as the best.Lists of names are frequently given when they provide absolutely no informational or narrative value.

This is a book about independent Manhattan bookstore owners in the early 20th century that fails to reveal anything concrete about what it meant to own a store at that time, or what the character of the neighborhood or its residents were.The reader gets the exact price of how much a particular rare volume procured at auction, but not a picture of where these auctions took place or how they proceeded, or a perspective on how important individual books or book collections were to these auctions.Similarly, the authors often provide street addresses of stores, yet fail to describe the buildings themselves.Missing are such basic facts such as whether a bookstore at a given time was likely to have had modern electric lighting or gas light, or even who owned the building or what the rent was likely to have been.All of these flaws, of style as well as research, made reading Book Row rarely more educational or entertaining than browsing the "Bookstores-Used" section of an old yellow pages.

A definitive and enthusiastically recommended history
In the last couple of decades of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century, New York City was home to a series of legendary booksellers who did business on and around Fourth Street south of Fourteenth Street. It came to be called "Book Row" by dedicated bibliophiles and had its own very distinctive culture, aromas, and for the true book lover, an excitement that could not be duplicated in the same quantity, quality, or diversity in any other American city of the time. In Book Row: An Anecdotal And Pictorial History Of The Antiquarian Book Trade, authors Marvin Mondlin and Roy Meador have collaborated to provide a definitive and enthusiastically recommended history of the times and personalities that made Book Row the Mecca for book collectors in search of antiquarian treasures, as well as budget bookaholics looking for something interesting to read.

Bibliophiles
It is refreshing to read books written by bibliophiles who express a true appreciation for fine books. They are true literary aesthetes. I've never known scholars or even poets to express such a love of books. Reading "Book Row" has inspired me to acquire more of the classics in fine editions. I think the authors were a little too dismissive of the Internet which has been a tremendous help to me in finding rare books. I no longer have to settle for what I find on the shelves in bookstores with bad taste in books. I can always find exactly what I want to read. The Internet is the greatest bookman there ever was! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (16)

What a waste of a good title
Why did the author even bother making this a Holmes story? If he wanted to write a Victorian Sci Fi/Fantasy story did he have to use Holmes and Watson as his protagonists? Fails to capture either the flavour of the original stories or the period. In addition the plot is convoluted and required an effort to stay interested. I did in the hope that it would get better towards the end but I felt cheated by the time I finished.

Entertaining, if shallow
I found this to be a decent read, at least when combined with modest
amounts of drinking. No great literary triumph to be sure, but it was
a page-turner most of the way to the end, despite some off-notes alluded
to by other reviewers. The title promises more than the book delivers,
but it's not *bad*....just uneven. To summarize,

Giant humanoid rat-king with limited number of nuclear weapons terrorizes
southeast Asia, foiled by Holmes and Watson, with sexual interludes.

Now, how could you pass that up?

Super Reader
This Holmes pastiche starts reasonably well as a barely met acquaintance of Watson's dead wife comes to them for help from Singapore.

Where the book loses its way is in the middle, with extended periods of Watson and Holmes separated, and taking Holmes off-page more is perhaps not the best idea, in general, if you are going to do this sort of thing.

Muslim captains, giant ratmen, dodgy lords, mysterious women, all the elements for a decent adventure are there.

Purists be damned!This is fun.
I don't know what all those nay sayers here have been drinking.This book is not at all bad.Personally, I think it's rather interesting to put a bit of a modern twist on the adventures of Holmes and Watson.I thought Vanneman did a half decent job of spinning an engaging yarn while keeping a relatively consistent Holmes-appropriate style.

Sure, there were randy parts, which didn't exist in A. Conan Doyle's original stories.But hey, we have to make some allowances for modern sensibilities (modern Americans are ashamed to admit that a quarter of us are celibates, so celibacy must be denied at all times).Vanneman did a nice job of making sure the randy parts were described in appropriately stilted, Victorian language.I think that'sa pretty impressive feat.

I suppose the SciFi aspect breaks tradition with the original, and no doubt won't appeal to some folks.In this book, we have an evolved species of intelligent rats.So what's wrong with that?As rodents go, rats sure beat all hell out of crap animals like hamsters and gerbils.Rats are actually capable of being friendly and affectionate.So why not have a bit of evolution to make them something more?My only concern was whether the anti-evolution morons would start picketing Vanneman's house.

Is this Martha Grimes?No, but it's still interesting and well done.Much better than the last Borthwick my wife forced me to read.

Can this even be considered a Sherlock Holmes pastiche?
If you are an ardent Holmes fan like myself, do not read this book! Watson and Holmes are out of character, and one wonders if the author even bothered to read the canon before writing this. I seriously doubt that Doyle would ever have written a story in which the narrator goes into needless detail about his love affairs, as Vanneman's Watson does. And are we really supposed to believe that Holmes would fall in love with the widow Han? Aside from the poor characterizations of Holmes and Watson, the author insists on introducing a legion ofintelligent rats, and adding bizarre mystical subplots. I personally feel this book is not worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
This novel brings back to life Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's great character in atmospheric Victorian London as he is faced with a crisis of conscience when confronted with disclosing the identity of Jack the Ripper. "Intriguing and chilling."--New York Times Book Review. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

If you know 'jack' about The Ripper
If you know jack about The Ripper, then this (fictional) tale of the Worlds Greatest Detective, Sherlock Holmes, on the track of Jack The Ripper in Victorian England is a very good place to educate yourself.

Author Edward Hanna has taken the historical 'Ripper Killings' and woven a Sherlock Holmes story around them to defy the skills of Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle himself. Hanna paints a story of the Whitechappel killings as deftly as a Scotland Yard file written at the time might have summarized each murder scene, and pits the keen minds of Holmes and Watson against the murderous 'Ripper' of British history.

All the elements of the original 'Holmes' tales are here as well....sharing a flat at 221B Baker Street with trusted companion Dr. John Watson (the supposed author of this tale, suppressed from publication and viewing for 100 years), the Baker Street Irregulars (the juvenile apprentice detectives used by Holmes in his efforts); everything right down to downstairs neighbor Mrs. Hudson's grumblings about all the comings and goings from the flat shared by Holmes and Watson at all hours of the day and night.

An excellent tale of detection, and a Sherlock Holmes novel that rivals the original tales in terms of originality, content, and entertainment, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loved the originals and craves more Holmes tales.

Stalk the Ripper!
Fusion of truth and fiction is fascinating for several reasons, foremost among them being the efforts on part of the author(s) to resolve the inconsistencies related to dates and events. Edward B Hanna's "The Whitechapel Horrors" is doubly fascinating because it brings together two of Victorian England's iconic figures: the beloved Sherlock Holmes and the hated Jack the Ripper! Although this particular brand of fusion has been attempted at in several previous works, beginning with Ellery Queen's "A Study in Terror" and reaching an astounding pinnacle (or nadir, since opinions do differ in such cases) in Michael Dibdin's "The Last Sherlock Holmes Story", this work amazed me due to several reasons:
1. The amount of research put into it would astonish several Ripperologists, while earning admiration from the followers of "The Game"(assuming that both Sherlock Holmes and John H. Watson were real persons) propounded by late William S. Baring-Gould.
2. Inconsistencies in the chronolgy deduced from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works have been neatly fit into the calendar of Ripper-murders.
3. The story is eminently readable, despite the author's steadfast attachment to the Royal conspiracy theory.
My only grievance is that Mr. Hanna could have given the work some sort of finality, rather than trying to be too tactical and keeping Watson as well as us in animated suspension (Holmes KNEW!). It is for this last minute shifting of thrust towards the truth of Ripper remaining elusive that I am taking one star away from my ratings. Otherwise, it is a very-very good novel. Recommended.

Terrorism in Victorian England
Briskly paced and exhaustively researched tale of Saucy Jack's legendary reign of terror.Holmes and Watson are at their best here, their amusing--sometimes pointed--personality conflicts as much fun to experience as the chase itself.Very well done.

Loved this book!Reading it again for the 5th time.
Like other reviews here, I agree that this is the best Holmes novel outside the originals.Loved the story...loved the notes...just a absolute pleasure.
I'm left with only one complaint:That Mr. Hanna has made us wait all these years before giving another Holmes adventure.
Please, Mr. Hanna....more!

Enjoyable Novel with Great Atmosphere
At first I was caught off guard by a third person narrative in a Holmes novel, but once I adjusted I found this a very enjoyable read.The author does nothing new with either the Holmes Canon or with popular theories on the identity of the Ripper, but he creates vivid characterizations and an authentic feeling to his recreation of Victorian London that more than makes up for some of the novels flaws.

The novel draws its suspense and intrest from the strength of the characterizations and skillfulness of the writing.This is one of the better Holmes novels I have read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys novels about Holmes or The Ripper. ... Read more