An interesting overview of an overlooked aspect of modern and historical life. Google-searching aplenty was required for all of the historical adulterants and chemical compounds which were unfamiliar to me.          

Thin plot, unexplained and ill defined characters and motivations, all in all a waste of time.          

Occasionally hilarious early sci-fi classic (both funny by design and because of 50 years of hindsight). The material and topics are ripe for re-mining by a modern author - anyone know if it has been done?

Not as good as previous novels, to many glossed over concepts and skimmed plot. Agent Prendergast has moved from a modern Holmesian character into the realm of mental superhero and the change is not for the better.          

Little material that I haven't come across before but all-in-all an easy, brisk overview of the topic.          

It's been years since I read anything by Stephen King that wasn't a column in Entertainment Weekly, but after tearing through this collection I will be picking up those books I missed.

Child uses a hackneyed setting to tell an interesting story - I wish several of the more exotic plot points had been fleshed out more. Also, it feels as if one character is being set up as a franchise cornerstone - one I would look forward to reading more about.

Excellent example of RAH's juvenilles - good story with a smattering of science.

How this was acceptable as a 'juvenile' novel and Starship Troopers was not, I'll never know. A deep analysis on the meaning of family and a persons place as a member of one is threaded throughout this tale, making it excellent for adults as well as kids.

The conceit of faux-scholarly analysis works very well for examining some of the stickier aspects of wizarding society.

** spoiler alert ** While the concept is cool and the various characters are blended well, I am very disappointed that no form of marketing or reviewing that I was exposed to mentioned the fact that a sequel is already planned and no real resolution is achieved at the end.          

Excellent for a first novel - I'm interested to see if this will be a continuing character or a one-off. The style and voice are distinctive, and I am a sucker for novelists who use footnotes.

Not recommended for those not already familiar with the authors vocal patterns and sense of humor.

Typical Reilly - fun read as long as you don't think to much and don't mind innumerable excited italics and 'cliffhanger' chapter endings.

A bit more repetative than some of his earlier works but with endearing characters and a familiarity of setting that makes for a comfortable read.          

An excellent capstone to the series (so far....) that does an able balancing job between fleshing out old characters and introducing a few new ones.

An informative and entertaining exploration of an archeological mystery and the mythic men who sought to solve it.

Typical Cussler - a historical prologue followed by fast action with that never lets up - a fun read all around. It is interesting to see how he is being affected by his coauthors and his own writings as his catalog grows larger - this is the first time I can remember him overtly referencing a plot point from one of his co-authors - and it is nice to see a different take on a train chase so soon after "The Chase". All in all, except for the final two pages which felt tacked on and really could have been fleshed out into an entire subplot (or stand alone story), the book is everything you could want in an action novel.

I'm not sure what led me to this novel but I'm glad I got it because now I have another author's catalog to devour. Blending metaphysics and mirth is usually a losing combination but Morrow pulls it off with aplomb.          

** spoiler alert ** As change of pace from my normal reading, Goldman's story feels like a cross between Mickey Spillaine and John D. MacDonald. Those lofty first impressions are not responsible for the few quibbles I have with the novel but should be seen as an indication of the level of storytelling which I feel Goldman is capable of achieving.

The two main disappointments were the high-expectations raised by the publishers jacket blurb (yes, all of the places and events mentioned are contained in the novel, but several are mere backdrops, never integrating themselves into the story) and the abrupt, change in narrative POV in the final few paragraphs - a stylistic change that, while effective, radically altered the focus and feel of the story to such a degree that it left me feeling rather more disconcerted than satisfied.

All in all, I was glad to have read this and will be looking for more works by Goldman - both his previously published works and whatever he may try in the future.