Gambit By Karna Small Bodman

Commercial airplanes are being shot out of the sky, the public is panicked, the air controllers are on strike, the stock market is tumbling, goods and services ordinarily sent by air are on the ground and stopped; everyone is looking to the harassed government to protect the airports and the sky and capture the terrorists responsible.
No one has a clue as to who or how. The missiles can not be seen or detected by radar and existing anti missile systems are not effective and no one claims responsibility. All cabinet positions in the administration are at work trying to figure out what country is behind the acts and why.
The government calls in a woman who is the acknowledged expert in missile defense to see if she can develop something.
I was impressed by the authors background and experience and her knowledge of how the White House works. After all, she was a senior director of the National Security Council during the Reagan Administration when missile defense systems were on the top burner. This was a pretty good story the "good guys" stayed in the forefront; actually, we learned very little about the "terrorists" and their motive while supposedly world threatening was never made very clear. Some interesting technical jargon and a few tense and dangerous situations but the final solution to the basic problem was almost too simple. Rainy day diversion

Mozart's Ghost By Julia Cameron

This, prolific, New York writer has come out with a delightful, rather fanciful and very human novel about a young woman who talks to ghosts. Anna has had a "gift" since childhood and has accepted the fact that she acts and is different. Living in New York city in and old apartment building teaching at a private school by day and working as a medium in evenings her life is routine and scheduled until a young pianist moves into the building bringing along the ghost of Mozart who feels that the young man is really on track interpreting his music and who thinks that by fostering a relationship between the two people, he can, some way help, the pianist.
A nice easy read for a cold, rainy day; it has appeal to us "romantics".

The Finder By Colin Harrison

A little confusing but exciting and very fast moving novel by an author that reveals New York city so clearly that one feels that he is actually "on the scene". The story deals with corporate espionage and the intricate methods of learning secrets and using them to gain big profits in the stock market. A corrupt Chinese speculator and his evil henchmen act with brutality and considerable violence to protect his interests. Well done thriller.

Lost in Austen By Emma Campbell Webster

I find it very interesting that so many authors like to play games with Jane Austen characters. I am not sure what one calls this kind of story but the premise is that one starts in the novel "Pride and Prejudice" and you are Elizabeth Bennet. As various situations occur, the story gives you several options as to what decision she might make. The reader is, then directed to a certain page in the book where the action of the decision will take place. Depending on the decision made, the reader might find himself in a different Austen novel surrounded by it’s characters who must be interacted with and then, more decisions must be made which may take you to still another novel. Clever writing.

Tarpon Springs Late April 2008

The stone crabs were really great this year we ate them for three days.