BookOpinion

Holly Peterson, daughter of billionaire Peter Peterson, has made her debut as a novelist with the recently released book, The Manny. The book gets its title when a Park Avenue mother/television producer with three children hires a 30-year-old male nanny — a “manny” — to take over some dad duties from her busy lawyer husband, who isn’t an attentive father. BookOpinion has compiled reviews, a video interview and an excerpt from the book.

“Even though this book is fiction,” says Peterson in the video interview below, “and there is a narrative that is fictional, the background of it is based on things that actually happened.”

USA Today adds, “Holly is in the position to give an insider’s view of life among the plutocrats of New York: the private planes, the gorgeous trophy wives for whom personal grooming is a full-time profession, the ultra-exclusive schools, the ferocious competition in money, staff, spending, kids, appearance and handbag one-upmanship.”

Publisher’s Weekly summarizes the plot of The Manny: “Jamie Whitfield, 36, lives on Park Avenue with her three children and her mostly absent high-powered attorney husband, Phillip, and works part-time as a producer for a prime-time news program. She hires Peter Bailey—29 and biding his time until he get funding for his software business—to plug the household’s gaps and be a father figure to nine-year-old Dylan. The two, of course, are attracted to each other, and when Peter’s money comes through, he doesn’t tell Jamie. Phillip’s temper tantrums when lacking pulpless orange juice or a wooden-handled umbrella are surprisingly funny, and a subplot where Jamie chases a trashy but potentially career-making story is strong. Jamie’s co-workers are more realistically portrayed than her shallow friends, but even Jamie’s children come alive when they root for mom’s success.”

The Manny is currently listed in the top 50 of Amazon’s bestselling new releases. Check out the 4-minute interview with Holly Peterson below. We’ve also found an excerpt of the book, as well.

Here are the current Top 10 bestselling fiction books on eBooks.com. All of these are available for instant download.

1. Touch of the Wolf
By: Karen Whiddon

2. Mass Effect - Revelation
By: Drew Karpyshyn

3. Cross
By: James Patterson

4. The 5th Horseman
By: James Patterson

5. The Road
By: Cormac McCarthy

6. Dark Lover
By: J.R. Ward

7. The Medici Dagger
By: Cameron West

8. 1st to Die
By: James Patterson

9. Killing Floor
By: Lee Child

10. Bad Luck and Trouble
By: Lee Child

Also, for the month of June, eBooks.com has told us they are giving 20 percent off purchases of books in the following categories:

• Biography
• Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Photography
• Technology

Titles such as the recent biography of Einstein by Walter Isaacson or George Tenet’s “At the Center of the Storm” are available for the discount. To receive the special offer, use this coupon code: Categorysalecp and click here to go.

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: I would like to introduce you to Jacqueline Winspear, the author of the Maisie Dobbs novels and a winner of the coveted Agatha Award. Winspear, originally from the United Kingdom, has created a compelling, fascinating heroine in the person of Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and private investigator. Maisie’s fascinating past and gift for looking beyond the obvious quickly draw the reader into complete absorption of the story being told.

In the latest novel, “Messenger of Truth,” Maisie is confronted with a fascinating case involving Nicholas Bassington-Hope, a famous and somewhat controversial artist who is about to open his new exhibit at the famous Mayfair Gallery. Unfortunately, Nicholas insists upon creating the arrangement of his paintings by himself and in the process, falls to his death from the scaffolding that he himself built. Naturally, the police conclude that the entire incident was an accident and proceed to close the case.

Enter Georgina, famous WWI journalist of some renown, and twin to Nicholas. Dissatisfied with the police investigation, Georgina consults with Maisie Dobbs in the hope that Ms. Dobbs will be capable of identifying the murderer of her beloved brother and the motive which drove someone to such a heinous crime. When Maisie questions Georgina regarding the reasons for investigating a case that the police have closed, Georgina states that she “feels” something is wrong. She has no evidence, no obvious reason, just a feeling. Intrigued, Ms. Dobbs agrees to take on this difficult case.

This is a dark journey that Maisie has undertaken, but with her usual determination and applying her own unique method, she begins to unearth bits of information and tantalizing clues that the police may have overlooked. Was Nicholas murdered? Or is this just the cry of a bereaved family member? And why would Maisie take a case based on someone’s feelings? Is there something in Maisie’s past that has influenced her to become emotionally involved in this case?

The Maisie Dobbs novels provide a fascinating look into the dark ambiance of the late 1920s and early ‘30s of post war London. Every case is unique, extremely complex and the methods utilized by Ms. Dobbs to reach the truth are unorthodox, to say the least.

“Messenger of Truth” was not my favorite Jacqueline Winspear novel but it is certainly a great read and well worth the time spent unraveling a complicated story. I think the most enticing signature of the Jacqueline Winspear novels is the characters themselves. Be sure to begin your introduction of Maisie Dobbs with the first novel…it explains the background of Maisie in great detail and is a beautifully, crafted work. Every character is brought to light with a delicate, thoughtful hand and the stories are woven around the players in great detail.

If you are a fan of a well written, English mystery and love the flair and sophistication of the early 20th century, then you are really going to enjoy reading the Maisie Dobbs books.

– Elizabeth Channery

The audio version of this book is also available for instant download at these sites:

Continuing our reviews of the various online booksellers…

A1Books is a bargain outlet for new and used books in all categories. It is easy to find steep discounts on a title you are searching for. The online bookstore carries more than a million titles, including new and used books. A1Books has been selling books online since 1995, and more than 2.5 million customers have been served.

BookOpinion Says:

The BookOpinion staff found A1Books to be one of the better bookseller sites on the web. Whether it be the latest thriller, biography or just a good cookbook, A1Books is a one-stop online bookstore that provides you with a variety of discounts on new and used titles from multiple sellers. For example, you cou can find used Harry Potter books for just 75 cents. Be sure to look at reviews on the third-party sellers before you make a purchase.

Also, check out the Bestsellers categories as well as the Showcase of the Month section found on the A1Books home page.

Site Ease of Use: The drill down on the side navigation is a little tricky as you call up too many books on a single click. Other than that, the site functions smoothly and you can search by text easily. Once you select a book you are interested in, you can see the range of prices that the book is available for from the different sellers of new and used titles. Go to A1Books.com and begin shopping by simply clicking on a category or entering words into the search box.

More Company Details
What A1Books Says:
“We are one of the largest Amazon marketplace partners and one of the deepest discount booksellers online today. A1Books delivers over 1 million titles ranging from bestsellers to textbooks to technical books like medical and law books at the lowest prices. You will find up to 50% OFF on books.” READ MORE

Martin Cruz Smith, the author of Wolves Eat Dogs and Gorky Park, released his newest novel to bookstores this month. Stalin’s Ghost, another of his Arkady Renko novels, revisits the Renko character in this Russian police procedural. The book is now listed in the top 25 of Amazon’s new releases.

The L.A. Times writes of Stalin’s Ghost, “…just three years since Renko’s appearance in “Wolves Eat Dogs” found him solving crimes in the radioactive wasteland of Chernobyl, Smith has come up with one of his most accomplished performances yet and, as with each of its predecessors, takes what in essence is a police procedural and elevates it to the level of absorbing fiction.”

Publishers Weekly summarized the plot: “Moscow-based Senior Investigator Arkady Renko, in his outstanding sixth outing (after Wolves Eat Dogs), investigates a murder-for-hire scheme that leads him to suspect two fellow police detectives, Nikolai Isakov and Marat Urman, both former members of Russia’s elite Black Berets, who served in Chechnya. Isakov, a war hero, is now running for public office. Renko must also look into reports that the ghost of Stalin has begun appearing on subway platforms and why several bodies of Black Berets who served in Chechnya with Isakov have turned up in the morgue. Despite repeated threats to his life, Renko stubbornly perseveres, seeking justice in a land that has no official notion of that concept.”

Booklist comments on the Renko character: “From Gorky Park onward, this series has always been about the perils of digging: whether it’s bodies under the snow or radioactive facts that the powerful want to keep hidden, the treasures that Renko seeks always contain the seeds of his own destruction. But somehow digging his own grave is what keeps Renko alive–and keeps us reading.

The Boston Globe recent ran some Q&A with Smith. Here’s an excerpt:

Q. Is Arkady’s environment increasingly bleak?

A. With “Gorky Park” I thought I had done my Russian book. Then Russia changed. I couldn’t get back in, so I got on the factory ship, the Polar Star. I could sense that things were changing. Then at the end of “Red Square” there was great hope that things were coming together, a triumphant feeling. That has disappeared. Arkady is more and more thrown back on his own resources, which makes what he does all the more singular and dangerous.

Q. You literally couldn’t get back into the Soviet Union?

A. Literally. I was barred from the country. Years later, the captain of the factory ship showed me a book for Soviet citizens travel ing abroad that included a list of provocateurs. And there I was! Considering he knew that the KGB actually caught up with me in Dutch Harbo r [Alaska] and barred me from the Soviet ship, it shows some nerve on his part. Also he understood that things were changing.

Read Full Q & A

We’ve also dug up the opening to the Stalin’s Ghost. You may read the First Chapter here.

Audible.com has gathered together a list of the top audio books for dog lovers. These are fictional and true stories featuring man’s best friend:

1. A Dog’s Life
   by Ann M. Martin
2. It’s Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump
   by John O’Hurley
3. Sight Hound
   by Pam Houston
4. Marley and Me
   by John Grogan
5. James Herriot’s Favorite Dog Stories
   by James Herriot
6. From Baghdad, With Love
   by Jay Kopelman
7. Because of Winn-Dixie
   by Kate DiCamillo
8. A Coyote’s in the House
   by Elmore Leonard
9. Cesar’s Way
   by Cesar Millan
10. For the Love of a Dog
    by Patricia B. McConnell

Each of these is available for instant download at Audible.com.

“I died on that mountain, too, sir. I left a part of myself up there. I think about it every day. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t wake up or go to bed, if I do sleep and think about that,” said Marcus Luttrell on the Today Show talking about the events detailed his book “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10.” The book, based on a true story that happened in June of 2005, was just released.

Luttrell now second guesses a vote they took on the mountain to let go of two unarmed goat herders, whom they knew might give them up to the Taliban. One SEAL voted to kill them, one voted to let them go, one abstained and Luttrell was the deciding vote. He chose to let them go. Shortly later, they were surrounded by between 80-120 Taliban members, firing upon them with RPGs and mortars. Three Navy SEALs died, the largest loss of life in SEAL history. Luttrell was the only survivor.

Badly injured, Luttrell crawled seven miles through the mountains over the next four days. He fought off six Taliban assassins that were sent to finish him off. Eventually, he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, which risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers. They were following their own tribal laws by protecting him after they brought him into their huts.

Lone Survivor is the detailed account of what happened that day in June. “It is a tale of moral choices and of prejudices transcended,” writes the Washington Post. “It is also a reminder of how challenging it is to be a smart soldier, and how hard it is to be a good man.”