37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The belief in a supernatural source of evil is unnecessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness. - Joseph Conrad, November 10, 2008
This is a novella containing 4 short stories from 4 different authors.
Ritual In Death by J.D. Robb - This is the 33rd book (when including novellas) in the In Death Series, taking place shortly after the events in
Salvation in Death (In Death). While at a swanky party, Homicide Lt. Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke become aware of a grizzly murder that has taken place on scene.
This is my favorite story in the book, no surprise there. I like any story where Eve is forced to step outside of her carefully drawn box and get in touch with the side of the world where magic and the unexplained reside.
Love Endures by Mary Blaney - A young woman's world is turned upside down when she suddenly becomes a widow. When her husband's ghost seeks her help she has to face the uncomfortable past, and come to terms with the truth and her heart.
This was a nice story, a little hokey at times, but entertaining. I like a ghost story and the side characters really added a lot to this tale.
Cold Case by Ruth Ryan Langan - A policeman leaves the force behind and heads to Vermont for a change of pace and a little healing. When his car goes off the road during a storm, he finds solace and shelter at a farm house with a father and his two stepdaughters.
This story has a bit of a mystery within it and I found the plot interesting and engaging. The ending was a little off to me, for more than one reason, but other than that I liked it.
Wayward Wizard by Mary Kay McComas - A mother struggling to regain her young sons trust is whisked back in time with him, where they meet a Wizard. Together they must journey back to the present.
This is probably my second favorite story in the book; it's surprisingly deep and touching for such a short tale. The author cleverly inserted her characters in the previous authors' three stories, which made it additionally fun.
Each story contains some sort of connection to a suite 606, some connections more in depth than others. Each story also contains a link to the last story in the book, Wayward Wizard. The stories are a decent blend of fantasy and reality with a helping of romance to round out each tale. A quick, light and easy read. Enjoy!
Cherise Everhard, November 2008
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Did I Miss the Connection Here?, November 19, 2008
What a disappointment. I buy these anthologies to get introduced to new authors -- that's how I've discovered new favorites like Angela Knight, Lora Leigh and Nalini Singh. But apart from the J.D. Robb story, which was excellent (a miracle since Nora's books in her Nora Roberts line have gotten so formulaic), I wouldn't read one of the other three author's work, even if I were given the books at no charge. Their stories were so poorly written and oddly constructed that in one case (Mary Blayney) I wondered if this was actually a 10th grader's English composition. The other two weren't much better. And the supposed tie-in to "Suite 606" that should have served as a connecting thread between the stories was virtually non-existent. If it were not for the Eve Dallas story, I would have rated this one a minus one star and returned it to the store for a refund.
Save your money.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Forced from the get-go, just plain bad writing, December 21, 2008
Similar to other authors, I like the JD Robb books and buy these anthologies to "discover" new writers I might like. These three can certainly stay on the bookshelf, the writing was awful. Even the Eve Dallas story was forced, though the writing was good. The "suite 606" theme was ABSURD and made absolutely no sense in the second story and was an afterthought in the third story. I generally like these anthologies, just don't force some silly theme on all the stories.
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