Coma Books

Her parents overly protected Aurora Jacquard, but the twenty-one year old college student goes with her boy friend of four months Oliver to a Caribbean island where she plans to give him her virginity. In the middle of the sexual act, she suddenly falls into a deep coma.

Over the next few years, doctors have tried to awaken "Sleeping Beauty" with no success; none can fathom the cause. Aurora's mom keeps searching while her dad has tuned bitter and angry. The latest expert to arrive is neurologist Dr. Jacob White. However, he is surprised when she enters his dreams; he is stunned when Carrie the night nurse wakes him because Rory's brain monitor displayed new patterns for the first time since the coma began; finally he is shocked when they make love in his dreams. Jacob begins to believe that when he sleeps he enters a place where Rory is somehow locked away. As the cold scientist falls in love with his courageous patient, he knows he is out of his venue. He needs the help of his brother's former girlfriend, an NYU professor who practices voodoo if he is to awaken his Sleeping Beauty.

After modernizing Snow White (see CRAVE), Cathy Yardley does likewise to the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty. This time a voodoo queen plays the evil role and Jacob the neurologist plays the part of Prince Charming. Jacob's brother a psychiatrist adds to the sense of RAVISH occurring in New York. Ms. Yardley provides a contemporary adult version of the classic.

Harriet Klausner

This was truly a joy to read. I have not felt such emotion or imagined such people as I did reading this. I was left longing for more. Is there more????

I had been trying to get my son to read for months, trying out different authors and styles, and FINALLY, he read this book in three days, couldn't put it down.
Highly recommended.

This refreshing book by an international grandmaster is a delightful exercise in critical thinking. Comas revisits a large number of games and their interpretations by top chess authors, uncovering serious flaws and misleading lessons. I was for example struck by a remarkably bland analysis on the subject of the pair of bishop in Watson's celebrated "Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy". In this and many other positions, Comas demonstrates a much deeper understanding of strategy than earlier authors, whose analyses had been superficial at best. The book seems very helpful at developing a more independent approach to chess, which can only lead to a much more solid and creative comprehension of the game. I feel that this is the strongest point of the book, and an original contribution to chess literature. Interestingly, I always felt that grandmasters are far more adept to independent thinking than weaker player (even IMs!), and this book reinforces this impression. My argument is not that GMs, being stronger, are more likely to discover errors, or more willing to venture into unknown territory. Instead, I feel that being extremely critical (of your own play and of what others believe and write) is a necessary condition for truly mastering the game of chess. In this regard, I feel that the present book is complementary to Yermolinsky's "The Road To Chess Improvement", which I also highly recommend.

Besides making a very convincing case for critical thinking in chess, the book has a large number of revealing comments about chess literature (there are plenty of books and authors to avoid!). I also really enjoyed his chapter on little-known Russian chess masters. Comas argues that each of these remarkably strong players possessed a unique understanding of the game that seems lost or at least overshadowed by more popular players, which became World Champions or prolific writers. In conclusion, "True Lies In Chess" is a highly original book that would be a great addition to the library of any serious chess player. Note that this book is definitely not appropriate for beginners and intermediate players, since it assumes some good understanding of chess strategy. In contrast, players in Class B or above should find it fascinating.

Now faith is the subatance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. For without faith it is impossible to please him. The best book I have read in years. I was taught to believe in the miracle-working power of My Most High God. I was taught once again to believe in the impossible and watch God make it all possible.

My hope has been restored, and my faith renewed!! Thank you.

I am still thoroughly impressed each time I think of the effort and thought and pure genius imagination that must have gone in to creating this twisted, cerebral, and completely innovative story. Certainly not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach violence, rape, drugs, and other forms of abuse and deranged characters, this book is worth the read. There's nothing quite like it.

Although I didn't plow through this as quickly as I did "Trainspotting" and "Filth," it was still a spirited read. As usual, the focus is on characters who exhibit morally and/or socially reprehensible behavior and, as always, leads one to wonder how Welsh ever sold his stuff to a publisher in the first place. He remains, however, one of my top five favorite writers because he is inventive, he can turn a phrase and he will dare to go where many will not. Definitely not for the squeamish.

Irvine Welsh has been a lot of things to a lot of different people- some say he's the best thing to happen to British writing in a decade, some say he's just a flash-in-the-pan with uncouth sensibilities who writes thoughtless, violent stories about amoral scumbags. Say what you will about Welsh as a writer- be it that he's talented, sick, brilliant, strange or just plain nuts- but he is, and has never been, boring. Until now. "Marabou Stork Nightmares" is a colossal letdown after the one-two punch of "Trainspotting" and "The Acid House", a jumbled, convoluted tale about a repugnant [man] trawling his last moments away in a life that most closely resembles a bedridden hell. This is not the first first-person account of a psychopath that Welsh has written- see later, his aptly-titled "Filth"- but even at his worst, D.S. Bruce Robertson had a sort of perverse wit to him, while this story lacks anything short of coherence, wit, humor or even plot.

The protagonist of this brutish tale is Roy Strang, a bedridden criminal pissing the last moments of his sad life away in a bed, ready to die. As he slowly slips in and out of consciousness, Roy reflects on the family upbringing- that entailed rape, sexual molestation and the vicious abuse of his right-wing Uncle- that led him to this state. We see later in his life, as Roy attempts to straighten himself out, get a job and "choose life", as it were, but we continue to see that he cannot escape the sins of his past. All the while, he hunts the formidable African Predator the Marabou Stork- a personification of all the misery, evil, hatred, pain and badness in Roy himself- on a wild Safari in Africa, that ostensibly all takes place in Roy's morphine-and-depravity-addled brain.

The novel proves that Welsh can still pull plenty of tricks out of his proverbial hat when it comes to language- some of his bawdy, boy's-night-out Scottish dialogue still provokes a chuckle or two, while the disgusting gangrape scene towards the book's denouement is one of the more haunting I have read in recent memory. And yet, for all its mild pleasures, this book still sees Welsh falling majorly short of the mark, sinking into the endless mire of Roy Strang's egomaniacal fever dream. Consider this one a real "Nightmare".

From the author of Trainspotting, this story is told on three levels: the world around the main character in the hospital room where he lives in a coma, the flashbacks to his life in his mind, and the deeper dream world in which he and a fictitious friend hunt the terrible marabou stork. The main character is not a very likable fellow, and the story gets pretty hardcore at times, once making me physically sick. But if you like a book that has a visceral effect on you, as I do, this might do.

I found this book to be quite entertaining once I got into it. Welsh takes the reader into the mind of Roy Strang, a man who I could never imagine relating to, sympathizing with, or understanding. The dialogue is cool and not difficult to interpret. Welsh makes a good moral argument about powerlessness and the hatred it can bring into people's lives. The book's two victims, Roy himself and the woman he later brutally rapes, are both turned into violent souls seeking to regain the power that was stolen from them. I thought the rape scene went a bit far. What the main character does is just about the worst thing one human being can do to another. It's hard to believe that a person capable of such things is not pure evil. I warn anyone who may not want to read a detailed account of a brutal gang rape to not pick up this book. I question the ethics of writing such a scene, especially when you are a man. But that will be for you to think about. On Welsh's defence he makes every argument against the brutality of rape as well as the justice system's inability to protect women.
The ending is fascinating and worth debating about. All in all a recommended read.

When I finishing The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, I felt compelled to read After You'd Gone. Maggie O'Farrell is an incredible writer who is able to capture human emotion in a magnificent and poignant manner. What I really liked about this book is the way in which O'Farrell dealt with complex issues without over dramatizing them. The book packs a soft punch of wisdom regarding love, betrayal, grief and forgiveness

Little mysteries continually slipped in front of the reader, you must keep reading to find out. The biggest and best being, What could a person see in 4 minutes inside a bathroom that would make them suicidal?

And the best part...it all works out so tightly! Everything is plausible and satisfying, even if it isn't happy.

If you love your husband or wife, you will feel intense empathy for this love and magnificent grief.

Sometimes you meet the author through her prose, and you aren't impressed. Anyone can wax lovely about their fine feelings, and ply you with artistic details that don't move the story forward.

I did not feel this author, because her story was so damn good all I felt were the people she'd made and the world she'd set them in. If she wants to indulge in two pages of small details of lover's lives, by god she's earned it.

After you'd gone, is not a book to read if you are looking for a feel good book. I really enjoyed the way that the author wrote this book. Even though she skipped from character to character it was very easy to follow. This book is a tear jerker. The only thing I did not truly care for in the book was the ending. I think the ending should have had more to it.

Being an avid reader I'm always looking for a new author, and after reading Maggie O'Farrell's After You'd Gone, I was pleased that I'd managed to find another new interesting author to add to my "list".

I really enjoyed the flow of the story, the pace of the storyline and the character development. It made it very easy to get into the book and dig in. In addition, the writing was top-notch, and had me hooked from Chapter One, which I don't say often. I found myself really caring for the main character and then wondering what had happened to her to bring us to her present situation.

The ending was the perfect ribbon placed on top of the package. I was very happy with it and felt it did the story justice. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend and am planning on reading My Lover's Lover.

Love in all its forms: family love, lover's love, friend's love. Mix it up with loss, grief,and hatred turned to love and you have another masterpiece by the most exciting English author in the past eight years. The prose has won awards, but the real test of a genius is the emotion and learning that happens in the heart of the reader. Don't forget to tell your friends about this book after you read it. Use it for a book club group.

I haven't read very many books by Ted Dekker, but this one has me ready to read more. This book captured my attention from the very beginning, and I had a hard time putting it down! There were a couple of slow spots, but once I got past them, I was furiously turning the pages to see what would happen next.

I also liked that he co-wrote the book with a female writer. In my opinion, that helped give the book a softer edge even though it was suspense. To me, it seems that the topic of amnesia would be difficult to write about, but the Dekker/Healy team did it with ease. But don't think that this book is just about a girl that loses her memory. Throw in murder, an affair, human trafficking, corporate money laundering, and a stepmother that no one would like, and you've got one great story! I can't wait to read the next book that they'll be releasing!

I enjoyed some of Dekker's early books like Blink. Then he slid into what I'll call horror, and I stopped reading them. This one intrigued me. One, because it was co-authored, and two, the title piqued my interest. Kiss had the threads of a Dekker novel that I enjoy: suspense, a sci-fi/supernatural twist, without the elements I shy away from.

Shauna McAllister awakes from a coma with six months of her memory wiped away. She's accused of doing things that she can't imagine doing, but how can she clear herself when she doesn't remember the most crucial time period. Out of necessity she leans on Wayne Spade and others that tell her she can trust them...but can she really? Then she discovers a hidden ability that pushes her as she struggles to solve the riddle of her past.

Kiss is the kind of book you should pick up when you have time to sit down and read it in its entirety. I anticipated a few of the twists, but couldn't turn the pages fast enough at the end.

Kiss is an interesting blend of what-if and humanity at it's worst, and it's most resilient.

Full of paranoia, back-stabbing intrigue and political posturing, Kiss delivers a page-turning read.

More cat and mouse than outright adrenaline, Kiss, also asks some deep questions about the human condition.

Ted Dekker fans won't be disappointed with his new book, Kiss, co-written with first-time novelist Erin Healy. Dekker's suspense-driven story line, in-depth characterization, and unexpected plot twists make this a satisfying read. As the book's protagonist, Shauna McAllister, is compelling, no doubt attributable, in part, to Erin Healy. I've read most of Ted Dekker's books, and this one is one of his best!

Ted Dekker knows how to spin a tale that makes the improbable seem possible. Whether it is a child who can heal multitudes as in "Blessed Child" or a woman who can steal memories from others through physical touch and emotional vulnerability as in "Kiss", Dekker's stories make the surreal come alive. In "Kiss" Dekker joins with author Erin Healy in creating a story that keeps the reader on edge and looking over his or her shoulder, never knowing who can be trusted. Although the story is billed by some as a romance, that isn't the central theme of the book. Heart-warming relational connections do find their way into the story, but the real thrill is in the suspense of a good mystery and in the psychological phenomena woven tightly in the plot.

Dekker's writing has drawn me in like few authors can. I hesitated to pick up the books because I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi or Fantasy fiction. But now I see that his writing is neither. There are no aliens or fantasy creatures. Instead, his style introduces supernatural events in everyday situations. Healy adds enough of the feminine touch to this story that both male and female readers will enjoy this gripping account of emotional healing and reconciliation. I give "Kiss" five big smackeroos.

First Sentence: I remember someone once telling me that you know it's cold when you see a lawyer with his hands in his own pockets.

DI Victor Ruiz is pulled from the Thames, nearly dead, with a serious gunshot and transient global amnesia.

Three years previous, 7-year-old Mickey Carlyle disappeared from within her building. A neighbor was convicted and everyone assumed Mickey was killed. Victor never believed Mickey was dead.

With the help of his friend, clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin, Victor's memories return that he was shot helping deliver a ransom for Mickey's return. Now convinced she is alive, not even those trying to kill him will stop Victor until he finds her.

Robotham set the hook with the first paragraph and kept me on the line until the very end. It is a gritty, fast paced psychological thriller, as well as a police procedural, but there is much more to it than that.

The characters are well developed; you learn the backgrounds of each as they story unfolds. I particularly enjoyed that Joseph O'Loughlin, the protagonist from Robotham's first book, played a significant role in this book as well.

I learned about the London sewer system and underground rivers, and transient global amnesia, which was fascinating.

The plot was as twisty as the sewer system and kept surprising me all the way to the end. This was a great read and an author I'm so glad I found.

There are critics who decide if a book is worth reading after a few pages, and thus use this to improve their chances against the old adage: so many books, so little time. These people would definitely have to keep on reading this novel, since Robotham catches our attention right from page one, with Inspector Ruiz on the verge of death after being shot in the leg and staying in the Thames for some time.

Ruiz's problem is not only the shooting, but also the fact that he lost all his memories regarding the event and the things that led to it. Thus starts a quest to find out what happened and how he got there. This is not an easy one, since he has to deal with superiors that suspect him of foul play, an old case involving the disappearance of a little girl, and some ruthless gangsters that will not back down, no matter what.

The process by which Ruiz starts remembering the past is extremely interesting, and this is helped by the first person narration in the novel. The involvement of a psychologist also helps uncover aspects of Ruiz childhood that are troubling for the inspector and help the reader understand this character better. There are a couple of points in which the novel comes up short though. Having an inspector that is close to retirement age, and with a wounded leg, involved in fights with younger people, chasing suspects, squeezing through sewers, and evading snipers, is a little too unrealistic for my taste. Also, I felt that close to the end of the novel, the intensity of the plot drops abruptly and this leads to a contrived solution.

Nevertheless, the negative points are more than outweighed by the good ones. This is a very good read and I recommend it to lovers of the psychological thriller genre.

Highly recommended. A great read.
PRO: Very well written. Nice mix of action and procedural. End twist never suspected. I learned a lot about unseen parts of London.
CON: The last part of the book, leading up to the final scene, is very rushed, and out of character with the care shown in the rest of the book. Almost as though the author had to meet a deadline or word limit.

In Suspect, the story unfolds from the perspective of Dr. Joseph O'Loughlin. In Lost, we `live' the story through the eyes of Detective Inspector Vincent Ruiz. Ruiz plays a supporting role in Robotham's 2007 release The Night Ferry.

Ruiz is an `in-your-face,' sometimes harsh character with a sly wit and good heart. He had been pulled from the Thames after being shot, and when he wakes from surgery, he has no memory of the shooting. To complicate matters, he has no memory of the days prior to the shooting.

Dr. O'Loughlin, a psychologist, works with Ruiz, who pieces together small details, memories just beyond his reach. Those remembered details and some pieces of physical items are enough to learn that he had been working on the disappearance of a young child, Mickey Carlyle. But Ruiz doesn't know why. The Carlyle case was closed three years ago and a man is in prison for her murder. Ruiz is also aware that he's working `independently' of his job and that's not sitting well with his superiors who eventually order him from the case under threat of suspension. It seems his amnesia is suspicious.

Ruiz, haunted by memories of his own childhood, defies his superiors and continues following the scant clues (including some flashes of memory). He believes that Mickey is alive and is determined to find her.

The journey to recover his memory and find Mickey is dangerous, both physically and career-wise. It sends him through the meanest streets of London on the trail of mobsters and pedophiles.

Robotham's Lost is dark and gritty with some well-placed humor that breaks the tension when it becomes too much. The characters are well-developed, flawed humans that shout, `real people.' His plot sizzles and takes the reader to the darkest side of humanity. But it's the relationship between the characters in a Robotham novel that is so enjoyable.

Armchair Interviews says: Lost: A Novel is a page-turner and highly recommended.

This is an absolute dazzler. Robotham is one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction. LOST has it all--a superb plot, engaging characters, pitch-perfect writing, some memorable bon mots and a magnificent sense of setting.

This is noir, London style. We're on the docks and in the sewers, and dodging the city's many underground rivers. The subterranean scenes are brilliantly executed and they manage to be intense without being too claustrophobic. The characters who guide Ruiz through this dark, watery, rat-infested London are straight out of Dickens.

Robotham lives in Australia, but he knows his London like a native and he has a perfect feel for the Russian underworld there. I don't want to inject any spoilers, but he has a scene at a dacha outside Moscow which is also authentic to the point of being painful.

I finished this book and purchased Robotham's next a few moments later. Do not miss this writer or this book. He understands the genre and his prose is exquisite. This is the real deal.

Marie tried.
Several times...
But she just couldn't... couldn't leave him.
Mike was so charming, warm, giving when they met.
He swooped her plumb off her feet!
At 20 he asked her to marry, and she was thrilled.
After several years however - it wasn't going so well.
He constantly berated her, checked the odometer for how many miles she drove, relentlessly questioned her.
(Later, it was found he stalked a previous girlfriend...)
Surely things would get better if she was more loving, giving, did exactly what he asked.
When he kept losing jobs, she automatically would take up the slack - cut back on items for the house, not buy clothes for herself so he could look great.
She loved him but what could she do?
She felt she was trapped. How could she disappoint her family...
How could she possibly endure his rage if she tried to leave? Perhaps he would seek retribution on her cats or worse, her family...
Co-workers noticed the bruising and "pinch marks", though she tried to hide them. Jackie, her best friend, confronted her about it - as best friends should do - and Marie struggled to explain.
Later, Jackie told the family that Marie confided that she and Mike had a huge fight and Jackie suggested that Marie come and stay.
But Marie didn't want to cause trouble.
That decision of Marie's ultimately cost her life, though she would suffer in almost complete silence for a number of years before she finally died.
How familiar does this sound?
We constantly hear tales of battered women's plight in our society, women that suffer in silence. Women from good homes, with often little outer sign of trouble... "A smile to hide the tears" as the song goes.
So why don't we, as a society, as friends, as family members, help women like Marie? Do we just not know? Can we turn a blind eye and say it doesn't affect me?
Later it would be discovered through medical records sealed for years and finally opened, that Marie had fractured both hip joints, cracked or broken multiple ribs on both sides, both knees, the upper part of her right leg, her right and possibly her left ankle and several vertebrae - yet she clung to life, desperate to tell her story, perhaps hoping to save someone else from this injustice.
After she was found unconscious in the hallway of their home and taken to the emergency room, Mike's lawyer arrived even before Marie's family did. Interestingly, Mike never performed CPR on her, though he had just completed the training. After several court cases, therapies were begun, only to be stopped repeatedly. Written records of her progress by her therapists (such as eating Jello and purposeful interaction) were expunged from her files before the next business day.
But Marie hung on. If she could just hang on long enough to tell her side of the story. But Mike still controlled. He wasn't about to let that happen...
This true story is ripe for a "John Grisham" to develop into a full-blown detective tale for the wide-screen. And like a good story or movie, you might think you know where the author is taking you or how things will turn out. The fun of a good story well told is that the writer continues to surprise you - to keep you turning the pages long after the light should be turned off.
In this case however there is no fun involved, for you already know who I'm talking about, though probably not by that name.
This is Theresa Marie Schindler Schiavo's story - Terri Schiavo.
Surprised?
Peruse the pages of this book - all telling a much different story than the one most of us heard.
So - one wonders... How much of this is going on in our country right now? As I write it is January, 2006. News earlier this week told of 19 workers in a hospice arrested for misuse of funds, neglect and abuse of patients.
Read to find out how to help the disabled amongst us who are at the mercy of unscrupulous characters. The frightening thing is -any of us might fit that description at one time or another - unless we as a country do something about it.

I purchased this book after reading Mark Fuhrman's Silent Witness. The passion which David writes with is profound. I found this book an amazing account of the injustice served on Terri. While I enjoyed reading it I had to take breaks occasionally because it was so intense and disturbing. How could something like this actually happen in the U.S.? I knew our justice system was flawed but I had no idea how much power one person could have and that someone could be killed through judicial homicide. This book will certainly have you thinking.

Every single one of us has a terminal body. Some of just have healthier terminal bodies. And some of us--like my newborn son--need substantial assistance to do something as simple as eating.

I don't expect my home state to order the withholding of nutrition to my son. But that is what the state of Florida--or, rather, one unchecked judge in Florida--ordered for someone else who could not feed herself: Terri Schiavo.

David Gibbs represented Terri Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, in the later stages of that tragic event in our nation's history. His account of that event, Fighting for Dear Life, brings to heart and mind again the maddening outcome, which has already seemingly faded so quickly from our nation's conscience. As Gibbs tells it, it is his story of:

"Why I fought for Terri.
Why I'd do it again.
And why I'd fight for you too."

Gibbs can't tell us why Terri Schiavo had to die. No human can. But Gibbs does tell us that Ms. Schiavo had minimal cognition; that her parents loved her and wanted nothing more than to care for her; that her husband had broken his marriage vows; that he refused to allow her to see the outside world or to allow the outside world see her; that he did not spend a dime of the medical malpractice judgment on her rehabilitation, despite telling the jury he would do so; that the only evidence of her supposed wish to die was her husband's and his family's hearsay statements, that the judicial system failed her, and that she died a painful, unnecessary death.

Few real life stories have such distinct Good Guys (Gibbs, the Schindlers, Ms. Schiavo herself, Governor Jeb Bush, President Bush, the Florida legislature, and the U.S. Congress) and Bad Guys (Michael Schiavo, George Felos, Judges George Greer and James Whittemore) as this one. If you care about life issues, and on the pro-life side, you will clinch your fists all over again.

Especially appreciated is the final five chapters, which are essentially a written sermon explaining the global importance of what we allowed to happen to Terri Schiavo. One can hope that Ms. Schiavo's story as told in Fighting for Dear Life will revive all of us again to a culture of life.

I have read comments and reviews elsewhere that say "Fighting for Dear Life" unfairly demonizes Michael Schiavo. I have to wonder if these people actually read this book, as the book shows no more demonization of him than what he clearly brought upon himself.

The justification for Michael's "right to die" case was that Terri wasn't really "there" anymore. Recall, however, that it was Michael who barred press coverage from Terri's room. It was Michael who kept visitors to an absolute minimum, right up to the end. It was Michael who exercised the strictest control over what the American public would see - and not see - of Terri. Why? If Terri was so self-evidently "not there anymore," why would he demand such restrictive coverage of her? Privacy? Dignity? I don't think so...if she was no longer "there," there was neither dignity nor sense of privacy left to violate.

If the accounts in this book are true, the reason for Michael's actions are obvious: Terri actually WAS "there" right up to the end, and Michael fully knew it. If the lawyer's accounts of Terri's capacities are true, letting the press in for unrestricted coverage would have blown Michael's entire case out of the water, and for all I know may have opened him up to all kinds of trouble. Best case scenario, he would have come out as the villain many people have long suspected he is.

So if you've read this book you have a choice to make: disregard this book as a pack of lies written by an ambulance chaser carrying on a vendetta for a bitter, grieving, vengeful family...or decide that Terri Schiavo really was "there" but was forced to die anyway.

Had the accounts contained in this book been made public two years ago, I believe this case would have ended differently.

This book was fantasically written and a true eye opener of the real facts! I was very saddened of the outcome, but it really makes you wonder...are all of your affairs are in order???