Average customer rating:
- Innocent In Death is worth the wait!
- A teacher's dead...
- Spoiler, Bad Seed with a Happy Ending
- Innocent in Death
- short but sweet
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Innocent in Death
J.D. Robb
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0399154019 |
Book Description
The phenomenal series set in a future New York City returns as NYPSD Lt. Eve Dallas hunts for the killer of a seemingly ordinary history teacher-and uncovers some extraordinary surprises. Craig Foster's death devastated his young wife, who'd sent him to work that day with a lovingly packed lunch. It shocked his colleagues at the private school, too, and as for the ten-year-old girls who found him in his classroom in a pool of bodily fluids-they may have been traumatized for life.
Eve soon determines that Foster's homemade lunch was tainted with deadly ricin, and that Mr. Foster's colleagues have some startling secrets of their own. It's Eve's job to sort it out- and discover why someone would have done this to a man who seemed so inoffensive, so pleasant . . . so innocent.
Now Magdalena Percell . . . there's someone Eve can picture as a murder victim. Possibly at Eve's own hands. The slinky blonde-an old flame of her billionaire husband, Roarke-has arrived in New York, and she's anything but innocent. Roarke seems blind to Magdalena's manipulation, and he insists that the occasional lunch or business meeting with her is nothing to worry about . . . and none of Eve's business. Eve's so unnerved by the situation that she finds it hard to focus on her case. Still, she'll have to put aside her feelings, for a while at least-because another man has just turned up dead.
Eve knows all too well that innocence can be a faade. Keeping that in mind may help her solve this case at last. But it may also tear apart her marriage.
Customer Reviews:
Innocent In Death is worth the wait!.......2007-10-21
I love Nora Roberts work and as always i was not disappointed the only thing about it that brought me down was knowing that i was going to come to the end of the book. It had everything i look for in a book romance characters you fall in love with and lots and lots of mystery. the world she created in these books is one i wish existed. I fully and completely recommend this book for anyone who wants to be swept away by a good story.
A teacher's dead..........2007-10-19
and it's hard to imagine anyone having enough of a beef with him to murder him. From all accounts he was simply an ordinary guy, going about with his ordinary, happy life. Eve Dallas is left to discover who's keeping secrets...and her discovery shocks even this street-hardened cop. A fantastic new chapter in the Eve Dallas mythology.
Spoiler, Bad Seed with a Happy Ending.......2007-10-15
This was my first Eve Dallas mystery and I was slightly disappointed. While reading the book, I kept getting back to the similarities between the crimes in the book and the movie the "Bad Seed", right down to trying to incinerate the evidence, shoes vs. diary. The story was good but I would borrow the book from my local library and not buy it. The only interesting part is you got inside the killer's head when she committed the crime, since in the movie your hearing about the crimes days or weeks after the fact. The ending of the book was different from the movie since the killer was caught in her crimes, whereas the movie has nature dispensing out justice to the killer.
Innocent in Death.......2007-10-07
Lt. Eve Dallas and her partner Detective Delia Peabody are called on-scene to investigate the death of a teacher at one of NYC's top private schools. Craig Foster was a popular history teacher who died from drinking poisoned cocoa. Since Foster brought the cocoa from home, Dallas and Peabody initially suspect his wife or a family member. But there are no red flags there, so they move on to the parents of Foster's students or one of his colleagues. They hone in on another teacher, one known for his sexual promiscuousness and who Foster had had words with over his harassment of a school employee. Before they can investigate this man further, his body is discovered in the school's pool. Dallas and Peabody are baffled but convinced more than ever that someone connected with the school is behind the murders.
For the first time, Eve is having a hard time concentrating on an investigation. A woman from Roarke's past has entered the picture, and it isn't long before there's tension between Eve and Roarke and harsh words spoken. Stoic Eve is startled to find herself so emotionally overwrought by this woman and her efforts to create conflict between Eve and Roarke. But she forces her mind on the investigation and what she discovers shocks even the jaded Lt. Dallas.
Robb's popular series remains a constant bestseller and it isn't hard to figure out why, with likeable characters and suspenseful plots. The relationship between Dallas and Roarke is a bonus and is explored in-depth in this book. Robb displays talent for drawing the reader into her characters' angst and despair at the disruption in their marriage. Eve's and Roarke's mutual fright over babies is humorous and adds a light note to an otherwise dark mystery.
short but sweet.......2007-09-28
As always, J.D. Robb has created a fast paced mystery featuring our favorite murder cop, Eve Dallas and her deliciously sexy, wealthy husband, the inimitable Roark. Although Robb's focus on the single storyline omits the antics of some of this series's more colorful characters whom we have come to love, she retains the flavor of the "In Death" novels through the personalities of her main characters. "Interlude" is a must have to complete your "In Death" collection.
Book Description
Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.
But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.
Customer Reviews:
Lover Revealed.......2007-10-23
This was a nice addition to the series. I was not disappointed in the book at all. The book did not forget characters that you were interested in, but went into deeper detail on the ones you purchased the book for. A good read all around.
Chaska
Glad it's out of the way..........2007-10-09
I have loved all of the other BDB books (Zadist being my favorite). But I have to say, I'm really glad this one is out of the way. I've never really cared about Butch and Marissa, she seems whinny and vapid and he goes from being all macho around the brothers to slobbering all over himself cause a pretty girl is near by. But there are some interesting things learned in this book and it held my attention through the end.
At least it's done and hopefully from here the rest of the books will be as good and engrossing as the first three were.
My favorite JR book yet!!!!.......2007-10-02
I loved this book!!!! Butch is my all time favorite character (so far), I knew he would end up with Marissa. But the dynamics and intimacy between Butch and V was awesome, great, fantastic. I loved the way JR wrote the story and created that intimacy between the two guys without it being overtly sexual. I am so glad Marissa finally grew a back bone and stood up to her brother. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I liked it.......2007-09-30
I liked this book. Actually I have enjoyed all of the BDB books by JR Ward (1-4).
NOT AS GOOD AS THE OTHERS.......2007-09-25
THIS BOOK SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT V AND BUTCH. THEY HAD THE BEST RELATIONSHIP. I WAS READING HOPING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUTCH AND MARISSA DID NOT DO MUCH FOR ME. HAVING SAID THAT, I LIKED THE BOOK, CAN'T WAIT TO READ ABOUT V LOVE HIM
Average customer rating:
- A different ending than what I thought..
- not bad
- Now what I expected...
- A Fast-Paced Thriller
- Good Read
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Judge & Jury
James Patterson , and
Andrew Gross
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0316013935
Release Date: 2006-07-31 |
Book Description
Senior FBI agent Nick Pellisante is closing in on the notorious mob boss The Electrician, when the scheduled sting goes spectacularly awry. Two FBI agents are dead, the boss is wounded, and Pellisante vows the Electricians next move will be from a jail cell. Andie Echeverra, a part-time actress and a single, full-time mom, is assigned her next role as Juror #11 in the landmark trial against Mafia Don Dominic Cavello. Everybody is on edge. No one has ever crossed the man whose orders have made entire families disappear. Though Cavellos influence extends across blue uniforms and black robes, the case should be open-and-shut. But the legal system fails with devastating results, and Nick and Andie are the only ones left to seek justice. To stop the Electrician, they must take matters into their own hands. They are the judge and jury now. James Patterson spins an all-out heart-pounding legal thriller that pits two people against the most vicious and powerful mobster since John Gotti.
Customer Reviews:
A different ending than what I thought.........2007-09-15
I never could of imagined the the ending to turn out like that.And no im not giving away the ending,But i dont feel the ending had closure to it.It didnt give the reader a sence of closure.I will give this book a 4 star,it wasnt to bad of a book.It was good clear up untill the end.....Book owl
not bad.......2007-08-12
I am new fan of Patterson, this was a great book! I don't like books that are very scary, like one of the Cross books I read, but this is not like that. Very good story and I enjoyed it very much.
Now what I expected..........2007-07-06
I was very disappointed with Judge & Jury. I like James Patterson books but his writing seems to be getting worse with each book. It mainly seems to be the books that have a "Co-Author" that I find are not written well. And I know that James Patterson can write so much better than this.
So I recently visited the website of Andrew Gross (www.andrewgrossbooks.com), James Patterson's "Co-Author" on Judge & Jury to find out a little more about him. I found a couple interesting bits of information that I thought James Patterson fans might like to know before purchasing another one of his books that have been "Co-Authored". Upon meeting James Patterson, Andrew Gross said that James Patterson had several projects he wanted to write and NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DO THEM. And then Andrew Gross goes on to say that James Patterson comes up with the outline for the book and then passes it on to Andrew Gross. It sounds to me like the only part of James Patterson that is in Judge & Jury (as well as his other "Co-Authored" books, I assume) is that he came up with the story and the outline but the book was written entirely by the "Co-Author". This is definately going to make me think twice about buying another James Patterson book that has "Co-Authors" name on the cover with his. Mr. Patterson, this is a very sad way to let your fans down and lose some along the way. I hope that you go back to writing books on your own.
A Fast-Paced Thriller.......2007-07-04
Judge and Jury is a thriller that starts off and never lets off. This is the story of Nick Pellisante, an FBI agent who has been tracking mob boss Dominic Cavello. At Cavello's niece's wedding, Pellisante arrests Cavello, but loses 2 of his agents.
From here on out, we have a Legal thriller that has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The one complaint I have about this book was that the final section felt rushed. Maybe it was just me, but this really annoyed me. This was my first Patterson novel. I have read 5 of his novels since then.
Good Read.......2007-06-25
Not Pattersons best, but defintiely worth your time. It takes about 100 pages for the story to really get going, but once it does, its a good thrill ride that is typical Patterson. I would recommend this to any Patterson fan, or fan of suspense novels. Good beach read. Read it in 2 days on the beach.
Book Description
Eve Dallas has a grisly double homicide to solve when two young lovers-both employees of the same prestigious accounting firm-are brutally killed on the same night. It doesn't leave Eve a lot of leftover time to put together a baby shower for her buddy Mavis, but that's supposedly what friends are for.
Now Mavis needs another favor. Tandy Willowby, one of the moms-to-be in Mavis's birthing class, didn't show up for the shower. A recent emigrant from London, Tandy has few friends in New York, and no family-and she was really looking forward to the party. And when Eve enters Tandy's apartment and finds a gift for Mavis's shower wrapped and ready on the table-and a packed bag for the hospital still on the floor next to it-tingling runs up and down her spine.
Normally, such a case would be turned over to Missing Persons. But Mavis wants no one else on the job but Eve-and Eve can't say no. She'll have to track Tandy down while simultaneously unearthing the deals and double-crosses hidden in the files of some of the city's richest and most secretive citizens, in a race against this particularly vicious killer. Luckily, her multimillionaire husband Roarke's expertise comes in handy with the number crunching. But as he mines the crucial data that will break the case wide open, Eve faces an all too real danger in the world of flesh and blood.
Customer Reviews:
fair.......2007-10-17
Book was shipped quickly. There was cracking and damage to the spine. Indside was in good shape.
JD Robb.......2007-09-27
Absolutely love this series, have read every book twice and can't wait for the next one to come out.
It wasn't bad.......2007-08-27
I have to say that this wasn't one of my favorites, but I think it was me, and not what Nora wrote. I just couldn't get into the plot until about halfway through. I tried. I read the first few chapters and put it down for MONTHS. I thought maybe I was distracted, but when I started it over a few days ago, I just realized that the subject matter was dry to me. Hard to get started.
I loved the personal dramas, as I always do, and the scenes in the delivery room were great, as were the tense scenes between Eve/Roarke/Whitney. She handled that really well.
I had this one figured out early on, but I do with some of them. This just wasn't my favorite, but it was still good.
Review of Born in Death.......2007-08-01
As usual, J.D. Robb delivers.
As usual, it was very difficult to put this book down.
As usual, I can't wait until the next book comes out.
My only disappointment, was the number of typos that I found in this book. J.D. Robb's editor needs to do a better job proof-reading.
Born in Death.......2007-07-30
As usual Dallas and Roark (sp?) keep things moving with humor, mystery and romance. This one was is a little more humorous with Dallas' friends having babies and Dallas and Roark expressing disgust as they help them through the ordeals, but I wonder will they become parents next??? Very good reading, or rather listening for me.
Book Description
From one of the most acclaimed crime writers in America comes her most astonishing novel: a story of love, loss, death-and discovery.
Over the course of eight novels, Carol O'Connell and her protagonist, New York detective Kathy Mallory, have carved out a unique place for themselves. But all that has been prelude to the remarkable story told in Find Me.
A mutilated body is found lying on the ground in Chicago, a dead hand pointing down Adams Street, also known as Route 66, a road of many names. And now of many deaths. A silent caravan of cars, dozens of them, drives down that road, each passenger bearing a photograph, but none of them the same. They are the parents of missing children, some recently disappeared, some gone a decade or more-all brought together by word that childrens' grave sites are being discovered along the Mother Road.
Kathy Mallory drives with them. The child she seeks, though, is not like the others'. It is herself-the feral child adopted off the streets, her father a blank, her mother dead and full of mysteries. During the next few extraordinary days, Mallory will find herself hunting a killer like none she has ever known, and will undergo a series of revelations not only of stunning intensity- but stunning effect.
Customer Reviews:
She's Baaack.......2007-10-06
Find Me is one the best of the Mallory series. O'Connell has returned to the tension of the earlier Mallory novels with great effect. It was good to see O'Connell allowing the Mallory character to develop and grow rather than sticking to some tried and true formula. These novels are tough to read if you are looking for a flawless heroic character with all the endings tied up nice and neat. Mallory is a complex individual, antisocial, cold and possibly a psychopath...but those of us that know her, love her.
Find Me.......2007-08-27
I am a huge fan of the Mallory books, but this story became a little obscure at times.
Still, as always, a good read
Fantastic Read.......2007-08-08
I have been keeping up with the Mallory series since they began. I buy each new book as it becomes available. I absolutely loved this book. It had the right amount of intrigue and anticipation. I loved the epilogue. I was not expecting the outcome so it was a surprise. The only thing wrong with the book is that the epilogue kind of makes me worry that this may be the last Mallory book. I hope not.
Love all this author has to offer.......2007-07-17
I have been digesting all of Ms. O'Connell's books this summer. "Find Me" is another exceptional book. She reminds me of a female James Lee Burke. I don't think this signals the end of a series but the beginning of another chapter in Mallory's life. I find her character very layered and I love this about Mallory. "Find Me" is just one of her latest journeys toward healing her past. I hope Ms. O'Connell keeps writing her Mallory books and I wish she would team up with James Lee and introduce Mallory to Dave Robicheaux.
Number 9 and getting better all the time.......2007-07-01
For those who love Kathleen Mallory, and who doesn't, this is the natural progression of excellent mystery, interpersonal relationships and the psychological growth of the main character. There is plenty of police work and lots of information about what to many of us is a classic landmark, Route 66.
I've read them all and they just keep getting better.
Book Description
From the bestselling author of Sleepers and former writer/producer of Law & Order comes another high-octane New York City crime drama pulsing with energy. In Lorenzo Carcaterra’s Chasers, the street-smart and highly specialized cadre of renegade NYPD cops last depicted in his acclaimed novel Apaches returns in a new tale of action and suspense.
It’s 1985, and the city that never sleeps is about to wish it had stayed in bed. The heinous machine-gun murder of innocent bystanders in a Manhattan restaurant shocks all five boroughs. The brutal slaying propels the surviving members of the Apaches–controversial, take-’em-down, outside-the-law ex-cops–into investigating a Colombian drug cartel responsible for distributing millions of kilos of cocaine on American shores.
Along for the harrowing ride with Boomer, Dead-Eye, and Reverend Jim are three new Apaches: Ash, a wounded female Hispanic cop who specializes in arson investigations; Quincy, an HIV-positive recruit who’s a forensics expert; and a retired police dog named Buttercup, a Neapolitan bullmastiff who is no ordinary animal but a gold-shield detective, highly decorated for his skills at sniffing out illegal drugs. Now this dedicated team will become Chasers, working multiple cases that will converge into one explosive, all-out street war.
They will face a gallery of formidable enemies: Quinones, a mysterious and deadly assassin; the Boiler Man, a killer as ruthless as he is cunning; Angel, a former priest turned cartel boss, determined to end his career as the richest drug baron in the world; and the G-Men, a band of dealers and doers determined to maintain their iron grip on the cocaine trade–no matter how much blood is spilled.
Fueled by Lorenzo Carcaterra’s adrenaline-rush prose and peopled with uncommon heroes and merciless crime lords tearing through city streets, Chasers proves to be this acclaimed author’s most intense novel to date.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Waste Your Time.......2007-05-10
I've read some very well written books by Lorenzo Carcaterra but "Chasers" is not one of them. The story was impossible to follow, the dialogue all sounded the same...all of it too hip for the room... and every character's introduction was hampered by a backstory that detracted from the pace and continuity of the book. And this is some of the 'better' apsects of the novel.
After making it through about 70 pages I put the book down, regretting the $25 plus dollars I shelled out to be bored and disappointed.
1.2 pounds of pure dreck.......2007-05-04
I NEVER throw away a book, especially before I've finished, until "Chasers." The dialogue in this book is probably the worst I've ever read; every character sounds the same, they all take two paragraphs to speak a simple thought and the dialogue is so stilted it sounds like Shakespearean actors doing a SNL skit. Laughably bad. Try reading the dialogue aloud...
Overall, I found "Chasers" to be frustrating to read, found myself grinding my teeth in parts. Wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
For good crime fiction, try T. Jefferson Parker, Robt. Crais, the gteat Lee Child or any of a dozen more. This guy Carcaterra is a wanna be.
Chasers.......2007-04-26
An exciting and well-written book that I highly recommend.
I could not put it down and the ending is climactic. If you like the gritty world of cops and criminals you want to read this one.
"If luck is still running our way, he'll laugh until he dies.".......2007-04-23
The Apaches are back in 1985 Manhattan, Carcaterra's coterie of disaffected, disabled former cops, all forced by numerous injuries to retire on disability, the cold fire of vengeance temporarily banked. Both street-smart and street-weary, these ex-cops have seen it all and survived their wounds, at least the visible ones, their coping skills somewhat frayed. When the innocent niece of Giovanni "Boomer" Frontieri is caught in gang crossfire, he decides to cut to the heart of the matter and take out those responsible, even if it means open warfare with the strongest contenders on the street, the Columbians, the G-Men, or Father Angel, a cold-hearted ex-priest. Soon the others gather around their partner, stylized heroes all: Dead-Eye, Rev. Jim, Quincy, Ash, even a disabled drug-sniffing dog. Laying the groundwork for their vigilante assault on the vermin who prey on the streets of Manhattan, they all know the risks and arrange for a little backup from the Russian mob.
The author takes his time building the story, the characters introduced one by one in their natural surroundings, drug dealers, hit men, the Apaches. But for all the death and violence on the streets of New York, the almost oblivious continuation of inter-gang warfare, a blueprint for a convulsive collision of drug lords and Apaches, the characters are emotionally disengaged. So carefully has the author built this house of cards that none of the protagonists (Boomer, Dead-Eye, Rev. Jim, Ash, or Quincy) are accessible as living, breathing actors on a particularly brutal stage. The full-court press of predictable bad guys, assassins, the Boiler Man, Angel, the G-Men and a Russian mob queen, are the usual stereotypes, conscienceless killers. That spark of passion that allows a reader to root for the good guys is strangely absent, but for a final twist at the end. Perhaps that is Carcaterra's point; when we become as violent as our opponents, even in pursuit of justice, there is no difference. Luan Gaines/2007.
dark shoot-em-up crime thriller.......2007-04-21
John Frontieri aka Boomer is an ex-cop with part of a lung missing but he is financially stable because he lives on three quarters of a pension with full health benefits. In 1982, he and other ex-cops who were injured and forced to retire formed the Apaches, a rogue police unit that went after and took down a drug queen and her entire posse. Three years later the Apaches with three new members are on the streets again to take down a South American drug lord, Angel who was a former priest before he turned to the dark side.
The reason Boomer and company, including Buttercup, a drug sniffing dog who can hold her own with the Apaches, wants Angel dead is because he ordered a hit on a couple of the G-men (Ceerzule brothers) in a restaurant and Boomer's niece was collateral damage. The new members are Ash a former arson investigator scared by a fire and Quincy who is in the early stages of AIDs. They manipulate the various crime lords having them at each others throats, accept help from the mob who wants a piece of Angel's turf and they take heavy chances that cost Angel big time. In the end, it is not their street smarts that determine the outcome but a little help from those on the wrong side of the law.
Many readers will wonder what the difference is between the Apaches and the criminals they battle and the answer is not much. Both cross the line into questionable activities as the Apaches act as judge, jury and executioners not paying attention to civil rights. Surprisingly, for such a dark shoot-em-up crime thriller Lorenzo Carcaterra has a way with characterization that brings an anchor of reality to the mix. Dark humor, characters that are shades of grey and the belief that any means to an end is good are the hallmark elements of CHASERS.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
An unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the men who protect us from the most frightening prospect of life in the age of terrorism"In my mind it's all business; I don't worry about my family, I don't worry about a function that I'm doing after work, I just worry about what's at hand. And what's at hand is that package." --Detective First Grade Joe Putkowski, NYPD Bomb SquadThe New York City Police Department Bomb Squad is the oldest such squad in the nation, founded in 1903. Each year its thirty-three members make more than two hundred stress-filled "bomb runs," in which they check suspicious briefcases, defuse hand grenades, and even respond to "art" projects constructed with real explosives. The public rarely sees these men -- and when they do, it's usually from a distance, telephoto pictures of helmeted figures in ninety-pound suits of Kevlar armor.Starting on December 31, 2003, in the heart of the New Year's Eve action in Times Square, journalists Richard Esposito and Ted Gerstein had exclusive access to the nation's most elite police unit for an entire year. Their often chilling, never-before-told tales from the front line provide an extraordinary view of the domestic war on terrorism.
Customer Reviews:
A must read for those interested in EOD........2007-09-11
As a military Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, I recommend BOMB SQUAD. The authors spent a year in the field with the NYPD BOMB SQUAD. The result is a narrative that strikes the right balance between history, human interest, and blowing stuff up. By the time I finished BOMB SQUAD I understood what it means to be a disposaleer in the Big Apple. I am particularly impressed and amazed with the number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that New York's Finest face on a regular basis. This book is a must read for anyone interested in EOD, police work, and homeland security. Thank you, Messrs. Esposito and Gerstein.
Boring, Boring, Boring.......2007-06-18
Mr. Gerstein should keep to writing for television. I was completely disappointed in this book. The character development was so minimal you really didn't care what happened to them. Each chapter jumps to a different era making a dry read that much harder. The writer was so constrained by the NYPD to NOT go into any details about bombs or methods to diffuse them the reader was left totally in the dark. While this book may have some minimal value to someone who is either obsessed with bomb squads or is directly connected to this one, for the rest of us this book is a bore. I had to consciously will myself each time to pick it up, hardly a page turner.
To make matters worse, the writer's political leanings are strongly to the right as he obviously is a big fan of the Patriot Act and has strong animosity towards former president Clinton. If you are a Fox News fan, you may enjoy this book.
day to day.......2007-04-11
great book as an emergency first responder in a haz mat specialty position I really enjoyed the story and could identify with the team in many ways.
I purchased this as a gift for my son........2007-04-06
I will wait until he reads the book. Therefore, I can't review it at this time.
A "must read" that's as important as it is informative.......2007-03-21
I knew this book was going to be a good read but I must admit I was greatly surprised to realize how important this book is. Not only is it a great history and peak inside the daily working of the NYPD Bomb Squad, but the fact, figures and observations of the many bomb technicians interviewed make you see the terrorism that has engulfed us for so long with fresh eyes. It's more informative than any Congressional hearing and I would wager that anyone reading this book is not only going to have an exciting read - my heart was racing - but is going to feel that reading this book was time and money well spent. I wish there were more books and authors like "Bomb Squad" and Richard Esposito and Ted Gerstein.
Book Description
INSIDE THE MOB.
INSIDE THE NYPD.
THE LAST GREAT MAFIA BOOK OF OUR TIME.
The Brotherhoods is the chilling chronicle of the shocking crimes of NYPD de-tectives Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito, notorious rogue cops found guilty in April 2006 of the ultimate form of police corruption -- shielding their criminal deeds behind their badges while they worked for the mafia. Their crimes include participation in the murders of at least eight men, kidnapping, and the betrayal of an entire generation of New York City detectives, federal agents, and prosecutors. "One of the most spectacular police corruption scandals in the city's history," proclaimed the New York Times in its front-page coverage of the jury's verdict.
This gripping, true-life detective story is remarkable for its psychological intrigue, criminal audacity, and paranoid, blood-soaked fury. Written by prize-winning journalist Guy Lawson and William Oldham, the brilliant detective who quietly and relentlessly investigated the rogue cops for seven years, The Brotherhoods provides unparalleled access to the secretive workings of both the NYPD and organized crime -- their hierarchies, rituals, and codes of conduct.
Sprawling from Manhattan to Las Vegas to Hollywood, this incredible story features wiseguys, hit men on the lam, snitches, cops on the take, girlfriends who should know better, a crooked accountant, corrupt jewelers, streetwise detectives, flamboyant defense attorneys, ice-cool prosecutors, a distinguished federal judge, and a gallery of other unforgettable characters, many hiding secrets they are afraid to reveal.
In yet another turn of events, in June 2006 a federal judge vacated the convictions on statute of limitations grounds, even as he cited overwhelming evidence that Caracappa and Eppolito had committed "heinous and violent crimes." The U.S. Attorney's Office, which had won the convictions, has appealed the ruling. The conviction of the two men by a jury and the judge's reiteration of their guilt underscore the amazing story of The Brotherhoods.
Destined to rank with such modern crime classics as Serpico, Donnie Brasco, and Wiseguy, this quintessential American mob tale goes to the hearts of two brotherhoods -- the police and the mafia -- and the two cops who belonged to both.
Customer Reviews:
Four Stars........2007-10-14
It's more like a bad road through an interesting place. The subject is fascinating, but it's not a page flipper. And that's because of the book's organization. It shoulda been divided into Parts with distinct themes and characters. If it was easier to read I'd give it 5 stars.
Under construction?.......2007-10-02
I must agree with reviewer/reader maskirovka in that this book takes liberties not with facts, but with narrative tense and editing. This is not really the story about the infamous mafia cops ( we have to read to almost page 120 to begin the biography of one of the killer detectives ) as much as it is the story of the cop who chased them. Oldham's publishers probably thought we had read enough about supercops fighting the mob and police corruption. The idea of another Serpico or Donnie Brasco was probably a hard sell. Regardless, what we really get is a biography on Oldham and his career in law enforcment. The case of the mob cops was simply the one that he obsessed with the most and that was most infamous. Oldham's writer/partner Lawson is no Truman Capote either. His device of using quotations for some of Oldham's first person narratives are questionable, given the fact that THE WHOLE BOOK is really a first person narrative from Oldham's persepctive. We can imagine Oldham in Hollywood shopping this story to the major film studios. Here's a question for him. "If any of the living criminal characters in your book with a vowel at the end of their name agreed to attend a luncheon with you and a movie producer, just to add an air of credibilty, would you bring them along?" Hmmm.
The Brotherhoods.......2007-09-26
A riveting account of two rogue cops who freelanced themselves to the Luchese crime family for years and got away with it until a cadre of dedicated investigators compiled the evidence to put them away. The book gives a detailed description of day to day life in the NYPD and the mob. Martin Scorcese should be looking for a cast for a blockbuster movie.
Jane Harvey.......2007-05-25
I happen to just love the work that these two guys did on this book about Lou Eppolito and the other bad cop. I am in the book on pages 358 throu 364 I am Jane McCormick. I had dealing with Mr Eppolito for 3 years. He was a good con man and he conned $45,000 from me . He said if you cant trust a cop who can you trust! Jane harvey was the name I used in Vegas. I am writting my true life story. It is already done but it is being edited now and will be plublished in a few mos. I am hopping to get it on this wonderful web site soon.I have a wonderful writer that is writing But this book will tell it as it really was in Vegas in the 60s and 70s
Parallel, intertwined brotherhoods on either side of the law.......2007-04-19
Lawson and Oldham's narrative is the story of parallel, intertwined brotherhoods on either side of the law--the New York City Police Department and the five Mafia families of the 1980's and early 1990's. It is subtitled "The True Story of Two Cops Who Murdered for the Mafia." The cops in question are Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito. The story, however, belongs to NYPD detective William Oldham, one of the co-authors of the book. Oldham was a in the police brotherhood with Caracappa and Eppolito, admiring first grade detective Caracappa's work in the organized crime unit from a distance, and puzzling at Eppolito's flaunting of police department regulations about fraternizing with mafia members.
Oldham made his way through the ranks of the NYPD with a wary eye on the Caracappa/Eppolito duo. Eppolito retired in the early nineties and published a tell-all memoir about his association with the mafia, bragging about brutal take-downs and his delight at being in bed with the wise guys. Caracappa was a figure in the tell-all memoir, and retired shortly thereafter to keep his pension an avoid the inevitable NYPD Internal Affairs investigation
Luchese family boss Gaspipe Casso turned state's evidence in the mid-nineties and confessed all to the FBI and NYPD in exchange for placement in the witness protection program. He had dirt on the Luchese family and other mobsters which rivaled the confessions of Sammy the Bull Gravano. A common thread in all his stories was "the crystal ball" (or "the cops"), a pair of crooked cops, one from the Major Case Squad, who helped Casso rise to mythical levels within his crime family. "The cops" fed Casso dirt on who had turned into an informant, swept cases against made men under the rug, gave warnings about take-downs, and even murdered under mafia orders. Casso was once removed from his crystal ball, but after Eppolito's tell-all memoir was published, he had a good guess about the identities of "the cops" who made him such a success as a mafia boss.
Detective Oldham then made it his mission to take down these crooked cops, who by the end of the nineties were retired in a comfortable lifestyle in the Las Vegas area. Lawson and Oldham's book is as much the story of police detectives Oldham, Caracappa, and Eppolito as it is a history of the mafia in New York over the last three decades. The authors describe the genesis of the RICO legal statutes and its implications for both the cops pursing the mafia and the district attorney indicting criminals. The book also addresses the changes in the openness of mafia membership after the 1950's and the disintegration of the code of honor and ethics in favor of straight-up thug killings and bloodshed.
The Brotherhoods expertly tells the facts of official and unofficial mafia and police action over a two-decade period without getting overly bogged down in technical specifics. This could easily read like a detective blotter, but Guy Lawson spins a compelling tale of the wide web of individuals affected by the actions of two crooked NYPD cops. A "cast of characters" prefacing the book is an indispensable reference to the police, mobsters, and victims of this story.
Amazon.com
When William Bratton was a year and a half old, his mother caught him directing traffic in the street out front of their Boston home. From that moment on, it seemed destined that he would become a cop. In this book, Bratton and his coauthor, Peter Knobler, chronicle Bratton's career, focussing particularly on his efforts to revitalize Boston's and New York City's police departments. Bratton rose quickly through the ranks of the Boston Police Department, where he pioneered community policing and cleaned up the city's subway system. As New York's transit-police chief, he cracked down on minor offenses like turnstile jumping on the theory that the people who commit more serious crimes underground also commit smaller ones. It worked. Finally, Bratton realized his dream of becoming America's top cop: the New York City Police Commissioner. The city's crime rate dropped over 10 percent a year during Bratton's brief tenure as top cop, until Mayor Giuliani's administration forced him out of the job in 1996.
In Turnaround, Bratton describes the police initiatives that led to these successes. Bratton and his peers used computer mapping to pinpoint crime hot spots and then cleaned up the areas using all the tools of law enforcement. One of the favored tools was "quality of life enforcement"--curtailing minor crimes like panhandling, squeegeeing, and prostitution in order to make the streets seem less inviting to worse criminals. Bratton made police commanders from all districts of the city accountable, requiring them to report on progress and problems in their locales, during frequent departmental meetings. Bratton is now a consultant to police departments across the nation, so, like it or not, his style of law enforcement may soon be coming to a city near you. This is not a page-turner or a masterful work of literature, but Bratton's ideas about curbing crime should be of interest to both those involved in law enforcement and regular people who are concerned about crime. --Jill Marquis
Book Description
When Bill Bratton was sworn in as New York City's police commissioner in 1994, he made what many considered a bold promise: The NYPD would fight crime in every borough...and win. It seemed foolhardy; even everybody knows you can't win the war on crime. But Bratton delivered. In an extraordinary twenty-seven months, serious crime in New York City went down by 33 percent, the murder rate was cut in half--and Bill Bratton was heralded as the most charismatic and respected law enforcement official in America.. In this outspoken account of his news-making career, Bratton reveals how his cutting-edge policing strategies brought about the historic reduction in crime.
Bratton's success made national news and landed him on the cover of
Time. It also landed him in political hot water. Bratton earned such positive press that before he'd completed his first week on the job, the administration of New York's media-hungry mayor Rudolph Giuliani, threatened to fire him. Bratton gives a vivid, behind-the-scenes look at the sizzle and substance, and he pulls no punches describing the personalities who
really run the city.
Bratton grew up in a working-class Boston neighborhood, always dreaming of being a cop. As a young officer under Robert di Grazia, Boston's progressive police commissioner, he got a ground-level view of real police reform and also saw what happens when an outspoken, dynamic, reform-minded police commissioner starts to outshine an ambitious mayor. He was soon in the forefront of the community policing movement and a rising star in the profession. Bratton had turned around four major police departments when he accepted the number one police job in America.
When Bratton arrived at the NYPD, New York's Finest were almost hiding; they had given up on preventing crime and were trying only to respond to it. Narcotics, Vice, Auto Theft, and the Gun Squads all worked banker's hours while the competition--the bad guys--worked around the clock. Bratton changed that. He brought talent to the top and instilled pride in the force; he listened to the people in the neighborhoods and to the cops on the street. Bratton and his "dream team" created Compstat, a combination of computer statistics analysis and an unwavering demand for accountability. Cops were called on the carpet, and crime began to drop. With Bratton on the job, New York City was turned around.
Today, New York's plummeting crime rate and improved quality of life remain a national success story. Bratton is directly responsible, and his strategies are being studied and implemented by police forces across the country and around the world. In
Turnaround, Bratton shows how the war on crime can be won once and for all.
Customer Reviews:
Easy read, important story by brillant but short-sighted cop.......2007-03-28
This book is very easy to read. In form, it is an autobiography of the man who modestly dubs himself "America's top cop." Humility is not one of Bill Bratton's vices.
The book flows very easily. It tells you enough about Bratton's life to give the book some structure, but it is not a personal book. It is a book about policing.
The argument of the book is like those old "Before" and "After" photos in the weight-loss ads. The "Before" in this case is the bloated, ineffective police bureacrats who did not have a clue what crime was going on in their city and whose mantra was risk avoidance. The "After" is the nimble, computer-assisted, result-driven police department brought into creation by Bratton at the New York Police Department.
Rudy Guiliani is the one of the villains of the piece. According to Bratton, Rudy never did one damm thing right, except for hiring him. It was all Bratton, doing heroic police work, while that drama queen Rudy ineffectively tried to steal all of the Top Cop's headlines. In the end, the Top Cop would have ended crime completely in New York City -- completely eradicated it -- except that Rudy got so jealous of the Top Cop's book deal and what not that the snake Rudy gave Top Cop the boot, in a underhanded way of course.
I, of course, have no personal knowledge of any of this, so I can not say who was right and who was wrong. To an outsider, it seems pretty obvious that both Rudy and the Top Cop have egos big enough for fifteen ordinary people. It also seems that, for all of Bratton's brillance and success as a cop, he forgot who his boss was. Given how many battles Rudy was fighting with the New York Times, the ACLU and the liberal establishment to let Bratton do his thing, I think that Bratton massively underrates Rudy's contribution to their joint enterprise. Bratton seems to think that cops can just do policing all by themselves, in a vacuum. The truth, of course, is that the average mayor would have fired Bratton after the first thunderous New York Times editorial denoncing police brutality. While Top Cop could not see this, he could not have done anything without Rudy backing him ceaselessly and running endless interference for him with his real enemies, the liberals who hated everything that he did.
Better than Giuliani's Book.......2005-09-26
This reviewer has no insight into how much of the book was written by Bratton and how much was written Knobler. Regardless, this book is a quick and delightful read. The language is rough and informal as one might expect from a police chief turned author, but is written with enough balance that it could be used a textbook for a criminology class. Assuming that Knobler had a major hand in this book, this reviewer intends to seek out his other books to see if they are as excellently written.
Having recently read Giuliani's book, it is striking how much less ego is in this book than in Giuliani's book which covers many of the same events and initiatives. Additionally, there are many striking differences of fact in this book and Giuliani's. Not just the discussions of personalities and why different folks were moved around or fired, but very specific things such as the level of computerization in COMPSTAT and the timing of the "rollout" of different initiatives. All things being equal, this reader would tend to believe the Bratton version of events since he was working these issues much closer than the Mayor would have been.
The book is not a true biography of Bratton. It has a short biographical section which is primarily structured to discuss why he became a cop and how his philosophy to criminology was developed. Then the book talks about Bratton's initiatives as the highest uniformed officer at Boston, as head of the transit police in NYC, as head of the Boston police, and finally his crowning triumph as Commissioner of NYPD.
To be completely honest, this reviewer has little interest in police matters. This book was read as a research project for a scholar I work with. Despite this lack of background, I found some very interesting ideas outlined in this book. First, large institutions - Governmental Bureaucracies, military, police - tend to become monolithic and exclusive. This means that members of those organizations, in order to avoid stagnation and collapse as society changes around them, must constantly scan the outside world to lift the best ideas and procedures available. Second, American nature is fascinated and compelled by change and innovation. To sell ideas and make the folks doing the work feel involved and have ownership, one might consider selling the ideas often as innovation even if they are more evolutionary than revolutionary. Finally, Bratton and Giuliani ultimately did quite a bit of damage to both the general population of NYC and the NYPD because of their huge egos. After reading this book, I am willing to believe that Giuliani had the larger share of fault in this, but the there is plenty of blame for both in this case.
Many will say that Bratton just rode the wave of national crime reduction. Some of the things they might cite as the real cause of the crime reduction might be: (1) the graying of America's general population. (2) The shift from Crack (a stimulant) to Heroin (a depressant). (3) The availability of cheap and legal abortions essentially killed the poor and disadvantaged before they had the opportunity to grow to adulthood and become criminals. (4) The decrease in crimes in NYC was simply a reflection of the statistical decrease of crime across the nation. While there is a grain of truth in all of these, they miss the point. NYC far exceeded the national average in crime reduction. Additionally, NYC is such a large population that they were a significant factor in the nation-wide reduction numbers. One need only look at cities like Washington DC or New Orleans to see that not all cities experienced reduced crime during this period. Therefore, the Bratton's policies must have had a significant role in crime reduction in addition to the elements discussed above.
Of course, part of the reason that this book was written was to help Bratton with his public speaking and consulting business that he started after leaving NYPD. However, that fact does not detract from its usefulness. Additionally, it must be noted that Bratton has recently returned to public service as Police Commissioner at LAPD. It will be interesting to see what initiatives he develops in that much different environment and how effective his "old" techniques developed at Boston and NYC will be in an environment that is much different both culturally and geographically.
In summary, this is an excellent book. I highly recommend it for folks interested in leadership, innovation, criminology, or the recent history of NYC. This book is better than Giuliani's both in terms of the writing and its usefulness.
A New Paradigm in Police Leadership.......2004-11-25
I have been teaching college level police management courses since 1976. I began to cite Bratton's tactics and leadership style in my lectures after he appeared in TIME and predicted that his name will be in police text books in the near future along with other heavyweights. Sure enough, in John Dempsey's "Introduction To Policing" (second edition) Bratton's COMPSTAT efforts are cited on pages 24-25. What is surprising to me are the negative reviews posted on this Amazon review section. They apparently have no clue on the nature of social disorder fostered in the "Broken Window" syndrome embraced by Bratton and integrated into his crime-specific targeting tactics of COMPSTAT. And yes crime did decrease in the nation during that period but that had nothing to do with targeting the notorious "window wipers" and recently paroled ex-cons (read the book to learn about these police tactics). I wonder if the negative reviewers are part of the traditional set that resisted needed change in how police do business? But I respect Bratton for his leadership style. Talk to New York transit cops who got new radios, Glocks and black leather jackets. Those little things mean a lot to street cops and that's what bonds them to their leaders. And, after being on the job only for a few weeks, he goes into the NYPD precinct to personally supervise the arrest of the cocaine cops then faced the cameras holding up the badges telling the city that the badge numbers will never be used again forever. It is a leadership paradigm that others wish they had thought of first. Of course, his detractors will call it grandstanding. If they know so much, how come they never got to be top cop of Boston, NYPD or LAPD?
I'm a believer.......2003-02-03
I decided to read this book when Bill Bratton
was hired as Chief of Police in Los Angeles.
This book reads like an autobiography, from Bratton's
childhood in Boston, until after his falling out with
Guiliani. Through his experiences, I learned a lot
about police work.
Critics say that Bratton's success in New York was
concurrent with a nationwide drop in crime (presumably
due to a strong economy) and thus isn't such a big deal.
Cheap shot. This book explains how a well managed
police effort absolutely has an effect on crime.
Bratton has a strong track record of accomplishment,
turning around the MBTA Police (Massachusetts Bay Transit
Authority), the Metropolitan Police (now part of the
Massachusetts State Police), the New York Transit
Police, Boston Police, and NYPD.
Bratton believes in the Broken Windows theory, i.e.
that acceptance of petty crime creates an environment
that breeds more serious crime. (The slippery slope
argument.) He also believes in analysis of crime
statistics, by location/time/etc. to determine how
to deploy police resources: originally pins on
a map, eventually growing in to the famous CompStat.
Having lived in the Boston area for many years, the
references to different parts of the city where he
worked, and to various people (Mayors, police officials,
etc.) made the book all the more interesting for me.
Also, Bratton talks about a book called Your Police
which he checked out of the library as a boy; I remember
checking that same book out of the library when I was
around 8-years old. (Although I've always had a strong
interest in it, I didn't pursue a career in law enforcement.).
Bratton certainly has his work cut out for
him in Los Angeles. The LAPD has been plagued by
scandal, inept leadership, and (not surprisingly)
low morale and high employee turnover. And crime
is pervasive -- from reckless driving, littering
and graffiti, to gang drive-by shootings.
After reading this book, I am convinced that
Bratton is exactly what L.A. needs, and I applaud
Mayor Hahn for having the spine to hire the
most qualified person for the job, despite all
of the political pressure to make an appointment
based on race.
Better Lucky than Good.......2002-10-21
Bill Bratton is an accomplished police manager. He proved himself an excellent police chief in several agencies. He is not, however, a miracle worker. The innovations Bratton introduced into the NYPD coincided with the largest drop in crime in the nation's history. The drop started in 1991, accelerated in 1994 (the official starting date for Bratton's organizational changes) and culminated by 1998 with the national crime rate at its lowest point since the 1960's. This happened nation-wide and a number of departments other than New York City experienced record declines in crime. The real tragedy in New York is that Bratton believes they actually validated the Broken Windows theory of crime control. In fact, had he implemented these strategies in 1984 instead of 1994, the rising tide of crime would have made him appear foolish. Timing is everything and it really is better to be lucky than good.
Book Description
From the critically acclaimed author of Mr. Timothy comes an ingenious tale of murder and revenge, featuring a retired New York City detective and a young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe.
At West Point Academy in 1830, the calm of an October evening is shattered by the discovery of a young cadet's body swinging from a rope just off the parade grounds. An apparent suicide is not unheard of in a harsh regimen like West Point's, but the next morning, an even greater horror comes to light. Someone has stolen into the room where the body lay and removed the heart.
At a loss for answers and desperate to avoid any negative publicity, the Academy calls on the services of a local civilian, Augustus Landor, a former police detective who acquired some renown during his years in New York City before retiring to the Hudson Highlands for his health. Now a widower, and restless in his seclusion, Landor agrees to take on the case. As he questions the dead man's acquaintances, he finds an eager assistant in a moody, intriguing young cadet with a penchant for drink, two volumes of poetry to his name, and a murky past that changes from telling to telling. The cadet's name? Edgar Allan Poe.
Impressed with Poe's astute powers of observation, Landor is convinced that the poet may prove useful—if he can stay sober long enough to put his keen reasoning skills to the task. Working in close contact, the two men—separated by years but alike in intelligence—develop a surprisingly deep rapport as their investigation takes them into a hidden world of secret societies, ritual sacrifices, and more bodies. Soon, however, the macabre murders and Landor's own buried secrets threaten to tear the two men and their newly formed friendship apart.
A rich tapestry of fine prose and intricately detailed characters, The Pale Blue Eye transports readers into a labyrinth of the unknown that will leave them guessing until the very end.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2007-10-18
Excellent historical mystery featuring Edgar Allen Poe. I could not put this book down. The author does a great job in creating real characters and a plot that builds suspense. The reports written by Poe in the book are written in Poe's literary style, making the character more believable. Interesting ending, too.
Worthy of Poe.......2007-10-07
A retired police detective is engaged to investigate a death at West Point Military Academy in 1830. Assisting him is a cadet--Edgar Allan Poe! The story is worthy of Poe in its style and macabre episodes. Like a Poe story, the book ultimately causes the characters and readers to question the limits of rationalism. This book brings surprises until the last page.
Thrillers don't get any better than this one!.......2007-09-29
Incredibly well-written and exceedingly clever (plus, the best opening line in years). You will not be disappointed.
Strange format (all dialogue in form of written communication), overly long, interesting denouement.......2007-08-11
The story has Poe as a "fourth-classman" (a plebe) at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York
in the year 1831. (In real life, Poe did attend the Academy in 1831 but was expelled for neglect of
duty before the year was out.) In this book the murder of a cadet has taken place on the
Academy's grounds for which the Academy's superintendent calls in a former police detective
from the New York City force, now retired and living in a small village near West Point, to find
the killer. Not only was the cadet murdered by being hung from a tree, but his heart had been cut
out and taken away. Two other murders under the same circumstances follow.
Because the young Poe is described in the novel as something of a weirdo given to scampish
behavior, the detective, whose name is Gus Landor, soon makes his acquaintance and (with the
reluctant acquiescence of the Academy's superintendent) enlists him as a junior aide in solving the
murders.
There is merit to much of the novel. Providing an authentic atmosphere to a special place at a time
175 years in the past--in this case, the Military Academy at West Point in 1831--by a present-
day author is not easily done. Bayard does well in this respect. He also makes the detective
Landor into an unflappable fellow--a trait which allows him to keep his cool when engaged with
some of the military brass and their hidebound attitudes. (Likewise, as a widower, Landor has no
trouble accepting the sexual favors of a buxom barmaid who lives nearby.) However, with Poe,
the author is a bit less successful in projecting his character--he at times stretches too far in
making him a roguish devil-may-care upstart.
But the book does have its shortcomings. The first is its length--in my opinion, 414 pages is far
too long for detective fiction; I prefer no more than around 200 pages. There is a lot of filler
(numerous encounters between various characters that add little to the flow of the story) that
could better have been excised. However, scanning many of the pages to skip over the filler, but
yet keep track of the story, was fairly easy.
Another fault is that the entire story consists of written reports, letters, testaments, etc. by
Landor and by Poe: "Last Testament of Gus Landor April 19th, 1831" (the opening chapter),
"Narrative of Gus Landor November 1st to November 2nd", "Report of Edgar A. Poe to
Augustus Landor November 16th" are examples. To have characters going through an entire
story just writing such texts (although conversations are reported in the texts) strains the credulity
of the reader.
The denouement comes in two parts. So as not to give away the endings, I can only say so much
about them. The first part is very much third rate--it could have come from one of Edgar
Wallace's stories or from a Stephen King potboiler. The second part, however, is interesting. It is
in the same style as a particular one of Agatha Christie's whodunits, which was criticized by some
critics but which I liked.
An enjoyable mystery..........2007-08-10
In general, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I thought it was suspenseful, intriguing and well written. I did find it to be a tad "wordy" and maybe 50 pages too long, but my interest never wavered and I was surprised by the nice little twist at the end. I've always been partial to mysteries set in the past and this didn't disappoint. A four star recommendation.
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