Calais Sands at Low Water art print by Joseph Mallord William Turner

May 25, 2008 | By Doug In William Turner |

Arona Lago Maggiore by Turner William, giclee print, 48 x 36
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“E-Book Extra: On Writing: An Interview with William Lashner

Attorney Victor Carl thought his client Joey Cheaps was a lowlife and a money-suck, but when Joey is brutally murdered, Victor sets out to find the killer. When he starts to uncover facts about a 20-year-old murder Victor himself becomes a target, and his life and future depend on finding a dead man and a murderer — and finding them fast.

It means something to be a client. It means he gets my loyalty, whether he deserves it or not. It means he gets my absolute best for the price of an hourly fee. It means in a world where every person has turned against him there is one person who will fight by his side for as long as there is a battle to be fought.
— Victor Carl

Author of the acclaimed novels Fatal Flaw, Bitter Truth, and Hostile Witness, bestselling writer William Lashner crafts dark, witty, engrossing tales of suspense involving one of the most intriguing characters of modern popular fiction: Victor Carl.

A defense attorney who lives his life in shades of gray, Victor Carl fights all the right fights for all the wrong reasons. With a failing legal practice, a dead-end love life, a pile of unpaid traffic tickets, and a talent for mixing it up in tough working-class bars and sparring with obstinate cops, Victor skates on the razor’s edge of legal ethics in search of the easy buck. But the one absolute in Victor’s life is loyalty, especially to a client — even if he happens to be dead. Like Joey Cheaps, a no-account who takes a knife to the throat down on the waterfront, but not before he shares with his lawyer his part in a terrible crime.

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Customer Review: Funny and engrossing
I picked up PAST DUE one night on a whim, knowing nothing about William Lashner or his reputation in the mystery genre. The cover caught my eye, and it looked thick, so being the type who prefers more of an epic story, I snatched it off the shelf and perused the first line. I was hooked. And the book took off from there. Lashner created a very funny anti-hero in Victor Carl, a sleazy Philadelphia lawyer intent on keeping his word to find a murdered client’s killer. Carl’s loyalty sees him encounter dangerous thugs of all types, from members of the Mafia to crooked politicians and judges, to drug dealers and their hangers-on. They all put Carl through the ringer, and do so in such smart and funny ways that many times I found myself laughing out loud at what transpired. The mystery is superb, keeping you guessing until the VERY end, and Carl’s occasional visits to his dying father in the hospital are funny and touching all at once. All the characters are drawn to perfection, too, making you believe in them and accenting the story with that much more poignancy. Lashner’s chapter endings are among the best I’ve ever read. So good, in fact, that I absolutely hated when I had to put the book down. So my only qualm with PAST DUE really only concerns the ending. Lashner has a ton of expectation riding on the climax, dispensing with the humor and getting serious as the end approaches. But then, in one fell swoop, everything turns comical again when we find out who’s behind it all and why. Needless to say, I felt let down, almost a bit cheated. Seems he wanted to lighten the mood a bit prematurely. Nevertheless, I still heartily recommend PAST DUE for any mystery, suspense, or thriller enthusiast out there. The story’s a funny, intriguing romp that takes you through the highest courts in Philly to the seediest parts of its underbelly. Truly epic in scope, pick up PAST DUE for a good laugh and a good mystery.
Customer Review: Weak Follow-up to Previous Victor Carl Stories
I was greatly disappointed with this book that is lacking the dynamic and intriguing characters of previous Victor Carl books (Specifically, Hostile Witness). Also, I remember the tension and integrety questions of the previous book I mentioned as Victor takes money to basically railroad an innocent man, bankrupts another man, and sleeps with a key witness in a murder tria. I really had to push myself to get through this one. It is also lacking the great interaction with his partner Beth who was prevelent in previous efforts. I did not care about Joey “Cheaps” Parma and finding his killer nor did I find it the least bit interesting how Joey and his partner stole the suitcase. I compare Lashner to David Rosenfelt who has been writing Andy Carpenter stories. His books seem to keep the flow of the characters from book to book and all his follow-ups to his brilliant first novel were good in their own right. I hope Mr. Lashner really plans out his next Victor Carl effort or he will lose this reader.
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An inside look at “The King”, this documentary follows Elvis as he prepares for his big opening-night performance in Las Vegas paints Elvis as the master showman.
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Customer Review: Wonderful
DVD is excellent. Elvis performing and interacting with the audience is a lot of fun to watch. Also, it’s interesting to watch the process as he and the band/backup singers prepare for the Vegas show. Highly recommend.
Customer Review: Elvis - That’s the Way It Is
Elvis’ concert film of his Las Vegas act. Elvis had a way of owning the songs he sang. His movies made money but hurt his career. As the movies phased out, the era of the white jumpsuit began. Elvis dug in at the International Hotel in August, 1969. “Suspicious Minds” climbed to #1. He was back, giving The Beatles all they could handle. He performed at the International (now the Las Vegas Hilton) and did shows around the country for the next 8 years.
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Spectacular reproductions of Turner’s works, set in the context of the artist’s themes, ventures, and journeys in England and Europe.

J. M. W. Turner is one of the most famous—and most mysterious—of artists. His paintings are among the masterpieces of Western art, and the range of his work and the originality of his technique make him a giant. He kept his private life a secret, and his contradictory personality, his love of mystification, and his revolutionary manner of painting all fascinated his contemporaries and still arouse our curiosity today.

Andrew Wilton’s knowledge and enthusiasm uniquely qualify him to introduce us to the artist’s life, and he concentrates here on original sources: Turner’s writings, in the form of letters, notes, and verse; impressions recorded by his contemporaries; and reviews of his exhibited works. A comprehensive illustrated chronology covers Turner’s travels, exhibitions, and projects, and includes portraits of his friends and patrons, views of places with which he was associated, and works by other artists who played a crucial role in forming his style and thought.

• Revised and updated edition
• Now with color illustrations throughout (200 illustrations total, 150 in color)
• Forty-four works are new to the book
• Includes a recently discovered watercolor
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List Price: $60.00
Amazon Price: $37.80
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Customer Review: A comprehsive overview
Arranged chronologically the book is divided into six chapters; chapter one covers the first twenty five years of Turner’s life with the other five chapters covering ten years each. Well written and very readable the text provides an insight into Turner the man and Turner the artist, and includes numerous quotations from Turner and his contemporaries; it succeeds among other things in bringing alive the artist as a person. Concluding the book is an extensive Chronology; Inventory of the Late Residence of J.M.W. Turner; Turner’s Library; Bibliography; a detailed List of Illustrations and an Index. The book is fully illustrated throughout, with the images usually on or close to the page on which they are discussed. In total there are 186 illustrations of which 164 are in colour. The illustrations not in colour are mostly engravings and the like, period photographs or the work of other artists. The majority of the illustrations of Tuner’s work are full page (or as large as the picture format will allow on the page with a margin), with some full-page or page-and-half bleed images along with a few double page images. There are a few actual-size details of paintings; very informative. The quality of the pictures is excellent, often revealing the texture of the paint, and the colour very good. Very usefully each picture is accompanied by a brief description or commentary, but irritatingly not with the details of the pictures dimensions; surely with the great range in size of Turner’s work these should be included alongside the image, (there are of course to be found in the List of Illustrations). This is a large handsome volume, almost square in format, which provides a very good survey of the artist and his work. It covers all aspects of Tuner’s output, including his oils, water colours and examples from his sketch-books. The choice of work ranges from the very well known to the “I didn’t know Turner painted that!” Very interesting are the few examples of his very early work, including a water colour produced when he was about eleven years old. Providing as it does a comprehensive overview of the artist and his work, this is a very worthwhile publication.
Customer Review: turner in his time
I was very satisfied with my purchase. I was also impressed by the speedy delivery time from Amazon. Regards, Craig Taylor
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EVEN SINNERS HAVE SOULS edited by E.N. Joy features NOIRE, CHUNICHI, KASHAMBA WILLIAMS, B.L.U.N.T. AND NIKKI TURNER; These respected authorities have all come together for the first time ever, taking a break from penning their norm, to pen a piece of work that truly flowed from their spirits. In EVEN SINNERS HAVE SOULS, each gritty and profound story is told in a raw and real voice, luring the readers in by the poignant storylines, themes and the genuine talents and abilities of each of these prolific authors. The stories have characters who face the same struggles and tragedies that any other person growing up in the hood might endure, but what makes these stories phenomenal is the fact that although the characters might be living a dangerous, immoral and unacceptable lifestyle according to society’s standards, they are not so far gone that they can’t acknowledge the power of a higher being and a life changing moment that could alter their lives forever. Be prepared to be engaged, moved and compelled as in each tale you will see a side to these authors that you have never seen before. Do not expect what you are used to getting from these authors…expect the unexpected-EXPECT MORE!
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